Empties #6

I never thought I would say that one day, but I am actually going through a lot of products on a regular basis. I've been accumulating empty products like a maniac, the reason also being that I used to never finish anything and therefore had a lot of just-about-empty bottles all over my bathroom. Long gone are the days of me thinking that way!
Since Empties posts will come a lot more frequently on this blog now, I am not going to talk about every single product in full as it's time-consuming and I find it really annoying (sorry!). Therefore, I will make the odd note here and there but that shall be it. However, if you want to know more about a certain product, you are of course more than welcome to ask about it in the comments and I will get back to you.

Artdeco Eyeshadow No.26

After rather extensively enjoying my last break in school (graduation comes closer and closer - eek!), I thought I'd share a little makeup gem with you that has been gracing my eyelids non-stop for the past week or so. It's the Artdeco Eyeshadow in the color 26 that has won me over completely and let me tell you that is rare as I'm not really an eyeshadow person!

 

January Beauty Favorites 2013

As you can see, there's not too many beauty products this month for multiple reasons. First up, I've been sick pretty much throughout the entire month and the least thing I can be bothered with when feeling awful is makeup. Also school started again for me which means I take very little risk and tend to rely on the beauty bits that I know work for me. I feel an everyday makeup post coming soon...

Anyway, here's what made the cut this month:

Korres Lip Butter in Quince

Korres is a brand that has intrigued me for quite a long time now. It not being readily available where I live has made me stick to stalking their products online only and with every praise I read, I knew I wanted to try one of their lip butters. After checking out review goddess Adrienne it was Quince that won me over -- a mid-toned blue pink that would add only a hint a color to my everyday makeup while making sure my lips stay in tip top condition.

My Makeup (and Hair): Minimal Summer Beauty

I've been doing lots of summer-related posts recently, mainly due to the reason that we had quite a bit of sun in Germany recently which I tried to enjoy as much as possible. Since I was staying outside so much, I tried to use as few products as possible aiming my makeup to look effortless and bronzed.

Empties #2

July is over folks! I can't believe how quickly this month passed by, that means my vacation is coming to an end very soon! I've been good at finishing products this month although I will probably not use up enough products to make these posts on a monthly basis in the future.

I recently watched a video from Leigh Ann who discussed her finished products and she actually (hilariously!) put the whole idea of Empties posts/videos in a nutshell:

"Hey, here's my bag of trash, do you guys wanna hear about it?"

July Empties!

My Top 5 Summer Nail Polishes

In Europe, summer seems to come out for a few days every now and then which can be quite annoying, but hey, at least we get some sun and hot temperatures after all, eh?
During the summer time, I don't feel like wearing dark or generally dull polishes at all and so as soon as the first UV rays hit my face, I crack out the brightest bottles of varnish I can find in my collection. The ones above are my top favorites which means that one of those is likely going to adorn my nails when I give myself a mani next time.

What's In My Handbag? (Travel Edition)

I'm currently on my annual summer vacation, this year the family and I are headed back to the seaside in Northern Germany where we're going to spend a bit more than a week. The distance is not so huge and so we are taking the car to get there. You all know how boring and long car travels can be, so today I thought I'd show you how I keep myself pretty and entertained by showing you what's in my handbag!

Glossybox Young Beauty

I'm fairly new to the market of beauty subscription services which offer to deliver you a selection of full-size products and luxury samples right to your doorstep every month. I've always been a bit terrified of this to be honest, I can't choose the things I want to get and even though I love surprises (and parcels!), I never gave in.

However, I made an exception when I was browsing the Glossybox website recently and saw that they launched a limited edition box called "Glossybox Young Beauty" which could be ordered without subscribing to the entire service. Considering the reasonable price of €10, I hit the "Order" button without even thinking about it. The box was created for young girls who want to have fun and experiment with makeup and so it is right up my street!

Makeup Monday: June 25th

Today I wanted to share a really easy, but chic and pretty eye makeup with you. I used my new theBalm eyeshadow (more in-depth review coming soon) and created a look with it.

