Douglas Box of Beauty February 2012 - it's a good one

Today I received the February Douglas Box of Beauty and I have to say it's a good one. Without any further introduction here are the contents.

The original size this month is the Santaverde Aloe Vera Cream. Santaverde is an organic skin care brand and I like it. I've already tried several of their products and so far they seem to be constantly very good. I hope spring is coming soon since this dank weather really mars my mood. I plan on using this cream in spring and sommer since aloe vera is a light moisturizer and really helps to fight sun damage.

The 4 samples this month are:
* BOSS Orange perfumed shower gel - well, ok, it's a nice smelling shower gel ... thinking about it: now I don't need to buy a new one on Monday, win! :)
* Dr. Scheller Calendula hand cream - still an all time favourite. I received another tube in my November Glossy Box last year and that one is already gone.
* Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - Although I like the concept of nighttime skin care in general I constantly forget to apply it. Nowadays it's more like washing my makeup off and passing out face down on my bed.
* Charlotte Mentzen day care & night care - This is a BIG sample. Charlotte Mentzen is another organic skin care brand (they seem to focus a bit on organic skin care this month) and I love their Body Relax Body Butter with pomegranate.

So this is my short roundup. If there should be a product I absolutely love you'll get to know since it'll appear in my favourites!

Have a great evening and of course Sunday!

theBalm Read My Lips Lipstick in Wanted

Let me introduce you to theBalm Read My Lips Lipstick in Wanted!
Actually I was searching for something completely else but by accident I found this lipstick in one of my drawers and remembered just how much I liked it. The packaging is very pretty but not really stable since it is made of paper. I found this lipstick quite moisturizing and kind of refreshing (I suppose it contains Menthol). Although I have to admit the colour per se looks much more intense than it turns out on my lips but I like it nevertheless. The colour of the lipstick looks like a deep, intense red but I think on my lips you can see a hint of pink.

source

and in reality ...

Oh, and looking at the photo above, I have to tell you it is quite shiny but not as much as a lip gloss would be!

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Have a lovely evening! xxx

Lancôme Trésor Midnight Rose

I bought a perfume: Lancôme Trésor Midnight Rose. Besides the fact that the advertisement and the TV spot suggest - well, in my oppinion they do - that it is suited for younger target customers, I actually like it a lot.

I couldn't find the TV spot so I included a behind the scenes footage! :)

According to the Lancôme website it has got top notes of raspberry, black currant bud absolute, middle notes of rose absolute and jasmine, and base notes of vanilla and musk. Although I have to admit you can smell the raspberry the outstanding tone I recognized immediately was black currant. If you asked me how black currant smelled I couldn't describe it to you but I assure you this perfume does - if that makes sense. The rose is very subtle and after about three hours I begin to smell the vanilla and by the end of the day I notice the musk. Maybe the name - Midnight Rose - is a bit misleading, well, for me it is since I wouldn't associate rose with this perfume in the first place. Nevertheless I highly recommend this perfume if you like feminine, sweet scents.

Look at the flacon, isn't it pretty?

 

I wish you all a good and successful week!

My week in pictures #1

I thought I could do a short post with all the photos I took randomly during the last week! Here you go!

Apparently I like pasta a lot.

I tried to bake mini muffins and they turned into mini volacanoes -  besides that they were actually really good!

I had a drink in the evening ... yes, I love my vintage glasses!

I got caught in a snow storm.

Well, thinking about it, it looks like my week mostly consisted of eating. That's not true, trust me! :)

Have a nice weekend!

December & January Favourites

To conclude the old year and to kick-start the new, here are my favourites of December and January! :)

* L'Oréal Double Extension Mascara with Re-Novation Serum - I really like it, mainly since it washes off under water without any soap.
* Astor Mattitude Anti Shine High Definition 16 h Make Up with SPF 22 in 001 Ivory - It has got everything I look for in a makeup.
* Dr. Eckstein Active Concentrate Vitamin Complex- It's bitter cold outside and this really soothes my skin.
* Lavera Faces MyAge Intensive Eye Cream - I had a really bad allergy back in December and this cream saved my eye area, Lavera is a natural cosmetics brand and so far I think I'll stick with it.
* Korres Wild Rose Lip Butter - Moisturizing and gives a hint of colour.

* Elnett hair spray - I started to curl my hair and this really fixes the curls without weighing them down.
* Aveda Smooth Infusion style-prep smoother - It's a heat protectant and also protects your hair from humidity.
* Ligne St. Barth's Avocado Oil - Please read my post about it.

* My BaByliss conical wand - Told you I started to curl my hair! :)

* Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine Nail Enamel in Rose Lounge - This goes with everything and so I've used it straight for the last two months.

* Givenchy Very Irresistible Eau de Parfum - I love that smell, definitely feminine and flowery with a touch of roses. Sadly I don't have much left and I think I'll shed a tear when the last splash is gone.

* Coffee with family and friends and just relaxing!

 I wish you all a great week!

Fondant au Chocolat mini cakes

I am no pro in the kitchen but I can cook. I despise fancy tarts but I love simple, delicious chocolate cakes. My all time favourite is the Fondant au Chocolat. I used to bake it in a Kaiser LaForme Springform like this one.

But nowadays I simply use muffin papers in a muffin pan. This way I get many little cakes and they're easier to store than a big one.

I use the following recipe:

150 g butter (good one)
150 g dark chocolate (65-75%)
50 g sugar
130 g eggs

The key to success is the ratio between the ingredients thus 130 g of eggs. And no, I didn't forget the flour or baking powder.
160 °C / fan, about 16-20 minutes according to your oven, you don't want your cakes to be liquid but you don't want them dry either. From minute 15 to {insert finishing time} I continually poke one cake with a chopstick to examine the texture.

And here they are! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!