Chanel Les Beiges

I’ve got to be honest with you; I didn’t buy this beautiful power myself. My mom bought it when she went to Paris, but after a few uses she told me she just couldn’t get on with it and said that I could have it. Being the beauty addict I am, I had (of course) been lusting over these new Chanel powders for weeks and weeks, but never picked one up since they’re so expensive and I’m very happy with the powder I’m currently using. With a huge sparkle in my eyes I took my mom’s offer (well duh) and I’ve been using it every day since.

Let’s start by getting the facts right. The name: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder. The shade: 40. The promise: setting your make up whilst still keeping the skin looking healthy and natural, without looking too shimmery or matte. The extras: an SPF of 15 PA ++ and its antioxidant ingredients, protecting the skin and calming down even the most sensitive skins. The packaging: b-e-autiful. Beige instead of black, the packaging of the Les Beiges powders is Gabrielle Chanel’s much loved beige.

I’m going to state the obvious; no. 40 is waaaaay too dark for me. My ‘real’ colour in this would be no. 20, the lightest one. I use this as a bronzer and to contour my face, and tbe effect is just lovely. It doesn’t look too orange or too muddy, it’s not shimmery at all and the powder does really melt into the skin, making it look super natural and not overdone at all. Just a light swipe with my MAC 187 brush does the trick. Even though I don’t use it as a normal face powder, I think the effect would be just as lovely; it makes your make up last all day long without making it look too cakey, which is the reason I stopped using face powders a little while ago. I’ve been fully converted to the dewy, glowy look that everyone’s been sporting lately and this powder is perfect if you don’t want your make up to slip off your face during the day, but also don’t want to lose that glow. I’m fully converted to this new generation of face powders.

Have you tried Les Beiges by Chanel? What do you think of the new generation powders?

The Splurge-Worthy Basics

If you’re just starting out with make up, it may be a little bit hard to distinguish the basics from all of the additional products you see in stores, magazines and beauty blogs. There are some basics that I think everyone who’s interested in make up should have; products that are expensive, but do everything they claim to do and more and never let you down. I think it’s worth investing in make up; quality over quantity, definitely. In most cases, you usually get what you pay for in a product, but of course there are a few exceptions (but that’s what beauty blogs are for, right?). These products are the core of your make up routine, so read on for my rundown on those basic products that are worth investing in….

First things first; you want a good base. Your face is your canvas, and you need to have a good base if you want your make up look to succeed. Diorskin Nude, Dior’s latest foundation offering for glowy skin, is one of my favourite foundations ever. It’s quite expensive, but in this case you really do get what you pay for; a second-skin effect with a nice radiant but not dewy finish. It can be quite hard to find what you want in a foundation, be it the colour or the finish, so I would recommend going to Lisa Eldridge’s YouTube channel as she has recently done a marvellous series on foundations.

You also want to invest in a good concealer. A concealer that has full coverage, but doesn’t look too cakey and is really easy to blend out should be in everyone’s make up bag. My philosophy with make up is that you should only use a foundation to even out your skintone and not for hiding imperfections, you should use a concealer for that. Estée Lauder’s Double Wear concealer is my absolute favourite, and I’ve already raved about it numerous times on my blog.

For the cheeks, I think you could never go wrong with a subtle contour. My favourite of the bunch is the Clarins Bronzing Duo in dark; it doesn’t look either too orange or too muddy and it’s really pigmented. A nice contour looks good on everyone and is hard to go wrong with, unlike some blushers that can look either too pink or too peachy or someone.

For the eyes, Clinique’s High Impact Extreme Volume is the one. It lengthens, separates and gives lots and lots of volume to your lashes. Depending on how short or long, how curly or volumized your lashes are, there are lots of drugstore mascara offerings that also work really well, but this Clinique mascara only costs a little bit more than most l’Oréal or Maybelline ones and is just that tiny bit better.

To finish this back-to-basics look, a nice lipgloss is needed. The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors are often claimed to be ‘the best lipglosses ever!’ by many a beauty bloggers, and I would say that this is one of those products that are really worth the hype. They’re non-sticky, not too thick and really moisturising on the lips, and with Clarins bringing out three more shades of these this spring, the colour range is really beautiful and I think there’s something there for everyone.