Here's the tutorial:


1.) Apply an eye primer to make your shadows last longer and to make them look more vibrant.
2.) Swipe a white/light beige eyeshadow all over your lid.
3.) Apply a light brown shade in your crease, this is going to be that "best friend color". It makes blending the shadows together a lot easier.
4.) Put a taupe-y purple eyeshadow on to the outer 2/3 of your lid and blend it into the crease.
5.) Use a fluffy blending brush to blend all the shadows out.
6.) Use a black liquid liner to line your top lash line. Slightly thicken the line as you go outwards.
7.) Curl your lashes and apply one or two coats of your favorite mascara.

Products used:

• L'Oréal Studio Secrets Smoothing Eye Primer
• Catrice Smokey Eyes Set in "030" (the lightest shade)
• Artdeco Eye Brow Powder in "5"
• theBalm Shady Lady in "Just This Once Jamie"
• L'Oréal Super Liner (Lineur Intense) in Carbon Gloss (Carbon Black)
• L'Oréal Telescopic Waterproof Mascara

What has been your go-to makeup lately?

Love,
Nathalie x

Paris Haul!

Hi guys!

I safely arrived home yesterday from a lovely 4-day trip to Paris. I experienced so much and am still a bit overwhelmed by everything! We did loads of sightseeing, but our teachers allowed us one or two hours every now and then for a bit of shopping and relaxing too. I actually didn't buy that much as it was more important to me to get a few bits that are not that easily available near me.

We took a little trip to Sephora on Champs Elysées and it was fantastic! I swatched dozens of products and perfumes and picked up a few pieces I wanted to try.

• Yes To Carrots Lip Butter in Berry
I have wanted this for ages and it hasn't disappointed me at all! It's a very moisturizing lip balm that leaves the slightest glossy sheen on my lips. This might become a new handbag essential of mine!

• Sephora Eau Micellaire Démaquillante / Triple Action Cleansing Water
Everyone in the beauty world is raving about micellar solutions for removing your makeup, so I figured I would give the Sephora one a whirl. I might purchase the full size if I like it!

• Sephora Thé Vert Eau de Toilette / Green Tea Eau de Toilette
I love green tea and when I saw this in store, I just had to test it out. It smells very refreshing and I feel like it's a nice little perfume to keep in your bag during the summer time!

• Sephora Nail Polish in L11 Samba in Rio
I was admiring all the nail polishes they had in store and I picked out this bright coral color with a bit of red. I'm excited to see how it applies, wears and all that stuff. Expect a "Daily Nail" post soon!

I also passed what felt like a zillion of magazine stands and got the July issue of Glamour (which was on a €1 offer, score!). I read a bit of this on the train back home and really like it so far! Oh and yes, I do speak french ;-)

We checked out multiple souvenir shops at Montmartre and I also got a few things there. First of all, I got myself a cute mug with the Paris writing on it. I also always get some Eiffel Tower key chains because they're really cheap and I also lose them all the time haha! Oh and I found the prettiest silver charm bracelet too :)

We also stepped into the H&M store on Champs Elysées, it's my tradition to go there every time I am in Paris. It's the H&M biggest store I've ever been to and also it's the only store I know that gives away paper bags instead of the boring plastic ones. I got a satin-like carrée which I absolutely adore (and adore is an understatement here). It looks so chic and elegant! Besides, I got my hands on this cute rose gold bracelet that actually goes very well with the scarf.

So at this point my Paris Haul technically ends, but I came home to a parcel from the lovely Cream with an eyeshadow I had purchased in her blogsale a week ago. As I was still all in my "Parisienne" mode, I allowed these two products to go in here as well.

I bought the Shady Lady Single Eyeshadow by theBalm in "Just this once Jamie". It was swatched 2-3 times and had the slightest crack in the tin, but since I picked it up for half the RRP, that evens out everything for me. I used it today and I don't think it's too much when I say it's absolutely gorgeous! I have a makeup post including this shadow coming Sunday or Monday, so stay tuned!

The Parcel also included a generous gift, the Avon Moisture Seduction gloss in "Violet Beauty". I love the marble gloss design inside the bottle and overall I think it's very nicely packaged. The color itself is a bright violet, but it's very sheer on the lips. Now the downside of this product is that it's quite sticky in my opinion and also that it contains a lot of glitter. After removal, there were still some bits of it on my lips. Maybe I can make it work although (on wind-free days, haha!).

