Kim Kardashian - Hot Pink Lips, Dramatic Eyes

I loved this picture of Kim's makeup, done by artist Troy Jensen. It's very bold and mysterious, but the bright pink lips makes it fun and modern as well. I'm not sure exactly what products were used but I tried my best to replicate the look. I hope you enjoy.

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, MAC eyeshadows in Electra, Shroom and Print, Sugarpill Bulletproof, Bella Pierre Color Stay, silver cosmetic glitter, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, MAC Feline kohl pencil, Lancome Teint Miracle concealer, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara

Lips
MAC Beet lipliner, MAC Show Orchid lipstick, MAC Style Minx lipglass

Cheeks
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Blonde

Nailpolish
Illamasqua Caress

Watch the video on Youtube directly

Food Haul!

I did some food shopping and decided it might be interesting to share what I bought with you, and talk about why I purchase the things I do. Sometimes it can be hard to know what is actually good for us and what isn't, especially when there's so many ready-made meals out there that claim to be diet or low fat. The best thing you can do for your body though is to feed it fresh foods, especially produce. Check out my video below for further tips!

Or watch the video on Youtube

Help send me to New York City!

I entered a contest to win a trip to New York. I'd be so happy if you voted for me! f I win, I will do a meet-up in NYC, plus do a special giveaway upon return for all my voters! How you can help:

1. Go to my page here:
http://www.anny-newyork.de/profil/julia_pid_1432.html

2. Click the big "YES" thumbs up icon on the left side of my video. If it's your first vote, a pop-up box from Facebook will appear where you need to confirm their Facebook application to register your vote. Click on "Zulassen" (Confirm) on the bottom left of that box. After that you can vote daily by just hitting the big thumbs up icon.

3. Leave a comment on that page below the video to be entered for a giveaway (will happen if I win the trip to New York so I can bring back some goodies for you!!)

4. Bookmark the page so you can vote daily! The contest ends August 31 so help me stay on top :)

Thank you so so much, this would definitely be a dream come true for me. I would also film my entire experience and take you along with me.

Grocery Shopping Dilemma

I'm sure you've all been through this typical grocery store dilemma. You're at home and you go through your fridge and make a list of food you need, most of it being fairly healthy. Tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, chicken, milk, eggs, etc. Then you head to the store and you're doing ok...

Yup still on track! And then it's like BAM!! You start drifting into the other aisles and suddenly you're here:

Times like these I kind of wish there was a grocery store nearby that didn't even have those things on sale! They would be so much easier to avoid if these products weren't EVERYWHERE! You have to think about how much marketing and money has gone into these junk food products by huge food corporations like Kraft or Nestle, to make sure that there is such an omnipresent and huge assortment available to us, ready to fatten us up.

If you're tempted by these kinds of foods, you have to make some hard choices. There's a few ways to go about this:

• Cave entirely and load up on junk food - FAIL! No progress is made and you've totally fallen off the wagon. :(

• Cave only partially and indulge in one junky item. Here the best choice is buying a single serving portion, for example one small chocolate bar, or a small bag of chips - don't buy the XXL Party Pack size or a dozen donuts!! Sometimes it might be better to indulge in a craving and try to at least minimize the damage, than to totally deprive yourself and go insane because all you can think about for the next day is how much you're craving a Snickers bar! Of course, if you're indulging every day or every time you have a craving, you're not really changing your eating habits at all. Also, make sure to read the labels on the back - believe it or not, there are differences between junk food. Frozen yogurt might still contain a bunch of unnecessary sugar, but it will also be less fattening than Pralines & Cream ice cream. 70% dark chocolate is another good variety to regular milk or white chocolate as it contains a lot less sugar and fat.

• Deny and walk briskly past - yay you did it! Pat on the back for you! It's OK to have sweets once in a while, but if you're trying to change your diet and lose weight - let's face it - the more you avoid these foods, the better.

• Deny and buy a healthy alternative - this is usually my favorite (albeit often more expensive) option. No chocolate for me? OK, but I'll buy a container of fresh blackberries, or cherries, or splurge some extra money on a pricier cut of meat. Reward yourself for staying away from junk food with high quality healthy food. If you can afford it (and I know not everyone can) splurge on the pricier grade of nectarines or peaches, or maybe organic tomatoes or meats - the food tastes a lot better than lesser grades, and you're rewarding yourself with food - but ones that won't pack on the pounds! If you're a foodie like me, you'll get so much more joy out of the food you're eating if you buy high quality produce.

