Review: Wiesmann Tiffany 257 Balconnet 65E

  I went bra shopping in Krakow determined to buy Ewa Michalaks, and surprisingly came out with this gem of a bra. I had never even heard of the Wiesmann lingerie before, apparently they are a Polish brand that produce bras starting at 65 band, going up to K cup (in the smaller bands).

    It is not very easy to find well-fitting sheer cups, and balconette-cut at that. I am really happy with this bra, and will definitely consider Wiesmann when I buy bras in the future.

  My breast type: currently my measurements are 69/85. My breasts are tear-shaped (bottom-heavy) and rather wide-spaced; and broader at the root (I prefer wider underwires).

Aesthetics: 4/5

    The cups have two layers of lace, so the bra is quite transparent and has a light, airy look. The cups are embroidered in black flowery patterns and red flowers. The decoration between the cups harmonises really well with the flowers. The center of the lower edge is edged with lace
   I give it four stars because even though it is pretty, it doesn't sweep me away. But the I guess there is only so much you can do with a black lace bra.
   The shape it gives is not quite rounded, the breasts
and it pushes the breasts up ever so slightly. I love balcony-cuts for their "apples in a basket" effect.

Fit: 5/5

   This bra runs a cup size small! I went for a cup bigger than usual to get the correct fit.
   The band is rather snug, I got the 65(30) because it was the smallest band size they had, and am satisfied. However if you wear a bigger band size there is no need to go up a band size, since the band is not that tight.
   The top edges of the cups are edged with a thin elastic on the inside. I was afraid that it would cut into the breast, but it doesn't; and it stops the lace from sticking away at the top (a common problem with breasts that are not full on top).
   The underwires go up high in the front and poked me when I first tried the bra on, but the Brafitteria lady bent them for me (next week I'll who you how she did it). They have been very comfortable since.
   The straps are removable! I love this because I can switch them up and use a halter-neck strap for example. If you wear a smaller size you could also use the bra as a strapless, if you are not going to be jumping around too much.

Comfort: 5/5

   Absolutely no complaints there! After the wires had been bent away everything is perfect. The lace is comfortable too, nothing scratches.

Summary:

   I would totally buy this bra again! This will definitely not be the last Wiesmann bra I will be trying on.

Wiesmann Tiffany 257 Balconnet Stats:

Band unstretched: 62

Band stretched to the maximum: 85cm

Underwire length: 24,5cm

Underwire width: 13,5cm (bent)

   These measurements have been taken after appx. 20 wears :)

Update: how to buy

   The Weissmann website doesn't say anything about international shipping, but google seems to throw up many of their bras in online stores of various countries, even as far as Philippines. US readers can check out LacyHint and Baroness, Priceminister for the French, shopalike for the Swiss, Yatego for the Germans, Stylishitalian for the Brits. Brandsfever (Singapore and around?) also seems to have Weissmann. Or just google!


Do any of you know anything about Wiesmann? What do you think of the lingerie on their website?

Spicebox Giveway!

   Hey everyone, in a mood for something spicy this autumn? Spicy Subscriptions is like Glossybox but with romantic items instead of beauty products.
"These popular boxes will be full of fun, romantic accessories and are packed with: intimate toys, massage oils, sexy lingerie, romantic fragrances and more" -- all delivered to your doorstep every month, discreetly packed. Just take a look at their site for more details.

  This Halloween, Spicy Subscriptions is giving away a full-sized products! To win, just enter the rafflecopter giveway below. The suprise item will arrive discreetly packaged at your doorstep.

The giveway is open worldwide, and will run till 16 of August. be sure to check this blog to see if you won, as sometimes the winning email gets stuck in the spam folder. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you´d like a box full of romantic goodies delivered at your doorstep every month, use this coupon code and get 5% off your order!

Fantastic Manga Films You Should See

   If you have never seen an anime, you might think it's just cutesy stuff for kids / weird Japanese stuff / Pokemon. Actually, Manga is a word for animated Japanese films, and they come in all genres -- from cutsey family fun to deep thoughtful stories to science fiction and action to romance to stuff so gory I can't watch it. There are full-length movies, serials, shorts and everything in between. Some have breathtakingly beautiful animation, the likes of which is rarely seen in western animated stuff. Also, if you think that anime is something for girly-girls, my husband (who would run far, far away if someone made him watch a chic flick) loves anime as much as I do (actually, even more)!

   Here I would like to share a couple of my favourite Mangas. Be sure to share yours at the end, I'm dying for new good stuff to watch!

 My Neighbour Totoro:

   I love all Miyasaki's films, but this is the most magical and captivating one. I could re-watch it a hundred times and never get tired of it. I highly recommend Miyasaki's films for kids, as they are fabulously gender-neutral (my daughter loves the kick-ass princess Nausicaa), and the story is uplifting and not just mindless entertainment. For adults, the Pom Poko is one of the most hilariously WTF movies I have ever seen.

Cherry Blossom / Cosmonaut / 5 Centimeters Per Second

   These three episodes make up the most beautifully animated film I have ever seen. It is a slow and bittersweet story of lovers drifting apart. Stunning.

Ghost in the Shell

   For those of you who love action and science fiction, Ghost in the Shell is a great choice. A seriously good story, powerful animation, and the music. Ah, the music.

Wolf's Rain

   One of my favourite manga series, taking place in a post-apocalyptic world. The protagonists are a bunch of young people who are actually shape-shifting wolves on the search for Paradise. The ending still haunts me.

Howl's Moving Castle 

   A young girl gets turned into an old woman by a magic spell, and her adventures lead her to a young egoistic wizard, a walking castle and a cute evil fire demon. I loved this one.

