New Year - New Blog

Hi everyone!

I've been considering getting my own domain for a while now, and as I decided to make the move, I also decided to switch platform for my blog. I used to work in Wordpress when I had my old blog for crafting projects, and I liked Wordpress more than I've done with Blogger, so why not do it all at once?

In the future you will find me at lifeofannas.com

All blogposts from here are imported to the new place, so you will feel like home there too.

I hope to see you all there!

Lots of love!

Makeup Revolution - Haul

Good evening!

Today was a good day. It was time for the arrival of my first order from Makeup Revolution. I didn't think the order would be shipped until today, so I'm very happy with the fast delivery I got. I made the order with my sister, so even though I had the package in my hand to wait for her arrival to open it. But OH, the goodies we found when we opened it up! It was like Christmas all over again. Of course, I just HAVE to show you what I got. (My sisters things are not included)

Just look at this picture for a while. It still feels like I'm dreaming... Okay, let's move on to the more detailed pictures! 

That little black box, with the big heart, on the top picture, that my friends, was a lovely gift from Makeup Revolution. If you ordered for over £25 it was included for free, along with a liquid blush and three lipglosses. Of course we split the gifts up, and I got the I heart Passion palette and a lipgloss that will be shown further down.

 

After reading so many great reviews I had to try some of the lipsticks. From left to right;
Lipgeek - Totaly NOT boring (I just had to have it because of the name)
Lipgeek - Barbie is Jealous
Lipstick - Cheer
Liphug - She's up all night

 Swatches? Of course, here you go! From left to right, the same as above.

The lipgloss on the top is in colour Move A Little Closer. Just under it you find the Amazing Inner Eye Brighter in Nude. To the bottom left we have the Awesome Metal Foil Finish in Pure Platinum. And in the left corner we have Vivid Blush Lacquer in Desire. 

Last, but definitely not least, I decided to pick up the Ultimate Eyeshadow Collection with shades. There happened to be a price reduction, and I just find this palette perfect for a makeup specialist to be, that needs colours to practice! 

I am more than happy with everything that I got, and just can't wait to get started with the work whit these. 

Have you tried Makeup Revolution yet? Any of these products? Any other favorites to recommend? 

I would love to hear your thoughts! 

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Hopes and goals for 2015

Hi there,

It's a new year, and even though it's really just a number changing, I like to see it as a fresh start with new possibilities. If you read my blog yesterday you know I didn't get the best end of 2014, and maybe not the best start since I still have to work hard to get back on track again. But, none the less, I have big plans for the year to come. Many of them will affect this blog in one way or another. Sit back and enjoy the teaser of the 2015 journey.

Education - As you may know, I'm starting my studies to become a makeup specialist the 20th of January. I am overly excited about this, and can't wait to start. Not sure where this will lead in my career. Maybe it'll give a start to something brand new, or it will just give me a boost in what I do now, as I get some new input. For the blog, it's easy to figure there might be way more makeup on here during the year.

Home - As I also wrote yesterday, Martin and I have been looking for apartments during the fall, and since it didn't turn out then, we know for sure 2015 is the year we will find our place to live and move in together. Even though this is for us personally, I think it will give a boost to the blog as well since I will get a proper working space in our office, and Martin has promised me to build a makeup studio in the guest room (aka my sisters room, as she comes to visit).

Travel - Our adventures has just started! We love to travel and have a few plans for the new year. New York and Bahamas is on top of the list, but there might be some more places that we don't know about yet. We seem to figure that out over time. Of course you will get to join us through text and pictures on here. Who knows, there might even be a video or two as we're planning to buy a GoPro camera.

Blog - I really enjoy writing this blog, and I love how it makes me interact with lovely people all over the world. For 2015 I wish to make the blog, and the contacts, to grow even more. Maybe expand to YouTube as I learn more about makeup to share tutorials and get great space for it in our future apartment. I also want to put effort into taking better photos. My boyfriend is really supportive and encouraging, and I know he will do everything to keep me going, as he sees how much this gives me.

