HAPPY NEW YEAR

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

I would like to thank you all for being with me and checking out the (sometimes crappy) stuff that I shared with you! This blog has gotten 6000 clicks this year which makes me so grateful because there are people who like reading what I'm writing.

I hope that you all have a wonderful 2012 and...
...that your dreams come true
...that you reach your aims
...that you have fun with the people you love
...that you can enjoy this new year full of new challenges, decisions and things to deal with

Much love,
Nathalie xxxxxx

20 Questions TAG

Hey guys,
I hope that you all had a wonderful christmas and spent lots of time with your families and friends!
As I'm kinda lazy right now (christmas food, I look at you!), I decided to post a tag today because it's fun and not too much effort to post ;)

This is the 20 Questions Tag by AllThatGlitters21 (I liked the questions):

1. Things you cannot leave the house without
Lipstick, keys, gum, pressed face powder, blotting papers, cell phone, iPod (!) and chapstick.

2. Favorite Brand of Makeup
Hm...I haven't tried out soo many yet, but I really like L'Oréal and Catrice. I wanna try out MAC and Urban Decay so badly!

3. Favorite Flowers
Daisies!

4. Favorite Clothing Store
H&M all the way.

5. Favorite Perfume
Must be three: Daisy by Marc Jacobs for everyday in summer, Kate by Kate Moss for every  day in winter and Parisienne by YSL for special occasions.

6. Heels or flats?
I love wearing heels, must I mostly run around in flats.

7. Do you make good grades?
Fortunately, I do. :)

8. Favorite colors
Deep red and grass green. But I like black and white, too.

9. Do you drink energy drinks?
Nope. I swear by coffee or coke.

10. Do you drink juice?
Rarely, and if so, mixed with a lot of water.

11. Do you like swimming?
Yes, but I barely do it.

12. Do you eat fries with a fork?
At home: yes. At any fast food restaurant: no!

13. What's Your Favorite Moisturizer?
Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer is amazing!

14. Do you want to get married later on in life?
Oh yes! And I want a BIG wedding :)

15. Do you get mad easily?
Unfortunately, I do, but I get down again in 2 seconds because I tell myself that I could be happy instead, and so then I am ;)

16. Are you into ghost hunting?
Ehm...NO?!

17. Any phobias?
I'm disgusted by most kind of insects and of spiders, but I don't have a serious phobia.

18. Do you bite your nails?
No. But I work on my cuticles when I'm really stressed out (bad habit! Trying to break it!)

19. Have you ever had a near death experience?
No. I didn't even faint in my entire life!

20. Do you drink coffee?
Oh yes! I always say there ain't nothing better than a good cup of coffee.


I hope that you guys liked this post and I TAG everyone of you to do this!

Love,
Nathalie x

P.S. Don't forget to eat even more :)

The Daily Nail: 2 Holiday Nail Ideas (+ Tutorials!)

1.) Golden-Red Half-Moon Nails

I love the combination of red and golden nail polish: so festive! Especially when worn as half-moon nails which are -really- super easy to do!

TUTORIAL:
• Apply a base coat on to your nails.
• Add one coat of an opaque golden nail polish (you may want to go over it in case it doesn't cover perfectly).
• Let COMPLETELY dry.
• Put one reinforcement ring on each of your nail, creating a half-moon shape.
• Use an opaque (bloody) red nail polish and paint the rest of your nails.
• Let dry properly.
• Carefully remove the reinforcement rings and apply a clear top coat.

2.) Easy Peasy Candy Cane Nails

These cute candy cane nails look very special, but are in fact easy to make (if you have a steady hand!).

TUTORIAL:
• Apply a base coat.
• Add one coat of an opaque, solid red nail polish on to your nails.
• Use a white striper or a french nails tip painter to create diagonal stripes on your nails. I painted 3 stripes on each of my fingers except for the thumbs: on those I added one more stripe. Do as many as you nail length lets you!
• Apply a glittery red nail polish on to your nails.

P.S.
- second look & tutorial borrowed from youtube.com/cutepolish, but tried and tested (and loved!) all by myself :)
- for the second look I used essence's nail polish duo in 'applause applause' from the Circus Circus LE


I hope that you liked this post!


HAPPY HOLIDAYS ♥

Love,
Nathalie x

Christmas Highlight: essence Highlighter Powder (Circus Circus LE)

So guys,

a beauty blogger can never say no to a highlighter, right?