Samurai X

   A series the story of a young boy who is an ex-assassin, trying to atone and build a new life. The tale has lots of dark moments, but a lot of delightful humour too. Oh, and butt-kicking ladies. The story also has a historical background, and I was fascinated about the history of the last of the samurais, the first contacts with the west, as well as the crazy "son of god" who led an early christian sect. I didn't find a trailer for the series, but here is the first episode on Youtube. There is also a movie based on the series, titled Rurouni Kenshin.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

    A fun story of a tomboyish schoolgirl who accidentally acquires the ability to time travel. Also, love the spunky lead character. This film is totally adorable!

Voices of a Distant Star 

   Imagine your loved one sets off in a spaceship into space. You text each other, but the time it takes for the message to arrive takes longer and longer: minutes, then months, then years...

Neon Genesis Evangelion

   A apocalyptic mecha action story one for fans of sci-fi / robots. It starts out as your regular the-world-will-end-and-only-this-boy-can-save-it thing and gradually develops into something powerful, scary and at times seriously weird. I also love all the hidden symbolism and double-meanings. The series has been remade into the slightly more compact film Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, which I personally liked more (even though I fell asleep before the end -- I was dead tired and it was very late, but I still can't forgive myself!). Oh, and I loved the Pen Pen the penguin who makes random appearances throughout the story.



   A couple of others that I enjoyed are: The Animatrix (my favourite was Beyond), Inuyasha (which my brothers religiously watched but I had missed the beginning and could never quite follow the story). I also watched a couple episodes of Elfen Lied, but it was too gory even though brilliantly made (but I did grow to love Klimt's paintings thanks to this series). Also, I watched a bit of Emma which is a Victorian romance -- a good one if you like Victorian romances (I couldn't sit through it, just like I couldn't sit through Pride and Prejudice even though I adore Keira Knightley).

   Do you like to watch mangas? Got any recommendations for me?

Alverde Products Sneak Peek + DM Beauty Camp + Couchsurfing Experience

via Lashout.de

   I had a crazily interesting weekend in Düsseldorf: I attended a blogging camp, saw a preview of Alverde products (and even suggested a couple of products ideas), met lovely bloggers and had another amazing Couchsurfing experience.

   The Drogerie-store DM organised blogging camp in Düsseldorf and to my surprise I got selected (if you are wondering how one gets invited to such things: I simply signed up to their newsletter for bloggers, and then applied to get in the Beauty Camp). I was delighted and nervous -- I would be meeting other bloggers, and not sure what to expect.
    The hotel where the Camp was being held was bursting with well-dressed women, electronic gadgets and good food. The girls were all really friendly, I think I have not had so much eye contact since I came to Germany. You could spot the nail bloggers by their amazing nails. Everyone was carring phones, cameras and ipads, and eating. There was really good food, everyone snapping photos of everything, and conversations about blogs, blogging, and did I mention blogging? I spotted the writer of Alabastermaedchen, but I lost here again before I could talk to her which I regret -- I really like her blog. I also have to mention the gorgeous InFatStyle -- I couldn´t take my eyes off her. I talked to a bunch of lovely ladies, exchanged business cards and picked up quite a lot of interesting blogging tips.
    The main content of the day were workshop, some by professionals and some by the bloggers. The first one was from two lawyers who explained the legal dos and don´ts of blogging. I loved loved loved this session, it was amazing to have professionals explaining the stuff. To sum it up they told us that to avoid getting into trouble we should research to make sure our blog names aren´t similar to any brand or company name, have a proper impressum (legal discolsure) page on the blog (legally required on all blogs that aren´t strictly personal/family), and to not use photos of other photographers as copyright on images is very strong. You can use photos of any product you like as long as you are using it in the context of a review; and you can criticise a product as long as you don´t slander the brand or make an unprovable statement (X dried out my face is fine, brand Y is shit is not). Funnily, the lawyers said something about us having to pay attention to the legal stuff instead of just "making-up our fingers". Everyone laughed and finger-makeup became the running gag of the day on the Social Wall. Ah, the wall: it was a screen that showed the current tweets, instagram facebook posts, and it was surreal to see this whole digital conversation going on parallel to the sessions. It was fun to play with, till I realised I was missing bit of the session around me.
    I held a session too, about increasing traffic to your blog. I think it went pretty well, I was quite nervous but apparently it didn´t show. I am thinking to write a post based on that session, would you be interested? The photo on the top is me giving a mini-interview after my session.
    The biggest disappointment was that a lot of other sessions planned by other bloggers didn´t happen, for a bunch of different reasons. I had really been looking forward to them.

    So what else happens at a beauty camp? There were stands from the main brands of DM: Balea, Alverde and P2, where you could get your nails, hair and makeup done as well as ask questions about the products. I totally regret at not being able to get my hair done -- the Balea hairdressers were conjouring all kinds of amazing hairdos, but the queue was always very long. Waaah!

More photos of the event here.
   I spent a lot of time talking to the lovely guy in the Alverde room. I like Alverde because they were (probably) the first brand in Europe that made certified natural cosmetics affordable.
And here is the scoop:

   The 2-phasen Sprühkur (two-phase spray conditioner) is coming out in a new formula, this time with less oil. It is a light leave-in conditioner, and can be used on towel-dried hair as well as for refreshing your hair after a disco or travelling. I use it to reactivate my waves and curls. Oh, and I learned that I was supposed to shake the bottle before using to mix the water and oil phase!

I´m pretty excited about the new products for coloured hair:

Also, new hair styling products from Alverde! I can't wait to try the Alverde mousse (Schaumfestiger), I've never tried a natural one yet:

    I suggested a couple of products to the DM guy: a micellar cleanser and a protein masque, as well as a mini-deodorant. If I ever actually see these on the DM shelves, I will squeal with joy and do a raw dance right there!

