My favourite 'base' products

Yep- another crappy iPhone picture. I still haven't found my SD card!

Long time no see, and God, have I missed blogging. I missed writing about my favourite beauty products and interacting with my lovely followers, but now I'm back and more inspired than ever!

I've always been a girl who spends more time on their base make up than on anything else. Since I've been suffering with mild acne since I were 12 years old (which I have talked about a lot on my blog), I've always been really careful with what I've been putting on my face and my skin is still my biggest insecurity. My main skin 'problems' are large pores and blemishes on the right side of my cheek/jawline, and my face can get pretty oily too. However, I've been saying goodbye to most of my mattifying products since I have found they dehydrate my skin and it therefore gets even oilier/I get even more spots. I've been kind of embracing the glowy look and don't really mind anymore if a bit of oil starts showing through throughout the day, and therefore I haven't really worn powder over the last few weeks. Enough bantering now, on to the actual products!

After cleansing and toning my face, I apply my Origins Zero Oil moisturiser. It's an oil free one, which means that it doesn't feel heavy on your skin and sinks right into your skin. I find that it doesn't make my face entirely matte, like my beloved Effaclar M did, but as I said I've been saying goodbye to those overly mattifying products. This feels really fresh and really makes my face feel smooth and soft, I really like it!

Next, I use quite a recent purchase- the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer. I've seen Kate raving about it constantly and it's a product that has always really intrigued me. I've been using Benefit's Porefessional for quite a few months now (although not everyday; since its quite an expensive product I wanted to save it for those special occasions/really long days) and I think I prefer this over the Porefessional. Its not as drying and I think it makes my skin look even more flawless and, most importantly, pore-less than the Porefessional did and it's cheaper. Score! It also doesn't have a scent, which is really good.

Then, I use my current favourite foundation- my Diorskin Nude foundation. I wear shade 010 and it's a perfect match for my fair skin. It's a light to medium coverage foundation but its buildable. It gives the most gorgeous glow to my face and its one of the best foundations I have ever tried. If you're looking for a glowy, kind of dewy finish, this might be your perfect foundation! I'm not one for full coverage foundations; I prefer to use a pretty light base and then a heavier concealer.

The most expensive tool of them all is probably my MAC 187 duo-fibre stippling brush. I am loving this at the moment. It is really soft and makes my foundation look really natural.

So that's it, those are my favourite base products of the moment. I tried to make this post a little bit shorter as usual, but so far, I have failed :( What do you prefer? Longer or shorter posts?

My two favourite drugstore foundations

Excuse the poor iPhone quality of this picture, I'm currently at uni and forgot/lost my SD card at home (dohh!)  so now I'm bound to my trusty old iPhone/digital camera.

Now I have to admit that I'm not usually one for drugstore foundations- I'm quite a bit of a snob when it comes down to what I put on my face. I've heard such amazing things about these two foundations however, that the beauty obsessive in me eventually had to have them. I've been using these two for quite some time now, so I thought it was time to share what I think about these little gems.

First of all, the packaging of these is really cute. They don't look as luxury as Chanel or Estée Lauder foundations, but it's the inside that counts, right? The Rimmel Wake me Up foundation is stored in a glass bottle, whereas the Bourjois foundation is housed in a little plastic bottle, which makes the Rimmel foundation feel a little bit more luxurious than the Bourjois one. Since they're both drugstore foundations the shade range isn't great. I find that the lightest Bourjois shade- which I have- is a little bit lighter than the Rimmel one. I don't really mind, but paler or darker girls should bear this in mind.

Now on to what's in the bottles- the actual foundation. The Rimmel Wake me Up foundation is supposed to, as you could probably tell from the bottle, wake your skin up and has got a tiny bit of shimmer in it. The Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum is supposed to give your skin a nice radiant boost and revive your complexion- so they are both supposed to do pretty much the same thing. When you put the foundations on your hand, they both smell really nice- Bourjois smells like peaches and fruit, I find (which is quite obvious since it has got fruit in it which are 'healthy' for your skin, even though I don't think it makes much of a difference), and the Rimmel One smells quite lemony. Bear in mind that if you've got quite sensitive skin, these probably won't be for you since they are quite perfumed and might break you out.
Now on to the coverage. The Bourjois Healthy Mix serum claims to give you a light coverage, but I do find it quite buildable. The finish is so beautiful, it really does make your skin look so much more brighter and just amazing. The Rimmel Wake me Up gives you a medium coverage, but you can build it up to full.

Well then, you may think, but how's the lasting power? I too find the lasting powder of a foundation the most important thing, and since I've got quite oily to combination skin, foundations tend to slip off of my face quite easily. The Healthy Mix Serum has got a semi-matte finish, and although I do like it so much, I find that my skin gets oily rather quickly- 3 to 4 ours after application. And yes, I do use a power on top of it! The Wake me Up foundation lasts a little bit longer on my skin, but after 4 or 5 hours or so the oil starts coming through. I do find that, if you've got oily skin like I do, you need to use an oil free primer and a powder to set your foundation- I use Benefit's Porefessional Primer and Rimmel's Stay Matte Pressed powder, which are both amazing.

Have you ever tried one of these foundations? What do you think of them?

Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation & concealer

Excuse the poor iPhone quality of this picture, I'm currently at uni and forgot/lost my SD card at home (dohh!)  so now I'm bound to my trusty old iPhone camera.

