Summer beauty essentials

This article has happened as a result of my packing and shopping for summer vacation, which is getting closer and closer every minute and I finally got to the stage when only few hours separate me from being reunited with the ocean.Because summer for me is like a big event, where I don't care about work, school or anything other than spending long nights and days with my friends at the pool, going for trips, sipping fancy cocktails and eating lot of fruit, shopping of some kind had to happen in order for me to slip smoothly into the summer mood and enjoy it as much as possible. 

However, whilst summer is about having fun and catching tan, lot of its factors can be damaging to our body if we don't take a good care of it. Dry skin and hair, sunburn, oily skin and many more things can make our summer less enjoyable and painful. So whether you can't wait for the summer season to start, or you'd rather stay home with your air-condition on, I assure you, after this post you will want to hit the beach or pool and make the most out of the long, warm nights that are to come. In this post I put together some magical beauty essentials that are a MUST for this summer and will make your life 100% easier, your skin smoother and your body will thank you for so much care you have given it.



LUSH R&B hair remedy

This is a ultimate heaven created by lush. Not only it smells amazing but it makes your hair look smooth and energised while moisturising it in deep. Perfect and compact to take with you on a vacation and especially effective if you love spending lot of time in the salty water.

Salty beach look spray

On the other hand, this salty spray is perfect when you are not currently close to the sea, so it's impossible to get wavy "beach look" hair naturally. I use it all the time because I love my hair to look messy and as I just left the sea.

LUSH ocean salt face scrub

Another marvellous product from LUSH is the ocean salt scrub! With a baby blue colour of the ocean  and incredible smell, this scrub will make your face smooth and glowing like never before. You can forget about oily skin, red spots or black dots because this is the answer to all your problems.

BODY SHOP piňa colada body scrub and lotion

Something new from creators of Body shop is the Piňa colada collection, perfect for cold summer showers or long baths. I have personally bought the body scrub which is amazing and makes your skin smooth and smelling like pineapples and coconuts and the lotion, which is an ideal finish for your shower session.

 L'oreal mattifier

We surely all love the fact that temperature is stuck somewhere between 28 and 33 and that we can soak up in the sun as much as we want. However what we don't want is to have our face looking shiny and oily and since it's so hot these days, it's almost impossible to maintain a matte face. Few drops of this magical transparent liquid and your face is perfect again. Great as a base before applying foundation.

 L'oreal hair oil

I call it quick fix.I carry one everywhere I go because whenever my ends get a bit dry and shapeless I simply spread a bit of this oil through my hair with my fingers to get back the smooth hair I want. One of the best things that ever happened to me.

Bobbi Brown hydration cream

Sooo.. No bullshit, Bobbi Brown makes wonderful cosmetics, even though a bit pricey for a student, but this hydration cream is a TOTAL MUST! Keeps my face hydrated after long days in the sun and makes it glow and fresh for every occasion.Please try it, you will thank me later.

Victoria's Secret Bombshells in bloom body mist

To finish, this particular body mist from Victoria's Secret is the best smelling product they have ever made. I use it instead of a perfume in the summer, because it's really light and fruity and its smell is not too strong so you can use it anytime- at the beach, in the gym, on a night out...simply everywhere.Oh and men love the smell too!

PASTELS

Finally had a day off and even thought the original goal for today was to write at least 1000 words of my essay,I put it aside to go and check out these cute colorful houses in Kentish Town. I have been passing them for a while now, always jealously wishing I was living in one of them. Not that I desperately want to live in a pink or turquoise house, but the colors kinda make my mood better.

This is the first "photo only" post and even though I have seen quite a few bloggers taking pictures in front of pink walls, I respect the fact that you might think I am a basic bitch. But I am not.Lol

I am wearing Topshop bomber jacket,American Apparel cardigan,HM t-shirt and boyfriend jeans,Nike air force sneakers

Fighting Animal Testing

I have decided to write a post about animal testing, because it is a thing that should be more recognized by public and spreading it on social media is one of the little things you can do to help to reduce the high number of people who buy products made by companies who test chemicals, make up and other cosmetics on innocent animals such as rabbits, rats, monkeys, hamsters, cats, dogs and etc.
Not only the animals are being tested on, which often results in loosing their fur, skin,ability to see, walk and interact with other animals but also they live all their lives in small cages without any litter where they can't comfortably sleep and move. I've had a bunny, hamsters and rats on my own and I loved them with all my heart and I can't imagine many of these animals don't have such a luck and their lives start and end in small tight cages where stress sometimes drives them to death even before they are killed by humans.

More and more people are starting to buy fair trade and bio groceries because they care about their health, but many are forgetting the fact that even though these cosmetic products are not harmful to our bodies, somebody else had to pay for it with their life.

