Pretty much settled in

Hello peeps!

Ok so we’ve arrived in Melbourne, we have been here for pretty much a week now. First few days was slightly hectic, I was a little bit jet lagged and I was at the same time trying to arrange all of the school stuff and getting everything sorted where we are staying.

All of my clothes and things are sorted, I think I have an idea about what I need to do for the Swedish courses that I’m doing online and I am just waiting to get started with the Australian school.

I have actually decided to drop out from one of the courses from Sweden because I have realized that there will be WAY to much for me to think about and trying to get into my head. Too many new terms and theories to keep track of. I want to have some sort of life here as well ha ha.

I need to get some other things sorted as well, like gym, bank, medicare etc. But it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

I was REALLY hesitant about moving to be honest, I felt quite sad about leaving everything. But I had to keep in mind that I am doing this do grow as a person, hopefully on many levels. I want this to be the year that I put myself into focus, without having to worry about work or anything else but developing as a person.

I’m really looking forward about what’s to come during this year!

/Bella

Glossybox December 2015

Gosh, last Glossybox of the year!

It has been pretty much one year since I signed up and it has been so much fun receiving them every month. I think that everyone that can should sign up for one of your one choice, there is literally one for everyone. One for the pet lover, the beauty nerd, the gourmet food chef,a vegan box etc etc.

I will most likely sign up for a new subscription when I get to Australia, if you have any suggestions on boxes you like, please let me know!

Ok, I know that I said that I liked the last box heaps. But I think we have a winner of the year and it’s this one!

1. Benefit Cosmetics – Benetint $30 / 12,5 ml (original size, the above is about 5 ml)
   It’s not the first time that I try a lip/cheek tint from Glossybox. The color is very similar to the last one, it’s like a cherry syrup color. Which I don’t mind and I think it would suit a lot of different skin colors. I do feel like this product is a little bit watery, and it feels like it could be VERY easy for this to spill because the opening/mouth is pretty big for such a “liquidy” content. I also think the watery consistency makes it like, evaporate from your skin pretty quick and you have to touch up during the day to keep those pinched looking cheeks.
2. Glossybox – Glossy Mauve $10 Original size
   This one came as a surprise to me, apparently the glossy community had chosen this color when they asked us a couple of months earlier. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with the quality of this eye shadow, the pigment is quite rich and you can also use it with a wet brush(like most eye shadows) to give it a even deeper and longer lasting effect. It has a beautiful shimmery look to it and is already a part of my daily routine!
3. Dove – Oxygen Moisture Schampoo $3,5 / 250 ml
   Ok so I am a little bit terrified of using shampoo from drugstores, well you know like all the ordinary brands like Garnier, Nivea and Dove included. Since I was given my first bottle of expensive shampoo from Kevin Murphy after a modelling job, there wasn’t any looking back. I have had really dry and coarse hair and I was hoping that by using expensive shampoo, my hair would turn silky smooth. BUT I tried this shampoo and conditioner previous to getting these samples, and I must admit that it works really, really good on my hair. I get lots of natural volume which is very needed since my last hair cut. My hair stays clean for days and it super smooth!
4. Dove – Oxygen Moisture Conditioner $3,5 / 250 ml
   I usually wash my hair about twice a week and I therefor thought that it was a great idea to use a hair balm on those days instead of a conditioner. You know to give it some extra boost. Anyway, I swapped the balm for only this conditioner and it works like a charm, the hair is not as heavy and it doesn’t tangle anymore. I think that maybe using the balm twice a week was a little bit too much, even for my very dry hair!
5. Glam of Sweden – Nail stripes $3
   Eh… I am not a girl who spend much time on decorating my nails, I prefer either a clean well manicured nail or a nail polish in a subtle color. But I can see the fun in decorating your nails, and I am sure that this tape is great for those people. It is super thin, like 1 mm, if even that. It will probably last you a lifetime as well because it’s 15 m. Not sure what I could use this tape for, maybe to paint a Swedish flag or something! It can be used both as an actual decoration, but I would probably use it to make patterns on the nails and then peel the tape off.
6. Maria Nila – Cream Heat Spray $25 / 150 ml
   Before I was give the Kevin Murphy shampoo, Maria Nila was actually the first a little bit more expensive shampoo/other products I was given from a hair modelling job. This was probably 6/7 years ago and it has really come a long way since. They have totally re-branded, and I love the design of these new bottles. A BIG plus for me is that it’s not animal tested, nor does it contain any nasty things like animal based ingredients, sulfates or parabens. It also protect against UV-rays and keep your hair smooth and silky. I love it!