Well now, let me introduce you to my most loved/hated product. A product which I sometimes love so much that I just can't get enough of it and wear it every day, but also sometimes hate so much that it disappears into my huge box of make up and doesn't see daylight for a few weeks. Yes, it's one of the most famous and loved foundations of half the female population- Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation.
I've used this foundation when I was 16 and loved it so much that I wore it everyday, until it got empty. Then, being the beauty-obsessive I am, I did naturally have to purchase and try another foundation, so I've never really thought about this little gem again. Then, when I saw Kate (which is one of my favourite beauty bloggers out there, she is literally one of the most gorgeous persons ever and really knows her skincare!) blogging about it and bearing in mind how gorgeous and healthy yet still natural her skin does always look, I decided to cave in and buy it. I first got matched and the colour was terrible on me- it was at least 4 shades to dark and it made me look like a giant orange. So a littlewile later I decided to buy the lightest shade available in Belgium, 2N2, Fresco. Now that's one thing I don't really like about this foundation; it's still too dark for me. This foundation has got much lighter shades that would fit caucasion skintones so much better, but they just don't seem to be available anywhere in Belgium. Another thing that I don't really like about this is that it sometimes can feel a little bit too heavy. Another downside about this is that it doesn't have a pump. MAC foundation pumps do fit, but I don't own any MAC foundation, sigh.

But I think I'm in the loving-phase right now. Yes, I'm wearing it again every single day, and yes, I love the finish, the coverage it gives and that, even though this claims to be "medium to full coverage", it still does look so very natural. I first warm a little bit of this foundation up on the back of my hand and then buff it in really well into my skin- application is key with these kind of foundations. I don't find that I need to use any powder on my oily skin, which is such a plus since powder can make this foundation look a little bit over the top and very cakey. I find that my skin doesn't really get oily throughout the day, which is most certainly a plus! It does last me all day, which is never the case with any foundation I wear, so yeah, it's pretty darn amazing ;).

The Double Wear concealer however, is what I've been calling my all-time favourite concealer since I got it. It's full coverage yet still looks natural. I do, however, only use this on blemishes and other little imperfections on my skin and then use the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat under my eyes. I love it. It's such a great colour match (I wear 01 - Light, which is the lightest shade) and I love it. I don't find that I need to use any/much concealer when I'm wearing Double Wear on it's own, but when I'm in a 'hate' phase with Double Wear, I do use a very light foundation and then this and the Touche Éclat and I feel pretty darn great, too. I couldn't recommend this enough, and even though it's so much more expensive than the famous Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, which they don't sell here, this is such great value for money and I will definitely be repurchasing this. This one does also have a better colour range, which might be worth considering ;)

Have you ever tried Double Wear foundation and/or the Double Wear concealer? I've never seen anyone talking about the concealer, which I thought was quite odd! Will you be trying them out after reading this review?

Origins Clear Improvement mask

Excuse the poor iPhone quality of this picture, I'm currently at uni and forgot/lost my SD card at home (dohh!)  so now I'm bound to my trusty old iPhone camera.

I have been loving Origins products recently. Not only the fact that they contain only natural products, thus don't have any nasties like parabens and mineral oil in them, but also the lovely smells, the really simple but gorgeous packaging of them and the fact that my skin really does seem to get on with them made me kind of obsessed with them lately. I find myself walking to their counter more and more, sniffing and tyring out their products, and I swear I won't rest until I've got a whole Origins skincare collecton! I'm making great products owning a cleanser, a toner, a moisturiser and their Super Spot Remover (post here!), but since my previous face mask ran out (the Body Shop's green tea mask) I was looking for a new clarifying clay mask. I've heard lots and lots of people praise this, so naturally couldn't wait to try it out!

So what does Origins claim about this product?

"Active charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep-dwelling pore-cloggers. White China Clay absorbs environmental toxins. Lecithin dissolves impurities. Without all that "stuff" down there, skin "breathes a sigh of relief. Use once a week or as often as needed. Open pores with warm, moist towel and layer on. Allow to dry. Rinse well."

I can now honestly say that it does what it says on the packaging. I use it about once or twice a week, during my weekly/biweekly (is that even a word?! Haha!) pamper night after cleansing and exfoliating. I then do what it says on the bottle and put a moist flannel on my face (hot water of course!). Then I pat my face dry with a little towel  (I don't like to cleanse/apply masks etc. on a wet face, I just fel like the product does just 'glide' of the face and isn't nearly as effective!). I lather quite a thick layer of it on, and it immediately feels very refreshing. After leaving it on for 10-20 minutes, a little period of time in which it tends to get quite hard and feels kind of funny to talk/laugh, I rinse it off with, again, hot water and my feels feels so refreshed and just so, so very much cleaner. It really does feel like all of my impurities are gone and some spots look significantly smaller and are much less painful! Since I can get quite spotty, I tend to buy more clay masks, althoughI'm really tempted to try out their Drink Up Intensive mask too! After that, I tone, put on my nighttime serum and quite a rich daycream, as I don't really tend to get along with mattifying moisturisers as they make my skin feel so much drier and thight!

This is such a great product, and when you use the Super Spot Remover afterwards, your skin will look clearer than ever. Sorry for the long review, but I do really think that it's such a great product and that it really does live up to its expectations. I loooove Origins skincare so much and I just couldn't recommend them more. The next things on my wishlist are most definitely the Skin Rejuvenating Treatment and their High Potency Night-A-Mins Nightcream. Is it weird that I find that such a clever and nice name?! Haha me so silly.