   I did get my makeup done at Alverde, a lovely smokey eye. These are the lovely ladies that did the makeup:

   And here is my makeup. In reality it was much darker than on the photo, definitely a night look. (I totally need to learn how to photograph makeup, anyone know of a good tutorial?). She used baked eyeshadows from Alverde, 01 all over and 02 above the crease and below the lower lashes. What I liked is that she also used the 01 eyeshadow as a highlighter on my cheeks -- I have never used a really shimmery highlighter before and it really goes well with the shimmery eyes.

 

   I also got a ton of stuff from the DM brands.: there were samples lying around, I got a gift box as a thanks for holding the session, and a very full goodie-bag at the end with products. You'll be seeing most of them in future reviews.


   After the Beauty Camp I wanted to take my smokey eyes out to party. I was couch-surfing with a delightful British girl (in case you haven´t heard of it, Couch Surfing is a web site where you can offer to host someone in your home or find a host on your travels -- for free). My host was working that night so she sent me off to her friends who were having a house party. I ended up having a great time with a very international bunch of friendly people, we begged for dough at a local pizzeria and made pizza, played music and I made the classical mistake of spilling red wine on a white couch (and a bunch of guests).

  The next day I ended up walking around Düsseldorf old town (not very impressive but has a friendly atmosphere), and getting drunk on two Killepitsch and taking very wonky shots of aforementioned old town, then drinking amazing hot chocolate and almost missing my train home. A funny thing happened: we were trying to find a place to eat dinner, I wanted to go to Zicke which was recommended by the Lonely Planet guidebooks and my host knew a nice place called Flakes in the area. We ended up here, and argued about whether the sign says Flakes or Zicke. What do you think?

    It was a really great experience and I can't wait to a) attend some kind of blogger meet-up, b)  another collaboration or camp with DM and c) Couch-surf!

  Have you ever been to a blogger meetup? Or to Duesseldorf? Anyone know of a good tutorial on photographing makeup?

An Easy Way To Calculate Your Correct Bra Size

   This post was borught in partnership with Debenhams lingerie. Seriously, when I was in the UK I was so jealous that you can just go in there and actually find sizes like 28DD hanging on a rack, and they are cute and affordable! And on that note, Debenham's has a lovely online store with lingerie and more, and international shipping to many countries.

   I have already written a measuring guide using tables and a good size calculator. However when I´m nowhere near a computer, I like to use a very simple method for calculating someone´s bra size. All you need is a measuring tape that uses inches.
  This method works only in the UK sizing. If you are in the US, you may still find that many brand with a bigger range of sizes use the UK system, as the US system is very unorganised.

How to calculate your bra size:

1. Measure tightly under the bust, on exhale.
2. Measure loosely in the bust, once standing and once leaning forward. If the difference is bigger than two inches, use the average of the two numbers. If less, use the leaning measurement.
3. Calculate the difference between the bust and the underbust measurement. Each inch stands for a cup size. For example, if the underbust measurement is 30 inches and the bust measurement is 36, the difference is 6 inches. That means an E cup (the cups go: A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF; G, GG, H, HH, I, JJ, K, KK) (and no, I have no idea why this sequence is so weird). Less than one inch is an AA cup.
4. Round up your underbust measurement (from step 1) to the nearest even number (if necessary). This is your band size.

5. You got your band and cup size now! Remember that this size is just a starting point, not the final verdict. Try on bras not only in the size you just got from the calculations, but also nearby sizes. Here is how to tell if a bra fits correctly or not.
6. If at this point you are going: "no way I can be an __ cup", you need to know the secrets of the Bra Matrix. And do take a look at these amazing before and afters!
7. This method is not very accurate in the bigger cup sizes (around G and up). You will definitely need to try on several different sizes to find the correct one. Also, read this post on tips on fitting G+ cups.
8. If your underbust measurement is bigger than 36 inches, might need a smaller band size than what this method tells you. This is explained in this post on fitting bigger band sizes.
9. When in doubt (or kinda between sizes), go for the smaller band and the bigger cup.
10. Breasts come in all kinds of shapes, and the firmness and even your body type can influence the size you need to try. Here are a couple of posts with tips on bra fitting for petites, tall women, plus sizes, pectus excavatum, pendulous breasts and migrated breast tissue and shallow breasts. There is tons of info and tips on this blog about where to shop, what to buy, different bra styles, as well as solutions to all kinds of problems.
11. Always remember to scoop and swoop when putting on a bra. I can´t stress how important this is!

   Another thing I like about this method that it demonstrates simply how cup size is not static but is relative to band size (what this means is that a 34B is a bigger cup size than a 32B; or that the cups of a 36D, 34DD and 32E are the same size.)

   If you have just discovered your correct bra size for the first time, have fun in this new world where bras are comfortable, supportive and pretty, no matter what your size is. If you have been reading this blog for a while, I'd love to know whether you prefer to calculate bra sizes this way or do you just use the calculator of Sophisticated pair, or maybe another method?

My Best Blogging Tips And Advice

via Pola Cherie

   I have been blogging since 2007, and during this time I have gathered a bit of experience and wisdom that I'd like to share. Obviously my advice is biased towards bloggers who blog as a hobby, however I'd say that most advise here will be useful for everyone. Here are my very best blogging tips, learned the hard way:

Stop clinging to your images:

   In the world of pinterest, weheartit and tumblr the internet is zipping away from copyright and towards open source. You images will get shared and reshared and reposted and pinned, and on the way they will lose their context and the link to you. I refuse to think of this as "stealing". It's not like someone is taking the original image away from me. I do however add the name of my site to the images, because hopefully they will lead curious people back to my blog. That way my wandering images will work as extra publicity for my blog. Obviously, if someone pretends that they made the images or tries to make money with them, it's a different story.

