The threesome that saved my skin

In my younger teenage years (not that i'm that old already with eighteen) i never really paid attention to skincare. And at the beginning of the year my skin wasn't in a good condition. I don't know if it was the colder weather in Canada or my skincare routine or the lack of one, but my skin was looking dull and dehydrated. I freaked a bit out when i saw some lines on my forehead and cried in my head, that i lost my nice young skin with the age of eighteen. Drama aside, i got into skincare. Read and watched a lot about skincare and bought quite a few products. And i sticked to my skincare routine everyday, every single day. I didn't skip a day, ever. And it saved my skin. My skin looks better than ever before and it made me realize that i should never skip skincare routines ever again (some evenings i do though, shame on me).

You will probably know the three products i will mention now, but i just have to mention them again. Sorry for that.

The serum that gives you an instantly umph of hydration is the Body Shop Vitamin-E Moisture Serum. At first i only used it in the morning under my moisturiser, but now i also use it in the evening. After cleansing my face i slap a pump all over my face. It is quite cooling on your skin and it calms my skin a bit down. It is supposed to help the moisture get deeper into your skin (if that's even possible...) and lock it into your skin. One thing i know is that it helps to moisturise my skin and keep it that way longer.

Next step i only use in the evening (for now) is the Body Shop Vitamin-E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. I use 6-8 drops of it and sweep it all over my skin. It is more of a oil formula, but isn't too heavy on the skin. You can use it under your moisturiser like i do or you can mix it with your moisturiser and apply it then. It's not heavy at all and sinks into the skin quite quick and it nourishes the skin so good and makes it all look healthy and glowy. Love it!

Last but not least my favorite moisturiser the Clinique Moisture Surge (full review here). It is more a gel than a cream and it goes on so smooth, it sinks in within minutes. It feels light on the skin and my skin drinks it up like nothing else. Some evenings i apply a light layer and sometimes i apply a thicker layer and let it sink in over night. I have to buy a new pot of this soon, because i am more than halfway through my first one.

Those three together completely changed my skin. It looks so healthy and plump and glowy, i can't believe it when i look into the mirror. My skin never ever looked that good before and i won't part with those before something even better comes my way. If you need the ultimate hydration kick and want your skin to look healthier than i definitely recommend those three products.

Do you have any favorite skincare products?

Topics you will read about here from now on

There were quite a few changes with dots in gold this month and there will be a few more next month. I thought about what i want to do with my blog, where i want to go and what i want to blog about. There are a lot of topics i am interested in, but i couldn't decide which ones i want to write about the most. Some of the topics that i thought would work didn't and some i craved for writing about.

No worries, Beauty will always be the main theme of dots in gold, but the changes will affect the other sub themes i will write about in the future.

The second main theme on this blog will be Travel. There won't be a schedule how often i post about travel, but there will be a few posts here and there, when i have something to write about. I am definitely excited for that, because i love to travel and see the world and i also love to read blopgposts about what to do there, what to eat and also tips on where to stay etc..

Fitness and Books won't be included at all or if than just because i really want to share something with you, so there won't be a monthly fitness post or the read books category (i only did one post anyway haha) anymore.

Fashion bibs and bobs will be included at some point, not sure when though, but it won't be a big focus. There probably won't be any Outfit posts, rather the lifestyle like posts (Hauls, seasonal wardrobe staples, etc.). So stay tuned for that.

Another theme that won't be a major one, but a regular one will be Food. I love Food (especially baking) and i love to make it. Baking recipes, Vegetarian dishes and some healthy food ideas will be featured here and there.

I hope you are as excited about the changes and are not to sad that the Fitness and Book category will be more or less gone from dots in gold.

If you have any post recommandations let me know please!

Dewy makeup look

It's spring time and that means that the products to achieve a dewy makeup look are coming out of the drawer again and get slapped on my face. 

To correct any uneven skincolour and to give my skin a bit of radiance and glow i apply the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector. This also moisturises your skin a bit. Then i mix the Body Shop Radiant Highlighter with the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation on the back of my hand and apply it with a buffing brush on my face. Then i draw a triangle under each eye with the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser and blend the concealer in with a makeup sponge. To achieve the skin like finish i go with the damp makeup sponge in dabbing motions all over my face to blend in the foundation seamlessly. You can use some bronzer to warm up your face or for contour if you like.