Have you ever tried this face mask? What do you think about it and just about Origins products in general?

origins super spot remover

I purchased this product a little while ago, when I payed the Origins counter a little visit and decided to splurge out on some of their products- sorry bank balance. Since I've suffered with acne for several years and it has only recently calmed down, my skin is far from perfect and I do still suffer from occasional breakouts. There isn't a day when I don't have a spot. During my teens, I felt very insecure about my skin, which I why I started wearing make up. I've tried so many spot treatments, some of them good, some of them very, very bad (I'm looking at you, clearasil!) and now I'm at the point where almost all of my acne is gone and, like I said above, my skin is looking pretty clear except for the occasional breakouts I suffer with. I do really feel like the condition of my skin has improved so much since I picked up an outrageous intrest for skincare, and I'm so thankful for that. So since I do suffer from some spots, I figured I needed to invest in a little spot treatment. Not one like clearasil, where you wash your face with such a drying product that your spots only get worse, no, but a little product that you could locally apply. I previously tried Lush's Grease Lightning, which was good, but I wanted to try a new spot treatment, so after reading Anna's and then Zoe's post about this little gem I was sold.

The good thing about this product is; it does actually work. Well now, I can hear you all thinking; aren't all these products supposed to work?! But you would be surprised at the amount of skincare that doesn't live up to it's claims. I don't know if I'm allowed to say it, but most of the time it are the cheaper things that don't do the job. There. I've said it.

First things first; this product smells lovely. It smells a little bit like tea tree, which is a smell I do absolutely adore. I apply this locally with a cotton bud, just to keep things hygienic, and from the instant you've applied it, you can feel it stinging. This makes me feel like it does actually work, although sometimes it starts burning and feels like my skin is melting off, so be careful with the amount you apply of this. I only apply this in the evening after my toner but before my moisturiser, since I find it a little bit drying. I used this on my flight to Tunisia two weeks ago and combined with the drying airco, it really didn't work well- I left the airplane with two extremely dry patches on both sides of my chin, haha. You can apply this two or three times a day, but be sure not to overuse it as I do find it can work a little bit too well, haha.

All in all it's a really good product which actually lives up to its claims and does what it says on the bottle. I really would repurchase this, although I might invest in the new Super Spot Remover Pads Origins came out with a little while ago. Have you used this? What did you think about it and would you use the new pads? Let me know!

holiday diary- soaking up the sun

So as promised, here are another few holiday pictures of the beach, the temperatures there, what I had to drink and the SPF I've been using on my face all holiday long, which I'm planning on still writing a post about! Not too much pictures this time as I don't feel like putting my whole life on the internet though. I slept quite a lot the past few days so I've finally got rid of the post-holiday-tiredness, however I'm feeling a little bit ill at the moment! Possibily due to university stress. I start the 3rd already and am so scared! If you've ever written/read a post about going to university for the first time please don't be afraid to link me to it in the comments below, haha!

I'm not feeling my blog at the moment. I know, I know- I've said this a thousand times before, but I just don't think the layout goes with the 'feel' I'm going for- if you get what I'm trying to explain. My interests change quite a lot and I do find myself reading more and more lifestyle blogs instead of beauty blogs, so I want to try and make this more of a lifestyle blog with just a few beauty features in between! Don't hesitate to send me some links to good lifestyle blogs as I'm constantly on the search for new ones! Also don't forget to follow me on bloglovin!

xoxo,
Charlotte

holiday diary- into the twilight

So I'm back from my twelve-day long stay in one of the most beautiful (but alsomost abandoned and sometimes very dirty) country I've ever been to- Tunisia. I've had a great time, walking down the beach with my feetsies in the ocean, sniffing the air and floating on the waves, jumping into the pool and just reading a good book with a cocktail in my hand whilst listening to one of the most beautiful sounds ever- the sound of water and land colliding. I ate the most gorgeous foods and most definitely gained quite a few pounds, but it was all worth it. I've mastered the art of healthy eating and will most definitely try to hold on. As much as I loved it there and miss the hot weather-it was 50 degrees yesterday, we checked when we were leaving at 5pm-, I'm also happy to be back at home. My own bed never felt so good and I'll be the happiest person alive when I'll finally be able to jump into my boyfriend's arms after having to miss him for the longest time we've ever been without each other. I missed my dog so much, and being away made me even more appreciative of my home. These are all pictures taken on the same evening, when we went to take a walk on the beach. It got dark very early there- 7pm, but we didn't mind. I'm sorry it are all almost the same pictures, but I'll be uploading part 2 of my holiday pictures and then maybe a 'what did I eat' related post somewhere this week. Let me now if you would like to see such a post!