Have a lovely weekend!

Love,
Nathalie x

Maybelline Color Tattoo (+ Sultry Eye Makeup)

So I admit that it took me a few weeks and countless reviews to finally give in and buy the new Maybelline Color Tattoo. My experience with cream shadows has been rather awful so far since so many start creasing on me after one or two hours of wear. But I have a little obsession with this one going on and I will tell you why!

The Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows are sort of a cream gel formula that blends wonderfully whether you use it with your fingers or a brush (I recommend a synthetic one). After applying it, it dries down a bit and from that part on, this stuff won't go anywhere. I used an eye primer underneath and I can say this lasted about 8 or 9 hours without creasing which is quite an achievement for me (Note: I have very oily eye lids!). If you have normal or dry skin, you can probably get away without the primer and get a little more wear out of it.

Left: not blended -- Right: blended

The shade that I have is On and on bronze (Bad to the bronze for all the fellow Americans amongst you) and it is the most beautiful bronze color with golden brown-ish undertones. It does have some shimmer/sparkle to it, but just the right amount in my opinion. The shadow is incredibly pigmented, a little goes a long way here! You can receive a nice wash of color by blending it out or layer it for a more glamorous night-out look.

Now moving on to the fun part of this post! :D

I was inspired by the gorgeous Vivianna who was rocking a smokey eye on her blog today and I wanted to recreate the look and of course reached for my glorious Color Tattoo eyeshadow!

I used a synthetic brush to put the shadow all over my lid bringing it quite high near my brows. Then I put some of the shadow under my eye using a smudge brush and blended it out with a clean cotton swab. I lined my upper lash line with a dark brown eyeliner and also used the same liner on the water line. A generous coat of mascara et voilà!

For the rest of the makeup I kept it really simple: I evened out my skin with some foundation and concealer and dusted the tiniest amount of powder on top. I sweeped a little bit of bronzer on to my cheeks to contour my face. On my lips, I used a dusty pink lipstick, blotted it and topped my lips with nude lip gloss.

What are your thoughts on the Maybelline Color Tattoo?

Love,
Nathalie x

Milkmaid Braid for Short/Midlength Hair

Left side

Right Side

First of all I have to say that I usually don't do fancy things with my hair. I wash it every morning and blowdry and style it. And then maybe I will pin some sections out of my face. But that's it.

Then I watched Meg's video this week and I was intrigued. If she could do a fancy french braid on her short hair, maybe an unskilled person like me would be able to do that on my hair too? I figured I'd give it a try and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the result (and with my french braiding skills too haha).

All you need is two hair ties, a family pack of bobby pins, hair spray and some patience.

It's really easy to do, here's how to:

1.) Part your hair in the middle, divide it into two sections and secure them with two hair ties.
2.) Take one section and completely french braid it down.
3.) Roll in the braid and use a generous amount of bobby pins so pin in on to your head. Make sure it's really secure!
4.) Do the same thing on the other side.
5.) Mist hair spray over your hair for some extra safety (Bye ozone layer).

If you need more advice (and a video tutorial on this look), I will link you to Meg's video here.

Have a lovely day!

Love,
Nathalie x

My Evening Ritual

You guys know that you should always get your makeup off, tone and moisturize your face before going to sleep, but in my opinion, it's equally important to take good care of your hands, cuticles and lips, too.

I actually started doing this because I have some products that I don't really like, but want to use up though (we all have those products!). So I sort of developed this little ritual that I do every night before switching out my bedside lamp and diving into the land of dreams.

First of all, I use my Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm and apply a good layer of this on to my lips. I bought this last year around christmas time because I totally fell for the smell. Plus you can never have to many lipbalms, right? The downside was that I hated how it looked on my lips. It's sort of a milky, lavender pink color that washes me out badly.
I rediscovered this last month in the depths of my makeup container and now I love it because it's such a good moisturizing lipbalm! Ever since using it, my lips have gotten a lot smoother and healthier.

I then go in with my Body Shop Chocomania Body Butter which I use as a hand cream. I got this free with purchase last month but oh Lord, the smell blows me away! I've never experienced such a strong scent in any beauty product before (and I'm actually one of those girls who prefer lighter scents). I could never bring myself to use it on my entire body :) But as you know, body butter is an extremely moisturizing product which makes it perfect for an intensive overnight hand treatment. Gotta love my soft hands now!

