SERIOUSLY LOVING SWEDEN

Here are some photographs from one of our camping spots in Sweden. It was perfect and one of the most beautiful views to fall asleep to and wake up to. It was also the place where I first fell in love with Sweden. This was actually our first camping spot of our trip around Vänern lake and it was amazing. We were greeted with one of the most beautiful 

sunsets ever. I could sit there for hours watching the sunset and Ferdi fishing, which I actually did. And as you can see, I also took lots of photos.

I am so happy with these photographs. They are just as beautiful as that place was in real life and they make me fall in love with Sweden all over again. When can I go back?

I'm currently trying to find a place where my boyfriend and I can go for a little winter break. We both would really like to visit some snow, but we don't know where yet. Any tips?

COLD AS ICE

I had these three photographs on my phone which I made over the weekend and I kind of really like them. So I figured I'd post them in a little blog post. I'm loving the weather right now. It's cold, but bearable and a good opportunity to take some nice photographs. I have yet to go on a long walk and take lots of pictures. I just love bundling up with a chunky knit sweater, a big coat and a nice warm scarf and get out in the cold weather to enjoy the beauty of all the ice, frost, mist and the nature around me. Even the little things like the little white clouds your breath makes when exhaling,

the crunchy sounds you hear when walking on grass covered in ice, the patterns the ice makes on the windows of cars and homes. I love how slowly more and more people are decorating their houses for Christmas time and how the shops and streets are starting to look all Christmassy. I think it's a time where so many people are happy and enjoying buying presents for each other, or maybe even little presents for themselves, or enjoying a hot chocolate in a cute little cafe, or having fun ice skating on the market square. It's a great time to have a good time and I hope everyone is.

MEMORIES OF SNOW

A LITTLE THROWBACK

With the temperatures starting to drop below 0, I'm slowly starting to get my hopes up for a winter with lots of snow.
With a smile on my face I was remembering the times we had our little country covered in beautiful white snow. Which lead me to taking these pictures, from early 2015, out of my archives and sharing them with you for some winter spirit.

I have so many good memories of winter. As a kid I was always playing outside with my friends when it had snowed. I remember trying to build an igloo in which I wanted to spend the night, but never finishing it, because it took way too long. I remember having snowball fights on the school playground and being able to go to school on a sleigh instead of on my bike. I remember building snowmen in our backyard with my family. I remember the joy when it had frozen a couple of days, so we could go out ice skating and I remember me falling so many times but still finding it the most fun thing ever. I even remember my teacher once flooded the school playground, so we could ice skate during our lunch break. That was pretty much the best school day ever.
If this winter I can either go ice skating on real ice in front of my parents' home, or throw snowballs in the faces of my loved ones, my year is made.

I feel like when you get older, you forget how much fun winter can be. I hear so many adults complaining about the cold, the dark and the extra maintenance of houses and cars. I feel like they have forgotten to love it too. Yes it sucks freezing your ass of when clearing the snow and ice of your car, but that's definitely not all winter can bring. If there is one season of the year in which you can embrace your inner child, it's probably winter. Because who doesn't feel like a kid when you wake up to see the first bit of snow from your bedroom window, or when Christmas is coming to town, or see that pile of presents under the tree and that one with your name on it, or when you enjoy a good cup of hot chocolate after having a snow ball fight with friends and family. So if you're one of those people moaning about winter, remember your childhood memories and embrace your inner child and make this time of the year the most wonderful time of the year. And especially, don't forget to share this time with friends and family.

ETOS LIPSTICKS

REVIEW: ETOS COLOR CARE LIPSTICKS A short while back I popped into Etos for some lipstick shopping. I was looking for some lipsticks in nice wintery shades. While I was standing at the l'Oreal and Rimmel stands my eyes fell on the Etos own brand lipsticks. I hadn't tried them yet since they've re-branded and thought they looked nice enough to give them a try. So I swatched a couple on my hand and thought they looked quite promising. I bought a total of 5 lipsticks. We all know I'm bad at making decisions and can never choose just one. However, for €3.99 per lipstick, it's nothing to feel guilty about, is it? When I got home I was so excited to try them out, I immediately grabbed my camera and took some photographs of these beauties.  I think Etos did really well on the packaging of their products. I prefer lipsticks in black tubes. I feel like it gives the lipstick a classic, elegant and sleek look, plus, it brings out the colour of the lipstick bullet. In the bullet Etos engraved their logo, which is a nice detail. On the tube you can find the Etos logo again in black and underneath in reddish pink the words "color care". On the top of the lid they've put the name of the lipstick on a sticker in the colour of the bullet. This way you can easily see what colour the lipstick is gonna be and quickly grab the lipstick you're looking for.