I'm leaving for uni at 3 September (which I'm sooooo nervous about!) so I'll have one week left before I'm going to live on my own. Exciting times ahead!

xoxo,
Charlotte

a little holiday treat

When we had a little spare hour left at the airport before boarding our airplane, me and my mom naturally decided to check out the little shop in the tax-free zone there. It's a very small airport, so they only had the basics there- booze, cigarettes, books, magazines, perfume, a little stand of OPI nailpolishes and just a tiny little bit of Chanel and L'Oréal make up. I had never smelled the Bronze Goddess Capri fragrance before, so I thought I would give it a try. It smells so lovely, it's the perfect light summer scent and it already has become one of my favourite perfumes. I love Estée Lauder and this has got to be one of their best perfumes, ever. I always have a thing with holidays ant scents- when I take a product with me on holiday, the scent of it becomes the 'scent of that holiday' and whenever I smell that scent somewhere else, it always does remind me of that holiday. Last year I had that with the Chanel Vitalumière Aque foundation and L'Oréal rose skincare line, and now I'm having the same kind of 'experience' with this perfume and my Origins A Perfect World cleanser, haha! The only downside of this perfume is the longevitability. Yes, yes- I know that it's an Eau Fraichen, which is basically the perfume with the shortest longevitablity and the lightest smell, but still. I feel like it disappears after 20 minutes!

The other product I bought is a very well-known, almost famous product; the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (the normal version, although I would looooove to own the gold one!). It can be used on your body, but also on your skin and hair and I've been using it for all three purposes- it gives my arms a nice glow which is perfect for summer, it makes my hair feel al soft and smooth and leaves it frizz-free (haha) and mixed with my nighttime moisturiser I feel like I wake up with skin as soft as a baby's little butt. I've wanted this for quite a long time now, after my mom pointing it out for me in a magazine and seeing it on quite a few fair of blogs, but they never had it in my local pharmacies. So when we saw they had it in stock in the airplane, me and my mom were pleasantly surprised! She uses it too and loves it.

Sorry for the bad quailty of this picture! I've just quickly taken it with my phone because I couldn't really be bothered to get my 'proper' camera out (oopsies haha!) and also didn't really had the time!

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about them?

xoxo,
Charlotte

chanel prettiness

This is a little bit of a 'different' blogpost. Firstly, the pictures are taken with my iPhone. I really couldn't wait to show you these beauties because I'm in love with Chanel, it's probably my favourite high end brand! Secondly, I didn't actually buy these myself. My mom got them for when she leaves on holiday in a few weeks, and she just wanted to treat herself to some brand new Chanel goodies. So it's not my stuff, but it's just so pretty I really wanted to show you!

The first thing she got was the Soleil Tan de Chanel in Sable Rose, and my god, this is probably one of the most gorgeous blushers/highlighters/bronzers I've ever seen! You can use all of the colours separately, or you can blend them all together, which is what my mom usually does. The packaging looks gorgeous- like all Chanel stuff does- and it's just all in all a wonderful product!

The second thing she got was the Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour lipstick in Insouciante (which means carefree). It's the most gorgeous nude pink lippy, and like all Chanel lipsticks, this feels really moisturiser whilst also is pretty longlasting. It comes in a really gorgeous and unique lipstick tube which you need to click on before the lipstick gets out- terribly explained, I know, but you have to see for yourself! You can't see the colour that well in these pictures, unfortunately. She also got a free little make up bag! It's so cute and comes in handy really, really well.

What do you think of these purchases? What are your favourite Chanel products?

xoxo,

Charlotte

the importance of double cleansing

Okay, I'll admit it; I have become obsessed with skincare over the past few months. I used to be a girl that would take off their make up at night and cleanse and moisturise in the morning, just because I 'had to'. I sometimes even wouldn't take my make up off before I went to bed, which showed of course in my skin- it looked horrible. I have talked about my acne in the past on this blog, and those bad habits certainly didn't improve it! However, since I discovered more and more beauty blogs I became more interested in skincare and I do now have a proper cleanse, tone and moisturise routine. I also scrub my face twice a week and put on face masks, and god, I'm enjoying it! My skin has been looking better than ever, so I thought it was about time I would share something I recently discovered with you and which has, without a doubt, definitely made my skin feel and look a lot better, more cleared up, brighter and just generally great; double cleansing.

It has been common in certain Asian countries for women to double cleanse in the evening, and I even read that some women use 17 (!) products every night, just to cleanse their face! Now, seventeen products might be a little bit too much, but it's still really important to cleanse your face well, and since it has improved the condition of my skin so much, I'm going to share the reasons you should double cleanse and 'how' you have to do it with you! I also want to stress that I'm not a dermatologist; everything I'm sharing with you I've learned purely because of reading blogs/doing my own research.

Why should I do it? I once read somewhere online that 'You wouldn’t take a shower with your clothes on would you? No, you have to remove your clothes first before you can wash your body', and honestly, that's the best quote I've ever read regarding the importance of double cleansing. First removing your make up with an oil based cleanser or a micellar solution (NOT make up wipes!) and then thoroughly cleansing it with a facial wash, a balm or a milky cleanser will make your face cleaner than ever and thus results in more beautiful skin. It's not that hard; with only removing the make up, dirt, sebum and other not so nice things on the surface of the skin, there will always remain some nasty things on your skin. You can't get all of it off with just one cleanse! The second cleanse will not only remove the nasty things on the top layer of your skin, but will also remove dirt out of your pores so you're all things nasty will certainly be gone.
I know what some of you are thinking right now; if I just remove my make up and then use a toner, will it also remove the excess make up? The answer is NO, it will not. A toner doesn't cleanse your pores, it only cleanses- again!- the surface of your skin!

