Mini Haul

Hey everyone!

I got back from Finland on tuesday night (so sad to have had to leave Helsinki, I absolutely fell in love with that place)... I will be uploading a couple of pictures of the holiday really soon to give you a little idea of how it's been! In the meanwhile, I thought I would do a brief little picture post of a couple of things I bought before I left for Finland. Nothing special, just a couple of drugstore beauty products and jewelry. 

This lipstick in a dark red-ish / purple is from Hema, a Dutch kind of department store that sells all kind of stuff, including a few bits and bobs of cheap make-up. My brow gel is from there and it's really pretty decent, so I picked up a few more pieces of make-up the other day. The formula is very moisturizing but the color is also quite pigmented, which gives a nice sheen to the lips. The lasting power isn't overwhelmingly good, but the color is just what I was looking for, a dark, velvety purple/red, and for only approx. 3€ it's quite a bargain, so I picked up a second one:

A creamy peach color, which is sort of a summery version of most "your-lips-but-better" colors. Moisturizing, cheap, average lasting power, gorgeous color, so all in all, another catch.
Then I went on to the nail varnish section, where they had a sale for the long-lasting ones, which only cost between 1€ - 1,50€ so I snapped two up that actually match the lipsticks really well!

The dark color looks nearly brown-black in the bottle, but applied it's more of a very deep, dark red/purple with a hint of brown sheen and very small sparkles. Surprisingly great lasting power! I haven't tried out the other color yet, but on the tester nail it looked like a nice, shiny nude tone.
The last couple of things I bought were a ring set from Hema, and a Moon-ring from H&M which just matches my moon tattoo perfectly...

Voilà! If you live in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium or Luxembourg and know about Hema, I suggest you go have a look because some of their make-up is actually quite surprisingly good and just sooooo cheap!
As for my traveling stories, I will get on uploading my photos soon and posting a few more articles, as I am excited to say that I got to go into the Monki Stores in Helsinki and went a little mad! It truly is my new absolutely favorite brand. Will be posting another little haul soon :) I hope you've had a great summer - let us know if there's any things you bought that you absolutely want to share. If you have a blog you want us to check out, leave your link in a comment below!

B's Summer Essentials

Hi everyone!
It's been really rainy these last two days here in the Netherlands (admittedly a welcome little change after the weeks of humid and unbearable heat!) so I've had a little time to take a few pictures! I thought I would show you guys which products I have been loving and using a lot so far this summer: from make-up to dry shampoo, body butter and lipstick, it's all there. I'll include all the necessary shop names/sites where I can.

You can buy all these products via the Body Shop Online Shop.

I'll start off with my body care / shower essentials. Aside from my Garnier facial scrub (boring!), my Elmex toothpaste, my Elvital Color Protect shampoo & conditioner and my Nivea Stress (or Dove Silk Dry) deodorant, these are the things I've been using in my body care routine lately... I may or may not have raided the Body Shop when they had a sale a couple of weeks ago! I am going crazy for tropical scents at the moment, so all things fruity, coconut-y and fresh really appeal to me. Not included in the picture is my nearly empty Passion Fruit Shower Gel, which I highly recommend. The Body Shop are great when it comes to creating smooth, soothing products that smell delicious without being sickly sweet, and it's always good to buy fair trade and vegan where you can!

                                        You can buy Batiste Dry Shampoos via ASOS.

Next stop: my hair. Because of the unbearable heat, I have been washing my hair less often than usual. I have incredibly thick, long, hair, and A LOT of it, too, and to my dismay it tends to curl and frizz a lot when I let it air dry - so I blow dry it after every time I wash it. When it's that hot outside though, I just cannot be bothered to go through the 20 minute long hassle of blowdrying!! Instead, I wash it once every 2-3 days, and use the Batiste Dry Shampoos on the days where I don't. I have the scents "Tropical" (COCONUT!) and "Cheeky Cherry". They work wonders, because they don't make my hair feel rough and sticky, but they definitely give it a fresh feel. I'm pretty addicted to it - though I do prefer the tropical scented one.

                               Cacharel "Amor Amor - In a Flash" via The Perfume Shop

Talking about scents: I have discovered my new favorite perfumes and have been completely in love with them over the past two months. The first one is my every day go-to perfume: "Amor Amor - in a flash" by Cacharel. From the packaging to the scent, it's completely perfect. It's sweet, girly and fruity, without being too overwhelming so I find it perfect for every day wear in summer.

       L'Occitane "La Collection de Grasse" Spring/Summer 2013 Collection Box Set via L'Occitane

My other favorite scent is actually a whole little collection: the "Collection de Grasse" by L'Occitane. It's composed of four little perfume flasks, and I can't even decide which of the four scents I am more obsessed with. The scents are: "Jasmine & Bergamot", "Magnolia & Blackberry", "Vanilla & Narcissus" and "Green Tea & Bitter Orange". I know right? They sound divine, and they really are. I own the box set which has all four scents in 18mL bottles, but you can also buy them individually in bigger bottles if you like one of them particularly! Have a look here on the Birchbox Site!

