Favourites of the moment!

Sorry for the long break between posts (again!). But I've been feeling a little un-inspired lately due to personal things that I won't weigh this blog down with, so let's get down to business!

Favourites of the moment; I won't call them spring or summer favourites because to be honest, it does not feel like spring OR summer in Holland at the moment. The past week or more, it's been grey, rainy and cold. Not really what you'd expect for mid-Europe at the end of May, right? Luckily I am heading south in a little less than a month for a few days in Paris! I will most likely do a short blogpost about the trip, showing pictures, maybe things I bought, etc. Not sure about that yet! Anyway, I digress. Favourites! (Dont forget to click the pictures for high-res larger pictures!)

I am still recovering from a flu that's been bugging me for a little over a week, but even before then I've been doing a lot of minimal make-up with bright lips. That shows in my favourites, for sure!

Let's start with the basics, shall we!

Excuse my "naked" nails, but I've been sick, okay?!

This doesn't need any introduction really, does it? Especially since I've been sick, I've not been able to live without this baby. My lips are so dry, and this is the only thing giving me any kind of relief. Elizabeth Arden 8 Cream travelsized tube, 30ml. Bought at a Kruidvat for €5.00.

Even if it may not be summer at the moment, I still protect my VERY pale skin everytime I go outside. Having very pale, very senstive and very burn-prone skin I opted for maximum protection and bought this Eucerin Sun Fluid SPF 50 mattifying. It controls oils, is a very light texture and protects my skin nicely. It contains 50 ml of product and ought to last me the summer. Eucerin is available at pharmacies in Holland and costs €16.49.

This travel/handbag sized eau de toilette by Kruidvat is a new staple in my routine! It's a new scent they've recently released and it's RIGHT up my alley. Most things with the words "cherry blossom" usually catch my eye, since I love that scent. The packaging says the main notes are: raspberry, cherry blossom and blond wood. Don't ask me what blond wood smells like, but if this is it, it smells amazing! It's a little "warmer" than scents I normally wear, but I am completely obsessed with this. It smells like summer to me and if the weather won't give me summer I'll just make my own.
The bottle contains 15 ml and is available at Kruidvat only. I believe this was €3.99, but I am not sure anymore. The fullsized product is 50 ml and €7.99. Definitely worth a shot when looking for a new scent, they have 5 different scents, for both men and women.

As far as my skin goes, I've been opting for a more natural look lately as well. I've been using the Catrice BB Cream almost every single time I've worn a foundation type product. It's just a great natural option for every day wear. It looks natural, not cakey and the colourmatch is great for me. For an extensive review I direct you towards this post, in which I did a review of several Catrice products. The tube contains 30 ml and is available at Kruidvat (In Holland, that is.) and it costs €5.99.

For basic concealing I've been using the Catrice Camouflage Cream every time. It's a great creamy concealer, and so very budget proof too. For a review I once again direct you towards this post. The Camouflage Cream costs €2.99.

As a subtle under-eye highlight I've been using the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer. This contains light-reflective particles and helps disguise dark circles. Lord knows I need that, eh? It's a normal "click-pen" type of concealer, which is packaging we often see with this formula. I use this on top of the other concealer, I must say, as it does not give me enough coverage on it's own. But I like the effect it gives enough that I don't have a problem with that. Mine is the colour 01 Ivory. Maybelline is available at all drugstores in Holland and the product costs €9.99.

As I stated earlier I've been keeping things fairly simple, and these two palettes give me all the basics I need for that!

Oh Urban Decay, how I love you... There's absolutely nothing I hate about this brand (except the price) and since Sephora is leaving Holland, I might also lose access to Urban Decay. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Ahem. Anyway. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. Five beautiful matte eyeshadows and a satin highlighter, what more does a girl need for a simple eye-look? For an in-depth review go here, and read my thoughts on this and see better photos of it! Urban Decay is available online and at Sephora. This palette is €25.95 and I found it worth every cent.

L-R: Chantilly, Guipure. Crochet.

For blush I've been keeping it easy too, which is why this palette especially has been a favourite. I've been doing some travelling and such and this just provides me enough choice for whatever mood I might be in. This is the Sleek Blush By 3 Palette in Lace. For review and swatches go here and enjoy the eyecandy!
My most used shade is Guipure and then Crochet. I don't find myself using Chantilly too often as it is just too orange on my light skintone. Sleek is only available online in Holland and this product costs  €12.95.

With a soft eyelook, the easy way out is always a bright lip for instant glam! And I personally always feel more confident in a bright lip, I find it makes my face look brighter and generally improves my complexion.