Now when the base is done i go in with a blush. A coraly shimmery option would be the Milani Baked Blush in 02 Rose D'Oro. A bit of fresh colour for your cheeks to make you look more awake. 

Last but not least the Revlon Lipbutter in Peach Parfait. Now you can do any eyelook you want or just apply your favorite mascara and your good to go.

Do you like the dewy makeup look? Or what look do you go for in the spring?

your lips but better lipsticks

What would the world of beautyproducts be without the your-lips-but-better coloured lipsticks? A quick sweep over the lips and your lips look better than before without having to check on the colour and the fear of the awkward faded lipstick. It's just so easy and that's the reason why i love them. I have a lot of your-lips-but-better coloured lipsticks and today i will show you my top 3.

//THE GLOSSY ONE
This is the first colour i bought of the Maybelline Color Elixirs (725 Caramel Infused) and it won't the last one. A creamy gloss, that feels nice and smooth on the lips and has a colour pigmentation i never expected to be there. It's a gloss right... Doesn't dry out your lips at all and leaves a slight tint on the lips after the gloss wore off. For a gloss it's quite longlasting and this is probably my favorite of the three.

//THE MATTE ONE
The Milani lipstick in 25 naturally chic is the matte one of the three. It can be a bit drying on your lips, so i moisturise my lips before to work against this a bit. Because it's a matte formula it is longlasting and it has a good pigmentation. One thing that puts me off though is the smeel. It smeels like a candystore, but in a too sweet too unnatural way. The smell fades after a few minutes otherwise i couldn't wear this lipstick...

//THE CREAMY ONE
You may have seen me rave about those lipsticks here. The colour 07 natural beauty is the perfect your-lips-but-better colour and the first one i owned. So this lipstick is responsible for the whole obsession. Creamy formula, not at all drying on the lips and longlasting, what is there more to say? And it's a bargain. So go and buy it (:D).

What is your favorite your-lips-but-better lipstick?

current most braided hairstyles

I don't know what it is with braids an summer weather. They just match perfectly. The last few weeks were warmer and sunnier then i am used to in march/april. I think of you peeps in the rainy cloudy Germany! So i was tired of the good old ponytail, messy bun or open hair so i tried a few braided hairstyles.
 

//THE BRAIDED PONYTAIL

Still a ponytail, but a bit different then the normal old one. Just through your hair up into a ponytail, braid it, loosen it up a bit and secure it with a clear elastic. Done. It is still the loved ponytail, but it looks like you but a bit more effort into it.

//THE TWO FISHTAIL BRAIDS
I don't remember the last time i wore two braids. Maybe with twelve? Maybe even younger? But instead of the normal three-strand braid you do a fishtail braid. It doesn't look like the schoolgirl coming from school (or the Britney Spierce touch...). It is a bit more grown up, but i feel like the twelve year old me again with those two braids. Just part your hair into two parts and braid each part into a fishtail braid. Secure it with a elastic and i like to pull the strand a bit out, to make the braids look more volumnious.

//THE MESSY SIDE DOUBLE BRAID

I copied this look from Fleur de Force's "Braided Hairstyles" Video and i just love it. You braid a fishtail braid and then a dutch braid on the side of your head to your ear. Then you have the hair out of your face (or the ot behaving fringe covered), but your hair isn't pulled up completely.

//THE WATERFALL BRAID

I do love a good waterfall braid. Hair out of the face, but still loose hair. Easy and it only takes a few minutes. This is a hairstyle i am mostly going for, when my fringe isn't behaving like it should or the hair in my face is annoying me too much.

How to do a winged eyeliner

Winged eyeliner is a challenge everybody seems to face. There is nothing more annoying than spending ages on redoing your flick or trying to match both sides. I do struggle with it everytime i try to do a winged eyeliner, but one technique helped me to downsize the amount of time i spend on doing a decent eyeliner.

You can use this technique with any type of eyeliner. Eyeshadow or gel liners are probably the best ones to use but it works with an eyeliner pen too.

So first you draw a line in your mind from the end of your eyebrow to the outer corner of your eye. Then you place your brush/pen on the line at the point you want your eyeliner flick to end and then draw the line down to the outer corner of your eye.