Keep your goals in mind when grocery shopping. Make a list and stick with it as much as you can. Avoid the junk food aisles. How serious are you about getting back into shape and losing those pounds you've packed on in recent years? If you've already dropped some weight, try to remember how amazing you felt finally being able to slip into your old jeans again - are you willing to give up those feelings for a chocolate bar?

I hope that's been motivational and helpful to you, and happy healthy shopping!

World Cities: Sydney

Sydney is next up in my World Cities makeup series, and of course Australia is a great source of inspiration. Beautiful beaches, great snorkeling and diving, and crystal clear blue water. These were some of the ideas behind this look. I hope you like it!

Face
Neutrogena Healthy Skin mixed with Makeup Forver Mat Velvet+ foundation

Eyes
Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Sleek Makeup Curacao palette, MAC Prussian, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, MAC Feline kohl pencil, Maybelline white kohl pencil, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara

Lips
Sleek Makeup Curacao palette, Margaret Astor Pastel Pink lipgloss

Cheeks
MAC Petticoat Mineralize Skinfinish

Nails
Essence - Style Me Holo

Watch the makeup tutorial on Youtube here

Oops I Did It Again! Haul

I have done some shopping. I thought I'd share...

Products mentioned in order:

Sleek Divine palette in Curacao (Caribbean limited edition)
Sleek Divine palette in Oh So Special
Sleek Aruba blush (Caribbean limited edition)
Sleek Pout Polish in Bonaire
Sigma Eyeshadow palettes in Bare, Dare and Flare
LA Colors Art Deco polish in Black & White
Essence 02 Style Me Holo nailpolish
Eucerin Sun Fluid SPF 30 for face
La Roche-Posay Hydreane Legere moisturizer
purse from New Yorker
top from Vero Moda
jeans from Vero Moda
Shoes from Deichmann (Graceland)
Dumont Berlin guidebook
Tucano Second Skin Macbook protector

Sigma makeup available at:
http://tinyurl.com/sigmamakeup

Sleek Makeup:
http://www.sleekmakeup.com/

Zum Schluss ist eine Nachricht auf Deutsch wegen potenzielles Abo Treffen in Berlin! Also bleibt dran...


Sleek and Sigma products were sent to me for review consideration. Everything else I purchased myself.

Fitness Haul

I really needed some new running shoes for the work outs that I do, so today I bit the bullet and went to a big athletic store and spent about an hour trying on all kinds of shoes. The last pair of running shoes I bought are about 10 years old and were bought on a whim, without any regard to their actual specs and comfort - I basically bought those because they were on sale and dirt cheap.

Unfortunately, they also really hurt my toes whenever I worked out in them, I think they were too small for me because my big toe nail would always knock against the front, which is really painful when you do plyometric jump training. No amount of nail trimming worked, so I knew I just had to get something better that actually felt good and gave me support.

After trying on so many pairs, I finally purchased the Adidas Response Cushion shoes.

These are actually mens shoes since ladies runners don't run in my size. I have to say I don't really care for the design or colors very much, but Adidas make some of the narrowest mens shoes (most other mens shoes are cut wider, so aren't suitable for most women) and these were actually darn comfortable with a lot of grip and support. Having large feet means my choices are limited, and the point of these shoes was to find a pair that filled my requirements, who cares what they really look like. I'll only be wearing these for workouts anyway.

Here with my horrible old and painful Nikes...

I don't really have a lot of experience buying training shoes, but the sales staff was pretty helpful and the best thing is to take your time and do a few moves in the store to see how they feel - if you run, do a few laps around the shop. I must have looked a bit silly doing plyometric jumps around the store! Haha... But in the end they felt good on and my toe wasn't hitting the front anymore. I think buying good shoes is definitely worth the investment if you plan to do a lot of exercise with them, it makes a huge difference to your comfort level.

I also purchased some fitness gloves for weight lifting and push-ups.

I used to think these were a bit superfluous unless you were a pro bodybuilder or something, but I've realized how slippery and wet my hands get from sweating, and it makes weightlifting a bit cumbersome when you can't get a good grip on the darn thing. Also, we have a hardwood floor, so when doing push-ups with sweaty hands, I'd leave huge hand prints or just be sliding around - not fun.

To be honest I didn't enjoy spending money on the shoes, they are so outrageously marked up here in Switzerland (they cost less than half online in the USA I saw) but I see it as investing in my health and well being and it's actually something I needed.

I can't wait to do my first workout with these tomorrow.