First up is the GOSH Soft'n'Shine Lip Balm in the colour 31 Passion Pink. It's a bright fuschia with subtle silver shimmer in it. I love this formula and it's cheap too. In one swipe it's not very opaque, but coverage is easily buildable. GOSH is avilable at some Kruidvats in Holland and otherwise not very widely available world-wide, I believe. It's a Danish brand, for those wondering! The Soft'n'Shine Lip Balms check in at a very affordable €8.49

Second up is my newest Rimmel Apocalips in the colour Stellar. This is a bright coral-red. Perfect for summer in my opinion. It's just such a happy colour and wearing it makes me happy. For my opinion on the Rimmel Apocalips, feel free to check out my review here. Rimmel is available in drugstores world-wide and the Apocalips check out at €10.99.

On the first picture you also saw this box and may have wondered: "What is that thing?!" . Well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.... BEHOLD!

Are you in love yet? Urgh... I know I am! My (amazing, wonderful, lovely) husband bought me this as a surprise and once I started playing around with this, I felt like a kid in a candy store. Knowing bright shadows especially is very hit and miss, I was VERY excited when I found out that these are mostly amazing quality. As with any large palette, there are some bad apples, but all the AMAZING shadows make up for it. The biggest duds are probably the dark mattes, but then again that's not the end of the world to me. I'm in love with this baby! This was ordered from Boozyshop and is their own brand. Many brands have things like this, think BH cosmetics and Coastal Scents 120 palettes. The facepowders in the bottom are all three very pigmented and are all matte. The two light ones can be used as shadows or as matte highlighters. The dark one is (with a light hand) a good contour colour for me. My husband tells me this was around €35, but since I can't find it on their site anymore, I can't be sure. I want to do some bright tutorials with this palette, but I'm coming up short for ideas. Let me know if you have any, or photos of awesome, bright makeup you'd like a tutorial on.


What are you favourites of the moment? Let me know in the comments below!


Thank you for reading and untill next time!

XXX

Favourites of the moment!

Time for another favourites post! These are products I've been loving throughout this winter, and seeing as my skin does go drier in the cold months, that has an effect on the products I use and wear. My skin and my lips in particular get paperdry, so a girl's got to make some changes, right? On to the products!

As for face products I've been loving some new stuff. Some are new, some I've had for a while so let's get to  it!

First up MAC Cosmetics Prep+Prime Skin Base. It's a great, basic primer for normal/dry skin. It leaves a slightly luminescent finish on the skin and makes your makeup stay on and look good for a couple of more hours than it normally would. In the warmer months, when my skin gets oily, I can't use this product as it will make my face look like a greaseball in a matter of hours, but for the state my skin is currently in, it's perfect!
It's a pump bottle which is both handy and hygienic. The bottle contains 30ml of product and costs €24.00. It is sold at all MAC Counters and ofcourse via the MAC online store.

I've been enjoying using an illuminating primer for certain spots, like cheekbones and my nose, for that "undetectable" glow. For this I use the Essence My Base Illuminating Make-Up Base. It's a pink toned iridescent primer, which just adds that little bit of glow under the foundation, making the look very natural and slightly dewy. This is also a pump action packaging, but in a tube. Very handy! It contains 20ml of product and costs €3.79 and is sold at Kruidvat. (Dutch drugstore.)

For my foundation I've recently discovered the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3in1 Foundation. My colour is 47 Nude. The foundation promises a whole lot, but all I can say is that the coverage is great, it lasts a long time and stays semi-matte on my skin. It's not a completely matte finish, it's more of a "velvety" finish, which is beautiful. The foundation is very liquidy but has a lot of pigment in it, meaning you don't need a lot for good coverage. Which is turn means you easily avoid looking cakey with this product. There's a good shade selection of these, even one a tone lighter than my one for the VERY fair ladies out there. The bottle contains 30 ml of product and costs €14.99. It's sold at all drugstores in Holland.

The face-powder I've been loving is the MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix  Powder Plus Foundation in NC 20. I know it's says "powder foundation" but I only use a light dusting of it to set my foundation and for that extra bit of coverage. It keeps my T-zone matte and if applied lightly, looks very natural. It contains 15 gr of product and costs €30.00. It's sold at all MAC Counters and ofcourse via the MAC online store.

I have lately discovered a new blush (palette) that I've been loving. It's the Sleek Make-Up BlushBy3 in "Lace". It has three colours in it and you can read and in depth review of it here. The palette contains 20 gr of product and costs €12.95. It's available from many webshops, I got mine here. It's a Dutch webshop, but Sleek is also just available through the company's own site. They ship internationally.

I've also rekindled my love for the jewel of my collection: Dior Shimmer Powder in 001 Rose Diamond. It's a light, champagne pink highlighter which gives a gorgeous, suble glow. It's just beautiful. I can sit and stare at the packaging and the product forever. It contains 10gr of product and costs €42.99 This product is available at high-end beauty stores and Dior counters.

On to the eyes! I've been keeping it simple over the winter, but here are my picks!