How should I double cleanse?
That's simple, but first you need to understand the difference between a make up remover and a facial cleanser. It's easy; you use a make up remover to remove all of the make up and dirt of that day- doh!-, and you use the cleanser afterwards, to cleanse your skin and pores. It mostly says on the bottle. Make up removers are mostly oil based or milky, or you can use my favourite type of make up remover- a micellar lotion! There are plenty of them, my favourite being the blogging-famous Bioderma Créaline/Sensibio H2O. It basically 'eats' away all of the make up, and you practically don't even need to use water, however I do recommend rinsing your face afterwards because I personally feel like the dirt is still on your face if I don't! Just soak a cotton with make up remover, whipe it all over your face and eyes and rinse. It's not that hard and only takes 30 seconds!
A cleanser can also be milky, but it can also be a balm, a facial wash etcetera. Don't use foaming cleansers though, as they are breeding ground for bacteria thus spots and break outs! You just use your hands (be sure they're clean though!) and massage the cleanser onto your face. Massaging it in will not only be more effective, it will also stimulate your circulation thus making your skin look brighter and clearer! Rinse it off and you're ready to tone and moisturise. The cleanser I'm currently using is Originas A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser, which is great as it doesn't make my skin feel too stripped, but also removes all things nasty perfectly.

And there you go, you have double cleansed your face! The routine should be taking 2-3 minutes, and then you're ready to hop into bed with freshly cleansed skin and have a well deserved beauty sleep! I also want to stress that you only need to double cleanse in the evening, when you're wearing make up or sunscreen on your face (however I personally do it even if I don't wear any make up, but that's not necessary, it's just something that I like to do!) and you can use the same cleanser to cleanse twice, like only a milky cleanser. That's perfectly fine, but I personally prefer using two separate cleansers! It's up to you in the end!

Sorry that this was such a rambly and long post, but I just thought I would share my personal findings and experiences with you. I hope you liked it!

Do you double cleanse? Is it something you haven't really adapted into your skincare regimen and did this post make you change your mind?

xoxo,
Charlotte

sunday thoughts #2

Crappy iPhone picture! Sorry!

001. I went to sort out my room for uni on Wednesday and it has made me all excited. Even though the furniture is kind of ugly, I made it all pretty! Too bad we weren't able to attach my canapy above my bed, boo, but we're going to see if we can find a way to sort it out! Even though I'm excited to go living on my own, I still feel sick everytime I think about going to university. I'm not very good with new people, and I'm so scared I won't be able to 'settle'. It's kinda weird to explain, I'm scared I'm not going to fit in. I really hope I'll like this course (I have to, aha) but I hope everything will be alright in the end and that I'm just feeling healthy nerves!

002. My boyfriend just left my house over an hour ago and I already miss him. He stayed at my house for four days and three nights and we had the loveliest time! It was our 20th motnh anniversary yesterday so we 'celebrated' that with a huuuuuge ice cream and a long bike ride since the weather was really, really good! I'm just feeling a little bit poopy now because I had to leave him behind, haha. I love him so much!

003. I don't really have much else to say. This week has been quite boring to say the least! I feel so bad about myself for not having a summer job. I went to a job interview in the end of June and the guy told me I wouldn't have to worry, that he would emloy me etc. but he never called me back! I feel so useless and bored, and I could really do with the money, especially since I'm going to uni. Ah well.

004. I'm not really feeling my blog at the moment. I'm so rubbish with HTML etcetera! I want some cute twitter and e-mail accounts, a better profile picture and I want to have another about me section, but for now, this will have to do! Honestly, I just can't be bothered most of the time to change something about it haha, but I'm feeling very bad about my blog at the moment. Changes will have to be made!

What have you been up to this week? I've also (finally!) started reading the Hunger Games and I think I'm addicted! Makes a change out of all the 'heavy' literature I usually read/have to read!

xoxo,
Charlotte

august's cravings

I know, I know- it's not even August yet and I'm posting this, and this is my second post today. Buuuut I am really in the mood to blog today, so who's stopping me? I've been wanting quite a lot this month- as usual- but   when it came to making this 'wishlist', nothing popped to my mind. I've been really getting into clothes and jewellry the past few days, hence there are as little as beauty products!

001. This Dollybowbow Freya ring in pink is just so lovely. I've been wanting a YSL-style ring for absulote ages, and now I've finally found an affordable and very pretty alternative I'll most definitely be purchasing this!

002. I'm thinking about asking this Mulberry Cookie Bayswater purse for my birthday (I typed burthday, unfocused much?!) but I want it in the brownish colour, or the black, I can't really decide. Since it's so expensive I was thinking black, since that never goes out of style, but the brown one looks more like a genuine 'cookie' and I don't know, it's just soooo pretty! What do you think!

003 + 004: I've been quite obsessed with Origins this month. I do still need a good moisturiser and night cream, so after seeing a review about the Make a Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment on Lily's blog and seeing Kate mention the High-Potency Night-A-Mins I really want these two! I love Origins, I lvoe the fact that they're all natural.

005: I tried on this Zara dress but they didn't had my size, so I picked a size smaller than my usual size and it looked awful, haha. I love this print! I've bought a blous with a similar kind of print, see my post here.

006: When I first saw this necklace on Lily in her July's favourites video I immediately knew that I wanted it. I've always been more attracted to the pastel side, but this Zara neon necklace just looks too damn pretty!

What are you craving this month? Any things you really want?

xx

Charlotte

what I've been loving lately...

