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

Tutorial: Soft shimmery eye and neutral pink lips!

Time for another tutorial! I was heading out for an afternoon birthday-gathering and decided to do a tutorial on the look I was wearing.

As always I start with a moisturized and primed face. As my all-over face primer I used the MAC Comestics  Prep+Prime Skin Base and locally (on my cheekbones, forehead and chin) I used the Essence My Base illuminating make-up base. On my eyelids I used my Too Face Shadow Insurance, as always, and on my lips I used a thin layer of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour cream.

I then applied my foundation and concealer using a damp Beauty Blender sponge. As foundation I used a 50/50 mix of Estee Lauder Double Wear in the colour Shell 15 and Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3in1 Foundation in the colour Nude 47. I applied oncealer under my eyes, around my nostils and under my eyebrows. For eyes and nostrils I used the Maybelline Super Stay Concealer in the colour Light 2. Under my eyebrows I used MAC Cosmetics Studio Sculpt Concealer in NW15. I always conceal under my eyebrows, it works as a subtle highlight and also helps define the brow.


Next I used my Catrice Eyebrow Stylist in 020 Date with Ashton and ontop of that I used Urban Decays "Buck" eyeshadow (from my Naked Pallette) with a fine angled brush to define the brow and set the pencil. To make sure everything stayed in place all day I used my Hema Eyebrow Gel in Brown. To highlight the brow and set the concealer I used under the brow I used Catrice Absolutely Eye Colour Mono in 090 Bring Me Frosted Cake.

To define my crease I first used the matte light-brown from the Sleek Storm pallette with a soft crease brush (MAC 217 Dupe from Sigma) and blended this lightly over my entire crease area. For soft definiton I used the same brush to apply the darker brown colour from the same pallette in the outer corner and crease.

On the eyelid I used GOSH Effect Powder in Meringue, which is a beautiful shimmering pink colour. I applied this with a flat, firm paddle-brush and patted it onto the lid. If you were to apply a powder like this with a swiping motion, more of it would end up under your eye than on it. Patting it on insures that the pigment and the shimmer stays put.

Again for soft defition I used an angled liner brush with the matte black from the Sleek Storm pallette as an eyeliner and applied along my upper lashline while slightly brushing up. This blends the liner and gives a much softer look than gel or liquid liner. I made a small flick at the end, to optically lift my eyes a little, I always do this with liner, but never a full wing since it doesn't work on my hooded lids. On my waterline I used MAC Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20. This again just helps opening up your eyes.


Lash curling and mascara time! I was thankfully blessed with fairly long lashes, they are just very straight so I always, always, always curl them. It just opens your eyes up and looks (in my opinion) a lot better. To make sure the curl stays in I use waterproof mascara.

My lash curler is from Tweezerman and the mascara I used is Catrice Lashes to Kill Waterproof Volume Mascara. It's a great formula and in my book a very good, and much cheaper, dupe for Maybellines One by One.

Time for one of my favourite steps in makeup: blush and bronzer! My bronzer is from the Body Shop, it's the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in the shade 02. It's a brilliant bronzer for fair skin, without being TOO orange as long as you use a light hand with it. I apply this under my cheekbones, on my temples, along the hairline and jawline with a Sigma Tapered Face brush. It blends wonderfully into the skin. For blush I used NYX Blush om 03 Angel. It's a shimmery pink, again perfect for fair skin, but probably won't show up much on medium or dark skintones. I applied this to my cheeks with a Duo Fiber Stippling Brush.

For blush I used NYX Blush om 03 Angel. It's a shimmery pink, again perfect for fair skin, but probably won't show up much on medium or dark skintones. I applied this to my cheeks with a Duo Fiber Stippling Brush.

As a highlighter I used the gem of my collection this far, the Dior Shimmer Powder in 001 Rose Diamond. It's a beautiful champagne pink, with subtle shimmer and is again perfect for very fair skin. For slightl darker ladies they have a version called Amber Diamon which is a warm, gold toned highlighter. Also gorgeous!

As a lipliner I used my Catrice Precision Lipliner in 030 Lost in the Rose Wood. I applied this on on the contours of my lips and blended it with my finger for a more natural definition.

As for lipstick I used my MAC Cosmetics Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup. It's a cool-toned rosey pink. Very pretty and very neutral, so also work-appropriate!

I topped everything off with a light dusting of MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Powder Foundation in the colour NC20.

And here's the final result:

An overall very soft, and I think, pretty look.

Feel free to click the pictures for larger, high defintion photos. I tried something new with making the small collages, but they do need a clickity-click for a proper view of the make-up.

Thank you for reading and untill next time!