Tas Firini Uzun - Turkish Pide Restaurant (Mannheim)

Hands down. This is the best Turkish restaurant, I've ever been to. They have the best pide and lamacun of all times. My boyfriend and me usually have a butter cheese pide and a large lamacun together for only about 10€.

The only downfall is that the restaurant just doesn't look too nice. But it's always crowded. So the owners probably don't really care if it looks appealing from the interior design aspect.

But let me tell you something... Most restaurant that look really stylish have a bad chef who can make tasteless stuff but makes it look really beautiful. This restaurant is exactly the opposite. It might not look too special but the food is amazing. The best thing is the stone oven. It is huge! Three men work altogether. Everything is soooo delicious. So if you're in Mannheim, go visit and see for yourself. The dishes are very affordable. Most dishes cost about 5€.

Tas Firini Uzun

G5, 12

68159 Mannheim

 

Skin Conditioner

This is a must-have beauty product for going to tropical countries or for hot summer days or nights. This is my second bottle. The first I bought in Japan, the second in Taiwan but I haven't seen anything like this in German drugstores... It kind of looks like a toner because it's clear but it's not. It nourishes the skin but it's very light which is perfect for summer, maybe not for 2014 but normally it would be great.

I refilled the liquid to a mini spray bottle of 30ml for light traveling which I got in Muji.

 

 

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese franchise restaurant with high-quality food. They are especially famous for their mini dumplings (Xiao Long Bao 小籠包).

Do you see the people outside this restaurant? That's during lunch time and they all wait to be seated. Don't imagine how dinner time looks like...

I've been to one in Beijing with my cousin and his wife and this one is in Taiwan. But they are also located in Australia, USA, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other cities in China. I can't wait for them to come to Europe.

It's also easy for foreigners because their menu has pictures and is written in several languages including English.

Anyway a must-eat is the dim sum dish Xiao Long Bao 小籠包

 

 

Empties #1

I love to watch Empties videos on YouTube. Using up a complete beauty product really shows if you like a product or if it totally doesn't work for you... So here are my first Empties.

1. S-Quito free: I've only used it for 6 days, spraying my arms and legs twice a day, and it's already empty. Besides, it claims to even work against tropical Mosquitos but I've already got 4 mosquito bites on my legs. So it doesn't even work properly. I definitely won't buy this again!
2. P2 bronzer #030 Bali heat: This bronzer is actually quite good. I like the color and that it shows up on my skin, even when I'm tanned. It's neither matte nor glittery. It has more of a sattin finish. I consider buying it again but I have a couple other bronzers at home. Right now, I use KIKO #103 which is matte but has a similar color.
3. Maybelline - illegal length mascara: It is waterproof and has fibers in it. It dried quickly and was clumpy. Besides, I didn't like the brush either. I won't rebuy it as I've found a better mascara, the Max Factor - masterpiece.
4. Essence - SOS spot killer: It worked but was too aggressive for my skin.
5. The Body Shop - Mango body scrub: Amazing. My holy grail body scrub. I love the scent, the efficacy and it actually nourishes the skin.
6. Maybelline - pure cover mineral concealer: I loved it but it was discontinued.
7. Balea - peeling gel: It's not bad but nothing special...
8. Florena: I used both day- and night creme. They were both not bad.
9. Clinique - All about eyes: It's a great eye cream. I even bought the full size "All about eyes rich". But I think the normal version is better.

 

Nails: Mint and Turquoise

I like accent nails. I usually either choose the nails of my ring finger and thumb or index and small finger.

I love this color combination of mint and turquoise. This picture is actually from last year but I haven't blogged about it yet.

I used p2 #560 "who cares" and manhattan & buffalo LE #19 "pepper in my mint" nail polish.

I can't recommend the manhattan LE polish, although it's such a pretty color. It transferred to my nail and made it green even though I used a base. Big no go. Haven't worn it since...

 

Beijing - The Imperial Mansion

My first business trip got me to this fabulous hotel in Beijing - The Imperial Mansion Beijing, Marriott Executive Apartments << click >>. It is a 5-Star hotel with excellent service.

My hotel room was three times as big as my appartment. There was a walk-in closet including a safe, iron and iron board... I had a whirlpool that I didn't use because it was too warm and I was too busy.

There was a kitchen, two flat screens, a living room area and some office area... I seriously didn't use half of my room.