Last but not least, I pull out my Figs & Rouge Balm in Rambling Rose and pop a little bit of this on to my cuticles. So many british beauty bloggers rave about this and so I wanted to try it as well. You can read my full review here.
But bad news alert: I left this in the sun once and that somehow caused the smell to change a lot; but definitely not for the better! It still works brilliant as an extra cuticle treatment although, I do have to say that the natural oils help to nourish my dry cuticles a lot.

Do you have such an evening ritual, too? What products do you use?

Love,
Nathalie x

L'Oréal Rouge Caresse

I'm sure that if you're a beauty blog addict like me you will have read a few reviews on this lipstick already. So without further ado, I'm just going to note down my thoughts on this quite unsual lipstick. The color I have is 401 Rebel Red.

The lipstick comes in a solid gold packaging with a clear cap. The shape reminds me of the other L'Oréal lipsticks (Color Riche and Color Riche Serum).

The special feature of these lipsticks clearly is the formula which is fairly new to the market. These are so called Lipstick Hybrids which means that they moisturize your lips like a good lipbalm or lip butter while delivering a settle amount of color unlike tinted lipbalms which really just add a sheen to the lips. 

When unpacking this lipstick for the first time I admit that the color scared me a lot since it's a bright tomato red. But when applying it, I noticed how sheer and yet pigmented the color actually is, hybrid is definitely the best word to desribe this new type of lipstick/lip butter.

They are comparable to the oh-so-famous Revlon lip butters, but unfortunately it's nearly impossible to get Revlon in Germany, so in case you're interested in a comparison, I'll link you to Adrienne's blog here.

The lipstick goes on so smoothly, it glides on like a light lipbalm but it's so moisturizing that this description doesn't really work. I find these to hydrate my lips very well and at the same time, they're really light weight which is amazing. When it comes to lasting power, I had to touch it up after maybe two hours?

These lipsticks have already come out in the UK and will be released in Germany in the middle of may. They sell for £7.99 in the UK and will cost about €10 in Germany.


I have found these lipsticks to be really satisfying, they deliver just the right amount of color for everyday and are absolutely outstanding in terms of hydrating the lips. I'm definitely keeping my eyes peeled and I will make sure to pick up another one of those in a neutral shade.


Nathalie xx


Disclaimer: This lipstick was sent to me for free by L'Oréal. All opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored.

Ombré Nails

I actually like my manicure to be easily done and my nails to look polished and flawless. But every once in a while, I'm in the mood for a change and I guess you can never resist a good trend manicure, right?

The trend I'm talking about this time is called Ombré Nails. This means that you start with a light color all over your nail and then you gradiently sponge darker colors on top. The important factor is to stay within the same color family. I searched the web before to learn about different methods to apply the polish and on my research I stumbled across this version by The Beauty Department (click here).
I have to admit I have found this to be rather difficult and so I just decided to create this mani off the top of my head. I used three purple colors, but you could also use blues or reds instead.

What you need:

• base coat
• 3 different nail polishes: a light color, a dark color and one color in between the two.
• an old makeup sponge (or a new one, doesn't matter)
• a quick-dry top coat
• cotton swaps and nail polish remover to clean up the mess you may have created (I did!)

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

#1: Apply one coat of your favorite base coat to your nails.

#2: Apply two thin coats of the lightest color on to your nails.

#3: Take the sponge and apply the mid color on to one edge; then sponge the color on to two thirds of your nail.

#4: Apply the dark color on to another clean edge of your sponge and sponge that on the first third of your nails.

#5: Apply some more dark color on to your sponge, but only apply it to the very ends of your nail.

#6: Check your nail and make sure it's a proper color gradient.

#7: Apply one coat of your top coat to smooth out the surface, add shine and prevent chipping.

#8: Dip a cotton swap into nail polish remover to remove the mess around your nails.


If you created this, please send me a picture! I hope you liked this!

Lots of love,
Nathalie xx

Spring Haul (Shoes, Clothes, Beauty)

I was out and about yesterday and as I'm in terrible need to update my wardrobe a bit, I got a few things.