So this is my newest shimmery addiction that makes my cheeks glow adorably.

I found thid at the drugstore yesterday and I bought without even thinking about it in less than a minute.

It's a compact, solid case that contains a buttery, deep golden highlighter. As you can see, a circus tent is impressed in the powder.

Bad quality...SORRY!

It's a pretty pigmented powder that's easily blendable. I works wonderfully for my cool-toned skin and it's just perfect to warm up the silvery holiday makeup I'm planning to do.

What's your favorite highlighter at the moment?

Love,

Nathalie x

3 Beauty/Fashion/Food Tips That Will Simplify Your Life

1.) Get perfect cat-eyes in 5 minutes!
Jane Marie's Cat-Eye Tutorial shows you how effortlessly drawing a cat-eye is using scotch tape.


How to Be a Girl: Cat Eyes By Magic! from The Hairpin on Vimeo.

Note: I tried and tested it! Works perfectly!

2.) Discover new ways to wear your scarves!
This is a must for everyone that likes fashion, even if just a tiny bit. Stun your friends by wearing your scarves differently every day.



3.) Drink more water!
Everybody's preaching that drinking water is good for your skin, but you can't brace yourself up for it though?
Five reasons that drinking water is good for you:
• Your skin will be a lot more moisturized (It's winter time! It's important!)
• Your under-eye circles will (almost) disappear
• Your tummy will appear thinner
• You won't be hungry as often as now (another bonus for your body)
• Your body will be cleansed (bad toxins can get out of your body)

Four tips to drink more water:
• Always carry a bottle of water with you (if you see it, you will drink it!)
• Eat water rich foods such as watermelon or tomatoes
• Plan how much water you want to drink a day (e.g. eight 8-ounce-glasses)
• Add lemons or limes to your water if you find the "original" taste way too boring


I hope you that liked this post!

Love, Nathalie x

Sunday Shopping My Stash #1

Hey everyone!

So, I finally got around to posting my very first 'Sunday Shopping The Stash' post, inspired by the wonderful Adrienne (thesundaygirl.com). I rediscovered a few products and added a couple of new ones, so here we go:

Everything I need on a daily basis fits in this cute little plastic box.

Rimmel London Powder Blush in 101 Pink Sugar

I just bought this a few weeks ago and I have used it ever since. It's a gorgeous rosy pink color that looks so flattering on me, especially on my (very) pale winter skin. I don't like the brush, I just put it in the case to take the photos.

bebe young care goodbye makeup Tinted Moisturizer in light

I'm still on the hunt for a new foundation that suits my winter skin (drier, but still oily and very pale). Until I've found the perfect match, I will go with this tinted moisturizer. It's decent quality, but not the best one, I'm using it just for the sake of using it up.

Carmex Lip Balm

I need a least one jar of this every winter. This stuff is incredible, it heals my lips, protects them and makes them shine. Seriously, I cannot live without this.

NYX Concealer in a jar in CJ03 Light

This is the best concealer I've discovered so far. Creamy, easily blendable consistency and a decent lasting power. Plus, there are a lot of different shades to choose from. I love NYX!

 Catrice Eyebrow Set

I'm very picky when it comes to eyebrow stuff because my eyebrows basically do not exist. I bought this box because a lot of people recommended this and I thought I just give it a try. Now I love it! The light powder is probably good for blondes or redheads, so as the brunette that I am, I'm using the darker powder with an angled eyeliner brush. It works fantastic! Plus it's super easy to take with you (the box also contains mini tweezers and a mine angled brush).

Manhattan M&Buffalo Beige Ballerina

When I bought this eyeshadow box back in June this year, it drove me crazy. But as I'm terribly in need for a few good neutral e/s shades, this one has to work with a good eye primer.

e.l.f. Eyelid Primer

When I got this, I was disappointed with it because my eyeshadows creased super quickly. But now the primer and me are in a relationship, we really love each other. ;) Best primer I've used so far and the price is unbeatable!

L'Oréal Paris Super Liner (Lineur Intense) in Carbon Gloss

Millions of women love this liquid eyeliner for a reason (amongst me). Easy to apply, incredible staying power, deep black color. I will love this forever!

Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion

I love this mascara a lot, it stretches my lashes and volumizes them and it doesn't smudge at all. I just wish it was a little more black...