We'll start off small. I thought it was about time one of my favourite tools got it's time in the spotlight. I firmly believe that your make-up application is only as good as the tools you use. A good brush makes a world of difference and when it comes to eyemake-up there is one brush I can't live without and it's my MAC 217. It's a very soft, very dense, slightly domed crease/blending brush. I've not always had this brush, but since I do, I have no idea how I ever lived without it. If I was ever only allowed to have one brush, this would be it. I also have the Sigma dupe of this brush, but I do still prefer the MAC one. The MAC 217 costs €22.00 and is sold at MAC Counters and of course in their online store.

Next there's the Catrice Eye Brow Stylist in 020 Date With Ashton. I've recently gone back to brown hair, so had to change up my brows. This pencil is an ashy-brown, so very neutral. On top of it I use a warm brown to get the perfect reddish tone that suits the shade of brown I have dyed my hair. The pencil has a very waxy feel to it, which helps it stay in place better. It costs €2.49 and is sold at Kruidvat.

Recently I've fallen in love with a new mascara, a very budget proof one too! The Catrice Lashes to Kill Waterproof Volume Mascara is to me a perfect dupe of my longtime favourite, Maybelline One by One Waterproof. The mascara is very waterproof, doesn't smudge on me and is VERY clump-proof.  The wand has the classic synthetic bristles, which I do like better than the rubbery ones of the Maybelline. It's sold at Kruidvat and costs €3.99.

As eyeshadow goes, I've been keeping it simple. I've been using my Sleek Storm Palette loads and it's just a wonderful product. You can read my review on it here. The palette costs €9.95 and is available from several webshops and from the company's own site.

Beyond this palette I've been using the GOSH Effect Powder in Meringue. I found this in a sale box at Kruidvat for €2.50, which means it's no longer sold, in Holland at least. It's a beautiful shimmery pink/silver that looks almost wet on the eyelid, I love it. The down-side to working with loose powder eyeshadows is fallout, but this can be helped by tapping excess off your brush before applying it to the lid. I find that this stays well on my lid during the day. Usually shimmery/glittery eyeshadows tend to drop down under the eye during the day, but if packed on properly with a flat brush that has been tapped free of excess powder before application, this really stays in it's place. In Holland GOSH is only sold at Kruidvat.

Onto lip favourites!

To take care of my dry lips in the cold weather, I've been using my trusty Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. This little miracle cream works wonders on any dry, cracked, patchy, chapped skin/lips. I love this product and I never want to live without it. It contains Salicylic Acid which also makes it a chemical exfoliant, so I never have to physically scrub my lips. No dry, cracked winter-lippies here! My tube is a small travel size that I bought at Kruidvat for €4.99 but they don't normally carry the brand. It can otherwise be found at high-end beauty stores.

As far as lip-colour goes, I've been keeping it pretty neutral. First up is MAC Creemsheen Lipstick in Creme Cup. It is a neutral/cool toned light pink with a very moisturizing formular. On my pigmented lips it does look a little warmer than on less pigmented lips. The colour is a perfect neutral lipcolour, goes with anything and is perfect for work/school. MAC lipsticks are €18.50 and for sale at MAC Counters and the MAC online store.

Next up the a L'Oreal Caresse Lipstick in the colour 401 Rebel Red. This is a sheer, warm toned red. They call it a lipstick, but it is really a tinted lipbalm. It's very sheer, very shiny, moisturizing and perfect for a bit of colour without wearing a full-on red lip. Perfect for people who might not quite dare the bright red, like MAC Russian Red or similar. It costs €14.99 and is sold in all drugstores.

L'Oreal Caresse Rebel Red - MAC Creme Cup

Lastly a couple of other beauty related favourites!

We'll start with my true love out of these 4. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Toilette. I'm horrible at describing scents, so I won't even try. This is just divine and I'm unfortunately running out. This is pretty much my signature scent, I love it. It's fresh, but not juvenile. This bottle contains 50 ml of perfume and costs €69.00 and is available at any high-en beauty store that carries Chanel scents.

In winter, as I've said a few times now, my skin dries out. Not just on my face, but all over and especially my  hands. To try and prevent that from happening my husband bought me the OPI Avoplex High-Intensity Hand & Nail Cream. It's been wonderful to not have dry, itchy, painful hands the entire season, this cream really is amazing. It sinks into the skin right away, moisturizes instantly and to top it off, it has a wonderful citrusy scent. The tube contains 50 ml and costs €12.95. Available at stores with a larger OPI Display.

To keep on the trail of the dry skin, Rexona Cotton Ultra Dry Anti-Perspirant Anti-Tranpirant Dry Deo Stick 0% Alcohol 48H. Whoa, what a name! But basically, it's a deodorant stick that you twist up and it's a firm, cry cream you apply. It keeps my skin moisturized, dry and avoids smelliness. (This is a tad awkward, but hey we're being honest with eachother here, right?) This costs €4.99 and is available in drugstores.

