5/30/2013

Nivea


I had a really good time at the Nivea product launch at beautiful hotel Sanssouci. Besides the stunning location and great decor - all aqua themed, which is the reason for my blue pictures :) - the presentation of the new products was highly professional and interesting. There were experts flown in to talk about the newest additions to the Nivea family and I enjoyed the slightly scientific approach to the cosmetic topics. The only 'con' among all the 'pro's was the choice of mannequins in the new adverts. I mean, models in their (early) twenties are not quite the target group of anti-aging products, right? I'll never get that. I won't show you those here on the blog for the same reason. My family loved their presents, though ;)

Love, Julie.

The brand-new innovation and main reason for the presentation was the in-shower moisturizer. It works totally effortlessly while you're in the shower - it's like a body lotion that you apply after your shower and rinse off your body like a shower gel. It leaves your skin soft from head to toe and is the perfect alternative for all lazy creamers out there. Like me. It comes in two versions: for normal skin and for dry skin and is worth a try, I promise.

The second product I totally fell in love with is the Nivea sun protect & refresh spray! I tested that one on the few hot days so far and it's now my number one beauty/body care product for this summer. I love it for two reasons: 1.) it's not sticky and SO easy to apply and 2.) it doesn't feel like sun protection at all but totally like a refreshing spray. Cools you down on the beach :) 

These products on the picture were sent to me some time ago - I receive quite a lot from the brand at the moment - and wanted to show them to you for I really like most of them, although I didn't use to buy them before. No I kinda stick to the brand even if I actually gotta buy them. That sounds a little awkward, haha. The shower gels are my favourites!

1.) Light moisturizing day cream: With vitamins and natural lotus extract this day cream moisturizes and   protects for a fresh skin feeling.
2.) Repair and beauty labello: Lip care that instantly relieves and soothes severely dry, sensitive lips.
3.) Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream enriched with Vitamin E and Hydra IQ: Provides intensive moisture, supports the skin's regenerating process during the night with its Provitamin B5 formula and supports the skin’s moisture balance.
4.) Dry confidence roll-on: Contains a highly effective anti-perspirant formula for a dry and confident feeling. I must say that I'm a little suspicious towards deodorants now I know about the sickening effect of aluminum on our bodies.
5.) Soft soufflé: Softly moisturizing with a rich formula.
6.) Surpreme touch cream shower: Cleanses and nurishes the skin and leaves a decent scent on your skin.
7.) Pure and natural moisturizing face mask: intense skincare for all skin types.

5/29/2013

Maxi dress


Those pictures were taken earlier that spring when the weather used to be perfectly summerly. At the moment, we can only dream of higher temperatures and sunny days, but hey - at least we know it'll come back someday. Until then, enjoy these cozy, snuggled up times!

Love, Julie.
Dress: H&M, Jacket: Zara, Bag: Liebeskind, Shoes: Deichmann, Necklace: Vintage

5/25/2013

NYC Style


Sex and the City, Gossip Girl and all those glossy TV series create a very glamorous picture of NYC and especially the NYC style. Of course, this hasn't got anything to do with reality and there are only very few high heeled women on the streets at daytime. NYC is generally kinda laid back and I couldn't see 'the' typical NYC style. What I did see was a clear trend that could have been witnessed on hundreds of people in town - either New Yorkers wear Nike Frees or Tom's! That's like an unwritten law. Other than that, varieties in style are closely linked to the different boroughs. Williamsburg is more like a little 'Hipanema' with all those vintage shops and hipster people (reminded me a bit of London), whereas Queens is more the sweats kinda district. But I truly think that there's a place for everybody in NYC, no matter how crazy or which subculture he/she belongs to. That's what's so special about this town. Here are some of my NYC outfits!

Love, Julie.

Sweater: Forever21, Skirt: Zara, Bag, Tights: H&M, Boots: MaxShoes,
Midi Ring: Urban Outfitters, Other Rings: I am


Crop Top: Topshop, Jeans Shirt: Primark, Skirt: Vintage, Boots: MaxShoes,
Tights, glasses, ring: H&M, Necklace: Forever21
Blazer: Primark, Shirt, Tights, Sunnies, Beanie, Ring: H&M, Skirt: Zara,
Chelsea Boots: Deichmann

5/20/2013

NYC Food


During our eight days in NYC we spent a whole lot of time eating! Fortunately, our group of four was really harmonious and as we all like to try new restaurants, too, we've had fun times going out together and enjoying some delicious meals. And frankly, what better way can you think of getting to know a country/city better than by adapting the eating habits of its townsfolk? To my surprise, people in New York don't fit in the American nutritional picture - at least those Manhattan residents. I've never been to a city where its inhabitants are so fit and slim like Manhattan people! They are running around in their Nike Frees or Heels, being ridiculously skinny, enjoying some fresh salad or green juice. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Of course, this scenario changes as you go to other parts of the city e.g. Queens. Eating fresh and healthy is much more expensive than buying junk food (at least in NYC), so the division of those different eating habits into the different districts is kinda obvious. The reason why you see a lot of junk in that post is a simple one: I can eat tons of salad at home but nobody does hamburgers and fries like Americans - even in Manhattan ;) Here are some of my favourite NYC dining spots! 

