SARDINIA TRIP

Hi everyone! I haven't updated my blog this week because I went away to Italy, Sardinia for 8 days. It was an amazing trip to end Summer in style! I went with my boyfriend to the North-East coastline of Sardinia, the Costa Smeralda. It's absolutely a beautiful island with some of the most breathtaking beaches I have ever seen. We rented a car to fully explore what Sardinia has to offer, and we solved the fact that I get carsick after 5 minutes driving (-_-) by stopping regularly at panoramic view points. 

The food was very italian and delicious. Gnocchi, lasagna, penne, spaghetti,... I ate pasta almost every day! Though delicious, very calorie rich.. So we made that up by exercising every day at the gym in our hotel or by hiking in the mountains. 

I enjoyed my time in Sardinia very much, and quality time with my man will never get old! I do feel like Sardinia has a lot more to offer and am for sure visiting it again in the future! 

Here are some pictures of my final Summer 2013 vacay! 

A reference to himself? 

Sunset

The way to the beach...

My "Italian" boyfriend sipping on some coffee

Best pizza place ever

Flying home

Talk to you soon with new posts! 

x x x

L'OREAL FALSE LASH WINGS/ FALSE LASH FLUTTER MASCARA REVIEW

A new false lashes effect, lashes that flutter like the wings of a butterfly. The special formula with cocoon fibers brings a spectacular lightweight volume. That's what the L'oréal False Lash Wings/ Flutter Mascara description says. Sounds great right? I tested this product and am ready to give you my honest opinion! 

A unique, asymmetrical brush that lifts the lashes in the corners of your eyes.

L'oréal promises to make your lashes twice as visible with this mascara. 

And now the pictures! Without any mascara (left column) and with the L'oréal False Lash Wings Mascara (right column). 

What I like about the L'oréal False Lash Wings Mascara

The packaging, it has a nice shape and color

Gives volume and a winged out look thanks to the brush

The brush has different sides, you can use it in different ways. The shorter side is perfect for your bottom lashes while the longer, winged side is great for your top lashes. 

What I don't like about the L'oréal False Lash Wings Mascara

It doesn't separate the lashes, I have to use another mascara brush to get the individual lashes effect. 

As you use the mascara longer, and it gets older, there will be more clumps on your brush. However, I find this happening with a lot of mascaras. 

Would I buy the L'oréal False Lash Wings Mascara again? 

Yes I would, I think it works very good for my short lashes as I get more volume and depth to my lashes. I do use another mascara (for example Telescopic from L'oréal) after to separate my lashes more. 

Cost

€ 16,99, £ 10,99

I have read some negative reviews of this mascara, saying that it causes redness and irritation to the eyes. This however isn't the case with me, I would recommend this mascara to my friends and readers! 

Hope you found this review helpful!  

x x x

MENU MONDAYS

Hi everyone! After a couple of weeks missing, Menu Mondays is back! I've recently been experimenting with some new products, because I felt like my body needed some changes. I've cut out regular (cow) milk out of my diet because I've dealt with some digestion problems and read avoiding milk (and dairy products overall) can help. So I've replaced the cow milk with almond and soy milk, and I can't believe I didn't do it before. The flavors are very sweet and soft, it's definitely a nice change after drinking regular milk for 23 years. Plus they contain less calories! Almond milk about half the calories and soy milk about 10% less calories. 

I've also been loving muesli and oats. Again as part of speeding up my digestion, but I also enjoy the crunchiness and flavor of muesli. However I don't eat loads of it because muesli is pretty calorie rich. 

Besides milk and muesli I've added a lot of spice to my daily menu! I've been eating tons of red peppers (both big, sweet ones & small, spicy ones) , in every salad, and just spicy foods in general. Also a boost for the metabolism!

Let's take a look at the dishes I started my week with! 

Breakfast

2 eggs

2 cracottes

cappuccino with almond milk

Lunch

blueberry smoothie (yogurt, frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries, some light grenadine for sweetening) sprinkled with some oats and muesli

Dinner

salad with smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, red peppers, spring onions, some light mozzarella chunks and a yogurt based vinaigrette

on the side some pita bread sliced in two, some light mozzarella and salt & pepper on top and grilled in the oven for a couple of minutes 

Unfortunately no snack.. I had a pretty late dinner and didn't felt the need for a snack! 

x x x

ITCHY LEGS AFTER SHAVING

Every girl who chooses shaving as hair removal method has dealt with this problem at least once in her life. Itchy, bumpy and red legs are often a nasty side effect from removing hair with a razor. This common condition amongst shaving women (and men) is often referred to as Razor Burn or Razor Rash, it's very simply said a sign of irritation of the skin. So why do some people suffer more from Razor Burn then others? And why doesn't it occur all the time? Let's solve this bumpy mystery once and for all!