Manhattan X-Treme Last & Shine Lipstick in 56D

This lipstick is really nice, it gives my lips a berry color with a satin finish without drying them out too much. And it lasts a long time!

P.S. Please excuse the bad picture quality, the rainy weather wasn't picture-friendly. ;)

Love,
Nathalie x

Daily Perfection: Nicole Richie

Hey guys!
Long time, no 'Daily Perfection' post, so here we go again:

Picture is from glamour.com

The cutest smokey eyes I've seen this year! Basically a thick line on the upper lash line with a deep grey gel eyeliner (or a black liquid with grey eyeshadow on top). So pretty! The peachy lips complete the gorgeous look.
BTW, have you noticed how effortless her hair looks?

Love,
Nathalie x

Two-In-One: e.l.f. haul + lip combination

Hey everyone!
I hope you're doing fine, and I apologize for not having blogged for about a week. I've been SO busy that I don't even know where to begin doing everything I have to.
So today I decided to do a Two-in-One Post because I can't seem to find the time to post a lot right now.

First up:  The lip combination I've been loving lately!

 I love lip glosses so much, but I just can't wear them alone in winter because if I do, it takes 5 minutes for my lips to crack and that's bad. So I figured to use a nude lipstick under it.

Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Nude Pink
This is actually not a nude pink in my opinion, it's more like an orangey coral, but with it lipgloss below, it actually looks pretty gorgeous!
Lipgloss: Catrice Lip Appeal in Bare Necessity
Favorite nude lipgloss ever. Full stop.

P.S. Thumbs up for weird mouths!

Second topic: My first e.l.f. haul!
If you follow me on twitter, you know I went crazy when the order arrived. I know you always have to be careful with e.l.f. stuff because some products are really awesome but some are just awful. After reading a bunch of reviews, I got this ( +quick reviews!):

• e.l.f. Stipple Brush

I love this brush a lot! It blends my foundation perfectly leaving my skin looking flawless and natural. I have been using this for 2-3 weeks now and I washed it a couple of times and the hair loss is slight. I recommend buying this!

• e.l.f. Eyelid Primer

Maybe it was a little blasphemic to believe that a very cheap eye primer could hold my makeup in place. My eye shadow creases super quickly (I have oily lids, BTW). Only use this if your lids are very dry.

• e.l.f. Smudge Brush

Lost a couple of hair, but this does a great job smudging eyeshadow on my lower lash line.

• e.l.f. Blending Eye Brush

This brush lost the most hair, but blends my eye shadows so well that I just fell in love with it.

Love,
Nathalie x

QUIZ: What's your perfect holiday makeup?

Hey guys!
I know that a lot of you are probably struggling with what makeup you're going to wear this christmas. I admit that it's a little early to think about it now, but when you have a clue about how your makeup should look like, you still got thechance to get your hands on the cute (LIMITED!) holiday collections by MAC, Sleek, Chanel etc.
So let's just jump right into it!

1.) Are you into wearing glitter?
A: Well, depends on where and how much.
B: Oh yes, I love glitter!
C: Hell, no!

2.) Do you want your makeup to be more subtle or more eye-catching?
A: Eye-Catching, please!
B: A little bit of both, I would say.
C: Subtle, but festive, is what I want.

3.) Do you like trying out (glamorous) colors when it comes to makeup?
A: Yeah, I do!
B: No, not really.
C: Yes, but only subtle ones like some berry shades.

Mostly A: Tiffany's Deep Purple Smokey Eye
This look is perfect for everyone who likes to try out some color, but who also wants to looks glamorous and festive. Dark purple is very noble and combined with some shimmery grey shades, it makes the perfect holiday look for you!




Mostly B: Allison's Shimmery Grey Eye
If you're not into wearing colors, but into glitter even more, this is the perfect look for you! A shimmery grey smokey eye is always gorgeous, combined with the highlighter and the shimmery lips, it's a wonderful holiday look.



Mostly C: Ingrid's Subtle Brown Eye + Berry Lips
If you're one of those who tend to love and wear warmer colors, then this is your look. The warm brown eye makeup matches the beautiful berry lip.





Note: The videos are just suggestions for you that are supposed to guide you. Use the makeup that you have (or that you're going to buy: We all go a little crazy before christmas!). You can totally change the looks, my tips:
• Look A/B/C: Add false lashes if the eyes are not dramatic enough for you.
• Look C: Apply a berry lipstick (and not a lipstain) to achieve more coverage and a deeper color.
• Look A: If you don't like purple, use a dark green or blue.


