weekly wishlist #4

001. I think we all know the American Apparel Disco Pants by now. I first didn't really get the hype and thought they were just an oversized pair of really thick leggings, but after seeing them on a few bloggers I got more and more interested. They look great with almost everything and can be dressed up or dressed down. The only downside is that I've heard that they get ladders and holes in them very quick, any experiences? Would be a shame because they're soooo expensive!!

002. Essie has quickly become one of my favourite nail polish brands. Since I've discovered the Essie diffusion line also got to Belgian drugstores, I haven't left one without buying a new Essie nailpolish (which has been only two times haha, I don't go shopping that much!) I think I'm going to buy more of them the next time that I'm in Germany though, they're so much more inexpensive there! This one is Tart Deco, a lovely coral/peachy shade, perfect for spring and summer!!

003. I've been falling in love with silver. I always were more of a gold girl, but I do tend to think more and more that gold is a little bit tacky, especially on me, haha. I really like this Asos bracelet (I couldn't find it anywhere on their site, soz guys! It's also available in gold however :)) , it's edgy and cool. Effortlessly chic.

004. Another silver bracelet, this time it's a cuff from H&M! Didn't see it when I was there last Thursday and Friday, le sigh, they only seemed to have golden ones!

005. Since seeing Lily's Inglot palette I really want one myself. Not especially these colours but more neutral colours like her palette. I really like Inglot, my mom got herself a nice nude lipstick when we went there! It's a shame the nearest Inglot store is in Düsseldorf, Germany, but I'm definitely going to buy more of their stuff the next time we're there! I got a little bit too excited when I discovered the shop, haha. The freedom system is also amaaaaazing!!

006. I do actually already have these studded loafers from Zara haha, and they're the most incomfortable shoes I own. I wore them when I went shopping last Friday afternoon and my feet were actually bleeding. I could barely walk to and from the bustop haha! Must have been a very funny sighting ;) My boyfriend actually laughed at me, haha. They're also available in black, but I didn't see them in store! I also got the grey Zara messenger bag which everyone seems to have at the moment too haha!

007. I also didn't seem to find this gorgeous minty coloured top at H&M last Friday, which is a real shame since it's so lovely and the details seem really lovely too! (Again, couldn't find it on their website, soz guys!!) I love mint green at the moment :)

So what do you think of this week's wishlist? Do you want some things from it or do you want to get your little paws on some other gorgeous items?

xoxo,
Charlotte

everyday make up #1

I'm so sorry for the gross-ness of some of the products, I can't help it haha! They always seem to get dirty! 

Since I'm such of a beauty and make up freak, I thought I would show you what I slap on my face on a daily basis. I think make up can make someone look so much more beautiful whilst enhancing your best features!
I start my make up routine with, of course, cleansing, toning and moisturising my face. I'm yet to find a great sunblock for my face, but for now I just use this great moisturiser by Clinique and mix it with a little bit of Nivea Sunprotection. I then put on my primer. Now, I'll be honest with y'all- I've never been that interested into primer. I just never really understood the importance and benefits of it-see what I did there? Haha ;) Until I saw everyone on the blogosphere raving about this Benefit primer, and I have to say, it's bloody amazing! It's a little bit expensive though, but it makes my pores almost disappear and makes my skin feel so soft and smooth! I also feel like my make up stays on muuuuch longer too, which is a big plus ;)
Then, I put on my foundation. I've used an awful lot of high end foundations already, but I always find myself coming back to this one- the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. I wear shade 1. I've tried the normal Double Wear foundation, but I got matched waaaay to dark and it was a little bit too cakey and heavy, even for me. I find that this keeps my face from going shiny and all oily and also gives me a great coverage!
For bronzer, I use the gorgeous smelling Bourjois Pouder Délice bronzing powder, which I did a review of not that long ago. I then use a cheap blusher- this is the Catrice Defining Duo Blush in number 050, Apricot Smoothie. Catrice is a cheap drugstore make up brand that's only available in Belgium, the Netherlands and also in some places in Germany, although I'm not sure of that. You can compare it with MUA in the UK, haha. I also use a concealer by Catrice to hide some of my imperfections and dark circles.
Then I use what is probably the most gorgeous Highlighter ever- it's the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade, which comes in the Reel Sexy collection. It was kind of expensive but it's apparantly a limited edition and it's just sooo gorgeous! I use a little bit of this on my cheekbones and on my nose, but I also use it on my eyes as a light eyeshadow sometimes :) A light dusting of the Rimmel Stay Matte powder (in number 003, Peach Glow, for reference) and my face is ready!
I then brush my eyebrows and fill them in with a Catrice eyebrow kit. My eyeshadow of choice is Sephora's duo eyeshadow in golden kaki n. 06. I got this in a three-products-for-10-euros sale, which was actually crazy! A light streak of my L'Oréal Superliner Ultra Precision liquid eyeliner (we don't have the carbon gloss one here, boo!) and a brush with my L'Oréal Telescopic mascara later and I'm almost ready to go!
Now for the lips I use my YSL Rouge Fabourg lipstick, a cheap Catrice one, a MAC one or the L'Oréal Rouge Caresse in Dainting Coral (which is sooooo, so gorgeous!). It differs from day to day and what's the closest to my hand really, haha.