     Chanel Le Vernis in "Black Pearl" and in "Lotus Rouge", Barry M Nail Paint in "Prickly Pear"

Recently, my nails have been really weak and chipping a lot, so I've been trying to give them a little time to regenerate and air to breathe and have been going easy on the nail polish. I also recently moved away from home and had to leave a biiig part of my collection back! So sad. These are my favorite polishes though so they had to come with me: The two Chanel ones are my all time favorites, as they're perfect for any outfit or season, classy and elegant and still pretty fierce. I've been loving this lilac-y / lavender-y shade by Barry M because it's light and pastel-y and perfect for summer. Their gel nail varnishes are so good - they give such a nice glossy finish and stay chip-free for at least 3 days. Admittedly, the Chanel colors aren't that long-lasting or chip-free if you don't use a top coat, but they do make the prettiest colors ever!

           All MAC Shadows via the MAC Cosmetics Store -  Estée Lauder Quad - H&M Palette

Now to the more exciting part: my summer make-up essentials. I'll start off with my eyeshadows, since they're my favorite bits from my current make-up collection. As I've mentioned before, I've been loving the nude shades for my eyes, so these here have been my essential life supply in the last weeks. I like to mix more high-end make up with drugstore make-up, just because I can't go 100% high-end but don't wanna use only cheap things either, so I try to find a compromise! I am eagerly saving up for an Urban Decay Naked Palette, but in the meanwhile, the eye shadows that I do have serve me well. My hands down favorite is my MAC one in the shade "Brulé", which I use all over my eyelid up to my brow bone on a daily basis (that explains why my little beauty is nearly empty - going to cry!!!). I also dearly love my eye shadow quad in the shade "Truffle" by Estée Lauder. It combines a khaki-olive-y brown/green, a warm, coppery bronze shade, a shimmery deep brown shade and a satin-y champagne tone. For a summery smokey eye, this combination is perfect. My other every day go-to shadows are "Bronze" and "Expensive Pink" by MAC and my "Soft Nudes" eyeshadow palette by H&M which is surprisingly good for a fairly cheap product. You can pick it up for 4,95€ in your H&M!

I've been trying to keep the rest of my make up fairly light so I haven't been using tons of foundations, setting powders and concealers. These are my few bits and bobs that I've been using a lot though. I use the Catrice Cosmetics facial primer, which is great cos it is really cheap, not oily and makes my skin feel smooth and moisturized without making it greasy. I swear by the Maybelline New York Dream Matte Mousse (I use the shade 01 Ivory) because it's a great light weight foundation, and since it is matte I don't need to use any powder make up on top. For dark circles under my eyes, I use the Maybelline Dream Lumitouch highlighting concealer, also in the shade ivory. Recently I've had to cut back a lot on both of these though, as ivory is slightly too fair for my tanned skin at the moment! Luckily, the sun and lack of make-up has made my skin clear up a lot so that's not a problem. My absolute favorite product at the moment is the Benefit High Beam highlighter. I blend it on my brow bone, my cheek bones and a bit on my nose for a fresh faced summer look. I'm going to be so gutted when it runs out as it is such an expensive product, but really worth the investment.

I usually pair my nude eyes with a very thin line of black liquid eye liner and a combination of three mascaras (one for length, one for separating and one for volume) only on the top lashes. As an alternative to my liquid liner in black (and for a softer look), I've been using my MAC eye pencil in the color "Powersurge" as well as my MAC Kohl liner in dark brown. For days when I don't want to wear any proper foundation at all, I go with my GOSH Cosmetics BB Cream in the shade 01 Sand - Primer, tinted moisturizer, and SPF 15, all in one! For my eye brows, I usually use my Barry M Brow Pen in dark brown, paired with my Catrice eye brow pencil in light brown, and on my cheeks, I love to use the Benefit Bene-Tint color stain for a healthy glow. I also like to use it on my lips and usually pair it with my Benefit Sugarbomb Lipgloss or my MAC lipstick in Crème in Your Coffee (my all-time favorite lipstick! I have naturally very pale lips, so it helps me look a bit fresher and healthier). You can pick up most of these products in bigger shopping centers at the cosmetics counters, or you can check out the Benefit Online Store as well as the MAC Cosmetics Online Store.

From left to right:
Barry M in Neon Pink #52 and Baby Pink #100, Manhattan in Nude #95L, MAC in "Crème in your Coffee", Manhattan in Purple #56U, Kate Moss for Rimmel London in "Kiss of Life" #111, Catrice in "Princess Peach" #050, Manhattan in Coral #34N, Kate Moss for Rimmel London in #10, Manhattan in Deep Red #54V.
Below: swatches of the lipsticks (order doesn't coincide with the above picture.)
From left to right: MAC "Crème", Barry M #52, Barry M #100, Manhattan #95L, Manhattan #56U, Manhattan #54V, Rimmel #111, Rimmel #10, Manhattan #34N, Catrice #050. 

Since I go mostly nude on my eyes most days, I've been loving crazy bold lipsticks! I'll let the colors speak for themselves, so there you have my Summer 2013 Favorites. (I wear the brighter, coral-y and candy-pink tones during the day, and the deeper, darker shades like purple and red at night).