I really hope that you enjoyed this post!
Have fun playing around with your makeup to find out which look is YOUR look!

Lots of love,
Nathalie T

New Benefit Powder Alert: Hervana

Hey guys!
If you're a lover of benefit powders, it's time for you to squeal right now!

HERVANA

In February 2012, Benefit is due to launch a new face powder called 'Hervana'. It's a multi-colored powder with shades of shell, peach, rose and berry that make a beautiful color when mixed together!

All 3 pictures are from here

Are you interested in the new benefit powder?

Love,
Nathalie x

2 Healthy (and super yummy!) Breakfast Ideas

Porridge with pear and cinnamon
I always cook this in fall/winter when I have to stay home because I'm sick. Also the perfect breakfast for rainy days. Warms me up and makes me feel good.

The picture is from here

What you need (for 1 serving):
• as many oat flakes as you like (no instant product!)
• 1 cup (250 ml) of fat-reduced milk + a little more
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 pear, peeled and finely chopped

Directions:
1.) Pour milk into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Don't let it burn!
2.) Add oat flakes, cook it for 1 minute, take it off the fireside and reduce heat. Simmer until the milk is soaked up and then add a little more. Keep on stirring!
3.) When the oat flakes are soft, add sugar and cinnamon. Finally, add the chopped pear and cook it for another 2-3 minutes until the pear is warmed.



Sliced Apple With Cottage Cheese Dip
I discovered this recipe on realsimple.com. I changed it a little bit to make it breakfast-worthy. It gives your body everything it needs; proteins, vitamins and a little sugar. Plus it's super easy to make!

The picture is from here

What you need (for 1 serving):
• 1 big apple (my favorite sort is Pink Lady)
• 1/2 cup (120g) of cottage cheese
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• optional: 1 tablespoon of raisins

Directions:
1.) Slice the apple, put the slices on a plate and set aside.
2.) Mix the cottage cheese with the honey and put it in the middle of the plate (shown above). If you want to, add raisins.

I hope you enjoy these dishes!

Love,
Nathalie x

My Evening Skincare Routine

Hey guys!
I really have been in love with my evening skincare routine lately. I have found products that work well for my skin and I've done this routine for about a month, so I got really quick at it and I can proudly announce that it doesn't take me more than 10 minutes to get my basic routine done! I decided to divide this post into what I do everyday and what I do just once or twice a week.
Disclaimer: I'm using products for combination/oily skin.

The Basics

Step 1: Makeup Wipes

Picture is from here 

I used to remove my eye makeup with a 2-phase eye makeup remover, but I discovered that makeup wipes remove my entire makeup way better! I love Nivea's Facial Cleansing Wipes for normal to combination skin, they leave my skin refreshed and not too oily.
What I do: I take one wipe and remove my foundation and concealer with it at first, after that I remove my eye makeup (I don't like having removed mascara/eyeliner smeared all over my face).


Step 2: Wash Gel

Picture is from here

So now that my skin is clean, I'm moving into step 2. I have been using Nivea's Facial Wash Gel for a good 3 or 4 months and it didn't break my skin out. It also smells really amazing and moisturizes my skin.
What I do: I wet my face a little bit. Then I get a normal facial brush (you can get it at any drugstore OR check out the Clarisonic System), wet it and apply an amount of wash gel on it (just the size of a hazelnut). I work the wash gel on to my skin in circular motions, concentrating on my T-Zone. I make sure not to rubb my cheeks to much because they're way more sensitive than my T-Zone. All in all, I exfoliate my skin about 60 seconds.

Step 3: Toner

Picture is from here

I actually haven't planned to feature so many Nivea products in here, but obviously I use lots of them ;) I bought Nivea's Refreshing Toner when my other one ran out and I thought I just give it try because the wash gel had deeply satisfied me. I really like the smell of it (Nivea products smell SO good!). It's alcohol-free and leaves my skin refreshed and moisturized.
What I do: I get a clean cotton pad and drizzle a little toner on it. I gently put the toner on my face and on my neck.

Step 4: Moisturizer

Picture is from here

Surprise: It's not a Nivea product! I just got this moisturizer yesterday but I already fell in love with it. It's a creamy texture, almost like a rich cream (which I love in winter!) and it absorbs very quickly. It evens out my skin leaving it perfectly moisturized. I also used it this morning and I can say that it controls the oils on my skin amazingly!