   /Bella

We’re home!

It was a long drive home, pretty crazy too. Slippery roads, snow storms and big trucks. Not a great combination ha ha.

It was so amazing and I truly recommend anyone who come to Sweden to dare to go outside the bigger city’s, it’s so beautiful and you don’t even have to go that far to experience the beautiful nature of Sweden!

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Above are some pictures that we took while we were in Värmland. The ski hill is called Branäs and they have lots of accommodation. I can’t say much about the hills because I only went in the kids ones, but they looked pretty steep. It’s not a lot to do around in this area, it’s defintley not for the people who love trying new restaurants, do shopping or having amazing coffee (like me). But it is very serene and peaceful, and above all very beautiful. The closet city is about an 2 hour drive away.

We stayed in the very picturesque house where my grandma grew up, it was a lot of fun but a little bit spooky because I have heard so many ghost stories about the house. There was also a barn where they now store wood and other things, one of the pictures are taken from the inside and as you can tell. It hasn’t been touched for a while.

On the way home we drove past Karlstad which is the bigger town 2 hours away from Branäs/Likenäs and we had food at the number 2 best restaurant (according to Tripadvisor) in Karlstad which was a thai place. Sort of looked a bit like a McDonald too be honest, but they had really good food, and I usually don’t even like thai food because it tends to be a bit sugary and sticky. But this was super fresh and they had great service, it was called Spicy n’ Hot so make sure to go there if you get the chance!

All in all, it ended up being an amazing trip and I wish you could of joined us!

/Bella

We’re here!

We are in the house now, all settled in. The scenery driving here was AMAZING, everything was covered in snow and it was truly a winter wonderland.

The house is quite secluded, located within the thick forest around. But it’s only a couple of minutes drive away from the main street.

We haven’t decided whether we are going to the ski hills tomorrow or on Monday, we’ll have to see! It’s super close from us and it’s called Branäs, I’ll let you know what it’s like!

Here are two picture from the drive up!

/Bella

 

Next stop – Värmland

Värmland what the heck is that?

Värmland is a province in Sweden, it’s very close to the border of Norway and it’s about 450 km from Stockholm, slightly up to north.

Our family owns a house in here and this is where me and James are heading towards today. We are in the car just now actually!

As you may or may not know, there are A LOT of forest in Sweden. Like heaps. Here are some pictures of the nature in Värmland, you can also see a typical Swedish looking house next to the river/stream called Dalälven above.

My grandma and her siblings grew up in this house, it was originally built late 1800 I think but it has of course been renovated and modernized since! I will take some pictures to show you all as soon as we get there.

There are actually quite a lot of wolfs, bears and moose in the forest nearby, but they tend to be very shy so you have to be very (un)lucky to meet one.

There is also a ski hill only 10 minutes away from the house which we will visit as well!

I can’t wait to arrive!

/Bella

Why I am a vegetarian

Hello!

Saying the word vegan or vegetarian will usually create a range of emotions, questions and thoughts. Either you are a one yourself, you hate them or you don’t really care.

I have always felt that going vegan for an example, felt a little bit too extreme for me, I mean I LOVE my cheese as well. I have been a vegetarian for about 15 years now, and a lot of people find it shocking when I tell them that I am only 23 years old.