YSL Effet Faux Cils Macara

I got this mascare in a set with the Touche Éclat a few weeks ago, and they also came with a very good kohl pencil and an eye make up remover! I'm loving this mascara, it makes my lashes soooo long and it doesn't move all day! Although this won't replace my usual L'Oréal Telescopic mascara, for the simple reason that I just can't justify spending €30+ on a mascara. I love the packaging of this, gold is my favourite!

YSL Touche Eclat

I've been using this illuminator/concealer for such a long time now, and it has definitely become one of my 'holy grail' make up items. It conceals my dark circles soooo well (even though it isn't really a concealer, but ssshh!) and it just makes my complexion glowing and radiant. I love it and I couldn't live without it! If you don't have it yet, go get it! ;)

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in shade 100 - ivory

I've always been a little bit hesitant towards drugstore/high street foundations. I don't know why, but when it comes to 'cheaper' founadtions I get a little bit mistrusting about the ingredients, the lasting powder etcetera. However, this is the only drugstore foundaton (alongside the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation, which I do also love!) that I adore. It has got decent coverage (medium, but you can definitely build it up!) and it does what it says on the bottle; it makes me look awake and more radiant. The only downside of this is the range of shade it's available in. I've got the shade 100 - ivory and this is perfect for my current skintone, but I think it'll be a little bit to dark for me in the winter. We'll see, but so far, I'm really adoring it!

I thought I'd throw in a picture of me wearing the foundation, Touche Éclat and the YSL mascara! You can't see it really well (I really don't like this photo, haha) but just to give you an idea :)

I've also been adoring this Zara blouse! It costed me €40, but was well worth teh price. The print is just sooo beautiful, the gold details are gorgeous and it feels so soft and silky! I throw it on with just a black highwaisted skirt and then I'm ready to go!

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire perfume

Oh my god, I think I've finally found a new favourite perfume. Nothing will ever, ever replace my Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh perfume, but this one... Damn. The bottle is so, so gorgeous and the smell... Oh god. It contains patchouli (which is one of my favourite scents, ever!), black cherry and rose. I could spray it on all day long, I could bathe in it, it's so good. I don't want to use it because it's so lovely!

Origins Super Spot Remover

I bought this on a whim a few weeks ago, along with some other Origins skincare bits (post about that coming soon!) and it's so good. It really does what it claims to do- I apply it in the evening after my evening skincare routine (just locally, on some spots) and the next day- they're gone! The scent is really lovely. When you first apply it, it stings and burns for a little bit, but to me that's just a sign that it's working. This will definitely be a repurcahse!

Lipton Green Tea with Jasmine Petals

Well now, I've never been a huge tea drinker but this one has completely pulled me over from the coffee to the tea side. I love it, it tastes so good and it really makes me feel like I'm doing something right for my body since green tea is such a healthy and good thing. I drink one small and one big pint of this a day, and it really does make a difference to me, personally. Have you tried this?

I hope you like these kind of posts! Since I like to read them, I thought I should do one myself. If you have done one of these posts, definitely let me know and leave the link! I love a bit of personality in a blog :)

xoxo,

Charlotte

french pharmacie goodness

I finally received these in the mail on Friday after ordering them a couple of days before, and I literally squeeled a litle bit with excitement. I've wanted to try these lovely products for absolute ages, but for some reason I never really got round to ordering them! I also wanted to avoid to fall in love with one of these products for a very strange reason- the only place where I can get them is online. I haven't really tested these properly since I only got them on Friday, but I'm liking them so far and I will probably post a separate review on these! That is if you aren't sick of them already really!
For those of you who don't know what these products are, it are the Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution and the Caudalie Eau De Beauté/Beauty Elixir. The Bioderma is a make up remover, used by many professional make up artists as it removes every single trace of make up, even waterproof eyeliner and mascara! It is for sensitive skin and you don't have to rinse it with water, which is great when you can't be bothered to take off your make up properly after a party or something. It's better for your skin than make up wipes!
The Caudalie Beauty Elixer is a spray which can be used as a toner or a make up setting spray. It claims to smooth your complexion and make your skin look glowing, whilst I have also heard that it helps with acne. I don't know wether I love or don't like the scent of it (it smells like peppermint and rosemary) but it definitely is great for refreshing your face, especially in summer!

Do you have any of these products? What do you think of them?

xoxo,
Charlotte

my 'perfect' base

To me, make up is all about a good base. If you get the base right, more than half of your make up is done and I don't know about you, but to me, I feel a lot more confident with a great base. But a base isn't only your foundation and powder- it's a lot more. A good base starts with a good skincare regimen. I have been adapting my skincare and bought some new Origins bits (which I'm still testing- reviews coming soon!) which I am really, really loving so far, but I still haven't found the perfect skincare for me.

Struggling with very bad acne during my puberty-which started when I was around 11/12- I have always felt a bit insecure about my skin. The acne started clearing up when I started taking the anticonceptive pill when I was 15, but I still suffered from breakouts. As I got older, the area of my breakouts moved from my forehead to my cheeks, and now I do still occasionally suffer from breakouts on my chin and jawbones.

