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!

 

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.

Easy Breezy Summer Makeup

Summer is finally upon all of us and so I spend most of my days sitting in the garden trying to catch some Vitamin D and hopefully a bit of a tan. For the most part, I can't be bothered to wear anything on my face except for some SPF but if I decide to wear some, this is what I go for.

It doesn't show up in the picture very nicely, but basically this look consists of lots of lashes, bronzer and a very pretty berry lip color which I love at the moment.

Garnier BB Cream for Oily/Combination Skin

It's an open secret that BB Creams have been all the rage in the beauty world lately. The trend originally comes from Asia where women spend hours in the bathroom applying moisturizers, sunscreens, primers etc. To cut this time shorter, creams were invented that deliver all the functions that normally eight or ten different products would. Lately, lots of Western beauty companies have launched their own BB creams, and after all we all like spending more time in bed that in the bathroom, don't we? ;-)

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!

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?

I'm going on a seaside vacation to Northern Germany this Saturday, I'll be gone for a bit more than a week and even though the weather is not promising, I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't done a What's In My Travel Makeup Bag post yet, so I figured this might be a good opportunity to show you what I'm bringing.

My first MAC Experience

As someone that considers herself to be quite a bit of a makeup addict, it was only a matter of time (and money) for me to finally crack and hit a MAC counter in my town to pick out a product. Exactly this happened the other day when I was in town doing a bit of window shopping. And while I was longingly staring at the long racks packed with any lipstick color and finish you could possibly think of, I knew I needed to get my hands on one of them.

essence Ready For Boarding lip & cheek creme

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all doing well. I am surely, I finished my junior year today and and am now officially on my six weeks of summer break! My certificate was a very good one, so I treated myself to some bits and pieces in my favorite stores after school (you can see a photo on my instagram).

I picked up this cream blusher from essence's Ready for Boarding LE, a limited edition full of travel- or respectively airplane-friendly products. This blush is actually my first splunge into the wide ozean of cream blushes and so far I would say I might really get into this texture!

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

What's In My Suitcase?! + Tips For Packing!

Hey everyone!

So as I'm leaving for a 4-day trip to Paris, France tomorrow, I thought it might be a nice idea to show you what I'm bringing with me and how I pack my suitcase in general! Now I'm going by train (it's only a 2-hour travel), but even if you're going by plane, this might be helpful for you too.

Please note that I am going on a class trip, so obviously I would not take things like a "fun" makeup bag with me if I were going with my parents or alone. But three friends of mine and I are sharing a hotel room, so of course we're doing some girly stuff then!

First of all, the suitcase I'm bringing is by Samsonite and it's an older version of this one (link). It's perfect for one person that's going away for multiple days. I like how it's very structured which makes organizing a lot easier.

In the big front pocket, I keep a book by Janet Evanovich, a bright easy-to-grab scarf and my sleep mask. I also put some wet wipes in there just in case.

The inside

Behind the mesh: I keep my IKEA pillow in there (can't sleep without it). On the left, I have my straighteners and on the right, I keep chargers and a multiple plug.

In the plastic pocket: I keep extra beauty products in there such as after-sun lotion or eye drops. I also have some "women's stuff" as well as medecine (iron supplements and Aspirin).

On the left: The plastic bag holds my black chucks. The pile below it has my H&M trenchcoat down on the bottom over which I have a pair of sweatpants, denim shorts and another pair of denims. On top, I have my pyjama.


On the right: The right pile has all of my shirts/tank tops and some cardigans. I also threw my green flower scarf by H&M in there. Plus, there's another multiple plug (you never know...).


In between: I keep underwear and socks there.


In the side pocket:  That's where I keep my lavender ballet flats.


 

These are some bags that I could not fill completely yet, but they will go on top or into the gaps of my suitcase:

The left bag holds all of my everyday toiletries.

The right bag holds all of my "fun" makeup like bright eyeshadow (It's a girls' room haha)

The left bag holds a few jewellery bits (mostly bracelets) as well as a pair of sunglasses.

The right bag contains all of my everyday makeup .

TIPS FOR PACKING

Tip #1: Make lists
Try to sit down a few days before and make lists of everything you want to bring with you, i.e. which clothes, which shoes, what makeup... This keeps you from madly running around in your apartment throwing stuff randomly together.

Tip #2: Organize your stuff
Suitcases come with different compartments, so try to organize your stuff by them. One compartment for extra products and medecine, another one for electronical things like chargers or straighteners etc.
Also divide your clothes into categories. One pile for bottoms, one pile for tops, one pile for dresses/skirts.

Tip #3: Buy travel sizes
If you use quite a few different products everyday, it's smarter to buy travel sizes of them rather than bringing the actual full sizes. You could also depot products into smaller containers. This will save you lots of space in your toiletry bag!

Tip #4: Take your time
Procrastinating a major task like packing is tempting, but you will hate yourself for doing so when you start packing late at night and you have to leave very early the next morning. Better try to start early, but allow yourself to take breaks.