What I do: I get a pea-size amount on my finger and gently work it into my skin.

The Specials

Face Masks

• Purifying: I swear by masks that contain dead sea mud, they deeply clean my skin. Whenever I notice that my skin gets worse, I put on this mask and after 1 or 2 days, everything's fine again.

• Moisturizing: I love moisturizing sheet masks in fall/winter! My skin is soft and refreshed after use. I usually cuddle up under my blanket, turn on my iPod, apply the mask and relax. After about 20 minutes, I take it off and gently massage the rests into my skin.

• Peel-Off: I sometimes use those masks instead of an exfoliator. They soften my skin and deeply clean it.

Scrubs

No, NOT the TV series (that I love), it's about exfoliating my skin. I usually get dead skin particles off with my facial brush, but sometimes I feel like I need to do MORE. I grab a warming scrub, apply this to my clean skin and leave it there for about 5 minutes. Then I wash it off and use toner and moisturizer,

Vapor Bath (for my face, of course!)

I like to do that because -guess what- it cleans my skin and on top of that, I think it's relaxing.

How I do it: I fill hot water into a big bowl and add two bags of camomile tea (calms my skin). I put my skin over the bowl and then I grab a towel and put it over my head (the vapor is not supposed to go anywhere but in my face!). I set a timer on 10 minutes and just relax.

I hope you liked this blog post! Please leave a comment below and tell me about your routine! I'd love to read how you do it :)

Love,
Nathalie x

Twilight Takes Over: 12 days until Breaking Dawn!

I don't know if you like(d)/love(d) Twilight, but in fact, you can't ignore the hype around Breaking Dawn. Since I'm a twilight fan at heart, I decided to dedicate one blog post to the vampire saga that has captured me for more that 2 years now.


5 random facts about Twilight (did you know them yet?)
• Stephenie Meyer got the idea of writing a book after a dream on June 2, 2003.
• The original title of the first book was 'Forks' after the setting of the book.
• Robert Pattinson was starring in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'.
• Kristen Stewart got her first role at the age of 10 in 'Panic Room' playing Jodie Foster's film daughter.
• Stephenie Meyer says she wants to publish 'Midnight Sun' someday, but if you can't wait, read the first chapter here.


My favorite Twilight quote?
Well there are a lot actually...


Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something. (Bella Swan, Twilight, p.1)


I love you. It's a poor excuse for what I'm doing, but it's still true. (Edward Cullen, Twilight, p.366)


With shake legs, ignoring the fact that my action was useless, I followed him into the forest. The evidence of his path had disappeared instantly. There were no footprints, the leaves were still again, but I walked forward without thinking. I could not do anything else. I had to keep moving. If I stopped looking for him, it was over. Love, live, meaning ...over. (Bella Swan, New Moon, p.73)


I could fill up this entire blog with quotes, but I just concentrated on a couple of them that stuck in my head ;)


What team am I?
TEAM EDWARD, I've always been. My best friend even gave me a 'Team Edward' T-Shirt for christmas 2 years ago!


My favorite Twilight book?
Twilight I guess. It's so sweet to read, I really like to reread it at least once a year because I like it so much.


The 'Breaking Dawn Part I' Soundtrack List:
The Joy Formidable, "Endtapes"
Angus & Julia Stone, "Love Will Take You"
Bruno Mars, "It Will Rain"
Sleeping at Last, "Turning Page"
The Features, "From Now On"
Christina Perri, "A Thousand Years"
Theophilus London, "Neighbors"
The Belle Brigade, "I Didn’t Mean It"
Noisettes, "Sister Rosetta (2011 Version)"
Cider Sky, "Northern Lights"
Iron & Wine, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Wedding Version)"
Imperial Mammoth, "Requiem on Water"
Aqualung & Lucy Schwartz, "Cold"
Mia Maestro, "Llovera"
Carter Burwell, "Love Death Rebirth"


The Breaking Dawn Trailer:





Are you guys excited for Breaking Dawn?

Love,
Nathalie x

Versace for H&M: Lookbook

Picture is from here

All pictures are from jolie.de. I don't own anything.

To find out if the collection is available at your local H&M, check hm.com.


Do you like the collection?

Love,
Nathalie x