Since most guests are international, there were also international plugs. I love these... I've bought quite a few products abroad and everything is so chunky using an adapter. Where can I get these plugs?

The breakfast was the only meal that we took in the hotel. So I can't comment on the restaurants. I liked the breakfast - it is mostly international standard... So there are eggs - freshly prepared in any style you want - scrambled, sunny side up, boiled, etc. I had omelette on both mornings, which is not on the picture because the chef was still preparing it for me. As you can see, there was also bacon, fresh fruits, and sweet potatoe. You could also have cereals, lots of juice, cooked and fried vegetables, ham, cheese, bread, etc. Coffee in China is horrible! Drink tea, if possible.

I didn't go to the gym or the pool. So I don't know about that either...
Anyway, I only stayed for a couple nights and didn't quite need such a huge hotel room but it was excellent and I enjoyed the whole trip.

Besides...
Unfortunately, I didn't get the job because it was coupled to the deal with the Chinese company. They don't produce everything themselves which the German company needs, thus it is more expensive than what the Germans expected, leading to the failure of the whole deal. It is too bad. Now, I'm back where I began...

 

Review: Camera Stand

This big tripod is from Amazon.de << click >>. I actually bought it last summer and made these pictures but totally forgot to blog about it... But since I've got it for such a long time, I can give you an honest review on it.

I bought it because I need to film a lot of our dancing, not only on stage but also during rehearsals. Otherwise we won't ever be in sync... It's also great to take pictures. Now, we don't have to ask anyone anymore.

 

Characteristics of the Cullmann Alpha 1000

• The camera stand was pretty inexpensive, only 14.05€. I didn't even have to pay for shipping.
• It's light, only 480g by itself, and it can carry cameras up to 1kg. So it's nothing for DSLRs but it works fine for smaller cameras like mine.
• The full size is 1.06m but can be folded into 37cm. The folding and unfolding is pretty easy. There are some clips to hold the legs.
• It also comes with a bag which you can see below.
• It is pretty stable. It doesn't change positions or angles by itself. (I mostly use it indoors. So I can't say how it behaves when you take it outdoors a lot where there is wind and what not...)
• The water level isn't too accurate... I always need to check the camera before making videos or pictures.

 

Conclusion

I'm so glad I bought the camera stand for my little Casio Exilim camera. It does a fabulous job to hold it. I can choose the height and angle of my shots. It's exactly what I wanted and I didn't have to pay a ridiculous amount of money.

I don't only use it for videos but also for a lot of pictures... Since it's not heavy, I take it for traveling and a couple other events.

 

Chicago Haul: Beauty Products

As I mentioned earlier, I have been dying to buy make-up in the States. There are still a couple more things, I wanted but they were apparently discontinued.

Sephora stopped selling the Shu Uemara lash curler last year. The guy at the counter was dazzled by my non-existing knowledge... Anyways, Sephora is totally overrated. I didn't buy anything at all, though I was tempted to buy the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Maybe next time...

So let's get back to the stuff I bought.

• Cosmetics:

1. Revlon Colorburst - Raspberry (9.99$)
2. Revlon Super Lucious - Primrose (9.49$)
3. Revlon Super Lucious - Wink for Pink (9.49$)
4. Revlon Lipbutter - Peach Parfait (3.89$)
5. Maybelline Color Sensational - Warm Me Up (8.99$)
6. Maybelline Color Sensational - Pink Please (8.99$)
7. L'oreal Color Riche Lipcolour - 800 Fairest Nude (10.99$)
8. Mac - Russian Red (14.50$)
9. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - 05 Fresh Pink (7.99$)
10. Wet 'n' Wild - 832E Heather Silk (3.49$)
11. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - 70 Hot Tamale (7.99$)
12. Milani Liquif'Eye - black (4.49$)

I'm a big fan of all the products that I've bought.

The lipsticks are all very moisturizing. My favorite right now is #3 Revlon Wink for Pink because I wear a lot of coral colors lately. Except of #1 Revlon's Raspberry and #8 Mac's Russian Red, they are more on the neutral side and can be worn all day long. I only wear strong colored lipsticks, when I go out, for pictures, and on stage. Otherwise, I prefer softer colors for my daily life.

