Holiday Haulin'

I’m back, I’m back! Bet you’ve missed me when I was on a sunbed drinking cocktails and reading countless magazines in Mallorca- I kid, I kid. But I’m back after twelve days in the sun, and it feels like I’ve never even left my quiet, little city. I’m not that happy to be home because I’ve had the most amazing time on holiday and even got a tan, but I missed my bed and the comfort of my own home so it feels kind of ‘good’ to be home.

I was planning on buying quite a lot of stuff whilst being on the beautiful Balearic island, but I ended up not buying that much which my bank balance was obviously quite happy about. I thought I’d show you anyway, since I am really happy with the bits I did buy!

Firstly, I bought an item I was lusting after for absolute ages- a Bourjois Colour Boost crayon, in the colour ‘Orange Punch’. Since most drugstore makeup brands are quite a bit cheaper in Spain then they are in Belgium I was planning on picking up lots more, but when shopping for makeup I always get so overwhelmed I never really know what to buy. I know, I’m such a great beauty blogger! I wore this almost every evening of my holiday and I love it so, so much. It’s quite sheer but the clour is really buildable and feels really moisturising on the lips, and it lasts quite a long time as well! So far it’s a winner.

I also picked up two Clarins products I’ve been eyeing up for a while, and, to be honest I was actually forced a little to buy because you got a free makeup bag containing two sample if you bought two Clarins products! So I picked up the Lotus Face Oil and the Beauty Flash Balm, two quite hyped up products. I only tried these a few times and so far I’ve been absolutely loving both; the Lotus Face Oil smells amazing and seems to do wonders for my oily skin, and the Beauty Flash Balm feels so fresh on the skin and makes every base you apply after look gorgeous.

We went to Palma for a daytrip and I just had to visit the Kiko store. I’ve never actually tried something by Kiko before but heard that their products are great value for money, especially their eyeshadows, so I bought three; two of their Longlasting Stick Eyeshadows and one Water Eyeshadow. I bought their eyeshadow sticks in the colours 06, a beautiful shimmery chocolate brown, and 07, the most gorgeous golden colour which makes an amazing inner corner highlight. I picked up the water eyeshadow in the shade 200 which is the most amazing gold shimmer with an incredible pigmentation and the most amazing glitter ever- if you’re a fan of subtle, I fear this isn’t so much for you. After picking these up I’m actually tempted to play a little with eyeshadows, which is unheard for me so I’ll keep you updated!

I also picked up their Dazzling Highlighter in 02 – Gleaming Apricot. I actually only own one single highlighter (MAC Lightscapade, I’m looking at you), so I thought it was time to expand my collection a little bit. Their Dazzling Highlighters come in a handy stick which you can roll up and sweep across your cheekbones, your browbone, decolletage or anywhere else you’d like. They come in two colours, a shimmery white one or a more subtle apricot one, which is the one I picked up. I’ve been wearing it every day since I got it since it’s so subtle but also makes your cheekbones look amazing and really defined. It’s really creamy and easy to blend in with your fingers, and also smells amaaaaazing!

So that’s all I picked up beauty-wise in Mallorca. I also bought a little leather satchel bag at a market in Son Servera and a beautiful butterfly ring in the most precious little hand-made jewellery store in Cala Bona, which is the little village we stayed in located at the west coast of Mallorca.

I’m planning on doing a holiday essentials post soon, including everything I used every single day on my holiday and some tips for travelling light RE: makeup and skincare. I also might do a little holiday diary, sop lease let me know in the comments if you would like to see that!

No-Foundation Makeup

Wearing makeup when it’s 30 + degrees outside is absolutely horrible, as I think most girls will agree. Especially when you’re wearing foundation: it just melts off your face and clogs your pores, resulting in breakouts and a feeling disgusting. That’s why I’ve been doing something I never would have even thought of doing a couple of months ago; I haven’t been wearing foundations. I know. Shock horror.

My skin has actually been looking quite nice and clear lately, so I’ve been a little bit lazy with my makeup which resulted really, really, really, really minimal makeup. Really.

So in order to look a little bit more human the next morning I’ve been using the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning facial self-tanner. Now I’m not usually one for fake tanning (I’ve never even tried a self tanner before, only those gradual ones), but soaking up the sun and getting some vitamin D has resulted in a nice sunkissed glow on my body. My face, however, is as pale as ever because I’ve been applying SPF constantly, so it needs a little bit of a glow in order to make me look more alive. I really do find that my skin looks a lot healthier the day afte rand needs a lot less concealing. Just put a little bit on a cotton wool pat and wipe it over your face after you’ve completed your skincare routine, and done. A full review is in the works.

After waking up looking like a bronze goddess (just kidding, just kidding) and cleansing and toning my skin to make me feel a little bit more awake, I’ve been applying the Origins Ginzing moisturiser. Now everyone seems to be loving this and it surely didn’t disappoint. It makes my skin look even and radiant and gives just the right amount of moisture my skin needs. My skin doesn’t get oily throughout the day but also doesn’t feel dry after application, and the scent is just absolutely delicious and makes me want to eat it. A winner, yes.