From top to bottom: Juicy Gossip, Shake It Up, Absolutely Gorgeous, Dark Diva and Drama Queen

Juicy Gossip is a perfect brownish pinkish nude with a nice shine to it. Honestly I didn't expect this lipstick to be this great. It applies like butter and feels very moisturizing on the lips, almost like a lipbalm. I was also pretty amazed by the pigmentation. You're good with just one sweep and this lipstick applies evenly on the lips. Juicy Gossip is the perfect nude colour for me. Most nude lipstick colours are a little too light and make me look like a ghost. This nude however, is a little darker, which is perfect for me and makes this colour so very pretty. It also makes this lipstick the perfect nude lipstick for winter time. Juicy Gossip is a lipstick I will probably get a lot of wear out. It is definitely one of my favourites from the 5 I bought, maybe even my most favourite.

Absolutely Gorgeous is an orange shimmery lipstick. The subtle gold glitter is the reason I bought this colour. I thought it would be a nice way to add some sparkle to a holiday make up look. I expected this lipstick to be a little more brown toned, but instead it is a yellow toned orange, making it more of a summer lipstick instead of winter, but I'm a hundred per cent fine with that. It is indeed an absolutely gorgeous colour and very fun to wear. I don't think I'll be wearing this during the winter season, but it will be a nice colour to wear in the summer time. The colour actually reminds me a little of sunsets by the sea with its golden sparkle and orange colour. Absolutely Gorgeous is again very easy to apply due to it's creamy consistency. It feels really soft on the lips and very moisturizing. The coverage is really good as well and just like Juicy Gossip, you only need one sweep. Make sure you let the lipstick dry and set before you eat or drink anything, because it smears very easily when just applied. It's that creamy.

Drama Queen is a nice colour for the holiday season. It is a pretty pink toned red lipstick which looks a little berry coloured in certain light. It is very shiny and almost looks like a lip gloss on. It also has some shimmer in it making it very festive. In my opinion it is a nice "in between" colour, meaning it is not too in your face and out there, but it is a noticeable colour. Which makes this the perfect lipstick if you want to start wearing bolder colours. Drama Queen is not a colour i grab for often. Although I do really like it.

I'm just gonna force myself to wear these colours more. When applying this lipstick I was again pleasantly surprised by the formula of these Etos Color Care lipsticks. Just like the two above, this lipstick applies smoothly and evenly. It feels soft and moisturizing on the lips. It honestly feels like applying a lip butter. Just like Absolutely Gorgeous you have to wait until the lipstick has set and dried before eating and drinking, because it is so creamy and smears easily. The lipstick stays in place better once it has dried.

Shake It Up is a berry red pink and in my eyes the bolder less shimmery and more pinky version of Drama Queen. This lipstick was the first of the five I decided to buy. The swatch on my hand sold me in an instant. I am a sucker for these colours. The photographs don't really do this colour justice. In real life it is a little more berry toned. In my opinion this colour can be worn all year round. It is perfect to make any look a little more exciting. I can't wait to wear this colour to a party. Together with Juicy Gossip it is my favourite out of the bunch. The consistency of this lipstick is also similar to Juicy Gossip: smooth, moisturizing and applies evenly. I like the consistency of these two lipsticks better than the consistency of Absolutely Gorgeous and Drama Queen. They just sit a little bit better and there's less chance of them smearing. Overall a perfect lipstick. I might not get that much wear out if it, because the colour is so out there, but I am very happy to have this lipstick in my collection.

Dark Diva is a deep brown purple/red. It is the type of colour I rarely wear, but really love. I just have a big love for dark vampy lipsticks and that is what Dark Diva is, a dark vampy gorgeous coloured lipstick. But sadly that's where my love for Dark Diva stops. The swatch on my hand in the store looked really promising, but once I applied it on the lips I was disappointed. Especially since the formula of the other lipsticks was pretty good. Dark Diva is less pigmented which is a shame for such a beautiful deep colour. It does feel soft and moisturizing on the lips, but it lacks coverage. It is patchy and uneven and looks a bit weird. Some spots are a little darker and some spots barely have any lipstick on them. Adding extra layers didn't really help either. I have seen other bloggers with reviews of this particular lipstick and it looked great on them. I am going to try out different ways to apply this lipstick in the hope to find a way that makes this lipstick apply evenly, because this colour is too beautiful to just give up on.

BACK IN NATURE

FOREVER LOVING SNOW