If you want any special advice on how to use/wear any of these products, where to get them, or a more detailed review/opinion on them, let me know in the comments below! Sorry for the long, photo-heavy post, but I thought this was a good time to show which products I've been loving so far and will continue to love til the end of the summer for a fresh faced, light summer look with a pop of color.

B's Top 5 Summer Loves

1/ Orange Hues

    MAC Lipstick in ''All About Orange'' | Asos Belt | Faux Pony Purse | Asos Earrings | Motel Stripe Shirt | Orange Beanie |  Leather Sandals | Orange Bangle | Barry M Nail Paint  | Shopper Bag

My whole entire life, I have hated the color orange in all its shades. Maybe it is because I just moved to the Netherlands and adopted the national color, but all of a sudden, I'm all about orange! I'm loving pops of orange in otherwise monochrome outfits, with a belt, a beanie, a piece of jewelry or a funky bag. Especially paired with brown/khaki tones, military print, or cream/off white colors and tanned skin, orange is such a summery statement color to bring fun and sun to every outfit. I'm a converted orange lover, guys! Bring it on, neon, tangerine, coral, apricot... I love them all. Here a selection of a few of this summer's most beautiful orange statement pieces. Links for the shops included above!

2/ Shift Dresses

                    Boutique by Jaeger Jacquard Shift Dress | Pepe Jeans Floral Shift Dress |

Asos 3/4 Sleeve Orange Shift Dress | Asos Herringbone Shiftdress with Exaggerated Zip

Now, I do realize that for a large-busted girl like me, shift dresses are not ideal/flattering. But it's summer and the heat is overwhelming, so the floaty shift-dress-cut is welcome and refreshing to wear. I love the sweater-type shift dresses in soft colors (especially in white and cream), or some of the more fancy ones, with bold colors, layers of sheer material, crazy prints and silky materials. After buying the previously mentioned Monki Sweater dress, I've decided that even I can embrace that style. You can make the shift dress look less boxy by synching it in at the waist with a beautiful skinny belt, too! Not ideal for curvy girls? Maybe, but I can't help but love the shift dress with a strappy sandal and a small bag, a bold lip color and otherwise minimal accessories. Perfect for a summer evening out!

3/ Bold Lips

All Lipsticks via the MAC Cosmetics Online Store

          Candy Yum Yum  | Rebel  | Lady Danger  | Girl About Town | Morange  | Saint Germain

Lately, I've been wearing very simple and nude-y make up on my eyes (usually: MAC eyeshadow in "Brulé" with a thin line of black liquid eyeliner and mascara only on my top lashes), so for evenings out I've been experimenting with a few bolder lipsticks. Though I do like other lipstick brands too, my favorite trend this summer are bold lip colors, and we all know that MAC are the best when it comes to bold, daring and very pigmented lipsticks. My apologies for the lack of diversity, but here are my top lipstick colors for this summer (lighter colors during the day, darker shades for the night) - all by MAC. Though I will always love my all time classic red shades, this summer I am really into deeper purples, fresh coral tones and candy pink colors, which all go great with a nude eye and a bit of a tan.

4/ Cut-Out Boots

                 Senso Quimat Boots  |  ASOS After All Boots  |  Jeffrey Campbell Everly Boots

Nastygal Belita Boots  |  ASOS Afterlife Boots  |  Nastygal Boyfriend Ankle Boots

I know, I know - this trend has been around forever and I am totally late to the party. I've loved the cut-out boot designs from the first minute, but only recently brought myself to invest into a slightly pricier pair (the Asos After All Boots in black leather). Even though they are boots, I find them to be a staple piece in summer. They are perfect for festivals, traveling and city-trips and look amazing paired with a floaty dress and girly prints. I'm glad to know I'll be able to take mine into autumn as they'll make a great seasonal transition piece. Definitely worth every penny. Personally, I'm not that big a fan of the chunkier cut-out boots à la Jeffrey Campbell Coltranes, but I do love the more elegant versions (like the JC Everly Boot). Here are my favorite picks for this cut-out boot trend. Which ones do you have?

5/ White and Cream Shades

    Broderie Cami | Free People Dress | Crochet Midi Skirt | Sheer Panel Dress | Color Block Trousers

For the longest time I thought that the only color in the world that suits me is black. Recently I've been trying to open up a little and try the one or other more daring color (or, like in this case, non-color). At the moment, besides coral tones, I am really loving nude, white and cream shades which are fresh and summery. You can go bold in a black and white monochrome outfit (I love those white trousers with a black crop top and heeled sandals) or more girly in a cream crocheted dress or skirt and dainty jewelry. I love the simplicity of a white top with jeans, too. These colors are great to pair with extravagant statement jewelry or a pop-color lipstick. My favorite: this super minimal sheer panel mini dress.

So, that's basically my favorite fashion trends for this summer. Many of these are big steps for me to take because they're far out of my comfort zone, but they're gorgeous and worth every bit of courage and money ;) I'd love to hear what you've been loving and wearing so far this summer!