CAUSES OF IRRITATION

Pressing down the razor too hard. People often think the harder they push down their razor, the shorter the hairs, and thereby more invisible, will be. This is however a misconception. When you're using a sharp blade you won't need to push down the razor harder. Just sliding over your leg will be enough. This is why changing blades or disposable razors is very important when you're a shaver.
Besides razor burn, old or used blades can also lead to ingrown hairs. The hairs are cut and left very sharp, the hairs starts growing again and are pressed against the skin, causing them to go back into the hole, or area around, it came out of. The skin doesn't recognize the hair and tries to push the hair back out. This will lead to a red bump with the hair underneath.

Shaving in the wrong direction. Shaving against the grain of the hair can lead to irritation of the hair follicle, redness and inflamed skin.

Besides shaving in the wrong direction, shaving over the same area many times can cause irritation too. Try to shave each area only one time. When you did shave over an area a couple of times and it lead to bumps or redness, avoid this area a couple of days to let the sensitive skin heal completely.

TIPS TO AVOID IRRITATION AFTER SHAVING

1. Avoid using any type of product on your legs before shaving. For example body lotions, which can contain a lot of alcohol and dry out the skin. Also avoid shaving when your skin is sweaty. The best results will be attained by first using a mild scrub (for example a sugar scrub), washing your legs with a mild shower gel or soap and after applying your shaving creme.

2. Open your pores with hot water. The skin will be softened by the heat and steam, which will make shaving easier and results better. Take a hot shower of at least 5 minutes to open up those pores! 

3. To avoid ingrown hairs you will need to rinse off your razor frequently while shaving and avoid pressing down the razor too hard. Another tip is to avoid tight clothes around the areas you shaved.

4. Wash off leftover hair and shower creme with cold water. This will close up the pores on your legs and will constrict the skin and help close small cuts and ingrown hairs that are forming. 

5. After you get out of the shower it is recommended to apply some sort of aloe vera gel  or creme on your legs. Why aloe vera? It helps to soothe irritated skin and prevent razor bumps. Let it set for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with cold water.

6. The last step is to apply a moisturizing body lotion/ creme without any alcohol, this would dry out your legs. 

Definitely try out these tips if you have razor burn after shaving! You'll be rocking some JLO Venus legs in no time!

x x x

If you're interested in more information on Razor Burn:
http://voices.yahoo.com/main-causes-razor-burn-ingrown-hair-607688.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-Razor-Burn
http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/body-care/_/perfect-shave-art

GET TO KNOW ME TAG

Hi everyone! Today I bring to you the "Get To Know Me Tag". I realized I haven't done a personal post on my blog yet and thought this tag was perfect to get to know me better. I decided to answer these fun 25 questions because I love to read other bloggers lists as well.  Without further a do, here are my 25 "Get To Know Me" answers. 

1. Do you have a middle name? 

No, I don't. Just a simple first and last name kind of gal. 

2. What was your favorite subject in school?

PE and English. 

3. What's your favorite drink?

Non alcoholic drink Coca Cola Zero or strawberry milkshake, alcoholic drink Mojito or Piña Colada! FYI I'm 23, so... totally legal ;-)

4. What's your favorite song at the moment? 

Treasure by Bruno Mars.

5. What would you name your children? 

The names change all the time, some I've liked in the past are Maxim, Nick, Emily, Jade, Tess,... But my current faves I'm keeping a secret!   

6. Do you participate in any sports?

I am definitely an addicted gym bunny! I work out 5-6 times a week. 

7. What's your favorite book?

I'm not a huge reader, only on vacations I really get to enjoy a nice book by the pool or ocean. Most recent I read Derailed by James Siegel.

8. What's your favorite color? 

Coral blue. 

9. What's your favorite animal? 

Koala bears, they look so cuddly and sweet! And also dogs because of their loyalty and playfulness. 

10. What's your favorite perfume? 

Miss Dior by Dior. 

11. What's your favorite holiday? 

Christmas Day. I don't get to see my family that often, but on Christmas Day everyone gets together at my (parents') house and we eat tons of food and catch up all day. It's a very peaceful and warm day, which can be a relieve at the end of the year. 