Twitter and Facebook followers are just numbers:

    The only reason you should care for them is if you want to work with brands, in that case higher numbers do look good. Otherwise, just don't bother. I got disillusioned when I discovered Twitter accounts with thousands of "spam" followers. You can pay a couple of dollars to people in Asia to create hundreds of fake Twitter accounts to follow yours. Even if you don't resort to this kind of stuff, the truth is that most bloggers get followers through giveaways: just raffle off something everybody wants and you will get a couple hundred followers overnight. Bottom line: the number of people following your Facebook page or your Twitter account doesn't have anything to do with how many people actually read your posts and like them.

Jealousy is a waster of time:

   There is always that blogger who posts "I like kittens and raindrops and cupcakes. What do you like?" and gets 200 comments, while my 800-word super-informative and painstakingly researched  post gets five. Or none. Just deal with it.

Guest-posting is the best way to promote your blog:

   Seriously. You get high-quality links back to your blog, and you get to show off a sample of your blog to a new audience. Plus, if you do a guest-post exchange, you get two posts for the price of one (you should always put a placeholder post on your blog when guest-posting elsewhere: "Today I'm blogging about x over at blog y, come check it out").
      Many big, established blogs accept guest-posts! Some that I know are Apartment Therapy (Submit A Story), Problogger and Hello Giggles. You can always mail your favourite blogger and ask them if you can guest-post for them. (Ahem, feel free to contact me as well!)

Post regularly:

   This is probably the most important advice about blogging. Have a rhythm. Readers prefer if you blog consistently once a week, over throwing twenty posts at them in one week and then disappearing for two months. If a blogger doesn't post for too long, I assume that they lost interest and abandoned the blog, and I move on to more regularly updated ones. If you have a hard time posting regularly, try to schedule posts to automatically publish on chosen dates.

Don't use tiles (the layout):

   They are the trend in blogging right now, but I seriously dislike them. They don't allow the reader to smoothly scroll and skim though your archives, and scrolling and skimming is how readers get to know and love your blog. Nobody wants to click through to see every single post.

What happens on the internet, stays on the internet... for ever:

  Over-sharing is tempting, especially when you see a blogger get extra attention this way. However, remember that you can't unsay anything online. It will always be there, and it can be googled and passed on to others by strangers, employers, friends and family. If something could be potentially embarrassing or hurtful to someone, think twice about posting it. Believe me, "I really wish I had written about that on the internet" is not a common regret.

Copy from other bloggers:

   Don't copy what they do, but how they do it. How often do they post? Which information do they include in their about page? How long are their posts? Which widgets did they include in their sidebar? How do they handle criticism? Where do they guest post? I have a couple of bloggers that I admire terribly and have learned a lot from them. Shout-outs to Yes and Yes, Already Pretty, Garance Dore, and Alina Rose -- I love their transparency and honesty, their unique styles writing styles, their blog layouts, and their business savvy.

Ask for help:

    I have emailed more experienced bloggers a couple of times asking for guidance when I couldn't find any information online about a blogging problem. They were extremely nice and helpful!
Also, blogging communities are amazing: I learned tons from The Sits Girls, even though it focuses on a topic very different from mine (mommy blogging). Also, Independent Fashion Bloggers has nice tips and an interesting community. Search Facebook for blogging groups -- they are an amazing way to privately communicate with many bloggers at once, ask for guidance and get feedback. If you are lucky enough to have other bloggers in your town, do go and meet them!

Don't bother with keeping up with everyone in your niche:

   If you love a blog in your niche and would read it anyway, then do so. But don't read every blog similar to yours just because Problogger tells you to. Other blogs can have useful content and inspire you, but personally I find that too much circlejerk cross-inspiration in the blogging world is a bore. I find that my content is more fresh and unique when I'm not reading everyone else's blogs. Also, I prefer to avoid panic moments of "OMG, she'd doing another review -- should I buy more stuff just so that I can review it?" and "oh no, I'm panicking, I'm the only one that hasn't written about the latest Curvy Kate collection / roundup of lingerie for upcoming holiday / makeup inspired by latest hyped movie / insert-latest-hot-topic-here". When I don't pay unnecessary attention to what everyone else is doing, I tend to write about unique stuff and pull more inspiration from the real world.
    That said, I do have a couple of beauty, style and bra blogs that I do read -- but I do it for myself, and not for the sake of "keeping up with my niche".

Don't work with anyone who doesn't respect you:

   At a certain point (usually when your Google Page rank goes up to 2), you will get all kinds of proposals from brands and PR companies. Now, a huge number of them will be most unprofessional (either really obtuse or wanting to take advantage of you). Just say no to anything that doesn't feel right. Don't bother replying to emails where the author clearly didn't bother to read your blog. End things if the brand is making you jump through too many hoops, is inconsistent with their promises, or is trying to tell you what to write. Don't accept generic guest posts/free content, they are actually using your blog as a free link farm.
   A "good" brand treat your with respect, will know who you are, and most importantly will offer you something worthwhile in return for your time and effort. And no, it won't be 5$ per post or "free publicity for your blog" -- the time and effort you put into posts is worth way more than that. A good brand will also give you the right to express your own opinion about their goods or services. You, your blog and your readers and worth a lot to you; always remember that.

Check your spelling and grammar:

   I highly recommend polishmywriting.com, which catches spelling and grammar checks that your default spell-check might have missed. English is not my native language and I do make mistakes, however running my writing through polishmywriting catches at least the biggest errors.

Content is king:

    You don't need the latest overpriced Apple notebook and a showy SLR camera. If your blog is not part of your business, you don't need to work on your branding or a professionally deigned template. Of course, it's nice to have these things. But people come to blogs to read stuff, and if your stuff is entertaining, interesting or useful, they will come back even if the branding on your Facebook page doesn't match the branding on your footer divider bar. On the same note: you don't need to tweet your butt off or even have a Twitter or Facebook page unless you really want to. Just write great, original content and people will flock to your blog.