P2 - Pink it Up!

I love this nail polish. These pictures were taken in artificial light at night but I just wanted to take a quick snap. I love this color, it's a warm medium pink cream. It's not super original by any means but I don't have any pinks like this in my collection actually!

P2 is a German drugstore cosmetic brand that is unfortunately not available in Switzerland (yet.) They have a really wide range of colors in their nail polish range, also bright and fun colors. I'm heading to Germany soon and I might have to pick up a few more of these as they are so cheap. Can't say much about the lasting power of these yet but to be honest it's not a big factor for me as I change my polish so frequently anyway. Oh I also filed my nails down a bit, they were getting ridiculously long.

What's on your nails right now? What colors have you been rocking a lot this summer?

Emma Watson at the Harry Potter premiere in NYC

Above are some pictures of Emma Watson at the New York premiere of the new and final Harry Potter movie "Deathly Hallows". Emma wore an extravagant copper-gold dress, and the makeup was very dramatic. I still can't make up my mind if I like this particular look on her or not. She has a very youthful, feminine face and I felt the black was maybe a tad too much, especially with the gold leaf. Although, big props to her for sporting a bold look in the red carpet!

I decided to recreate the look but tone it down slightly, to make it a bit more wearable. I also left off the gold leaf which I thought was just odd looking. I hope you enjoy my rendition and the tutorial below.

Face
Lancome Teint Idole mixed with Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation, MAC Studio Fix powder, Lancome Teint Miracle concealer

Cheek
MAC Blushbaby

Eyes
Sugarpill Bulletproof, Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Solstice, Ben Nye Aztec Gold and Sun Yellow and Toast eyeshadows, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, MAC Feline kohl pencil, Illamasqua Precision Ink in Alchemy, Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara

Lips
MNY 908A Lipgloss

Nails
Essence Color & Go - Modern Romance

Click here to watch the video tutorial directly on Youtube

My Fitness Diary (4)

Since I made a resolution in my last Fitness Diary entry, I recorded all my workouts this week to see if I stuck on track. Here's what I accomplished.

Wed July 6: 60 minutes Plyometrics (P90X)
Thu July 7: Rest day
Fri July 8: 40 Minutes Plyometric Cardio Circuit (Insanity)
Sat July 9: Rest day (attended an all-day and night wedding)
Sun July 10: Rest day (hang-over from the wedding)
Mon July 11: 60 Minutes Chest and Shoulders (P90X)
Tue July 12: 45 mins elliptical machine
Wed July 14: 40 mins elliptical machine

Not too bad! Attending that wedding set me back a bit as I was totally hung over and groggy the next day and in no shape to do any physical activity that went beyond vegging on the couch pushing buttons on the TV remote. I would have liked to get some more weight lifting in there but that Chest and Shoulders routine was so incredibly tough, I'm still feeling my muscle aches now.

Nutrition wise I have really stayed on track. Except for the wedding, no cheat meals and not too much alcohol either - yay! My fridge looks extremely green and colorful :)

A bit of advice:
When you start a new workout routine, especially when you work out to home fitness DVDs like I do, or even if you join an aerobics class of some sort, you'll probably run into the problem that in the beginning you won't be able to get through the whole program. Don't worry! Try your best, take mid-set breaks, do what you can and stop when you feel like you're over exerting yourself. You won't be able to keep up with the instructor and do all the reps. This might make you feel frustrated and you may even want to throw in the towel. We've all been there - this is completely normal. Your body is adjusting to the increased physical activity and if you keep going with it regularly, you will be able to get through the whole work out eventually. Even if you look completely stupid and awkward attempting to do the moves, you will get better and stronger.

Start out slow. If you are completely out of shape and do zero exercise, a super high-intensity boot camp workout will probably not be the right thing for most people. Don't jump in at the deep end! You'll just feel even more frustrated and you will probably over-exert yourself. Start slow and work your way up. This might mean simply going for a brisk walk every day for 30 minutes, or biking to work instead of driving. The important thing is finding the right level for you, pushing yourself to work as hard as you can without going to the extreme, which might actually be dangerous.

Good luck! On to week 2 for me :)

French Manicure DIY

There are many ways how you can do a French manicure on your nails, but this is how I do mine. It's simple, and no messing with tape. You need a steady hand, but practice makes perfect, as they say!

What I used:


Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat
Nivea 04 Turbo Nude
Sally Hansen Whirlwind White
Seche Vite top coat
Essence nail corrector pen

Want to know how to do it? Watch my video tutorial on Youtube!