Here are some swatches

The Bouncy Blushes are cool for traveling because I don't need any brushes, just my fingers. The Fresh Pink is my natural blush color. It's more for a very natural make-up. But since I'm more into brighter colors, I love Hot Tamale more. It's a lot more pigmented but it still blends very well. If I want it to last very long, I put Manhattan's Oktoberfest LE Wiesn Fever on top. The colors match quite well. I just think, I need another bronzer now...

The Wet 'n' Wild Blush is very silky, smooth and pigmented but unfortunately I can't travel with it because, it's dusting like no other - there was blush all over the place, when I got back... I cleaned it up more or less but now it rests in my make-up drawer. I use it whenever I wear only white or navy blue. That's also when my light pink lipsticks are used ˆ.ˆ like #2 and #6...

• Other things:

1. Victoria's Secret - Bombshell (49$)
2. Eucerin Daily Protection - Moisturizing Face Lotion SPF 30 (11.49$)

I've never thought that I would love a parfume from Victoria's Secret because the scents are mostly too sweet and heavy for me. I prefer lighter scents that are fresh. Who would have thought that a parfume named Bombshell could be fresh and fruity! It's supposed to smell like purple passion fruit, Shangry-la yellow peony (whatever that it?!) and vanilla orchid... It's my new favorite parfume. Unfortunately, it doesn't last the whole day but I still smell it after a couple hours. I love love love it!!!

I have been looking out for an affordable non-greasy face cream with high SPF for the longest time. So far I've tried all kinds of suncreens from Nivea, Garnier, cheap no name products. None of them were even half as good as Eucerin. And Eucerin is freaking expensive in Germany - it's sold in pharmacies whose products are always on the pricier side. I'm hooked... I should have bought a back-up!!!

My Fitnesspal

Ever since my roommate told me I shouldn't wear white on my own wedding because it would make me fat, I got into thinking. I don't consider myself fat, not even close but it's true that I gained a few kilos under the couple trap. Gaining weight in a relationship is quite normal. Cooking for my boyfriend mostly turns out to be less lean and healthy (he doesn't like green salad and complains about veggie meals) and going out to restaurants does its share, too. I don't like gyms but I'm a big fan of dancing (haha - who would have guessed that??) - I stepped it up to 4x2hours per week. Thus I don't think, I can handle any more sports, so it must be the food.

When I went to the US to study, I started counting calories for my yoga class because it was combined with a nutrition class once a week. And it really startled me how many calories I was capable to eat and I became more cautious... also because the US is famous for making big people. The homepage, the teacher recommended used to be really great because it contained all kinds of meals - of course, it was more tailored for the US market because it was a governmental project. It really helped me to restrain myself. But it has changed and somehow I wasn't able to give the homepage my measurements anymore. Looking for a better homepage, I found My Fitnesspal << click >>.

from today, including dancing and breakfast :D

It works just fine - you can type in almost all meals and it comes up with calories, carbs, fat, proteins, etc. I found out that if I want to lose weight, I'm only allowed to eat only 1200 kcal on my normal days - dancing for 2 hours increases my possible intake to 2000 kcal. It's nearly impossible to eat only 1200 kcal for me - I can't help but feel hungry. The good thing about this homepage is, everyone is able to define new meals / food with its nutrition facts or sports with the exact kcal consumption and all the other users are also able to use it. It is very easy and convenient. Since it seems to be quite famous,  a lot of German groceries are also included. For people with smartphones, you can even use an app. Besides the weight, you can also write down your neck, waist, hip measurements. Especially if you just start to work out, your weight might not change but the rest will because muscles are heavier than fat. For people who have difficulties to drink enough water, you can also keep track of your water intake ˆ.ˆ

from Saturday because it's complete...
incl. 2h hip hop and 1h zumba

I almost lost 2 kg within the last month - thanks to this homepage...

Thriller Live (Musical)

My boyfriend got two tickets for the Michael Jackson Musical Thriller Live in Mannheim (Rosengarten) from his students, which is a very generous gift considering that one ticket costs 67.50 EUR (about 90 USD).

What we expected
At first, we were a bit afraid that everything would be in German because that's what they usually do in Germany - translate texts and lyrics for musicals like The Lion King, Cats, Dance of the Vampires but fortunately, they didn't. It was all in English.
We were also unsure about the plot, if it was about MJ's life or just a collection of his famous songs, which we of course expected to be played like Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Man in the Mirror, etc.