Brush-wise, I think it’s wise to spend a little bit more on face brushes, since they guarantee a flawless application. The MAC 187 stippling brush is an absolute lifesaver for me; it applies foundation beautifully and makes it look really natural, but you can also use it to apply blusher or bronzer.

Stripping make up to the core, these are my picks for splurge-worthy beauty products. I think it’s smart to invest a little bit more in those basic products, and then, just like with clothes, you can save money on the little extras. Combine these products to look fabulous all day, everyday. You can thank me later… 

The Spring Make-Up

When I was reading the beauty sections in different magazines last week, I stumbled across a trend for spring/summer that I immediately loved; a thin, jet-black line of winged liquid eyeliner paired with bright fuchsia lips and natural skin. Obviously, being the beauty addict that I am, I decided to recreate this look on myself.

For base, I used my newest foundation love; YSL’s Le Teint Touche Eclat. I have wanted this foundation for absolute AGES, and I’m so glad I bought it because it’s everything I wanted and more. Natural coverage yet perfecting, bringing a touch of glow to the skin without being dewy. YSL promises a ‘natural, unique luminescence’, and they couldn’t be more right. Gawd, this one’s a keeper.

To bring even more dimension to the face, I used an old favourite of mine; the Bourjois Délice de poudre Bronzing Powder. This does not only smell amazing, but it also sculpts your cheeks whilst giving just a tiny little hint of shimmer to them, to create even more dimension. This can be a little bit orange however, so keep that in mind.

To define the eyes, I used the new L’Oréal Super Liner Perfect Slim. This is also a recent addition to my collection, and I think it’s already become one of my favourite liquid eyeliners, ever. The thin felt tip makes application easier than ever, the colour is a really opaque black and stays on all day. The little applicator makes it easy to just slick on the tiniest line of liquid eyeliner, or you can make it as thick as you possibly want it to be; the choice is yours. I’ll report back on this later.

For mascara, I used the Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara. I ran out of my usual mascara and the other one I still had dried up, so I picked this up and absolutely adore it (also, can you see I did some beauty shopping?!). This makes my lashes super super long, whilst also giving lots and lots of volume, which results in the most beautiful Bambi lashes you’ll have ever sported. Larvely.

Last, but certainly not least, it’s time to put those lips in the spotlight. I used the absolutely gorgeous Estée Lauder Pure Colour Crème Long Lasting Lipstick (… and breathe) in the shade Fuchsia Fever. This is (quite a big) sample I got when I purchased two Estée Lauder products in my local department store, so the actual packaging of these lipsticks is totally different (and much more beautiful…sigh). The product itself is a beautiful, cool toned fuchsia colour which applies beautifully and lasts all day long. The colour reminds me a little bit of MAC Show Orchid, although I don’t own that one- might take a look at it though…

So you may know by now that I’m a bright lipstick lover. Pinks, reds, oranges, corals,… bring it on. They make me happy. What’s your favourite fuchsia lipstick? What do you think of this look?

NARS 'And God Created the Woman' Eye Kit

Beauty confession: I didn’t actually own a single NARS product before this. I’ve always wanted to try their blushes and lipsticks, but they don’t sell NARS here and I’m not that into ordering make up online. When my parents went to Paris last week, they were super super kind and got me the ‘And God Created the Woman’ eye kit, something which they knew I’d been lusting over for absolute ages (one month, to be exact). They picked it up at Sephora, and my mom told me they had a huuuuuge stock if just this palette. When they got home, I naturally couldn’t wait to start using it, and so I did. Yes, I broke the blogger code of ‘not touching a product before photographing it’ and I’m not even sorry.

The ‘And God Created the Woman’ eye kit consists out of the NARS Pro-Prime Smidge Proof Eyeshadow Base, their eye shader brush in no. 3 and, of course, a beautiful eye palette. The palette itself consists out of six absolutely gorgeous shades. I didn’t know the names of the shades, but apparently they’re on the back of the box. ‘Alhambra’ is a shimmery champagne colour, perfect to use as a base for a subtle smokey eye or just on its own to make your eyes pop that little bit more. ‘Bellissima’ is a taupe, ‘Kalahari’ is a warm, shimmery taupe-champagney colour, ‘Galapagos’ is a delicious shimmery dark brown colour, ‘Coconut Grove’ is a dark, sultry chocolate matte brown and ‘Night Clubbing’ is a deep black loaded with lots of golden shimmers. The colours are absolutely beautiful, just like the formula of the eyeshadows; they’re really pigmented and extremely long lasting.

