The Best Beauty Bits Of 2013: Skincare

I put pen to paper and wrote up a list of the best of the best of the year. From makeup to nail polish to the most talked about subject of the year, skincare. Over the next three days every day I'll publish a post with my favorite products of the previous year.

Skincare has probably been the most important thing in my past year. My eyes were opened to the gospel of Caroline Hirons. This woman is a no bullshit, tell it like it is professional in the cosmetic industry. She's a facialist and she doesn't beat around the bush. If she says something is good for your skin, it probably is. Because of her I banned all the SLS and mineral oil from my skincare products and as a result my skin has cleared up and the complexion has become so much clearer.

The Best Beauty Bits Of 2013: Nail Polish

I put pen to paper and wrote up a list of the best of the best of the year. From makeup to nail polish to the most talked about subject of the year, skincare. Over the next three days every day I'll publish a post with my favorite products of the previous year.

Nail polish is one of my most important accessories. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, maybe a statement necklace or a simple bangle from time to time. But the color on my nails is the thing that always has to compliment What I am wearing. It's a good thing then that I pretty much only wear black and white. I'll stop beating around the bush and tell you which polishes ruled my world in 2013.

The Best Beauty Bits of 2013: Makeup

I put pen to paper and wrote up a list of the best of the best of the year. From makeup to nail polish to the most talked about subject of the year, skincare. Over the next three days every day I'll publish a post with my favorite products of the previous year.
In all honesty, this year was the year makeup took more of a backseat for me. I bought far less makeup than I did in previous years and the items that I did buy had a much heavier price tag. I used to feel like high end makeup was a waste of money. Why buy one Chanel lipstick if I can buy ten of them from Catrice for the same amount of euros? Well, over the past months I figured out why. They're so much nicer.

The week's favorites

When someone has as many beauty products as me it's kind of unfair to pick favorites. Every single tube and bottle deserves a little love. But that does not stop me from often reaching for the same things. Especially this week, because I have been feeling quite under the weather.

May Favorites

Holy shit balls. May's over. This means a few things. One, I am really upset that the weather is still terrible. I'm getting in a definite time crunch finishing up on school work. And it's time for favorites already. Most of the things I liked last month are still really high up on my list, but to try and not be too repetitive, here are some more things I've been reaching for a lot over the last month. 

Clarins Extra Comfort Cleansing Cream - By now, you should probably know that I am obsessed with skin care expert Caroline Hirons. She recommended this as a cleanser and since I was in the market for a new one, I decided to give it a whirl. I absolutely love it. It really makes my skin so much nicer and easier to deal with. 

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector - Gorgeous hybrid between a lip balm and a lipgloss. Great shine without the gloopiness. This converted me from a solely lipstick type of girl. The shade pictured is 05 Candy Shimmer.

Andrélon Pink Collection styling products - The hairstyle I've gone for often this month is aptly described as 'got pulled through a hedge backwards'. I like big messy hair. But since I was naturally blessed with thick, heavy, pin straight hair I need some products to build texture and volume. And these two awesomely affordable products help me do that.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - This palette holds all the basic colors a girl can need. I especially love the deep brown shade called faint. That looks great on the lid and in the brow.

Max Factor lipstick in Bewitching Coral - This formula is buttery soft and it feels just like a lip balm, but then with some kicking punch of color. This coral shade is perfect for spring and it has graced my lips many a days during the month of May.

Maybelline Superstay 14hr lipstick in Infinitely Fuchsia - Maybelline have recently reformulated their Superstay lipsticks, and boy am I glad they did. I got two shades and this is probably my favorite one. I love a good fuchsia and the fact that it stays on forever without drying your lips is just a wonderful bonus. Expect a full review on this lipstick range soon.

Rituals Orange Cedar shower foam - This scent is heavenly. So fresh! I love a good citrus-y scent in my shower to wake me up in the morning. This also is a really interesting product as it comes out as a gel that immediately transforms into a foam. Silky soft and indulgently foamy.

MAC eye shadows in Satin Taupe and Shadowy Lady - MAC makes really good eyeshadows, and these two I have been reaching for all the time.

Nails Inc Brooke Street - I accidentally stumbled upon this color in the Sephora sale and I instantly fell in love. It's such a gorgeous shade for spring and summer. The perfect coral with hints of pink and red. I honestly don't know how to describe this shade. Such a stunner.

Essie Fear or Desire - From last year's summer collection, I picked it up 50% off in a sale and I am really glad I did. I've been rocking this shade on my toes for the past couple of days. I only wear orange on my finger nails when I am out of the country, since it is the national color around here, and that just makes me feel a little too chauvinistic. But toenails, they can rock orange year round.

And that is it for my favorites of the last month. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to try and tackle the massive amount of schoolwork I have left. So little time...

April Favorites

This month's favorites are pretty limited. Some of these have already been featured in posts, and some still very much deserve a personal homage. This is the round up of the things I have been loving this month. 