I tried everything to clear up my skin- clearasil (which was AWFUL! It only made it A LOT worse, it dried out myskin so badly), Nivea (which made my skin break out even more because of the perfume they put in their proiducts) and so on. As I got older, I started investing in some 'better' skincare products, but I didn't knew a lot about them so I used them the wrong way. Until recently, I wasn't really bothered with 'skincare' in general; I just removed my make up and cleansed my face, that's it. I wouldn't moisturise as I thought it would break me out, and my acne was my only concern back then.

That has changed. I do now cleanse, tone and moisturise, use a serum, scrub my face every week and apply some face masks and my skin has improved a lot since then. However, because I abused my skin so badly in my early teens I do now have some acne scarring and suffer from very, VERY large pores.

Now, that's it about the skincare. I'm planning on doing a whole post about it, so let me know in the comments if you would like to see such a post! Now on to the 'base'. I used to use no primer and very cheap foundations, which, looking back at it now, looked awful. They slided off my face after only 2 hours since I have oily skin, clogged my pores and I just generally didn't look sexy at all. (When I say cheap, I mean €2-€3- THAT cheap!). My first real 'more expensive' foundation was the Maybelline Mineral Powder, which covered up my acne a little bit and, because it was mineral, it made my skin breathe for a while. If you want to read my 'make up story and progress', read this post. 

My main concern with my skin are thus my pores, the acne scarring and some blemishes. Now on to what I slather on my face!

For a primer, I use the Benefit Porefessional. Ever since I found out about it and it's benefits (excuse the pun, I just had to haha) I wanted it and you can't imagine how happy I was when I finally bought it! It's a great product. Being more a balm than a primer it does keep my make up on all day and make my pores significantly smaller. I then apply my foundation, the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. Now, I do have a lot foundations but I tend to stray away from the more 'cheaper' ones, not only because I've had some bad experiences with them but also because I don't trust the ingredients. I'm a bit of a make up snob when it comes down to foundations, haha! I do love the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and Rimmel Wake me Up foundations though, but I like to mix them with my more higher end foundations. I do also have the normal Double Wear foundation, but even the lightest shade they have in stores here is wayyyy too dark for me. Bummer! It's a love-hate thing.

Then, on to concealer. I never really had a 'thing' for concealers, until I did recently bought a MAC one (review here!) and I do now use the Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer in shade 1. I do prefer a lighter coverage foundation at the moment because I'm not really loving the cakey effect, so just to make my skin look more 'perfect' I apply this and it really gives a great coverage! It doesn't crease and it does stay all day. Win!

For powder, I do use the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder which I do really love. It keeps me matte and also makes my make up look more perfect without a caked-on look (if you don't apply too much, that is) and as you can see, I have hit pan on it. I have been using it since December last year and only hit pan on it a few weeks ago, which says something about how long it will last you! For such a cheap price, I think it's a great powder and I even dare to say that it's one of my 'holy grail' make up products!

On to highlighter then- I do love me a good highlighter! Currently, I'm using MAC's Lightscapades MSF powder which I absolutely adore! I couldn't stop looking at it in the store so I just had to buy it. It was quite expensive (€27!) but I do love it. It's such a beautiful powder! It's a shame that it's only limited (it was part of the Reel Sexy collection, I think? The one with Beth Ditto in it!) but I heard that they also had it in stores a few years ago, so fingers crossed that it will come back in!

I do also use YSL's Touche Éclat. It's just such a cult product and everyone should have one! I bought it in a set with the Effet Faux Cils mascara and also got a kohl pencil and an eye make up remover with it, which are both very good! I'm not gonna write much about this one- many confuse it with a conealer, but it's not. It's a highlighter with light reflecting particles in it and I just can't wait to try the foundation!
Then, for blush, I use a Lâncome one. It doesn't even have a name on it and I have had it for sooooo long, I don't even know if they do still have it in stores. Just a little swipe on the apples of my cheeks and I instantly look healthier!
I was too lazy to clean my brushes haha so sorry if that offends you, but I do only use two brushes- a powder brush (that doesn't have an ame on it? It belongs to my mum and it's over 20 yearso ld now, but still going strong and it's just the best powder brush I've EVER tried, ever) and a Dior Blush brush. They're both really, really good brushes and I do apply my foundation and all the rest of my make up with my hands, just because that gives a more natural effect.

So that's it for my base. I know, it's a long post, but as I've already said, I do really like me a good base. Once I start writing about something (especially beauty wise!) I just can't seem to stop! I really hope you liked this post and let me know if I should do more posts of these on my blog. I was really hesitating about putting this photo of myself on here, but I thought you should see the end result! I'm really self-conscious so I don't know if this was a good idea but whatever, haha.

WHat do you use for your 'perfect' base? Any holy grail items that we should know about?

xoxo,
Charlotte

sunday thoughts #1

001. I did originally want to do a little update on my life once a week, like maybe every Saturday of Sunday, but I did have some great news that I'm very excited about and that I would like to share with you all! As you might or might not now, I'm going to University in September to start my Psychology course! I've been very excited about it but also so, so nervous because I'm really not that good with new people, so I'm a little bit afraid that I won't make any friends when I'm there, which kind of sucks, but luckily, a very good friend of mine is joining me and we're going to live together! After searching for a home in our futur uni town for a very, very long time, we've finally found a great place! We have our own little kitchen and a brand new shower, there's a supermarket on the corner of the street along with two drugstores, a lot of cute, tiny little restaurants and a bus stop very nearby. There's a bus every 15 minutes, which is a huuuuge difference to my home town, where the buses do only drive every hour (in the weekend even every two hours!) or so! We're both so excited and I just can't wait to head to IKEA to buy some lovely bits and pieces for my room. I do already have quite a few! The room is already furnitured (it has a big, ugly brown closet and brown cupboards in it which I'm not allowed to paint white or something, eek!) but I'm planning on making it look beautiful. The matress is also very, very hard but I'm going to try to sleep on it first and then maybe get a new one/change it with the other matress in the house! We're living with the sweetest old lady EVER (she lives on the first floor, whilst we live on the second floor) and I can't tell you enough how EXCITED we both are!

