Tuesday, November 13, 2012

daily face #1


In an effort to get more creative with my makeup, I like to switch things around and use products that I may have neglected recently. I will attempt to put up a daily face post every once in a while to share with you the products I am currently using.

 
Revlon Grow Luscious, Nars Pro-Prime Eyeshadow Base, Catrice Eye Brow Stylist, Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine, MAC Patina, MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20, YSL Teint Resist in 5


YSL Teint Resist: My beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation has run out and the foundation hoarder that I am, I really need to use up some of my foundations before I can justify buying a new one. No 5 is definitely a tad too dark at the moment and requires more blending. You can read the full YSL Teint Resist review here.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer: I have probably owned this concealer for way too long, but it still works fine in concealing and camouflaging. I use shade NW20 for my under eye area. This is not my favourite MAC concealer, but will do the job.

Laura Mercier Blush in Lush Nectarine: This is one of the more recent higher end blushes that I have bought. Unfortunately this beautiful peachy pink shade hasn't gotten enough love. It really works nicely to brighten up my face on a dull autumn day. You can see more pictures here.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara: Favourite new mascara. Gives me beautiful voluminous lashes and doesn't smudge. 

Nars Pro-Prime Eyeshadow Base: Great eyeshadow base that will keep my eyeshadow from creasing. This is a staple in my collection!

Catrice Eye Brow Stylist: This is my drugstore eye brow pencil of choice. I have this in 030 Brow-n-eyed Peas. It's a great neutral brown that goes well with light brown - black hair.

MAC Patina & Era Eyeshadows: 2 of my favourite MAC neutrals. Patina is such a staple in my collection. It's a light multi-faceted taupe with golden and pink sheen to it. Era is a light golden brown that I like to use all over the lid, just like Patina or as a crease colour.

What have you been wearing lately?

Love,
Maya

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Product Review | Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask


I had heard great things about the wonders of Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask and its claims to be quenching skin's thirst and moisturise dehydrated skin. 

Having quite sensitive combination skin with dry cheeks, that will react to any product it doesn't like, I got a sample size first. I used it up and really enjoyed it. I was quite sad when I finished the sample and decided to buy the full size product instead.

I have been using the Drink Up Intensive mask probably 2 - 3 times a week by applying it as a night time moisturiser over my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum (review coming up soon). I don't see a point in applying a thick layer of this and then taking off the excess as Origins suggest, as I am not a big fan of wasting product.

Price Tag:
3.4 fl. oz./100 ml US$23.00/£20.00/€ 27,95
 
Texture:
This mask applies like a thick moisturiser, rather than a typical mask. It's quite mosturising and not oily. At first it feels a little tacky, but soon it sinks in and leaves the skin feeling velvety soft. 

Scent:
The scent is probably the most wonderful thing about this mask and to be quite honest I am not sure if I would have bought the full size if it had a different scent. It has a lovely natural fruity smell of apricot and peaches. 

Results:
I am not quite sure if this mask makes my skin feel plumper or overly hydrated. It's definitely more of a nice night-time moisturiser for me, that I am happy to have incorporated into my skin care. I do think that this mask may not be hydrating enough for dry skins or may require more product.

Overall, this is a nice product, but I will definitely venture out and try some other masks before deciding to repurchase this one.

 

What are your thoughts on the Origins Drink Up Intensive mask? What are your favourite hydrating masks?

Love,
Maya

Thursday, November 8, 2012

New In | Catrice spectaculArt

Catrice recently came out with the new spectaculArt collection for the holiday season. It's a gorgeous collection with several pure chrome eyeshadows, a cream blush, lipsticks, a highlighter, nail polishes, lashes and an eyeliner.

What caught my eye was the highlighter in Artfully Lustrous and the Superfine Eyeliner Pen.

Artfully Lustrous is a gorgoeus peachy highlighter with small golden particles.
The Superfine Eyeliner Pen is a jet black and fine eyeliner which promises to be quite long wearing judging from the swatch.

Catrice Artfully Lustrous and Superfine Eyeliner Pen



Superfine Eyeliner Pen
Swatches, no flash.
If you have a Catrice stand in your local drugstore, go check it out. The collection should be out November - December 2012.

Have you spotted the collection yet? Which items did you like?