Tip #5: Get up early enough
If you wake up literally just in time to get ready, you will find yourself totally stressed out because your suitcase is not completely packed yet. Better give yourself an extra 30 minutes the morning you leave, that way you can get ready stress-free and you also won't be as likely to forget something important.

Have a lovely vacation!

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

The Lazy Eye Combination

So as summer is upon us and also the semester is coming to an end (I can't believe there actually is one), I have been kind of behind with fancy makeup. I get very little sleep at the moment and seriously, if there's anything I'm not in the mood for, it's getting up in the middle of the night just for the sake of blending and contouring. I've gotten back to the basics again, I only do what I need to make me feel comfortable and ready to go. This little (all inclusive) routine takes me 10 minutes in the morning which I happily invest because I actually have been very happy with the results.

I have also made a few purchases amongst my new favorite eyeshadow, Maybelline Color Tattoo in the color On and On Bronze (post on that coming soon). This in combination with my new mascara, L'Oréal Telescopic (which is BEYOND amazing!) have made me skip eyeliner completely. I find that this is quite an achievement since I haven't left the house without eyeliner on for... years?

This is the pretty simple combo I came up with:

I used my finger to put Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow all over the lid and then used a synthetic brush to blend out the edges. After that, I curled my lashes and applied two coats of mascara.

Yes I do wear contacts :)

What else I've been wearing on my face:
• Bebe Tinted Moisturizer
• Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer
• Astor Anti Shine Powder
• Manhattan blush in Fresh Peach
• Maybelline Moisture Extreme in Pinky Beige

Please excuse the rambling in this post, I haven't blogged for ages (at least that's how it feels like), but I will try to post more often very soon!

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.

Spring Time! Outfit + Eye Of The Day!

So guys, as today spring officially starts and the days get warmer and sunnier, I thought I might do a little post about it :)

I wore this cute floral blouse by H&M today which I'm absolutely obsessed with. It's colorful, flattery and literally screams spring. I paired it with a fleshtoned top (also by H&M) underneath and light blue skinny jeans (H&M as well). For shoes, I wore my lavender colored ballet flats (see them here).

My makeup routine is pretty simple in the morning as I still prefer sleep over contouring, highlighting and other fancy stuff like that. My usual look consists of black eyeliner on the outer two thirds of my upper lash line and very black lashes. Today, I wanted to give it a twist and so I picked out a purple eyeliner and applied it to that area just under my lower lash line. Then (fancy me!) I smudged some purple eyeshadow on top of it. This adds a nice pop of color, doesn't it?

Are you excited for spring as well?

Love,
Nathalie xx

Everyday Eye Makeup: Quick, Easy and Crease-free!

Hey lovelies!

Today I went through my collection, found some lovely eyeshadows and fell in love with them again. So I just created a very quick makeup look this morning and thought I would show it to you! The best thing about this look is: it doesn't crease on me (and I have very oily lids!).

So to keep it short and sweet, here's how to get the look:

1. Apply an eye primer all over you lid to make your shadows last all day.
2. Take a shimmery beige cream shadow and put it all over your lid.
3. Use a big shader brush and swipe some light beige shadow with a pearl finish over the cream shadow.
4. Take a big fluffy brush and contour your crease with a matte medium brown eye shadow.
5. Line your upper lash line with a chocolate brown eyeliner (and use it to slightly darken your lower lash line as well).
6. Curl your lashes and apply your favorite mascara.

That's it! You can do this look in five minutes and you will look absolutely gorgeous wherever you go that day!

Extra tip: Use a rosy blush on your cheeks and a light pink lipstain on your lips to add some color to your face.

I hope you enjoyed this look!

Love,
Nathalie x

Sunday Routine: Cleaning The Makeup Brushes

Hands down everyone: How often do you clean your makeup brushes? I admit that I also never put a lot of effort in keeping them nice and clean, but then I kinda realized that I probably should, especially to beat the nasty bacteria which love breeding on dirty brushes.
I normally don't apply makeup on sundays anyways which makes it the perfect day for cleaning them (and starting fresh into the new week).

What I do: Nothing special actually, but here's a litte guide on how to clean your brushes the right way:
1. Take your brush and hold it down so that the bristles show down (this avoids that water gets inside your brush which might cause the glue to be washed off and so the bristles will fall out)
2. Thoroughly wet the brush under lukewarm water.
3. Take a peasize amount of shampoo into your hand and start to swirl the brush in it. It will foam up and all the dirt comes out of the bristles.
4. Wash out any residue with lukewarm water (remember: the bristles show down!).
5. Lay you clean brushes down horizontally on a towel and allow them to dry (you can also use brush guards).

Shampoo recommendations:
• Baby shampoo
It's a very sensitive shampoo, but does not foam up too well, so there's a risk of residues on your brush. But works if you wash out your brushes properly.
• Deep-Cleansing Shampoo
My shampoo of preference. Foams up nicely and removes any dirt and residue.

I hope this post was helpful for you. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Have a great sunday!

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