Fun fact: I must say it’s getting more and more difficult to present new and genuinely exciting goodies, now that we’re already a couple of rounds in my little “I can’t live without…” column. When I started with this segment, I was overflowing with ideas. These days I have to think really hard. The challenge for me is to present products that are genuinely part of my every day life. And you know how it goes – we get so used to the things we use every day that at some point we stop seeing them. But then, just as these thoughts circled in my head, my muse kissed me all of a sudden. Why not write about the items that are so integral to my every day life that I take them for granted as facts of life? Without further ado, here are some of them!

Sony RX1R

I’m often asked which app I use to measure my jogging metrics. Well, I’m a fan of the Nike Running app. 
Truth be told, I never even tried any other app. Why would I? I racked up more than 300 km with this app by now, and am still completely happy with it. Tracking is reliable, the display and presentation are super clear, it’s all very uncomplicated and free, and the app packs a to of features including various stats and guided runs. I’ve used Nike sneakers for running for a long time now, and the app also reminds me when it’s make sense to get a new pair.

DIY sparkling water

Not that we really need another argument for tap water, clear as this case is, but recent studies show that water from plastic bottles contains more critical compounds than tap water. The thing is, I really love sparkling water. What to do? The answer is – add the sparkles yourself! Whether Sodastream, Arke & Co, or whatever brand out there on the market – soda machines are just hands down more environmentally friendly. Packaging waste is reduced drastically, even the CO2 bottles can be easily refilled at pretty much any drugstore, cutting the waste even further. All things considered, definitely a better alternative to bottled water. Plus – there’s so much less to carry home from the grocery store.

5

It’s become something of a tradition that I introduce accounts in this column that I follow and realy enjoy. So far I’ve shown you accounts of people who I don’t know well or not at all. It only occurs to me now to share an account by someone I know well. I guess it’s to do with the fact that if you know someone you’ll automatically feel more connected to their account. This is certainly true in the case of Angela. My friend Angela has a beautiful and very inspiring account, but the wonderful human being that she shines even brighter.

Angela is one of those people who always offer a different and inspiring perspective, one of those beautiful souls who don’t put on a front of authenticity but actually live it. A pure heart, one might say… and one would be right. Do you have someone like that in your circle, a person that is almost a little bit too good for this world? Angela is someone who managed to retain her empathy and love for others in this world, even in situations where that can’t have been easy. Running an account like hers requires a lot of creativity and courage. If you ask me, these are qualities that should be rewarded, so please feel free to follow her and gift her a whole bunch of likes.

Ok, I’ll admit it: they’re not real. In fact, they haven’t been for ages. I wish they were, but I have to be honest here. My nails are beautiful but fake. I can’t recall when that was exactly, but it was one of those moments when a nail broke, the situation was already stressful, and my look was severely compromised in a situation when it really shouldn’t have been. I decided there and then that the drama needed to end, pronto. I’d had enough. Shortly thereafter I went to the next nail salon and had gel nails done. “Is it possible to make them look natural?” I asked a young Vietnamese nail artist in a Famous Stars & Straps shirt (I haven’t seen this brand in, like, eight years). The answer was a resounding “yes”. I somehow trusted the man, so I decided to risk it.

Now, a year later, i can say I never looked back. The skilled Vietnamese who first showe me the light sadly no longer works in my salon of choice, but I’m a regular here now, and get my nails done every 3 weeks. My nails look exactly like my nails, because they are – just with a strong layer of gel on top, to prevent the nails from breaking and the polish from chipping. Each session takes about 2 hours, but the advantages are so huge that it’s more th worth it. My nails are now perfectly manicured at all times, and I have a problem less. Honestly, I wish I’d have found out earlier how well this works.

Until, one day, I took consulting from a doctor at a cosmetics studio. The lady praised the vampire lifting method in glowing tones, explaining that the procedure is more accurately described as an improvement of teint, rather than a lifting. The method is basically a form of treatment with your own blood, which I appreciate still sounds pretty gross, but at least it’s accurate.

How it works, you ask? First, a quantity of blood is drawn, from which plasma is then extracted through centrifugation. The resulting plasma concentrate is best imagined as a serum made of blood platelets, which is then injected into the skin with many tiny injections. The blood platelets contain growth factors that spur on the production of collagen an hyaluronic acid in your body. Let me be clear: I have used tons of creams in my life, and experimented with all kinds of treatments, but nothing has ever given me a result like the vampire lifting, not even close. It takes between 4-6 weeks for the results to become visible, and I remember shrugging it all off after about 5 weeks, at which point I still didn’t notice anything. Just another quack treatment, I thought.

And then, at some point soon thereafter, I suddenly saw it. It’s a bit like with wrinkles – they tend to creep up on you, and suddenly they’re there, as if over night. Now imagine that effect reversed. I look in the mirror, and don’t believe my eyes. My skin has never looked as even as it does now, certainly not since puberty. We’re talking seriously even. I was shocked, and hooked. How much is possible with this miracle treatment? Well, I’ll say this much: my next appointment is already booked.

Now that we’ve seen all permutations of the hip bag over the past two or three seasons, now that all wearing angles are surely exhausted, the fashion industry has come up with a new trend: sidebags are the new fanny bags. What’s the difference to a regular cross-body-bag though? Well, it’s mainly in the shape. Sidebags have a vertical shape, tailored to the smartphone, for which it was probably invented in the first place. There’s a bit of room left for credit cards, maybe keys, if the smartphone is not too big, maybe you can squeeze in a slender lipstick – but then you’re certainly pushing it. What’s the difference to cross-body-bags again? Ah, yeah, the shape, it’s all in the shape!

Not long ago I had the great pleasure to test much of the entire Shiseido product range. The experience left me hooked on two of my current favs, which have become integral to my routine. I tend to use them alternately, depending on the situation. One is the Color-Smart Day facial moisturizer, a light, toned day cream that blends intelligently with your skin tone and appears almost like a foundation – only much, much lighter. It nurtures and moisturizes the skin for long periods and adds a healthy glow. I find the cream extremely pleasant on my sensitive skin, most likely due to Shiseido’s reliance on natural ingredients and SPF 30.

The other product is the Sports BB Cream with SPF 50, which is perfect for summery outdoor activities, as it is sweat-resistant. In fact, the cream reacts positively to contact with water, which even intensifies the cream’s UV protection and makes sweat dry faster. Coverage is pretty good, comparable to a light foundation. Perfect for active days. I tend to handle it like this: if I know what my day will be like, especially if I know it’ll be a full one, maybe with a shoot, some exercise or a trop somewhere, I tend to go for the Sports BB Cream with SPF 50. If I know I’m looking at more of an office day, I usually reach for the Waso day-care.

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Thomas Sabo Necklace

“Where did you get your necklace?” The question pops up in my DMs all the time right now. The answer is: Thomas Sabo.
I have been working with Thomas Sabo for a long time now. When he embarked on a new design route about a year ago, with new charms and especially new necklaces, I found my new favorite necklace, which I wear almost every day now. It’s practically a part of me. That’s sometimes the way with favorite jewelry, isn’t it? You just feel naked without it. What I love in particular about this necklace is that it’s long enough to be worn regularly but also as a choker when wrapped around the neck twice. The range of charms make it easy to add variation. My favorite is of course my “m”-charm. It belongs to me, just like the necklace does.