Love,
Maya
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Sunday, November 4, 2012

New In | Origins Skincare Goodies

A little while ago I decided to finally invest in a good eye cream that would do a little more than simply moisturise. I do have pretty good skin overall and most people are not able to guess my age. I have however started noticing some fine lines around my eyes mostly due to dryness.

Origins skincare is mostly natural and doesn't contain parabens and mineral oils. I had already tried a few Origins sample products and had been intrigued by the brand for a while. My sensitive skin seemed to tolerate the products I had already tried. So I decided to invest in the Starting Over Age-erasing eye cream with Mimosa and also got a generous sample of the GinZing.

Even though I have had the products for a while I have only started using them recently. I use the Age-erasing eye cream in my evening skin care routine and the GinZing in the morning.

I discovered the Drink up Intensive mask thanks to a sample I got from the Origins counter. I absolutely fell in love with it and definitely wanted to get it full size. I have now started incorporating it back into my skincare and I love it!
Origins GinZing and Starting Over eye cream



Origins Drink Up Intensive
So far, I am enjoying the products as part of my skincare routine and will give a more in depth review soon.

Which Origins products have you tried?

Love,
Maya

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

quick update

As you may have noticed, there have not been any posts lately. My modem has given up on me and I had to order a new one. Happy to report that it has arrived and my internet should be back up within the next couple of days! So expect a new exciting blog post next weekend.

Thanks for all the new followers and comments!

Love,
Maya

Friday, October 19, 2012

Favourites | My Favourite Fall/Winter Nail Polishes

As soon as the weather starts to get slightly colder and the sky a bit greyer, it's time for me to get out those neutral and darker nail colours. These are my current picks for fall/winter. Honestly speaking, I would probably like to wear some of these shades all year round, but try to stick to a bit of colour during the warmer seasons.

Neutrals & Taupes

Chanel Frenzy, OPI Wooden Shoe Like To Know, Essie Don't Sweater It, Chanel Particuliere
 
Chanel Frenzy - Beautiful creamy light taupe with hints of warmth that looks great with my olive skin tone. This was released as part of the Chanel Fall 2012 collection. It seems like Chanel have improved their formula. This nail polish will last a good 6 days with no chipping (with a top coat!).

OPI Wooden Shoe Like To Know - This shade was released with the Holland collection for spring/summer. My sister picked up this gorgeous nail polish in Copenhagen. I honestly think that this beautiful brown shade with gold shimmer is a great warm toned alternative for fall/winter and would not be my pick for spring or summer.

Essie Don't Sweater It - This shade was released with the latest Stylenomics Collection. Even though it's limited edition, this beautiful dark taupe is quite dupable. OPI's You don't know Jacques is a very close dupe. Don't let the colour in the bottle fool you, on the nails it applies quite dark.

Chanel Particuliere - This shade is slightly lighter on the nails than Essie's Don't sweater it, but has been a staple since I bought it a couple of years ago. It's the perfect mid-tone taupe, that I dare to wear all year round!

Deep Colours

Sephora Amethyst Stiletto, Orly Androgynie, Catrice Caught on the red carpet

Sephora Amethyst Stiletto - This is another shade that my sister picked up at Sephora in Copenhagen. It's a pretty shimmery purple colour, that's perfect for the season.

Orly Androgynie - Galaxy nails anyone? Androgynie was released with last year's holiday collection. I picked up this shade during my travels and can't wait to wear it around holiday season or as an accent nail. I don't own anything similar to this in my collection. It is a black nail polish with beautiful multi coloured glitters and particals of different sizes in it.

Catrice Caught on the red carpet - Fall/Winter must have No 1? A classy rich red nail polish! This one is by Catrice, but many brands have similar shades. On the nails this particular colour applies darker and slightly cooler.

What are your favourite nail polish picks for the colder seasons?

Love,
Maya

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

New In | Clarins skincare & make up

As you can see, I have really turned somewhat skincare obsessed. This is partially due to my skin getting more sensitive and prone to dryness.

I had been eyeing Clarins skincare products for a while and during my travels, I came across this amazing deal where you spent a certain amount and were able to buy a Clarins beauty box containing a whole lot of products at a fraction of the value.

