YSL Glossy Stain in Rouge Gouache

Yes, I can finally use my DSLR again! :)

Ah, liquid lipsticks. The new 'must-have' make up items. I've heard about these a little while ago and couldn't wait to get my hands on these, so when I went shopping last week I knew I had to have one. I had already heard a lot about the YSL Glossy Stains, but after swatching them on my hand I was sold; I  needed one of these. At first, I was thinking about getting one of the more neutral sides, but my more adventurous side got the better of me and I ended up with this lovely, bright shade called no. 11 Rouge Gouache. After having a little play with this, I am now absolutely sure I need more of these in my life.

Let me begin with explaining what liquid lipsticks are, for those of you who don't know already. They're basically just 'lipsticks, but liquid' (yes- what's in a name, huh?). They have got a little spongey applicator, like some lipglosses have, and the product itself is just a very pigmented, long-lasting lipgloss. Which thus makes it a liquid lipstick.

The applicator makes it really easy to apply; the slightly curved stick makes the application very precise. You can just wear one layer of this, but I always wait until it dries before I apply another layer. I find that this makes the lipstick not only last a little bit longer, but it also makes the color 'pop' more.

And what about the color? Well, it certainly isn't one of those colors you would wear everyday, but that certainly doesn't change the fact that it's just beautiful. I would describe it as a 'pinkish red', because on me, it looks a little bit more bright pink. I've seen other people wearing this and it looked more red on them, so this might have something to do with my lip pigmentation. I wear this with lashings of mascara and a fresh, flawless base to really bring attention to my lips.

Have you tried any of these yet? I'm really tempted to try the Rimmel Apocalips next!

What's on my face?

I'm the kind of person who gets stuck into routines way too easily. Whilst promising myself a few weeks ago I would shake up my daily make up products a little bit more, I have now fallen back into the same old routine. This does, however, mean that these are all products I absolutely love. They may all be a little bit on the pricey side, but they are- in my opinion- well worth it.

For my foundation, I use a product which I've talked about quite a lot on the blog. This Diorskin Nude foundation is my favourite foundation at the moment. Giving a light coverage, the finish of this little beauty is really radiant and fresh. It's not particularly dewy, but it is really luminous, and I do find that my oily skin seems to like this very much.
I've been using two concealers; the YSL Touche éclat for under my eyes, and my MAC Studio Sculpt concealer on any blemishes I have. The YSL touche éclat has been a staple make up item of me for a while now. It doesn't give you much coverage (which I don't really need under my eyes anyway), but it's light reflecting properties mean that your face looks even more flawless. The MAC Studio Sculpt concealer is actually a bit too dark for me, but if I blend it in really well using my Real Techniques Contour Brush I can get away with it. I really like it's creamy consistency and it gives perfect coverage.
For blusher, I've been using this Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel in Sable Rose (I forgot to take a picture of what it looks like inside- click!). This was part of last year's summer collection, and it does make me look like I've just gotten back from a holiday. This is kind of a bronzer and a blusher in one, and it does sculpt your cheeks whilst also giving a nice flush of warmth to your face.
I've used my trusty old Gosh Brow Ink in 004 Wheat to fill in and shape my eyebrows a little bit, and my Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme mascara to give my lashes a little bit of length and volume.
For lips, I've used a fairly new addition to my ever-expanding make up collection. This Chanel Rouge Coco in Egérie is a really nice compromise between a pinky and an orange-y lipstick. It really moisturises my lips and I find that it does really complement my skintone. I've been preferring this over my Ravishing lipstick by MAC, since I sometimes find that a little bit too orange. If I want this to pop a little bit more, I will use my MAC Cremestick lipliner in Creamkiss, which makes this also last a little bit longer!

What products have you been wearing constantly these days? Are you also a sucker for routine, like I am?