So the next step in this little routine is a little bit of cheating, because on days where I do feel a little bit insecure about my skin and want to cover up some things, I use the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser. This is some amazing stuff and I would happily use this every day, for the rest of my life. Check my full review out here.

Now I like to define my eyebrows a little bit when I’m not wearing that much makeup, just because they kind of frame my face and I don’t really feel like ‘me’ when I don’t have my eyebrows on (this just sounded like I don’t have any eyebrows- trust me, I do). For this, I use my beloved Catrice Brow Definer in Date With Ash-ton, and this is just the perfect eyebrow shade for me. It also has a little spoolie which really comes in handy as you can quickly brush and tame your brows, and after doing this I feel like I look so much more human.

For eyes, I’ve only been using my beloved L’Oréal Telescopic mascara. I originally wanted to buy the waterproof version but I couldn’t find it literally anywhere, so I settled with the normal one which I think is just as good. I do believe that they’re discontinuing this however, which is such a shame as it’s probably my favourite mascara EVER- it gives perfect length and definition and you can make it either look really natural or really voluminous-, sop lease feel free tos end any other mascara recommendations my way. You’re welcome.

So last but certainly not least I’ve been applying a slick of lipbalm. Now I’ve ran out of my favourite lipbalm ever, the ever-so-hyped-up Nuxe Rêve de Miel, but I found this Cocoa Butter Natural Lipbalm in one of those natural/organic shops in town. I don’t know what brand this is, but it smells and tastes amazing- like a combination of coconut (well obiously) and chocolate. At first I wasn’t really that sure about the scent and taste of this, but it has sure grown on me and know I really, really like it. It moisturises my lips SO well and makes them look plump and hydrated. It’s not matte like the Nuxe one is, but I do like the glossy finish it gives because it adds a little bit extra to your non-makeup makeup look.

So I think I’ve finally got this minimal makeup thing down to a T. What are your minimal makeup essentials? Do you wear foundation in this weather?

To the Dark Side

When buying makeup I don’t really gravitate toward Chanel. I love the sleek and elegant packaging of their products, but I’ve always considered buying something as an occasional treat to myself. I think a lot of their products are slightly overpriced, but they always come out with innovative colours and products and combined with the way they look (because come on, we all love an aesthetically pleasing product) I think a lot of women (like my mother) get drawn to the Chanel counter.

I decided to pick up some things myself a few weeks ago, as a little treat to myself. I wasn’t really feeling that well at the time so I did some retail therapy and came back home with two products that aren’t really that suitable for this time of the year, but absolutely gorgeous and timeless nonetheless.

The cream eyeshadows, or as Chanel like to call them ‘Illusion d’Ombre’, have always caught my eye. When having a swatching session at the counter I first wanted to go for ‘Emerveillé’, a gorgeous glittery champagne colour which looked lovely on my skin, but after lusting over and trying all the different shades in the range, I settled for ‘Ebloui’. ‘Ebloui’, which means ‘blinded’, is a gorgeous warm-toned burgundy brown. It has tiny, golden shimmer particles which really help to lighten up the eye. The colour is absolutely stunning and I expect this to suit every eye colour.

The texture of these cream eyeshadows is like nothing I have ever tried before. The texture reminds me a little bit of a mousse and feels quite bouncy. I apply it with my fingers then blend out the edges using a fluffy MAC 224 blending brush and it works a treat. This is the sort of eyeshadow you can wear on it’s own but still gives some depth to your eyes; an added smokiness which really makes your eyes stand out a lot. I also absolutely love the shimmer as it gives the eye even more dimension and definition. Without using an eyeshadow primer it lasts all day on me, but by the end of the day it starts creasing just a little- which is perfectly normal. I’m definitely looking into buying more of these as they are literally the best cream eyeshadows I have ever tried and Chanel has some amazing colours.

The nailpolish in ‘Taboo’ stood out to me the most. Not being a fan of the formula of Chanel nail varnishes I still couldn’t resist picking this up, as Chanel always comes out with such amazing colours. ‘Taboo’ is a new release and although it’s not the most summery nailpolish of them all, it’s a really gorgeous and classic shade. I couldn’t stop looking at my nails after application as it’s such a versatile and interesting shade which changes colour in different lighting. The galaxy on your fingertips.

Taboo is described as a “violine with red irredescence”. It’s opaque after only one coat, but I usually apply two purely out of habit and because it makes it last a little bit longer. As I said, the formula is quite poor- Chanel polishes tend to chip on me after only a day of wearing, but it has to be said that nearly all nail varnishes chip really quickly on my nails. I also don’t really like the brush; I prefer the brushes on my nailpolishes tob e a little bit wider, like the Essie diffusion line ones or the Rimmel ones.

‘Taboo’ is such an interesting nail shade to look at and the shimmer in it makes it all the more interesting. Mature but still edgy.

Have you tried the Chanel cream eyeshadows? What do you think of their nail polishes? 