Since I had been wanting to try several of the products, this indeed was the perfect opportunity to justify a little splurge.

I purchased the Gentle Foaming Cleanser and the Lotus Face Treatment Oil. The rest of the products were in the beautiful black cosmetics box/bag. 

I am very excited about the Gentle Foaming Cleanser, since most cleansers have been too drying on my combination skin. This one is specifically tailored for dry skin and contains Shea Butter.

Another product I am very eager to start using is the Lotus Face Treatment Oil. This oil has had quite a bit of a buzz around it and several beauty bloggers seem to love it.

The Beauty Flash Balm (as well as the rest of the products) came with the beauty box and had been on my wishlist for ages and now I finally have the opportunity to try it. Will it make my skin look glowing? We shall see.

Gentle Foaming Cleanser, One-Step Facial Cleanser
Lotus Face Treatment Oil, Beauty Flash Balm
Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch



Eye Quartet Mineral Palette 05 violet
HydraQuench Cream, Multi-Active Night
Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01, Gloss Papaya 08

Joli Rouge 733 fig
Intense Black Mascara, Instant Light Brush-On Perfector 01

Overall, I am very happy with the products I got and they will probably last me a good while.

Which of these Clarins products have you tried? Which ones are you curious about?

Love, 
Maya

Monday, October 8, 2012

Initial Review | Mac Pro Sculpting Cream in Coffee Walnut

MAC recently came out with the Pro Sculpting Creams, that are meant to be used for shaping and sculpting. I wasn't really on the hunt for a contour shade, but after reading and hearing about them I just had to check them out in person. Coffee Walnut in particular has been getting quite a bit of attention in the beauty community.

Coffee Walnut  may very well be the perfect contour shade. It's a mid-tone brown that slightly leans olive. Compared to swatches of Chanel's Bronze Universal below, you can see that it is more ashy and has no orange to it. When blended out though, it looks like a very natural shadow. There's quite a lot of pigment to the product, but it can also be sheered out.

The formula seems quite solid, but is very soft to the touch. It applies smoothly and dries down to a powder finish. After almost 10 hours, the swatch from this morning has hardly faded.

The shade and consistency of the product make it versatile enough to be used from light to dark skin tones. Coffee Walnut will most likely look most flattering and natural on warmer skin tones ranging from an NC25 - NC42.Cooler skin tones may be able to pull it off, however it would be advisable to first try it in store.


The product comes in 6 shades. You get 5 grams of product for 20 USD/23.50 EUR/17.50 GBP.

 
MAC Coffee Walnut & Chanel Bronze Universal
Top: Chanel Bronze Universal; Bottom MAC Coffee Walnut


Have you checked out any of the Sculpting Creams? What are your thought?

Love,
Maya

Friday, October 5, 2012

New In | Boots haul

Before travelling to Dublin I had made myself a little Boots list with all the products that I wanted to check out. There's quite some stuff that I can't buy in store here, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to buy these products while in Dublin.

I got two Vaseline Lip Therapies, one with cocoa butter and one with rose & almond oil. I had heard about these so much and used to see them all the time while living in London, but never got around trying them. 

One of the purchases I was most excited about where the Real Techniques brushes. I checked out all the ones in stock, but decided to go for the stippling brush only for now.

I also picked up a Lasting Perfection concealer by Collection and Peach Melba by Natural Collection. Unfortunately the Boots I went to only had the lightest shade for the concealer. 

 

As far as skincare, I was only really interested in trying the Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm by Boots Botanics. I had heard great things about the original formula and have never tried a cleansing balm before. I really like the idea of using a balm and love using oils on my face as a treatment or to remove make-up.


I also picked up my two favourite hair products! The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor is one of my favourite deep conditioners of all time! Unfortunately I only realize now that it has parabens in it. So this was the last time that I bought it. 

I find dry shampoos to be essential to my hair care & regimen, especially once uni starts again. The Batiste Dry Shampoos are definetely the best I have tried. So I just had to get another back up. I decided to go for the coconut & exotic tropical scent.

 

Have you tried any of the products? Do you have any product recommendations?

Love, 
Maya

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Product Review | Estee Lauder Double Wear Light

Being the foundation junkie that I am, I am always on the lookout for the perfect base. With most products I can usually tell pretty quickly whether or not they work for me.