The most important thing to know is, which of these companies that do test on animals provide products for your household. I did a little research myself and I was very sadly surprised.
When I found out how many products I use on daily basis that have been tested on animals, it seriously disgusted me. L'oreal, Rimmel, Bobby Brown, Colgate, Mac, Revlon and many other famous brands can be found in the list of brands that do animal testing. The sad thing is, that we don't even realize it, because these brands are big and well-known and we are more likely to buy products from a well known brand that has the money to produce expensive and ostensible adverts and campaigns, than a brand that we have never heard about.I, personally would like to make a change in my life, and even though it might cost me more money to buy bio,fair-trade and healthy products, I will try my best to do so.Of course changing something that has been in your life for many years is not easy, but we are lucky that nowadays there are many companies that offer a healthy and human options for those who care. LUSH is one of them and it is well known for their campaigns against animal testing.I personally love LUSH because it smells nice,looks nice and it's hand made, but buying there everything I need would cost me a fortune.Therefore I recommend to also look at other  companies that sell bio and cruelty free cosmetics. I am not trying to convince you, (well I kinda am) and I know it sounds impossible to give up good and quality cosmetics, but it is definitely worth it. And even if you are not able to give up your favorite make up brand, or favorite shampoo that makes your hair look amazing, it is at least important to be informed about these products and spread the world with this important message.



Full list of the cosmetic brands can be found here : http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/companies-that-test-on-animals/

Reducing the use of these products and educating other people on this issue can help largely. Just as little thing as telling your mom to not buy that washing powder she buys every time, but get a different one instead can have a positive effect on animals and the society.So why not try?

Brands that don't test on animals and offer a safe and more human choice: http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/cruelty-free-drugstore-brands/

D.

KIINI

Although many of you are enjoying your spring break at the beach, I am over here in quite sunny Bratislava already making plans for summer. This year I promised myself much better and skinnier body so I can finally show off that tan on Instagram (lol) and for that I will also need the perfect bikini. It wasn't until recently when I noticed that stores are already selling summer collections and swimwear to tease people who can't go on a holiday right now.(including me) Luckily, I haven't gave in and bought any yet, because today my eyes stumbled on this amazing crochet bikini brand and I can't get enough of it! The brand got  famous because their pieces have been worn by models such as Cara Delavigne, but fortunately they are affordable for anyone who likes the combination of pastel colors and comfy crochet materials.They are definitely perfect bikini match for me, since I like to look natural and bohemian and even though they were in last season, their comeback is definite this summer!
So what do you think?

Alexander The Great

Rose Ringed Parakeets named after Alexander the Great in London.Yes it's as weird as it sounds. Hyde Park offers a wide range of wildlife to it's visitors,such as foxes, pelicans and lot of types of birds, so feeding these beautiful exotic parrots was just another strange thing London offers to it's visitors and residents.I have no clue how did they get there and how can they survive these low temperatures since they mainly live in India, but I hope they will.I was lucky that me and my friends had a day off and David could snap these cute pictures.

Healthy breakfast ideas

You've all probably noticed how fitness took over instagram and social media in general and people are now almost obsessed with being healthy. Some say that it's a bad thing, and that it is awkward and ridiculous to post pictures of their progress in loosing/gaining weight on instagram, or that healthy meals are literally disgusting. Yeah, I understand that some people just don't get fat even though they eat whatever they want and they have never experienced what 30 minutes on treadmill feel like, but I think eating healthy and working out is a good thing. Not only you look better, but you definitely feel better, reduce stress, gain more energy and become one happy confident person.I've never been a fan of sports either, but when you hit certain stage in your life, you realize (especially when you don't have a model type body) that maybe it's time to change something about you. Luckily I have never been a person who only eats meat and fast-food but I have always loved sweets and snacking. What always bothered me was that whenever I wanted to buy some super cute top or only wear a bralette with my high waisted shorts I always felt that I looked ugly. Many times I ended up buying something that I was't comfortable in wearing around people I knew, so I only wore it on vacations or when I went somewhere with my parents.This year I have finally started hitting up gym regularly and I gained (at least some) interest in fitness. The most important thing that I've learnt is, that if you want to be healthy, you have to first change your lifestyle, and that can be very hard especially if you're a teenager or in your mid 20's and want to have fun, drink a lot with your friends, stay up late and don't get enough sleep because you partied whole night and then you had to go to class the next morning, or you want to try all burger restaurants in your town.(my case) But really, you have to incorporate gym/any kind of physical activity and healthy food in your daily life in order to change something about yourself, and most importantly not to get back to your old life. It has to become a routine, and that's what I am trying to do with my life.(still in progress) I don't want to seem like I am bragging right now, so let's move on to what this post is going to be about. If you love fruit and vegetables it will be a lot easier for you to pick up on these recipes.(I am not fan of salty breakfasts like eggs and toasts and sausages, which seems to be totally incomprehensible for my boyfriend) Of course you can find these on almost every fitness/healthy food blog or webpage but I decided to choose few of my favourites and share them with you :) They are all very high in protein and fibre and are the beast option to kick off your day.