I became a vegetarian because I felt so bad for the animals. It was sparked from a video that I accidentally watched where they captured whales and sliced them up, and I also think I got it from my teacher who was a demi-vegetarian (she was eating birds and fish)

I sometimes stopped and questioned myself about why I actually was a vegetarian and my response for a long time was “it’s just a habbit” But it has definitely changed since then, because I know now that I will never ever be able to eat meat again. Ok, I am not going to say never because maybe all the veggies will get sick and moldy from some weird alien disease and then I would probably have to eat meat.

One day about two months ago I found myself repulsed by milk and cheese. I used to drink an ice latte every morning with milk, and I had tried alternatives to milk before but I never really liked them. Then all of a sudden I felt like “I can’t put that in my mouth”… It was actually a sad moment for me because I love cheese, but after reading about the living conditions Swedish milk cows, who I thought had a fairly good life, I realized that it’s not about what I like or the fact that I am to comfortable in old eating habits.

I had to do it for the poor cows that get impregnated and then have their calves taken away from them. For the cows that only get to live for about 5-6 years instead of 20 years which is the normal life length of a cow, because they either get sick or can’t produce anymore milk so they killed. It’s not about me anymore. 

I absolutely don’t have a problem eating cheese and egg from a local farmer where I know that the animals live a great life. Egg is something that hens lay either way, and I am all for using products that nature provides us without any suffer. That is also why I think it’s great using wool and honey (that is humanly collected) which a lot of vegans are against, but I think it’s a great product that can be used for a lot of good things. I wouldn’t even say that I am against eating animals. I am therefor also all for using all the fat, eyes and intestines in sausages and alike. Why wouldn’t you use as much of the animal if you are going to kill it?

What do you think about vegetarians/vegans? If you are one or thinking about becoming one, what are your reasons?

/Bella

Sorry post

Oh god, It’s been so long. I know I’m sorry…

I has just been SO much for me to do in preparation for school, holidays, boyfriends birthday, partner visa application and on top of that… life.

I have barley posted anything to Instagram either. My head have been full of worries about not getting the visa in time, not getting in to school etc. But I’am working my last shift (so far) tonight and then it’s two weeks off before we leave, which will give me plenty of time to get up to speed with things that I have neglected.

I have a lot of posts in mind and I have promised myself that this is the year of self-development. This is the year that I will truly take care of myself, doing the things I enjoy and ditching the things that drag me down. More than any year I felt like 1st of January was truly a new start for me. I could let go of the last year which has been a lot of fun but also had a lot of stress and uncertain involved in it.

I will do more writing in this blog, because I have realized that it gives me so much more, than just wasting my time at various social media forums where I don’t actually gain anything from it. I have felt a big despise towards social media and it’s amount of shit that is being posted there.

Funny enough I love the whole science behind it and I am well aware of the power it beholds. I think it’s much more interesting looking at it from a strategic point of view for our clients for an example.

Another thing I need to practice on is to stay on the subject when I write my posts, from hectic life to despise of social media. Ha ha!

/ Bella

Glossybox November 2015

First of all, I am sorry that this one came like a month late. But like they say, better late than never ; )

No but seriously I have had so much to think about. Planning our London/Lisbon holiday, school applications and everything around moving back to Australia etc. But enough of that, let us get to good stuff!

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I really liked this months Glossybox, it contained a lot of fun products that will come to use and that I’ve wanted to try. Th Carmex lipbalm is a classic and I can see why. I also really love the brand Naobay since I got to try it in a earlier box!