The Everyday Summer Makeup

First off: chronic bitchface alert, sorry. Second: ‘everyday summer’ as in ‘what I wear on my face when it’s super hot outside’, not ‘it’s summer every day wooohooo!’, even though I wish the latter was true. Seeing as the weather has been absolutely amazing the past couple of weeks, I had to change up my make up routine a little bit. Not I’m really extravagant in my daily make up choices, but hey, even changing up my everyday lipsticks is a big deal for me. I’ve even been experimenting with blue and purple eyeliner, but I’m saving that for another blog post. I feel like these posts are becoming a little bit boring seeing as most of the products featured here I’ve already talked about numerous times before, but I’m not really one for buying makeup (I’m more a skincare kind of girl, even though I don’t really talk about skincare much on the blog) and therefore most of my makeup fits into one box. But for those of you who are interested on what I wear on those hot and steamy summer days, keep reading.

For my base, I’ve been cracking out the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation. I wasn’t really loving it when I first got it because it’s a lot different than the foundations I usually try, but a couple of days ago I thought I’d give it another go and I have been wearing it every day since. The finish is just so beautiful and glowy, and it makes me look more awake in seconds. I haven’t really been sleeping that well the past couple of days duet o the heat, but this foundation seems to cover that really well, which is why I’ve been loving it so much, I think. It lasts all day on my oily-combination skin, but I do need to use a powder when I use this, which is my trusty Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre. A light dusting of powder is definitely a must for me in this weather, as my T-zone can get quite oily during the day which means my makeup can slide off my face. I do like a dewy finish, but I don’t like looking too oily either and I find it quite hard to find that balance.

For concealer, another usual suspect; my Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer. My favourite concealer ever, and I’m not planning on purchasing another concealer anytime soon.

I’ve been dusting quite a lot of the Chanel Les Beiges powder in B40 on my cheeks as a bronzer. I find that this is the perfect shade to warm up my face and it looks super natural. I love these kind of sheer, natural-looking powders and even though I’m more of a blusher girl, this has swayed me over to the dark side.

For brows, my Catrice eyebrow pencil is my best friend. It’s the perfect match for me and I love that it has a little brush on the end.

I recently repurchased the l’Oréal Telescopic mascara and I’ve fallen head over heels in love with it- again. I bought it around this time last year and I absolutely love dit, but because I’m such a beauty addict I always want to try something new when I run out of a beauty product, so I didn’t repurchase it. I missed it, however, and because my Clinique mascara is slowly drying up I thought I would give this another go. It’s love. Perfect length, definition and separation; this is hands down the best mascara I have ever tried. I love the thin brush, which makes it so easy to apply and separate the lashes and it has made my lashes appear longer than any other mascara I’ve ever tried. I just love it. I think it’s getting discontinued though, since it was the only one left when I went to pick it up and I’ve never seen it in any other stores, which makes me a very sad girl.

On the lips, MAC’s Lovelorn is the perfect sheer blue-toned pinky lipstick. It’s moisturising and the colour is really buildable, which means I’ve been reaching for this most days.

So this is my fuss-free long-lasting summer makeup routine. I love every single one of these products, and they’re almost all holy grail products to me. Have you tried any of these before? What are your favourite summer makeup items?

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hour

I have had my eye on the Maybelline Colour Tattoos for absolute ages before actually buying one of them around Christmas time last year and I have loved them so much I thought I should do a review on one of my most-used eyeshadow products.

The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are described as a ‘gel-crem eyeshadow’. After picking up my first shade ‘On and on Bronze’, I decided to pick up another one called ‘Permanent Taupe’. I absolutely love the consistency of these eyeshadows and these were actually the first cream eyeshadows I actually tried, and I’m in love with them.

‘On and on Bronze’ is a gorgeous warm-toned brown with shimmer. What I love about this colour is that the shimmer is really subtle so it doesn’t make your eyes look like a discoball. I think this is one of those neutral colours that suits everyone. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

‘Permanent Taupe’ is, as the name already suggested, a cool-toned taupe. This doesn’t have any shimmer in it and has quite a matte finish on the eye, which I really really like.

The formula is great and really easy to work with. I usually use my ring finger to take a little bit of the product and then dab it on my eyelid, blending it in with said finger. The eyeshadows are both really, really pigmented when first swatched, but leave quite a sheer wash of colour on the eyelid when first dabbed in. The great thing about these is that you can actually build the colour up quite a bit. If I want them a little bit more blended into the crease, I’ll use a fluffy blending brush, but I often don’t find that necessary. They last all day, too, even when I’m not using an eyelid primer and i have quite oily eyelids.

I use these just on their own as an eyeshadow, as a base under other eyeshadows to make those last even longer or with an angled brush as a gel eyeliner. I found that when you use these as an eyeshadow base, the colour of the eyeshadow you’re applying next gets so much more intense and beautiful.

If I had to pick my favourite, I think it would definitely be ‘On and on Bronze’. My favourite way to wear it is with a shimmery champagne colour on top of it- just gorgeous! I love ‘Permanent Taupe’ too, but I find it a little bit harder to pull off because I don’t really suit cool toned eyeshadows, but it’s gorgeous too. Do you like these? What other shades of these do you recommend?