     Over to you: what are your best blogging tips? Let me know in the comments.

All About BB Creams + DIY BB Cream

   BB creams are the new "it" beauty product, claiming to be the ultimate all-in-one product. If you have been curious about them or want to try them out, you´ll like this post. If someone asked me to explain a BB cream, I´d say it is a primer + moisturiser + sunscreen + foundation. Many BB creams are advertised as 6-in-one, 9-in-one or everything-in-one, but then I could probably name at least five different things a regular moisturiser can do.

   I like to divide BB creams into three categories: east-Asian (Korean or Japanese), western, and certified natural. East Asian BB creams are the reason BB creams got popular. They adapt themselves to the skin tone, cover everything yet look natural, give a smooth and dewy look, plus they moisturise and protect from the sun.
   Most western products are a pale imitation of them, many such as the ones from Garnier and Maybelline have little in common with traditional BB creams from Korea and Japan.
  Several natural brands have brought out BB creams that don´t contain the problematic ingredients that conventional BB creams have. I´ll explain this more at the end of the post.

What a BB cream does:

Priming and smoothing

   Most BB creams conceal pores and visually minimise fine lines and scars just like a good primer. This effect is temporary and purely visual (the lines and scars are not really minimised). The ingredient that does this is silicones, which are a double-edged sword. They do make the skin look (and feel) very smooth, however they can also block pores and build-up on the skin. If you do use silicones on your face, be sure to be diligent with cleansing (oil cleansing works really well with more stubborn silicones).

Moisturising and anti-ageing

   BB creams usually contain a couple of moisturising and anti-ageing ingredients. What these are and how much of them is in the B cream very much depends on the particular product. If you check ingredient labels it can be anything from plant oils to cheap glycerine. If you are serious about preventing aging, I'd suggest not relying too much on a BB cream but chose a good serum instead.

Sunscreen: sun protection

    Some, but not all, BB creams contain sunscreen. The SPF of most BB crems isn't that high, and comes from chemical sunscreen ingredients that are problematic. For one, they are hormone-disruptive. Another problem is that they can be unstable and break up under sunlight, releasing free radicals. They also need to be re-applied, unlike mineral (physical) sunscreen. In my personal opinion if you will be outdoors you need a higher SPF anyway, one that doesn't break up under the sun. And if you spend the day indoors it doesn't make sense to slather your face in potentially toxic chemical sunscreen.

Foundation: Concealing and Whitening

   BB creams range from "basically a tinted moisturiser" to "heavy-duty covers everything". Most BB creams adapt to the skin colour, yet retain a tone of their own. When it comes to BB creams you don´t have to match them exactly to your skin tone. Often a tone that is yellowish can calm down a pinkish complexion, and a pinkish tone can make a yellowish skin healthier.
   East Asian BB creams optically lighten the skin tone and are rarely matt. They also tend to have a very pink tone, although yellowish ones are becoming more popular.
   BB creams from Korea and Japan give a much better coverage than most non-asian ones (whether conventional or organic).

Problematic ingredients

     Apart from chemical sunscreen and silicones which I have mentioned, many BB creams contain perfume, parabens and PEGs. The most recent Öko Test rated most conventional (non-asian) BB creams badly, including ones from Garnier, Lancome, L'Oreal and Olaz.
   A problem with Asian BB creams is that they might contain Arbutin, a carcinogenic substance that is forbidden in European cosmetics. So check the ingredient lists carefully before buying. Also, many east-asian BB creams (especially the ones meant for mature skin) contain collagen from sea-animals, which can cause allergies in many people.
   BB creams from certified natural brands are a good alternative for those who want to avoid them (and hey, they are greener and not tested on animals!). All of these are "western", so far as I know there aren't any really natural BB creams from Japanese or Korean brands. If there are, do let me know!

BB creams worth trying:

   The most recommended BB creams from east Asia are from Missha (lots of shades), Skin79, SkinFood,  Lioele. Those with very pale skin that don´t need too much coverage might like Flebeaute White Crystal. When buying BB creams online, be wary of fakes. Your best bet is buying directly from the online shop of the producer, or an offical distributor. A good source is Gmarket.
   There are a couple of non-Asian BB creams that are good too (I've heard good things about the one from Smashbox). When reading reviews online, check if the reviewer has used a traditional BB cream as a comparision.

   And finally a couple of recommendations for those who prefer certified natural BB creams: The Alva Sensitiv is probably the best certified natural BB cream available. Good coverage, has a pinkish tone and gives a natural, moisturised, glowy look. Another nice one is from Melvita, which provides decent coverage and a lightly matt finish, and a neutral tone; but a low SPF. The BB cream from Lavera is more like a tinted moisturiser and doesn't offer much coverage. The colour is quite dark, but looks much lighter when applied on the skin.

CC, DD and ZZ Creams

   CC creams are already out on the market, CC is supposed to stand for Colour Correction and is meant to correct discolourations and fine lines. This is a bit of a marketing thing, since most CC creams aren't that different from BB creams. The next thing coming up is apparently DD creams (Disguise and Diminish) that can conceal heavier discolourations. If this trend keeps up, we will have EE and FF creams on the market soon (what do you think they will stand for? I'm guessing Erase Errors and and Flawless Face).

DIY BB cream

   By mixing a couple of common cosmetics you can create your own DIY BB cream. This method comes from Azjatycki Cukier. She lives in east Asia and has tested out a lot of traditional BB creams, and says that her DIY version is just as good!

   The advantage of a DIY BB cream is that you can control what goes into it and create something tailored to your needs. it is also a great way to use up too-white sunscreen!