I like to do this on the other eye right afterwards and compare the two to make sure they are similar.

Now you can do your eyeliner line along your lashline until you reach the outer corner of your eye.

Last but not least you connect the two lines and you can make the part between the beginning of your flick and the line along your lashline as thin or as thick as you want. Depending on the look you are going for.

This technique took my eyeliner flicking (is that even a word?) from over 30 minute application and a lot of correcting and removing to a maximum of 15 minutes and a perfect result.

Do you have any tips on applying winged eyeliner?

Moisture Surge from Clinique

Moisturising is key when it comes to good looking skin and good looking makeup on top. Nobody likes dry patches peeking through foundation or dull looking skin. "Moisture Surge" from Clinique should have changed the game for me and it did kind of.

The outside is typical clinique packaging simple and sleek. The pot is not out of glass as you could think first, it's plastic which makes it lighter and not so easy to destroy. Another benefit of the packaging is, that it's see through so you always know how much product you have left.

Inside is a pink gel-like cream with the typical clinique scent. Nothing special and also not too strong to be annoying.

The cream goes easily onto your skin and sinks in within minutes. It leaves your skin feeling soft and plump. The feeling on your skin isn't heavy as most moisturisers are and it nourishs your skin well with moisture. If you have dry or normal skin, this is definitely a product you should check out.

For the peeps with verydry skin (like me at some parts) it could be too less hydrating. Very dry areas do get hydrated but that doesn't hold on for long, especially throughout the day and with makeup on top your skin gets dehydrated. The moisture surge is also a great moisturiser for wearing it under makeup. The foundation glides on easily and doesn't get flaky or anything.

In combination with other products like serums or oils you can up the game in terms of hydration and then it is also for very dry skin peeps a great moisturiser.

From the idea to the perfect Blogphoto

Sometimes it takes a long sometimes a short time until a blogphoto is how i want it to be. There are a few staple steps involved that help me get the perfect blogphoto and i thought i might share them with you. This is the routine i go through with every blogphoto i take. Sometimes i'm done in 5 minutes, sometimes it takes 20 minutes so take your time to figure everything out until you are satisfied.

STEP ONE | INSPIRATION & PLANNING

Sometimes i have a immediate idea how i want the layout, background and lightning to be and then i skip this step. Most of the time i don't. So while scrolling through Instagram or blogs i take a screenshot or save every picture i like the layout, background, composition or lightning of and save it in a file named "Photo inspiration". If i'm totally uninspired how to take my photo i look through the file and hopefully find one composition that fits. Same thing happens, when i read magazines. I put a post-it on the sites i think could be a nice background or prop for a photo. In times i need a background or a magazine as a prop i just look through my post-its instead of the whole magazine. 

Once i found the background, lightning, composition i want to use i move on to the next step.

STEP TWO | PRODUCTS & PROPS

This is probably the most important step, because dots in gold is a beauty blog and what would it be without the products? Sometimes i use all the products i mention in a post, sometimes i don't. It depends on the category of the post and if it's necessary to include all products or if a few are enough. For the example picture in this post, i included all the mentioned products.

Next are props. If i decided to skip props, i leave this part out. But if i decided to use some i collect a few that could work and put them in a pile next to the products.

STEP THREE | LAYOUT & COMPOSITION

Now that i have all the products i want to include and all the props that i might use. And i know on which background the things will lay and i have a basic idea of my layout i go ahead and put everything together. If i shoot a bunch-of-products-photo i place the products on my background and arrange them randomly. Then i take a few pictures, zoomed in and out. After i looked at them i see if i like the arrangment of the products and props or if i have to change something. If i'm not satisfied with the placements i change it until i am satisfied. This step can take a few minutes, if i get it right quickly or can take 20 minutes if i have to change it over and over again.

Sometimes it helps to change the angle.

Or to add or take away props.

Some pictures are nice with a big shadow (like the one above) and on some pictures the shadow is too bothering (like in the one below).

 

STEP FOUR | EDITING

I try to shoot the pictures as perfect as possible so i don't have to edit a lot. But what i do most of the time is make the picture lighter and sometimes i crop it. 

And that is the finished blogphoto i would put into a post (and will soon).

Do you have any tips on taking blogphotos or photos in general?