1. Carmex – Original Lip Balm, 3,50 USD
   This is lip balm is a staple product for many and it has been around for ages and you will find it pretty much everywhere. I’ve never tried it before so I had no idea what to expect. But it was a very pleasant surprise, even though the mentol which made it tingle on my lips and it made me slightly confused. Was it there to irritate my lips to make them bigger or? Yeah, I’m still not sure. Could be because of the multi-purpose of the product, the mentol might help itchy bites etc which you can actually use this balm for as well. But very moisturizing and perfect for dry lips!
2. être belle – Golden Skin Caviar eye roll-on, 47 USD
   I can tell you straight away that this eye roll on is NOT worth the price. It’s ridiculous frankly. Sure it does come in a pretty hand package, but it looks very cheap and I thought it was about 10-15 USD based on the look and the result of it. It doesn’t sink in to the skin at all and it just sits there like thin coating all day. When I smacked it onmand then put make up over it and I could still after a couple of hours see it and even rub it off from the skin, both the eye gel and the make up. Super weird, so save your money for something else!

   Ps. I just googled this product and they are selling it for 20 euro on their website, so glossy box put a much higher price on their website. Strange!

3. MayBeauty – The incredible face gel, 29 USD  for one 8 pack á 10 ml
   The positive thing about this gel is that 10 ml will last you for about 2-4 scrubs. My skin feels tighter, cleaner yet hydrated which is a pretty rare combination. The negative thing is the package, I don’t know id they want you to use a whole thing in one go or if they just didn’t think about it at all. You can put the rest in a small container or just store it in the package with something heavy on it so it doesn’t dry out. But the biggest issue I got with this product is that they claim that it is your dead skin that is coming off when you rub the mask off, which obviously not true. It would destroy your skin if it was. But other than that, a nice face mask that I could buy again.
4. Naobay – Calming Face Toner, 17 USD/ 200 ml
   I love Naobay and everything it stands for. Natural and gentle ingredients that actually work! It doesn’t irritate my skin and it’s perfect after washing your face and in the morning. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have problems with acne or oily skin, because it doesn’t really help for that. But it’s good for normal/dry skin. I would absolutely consider to buy it again, thumbs up!
5. Make up Store – Contouring Class
   I usually don’t mention the voucher I get in the box because they are usually not that interesting. But this one actually seemed pretty useful, finally I’ll be able to contour like Kim Kardashian XD
6.  Make Up Store – Eye Pencil, 16,50 USD
   Make up store is known for their wide range of colors, good pigmentation yet being pretty well priced. This one is not a exception. While many from the Glossybox community seemed to be unhappy with this color, which is a light lavender color, I really liked it. I think it will suit my hazel nut brown eyes and it will create a subtle little extra on my otherwise pretty plain every day make up. It’s very creamy but it still lasts for a whole day, it’s pretty much perfect!

   /Bella

 

Quick update

I’m having a blast in Portugal, it’s soooo beautiful! 

I will give you some more detailed info when I get home. But meanwhile, here are some photos for you!

   
    
    
    
    
/Bella

Leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when i’ll be back again…

How cryptic right?

Not so much if you read my earlier post :p

Like I told you guys a couple of weeks ago, we were thinking about moving back to Australia, mainly for me to be able to study but also to follow bigger and more profitable projects for the agency.

I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get in to a Uni over there. But then I received the great news of being accepted in to a diploma course at RMIT. Yeay! So it is decided now, we will be going back in mid Jan, exact date is to be decided.

I’ve felt quite overwhelmed for the last two months or so. It all started with us questioning where we wanted to go and where we realistically could go with the agency. One of our main sales points was viewa, but they haven’t been able to develop in the way we wished during this year. Which has lead to us ending our partnership with them. It was a big and scary decision, but it seems like everything is working out our way. I decided to start applying for schools quite a few weeks ago, and only a couple of days ago we decided to break away from viewa.

Imagine if we would have to do it without having another plan, I would of had a panic attack.

Anyway, I am super excited about starting school again and being able to work towards my dreams. I am really excited about whats to come to us during 2016.

Not to forget all the AMAZING cafes and restaurants in Melbourne that I can’t wait to go to!

/Bella