What you need:

+ primer (makeup base) of your choice
+ mineral sunscreen (you can use one that is normally too white for you)
+ light moisturiser of your choice (cream, gel, serum, whatever your skin likes best)
+ foundation (can be a bit darker than your usual skin tone because the other ingredients will lighten it)
+ cream highlighter (if you like the lightly shimmery effect of B creams).

   I could also imagine adding a dash of coloured concealer (for example green if you have broken capillaries) could work. Now just mix everything together and test it on your face! You might have to play around with the proportions for a bit till you get an effect you like.



   Personally I prefer mineral foundation since it is really easy to blend and is really nice to my skin, but I might change my mind if a natural brand comes up with a really good (and affordable) BB cream. What about you? Do you use BB creams or do you prefer traditional foundation? Any BB creams that you can recommend?

Giveaway! Five sets of Lunaire Lingerie For You!

   Autumn is coming, and what better way to celebrate that with a giveaway? Lunaire is generously giving away lingerie to five lucky winners. Lunaire Bras carries three collections: Lunaire, Whimsy and Simply Sexy with designs that range from flirty to chic to simple to seductive. The bras come in US sizes 32-48 C-G.

  My favourite bra from their collection is the one on the image above (the Chantal Lace Balconette Bra). I love the colour and the cute straps! However another bra that I found very intriguing is the "Mayfair" Cami Lace Bra: perfect for those of you who are looking for an extra bit of coverage in the décolleté area but don't want to wear an extra layer (I always get annoyed with the extra set of straps that come along with wearing a camisole).

  

   The best part is that five readers can each win a lingerie set of their choice from Lunaire! The giveway is open internationally and closes on the 1st of October! The winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email (please check your spam folders, each time there is someone whose email got sorted as junk. Just to play safe I'll post the list of winners on the blog too). Good luck!

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Mont Bleu Review: Glass Files, Compact, Earrings & Tweezers With Svarowski Crystals

   Who doesn't like sparkles? Though I would like to think of myself as a practical person, in truth I love pretty stuff and am obsessed with all my everyday stuff being pretty. A while back Mont Bleu sent me some of their products to review and of course I said yes. Mont Bleu are a Czech brand that produces pretty stuff with Czech glass and original Swarovski crystals.

   Here is what I got:

Compact Mirror:

   I always carry a small mirror with me, since I tend to get things flying into my eye, forget that I'm wearing mascara and rub my eyes, and run into contact-lenses troubles. This compact mirror is made of plastic and is very light, so it's perfect for my tiny cosmetic bag. The mirror on one side is normal and on the other it is magnifying, and both are of a good quality (very important when the mirror is tiny).
   The mirror came in an elegant box, which made me think that it would make a nice inexpensive yet stylish gift for someone. You can pick a metal one if plastic seems cheap for you (for me the weight is way more important).

 

Earrings

    This pair is not something I would have picked out myself, yet I am so glad that I got them because I am in love with them now. They are multicoloured and sparkly, yet small enough to be subtle. The photos on the website come nowhere close to the richness of the colours, it's way different from ordinary glass stuff.
    The metal is hypo-allergic and I had no problem wearing them all day (I am lightly allergic).

Tweezers

    This was the one product that did not thrill me. The tips of the tweezers were a bit too thick. Here you can see the comparison with the Mörser tweezers that I normally use (from the Reformhaus). The Mont Bleu tweezers are not bad since the ends are slanted and do meet perfectly, indeed they are better than many I have tried, but they are not as precise as my blue one. Of course it also depends on what you use your tweezers for: you need much more precision for extreme brow-plucking than you need for nail art.

  

Nail files

   I firmly believe that glass files are way superior to other kinds of files (ok, except ruby files), and a good glass file can last you a lifetime (just don't drop it!). These ones are made of high quality tempered Czech glass, so I'm hoping that they will keep their grit for years.
     I got one normal-sized one and one small one. One side of the files is slightly rough, the other one is very smooth. The grit is very fine so it is perfect for softer nails like mine, but if you have nails that are as hard as... nails, you might want to use something rougher for the filing and this one just for the fine filing and sealing. I felt that the grit is very sharp and I could get my nails filed in record time. The files leave the edges very smooth.
    The smaller file is great to carry around in my purse. The bigger one is great for toenails. Another product on the site that I found intriguing are the Hard Case Nail Files which are perfect for travelling / clumsy hands; as well as the foot files. The site has a huge selection of all kinds of nail files, so there is something for everyone.


  The Swarovski crystals on all the items are neatly and firmly attached. I'd definitely recommend the nail files for anyone looking for quality ones, and of course the earrings. The compact would make a cute gift. The prices of all the items are very reasonable. Oh, I almost forgot: shipping at Mont Bleu is a cheap 3€ worldwide, no matter how much you order.
  

   Do you like Swarovski crystals? Do you like bigger nail files or smaller ones? Also, has anyone tried glass foot files? I'm seriously considering getting one.

  
   The products were kindly sponsored by Mont Bleu. All opinions in this review are 100% my own.

Review: Panache Sports Bra 28DD and 28E

   The review of the Panache Sports bra is seriously overdue, since I own one for more than a year. After my size grew I bought another one in Krakow: to find out why I chose it over the Freya Active, read on.

   My breast type: currently my measurements are 69/85. My breasts are tear-shaped (bottom-heavy) and rather wide-spaced; and broader at the root (I prefer wider underwires). The 28E is the one that fits me now.

Aesthetics: 5/5

    Wow. The Panache Sports Bra is seriously pretty. It comes is several colour combinations so for sure you will find something that suits you. My first one was grayish-blue which is almost a universal colour, but it wasn't available in the store the second time around so I got the violet-fuchsia one. I would really like to see a colour combination suited to warmer skin tones It's pretty enough to wear on it's own as a sports top -- and covered-up enough. The cups are moulded which means a smooth look and no nip show. The neckline is not too low so there is no excess cleavage on display. It is really nice to wear a sports bra that gives you the freedom to take off your sports T-shirt, should you suddenly be overwhelmed by the heat. The shape the bra gives under clothes is also nice: slightly flattened, but rounded, lifted and separated; and there are no thick seams. It is really nice to wear a bra that I would not be embarrassed of wearing in public (under a shirt, of course), (sorry pointy Freya).
    The straps can be worn as racer-back (there is a tiny hook on the loop on the strap that you can hook to the other loop).