Instead of splurging on makeup I am expanding my skincare collection. I've weened myself off of Bioderma as it has become all but impossible to purchase around here. But luckily a new brand has filled the spot it left behind. Fellow French pharmacy brand La Roche Posay has some lovely products that have amazed me and my skin. The physiological cleansing milk and the physiological soothing toner have been a powerful duo. By massaging the cleansing milk onto my skin and wiping it off with a cotton pad and then following with a cotton pad soaked in toner my skin is left squeeky clean but not tight at all. I feel moisturized and fresh. No water required also makes these perfect travel companions.

The mascara I've been using and loving is the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic waterproof. This mascara is brilliant and true to its name. It doesn't budge all day and it needs a powerhouse makeup remover to be taken off at night.

This is where the Clarins Express Eye Make Up Remover comes into play. Give it a good shake to mix the two phases, splash onto a cotton pad and it soaks your makeup right off. Perfect for waterproof and heavy makeup, it will be removed without the need of excessive tugging at your eyelids and l Iashes.

My everyday makeup routine is simple and glowy. To achieve perfect dewy skin I love the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat, it does a perfect job at highlighting your features without making you look sweaty or shiney. For the 'flushed' look on my cheeks I adore the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour blush in Natural beauty. Finish it off with some mascara and a swipe of the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in shadde 02 Apricot Shimmer and I am good to go.

Most worn and loved colors for my nails this month are ANNY Green Meets Mint and Gosh Crispy Coral.

An honorable mention goes out to my trusty MAC 217 brush, whenever I have worn eyeshadow this month this brush has done an amazing job at distributing and blending just the right amount of color.

March Favorites

It's favorites time again! March flew by for me, so much stuff happened. I had an amazing amount of things this month that I have just fallen in love with. I need to curb my shopping habits because they are definitely getting out of hand. I am finishing up my midterms today and then I'll be back to almost full time blogging for a couple of days.

Products mentioned

Urband Decay Naked Palette

La Roche Posay cleansers

La Roche Posay effaclar duo

Lee Stafford Sea Salt Spray

Kaaral heat protecting lotion

Lush Big shampoo

Lush Angels on Bare Skin cleanser

Vita Coco Pineapple

Beautea face mask

Nails Inc brooke street

Essie Chinchilly

Pupa Vamp Mascara

Bobbi Brown Skin foundation

Bobbi Brown corrector

Urban Decay doubled ended brush

Bobbi Brown concealer bleding brush

February Favorites

 

Another month has passed which in the carefully written, but never spoken, beauty blogger rules.. One must do a favorites round up. Mine is in the form of a video, as it usually is. This was my first time filming with my new camera, and definitely still needs some fine-tuning, but I couldn't wait to use this baby.

When writing down my list of favorites pre-filming, I had no idea that there were going to be this many. I really loved a lot of things this month. The month was definitely marked by skincare and hair care. Re-applying the ombre to my cropped locks was a real hit on my already fragile ends. But with these products my hair remains manageable and looking healthy.

Products mentioned

Redken All Soft shampoo & conditioner

L'Oreal Professional Absolute cellular hair mask

Toni & Guy Casual Sculpting powder

Essence blush in Popul-art

YSL Rouge Vollupté in 13 Peach Passion

Eveline Cosmetics Waterproof mascara (rolled out of the picture, oops!)

Essie Chinchilly

Essie Lights

OPI Avoplex cuticle oil to go

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

Decubal Face foam

Origins Drink Up Intensive overnight mask

Zara Black Amber perfume

EOS lip balm sphere in medicated tangerine

The best of 2012 | Beauty Edition

Twenty-twelve, a year that was filled with gorgeous releases and amazing products. Watch my video with my roundup of my favorite products of the previous year. If you have regularly watched my favorite videos throughout the year, then some of these will not be a surprise at all. This one was already pretty long, so grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy my yearlong beauty favorites. I have decided to split the fashion and beauty favorites into two videos, to limit the length. So watch out for that video releasing somewhere this week.

Narrowing it down to just twelve seemed like an impossible task, you should see the page in my notebook. So many crossed out lines and rewritten things. But finally it is done. I like this video, I want to make more videos. Let's make that a New Year's resolution, shall we? 

Products mentioned

Garnier BB Cream for oily/combination skin

Bioderma Crealine H2O Sollution Miccelaire

eBay seller: monsieurgeorgew

MAC Lipstick in Lady Danger

Essie nailpolishes

eBay seller: thecolorelf

Caudalie eau de Beauté beauty elixir

YSL effet faux cils

Max Factor miracle touch creamy blush in soft pink

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle reconstructor

OPI Nail Envy

Dr. Organic Products

Sleek Storm palette

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover

What I am wearing

L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation in C2 Rose porcelain 

The Body Shop Illuminating touch highlighter in 02

MNY blush in 301

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Catrice Made to Stay cream shadow in Copper Cabbana

L'Oreal Perfect Slim eyeliner pen in pitch black

Catrice Doll Eyes lengthening mascara

Kate by Rimmel London lipstick in 107

Gosh matte bronzer

October Beauty & Fashion Favorites

Hey guys! My october beauty and fashion favorites are here.