This however wasn't the case with Estee Lauder's Double Wear Light Stay-in-place-make-up SPF 10.

After several months of testing, I feel that I can finally give you a well-rounded review.

This is what it claims: 

Claims to be sheer to medium coverage, lightweight and transfer-resistant with a natural finish. It also promises to stay in place for 15 hours.

Price Tag:

Around 28 GBP/ 40 EUR/ 35 USD.

Shade:

Estee Lauder has only 6 shades in this foundation. One of the issues I had with this foundation is that the shade doesn't match me during my paler months. I was matched to shade intensity 3.0. As a NC25 I found it too neutral and too dark, almost orange, to be worn during winter/spring. Only now, when I am around NC30-35 can I wear this foundation.

Consistency, scent and application:

The foundation is not too watery and not too thick and has almost no scent to it. It applies and blends easily into the skin. I found that a pea size amount is sufficient for a layer of sheer coverage. It covers the redness on my cheeks and some scarring. It is buildable without looking cakey.

When my skin is normal - slightly oily, Double Wear Light feels comfortable and lightweight. I found that this foundation was too drying during the winter months and I could only wear it comfortably during the summer months. It holds up for a full day and only requires minimal blotting around my t-zone after about 4-5 hours. This is pretty good, as my t-zone tends to get very oily after a few hours.

It gives a natural semi-matte finish.


Pros:
- light medium coverage
- blends in easily and feels lightweight
- natural semi-matte finish
- keeps oils at bay and is long wearing

Cons:
- may not be suitable for dry skins
- not fully transfer resistant
- may be difficult to find colour match

Final thoughts:
Double Wear Light is a decent high end foundation for every day wear. It's best suited for girls that don't need or want high coverage. I would not recommend this foundation to anyone with dry or oily skin.

Will I repurchase?
Probably not, as I do need a foundation that I can wear when my skin gets drier too.

 


top: Estee Lauder Double Wear Light 3; bottom: MAC SFF NC30

top: Estee Lauder Double Wear Light 3; bottom: MAC SFF NC30 - blended

Hope the review was helpful. Have you tried Double Wear light? What are your thought?

Love, 
Maya

Friday, September 28, 2012

New In | Catrice Fabulous 40ies

Ever since I moved back to Europe, I have been enjoying local drugstore brands a lot. They have a great selection of products and come out with some really nice collections as well. And the best part? The price tag.

Catrice is definetely my favourite european drugstore brand and I very much enjoy using their products. As far as availability, you can also get their products in the UK & Ireland and other european countries. I have also heard, that they are available in select stores in the US and Canada.

Catrice's latest collection is the Hollywood Fabulous 40ties collection. It's a collection with lots of purple, taupe and dusty rose and includes eyeshadow quads, lipsticks, blush, nail polish, highlighter pen, brow gel and a clear lip gloss. The colours are perfect for the fall and wearable for daytime and night time! I have also been pleasantly surprised by the quality of these products and would recommend checking them out in person.

The quad Hollywood Boulevard is definitely my favourite out of the two. The shadows are well pigmented and the colours have been combined nicely. The blush Gone with the wind is nicely pigmented as well and not chalky. The lipstick Marlene's Favourite is a gorgeous warm dusty rose with a semi-matte non-drying finish. And look at the cute packaging!

Have you checked out the new Catrice collection?

C01 She's a lady, C02 Hollywood Boulevard, C01 Gone with the wind

C01 Gone with the wind


C03 Marlene's Favourite

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Update | Where have I been?

Hi all,

It's been such a long time since I last blogged. So, where have I been?

As you all know I went to Ireland (Ennis & Dublin) for a couple of weeks. A week after I got back I went to Berlin for a few days and after that to Israel for 2 weeks.

I love traveling and one of the perks of being a student is definitely summer breaks!

I have lots of blog posts lined up and looking forward to showing you all the little bits and pieces I bought on my travels.

For now, I'll share my travel experiences in the form of pictures!