Fit: 5/5

   The cups run true to size for me, with no fit issues. Underwires go really high up, separating the breasts (however they don't go all the way to the top in the front, I'd say the go half way up the center gore). The straps are broad, and can be regulated only part of the way.
The band is firm but not too tight. If you wear a larger band size, you might want to size down.

Comfort and Support: 4/5

   The Panache Sports Bra has underwires that are encapsulated in silicon, so I have not experienced digging or chafing. The band is comfortable and so are the wide straps. The breasts are separated, so they cannot rub against each other.
   The bra supports by compression rather than encapsulation (A Sophisticated Pair explains it all here).
   I took away one star here because the support is still inferior to the Freya Active. In my size the difference is negligible, but if you wear larger cup sizes you should seriously try the Freya Active, or try sizing down in the band (and sizing up in the cup).

Panache Sports Bra 28DD Stats:

Band unstretched: 61cm

Band stretched to the maximum: 78cm

Underwire length: 21cm

Underwire width: 13,5 cm

   These measurements have been taken after appx. 50 wears :)

Panache Sports Bra 28E Stats:

Band unstretched: 58

Band stretched to the maximum: 75

Underwire length: 21cm

Underwire width: 13,8 cm

   These measurements have been taken after appx. 5 wears :)

Summary:

The Panache Sports is the perfect sports bra if:
Your boobs aren't big / you don't need maximum support
You need something that can double as a sports top

You should try the Freya Sports if:
You are above a H cup (Freya Sport goes till a K cup)
You need as much support as you can get
Pretty is not so important to you

  I prefer the Panache Sports over my old Freya Active because I often end up running errands before / after my jog, and the pointed shape of the Freya is embarrassing in public. However I have see that the newest Freya sports bras aren't so pointy and even look pretty. I'd love to get my paws on one in the future!


   Which sports bra do you own or covet at the moment? Do you run? On that note, is anyone else on Fitocracy? I am Lilacprincess in case you want to add me. It's a fun way to keep track of whatever it is you are doing for movement, and it's much more motivating if your friends are on there too.

How Your Self-Image Is Running Your Life

   I chanced upon an interesting book on psychology written by a plastic surgeon: Psycho Cybernetics by  Maxwell Maltz. His concept of self-image has completely changed about the way I think about cosmetics, plastic-surgery and many other things.
    His basic theory is that every one of us carries a mental image of ourselves. That mental image includes our physical appearance, abilities, character, personality, etc.
   The self-image is rarely built up though introspection -- it is made up of all kinds of external influences like other people's opinions about you. Those that influence your self-image the most would be the statements of parents and family, as well as anyone you are emotionally attached to, authority figures as well as anyone we see as experts (fashion magazines, for example). Some of these opinions are direct statements (like an aunt repeatedly telling a very pretty and intelligent friend of mine that is was her sister was the smarter and prettier one), or subtle -- like the media showing us impossible standards of beauty that we consciously or unconsciously compare ourselves to.
    Everybody's self-image is obviously subjective and inaccurate, sometimes more and sometimes less so. The self-image is really powerful and can totally distort a person's view of themselves.

   I'll give you an example from my life -- I have for years believed that I have unusually thick legs, because a guy once told me that. Until the day I went shopping for high boots, and all the ones in the store were too loose for me in the calf. I had to laugh.
    Acting in the theater has helped me to get a bit of distance to my self-image. Basic theater exercises play a lot with temporarily changing with the self image. For example telling a person to think a certain thing, and then seeing how his body language automatically changes.

How your self-image controls your behavior

     Maxwell Maltz states that every human being subconsciously tries to behave in a way that is consistent with their self-image, and seeks out situations and opportunities that re-affirm that self-image.
   If we see ourselves as "the shy one", we will be more likely to notice situations that prove this, than those that disprove it. (Unless, and we will talk about this later, we have an experience that is strong enough to change this part of our self-image.) However if your self-image is healthy and you see yourself as happy, liked and successful; you will seek out opportunities that will prove this. (Now, this explains how the affirmation stuff works -- affirmations can give your self-image a face-lift, thereby changing your behavior).

   Your self-image will The author gives an interesting example of scars -- a salesman who saw a scar on his face as the reason he was ugly and unsuccessful, and a German duelist was proud of his scar because it made him a part of the elite (duelists were highly respected back then).

    An example from my life: I have believed that I am "intelligent" , and this came from my parents have always repeated it to me (and I am very grateful to them for that). Now, if I were to search for objective proof for my intelligence I would find conflicting information -- I have been top of my language class several times at University, but at the same time have problems with simple subtraction and division. However, my self-image is that of an intelligent women, so I focus on times that my brain has worked well and see them as more important than the times when I have blurted out the stupidest things every. That gives me loads of confidence -- I would not be afraid to take up a difficult university course or learn another foreign language.
    The question  here is not about how intelligent (or not) I am, or about having illusions about my real capabilities. I am pretty much able to see both my strengths and weaknesses clearly. However, a persons who sees himself as intelligent usually is happier and makes better choices than one who sees himself as lacking in intelligence.