Lastly we have a hairproduct! I am not a wiz of any kind when it comes to hair, I am actually really bad at it. And it doesn't help that my hair is as thin as my thumb when gathered in a pony-tail. So to add some texture and volume I've been using this Mop C-System Texture Spray. It's basically a salt-water spray with a fancy scent, but I like the messy effect it gives. I spray this on my roots and let it airdry (because I am lazy and can hardly ever be bothered to pick up my blow-drier). It just provides me with texture and body that my sleek, straight, thin hair does not naturally have. I can't find a price anywhere of this, as it seems to be discontinued.


And that's all folks! Thank you for reading, feel free to leave a comment telling me about your favourites or something you think I should try out.

Favorites of the moment!

Thought I’d make a post about which products are my favorites at this point in time. Often you’ll see them done each month on blogs, but that’s not a commitment I’m ready to make yet!

First up is a scent: Kruidvat Master Perfumer in Amber No. 53. It’s a fresh but fruity scent and most of all very feminine. It’s a very easy scent to wear, perfect for work/school/every day. It being extremely cheap does help a lot too; this bottle is 50ml and costs € 7.99 at Kruidvat. (Dutch Drugstore. And my former employer!)

MAC Fix+ which many beauty freaks will recognize. I use this to set my make-up, to make a foundation brush damp before application, to wet eye shadows before I use them for more intense color. This baby does it all! MAC Fix+ is available at all MAC counters and online retailers and costs €16.50.

Elizabeth Arden 8hour Cream. This is a beauty legend and has been in the game for many, many years. I use this for dry, chapped lips and any dry patches of skin. Been using this a lot lately, must be the season! I bought this travel size at Kruidvat for €4.99

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in 22 Beige Rose. The formula of this is amazing, very light but gives plenty of coverage (for me at least.) .  The color of this is too pink for me so I mix it with the other foundation. Available at Chanel counters and luxury beauty stores, €41.18

Catrice Photo Finish Liquid Foundation 18h in 010 Sand Beige. This is a tried and true favorite of mine, but slightly too yellow for my skin, which is why I mix it with the Chanel. It’s fairly long-lasting, and great on normal/combo skin. Available at Kruidvat, € 5.99

Catrice Liquid Liner Waterproof in 010 Don’t Leave Me. This is a great fluid liner, very black and does NOT budge until you remove it with waterproof make-up remover.  Available at Kruidvat, €3.75

MAC Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20. I use this on my lower waterline for a more “awake” look, practically every day. It’s more natural looking than a stark white and dark liner on my waterline tends to make my eyes look small. Only available at MAC Pro stores, €17.00

Catrice Absolute Eye Color Mono in Bring Me Frosted Cake and My First Copperware Party.  Bring Me Frosted Cake is a very light pink, almost white, which makes for either a good eyelid base shadow or highlight. It’s completely matte. My First Copperware Party is almost identical to MAC’s Satin Taupe, a cult favorite in the beauty community, and is a great all over shade for the lid or the crease. It looks great on all skin tones and eye colors. Available at Kruidvat, €2.79

Accidentally swatched these opposite of the first picture and BMFC barely shows up, but then again it IS a highlighter.

Catrice Prime and Fine Highlighting Powder. This is a gorgeous pinky-gold, very subtle highlight. It’s great for cheekbones, inner corner or brow highlighting due to being so subtle it’s also good for daytime without being too shimmery. Available at Kruidvat, €4.49

NYX Blush in 06 Peach. A very pretty, natural blushing color on me. It can be very subtle or prominent, depending on application. Goes with everything! Bought this online for €6.66

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 01. A very beautiful deep, true red color. I don’t often wear this full on, but tend to apply very little in the center of my lips and then dab it out with my fingers for a nice stained “just bitten” look.  Available at all drugstores around the world that carry Rimmel, €9.49

Catrice Ultimate Color Lipstick in 160 Tell me a Berry-Tale. A very intense berry-plum color which looks beautiful when worn full on, or as a stain. I’m a big fan of this for fall/winter! Available at Kruidvat, €3.99

Lastly there are two polishes I’ve been wearing non-stop since I got them and they are both China Glaze. First up is Watermelon Rind which is a beautiful dark teal, with lots of tiny glass flecks in it which makes it a very interesting polish to wear and look at, especially in sun light. The other is Four Leaf Clover which is a bright teal/green crème finish. Not exactly what you’d expect for fall as it is practically neon, but I love how happy and bubbly it looks, so I wear it a lot! I’ll probably switch over to burgundy, reds and grays soon enough! My husband bought these for me online. China Glaze retails for €5.95.

That’s it for now, thank you for stopping by and thank you for reading! Let me know your favorites in the comments below!