What we got
There was no storyline but all the famous songs starting from the times of Jackson 5 to his later albums were played quite chronological (except the songs that were released after MJs death). The band was also on stage, mostly hidden by a huge gate with a big screen - so the music was played live (great band) - the singers also sang live.
The opening was a desaster. The dancing was bad and the singers had flat voices with a couple untuned tones. But the show became better with time.
There were a lot of costumes but they looked cheap. There are better Halloween costumes in the stores than what they got.

The singers
There were five lead singers - one little black boy who sang all the Jackson 5 songs, one female and four male singers. What they did for The Way You Make Me Feel was quite cool - the woman sang it and a whole bunch of guys followed her and were seduced by her confidence. We liked Sean Christopher the best because he had the most similar voice and also the moves and charisma, followed by the little boy who was just too cute. Actually, I think they shouldn't have taken any other singers... Unfortunately, the sound engineer did a really bad job adjusting the sound system for the boy - the high tones were way too loud which made it unpleasant to listen. But other than that I liked the singers.

The dancers

Michael Jackson always had the crème de la crème of everything in his cast - best musicians and best dancers. It used to be every dancer's dream to be on stage with the legendary Michael Jackson. And maybe it's because both my boyfriend and me dance for quite a long time but we thought the dancers were not as good. In general, they had no clue of Locking - and I mean, come on... If you choose this dance, do it great. Anything else is just embarassing.
Especially the ladies were horrible (for this musical at least). They might be better for something with jazzdance but they had no power and no style. Then, a couple breakdancers did some little tricks but oh boy... I don't even know where to start... Anyway, in the end I would say, there was a bunch of amateurs and only one single great dancer (the guy with the mohawk).

Conclusion

It was a nice evening with a lot of great songs but we don't think, it's worth the money. We would never have spent it on this musical. Anyway, there were a couple highlights. The singer Sean Christopher and the dancer with the mohawk were outstanding. If they had more people like them, it could be a great show. And if it wasn't for them, it would be quite devastating.
Looking at the homepage (<< click >>), I can't help but wonder if it was a cheap production. If you go to Cast, there are no unified pictures - colored, black and white, background in all colors. It's not very professional.

Nailpolish - MNY #342

I've got a gorgeous new nailpolish - the MNY #342. Wow, great name, isn't it?! Who's working on those names? But anyway, coral colors are just my new thing for 2012. It just reminds me of the summer and lifts my mood...

I needed two coats to make it opaque. I don't use topcoats if there's no nailart because I'm lazy ;-) Anyway, it's very long lasting - 3 days and no chipping, not even tip wear...

Sorry for my hands. As much as I use hand cream and try to eat enough veggies and fruits, it doesn't help too much... But the color in this picture is quite realistic.

Edit:
MNY is a sub-brand of Maybelline. It is sold in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Norway, Sweden and Netherlands.
http://www.mny.com/

No Go Lip Primer

The lip primer from u.m.a. dries out my lips which makes the lipstick look flaky - big NO GO... Besides it feels like foundation or concealer. I cannot recommend it!

Bye bye lip primer...

Price: 
ca. 2,50 EUR
 
Rating: 

0 out of 5 points

Now Larimar Resort

As I mentioned the beaches of Punta Cana before, I would like to share our insight about the "Now Larimar Resort" with you. It was actually a great lastminute hotel deal. We spent only one third of the actual price but enjoyed full service ˆ.ˆ

The Hotel
Arriving at the hotel feels like arriving to paradise. Words cannot describe how beautiful everything was... but hopefully my pictures will bring a little sunshine to our winter ˆ.ˆ

The hotel lobby

The room and bed were huge. We even had a Jaccuzzi in the bathroom which we tried out but decided it's nothing for hot summers. If one upgrades to "Preferred Club Membership", the Jaccuzzi is outside on the balcony - but who would wanna have their neighbours peeking inside?

Hotel room

Anyway, we had a great view into the palm garden and even a little ocean sight - not much though but we walked to the beach every day anyway... There were 5 pools, 2 of them for the Preferred Club members. Water is just so relaxing when nobody else is there... I'm not sure why everyone went to the crowded pool but lucky for us - we almost had our own private pool.

And even at night it's perfect... the bars and hallways outside as well as the pools and beaches.

