Life on Erasmus #1

Catchy title, eh? But hey, it is what it says on the tin! It doesn't feel like I've only been here just over two weeks (Not sure if that's a good or bad thing!) But, from the start.

Arriving in my new town after a flight & train journey

Strangely, I had no problem leaving home. After my crying the night before, I was okay. It felt weird to be the one comforting my parents, but I took it well. Til I got on the plane, & a few tears escaped. Since then, yep, I have cried a little. The first time I Skyped my little sisters, I sobbed afterwards! But it's all good now.

View from the train station

I really like the city. It's small enough to feel comfortable here & know the place, but big enough to be interesting & there are lots of places nearby to travel to. Some of the buildings are beautiful & the scenery pretty much is breath taking. The view out my window is lovely! (Which is good, because I have no curtains.) But my room is massive, so I can deal with it.

The River Saale in the local park

Yeah, it's not all sunshine & lollipops. When we arrived, I couldn't move into my apartment for another week, so I spent a week sleeping uncomfortably. We had no internet, & wifi just doesn't seem to be a thing here. I was waiting for my phone to be unlocked to use a German sim card, & when it was unlocked, I had to wait to get internet to actually complete the process, so I was spending massive amounts of credit! We were supposed to do a language course, which was cancelled. So basically.. We probably arrived a week too early.

View from the tower

But Monday, we start college, which I'm looking forward to. We have (finally) met other students, who seem really nice so hopefully I do actually make friends! And I think this year might really change me as a person. I'll have to wait & see :)

Me & my new home!

Chloe x

Essence Longlasting Lipstick in 03 Dare To Wear

Hey!

So out of all the lovely new make up brands over here... I chose to go with something I recognised. I've never tried an Essence lipstick before, but after swatching it, I liked the colour & it was only €2.49 - Where could I go wrong?

The packaging looks better than Essence's usual offerings, a matte black plastic tube with a stripe across the middle to show the colour. The lid clicks on well, so it feels pretty sturdy! I also like the 'e' embossed on the bullet.

When swatched, I thought this was a deep pinky red (similar to a Rimmel lipstick I left at home!) and because I love any pink lipstick, I threw it in my bag. Or basket. Because I did actually pay for it. Either way, after applying it, I realised it's not really pinky toned. There is a hint there, but it's predominantly  a mid-deep red.

Pigmentation is good, & it applies well. I suppose it's a satin finish - Not quite matte, but not glossy either. I had lipbalm underneath, hence the shine! But above all - Essence say it's long lasting. Which it is. If you're sitting at home twiddling your thumbs. Yes, it lasts if you're just running around, & it fades evenly. But kissing & eating mean it'll pretty much smudge around your mouth - Could be solved by lipliner, but I don't have one with me!

That said, I probably will wear it during the day, just not on a date night or anything like that. And it hasn't stopped me from wanting to try some of the pink shades!

Have you tried Essence lipsticks? Does it annoy you when swatches are different to the actual colour?

Chloe x

5 Things #6

Have lost track of days. I have some blog photos taken but seeing as it's Friday & I have time to kill, I thought I'd write out a Friday 5 Things!

5 Songs
The Saturdays - What About Us
One Direction - I Would
Avicii v Nicky Romero - I Could Be The One
Iggy Azalea - Bounce
Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know

5 To Look At

1. Forget that I'm living in a colder climate now, I am loving this playsuit.
2. I'm well able to fend for myself, but new cooking ideas, especially on the cheap with basic items are always appreciated!
3. Amy Poehler is FABULOUS. Watching videos of her is a one way ticket to laughter.
4. I've just managed to catch up on some of my TV shows & am loving that someone put Great Irish Bake Off on Youtube!
5. I had to look for winter boots for the snow, but found myself gazing at gorgeous cut out boots instead..

5 Reasons I Smiled

1. I finally got internet! I have never faced so much hassle getting things sorted.
2. Two of my besties are visiting this weekend. Arriving in less than 3 hours :)
3. It was actually a few weeks ago that I represented my rowing club in Dancers & Chancers (Think Strictly Come Dancing, but Irish dancing) & am still hearing good things about it!
4. I'm probably big headed, but getting random texts from friends/ family saying "I miss you" etc, are sad, but it also makes me smile that they're thinking of me.
5. I finally got my tattoo & I am utterly delighted everytime I see it.