Products mentioned
Aussie Reconstructor
Dr. Organic Pomegranate shampoo
Schwarzkopf Bonacure Spray conditioner
L'Oreal Elvive Essential Oil
Batiste Dry Shampoo XXL Volume
Sigma Cleanse & Polish tool
Bioderma Solution Miccelaire
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentré
Caudalie Eau de Beauté
KOH Essential Hand Nourisher
Dr. Organic Pomegranate Skin Lotion
Rosebud Salve
Therme Skin Care Finn Sauna shower gel
eBay skull/studs clutch
H&M top with DIY studs
Zara high waisted leggings
camo blouse
eBay glitter iPhone case
Spotify app

July Fashion + Beauty Favorites

Wow, charming thumbnail, YouTube thanks! No need to ramble on and on about this. Here are my beauty and fashion favorites for the month of July. This month was amazing, filled with crazy amazing stuff. Especially loving the French skincare, and my MAC eyeshadows. I hope you enjoy the video!

Don't forget to watch it in HD, it looks 100045x better.

If you woke up with all but 5 makeup items, which would it be?

Hello beauties,


Doing my usual blog round I stumbled upon this incredibly fun post by Lennyn B. Go check out her blog, it's so cute! She wrote about what she would do if all of her makeup disappeared. What items would you repurchase? 

I got really inspired by that, and decided to make my own little list. So think of this scenario. You wake up one morning and all of your makeup has disappeard, except for five of your favorite products. Think long and hard and then answer the question....

If you could only have five makeup items for the rest of your life, which ones would it be?


These are my answers..

For me, it’s pretty clear that I can’t live without my black eyeliner. And because I’m the most skilled with gel eyeliner. I’m gonna go with MAC fluidline in blacktrack.

My second item would have to be a lipstick of course. Since I am an absolute addict of super bright lipsticks. Of all the lipsticks I own I think I’d go with my new MAC Lady Danger matte lipstick. It’s the perfect color. It’s bright and orange/red matte formula, so it’s like the best of all the worlds combined into one lipstick. 

My Bourjois Volumizer Mascara is a definite must. I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this yet! But I guess since it’s been all over the blog-o-sphere, that’s not really necessary. Anyway, for me this is the perfect all in one mascara. I often use just step 1, which gives you lovely volumised but still natural looking lashes. And if I want to go all out full on dramatic with my lashes, step 2 comes into play. 

The ELF Blush & Contour Duo is also an absolute must. The blush color is perfect for that right amount of healthy flush/glow and the bronzer is just the right color for my skin. And it’s so cheap!

And then last, but certainly not least, I’d go for my Bourjois Healthy Balance powder. This powder is the best for balancing out slight redness and keeping the shine at bay. Perfect for everyday use.

That’s it, my five makeup items I would chose to keep if all of my makeup were to be taken away from me. I’m quite curious to see what other people would choose? Which are your staple items that you just can’t live without.  

My Spring Nail Polish Picks

Spring is upon us! I spent my afternoon escaping the city life whilst going for a walk with my best friend Jorrit. And while we were sat on a wooden bench overlooking the gorgeous nature bathed in sun, I glanced at my nails. I was sporting a combination of a nice gold metallic color (OPI’s designer de-better from The Muppets collection) and a black tape design on my accent nail. And I realized, that it was time to up the ante and go for more spring-like nail colors.

This spring in fashion and in beauty we see two very different, yet very fun trends. Pastels & neons. And whilst I’m definitely not a trend follower, I do what I like, I can really find myself in these trends. I’m ready to put my dark polishes away and welcome sunshine into my life.

So below I have a number of pictures of polishes that are nice for spring. Tell me which on you like most!

Also, this is probably going to be the last nail post for a while. Because at the moment my nails are soaking in a tub of acetone to remove the four artificial nails I have stuck on my hands. I’m cutting them all short and I’m banishing polish for a week or two to get them back to health.
But then again, I might just run into a good deal on drugstore nails and stick them back over my stubs…

Essence 'No More Drama' a nice muted pastel purple. I adore it.

Catrice 'Am I Blue or Green?" I'd say it's blue. A gorgeous icy bright blue.

Catrice 'Salmon & Garfunkel' described this color a few times before, so let's just say I am in love with this soft creamy peach nail polish.

Nameless Neon Pink from Action. A little bit streaky, but the color is superb. You get 6 colors in a pack for less than two euros. Amazing deal!

Birdy Reloaded! No description necessary.

What's a group post on nail polish without a little glitter? Essence Kool & The Gang and essence 'blue addicted' glitter

Raspberry Fields Forever. No season is complete without a nice bright red. This one has a pink tinge to it, which only makes it better.

Favorite products of January! and a haul video...

I know, I'm a little early with this. But I was pretty sure that these were going to remain my favorites.

I went on a shopping spree! See my latest fashion and beauty buys in this video.

Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for timely updates on the latest uploads. I'm uploading a Primark haul as I type this... So stay tuned.