How we unconsciously try to fix our self image

   Now, our self-image is changeable, and we often try to fix it unconsciously. Some of these attempts are actually pretty good, some are very temporary and can even backfire. A rather drastic way is plastic surgery -- it can change someone's life not because the world treats them better when they have a new nose, but because the surgeon's scalpel has also changed their self-image.  Basically a strong intervention from outside fixed their self-image. However this does not often work, as the author notes -- many people look "prettier" after surgery but continue to have their psychological problems. And then there are those who insist that they don't see any difference post surgery and that the surgeon "did nothing", because their own self-image did not change.

   Makeovers can also change a woman's self-image. For example the story of Doe Deere.

   Other ways that people try to unconsciously make their self-image better:
* "Fishing for complements" -- for example pretty girls in the "Am I Ugly" videos
* Looking for approval
* Make-up

Taking control of our self-image

   Now, the best way to change one's self-image for the better in a constructive, conscious way. Focus on your best parts and seek out experiences that will challenge your image of yourself.
    Some years back my then-boyfriend convinced me to enter into an essay-writing contest. I did it only to humour him, and to my out most surprise I won! Since that time, I felt that I could kinda write, and that experience is probably on of the reasons I am writing this blog.

Here are some of my ideas that could help you make your self-image more positive:

* Seek out experiences that will challenge your image of yourself. For inspiration, read the old posts on Not That Kind Of Girl
* Take small risks. I can never forget the exhilaration of me and the other women who tried fire-hooping for the first time. It's way safer than it sounds, and we were under expert guidance so nothing could go wrong. Still, this experience felt so exhilarating and wild that now "I do cool stuff" has been integrated into my self-image. I'm the girl who dances with a ring of flames around my waist. I have talked to many hoopers and several of them have experienced the same thing.
* Focus on compliments and successes. Remember them before you fall asleep at night, write them down and gather them in a jar. Be very proud of every time you didn't mess up. It's a bit like talking to a kid that is still learning stuff, but believe me -- it works!
* Compliment yourself. Sounds a bit dumb, but works. My fav time is in front of the mirror before going to bed.
* Every time you think something nasty about yourself, stop that thought mid-way and replace it with something positive. Seriously, shutting up my inner critic is one of the best things I have done.
* Watch out for people who try to drag your self-esteem down. Realise that they are most probably doing it to make themselves feel better (and it doesn't work). Feel independent from other people's opinion of you.
* Do nice things for yourself, take time off, be important to you.
* Say yes to opportunities where you can do something interesting but a bit outside your comfort zone. Especially if a friend invites you.


   Got any more ideas to add to this list? Have you had an experience that changed your self-image? Let me know in the comments.

Solutions For Tangled Hair

   I remember a frustrated hairdresser trying to comb my hair out before giving me a haircut. She had barely combed out a section when it got tangled again. She told me I have a "tangly hair type". I replied with "I know".
   Most of the tangling was caused by damage (mostly mechanical stress) and after I started taking care of my hair it gradually stopped tangling. Now I never get "rastas" any more though I almost never comb my hair (once in a while I do a bit of finger-combing but most days I do nothing at all). I used to get them all the time in the days when I combed way too much with a crappy comb and brush.

  Tangly hair is often damaged and / or highly porous. So all my tips for porous and damaged hair totally apply here. Also, follow the suggestions on my how to minimise mechanical damage to hair post. Here are some additional tips:

Washing:

 Shampoos often make the hair tangle. This is because the agressive ones strip the hair of it's natural oils (lubricant). You can try a different shampoo (definitely sulfate-free), and always follow it up with a conditioner.
Be very gentle while washing, don't rub, don't tangle the hair. You need to massage your scalp thoroughly to get it clean, but you don't need to knead the lengths (just gently spread the diluted shampoo, if necessary). If you get a weird sticky-tangly section at the nape of your neck, try washing your hair head-down and applying shampoo there as well.  
Be extra gentle when drying: squeeze the hair with a microfibre towel / old T-shirt, never ever rub.
Lightly acidic rinses make the hair cuticles lie flatter. Try adding a little bit of lemon juice or vinegar to your last rinse. Cold water also loses the cuticles.

Products:

Very tangle-prone hair often "likes" silicones: do chose lighter ones so that you don't have to use harsh shampoo to wash it off.
If you want to try detangling products, be aware that many are silicone-based. It is fine to use silicones as long as you are doing it consciously. Otherwise: see the point about product build-up. I have heard good things about the Oil Nutritive conditioner from Glisskur.
Silicone-free products include the detangling styling water and the detangling spray for kids from Yves Rocher, the Lilliputz Leichtkamm Spray für Prinzessinen from Rossmann. Try also silicone-free leave-in conditioners.
Beware of product build-up which can make the hair work like velcro. The usual culprits are silicones, but even a silicone-free routine can cause build-up after a while. So washing your hair with a stronger shampoo or otherwise clarifying it is recommended every 2-3 months.

Combing and styling:

When you comb or brush your hair, take your time and be gentle. Try finger-combing first, and always work ends-up. For some people combing the hair before washing works really well. The choice of brush or comb is also very important. The tangle-teezer also works well for tangly hair. If your hair is curly, you might want to skip brushing altogether and just finger-comb.
Use hair elastics without metal parts, and avoid anything that may pull your hair. Never back-comb.  
Wear your hair up to protect it from strong wind, scarves, jacket collars, etc.
Braid or tie up your hair before bed. And try sleeping on a satin pillowcase!
If you do get a knot, apply tons of conditioner and then slowly and gently undo it with your finger and a wide-toothed comb. Never use a brush to detangle.
Avoid heat whenever possible. It damages the hair more than anything else!


   It will take some time for these methods to work, over time the most damaged hair will be replaced by healthy new one. You might want to get your hair ends trimmed as they are often very damaged and much more prone to tangling. Also while some of you can completely get stop your hair from tangling, others (who have naturally highly porous hair) can only minimise it.

   What do you do to minimise tangling? Do you have any favourite de-tangling products?

Image source: morgansessions.com/