I want to make 2015 my year. I say that every year, but somehow it feels like 2015 is the year to be. I've found the love of my life. I'm planning to move out. I'll get to see the world as I've always dreamed about. And, what will be of great importance this year, is that I've taken the step to an education to find out what I really want to do. It's time for me to find my way to conquer the world.

Me and Martin before yesterday's party. Really look
forward for a brand new year with you.

I wish you all a very great 2015!

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My 2014

Hi there,

It's getting closer till the end of 2014. At the moment the toughest part of it for me. I've been signed off sick from work because there has been so much going on lately, that my head said stop and caused a panic attack. A feeling I know well enough from my youth to know that it was time to listen and take a break. Unfortunately there are a lot of us that feels the same way, and it's pretty much impossible to get help at the moment. I told the doctor I need someone to talk to to sort my mind out a bit and help me back on track. 12:th of February is the best so far, and I'm supposed to start working again next week. That being said, when I look back on the year as a whole it has been the most amazing year ever.

I started the year with a new friend, that gained so many more friends all over the world. Life of Anna S was born. I didn't really know where I wanted to go with it, but it I've always loved writing, I love makeup and fashion, and I needed something to keep my mind off from work, because 2014 started the way it's ending, with chaos at work and in my head. (In between it has had lovely moments though.)

In February my Grandmother turned 70, and so did her cousin that lives in HuaHin, Thailand. What was a better way to celebrate their birthdays than to go visit him in the sun? Me, Grandma, Mum and Sis packed the bags and went for an adventure. It was my first time outside Europe, and it was an amazing experience. Not only did I get to see a whole new culture, but I also got to know family that I haven't met before, because of the long distance.

March was a pretty calm month. It just came and left, without leaving too many memories behind. I spent a lot of time on the blog, and loved every minute of it. But let's be honest; if you have all that time of blogging (I posted more than once a day), even though you work pretty much full time, maybe you don't have that much else to do. I know I didn't.

Then April came, and turned my life upside down. Our store won a sales competition and was treated with dinner from one of our suppliers. After dinner the rest of the group wanted to go out for drinks, and I followed, a bit reluctant to be honest. My colleague got into a talk with one of the guys at a table nearby, and really wanted to set us up. I was so embarrassed and just wanted to get out of there. But in this gang there was another guy, starting of in the background. As the night went on he moved closer to me and we started talking. The conversation went really well, you could even say great, and by the end of the night he had my phone number and left with the words:

"They say you're supposed to wait three days, but I think that is too long. You'll hear from me in two."

Two days went, and by the end of the day I had gotten a text, replied and a long conversation was started. A few days after the first text, the first phone calls came. We talked for hours in the nights. I think the record is over 7 hours. But finding a time to meet seemed impossible. I worked in the days, he worked a lot of nights. When I had a day off, he hadn't and when he had, I was working.

In May, the 1:st to be exact, we finally got to see each other again. It started of with a walk to the restaurant Martin had picked (I could really recommend doing that on a first date, because it really broke the ice). During the dinner I got cards with clues of where he was going to take me next, and we ended up playing boules. It was so much fun! The night continued with a long walk, and ended of with a kiss. By then I really knew  this guy was something special.

We kept dating for about a month, taking every chance we got to see each other. Still it was hard to find the time, but an hour here or there just to take a coffee, worked as well. He got to meet my family, I got to meet his. Then the night between 5th and 6th of June he asked if we we're a couple, and we decided that we were.

June also offered a trip to London with my beloved sister, and the rest of the time I just spent with Martin. Every second I could!

In July it was time for our first trip abroad together. It had turned out that we both loves to travel, and since we both had been working a lot Martin wanted to take me away so that we got some time to ourselves. The trip went to Prague, which was a very romantic city. I think we both fell in love with the city and even more with each other.