So that was it! What do you use daily?

xoxo,
Charlotte

my life through Instagram #2

blogging part 1, YouTube'ing, blogging part 2, Essie's gorgeous Lapiz of Luxury nailpolish, Vanilla Ikea candle in the bath (heaven!), a little shopping splurge, what was inside of the Zara bag, finally got my hands om some things I've really wanted for aaaaages, MAC's Lightscapades highlighter which is just GORGEOUS, trying out some hair volumizing products, rose wine out of a paper cup with my boyfriend yesterday, heaven in a box!!


So I didn't really do much this week/didn't really capture anything on Instagram. I've finally finished this soul-destroying essay and now I'm finally relaxing listening to some music! Going to take a shower and do my nails in an instant (get the pun? oh my God I'm so frigging funny haha). My boyfriend just left over an hour ago and I do miss him already, we had a great weekend biking and walking in the sun. My skin is glowing now. Hurray for bank holiday weekends!

What have you been up to this weekend?

xoxo,
Charlotte

Bourjois Délice de Poudre bronzing powder

This product is another one that every blogger has been raving about, so I thought I should have my own output and share my opinions about it ;) The Bourjois Délice de Poudre bronzing powder is a bronzer that claims to 'boost your complexion' and will 'make you melt with plesure'. I can do nothing else then agree with it. There are two shades from which you can choose, and mine is nr. 51, the one for fair/medium skintypes.

I just love it. There, I've said it. It's such a great high street bronzing powder. It's not the cheapest one out there, but in mine opinion it's completely and utterly worth the price. The bronzing powder is perfect for every skintone and is great for contouring. It has some really little shimmers in it, which you can't see in the picture above, but it's there. I don't mind. I'm not one for a shimmery and glittery face, but it still doesn't bother me and it's also still quite matte. The smell is soooo lovely, it's supposed to smell like chocolate but I don't think it smells like that (maybe just a little bit). I can't quite describe the smell, but it's amazing. I've swatched it on my hand over an hour ago to make the pictures (my camera didn't take the swatches very well so I won't post them) and I can still smell it from my hand whilst typing this up. All in all a laaaavely bronzing powder. I really think highly of Bourjois as a drugstore brand, all of their items (especially their foundations!) are so lovely and the packaging is really cute. I couldn't recommend them enough! (And no, I'm not being paid for this haha ;)

I'm currently being a nervous and all stressed out mess because I have to 'defend' my final assertation in front of five people tomorrow! Eeeeek, wish me luck :( 

xoxo,
Charlotte

Essie mint candy apple

I've always wanted a huuuuge Essie collection. Until a few weeks ago, I couldn't find their nail polishes ANYWHERE (boo living in such a small country), so you can already imagine what my reaction was when I spotted the Essie diffusion line in my local drugstore! I literally jumped and squealed 'Omg Essie!' (my mom was soooo embarassed, haha) and ran towards the counter. There were so many colours to choose from, so eventually, I chose 'Mint Candy Apple'. I already heard sooo much of that shade and it just seemed to be everyone's favourite, so I took it up and payed and then it was mine. Mine! I finally have an Essie nail polish! (I seem to make such a big deal out of it and 'normal' people always look at me like; what are you so happy about? It's just a nail polis/lipstick/*insertbeautyproducthere*) I took my other nail polish off and applied it, and it applied like an absolute dream! I don't know about the original brushes but they seemed to be a lot thinner than the diffusion line ones. People who already have some shades from the original line bought the same shads but from the diffusion line, just because it applies so well!
The colour is just lovely. It turned opaque after one coat already, but I applied another one because I always do that haha. I then applied a transparant top coat and the nails are still going strong! They haven't chipped since Wednesday, which I'm very happy about. I really want some other shades! I'm wearing Lapiz of Luxury right now, which is also gaaaawgeous :)