Hope you will like it.

Oatmeal topped with fruit/nuts

This is a really easy recipe and you can basically buy oatmeal bags in every store instead of cooking it from scratch, but they might contain lot of sugars and admixtures that you don't need.Therefore I'd recommend to buy simple oats and perhaps add honey to make it taste sweeter.

Ingredients:

1.150 grams of oats
2. 150 ml almond milk/or semi skimmed
3. 1 tablespoon of honey

Directions:

1.Mix oats with milk in a pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.Add honey and stir well to make it smooth.If you want you can add more milk or oats,depending on how rich you want the oatmeal to be.
2.Put in a bowl and top with fresh fruit,coconut flakes/nuts or chia seeds

Chia pudding

Chia seeds are something you can now see in almost every healthy recipe,because they are a great source of fibre.I also like to add them to my breakfast meals and this one is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1. 150 mlAlmond or any other milk
2. two tablespoons of chia seeds
3. fresh fruit
4. nuts or coconut flakes
5. one tablespoon of honey

Directions:

1. In a jar, glass or bowl mix almond milk,chia seeds and honey together.
2. You can add some fresh or frozen fruit and create layers- pudding,fruit,pudding,fruit
3. Leave in a fridge for couple hours or overnight
4. Add additional ingredients such as nuts or fruit on top before consuming

Avocado toast with eggs

I love this recipe because it's super easy and quick and because I love avocados.It is the best option for those who love salty breakfast but want to keep it healthy and light.

Ingredients:

1.wholewheat bread
2. avocado
3. two eggs
3. pinch of salt
4. butter

Directions:

1. Toast two slices of bread on a saucepan
2. Mash avocado with little bit of butter and pinch of salt until you get a smooth texture
3. Fry eggs on a saucepan
4. Spread avocado all over the toast slices and add eggs.You can also scramble the eggs instead of just frying them if you'd like

Overnight oats

My favorite recipe which I make almost every day/night before I go to sleep, so when I wake up in the morning,I just grab it from the fridge.(sometimes I even eat it on my way to uni) It's simple,healthy and fresh!

Ingredients:

1. 150 ml Oats
2. 100 ml Almond milk
3. 4 tablespoons coconut/plain yoghurt
4. 1 banana
5. chia seeds
6. cereal and nuts- additional
7. fresh fruit

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mash one banana, then add yoghurt,milk and oats and mix everything together.
2. Add additional chia seeds and mix again.
3. Put in a large jar or glass and create layers of oats,fresh fruit,cereal or/and nuts,oats and again until you fill up the whole glass.
4. Leave in a fridge overnight
5. Top with fruit or nuts, honey or whatever you like and consume

Healthy oat pancakes


Everybody likes pancakes and these are even healthy,so you don't have to feel like you're eating bunch of carbohydrates.Get prepared for Tuesday,National Pancake's Day! :)

Ingredients:

1. large banana
2. 2 eggs
3. cup of oats
4. two tbsp of almond milk
5. 1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. Blend oats until you get flower mixture
2. In a bowl mash one large banana and add to the mixture
3. Add 2 eggs and milk and mix well
4. Add baking powder and mix again
5. Put the batter into the pan and make either big or small round pancakes
6. Top with fresh or frozen fruit,jam or white yoghurt

D.

(I don't own any of the pics)

BACK TO BLACK

Hey guys! I know it's been ages since I wrote something new on my blog,but I was enjoying my 3 and a half week long holidays back home in lovely Bratislava.Now that I am back in London, I can finally start focusing on more important stuff like uni,work,gym and my blog.(That's actually everything that fits into my schedule) I hope you had great holidays and crazy New Year's Eve and that you are all relaxed and ready to start next semester or work.

In upcoming weeks you can expect some interesting interviews that I did with my friends(one has spent her summer in India and the other one moved to Australia to start a new life.Both of them are very inspiring lovely girls and it will definitely be an entertaining reading)

Also I will try to get my boyfriend to work on the visual side of my blog as soon as possible.He is very lazy...(Why the hell did he study software engineering when he does not want to help me with my blog?)

You can also be expecting lot of art gallery reviews and fashion articles,since my flatmate is a very good fashion photographer.Check out his site here.

For now I will just say that I am very thankful for each one of you who read my blog regularly and I hope you will stick with me for a long time!

Have a nice week :)
Domi.