The Eyeshadow Base is also really good. The light consistency makes it really nice to wear on the eyes and it makes your eyeshadow last all day long. The brush is also really good; you can use this both for packing on the product on your eyelids or also for blending the eyeshadows.

I am absolutely in love with this kit; everything is amazing and of really good quality. The only downside is that I’m a little bit afraid of using it, since the eyeshadows are a little bit small and this is a limited edition. Some of these shades are, however, available in NARS’ permanent collection, so that may be worth checking out as well. The packaging is also really beautiful, but does tend to get dirty really quickly!

Do you own this kit? What do you think of it?

Spot-On: Spotty Skin Saviours

With acne being my main skin problem, I know how disheartening it feels when you wake up with spots on your face. Being just one tiny one or acne all over your face, spots can make you feel really insecure and just plain ugly. I have been suffering with acne since my early teens and thought it had cleared up about a year ago, until last summer it suddenly all became worse. With ‘worse’ I mean so bad that I just couldn’t bear looking in the mirror anymore- yep, that bad. I decided to go on acne medication last February and it has been one of the best decisions I ever made. So far my little acne story- I might do a post with before and after pictures if you fancy?

Whilst suffering with really bad skin, I developed my own little routine which helped to calm my skin down. Acne is actually a bacteria, so products can’t really make it disappear, but they can certainly help and a good skincare routine is really indispensable.

To start your routine off right, a good cleanse is needed. I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar gel cleanser, which is suited for oily and sensitive skin- which your skin probably is if you suffer from spots/acne. This gel cleanser really gives your skin a good cleanse, although I do recommend removing your make up first with a separate cleanser and to use this just to thoroughly cleanse your face. It can, however, feel a little bit harsh on the skin and even make it feel sore sometimes (at least, that’s what it did with me), so if that’s the case I recommend switching it up with a more gentle milk cleanser or even a cleansing balm, since hydration is key even if you’ve got oily and acne-prone skin. You might only want to use this if your skin is really playing up. Another cleanser that’s really similar to this one, but more expensive, is the Origins Zero Oil cleanser.

On to masks. I’ve been using the Origins Clear Improvement mask since last September and if you use it regularly, it really does make a difference to your skin. It’s basically a clay mask which acts like a magnet and draws out all impurities. This may result in all of the nastiness of your skin coming out the next day, but regular use proves really useful and really pays off.

For more active break outs, the Origins Out of Trouble mask is really good. You can apply this all over your face or just on those active break outs. It feels really soothing and refreshing, and the nice tea tree smell makes this a really relaxing face mask. The following day, you’ll wake up with nice and smooth skin.

For that little extra boost of hydration, I recommend a serum. Estée Lauder’s cult product Advanced Night Repair is the one for me; this hydrates but also sinks into the skin really quickly, so you don’t get that greasy feeling. It makes your skin feel soft and smooth and makes spots disappear, whilst also having a scar-reducing effect. Hydrating and spot-banishing, a great combination, isn’t it?

For moisturiser, I recommend using something light which doesn’t clog your pores. La Roche-Posay Effaclar K has been a product I’ve always had in my skincare stash, just because it really does calm your break outs whilst also being really hydrating. Like the Effaclar Duo, this might worsen your break outs before it get better, but trust me; it’s worth it. You just need to hang on.

To finish of this little routine, you may also need a more targeted treatment. The Origins Super Spot Remover is a holy grail product of mine; this fresh-smelling product makes spots disappear over night and reduces scarring. You might only want to apply this at night, since it can leave a little white layer of dryness on your skin, but it really does work and I would say it’s worth the hype.

So that’s it for my little skincare routine for when I’m suffering with break outs or even acne. Being a little bit La Roche-Posay and Origins heavy, these are the products I would recommend using to keep those pesky spots at bay. I would also really recommend not using too much skincare products at once, like all beauty bloggers seem to do nowadays. They might have perfect skin, but that’s not only products; its genes, a good diet and just general luck. Trust me on this one; I used to apply waaaaay too many products and switch them up way to regularly, and it only made my acne worse. Now that I’ve got a little solid skincare routine and am really careful with switching up my skincare, and of course in combination with my acne medication, my skin has got so much better. What do you think of this little routine I’ve come up with? Any experience with the products?