What are your favourite Essie shades? And do you prefer OPI or Essie?

xoxo,
Charlotte

my life through Instagram #1

Healthy breakfast, my mom's stones, food coma part 1, food coma part 2: the sequel, drunken times, my lovely bracelets (which make so much noise!), Starbucks cookie and Caramel Macchiato, a closer look of the Caramel Macchiato (best drink ever!), roses from my little brother to my mom (so cute!), taking a walk and socializing with some deer, outfit of the day, instant energie boost, 'haul', this made me feel sick, lovely flowers in my living room, looking silly without any make up on, leaving the house without any make up on for the first time in absolute ages, this smells amazing, nails, too much make up, Blogging!, all my favourite flavours in óne big tub, heaven.

So I thought I would take a little jump on the bandwagon and start making Instagram posts, since they are soooo popular and I'm an absolute Instagram obsessive! I always love looking at other people's snap and getting involved in their lives a little bit through this lovely app :) Follow me on Instagram! My username is crookedteethxo. 

I hope you're all having a nice Sunday afternoon! Mine will be spent eating, talking walks with my boyfriend and his dog and maybe watching a little movie :)
xoxo,
Charlotte

YouTube obsession?!

I love YouTube. I just think it's such a great medium to share your opinions, experiences, thoughts etc. with the rest of the world, not only on beauty, but on everything. Just one simple click and everyone can see what you have been up to. YouTube makes people laugh, cry (with happiness), eager to try something, happy and even hungry sometimes, haha. It's such a versatile medium which brings people together through a lovely community. People can be rude sometimes, but most of the time people are lovely, and that's why everyone does it, right?
Well now, do I still need to say that I just looooooove watching YouTube videos? I'm being obsessed with them, I even watch them in bed. I fell asleep watching someone's April Favorites video on my phone last night, so that should say enough, now doesn't it? I'm not much of a YouTuber myself (as in: make videos and post them on there) but I would love to get in them. Only three small problems:

1. I don't have a decent camera.
2. I don't know what to talk about, since I'm very shy and I would probably be shivering with nerves.
3. I'm Belgian and therefore my English accent/grammar is very poor, so poor that it's almost funny haha.

Since I'm not on youtube myself (I do have an account, however, but just so I can keep up with my favourite YouTube guru's and like/comment on the loveliest videos), I thought it might be a good idea to make a blog post of my favourite ever YouTubers! Most of them are quite well known, but I thought I would share them anyway for the people who don't know them already/need to get reminded that they need to watch a video of them! A little disclaimer: I prefer watching English YouTube videos over American ones. I just like the accent better and they're a bit more calmer, no offense! I watch them from time to time, but I just love British videos more. Is that rude/shallow?! So here they are, not in any particular order:

ViviannaDoesMakeup

Gemsmaquillage

FleurdeForce

Sprinkleofglitter (the most inspiring woman EVER!!)

Zoella280390

Gh0stparties

Whatihearttoday

Beautycrush

Meganisobel

Essiebutton

Thepersianbabe

Voussontbeauetbelle

LisaEldridge

Pixiwoo

So give them a look and maybe you'll become just as obsessive with YouTube as I am! I even watch more YouTube videos a day then I watch tv, isn't that insaaane? I know right! And if you already are a YouTube obsessant, maybe you will discover some lovely babes throughout it :) well, I'm off to watch some other YouTube videos haha!

xoxo,

Charlotte

My make up journey!

Images all courtesy of weheartit.com!