Dublin - the Liffy

Berlin
Berlin
Berlin - Brandenburg Gate
Jerusalem - Cathedral of St. James (Armenian)
Jerusalem - Dome of the Holy Sepulcher
Israel by the Mediterranean
Jerusalem - Old City Wall

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

update

Hey lovelies,

Sorry, that I haven't had the chance to post in the last month. things were crazy and I was super busy with university. I am finally on semester break and we decided to hop over to Ireland spontaneously. My first impressions are super positive! But more later! I will have very limited access to the Internet here and will blog again once I'm back home.

Until then, I hope you're all enjoying the summer, wherever you are!

P.S. any must have Irish or British products I need to check out? I already found a boots!



Sunday, July 8, 2012

june favourites

Due to exams and studying, this post is a little late. But better late, than never.

Every few weeks I go through my make up bag and add and exchange products to make sure I use everything in my stash. This month, I have been using many products that had previously been neglected.

skincare:

origins a perfect world & drink up intensive, bioderma h20 sensibio, bio oil

Origins A Perfect World - This is my current everyday moisturizer. It works well and supposedly has anti oxident properties. I haven't noticed anything major other than having nice moisturized skin. I also like the fruity scent.

Origins Drink Up Intensive - This has probably been my favourite skin care item this month. I discovered this in my little makeup bag that holds all my samples. This mask is a treatment that is supposed to be used overnight. It absolutely smells divine and moisturizes the skin well without leaving an oily residue. Will definitely purchase the full size once I run out.


Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution - I continued loving this little gem! Still a favourite and definitely HG material.

Bio Oil - I purchased this sometime last year but hardly used it, since the main ingredient is a mineral oil. This product is basically like a fancier and liquid form of vaseline. BUT, my skin reacted to something again last month and was bumpy and extremely dry for a week. Nothing worked until I decided to give this a try. I managed to get the dryness under control by using the oil in the evenings.

makeup:

MAC pro longwear, bourjois healthy mix, estee lauder double wear light, garnier roller, bobbi brown corrector

MAC Pro longwear - On really hot and humid days I used this foundation. It's not my favourite as I find it too trying, but it will last all day. I use this in NC30.

Bourjois Healthy Mix - This is my favourite drugstore foundation. It's lightweight and gives a beautiful finish. My shade is 53.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light - I got this big sample quite some time ago and decided to give it a go. It's a light-medium foundation. I will be reviewing it soon. I use it in shade Intensity 3.

Garnier Anti Dark Circle Eye Roller - I love this drugstore concealer. It's got light to medium coverage but is perfect for the undereye area. My shade is light-medium.

Bobbi Brown Corrector - I am still unsure about this product but I'm trying to finish it up. It's heavy duty and will work wonders on really dark circles. I use this in Peach.

cheek products:


Nars Deep Throat - This has become my everyday peachy-pink blush of choice. It's got a gorgeous sheen and looks beautiful with my skin slightly tanned.

Benefit Coralista - Not sure how I feel about this blush, but I use it anyway. It's a warm peach with shimmer to it. Again, perfect colour for spring and summer.

MAC Superduper-Natural - This is an LE mineralize blush from ages ago. I only started using it now. It's a bronzy peach with a sheen. It bronzes up the skin nicely without having to use a bronzer. I don't think this blush would work in winter time during my paler months.

Nars Laguna Bronzer - This bronzer has been in my collection for a while and I generally rotate my bronzers. It's a gorgeous light warm brown shade with a slight sheen. I can see why it's HG for so many people as it will work for anyone from nc15/nw15 to nc/nw 40.

eyes:

This month was all about my Nars taupes, as they had been collecting dust. I decided to choose a few of my Nars eyeshadows and use them. And I am so glad I did. Nars eyeshadows have generally great pigmentation and apply smoothly.


Nars Earth Angel - The shade that I used in this duo is the warm taupy brown. It has a slight purple undertone to it.

Nars Rajasthan - The taupy shade is a little more golden and reminds me of MAC's Patina. Gorgeous.

Nars Cairo - This is a beautiful warm peachy taupe colour. Very neutral and perfect for a simple daytime look.

Alverde Shimmery Taupe - This taupy eyeshadow is by a German organic drugstore brand. The colour is a shimmery taupe as the name suggests. It's medium taupy brown that's very similar to MAC's Patina.

As far as lip products, I will upload a separate post about my favourite summer lip products.

What did you love in June?

Love,
Maya

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