Foundation Routine

My current Foundation/Base Routine contains products that are light and achieve a glowy illuminated skin as we are heading into summer.

In the foundation compartment i go with the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation at the moment. It's a nice foundation with a medium coverage, but you can build it up if you want more coverage. They have a good range of shades, so you should be able to find a shade that matches your skin tone (i use shade 110 Porcelain). It doesn't feel heavy on your skin, but it doesn't have a long staying power either. It tends to disappear after two thirds of the day. The Fit Me Foundation has a SPF 18 which is a nice extra, because you don't necessarily need to wear a SPF under your foundation. It is supposed to blend seamlessy which i have to agree with. You can blend it in very easily and it doesn't cling to any dry patches you might have.

To add a bit more radiance i like to mix the foundation with the Body Shop Radiant Highlighter on the back of my hand. With this combination you end up with a very glowy healthy looking skin, which i love at the moment.

Concealer wise i use the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser first. I apply it with the sponge applicator it comes with and it is a genuis way for applying concealer. The regular foam tip applicators doesn't apply the concealer good on a rather big area. I take the concealer from the inside of my eye under the eye to the end of my eye and then draw a triangle under my eye as well. Blend it in with a foundation sponge and i am most of the time good to go. If i want a bit more coverage under the eyes (or on any blemishes) i apply the Catrice Camouflage Cream on top. It's a very thick consistancy which gives a good amount of coverage. I pat it on the still showing dark circles or redness with my ringfinger and everything is covered.

For a bit of contour and bronzing up my face, i use the Body Shop Honeycomb Bronzer. The bronzer isn't too dark and looks very natural on the skin. It doesn't have any shimmer, which i like because my foundation combination is already glowy and i don't want too much glow on my face.

What foundation/base products do you like at the moment?

Weekend Face

At weekends i either go completly nude (on my face) or if i have to go under people i use products, that are light and doesn't take ages to apply. I am a lazy person especially in the morning and sleep rather the ten minutes longer than spending them on putting on makeup. 

For a bit of covergae without needing to blend in foundation a lot or a heavy feeling on my face i reach for the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream. Sweep it all over the face with my hands and the face base is done. Next step to cover my dark circles is concealer. Currently i am loving the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser, i apply it in a triangle shape and blend it in with a sponge or my fingers. If i need a bit more coverage under the eyes or on any blemishes i apply the Catrcie Camouflage Cream (germany only) on top of my concealer again with my fingers. 

Blush or bronzer wise i just sweep on a blush with a bit of shimmer in it to replace a highlighter. I really love the P2 Glow Touch Compact Blush "touch of berry" (germany only) at the moment. The shimmer isn't glittery with huge chunks of glitter or anything it just gives a nice sheen with a bit of colour to your cheeks. 

For eyes i just go for mascara and a cream eyeshadow. Mascara wise i choose the clinique High Impact Mascara it gives a good mixture between volume and length to my lashes. And for the eyeshadow part i take the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in (surprise surprise) "Bad to the Bronze" put it all over the lid with my finger and blend it out with a blending brush. Eyemakeup done.

To tame my brows i just use a clear brow gel like the essence lash & brow gel mascara and last but not least the clinique chubby stick in "mega melon" to moisturize my lips and give them some colur at the same time.

That's my weekend face done and it only takes me five minutes and you nearly need no tools for the application.

Do you go completely without makeup on weekends or do you have a few products you always reach for?

Muffins which combine my two favorite foods

I have a thing for peanut butter to be honest. One time i tried it and then i loved it so much, that i nearly ate it everyday whenever i could. I go through phases where i am either obsessed and eat it all the time or i am not eating it at all. At the moment the i eat it all the time phase is on.

Another thing i love are bananas. Banana Pancakes? Hell yes. And peanut butter with bananas? Yum.

Peanut butter with bananas in a muffin? Let's try it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup milk

1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

1 egg

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

chocolat chips, walnuts, etc if you want

HOW TO DO IT

Heat your oven to 375°F. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk peanut butter and milk in a different bowl until they're nicely blended, then stir in the bananas, the egg, the oil and the vanilla. Afterwards add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir all untilit's smooth. Add chocolate chips or walnuts or whatever you like and blend it all together. Take a muffin baking form and spray it with cooking spray then put two tbsp. dough into each pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you remove them.