My blogging inspiration has been under zero the last few days. I was thinking about what to write about when I came up with a nice idea; why not write about my make up experience? I've always been fascinated and interested in make up, so why wouldn't I share all my greatest downfalls and epic peaks (that might just be a little bit exaggerated, haha) with you lot? I really love to read about other people's experiences, so I thought I should share my make up story with the rest of the world ;)

My first ever experience with make up was in primary school, when I was only 11 years old (I know). A friend of mine had brought a black kohl eyeliner pencil with her, and we were both eagerly excited to try it. It looks so beautiful on other people, so why wouldn't it make us look a little bit better? We rushed of to the toilets and my friend first attempted to apply it on her eyes. Then it was my turn, and I was really scared to put it on my waterline; I was afraid my eyes were gonna fall out or something like that. But I carried on and there it was; a really smudged, thick line under my eyes which we thought looked great! In retrospect, it made us look like two starving kids who hadn't slept for a week straight, and one of our classmates told us exactly the same thing back then, but we just wouldn't listen. They were all freaking out like; what will your mom say? Won't she be mad at you? But my mom wasn't mad at me at all! She was okay with it. We didn't do it again, though.

Then, almost two years passed without being interested in make up anymore. At the end of my first year at secondary school, I tried kohl eyeliner again though and this time it looked a lot better. People even told me that it looked great, but I was wearing glasses back then so you couldn't really see that. Half a year later, I think I was 13 years old, I started trying liquid eyeliner after seeing it on one of my best friends at the time. I drew a giant, thick line above my eyes and it went all over my eyelids and even on my glasses (!). It was waaaay too over the top, but I didn't see it back then (emo period, anyone?). A few months later, my mom came home with an Estée Lauder sample of a mascara and concealer in one. I thought the concealer was a foundation, so I applied it to my whole face. I looked so orange and the smell was AWFUL, but I felt more confident haha. I also wore mascara every day back then.

So when I was 14, I bought my first powder. It was the mineral one from maybelline, and I loved it! I suffered from acne a lot back then, and it gave me so much more confidence just because it concealed my spots. But after a year or so I started to find that it didn't give me enough coverage and didn't last throughout the day, so I introduced myself to the wonderful world of... foundations!

My first foundation was a cheap drugstore one. It didn't even reach the €5 mark. Looking back, I realise that it must have looked awful (I'm a bit of a make up snob when it comes down to foundations, lasting- and ingredients wise. I just think that high end foundations do a lot more and are so much better for the skin!). I used that for a while, and then, I discovered the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and I fell in love. The smell, the coverage, the finish, just everything about that foundation was great!

I didn't use a setting powder/bronzer/blusher back then, simply because I didn't know I could, haha. My knowledge of make up wasn't so high as it is right now! I've only started using more high end foundations since last year. A list of all of the foundations I've tried (including some drugstore bits); Estée Laurder double wear, Chanel mat Lumière, Chanel perfection Lumière, Chanel Vitalumière Aqua, Maybelline Dream Mat Mousse, the L'Oréal Equivalent of that, Bourjois Healthy Mix, Bourjois Healthy Mix Sérum, Clinique Supermoisture Make Up, and know I'm using the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light foundation, which I really love. I contour my face everyday, I use a nice blush, liquid eyeliner (which looks A LOT) better on me now haha, eyeshadow, mascara, lipstick, lipgloss, eyebrow powder, primer, a setting powder, you know the drill.

So that was my kind of make up 'journey'! I am make up and beauty OBSESSED. I don't leave the house without just a hint of mascara and a nice lipstick on. I do not only think that make up can bring out the best out of everyone whilst concealing your flaws and enhancing your most gorgeous features, I also loooooooooove applying it, not only to myself but also to other people! (A skill which I need to improve an awful lot, but I will learn.) I can only dream of having stashes of make up like in the pictures above, but with €50 euros a month you can't buy much, now can you?! Poor student alert, haha. I would love to work in the beauty industry (even though I'm going to university to study Psychology in November, haha, but a girl can dream, right?!).

I would love to see others make up experience, so if you have a blog post written on it, feel free to share the link in the comments! I'm such a nosey person haha, but aren't we all? ;)

xoxo,
Charlotte

weekly wishlist #3

I always seem to want so much stuff at the same time, then when it comes down to listing them I can only think up four items I really want to have.... Typical.

001. A firm blogger favourite: the Caudalie Beauty Elixer. It seems to perfect your skin and refine your pores. It also seems to cure acne and smell lovely, which is a double plus! The small bottle would be perfect for me to take to school and other little trips, and it's also not that expensive. It's a shame it's so hard to find here...