12. Have you graduated from High School?

Yes, I graduated High School a couple of years ago. After High School I got my Bachelor's degree in Communication Management and after that I also obtained a Post-degree diploma in Digital Marketing and Communication. 

13. Have you been out of the country? 

I have left Belgium many times. When I was younger I often went to St. Martin (Caribbean), where my uncle lives. We also visited the US a couple of times. I have also been lucky enough to go a couple of times to Holland, Germany, France, England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greek Islands and Canary Islands. Wanderlust is a concept close to my heart. Australia, Thailand and New York are certainly on my (soon) to do list! 

14. Do you speak any other language? 

Besides Dutch I speak English and French. But the French needs to be freshened up to not sound like Joey Tribbiani. 

15. Do you have any siblings? 

Yes, I have one older sister. Her name is Elfi and she's 25. 

16. What's your favorite store? 

Favorite online store is ASOS, offline store is Zara, but Mango is a close runner-up. 

17. What's your favorite restaurant? 

My favorite restaurant is actually located in Tenerife, the Canary Islands. I don't even know the name, but it's located in a small fishers town called Los Abrigos, it's at the end of the shore and has royal blue table clods.  It serves the best fresh calamares and grilled fish ever!  

18. Do you like school? 

School brings up mixed feelings for me. I hated teachers who made you feel stupid when you couldn't keep up with the rest of the class and I was also extremely shy during presentations, I could get very anxious when there were unannounced readings or role games in front of the class. But some of my funniest memories also happened during school. It's a time I will treasure, both good and bad days. 

19. Who are some of your favorite YouTubers? 

I have many favorites and even made a whole post about them, you can check it out here: http://beautiesmoothie.blogspot.be/2013/05/favorite-youtube-beauty-gurus_15.html 

20. What's your favorite movie? 

Such a hard question! I love watching movies. A good movie makes you forget about your own life and sucks you into the story. The ending keeps you up at night and makes you imagine all the "what ifs?". This is why I don't have a genre preference, as long as the story is unique and captivating I will be able to enjoy the movie. Some of my favorites are The Shawshank Redemption, Se7en, Jaws, Fight Club, Lucky Number Slevin, The Notebook, The Hangover, Inception. 

21. What are some of your favorite TV shows? 

My name is Kathy and I am a reality-oholic. It's definitely a weak spot of mine, I have a big voyeuristic side to me and love to see how other people live behind closed doors! Reality shows I love: Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives series (NJ and Beverly Hills are my favorites), Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Big Rich Texas, Jersey (and now Geordie) Shore, Intervention,... Fiction-wise I love Dexter and oldies SATC and Friends. 

22. PC or Mac?

PC

23. What kind of phone do you have? 

Iphone 4s, black. 

24. How tall are you? 

I'm 5'8" (173 cm).

25. Any pets? 

Yes, I have a dog. His name is Flash and I love him to death! 

That's a wrap, I answered all 25 questions! I hope you liked getting to know me a little bit better and if you want to know anything else just leave a comment down below. 

x x x

KIM KARDASHIAN GOES BLONDE

New mommy Kim K. has turned over to the blonde side! The "Keeping up with the Kardashians" reality star and sisters are well known for their curvy bodies and brunette manes, but Kim decided to give herself a little makeover and went blonde for autumn.

She was seen leaving a friend's barbecue where she debuted a slightly shorter do with black roots and blonde lenghts.

It isn't the first time Kim ditched her trademark brunette locks, in 2009 she lightened her hair as well. She first fooled her fans by wearing a blonde wig and looked almost unrecognizable. At the Teen Choice Awards later that year she revealed the real thing saying "This time it's for real guys! I went blonde!!".

It was a change that left her fans divided, some loved the sunkissed look on Kim, some thought the blonde manes took away her exotic and mysterious appeal.

Later on Kim proved that blondes do have more fun by rocking out some crazy blonde wigs to fool the paparazzi and to dress up for Halloween.

This time however the dye wasn't a complete surprise, Kim has been hinting on Twitter that she missed her blonde hair and her "Threw Back Thursdays" referred to pics from her golden era.

Besides, Kim isn't the only sister who went blonder this year. Khloe has been seen with ombre hair for quite some time now and went even blonde past summer.

Older sister Kourtney decided to add some highlights to her black manes, and even added some bangs.

Are The Kardashians starting a new blonde trend? 

They are certainly stepping out of their "long black hair extensions" comfort zone, since starting their reality adventure.

So what do you prefer on Kim? Do you like the blonde change? Or should she keep her trademark dark locks?

x x x