Love, Julie.


5 Napkin Burger Hell's Kitchen: 630 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Seriously, these pictures speak for themselves! That veggie burger is amazeballs, as are the fries and onion rings. The location is super cool as well and I would have loved to try the delicious looking milk shakes if I had had a tiny empty space left in my stomach.


 
Verb Cafe: 218 Bedford Ave, New York, NY 11211
Welcome to hipster paradise :) That place must have been there long before the word 'hipster' became so fashionable in Europe! Delicious bagels, hummus, chai and fresh orange juice are the perfect breakfast and a good start to stroll around the little vintage shops in the street. Plus: there's a photo booth outside the cafe!

Magnolia Bakery: 401 Bleecker St,  New York, NY 10014
Although that's a very popular spot in NYC, I wanna tell you something about the bakery. First, it's a darling place full of charming little details that are more vintage like than glamorous. It really is so pretty but extremely tiny! There's a newspaper article in the shop that relates to Sex and the City and Carrie's house is just around the corner. (Looking kinda different, though.) The cupcakes are looking beautiful but in fact don't taste well. As in all other cupcake bakeries I've tried in NYC, they are much too fat and sugary. The brownies at Magnolia are a different story and I would rather advice you to try them instead of their famous, not so delicious cupcakes.

McDonalds:
No adress here - there are McD's everywhere around town. They do have different meals than in Europe (Austria) and are a cheap and kinda yummy alternative to 'real' restaurants. You get two very delicious apple pies (that actually taste like real cinnamon apple pie!!) for one dollar. SO GOOD.

 Sushi Park: 121 E 2nd Ave (between 7th St & St Marks Pl) New YorkNY 10003
That sushi bar located in exciting East Village is a totally cozy place with great food and surprisingly low prices! There's even a dollar menu! All products are high quality and that restaurant's definitely worth a try.

    
 Nathan's and Auntie Anne's: Nathan's Famous-Coney Island Boardwalk - Boardwalk and Stillwell Brooklyn, NY 11224 
Coney Island is a great place to hang out on a sunny day! There a numerous outdoor seats to enjoy your meal and the lovely beachside. Nathan's a fast food restaurant with yummy dishes, such as clam chowder etc. and Auntie Anne's is an amazing pretzel take away next to Nathan's. I realized that Americans love pretzels but when I first tried those cinnamon pretzel bites, I was in 7th heaven!! That stuff seriously is so tasty! I had to buy it again on our terminal at JFK airport before leaving.

   
Bagels!! I love bagels. They are my typical NYC food and can be found almost everywhere around town. A great cafe is near Topshop and the loveliest bagel of our trip was prepared at a restaurant of the  famous sandwich chain 'Lenny's' near the Staten Island Ferry station.


 Target: 139 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY Atlantic Terminal
Target is a huge shop selling all kinds of groceries, drugs, toys, clothes, decoration etc. I was overwhelmed by the size of this shop and especially the countless products you can find there. I ended up spending three hours and 150$ on pushing my cart through the shelves and hallways and buying tons of incredible sweets, stationary and a couple of souvenirs for my family. Cray cray!!

Further nice restaurants:

Grimaldi's: Under the Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Front Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Delicious pizza restaurant!! Be prepared to wait in line for 30-60 minutes, though. It's no longer 'in fashion' in NYC to take reservations, which makes it almost impossible to get a table in a fancy restaurant without queuing! 

St. Anselm: 355 Metropolitan Ave, BrooklynNY 11211 nr. Havemeyer St.
St. Anselm is a steakhouse serving amazing food that is being freshly cooked in front of the guests. It's more like a cozy bar with dimmed lights and great drinks (first time ordering cream soda for me - yumm!) which makes it even more comfortable. The stuff is the nicest you can imagine and that salmon steak is indescribably good. Again, you have to wait to get seated but next door is a nice bar where you can spend your time until you get informed on your free table.


5/13/2013

A NYC diary



Due to a devastating tragedy that occurred to my family, I extended my blogging break to kinda sort things out again. However, blogging is a good distraction and I really wanna show you all the pictures I've taken over the last weeks, starting with the NYC-series I have planned for ages. I am now gonna give you a first overview about our adventure and show you some of my most favourite random pics. Other NYC posts will cover food and personal style pictures. For now, I'll let the photos speak for themselves and wish you much fun discovering them. Tell me your experiences as well!

    Love, Julie.

View from the Staten Island Ferry (so nice and it's for free!!)
At Ground Zero - Such a quiet area; really moving
Williamsburg, Bedford Ave.
Central Park
Times Square
Target's a dream shop!!
That's what happens when you're under 21 and finding a club you're actually let in!
Brighton Beach and Coney Island
Grand Central Station
Brooklyn Heights - Loving that place!

The Flatiron - Crazy and super cool!!
Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes - Cute to look at but not yummy :(
Brooklyn Bridge - Amazing by day, spectacular by night!