The Healthier But Ultra Chocolaty Brownie Recipe.

A couple of months ago I set myself an 'eight weeks no refined sugar' challenge. It just so happened to be my sister's birthday right in the middle of those eight weeks. Consequently, I was looking for a recipe to use for a sugar-free cake/cookie or anything baked so I won't be the only one eating some fruits while others stuff their face with baked goodies. I read through a couple and I quickly realized that a lot of them are quite complicated or have pretty bad reviews. But I did learn a few things.. substituting a lot of the sugar with dates seems to be the main idea. Also, there are quite a few recipes requiring no flour and coconut oil instead of butter. Well, that sounds at least healthy-ish, doesn't it?

On my sister's birthday, I started my little experiment and just combined all the tips I have read online to a recipe which I, admittedly, was pretty sceptical about. But you know what? It turned out absolutely delicious. Yes, the calories for these brownies are still quite high but they are sugar, dairy and flourless... a good start to healthier baking if you ask me. 

Even my family enjoyed them so much that they reached for more even though there were other, and most importantly sweeter, alternatives available. 

Before I go into the recipe you should consider that even though they are delish, if you do not like dark chocolate and you prefer the taste of really sweet milk chocolate you should maybe add some sugar. Of course, this is optional though.

You will need:

• 250g pitted dates
• 4 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• 80 ml of coconut oil 
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 200g of unsweetened baking chocolate or sugarfree chocolate 
• (I used a German brand called Xucker)

First, you should preheat the oven to around 180°C. While it is preheating pulse the chocolate, cocoa powder and the baking powder in a (strong) blender or food processor. Afterwards, you pulse the dates together with the eggs and coconut oil until everything is pretty much blended. Mix these two parts and place the batter into a brownie baking dish which should be around 20x20cm. 

The brownies should bake around 20 minutes but it depends on your oven. Try not to overbake them though. And enjoy!

x Lisa

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My Beauty Staples | Autumn/Winter Edit.

*Advertisement | This post was written in collaboration with Notino.de

There is only one thing I love just as much as winter fashion... of course, I am talking about my autumn/winter beauty staples. In the summer I am all about minimal products, light coverage... and even though I love that effortless look I just miss all my oils, matte lipsticks and intense opulent perfumes. So today I want to share this excitement with you and introduce you to my autumn/winter beauty staples. 

The Scent 

I have quite a few different go-to scents in the fall time but Armani Si Intense must be one of my most worn ones. It's a very wearable, yet 'out there' perfumes. I just love it.. it's way better than the original Si. So if you haven't tried it yet, you should. 

The Nudes

I know, I know.. you probably expected me to talk about red and berry toned lipsticks at this point. And even though I do sometimes wear them, I must be honest and tell you that I am all about the nudes.. even in autumn. But I do like to switch it up with a deeper nude from time to time. For a light nude lipstick, my go-to is 'Blush Nude' by Tom Ford or 'Beige Pop' by Clinique for a more budget-friendly alternative. For a deeper nude I like to go for 'Indian Rose' by Tom Ford or for 'Blush Pop' by Clinique. 

The Moisturizer

When the air gets colder and especially dry I love to go back to my oils. One of my all-time faves is the Nuxe Dry Oil.. I use it on my face, my body and my hair. An absolute all-rounder. For my lips I can't live without the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.. the one and only. To add some extra moisture to my hair I recently discovered the Shu Uemura Satin Design Milk. A beautiful product which leaves my hair extra silky. LOVE!

If you want to give your beauty collection a little autumn/winter makeover: Notino has some amazing offers on  Black Friday  week beginning from tomorrow the 19th November. 

Happy Shopping!

x Lisa

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Let's Talk Autumn/Winter Skincare.

*This post was written in collaboration with Europa Apotheek

I don't know what it is about autumn, but as soon as it starts to get colder I want to step up my skincare game. This year, I have discovered a brand that I am so excited about. The brand is Dermasence. I have previously been drawn to the skincare products with the prettiest packaging, like Charlotte Tilbury, or the most impressive brand name, like Estee Lauder. But this one is different as it is a medical skincare range. And in this case, different works!

Just to clarify, their products have been sent to me in PR but with no obligation to write this post. However, I have since used them for months and months and my skin has never looked and felt better... so I felt like I just needed to tell you guys about them. 

AHA Body & Face Lotion

The first product I fell in love with is the AHA Body & Face Lotion. I have been loving Alpha Hydroxy Acids products for a while now, so I knew this would be a winner. And as you can use it on your face and body it's so versatile. However, I mainly use it on my body, as I love another product for my face much more.. keep on reading to find out what it is. 

Tonic & Cleansing Mousse

Then I tried the little travel set consisting of their tonic and cleansing mousse. Two beautiful cleansers which don't feel drying or harsh on my skin. I love them, but to be honest there are a lot of other cleansers out there that I love just as much. So if you only want to try one of their products, you can skip these ones. But if you are looking for a new cleanser and don't want to commit to a full-size product yet.. try these!

AHA Effects Plus C Creme

Last but certainly not least, is the AHA Effects plus C creme. Oh my.. this is for sure the star of their range. If you have very sensitive skin, you maybe should look for a different product from their range because this one is more on the intense side. It contains 8% glycolic acid and 2% vitamin C. This absolutely transformed my skin and made it appear much clearer and fresher.

And because Dermasence is a medical skincare brand their products are only available in pharmacies, online and offline. You can buy Dermasence and other products for your skincare on Europa Apotheek. 

Have you tried any of their products yet?

x Lisa

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It Cosmetics CC Cream | Worth The Hype?

*{This post contains affiliate links}

If you haven't heard about It Cosmetics yet, you probably lived under the rock the past two years. And if you heard of them, probably because of their hyped CC cream. I first discovered it through The Anna Edit and Lily Pebbles what feels like years ago. But it was quite hard to get hold of here in Germany so I quickly gave up on ever trying it. Now that it has launched in Germany as well I just had to take the plunge. 

As far as I know, it was only available online back when I got it in February, so finding the right color for me proofed itself to be quite the challenge. (Especially if you consider the price tag). I went with the second lightest shade as I read this one pulls the least warm. My skin is quite cool and pink toned so warm tones always look horrible on me. I must say the shade is probably a bit too dark for me. I can definitely make it work over the summer months but I think I will get the lightest shade 'fair' sooner or later. Maybe I will end up mixing both just like Anna does. So yeah, not impressed with the shade range. 

But the shade range is honestly the one thing I can complain about. I have worn this foundation in 40°C heat and -10°C cold and it hasn't moved a bit. It looks so natural while being middle to high coverage. I haven't been this obsessed with a foundation in a long time. So even though it is not the cheapest, I can see myself investing in the lighter shade for the coming months. Another thing I love is the packaging. It might not look as chic as a Chanel glass bottle but it is so practical. I absolutely hate traveling with heavy and breakable foundation bottles so this one quickly became my go-to for these occasions. And every other occasion if I am completely honest.. The finish is pretty high coverage for a CC cream and still manages to be glowy. Such a dream.

Have you tried the It Cosmetics CC cream? If so, which shade are you?

x Lisa

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