I absolutely adore these ballet flats by Graceland. They are a very deep, chocolatey brown color and made of two different fabrics. Even though there's some patent leather on them, they're so comfortable!

I got this three-quarter sleeve at a store called Pimkie. The color is totally out of my comfort zone, but my friend Hannah pushed me into trying this on and so I did. The color looked fantastic on me, it especially worked well with my hair color, so I had to get this.

The blue shirt is by H&M and I actually purchased this last week. I loved the color and it looked fabulous and so I couldn't resist. I love the button-down a lot! (see above)

Then I went to The Body Shop (I had a voucher and got 20% off with Glamour Shopping Card).

I had been wanting this skincare set for so long and finally took the splurge. It's the Seewead Range which is made for oily/combination skin. It contains a wash gel, a toner, a day cream and a night treatment. Can't wait to try this!

I had seen this conditioner online and when I was in store, I just grabbed it, smelled it and - Oh my gosh - this stuff smells heavenly! It's the Rainforest Shine Conditioner and as it's silicon free and everything, I purchased a mini-sized one (60ml / 2 fl.oz.)

Freebies!

I bought stuff for more than 20 bucks and so I received a sample size (50 ml/1.69 oz) of the Chocomania Body Butter. And of course a little sample, this time I got the Sweet Lemon Body Butter. We'll see how I like these :)

That's it for now, I have to say that I'm really happy with my purchases. One of my 2012 goals is to add more color to my wardrobe and this was definitely a good start!

What did you buy lately?

Love,
Nathalie xx

February Favorites: Makeup, TV, Apps and more!

My first monthly favorites post ever! Hope you all have been doing well this past month, I know I'm a little late with this post, but better late than never, haha. I didn't have too many beauty favorites as I usually follow my routine using the same products, but I thought I'd mention a few of them and try to incorporate other favorites that are not so much related with makeup or beauty.

MAKEUP

Starting with makeup, I'd love to mention these three products that I have been using a lot lately:

Rimmel Powder Blush Pink Sugar
I like to switch up my blushes so that I will make use of each of them and I recently digged this out of my container again and loved it! Gives me a nice flush with a bit of shimmer to it.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer Classic Beige
Brilliant for undereye circles, especially for the heavy ones I suffer from due to a lack of sleep (yep, school is hard). It covers them and also brightenes my undereye area and overall makes me look like I just slept for 12 hours!

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Pinky Beige
I've been raving about this and wearing it a zillion times (see my blogpost here). The perfect nude that doesn't wash you out and adds a bit of color to your lips. Love!

NAIL POLISHES

Whooops...

I've bought a couple of these essnce nail poilshes in Feb because the colors really appealed to me and for €1.29 you can't say know I guess! I even got the two left ones on sale for €0.99! The lasting power of these is nothing to rave about, but with a decent top coat, they survive a good 3-4 days.
Colors from top to bottom: Dress for a moment, No more drama (both discontinued), Walk on air

CELL PHONE

I don't wanna portrait my actual phone, but here you have the packaging, I think that should be enough. I got this 2 or 3 days ago ("Why the hell is she featuring this in her february favorites then?!"), but I absolutely love this, so I just have to feature it :)

APP

The picture is from here

Of course: WHAT'S APP! How can you not love that feeling of being with your friends all the time and being able to chat about silly things?! Not to mention the smileys! I'm officially addicted.

SHOES

I don't feel like wearing Converse all the time, and when it's getting warmer, I like to switch to ballet flats as they're a little more romantic and so comfy and light! I got these lavender flats in a german department store on sale last year (10 bucks, ain't that a bargain?) and now that they're a little worn, I wanna wear them all the time.

CLOTHING

I got this scarf at H&M at the end of January and nearly wore this every single day in February. I love that it's feeling so silky and flowy and plus, it makes the simple t-shirt, jeans and flats outfit look more polished and girly.

TV SHOW

The picture is from here

That has to be "The City" for this month, I watched both seasons during my 1-week holiday in the middle of February and I'm kinda sad that there isn't a third season actually! The mix of love, intrigues and fashion is so addictive!

What are your favorites this month? Leave them in the comments if you want to!

Love,
Nathalie xx