In Germany we found one of my favourite make up brands called KIKO cosmetics. On a trip last year to Barcelona we saw this shop and got a few bits. I got a mascara for around €3 and it has been my favourite ever since! This time round I decided to get a few more bits as there was a sale on so a lot of the products were half price or less. In total I spent about €16 but for the amount I got I am very pleased!
Foundation: this foundation was in the sale and although it is an anti age one I had to buy it as I loved the texture. It is very creamy and quick thick so covers well but doesn't make you look like you are caked in make up. I bought the palest colour as my skin is very white at the moment but it is still a good match for my skin and makes it look abit healthier.
Lipstick: I have a few red lipsticks but this one was €1.90 so I had to try it out. It's really good and lasted all night so I will be using this one for awhile.
Smokey eye pencil: I have wanted one of these for awhile and the one I had my eye on was slightly different but this seemed a good colour. It is a dark grey as I find black smokey eyes can be a bit hard especially on pale skin. This was really easy to use and also lasted all night so I will be having a smokey eye more often!
Nail varnishes: I haven't used these yet as I have acrylics on but I bought them on recommendation from my friend. I have lots of dark nail varnishes but not many neutral ones so I bought these colours as they are quite classic. They will also be good if I decide to go back to work as dark colours are not really allowed! The grey colour I am unsure about but I think it would be good on toes instead of hands!
You can get KIKO from this website http://www.kikocosmetics.com
I spent last week in Germany with the University and it was so good! I did write a blog post while I was there but it didn't upload so I will just write everything in this one. The journey there was very exhausting, it took almost 12 hours because of the snow which meant lots of delays but we all managed to keep each other going and by the time we got to the hostel it was a relief to be going to bed!
The hostel was really nice, it was very clean and comfy and the breakfast in the morning was surprisingly nice. My room mates were impressed with the amount of tablets I had to take when we ate! The trip was an innovation trip so we spent the week at a German university with other students. It was very hard work and quite stressful with the deadlines they gave us, my energy levels were a bit up and down as well. One day I fell asleep 4 times and eventually they decided to just leave me! The food was good at the uni, you could get a big meal with desert for €2.35 and it was delicious. I didn't feel like I had to avoid many foods and there was some choices which made it easier. I even ended up trying sauerkraut which is like a pickled cabbage and enjoyed it!
When we weren't at the university we had some time to look around the city and visit some of the sights. One night we went on a tour of the cathedral and other places around cologne. On our final day we ended up visiting them again in the daylight to see abit better. The cathedral was amazing and we all lit a candle which was quite overwhelming. We also visited the love locks which are on the bridge over the river. This is where you and the person you love put a lock on the bridge and then throw the key down so it will stay locked there forever, it is something I would love to go back and do. We also visited the chocolate museum but didn't do the tour as it was quite expensive. Instead we decided to spend some time in the gift shop where I got a few presents to bring home. We also spent an evening at the hard rock cafe which have never been to, personally i thought it was very over priced and not that good, i didnt feel very well after either but i am glad ive been! I have included some pictures at the bottom of the sights we saw!
Overall the trip was really good and has shown me that I can push myself further than I think. When I was in hospital in October I really didn't think I would be coming back to university so soon and going to other countries so I am quite proud of myself for being able to do it! It has given me lots of motivation and I would love to plan some more trips abroad soon.
When I was first diagnosed with crohns everything seemed like it was a first again, my first meal with crohns, my first night out with crohns, and now I am preparing for my first trip abroad with crohns. Tomorrow I am meant to be visiting Cologne, Germany with my University and honestly I am very scared! Travelling abroad is exciting but scary and when it's your first time travelling with an inflammatory bowel disease and a bag full of prescription medicine you can't forget to take it makes it even worse. Add in the snow causing possible delays and cancellations and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
Stress affects crohns so I am trying to keep calm and concentrate on being excited and getting the opportunity to visit a new country. I hope I have done as much as I can to make the trip run smoothly but this will be a test for me and my illness!
Does anyone have any advice for travelling abroad?
Although last week wasn't the easiest I did have time to treat myself a little bit! We did a big food shop which I will write another post about soon, it gave me a chance to get something nice for breakfast the next day. I had a muffin with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and cream cheese. I got the bits reduced so it cost less than a pound! The cocktails were a treat for me and my friend/flatmate, we went to a restaurant called cosmo's and drunk cosmopolitans. I have to admit I only had 2 and was abit tipsy! The next day I caught up with another friend and we got our nails done for her birthday and for my trip to cologne. I chose a red instead of my usual manicure for a change. I also got the rings and bracelet from Topshop in the sale, they say motivational words and look good with the nails! Looking back over the week I can see it was good and I'm very lucky :)