002. Does anybody else sometimes get that horrible feeling that they're not allowed to feel excited? That something just can't be that perfect, that something horrible is going to happen? Yeah, I get that feeling pretty often (pretty much every single time I'm happy! If something good happens, that is) and it just really, really really really REALLY really sucks! It just causes me to have so many panic attacks. Reading this post written by the lovely Zoe has really helped me though, it's just so informative and I've already bookmarked it! It's actually more informative than some internet websites.

003. I've finally bought some Origins skincare which I'm literally SO excited about, I've always wanted to try some things by them but I always thought it was quite expensive as a brand, but now I do finally have some money I decided to take the splurge and invest in some skincare! I'm going to try everything tonight (does anyone else get overly excited by the thought of fresh, brand new skincare and pampering themselves?! I most certainly do!) and I can't wait to share my findings with you! I've also bought some lovely and gorgeous make up items (I did already tell you this in my last blog post, uh oh haha) and I'm already loving them so far.

004. I'm going to see Bon Iver in November! Eeeeek! I do already have the tickets for a month (this month has gone by so quickly, aah!) but I just thought I should share it with you, since it something I'm very, very excited about (if I didn't already shared it on my blog? I can't seem to remember!). I'm actually so honoured that I'm going to see such a talented, incredible, perfect and gorgeous musician live. I've been a fan of Justin and his music for almost 3 (!) years now and when his show in my country got sold out last October, I was pretty sad. So when I saw that he was coming back this November I literally called my dad the instant I saw it on Facebook and he ordered me the tickets! I'm going with a very good friend of mine which I haven't even talked to in ages, so we're going to have so much fun since we do already have so much stuff to catch up on!

How's your week been going? I hope everyone's been doing okay!

xoxo,
Charlotte

l'oréal rouge caresse lipsticks

I went out shopping today and bought some amaaaaaazing bits and bobs, including these two L'Oréal Rouge Caresse lipsticks. I had been on the hunt for one for soooo long and when I saw them on offer in my local drugstore (two for €16 instead of almost €30!) I couldn't resist. I do already have the colour Dating Coral (which I did also buy on an offer, for almost half the price!) but I somehow seem to have lost it already, boo! It's such a shame since it was such a nice colour.

This time, I decided for the colours 'Aphrodite Scarlet' and 'Tempting Lilac'; one bright shade and one more neutral shade. L'Oréal describes it as a lightweight flush of colour with a delicate, moisturising structure and that is exactly what these lipsticks feel like. They may seem bright at first- especially Aphrodite Scarlet-, but they go on the lips very, very softly and apply like a dream. You don't even need to look into the mirror when you apply the lipsticks, and since every woman needs a lipstick which you can apply anywhere and at any time of the day, these ones are perfect. Lots of people compare them to the Revlon lipbutters, which I would love to try but unfortunately, there is no Revlon counter near where I live, so these need to suffice for me, haha.

I made some very, very cheeky purchases today which I'm very happy about, including the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation (which I'm absolutely loooooving so far!), some Yves Saint Laurent bits (I like to say their full name, haha) and some more beautiful and very good stuff. I do love a good make up shopping trip! I can't wait to try the stuff I've bought more thoroughly (do you even say that?!) and show them to you, but for now, you have to wait for a little bit longer :)

xoxo,
Charlotte

bathroom bits and bobs

When I walked into my bathroom this morning, I was once again captivated by how pretty it actually is, so I thought I should show you. My mom is obsessed with soap and everywhere she goes, she brings a little bar of soap with her, especially lavender scented ones. She also loves vintage-looking stuff, hence the Pears' soap poster. My mom is really interested in interior and decor stuff and really has her own style, which I'm adopting from her now because it's so beautiful and I'm definitely planning on making my uni room as pretty as possible. I really love our bathroom, I think it's so relaxing and since I do love me a good bath (who doesn't?!), it makes taking a bath so much easier!

I feel a little bad about my blog at the moment, I'm not very inspired, I don't really like the layout of it and I think it's not that personal with all the reviews I'm posting at the moment. I want this to be more of a beauty and lifestyle blog, but I don't know what to post about as my life is quite boring. If you have any ideas, just leave a comment below! Also, what do you like and don't like about this blog? I would love to hear everybody's opinion :) I really love writing and I used to be quite good at it, but over the past few months I haven't been writing as much as I used to do, so I'm not really loving the quality of my blogposts lately. English is not my mothertongue, so my writing is much worse in English than it is in Dutch, but I'm still practicing a lot and I do really hope the quality of my blogposts will improve over time. I just think it does take some time ;)

I'm off to sort some things out now and maybe play some Sims 3, since I'm getting addicted to it again ;)
xoxo, Charlotte

P.S.: If you would like to check out some bits and bobs of my bedroom, check out this post!