The Food
There were 4 à-la-carte restaurants, offering Italian, French, Japanese and American cuisine. They were all crowded every single day. Of course that's not really a surprise for an all-inclusive hotel. Where else would you go?
I like the effort, the guests have to pay by dressing up for dinner. Having a dresscode really keeps the luxarious locations together.
But still I must say, I was a bit disappointed in the Japanese and Italian restaurants. The Japanese restaurant was all about the show of the Teriyaki chefs with knives and fire. I had fried icecream flambé which gave me a great picture but it tasted horrible...
On the other hand, the American restaurant just offered the best steaks and burgers. I'm still melting thinking about them...

Dinner

Anyway, I'm a big fan of breakfast in this hotel... They have the biggest variety of dishes during breakfast, starting with all kinds of delicious fruits which are all sweeter than back in Germany (obviously), then all kinds of bread and pastries, bacon, cheese, fresh omelette and waffles but also various original Dominican dishes and drinks like Mangú (mashed plantains) and batida (fruity milkshakes). My boyfriend told me an anecdote of the word Mangú - it derives from the English sentence "Man, this is good" ˆ.ˆ

The Negative Part
I thinks the only sad part is, there was no Dominican restaurant... They should open one as well. I think, the further away the origin of the restaurant, the worse the food. In that sense, it must be easier to find a Domincan chef compared to a French chef.

Anyway, at least the snacks could be Dominican - there are such great hamburgers on the streets of Santo Domingo - but they give away crappy sandwiches and sausages during nighttime.

It's sad because there's no self-confidence - as if their own food was not good enough for the hotel guests. By few employees, we were not treated like real guests because my boyfriend comes from the Dominican Republic and somehow they were offended to serve their own kind - and I don't mean that in a good way... I wanted to complain about a waitress because she kept ignoring us and even admitted she was mad at us for whatever reason but my boyfriend was to concerned about our safety that I promised I wouldn't until we were back here. I'm normally really patient because I know the other side - I grew up in a hotel and I hate that business... but I would have never been that disrespectful. Besides, I think it's some kind of self-racism - it's the worst form of racism. For the same reason, only Dominicans are bothered at costoms at the airport. Of course Europeans also don't really understand corruption. I wouldn't even know how to get out of tricky situations...

The Positive Part
I would like to finish this post positively. Look at the beach: It always looks different depending on the time. Isn't it gorgeous? No wonder, we saw two weddings at the beach (at the white flowy thing). It's so wonderful, right into honeymoon... I could imagine getting married just like that as well ˆ.ˆ without the bunch of people that I don't wanna see and without the big planning for food and location. Well, who knows? I can't help it - I'm changing my mind about the perfect wedding all the time! 

I felt really relaxed after spending only 3 nights in that hotel. Besides some minor inconveniences, we were treated like emperors and we felt like in paradise... The sun, beach and the location made it a perfect short trip! Anyway, two weeks all-inclusive would have been too much and too boring for the two of us... but for the short amount of time, it was perfect!

Bavaro Beach

Homepage of Now Larimar Resort: << click >>

ELF: Eyes, Lips, Face

I ordered the following products on the e.l.f. cosmetics homepage.
I originally bought the Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, the contour brush, the natural radiance blush (innocence), the mineral blush (berry merry), the waterproof eyeliner pen (black) and two nailpolishes (light pink and white).

Unfortunately, the white nailpolish leaked out and wasn't very good either, so I threw it away. The innocence blush wasn't very satisfying either because the pigmentation is quite weak, especially for my dark skin - I use it as an eyeshadow now. But the other products that I've bought are quite great. The contour brush is soooo smooth and soft. I need to buy a couple more, besides the powder brush from the studio line (it was sold out the last time). Because of my Asian eyes, eyeshadow normally doesn't last on my eyelids but this mineral eyeshadow primer works wonders... it's better than the Manhattan base that I used before (dried out very fast). The waterproof eyeliner pen is empty now but I used it very often and I will buy a new one.

ELF light pink (2 coats)

pure nails

Sorry for the change of lightning... Somehow the sun came out, when my nailpolish finally dried. I'm not sure yet, if I'd buy any other nailpolish from E.L.F. anymore. The white nailpolish was a big disappointment but the light pink is just great. Two coats are enough for my perfect rosé.