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!

MAC lovelorn lipstick

I saw this gorgeous lipstick when I went into the MAC counter a few weeks ago when I went shopping with my mom. I was actually looking for Hue, but this one grabbed my attention and I've been wearing it everyday since. It's the perfect, natural pinky colour! I'm sorry I don't have pictures of me wearing this, but I'm sure you can find some swatches on good ol' google. I'm on the hunt for another MAC lipstick when I go shopping in a few days, what are your favourite lipsticks? Or just in general your favourite products by them? I'm really sorry that this is such a boring blogpost, but I just got back from y boyfriend and I'm really tired! I've promised myself to blog every day for the whole of July, but my internet collection broke down for some kind of stupid reason and so I only got access to the world wibe web today again! Which I'm sooooo happy about, haha!

xoxo, Charlotte

la roche-posay effaclar M

When I posted about the Effaclar K which I absolutely loved, someone commented that they’ve been using the Effclar M and that they love it! So, being the curious little girl I had, I, of course, had to investigate for a bit. I have quite oily skin which is mildly prone to acne and a little bit sensitive, so I figured this might help me a bit. I did some research beforehand (which I always do- I like to know a little bit more about all of the good/bad sides of the product I’m going to invest my pennies in!) and then finally decided to buy it.

It says on the packaging that it’s for oily skin which can get shiny at some times. This product also claims to slow the sebum production of the skin, which basically means that it will balance the natural oils our skin produces. It’ll make the skin more even, matte, but it will also hydrate the skin intensely. Pores will get smaller and acne will disappear, but the most important thing it claims to do is balancing out the skin without drying it out.

I apply this two times a day, before I go to sleep and in the morning after I cleansed my skin. I find that it does prevent my skin from getting shiny and oily throughout the day and it does minimize my pores, making it a great make up base (which it also claims it does), but I do find that in the evening, my skin can feel a little bit dehydrated. My skin used to get very oily but since I’m getting a little bit older (I’m getting 18 in October so I guess my puberty is kinda over ;) ) I also find that it does need a little bit more moisturizing.

Overall, this is a very good moisturizer. I kinda like the smell of it, even though it does remind me of how hospitals smell, haha, but it smells like a product that does the job (that doesn’t even make any sense, I know…). I feel like my acne is getting better because of it and I will continue buying it, but eventually I will use a little bit of my Clinique moisturizer on top of this before I go to sleep.

Have you tried this? Do you like La Roche-Posay products?

xoxo, Charlotte

clarins instant light natural lip perfector

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 001 - Rose Shimmer

I didn't really understand the hype around this product at first. I saw Anna raving about it, and after seeing Barbara and Lily recommending it, I decided to get this. However I always thought lipglosses are one of the most boring beauty purchases, it gets described as 'the best lipgloss ever' on quite a few beauty sites and being the beauty obsessant I am, I obviously had to try it! I found it quite pricey for 'just a lipgloss' but then again, since so many people recommended it, I just decided to buy it when I walked in the shop!
Since I'm a blondie with bright blue eyes and a very light skin, I decided that the pink one would be the one that would suit me the most. This lipgloss comes in three colours, a pinky, a peachy and a more taupey/neutral  colour, so it doesn't have a very wide colour range but I think that there's a colour for everyone's wanting!

Clarins describes the product as 'The ideal lip perfector for smooth, perfectly shaped lips with subtle, natural colour. A soft, gel formula that nourishes, repairs and protects. Day after day, lips are visibly more beautiful.', so they basically claim that it is a cross between a lipgloss and a lipbalm which seems to perfect your lips whilst giving them a subtle hint of colour. They're right. It has the colour of a lipgloss, but it feels as nourishing as a lipbalm and it is absolutely not sticky at all. The smell is also great! It smells a little bit like caramel but it also reminds me a little bit of the MAC lipsticks, one way or another (?!). It does seem to makem y lips look a tiny little bit fuller and the shape of my lips seems a lot more 'beautiful', if that does make any sense?! I don't really find that it does give any colour to my lips, but they do seem a little bit more pinky-ish and let's be honest, no product is perfect, haha.
It also comes in a really nice tube with an applicator I've never ever seen before! It's some kind of a mini-spunge with some little holes in it. I don't think it's very hygienic, but I don't really care about that haha. I really like this lipgloss and I definitely want to try more Clarins products! Any recommendations?

I really don't like to post a lot of reviews of single products, but I don't seem to have a lot of inspiration at the moment! I have a review of a MAC lipstick and another skincare product which I absolutely love coming up, so let me know if you want to see anything else on my blog! I'm also planning on posting some personal updates. Maybe every Sunday?

xoxo, Charlotte

july's cravings

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I've decided to drop the 'weekly wishlists' as I never stick to them anyway and just make them a monthly feature. I've been eyeing a few products up which I think are perfect for the summer months and which I've been wanting for absolute ages! The first thing is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir. I've first heard about this through Anna's blog, and since she's been raving so much about it and it seems to be perfect for acne prone skin to! I just need something to refresh my skin from time to time and make my make up look more dewy and natural, and this seems to be perfect for that.
Since I've ran out of my Clinique moisturiser I've been eyeing this one up. It's the Effaclar M moisturiser by La Roche-Posay. I've been using the Effaclar K and I really love it, but I seem to have lost it one way or another (?) and since I saw Barbara raving about it in this video I just can't seem to get it out of my head! We have the same skintype, so I must give this a try.
I've also ran out of all of my Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair samples, so I figured I need a new face oil. This seems lovely and lots of people claim that it doesn't feel heavy on the skin and doesn't break this out. The only downside is the price, so I need to investigate a little bit more into it.
Since we don't have a Topshop here this item might be a little bit useless, but I've been loving their one-shoulder tunics and I want them in all the colours! I might order it!
I also ran out of my the Body Shop clarifying clay mask (do you spy a pattern here?!), so I need a new face mask. My skin is oily and prone to acne and can be a little bit sensitive, so this seems perfect for it!
This Chanel nailpolish seems perfect for summer. It's just the perfect orangey-red shade and I think it will look lovely with a tan! If the sun gets out this summer, that is. I'm craving a little bit of sunshine!
And last but not least, to give my cheeks a little bit of colour I figured I need a perfect pink blusher. Since my skin is pretty light, I think this will suit me very well, although I have heard some very mixed reviews about it!

Sorry for this rubbish post and my very bad language, but I'm tired and English isn't my mothertongue! What are you craving at this very moment?

xoxo, Charlotte