From Flab to Not So Bad

Before I start this off, can I just say I felt like the biggest douche taking this picture? A bit like a silver back gorilla showing off to a potential mate - I am alpha, hear me roar!

Toning and firming up my arms has been one of the main goals during this whole weight loss and fitness overhaul. Even when I was skinny, my arms had always been on the flabby side and it always made me feel pudgy, especially in pictures of the top half of my body. This progress pic is where I'm at right now - I don't have any before pictures but they were fat and flabby and no muscle definition whatsoever. When I flex after a workout now, I can definitely feel muscles, and the flabby part of my arms (especially on the bottom) has definitely diminished a lot. I'm not exactly where I want to be yet, but I'm getting there.

I have to say I am still a major weakling when it comes to push-ups. At least I can do more than when I started (which was about zero) but I just can't get very far down yet. Oh well - I know I'll get there eventually. My goal is to eventually be able to do Plyo push-ups where you leave the ground with the top half of your body between push ups. That will definitely be a while yet though!

My goal has never been to be skinny and weak, my goal is to be fit and strong. I did a lot of weight and resistance training, combined with cardio to get these results so far. Of course you need to watch what you eat if you want to reduce flab and see muscle definition - like they say, a six-pack starts in the kitchen. I use the P90X fitness DVDs for most of my strength work outs.

Saturday Wedding

I attended a wedding on Saturday and wore a pink and black dress that I showed in an Outfit of the Day video on Youtube previously. For the makeup I decided to go for soft pink and apricot tones with a bit of a darker brown color in the crease, so this is what came out.

Face & Cheeks
Lancome Teint Idole foundation, L'Oreal Touche Magique concealer, MAC Blot Powder, Nars Deep Throat Blush

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC All That Glitters, Neutral Pink and Dazzlelight, Ben Nye Cork, Toast, and Dark Brown, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Maybelline Colossal waterproof mascara, Maybelline kohl pencil in Natural Glaze

Lips
MAC Hue, Margaret Astor Pastel Pink lipgloss

For my hair I used a hot roller set on the whole hair except for the very front bangs section, teased the crown for some volume, then pinned them back into a low bun. It was actually pretty easy!

Hope you had a great weekend!

The Amazing "Eat More Veggies" Bean Salad!

Beans beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot...Well, tooting aside, I love this salad! It's a really easy way to increase your vegetable intake in a most delicious way, if I say so myself. Perfect for lunches on the go to take to school or work, a great side-dish at a summer BBQ, or as a main course for a light meal.

Ingredients:
2 cans of beans in water (red or white Kidney, chick peas, lentils, borlotti, up to you!)
1 large bell pepper
1 apple
2-3 celery stalks
2 tomatoes
fresh garden herbs (mint or parsley works well)
1/2 to 1 whole cucubmber
100g Feta cheese
1 whole onion (red, white, or several spring onions)

Dressing:
a good splash of extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons apple vinegar
salt & pepper
1-2 Teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2-3 Tablespoons plain white yogurt
dash of lemon juice

Chop all the vegetables, fruit and herbs and put in a large bowl, add the lemon juice to prevent the apple from oxidizing. Remove the seeds from the cucmber before chopping. Rinse the beans with water in a collander and add on top. Crumble Feta cheese on top. Stir dressing in directly and mix well, let the salad sit for maybe 10 minutes to marinate. Adjust with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. This will keep in the fridge for about two to three days. I hope you enjoy! Watch my Youtube video for step my step instructions.

My Fitness Diary (3)

Just a little update on how things have been going in the nutrition and exercise department! OK I admit it, yes I've been slacking off a bit lately. Not completely derailing and stuffing my face with cake, but last week I think I only worked out twice, and I've been letting my healthy eating slip a bit. Not majorly, but I know I could be eating better. I've had a few too many "just before bed" snacks that basically do nothing but turn to fat, and I've also been consuming too much alcohol. Not that I'm an alcoholic, but my boyfriend and I have been consistently polishing off a whole bottle of wine in the evening with dinner and afterward just sipping in front of the TV. I've also been consuming white bread again a bit too frequently, which I know is a big fat zilch in the healthy eating department. We've also been invited out to dinner a few times and hosted some dinner parties at home, where I don't normally watch what I eat because I want to wow my guests with lovely home cooking.