Blue Jeans

Excuse my gremlin-like hands and the fact that my nails are still looking a little bit messy! I was a little bit in a rush whilst applying :)

When I was rummaging through my ever expanding nail polish stash, I found a nailpolish I bought last year; OPI's 'Last Friday Night'. Being part of their collaboration with Katy Perry, 'Last Friday Night' is a really gorgeous, blue glitter topcoat. Since I bought it on a whim (it was my first ever OPI nail polish and I didn't really realize it was a topcoat), I didn't have another nail varnish to pair it with. I went looking for the perfect, bright blue polish, and picked up this little Rimmel gem. It's called 'My Denim' and is the perfect blue. I actually only wore it once, because this is not a colour I would normally go for, but yesterday I decided to step a little it out of my comfort zone. I'm going to try to welcome some brighter nail colours in my life, in an attempt to cheer myself up!

The lasting power of the Rimmel nail polish isn't that great; I only applied it yesterday and it has already chipped a little bit (that is with a base- and topcoat!), but the colour is amazing and the brush makes application easy-peasy. 

Have you tried Rimmel nailpolishes? What is your favorite?

Winter Lips & Nails

The holiday season is well and truly over, new years resolutions have been made and we're all back in our normal, everyday work/school-routines. For me, as soon as Christmas is over, I start to crave a little bit of warmth and sunshine, and I can't wait until we're allowed out of our homes without a thick winter coat, a wooly scarf and that trusty burgundy bobble hat. But alas, it's still winter, and we can't change anything about that, so we better just keep our chin up and brave the cold weather (and even snow, in some places). Chapped lips and rough nails are part of our daily struggles, and I think I have found a few products that make these little daily annoyances a little bit more enjoyable.

For lips, I've recently been using the Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm. The name says it all really; Rêve de Miel means 'Dreams of Honey', and oh boy, they couldn't be more right. This little lipbalm is literally a dream to apply. Smelling of citrus and honey, it moisturises your lips to the point that they look plum, fresh and hydrated. This little gem doesn't dry out your lips, like I've experienced with some other lip balms, which is such a plus. I apply it every night right before I go to sleep, and in the mornings before I put my lipstick on.
Speaking of lipstick, this L'Oréal Rouge Caresse in 202 Impulsive Fuchsia is a dream for all of us who are prone to chapped lips in winter. The Rouge Caresse line is one of my favourite line of lipsticks (see a previous post about them here!). Being really moisturising and an absolute pleasure to apply- you don't even need to look into the mirror- they're just one of the most easy-wearing lipsticks I've ever tried. Okay, the lasting power isn't that great- but what would you expect with a super-moisturising lipstick like this one? The shade range is absolutely beautiful. This one in particular is a nice blue toned, bright pink which brightens your face immediately after application. This + de Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm = bye bye chapped lips! Say hello so super moisturised, plump lips and the brightest smile you can possibly get.
Last but not least is this L'Occitane Rose 4 Reines Velvet Hand Cream. If you like the smell of roses as much as I do, you will need to have this. I've always been a sufferer of winter hands. As soon as the weather gets a little bit colder, my hands start to feel rough, and if I don't do something about that as soon as possible, they even start bleeding- yes, really. This moisturising and heavenly smelling hand cream transforms my rough hands into smooth, rosy-smelling goodness.

So I know how I'll be protecting myself against the freezing cold weather we're all braving at the moment. What are your cold winter day saviours?

The New Things

I'll be the first one to admit that whenever there's a new hype surrounding a product, I cave. I just can't seem to help it- it's like when my brain is set on something that seems to work for other people, I just can't stop thinking of that particular product. So here are the latest additions to my ever expanding stash- most of these I've been trying for a few weeks now, so I think I've got quite a good view on how they seem to work on me by now.