002. I already put this in my first weekly wishlist back in december, but it was actually the gold instead of the rose gold one. It's another blogger favourite, but it would be a shame if it wouldn't because it's just so so lovely! I'm obsessed with rose gold at the moment, which is a blessing as you can find it a lot in the S/S 2012 collections in the high street shops.

003. This Zara bag. Can I just...? It's the perfect bag for summer. The white colour is so lovely, it's so big (which is perfect for me because I always tend to take all the stuff I own with me) and... it's so expensive. Someone needs to save her money up... Catastrophe alert!

004. Another item I've been lusting over for ages but couldn't bring myself to buy it since it's so bloody expensive is this little gem; the Porefessional Primer by Benefit. I 'suffer' from very large pores and it makes me feel so insecure about myself. I really hope that this stuff is as good as everyone exclaims it is!

These weekly wishlists kind of posts aren't that weekly anymore, seeing as I've posted my last one over 3 months ago! I've had a little (big) break from blogging but now I'm back and I want to blog more than ever!

xoxo,
Charlotte

MAC cremesheen lipstick in speed dial

I'm a sucker for lipsticks. They brighten your face up, they can transform you from looking tired and grumpy into a glamourous lady, and they just form a nice addition to your make up. Lipstick is the only thing that I use on a rotation- I mostly just use the same make up items nowadays. Even if it's just a neutral colour, it seems to do so much more for my façade and I just love putting it on, it always makes me remember of being little and watching my mom put on her own lipstick.

Well, I love MAC lipsticks. They have great selection of colours and formulas to apply for every person's personal taste. There's also something about the way they smell- I know, I'm weird, right? They remember me of biscuits or something, which is probably just me being very weird but whatever haha. They also last for a really long time! I applied mine at 7 o'clock this morning and it lasted on me until Lunchtime, without having to do any touch-up! Bear in mind that I had already eaten an apple and drank a lot of water, haha ;) Even when I finished my lunch, there was still a little hint of colour noticeable on my lips.

The colour is just absolutely gorgeous. It has got a lot of glitter in it, but I don't think that's very noticeable on the lips. It goes on very smoothly and stays on for a good few hours. Unfortunately, it's a very bright lipstick. My friend pointed this out for me once and I have to say that she's right; it may not be for you if you prefer nude lipsticks, but I sure do love it!

Have you already tried this lipstick? What are your favourite lipsticks by MAC?

xoxo, Charlotte

Avène Lotion Micellaire

When I went to the local pharmacy to get my hands on what seems to be thé blogger hype of the moment, the Caudalie Beauty Elixer (which they didn't seem to stock- boo!), I came across this gem of a cleanser. With the Bioderma Créaline cleanser being the first cleanser I've known using a micellar solution, I was curious about what it would do and what kind of a difference it would make to my make up removal routine. Since this Avène cleanser is much more accesible for me to lay my hands on than the Bioderma one, I decided to give this a go.

I'm sure most of you may already know what a Micellar cleanser is, but for those of you who don't, I'm going to give you a short summary: it's simply an alcohol and soap free cleanser, which holds a cluster of oil molecules suspended in soft water, which are hydrophobic and oil-loving. In shorter terms, it's basically just a very gentle cleanser which grabs and absorbs every single bit of make up and doesn't make the skin feel unbalanced, like foam or milky cleansers would do. Personally, the formula reminds me a little bit of an oil cleanser, but lots and loooots more greasy. Micellar Water cleansers are suitable for all skintypes.

The Avène Lotion Micellaire cleanser is hypoallergenic- like almost all Micellar cleansers- and thus the perfect mate for a really sensitive skin. My first impressions? I absolutely adore it! Even though it says 'Lotion' on the bottle, it doesn't really feel as a lotion. It feels like water, but than just a little bit of a thicker fluid- I'm so good with describing things! It removes every single trace of make up. I use it every night, soaking two cotton wool pads in it and then gently rubbing my face. I then give my face a nice, refreshing splash of cold water to be sure all of the product is gone, and then use my regular toner, serum and evening moisturiser.

All in all it's a very good cleanser and the Micellar Water seems to do wonders for my skin. I haven't been using it for a very long time, but I already adore it. Other good Micellar cleansers seem to be, of course, the Bioderma one and the La Roche-Posay one. Don't we all just love a little bit of French skincare? ;)

Have you already tried this cleanser or any other Micellar cleanser? Do you like it?

xoxo, Charlotte