It's ok to have these little set-backs but the important thing is to realize you're veering off-track and to do something about it! Today I went clothes shopping and bought the perfect little black mini skirt to go clubbing in Berlin (in a size 8!) - I'm so excited for these upcoming holidays! I combined it with a tight fitting tank top and a belt, and when I looked in the mirror, I actually thought I looked pretty darn good. Now this isn't meant to be narcissistic self-wankery, but it's been years since I've been able to wear clothes like that, and actually feel comfortable in them. It gave me that little kick in the butt to remember all the hard work I've put into getting to that shape, so I decided I am going to put in 200% again and be really consequent with my nutrition and work out routine until July 27 when we fly to Berlin. (Obviously meaning to continue afterwards also, but it's like a mini goal for myself.)

I would love to slim down maybe just a bit more before Berlin - stupid stomach area problem zone! It is so hard, I won't lie - and it's one of the hardest areas to hide with clothes. The Insanity work-out DVDs I've been doing have really been kicking my butt, but I've noticed a dramatic change in my overall fitness level. I can breeze through the hardest programs on my elliptical machine now, I  think it's too easy.

So my plan of action for the next 3 weeks:

- eat breakfast regularly and include whole grains (oats, pumpernickel)
- increase green and red vegetable consumption (ie. more spinach, less watery lettuce leaves)
- eat lean proteins without sugary BBQ marinades
- no more late night snacking on carbs
- only sugar consumed should be from fruits and naturally occurring (no sweets, desserts, etc)
- reduce alcohol intake to 1-2 glasses of wine max. per evening and increase water intake
- work out at least 5 times a week (mix of high intensity cardio and strength/resistance)
- in case of extreme "must indulge in something" feeling, eat extra dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

Am I going to starve myself? Hell no! I love food way too much to ever deprive myself, and I absolutely hate the feeling of hunger pangs. I eat when I'm hungry, and I don't eat when I'm just bored. Luckily for me I love veggies and meat, so I feel satisfied. Am I going to overwork myself on exercise? No - I've worked out 5 times a week before and I want to get back there, I felt great afterward and full of energy. It still gives me 2 days of rest per week if my muscles get sore. Plus, I have an excuse to break in the new sports bra I bought - it's hot pink!

I can't wait to go clubbing and nightlife hopping in Berlin - and I want to look hot doing it. Maybe that makes me vain and shallow, but those doubts quickly subside when I think of my increased endurance, the fact that I can actually see the beginning of muscle definition on my arms (oh hi biceps, I didn't know you existed anymore) and that I feel about a million times better about myself in general.

Maybe I'll update you after a week to see if I've stuck with my goals!

Selena Gomez Love You Like a Love Song

I've had so many requests from viewers to recreate the makeup worn by Selena Gomez in her music video "Love You Like a Love Song". It's a really bright look that goes along with the color blocking trend that's so hot this season. Selena had a single purple eyeshadow on her lids, with a bright silver accent on the inner corners, some black eyeliner and dramatic coral lips. I hope you enjoy my take on this! Here's some stills I screen capped from the video.

Eyes
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Mould, Makeup Forever Nr. 92, Ben Nye Toast, Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Phenomena, MAC Electra, Lancome Le Crayon Kohl in Noir, L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascacra

Cheek
Ben Nye Apricot, MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish

Lips
NYX Round Lipstick in Femme, Revlon Lipgloss in Coral Reef

Nailpolish
Barry M Cyan Blue

Click here to watch the video tutorial on Youtube

LitChat: What I'm reading!

I've been so hooked on reading since getting my Kindle! I read a lot before but the Kindle is so convenient for me because I can take it along anywhere, read it on the train commuting for work, etc.

One of my favorite books I've read in recent times is Divergent by Veronica Roth. It's a dystopian story set in a future society - to say I've gotten hooked on the dystopia genre would be an understatement. Dystopia literature has been around for a long time, some of my favorite authors of this genre are Margaret Atwood, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Cormac McCarthy (his book The Road is probably my favorite dystopian novel of all time and it also won the Pulitzer Prize.)

Lately there's been a real revival with dystopian literature being released, many of them geared towards young adults. Nonetheless, I think Divergent is one of the best books of the genre to be released in recent times - unfortunately since this genre has become so popular, many less-than-stellar manuscripts are also being published just to cash in.

Watch my latest LitChat book review where I talk about Divergent, but also some other books I've been reading, including Poison Study and The Iron King, both fantasy stories.

You can also add me as a friend on Goodreads, it's a wonderful site for people who love to read to keep track of what they have read, write reviews, join groups and find new books to based on recommendations.