August also offered a trip. Me and my sister took a chartered bus to Salzburg to watch a football game. It was a 19 hour ride, and we got time to eat some lunch, walk around the city for a few hours, see the game and then it was time for the 19 hours ride home. It was a great game, and an even better experience. Totally worth all the traveling time!

In September I turned 25. I had taken the weekend before, and the actual day, off because I was planning to have a birthday party. When I got the schedule it turned out I had gotten even more days of than I asked for, which lead to Martin asking:

"Do you want to have a birthday party or do you want to go to San Fransisco?"

I've always been dreaming about getting to the states, so the answer was easy. Really easy! Since we travel on standby tickets through Martin's job we're not guaranteed our seats and this time all the flights got full the night before the trip. We had to think fast, and ended up in Chicago instead. Something that neither of us regrets for a second! Such an amazing city. The post I wrote as we got home is still one of the most read on my blog. (You can read it here)

In October we took a trip to Madrid, for another football game. This time my sister didn't come, but I brought Martin as company instead. This was the time of the Lufthansa strike, and we had to re-book our tickets in panic, because we had to get there! This was also an amazing experience.

October was also the month where we started to look for an apartment together, found two perfect ones, was fooled by the estate agent and lost both. It was the month when we spent a night in Copenhagen, because neither of us was feeling good at work and with everything that happened with the apartments, and just had to get away. And it was the month when we celebrated an early Christmas with my sister. (Christmas in October)

In November another life long dream came true, when I finally got to New York City. There is a post  about my feelings about the city here. It's fair to say I LOVED it, and that I need to go back soon. It was all I could imagine and more than that.

December was when things were getting harder. My close friend at work got a better job offer and decided to leave. I know I will keep seeing her, but it made me start thinking. I realized I want to do more with my life to and with everything else around me (boyfriend, friends and family that hasn't been feeling really well, the issues with the apartment, changes at work... The list can grow long). Anyway, I decided it was time for me to do something for me. Just me, and no one else. That's when I signed up for the makeup specialist class, which I know will give me a great start of 2015.

These pictures have all been shown on the blog during the year, and gets to represent some of the most
important happenings in my 2014. The blog, Thailand, Meeting Martin, London, Prague, Salzburg
Chicago and New York

That was my 2014 folks. Even though it seemed bad before I started writing this post, it's quite obvious now that the year has been awesome. With this post I wish you a Happy New Year, and when I see you again I will let you know more about my plans and hopes for 2015.

Lots of love,

 

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Dolce & Gabbana - The One

Hi everyone!

I hope you all have had the loveliest Christmas. I know I did. Christmas Eve was spent with my grandparents, cousins and uncle and we had such a great time playing the Christmas gift game, eating a lot of food and goodies and just enjoying each other's company. Christmas Day was spent with my sister, brother, mother, father and boyfriend. Again lots of foods and goodies and loads of amazing Christmas gifts. I must have been really nice this year! I am not going to do a post with all my gifts, but some of my gifts might show up in posts where they are used for a review or maybe in makeup look posts. It's no secret that there was quite a lot of nice makeup because of my education starting soon and everyone wants to encourage that with what they can.

Enough of the rambling. This post is going to be about one of the gifts that I got in my stocking on Christmas Eve. The stocking is a tradition in Martin's family that he wanted to share with me, and I wasn't hard to convince. I must say that was a JACKPOT! Got a lovely gift set with a perfume from Dolce and Gabbana.

I got a tiny bottle of Dolce and Gabbana - The One to try out a while ago. I sprayed it out and Martin guessed the perfume immediately. His aunt used to work with perfumes, so he has learned quite much about them. It turned out that this is one of his all time favorites, but he has never had anyone around him to like it. He has tried with his sister and his mother, but they turned it down. I, how ever liked it a lot from moment the first drops touched my wrist joint.