We put some chocolate chips into the muffins and they were delightfull. I will definitely make those muffins a second time!

Foundation application with a sponge or a brush?

There are a lot of ways to apply foundation and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. I am not that big fan of the hand application for foundation so i will leave that option out.

The two options i tried and kind of liked are the application with a brush or with a sponge. There are a lot of brush types and also all different kinds of foundation sponges out there. You can say the same thing for the price range. 

One revolutionary new addition to the foundation brushes types out there was the
Foundation Buffer. There is one from Bobbi Brown, Real Techniques, Zoeva and the list goes on and on. I personally own the Zoeva version at the moment but have the Bobbi Brown and the Real Techniques ones on my wishlist. The Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush is a medium sized buffer brush. It is the perfect size, not too small not too big either. I pour the foundation on the back of my hand and apply dots of foundation on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. Then the buffing brush comes into action. I blend the foundation in with circular motions until it is nicely blended into my skin.

The foundation sponge is on the market for a few years now. There is the original Beauty Blender and a lot of dupes from Real Techinques for example and other drugstore brands. I own the Real Technique Compelxion Sponge and i am happy with it. I don't think that there is a huge difference between the different foundation sponges, but if you compared them and know, tell me please. I have used the sponge for complete foundation application by patting the foundation
"dots
" into my skin. I would recommend to soak it under water several times before you use it, because otherwise it doesn't work that great. It leaves you with an airbrushed finish, but i found it hard to blend the edges of the foundation properly. So it's not my favorite for using it simply for the application, but i found a way to incorporate it into my routine. 

First step is blending my foundation in with a buffing brush and then i go over the whole face in dabbing motions with the complexion sponge. It gives you the airbrush skin-like finish the sponge gives, but the edges are nicely blended with the brush before. 

Another thing i like to use the sponge for is blending in liquid concealer. It keeps more of the concealer on my face then the brush does, so i end up with more coverage, which is always good.

I can't say this or that, because i like them both for certain things and for others not. So for me the combination of both gives me the finish i want.

How do you apply your foundation?

March Favorites

How long have i waited for March to come along? Because for me it was like the break between winter and spring and now it's over again. Insane. March was really springy here in Canada, but instead of going fully springish with my makeup I was going more for the natural glowy look.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation & The Body Shop  Radiant Highlighter

The combination of those two products mixed together was the look i was going for, if i decided to use foundation. When you mix the Body Shop Highlighter with your foundation instead of applying it under it, you end up with a glowy illuminated skin. I probably need a new tube of the highlighter soon.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer & Real Techniques Complexion Sponge

March is the month of combinations (:D). The second favorite combination is the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer everybody is loving at the moment blended in with the Complexion Sponge from RT. I apply the concealer in a triangle shape under my eyes and blend it in with the damp RT sponge and the result is just flawless. 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Last face product for this month favorites, i promise. I had this for quite a long time and loved it way back, but then it got lost in my stash. Now i rediscovered it when were going towards summer for a more light formula as a base. This is the product i use, when i am not using foundation. A decent amount of coverage, moisturizes your skin quite well and feels nice and light on the skin.

Mac Blush "Blushbaby" (here)

I mentioned this in a favorites post before (January i guess...), but it had a revival this month. I don't want to use a shimmery blush with my foundation-highlighter-combination, so this one is the blush i am reaching for the most. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but on your cheeks it makes you look healthy and fresh without too much bright colour on your face.

Milani lipstick "25 Naturally Chic"

My go to lipstick at the moment, because it's a your lips but better kinda shade. A nude tone with a rosy touch. The liptsick has a creamy formula, which can be a bit drying if your lips aren't moisturized enough. One thing that really puts me off though is the smell, it's a very sweet candy scent and i just hate it. 

Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion + (here)

 The last item to mention is this moisturizer you might have already seen in my AM Skincare Routine. This clinique moisturizer is the one i grab in the mornings. For the declaration as a lotion it's quite a thick consistency, but i moisturizes my skin throughout the day very good. I also like to use it under foundation with the Body Shop Vitamin E Serum underneath. Soon it's time to buy the big version of it (i only have a travle size at the moment).