The first product is the Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser. I've always wanted to try a tinted moisturiser, and I've read lots of rave reviews about this. Being quite a pricey product, it contains 50ml, which is more than your average foundation, and you only need a tiny little dot of this. I apply this using the ever-so-popular Real Techniques buffing brush, which gives me the coverage I need. I do use a powder however, because even though it's oil-free, I do find that it does make me shiny.
The next product is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. I've been quite the acne-sufferer, and since using this product I find my acne has calmed down a lot. I did, however, have quite high expectations about this product which it didn't really live up to- but I've only been using it for a week or so, so I'll see how it goes.
I've also been trying the Origins Out of Trouble mask, which is supposed to help with break outs. I really like the smell of this and when I apply it I really feel like it's working, and when I wake up the next day, my skin always looks a lot clearer, brighter, less congested and feels less oily. This is probably one of my favourite face masks, along with the Origins Clear Improvement mask (review here!) which I've sadly enough almost ran out of. This will most definitely be a repurchase!
The last product is Essie's Watermelon, a really nice berry shade. I really like Essie nailpolishes; the new brushes make the application so super easy, they don't really chip that easily on my nails (although I find some other brands of nailpolish last a lot better- OPI, I'm looking at you!) and their colour ranges are just amazing. Just a foolproof shade that makes your nails stand out without being too much.

I really love all of these products, and although they are a little bit on the more pricier side, they're all four really good quality products and are definitely worth the money! What products have you been investing in? Do you think they were worth your money?

a fresh, new start

So I'm going to be one of those typical people who take advantage of the new year and use it as an excuse to actually make things happen/change things over. 2012 wasn't my best year, but it also wasn't my worst. I actually think that every year, good and bad stuff happens. That's just life and every new year is a chance to make things better. I haven't been a really good blogger this year, and since my blog got one year old back in December, I really want to change things up a bit. I'm going to share with you my new years resolutions and the goals I want to reach this year, both blog-wise and personal.

My new year's resolutions

• This might be a little bit of a cliche, but be more healthy is my number one priority. When I eat healthy, I do not only see a massive change in my skin, but it also makes me feel a million times better about myself. I don't necessarily want to lose weight (although that would be nice), because I've finally started to accept myself, but I also want to have a more positive mindset throughout the entire year of 2013, and I think eating healthy and maybe exercise a little (things like yoga and pilates) will most certainly contribute to that.
• I also want to take more supplements. I've recently started taking fish oil supplements on the recommendation of the lovely Caroline, my number one skincare guru, and I think I'm already seeing a little bit of a difference in my skin. I also want to learn more about different supplements and what they do for your body.
• This year, I'm also going to try not to let my nailpolish chip off of my nails. I'm quite lazy when it comes to doing my nails so I sometimes walk around with horrible looking nails and since I really, really hate looking at other people's chipped nails, I thought I should make more of an effort myself. 
• Moisturise my body more. I'm going to try to moisturise my whole body as soon as I get out of the shower, since that's something I'm also too lazy for way too often and I just want my body to keep looking really nice and moisturized.
• Sleep a little bit more. It's simple as that.
• Drink more green tea and nettle tea, which have great benefits for both the body and the skin.
• Enjoy the moment more. Enjoy life.

My goals

• Read at least ten books. This may not seem like a lot to some of you, but I'm actually really, really busy with uni so I don't really have much time to read, and the time I do have to do nice things, I spend reading blogs or watching YouTube videos, scrolling through my twitter feed or updating my tumblr. I'm starting with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• Write more. Both personal stuff that won't get published and on my blog. I used to write so, so much stuff (and a lot of fanfiction when I was younger.... lolzzzz) and stopped writing since a while. I really want to take it back up since I'm sure it would do me lots of good, and also because it's something I really enjoy. I want to publish my own novel at one point in my life.
• Improve my blog content and photography. Simple.
• Watch 50 movies. Quite ambitious, as I tend to fall asleep during movies very fast, haha.
• Turn my blog into more of a lifestyle blog and blog more. I really love beauty, don't get me wrong, but I'm going through some sort of a phase where I don't really get as excited about it as I used to be. I'm really enjoying reading lifestyle blogs, with the lovely and down to earth Emily and the beautiful and creative Becky as two of my firm favorites.
• Make a jar of happiness. I'm sure most of you have heard of this project, as everyone seems to be doing it. It started out at something on tumblr and then everyone got into it.

So that are my new year's resolutions and goals I want to reach in 2013. What are yours?