Saturday, December 28, 2013

Food | Yummy Breakfast: Banana Porridge



Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I skip it all the time. I’d rather sleep for ten more minutes. Every morning I realize it is too late to eat, so I just grab a banana or a granola bar for on the go.
When I am free and at home I always make a nice dish. I put in a little bit more effort since I do really like making and eating breakfast.

This morning I decided to make porridge. I also added some muesli. I wanted some nuts on top of my porridge, but I couldn’t find any. So muesli was the closest I could find. Normally I also put in flaxseeds, but my sister used them all up. So no flaxseeds for me this time.
Porridge is very plain so you can spice it up to your preference. Put berries and chia seeds on top and sprinkle it with honey or add apple, cinnamon and raisins in to your porridge.
I decided to keep it very simple with just some banana, raisins, cinnamon and honey. If you want to make this yummy porridge then keep on reading.

Ingredients

    Oats (I did not really use a quantity, just put in how much you want)
     Muesli (or nuts)
         One glass of water
        A pinch of cinnamon
        Two tablespoons of honey
        One banana
Raisins







You start with putting your oats (and muesli) in a pan. Add in the water and turn up the heat. Keep stirring and wait till its boiling, than turn the heat to its lowest.  You already see it is becoming ticker.
Keep stirring till your oatmeal is ready and add the cinnamon and the honey.
Put the porridge in a bowl and add the banana and raisins.



As you can see this recipe is quick and easy, so no more excuses for not eating a healthy and yummy breakfast. Grab a spoon and enjoy this bowl of happiness.




Saturday, December 21, 2013

Review | MAC Cranberry Eyeshadow

Last year I bought my MAC pallet. It is an eye-catcher in my make-up stash and I am very happy with it. The only problem: I need to fill it up. At the time I bought two eyeshadows: Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe. Two beautiful colours that work great together. I wear Naked Lunch alone or with a little bit of Satin Taupe threw the crease. It is the most beautiful and simple combination ever.
Every season there is a hype about an eyeshadow. In autumn everyone is blown away by MAC Cranberry. I have seen this eyeshadow before and thought it looked very scary. It is a dark reddish colour and I would have never thought in a million years I would wear something like that. I am more a nude-eye kind of girl, but Cranberry has always been on my wishlist.  My friend bought it for me as a present, since she knew how much I would like it. I went a bit crazy when I unpacked a MAC bag and found out this little pan was inside. I was a bit enthusiastic, and that is very underrated.






MAC Cranberry, as the name says, is a cranberry colour. It has a frost finish, just like Naked Lunch and Satin Taupe.
The photo's don't do this colour its justice. It looks like a reddish metallic when you swatch it. Very pretty!
It is very pigmented and you don’t have any fall-out when you apply it. This is nice since you don’t want to have red powder on your freshly applied face make-up.




I see myself wearing this in the crease of a brown smokey eye. I also saw someone using it as a crease colour in combination with a dark blue eye pencil and a brown eyeshadow. It looked very pretty.
I will experiment with the eyeshadow and find out which way I would use it and share my thoughts with you. Normally I don’t tend to go for heavy eye make-up, but since the festive days are coming up I have to give it a try.


How would you use MAC Cranberry?




Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Review | Essie After School Boy Blazer

I have been eyeing this one for a while now. I love Essie nail polishes. The colour range is lovely, the names are just too cute and the staying power is amazing. Although I do think that €9,99 is bit expensive for a nail polish. That is why I sometimes buy on as a cheeky present for myself. This one however was 30% off (BARGAIN ALERT), so I decided it was now or never.





What Essie says:
‘It’s back to cool when you're back in blue-black. This academy blue lacquer is the prep-school chic must of the season’.


As you expect from Essie nail polishes the colour payoff is amazing. After one coat my nails have a gorgeous dark blue colour. You can go for a second coat, but this is not necessary. Because of the wide brush, that all the Essie nail polishes have, the application is very easy. Even for me, I always struggle with getting a nice application and this brush just makes that very easy.
I have been wearing this colour nonstop since I got it. This has been two weeks ago and I only needed to redo my nail polish once. Normally my nail polish always chips after three to four days. But not with this one! I have just put a base coat underneath and layered it with two coats of the nail polish.
I also love the fact that it is really dark. You need to look close to see that it is a dark blue. I have had dark blue’s before, but they do not compare to this one.
.
I love the way a manicure can give a total different look to your outfit. I always feel more fashionable when I wear nail polish, I know this is weird but I just do.
This nail polish will be perfect for fall and winter time. Even though winter has just begun I feel like I am going to wear this one a lot.