It has top notes are from citrus, bergamot and mandarin, a heart of litchi and peach and a base of plum, vanilla and musk. The scent is described as oriental and modern with a strong personality, and I think that is a perfect way to describe it. It's a quite strong and grown up scent that is great for fall and winter. For me it would be to heavy for spring and summer, when I prefer a much lighter and sweeter perfume. Over all I'm crazy about the perfume and I know for sure I will be using this a lot in the future. Also, the packaging of the box is lovely. Just look at the pictures below!

A lovely box in a nice golden colour, with a silver bow.

Opening up the box you find a black tissue paper with golden print
for a very luxurious touch.

The bottle is very simple, but elegant and this gift box included
a matching body lotion

Have you tried The One from Dolce and Gabbanna? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Little Christmas Eve

Good evening,

The day before Christmas Eve, is something we Swedes like to call Little Christmas Eve. When I was younger this was the day we got our Christmas gifts from our parents, before we changed that to Christmas Day.

Anyhow, we still always do something together on Little Christmas Eve. Today we ate some of the favorites from the Christmas table, and played Bingolotto. This is a bingo game on tv, that is shown every week, but we only watch the Christmas special. We never win, but it's taking part that counts, right? And the best part is that I can crawl up in the couch in my lovely PJ Salvage pj, with Christmas dogs on it, that Martin gave to me when we were in New York.

I also got two little gifts. The first one was a Lush gift box that was given to me from the company I work for. Martin was kind enough to drive by my job to pick it up from my boss. The second gift, from Martin himself, was a big bag of my favorite candy.

My last project of the day was to make knäck for tomorrow. Knäck is a sort of candy that needs to be eaten on a Swedish Christmas. Toffee with almonds, and it has become my job to make it every year. It tastes yummy!

Do you have any traditions for this day of the year?

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Christmas Inspiration | Gift Wrapping

Hi,

We're getting closer and closer to Christmas, and the past few days I've been spending quite a lot of time on the gift wrapping. This is something I love to do and put quite some effort to every year. Some more advanced than others. I tend to buy quite a lot of gifts, and this year I have my boyfriend and his family to gift to, so there is a few gifts under my tiny tree.

If you're not done with all your wrapping yet, and needs some inspiration to get going, this post is for you. I haven't taken pictures of all my gifts, but I have collected some to show. I am not the person that uses one or two different kinds of papers to make it all match under the Christmas tree (it never would anyway with six people putting their presents there). I like to mix match and give every gift their own identity. Enjoy the pictures, and if you're interested, read my thoughts bellow.

1. I love using miniature ornaments on my gifts. It's an easy way to show extra effort. If you look carefully at the picture you will also see a golden net under the red ribbon. One of my favorite wrappings this year.

2. I like to save small pieces of paper from other presents to use as a mat under the ribbon. An easy, and cheap way, to give the gift an extra touch.

3. Sometimes less is more. Just a little bit of ribbon, to show the beautiful paper with the reindeer.

4. Again, less is more. Just a simple bow to go with the old fashion Santa paper. 

5. No Christmas without glitter! Sometimes I like to go out of the box and not only use the traditional colours. This year I had no choice when I found that beautiful bling ribbon, and blue and pink where the only colours left.

6. Old fashion is beautiful. Here the traditional brown paper with God Jul (Merry Christmas) printed on it. 

7. Another way to wrap the ribbon around the gift. Still with focus on the really cute paper.

8. I always have to make one very special gift for my sister to open up. It's tradition! This year with double mats under the ribbon, laces and ornaments. I'm sure she'll like it.

9. The last gift was actually wrapped about three years ago. It was my contribution to the Christmas gift game. My Grandmother decided this was her gift and worked really hard to win it. She did, saved the box, put a present in it and gave it back to me for my birthday in September the following year. For Christmas I filled it up again and gave it back to her. We've been doing this ever since. It's getting a bit nagged, but that's part of the charm.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite from the ones above? Or a nice idea to share? 

Let me know in the comments! 

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