What is your favourite nail polish?





Monday, December 16, 2013

Review | Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Vegas Strip

Highlighters have been a huge trend the past couple of years. It took a bit of time before the affordable brands picked up this trend, but this time around you see them pop up everywhere.
I had my eyes on the Dior Amber Diamond highlighter. I saw it been used in a lot of videos and I just loved the colours, the packaging and the glow it gives your skin. The only problem, it is expensive and it is hard to get hold off here in Europe. There was a dupe on the internet for this: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Vegas Strip. The only problem is that it is only available in the US. Luckily I have amazing friends that brought some US goodies with them. Including the shimmer strip in Vegas Strip. I decided not to go for the Dior Amber Diamond, since it was 45 dollars.






I ripped the sticker while unpacking the product

Ingredients:
TALC, MICA, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, ZINC STEARATE, DIMETHICONE, WATER, BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2, CETYL DIMETHICONE, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, IRON OXIDES, ULTRAMARINES, FERRIC FERROCYANIDE, CARAMINE, YELLOW 5 LAKE.

-       - Hypoallergenic

-       - Fragrance free





I already saw that these colours are very warm toned. If I saw this colour in store I probably walked past it. Since I am very pale the colours can be a little bit too dark for me.
Looking at it in the pan I see a lot of warm toned gold and browns. However the colour isn’t as bright on the skin as it is in the pan. Normally you want things to be pigmented, but these are workable for my skin right now.
I love how versatile these shimmer strips are. You can use them as bronzer, blush, highlighter and eyeshadow. Blush doesn’t really counts for this strip, but I have seen other strips with pink shades.


I think this product is well worth its price. I have to say this time of year I will probably not use it very often. I think these shades are perfect for summer, but with this cold weather they are not very suitable for my skin. I am very pale, so to wear bronzy shimmery colours are not my thing at the moment.
I love that it is a multi-purpose product. The highlighter however is a bit too yellow for my skin. So I will go for something more pink toned instead.
As for eyeshadow I wouldn’t use this to create an eye look since the colours can look very similar on the eye lid. But as an individual colour they are very nice. You can swap them on your lid or add some other eyeshadows to create the perfect look.

In the end it is a beautiful product. I think this will be at its best when you have darker skin. Otherwise you should go for a different shade that suits your skin tone. But since I can’t buy them here I will just have to go with it. I hope that in the summer when I have a bit of a tan, and people still think I am pale, this will look amazing.
I am already looking forward to have bronzed glowy looking skin with a hint of shimmer on the eyes. That will be the perfect summer look for me. But I need to wait for about five months before that is ever going to happen.

What is your favourite highlighter?



Friday, December 6, 2013

Skincare | My experience with benzoylperoxide

As you know from my skin treatment posts, my skin isn’t the best. Before I went to the doctor my mom bought me a tube of benzoyl peroxide 50 mg. She just bought it at the drugstore from that same drugstore brand. I had no idea what it was and what it did. I googled it and red some reviews from other people. They said that it burns on your skin, it gets red and you get extremely irritated skin. But it does help with acne.  
 For people who have no idea what benzoyl peroxide is. It is a white gel substance. I have 50 mg, but you also have them with a higher concentrate. It peels your skin off, clears pores and reduces the acne bacteria. It can bleach you hair, clothes etc. So you have to be careful when you use it.




I started to use it and thought I would feel a burning feeling on my skin, but nothing happened. I thought well I don’t feel anything, maybe those people were wrong. Well I made a mistake by thinking that.

 The next day my blemishes were a little bit dried out, but they were still there. I also didn’t experienced any burning, redness or irritation. The third day I still didn’t had any of the symptoms, but ‘o boy’ when I washed my face I felt and saw it: parts of my chin were completely dried out, red, irritated and there was a very unpleasant burning feeling. You could see the dryness threw my foundation. It was not really flakey or anything, but it was very tight that you could see lines that my skin was very dry and tight. I didn’t feel comfortable about my skin at all. One day later some parts started to get really flakey.





I had the burning feeling for about two days and then it disappeared. The dryness however didn’t leave. I had a sample from La Roche-Possay Effacler H for oily skin that is dry because of treatments. I started to put that on those areas. Which made me break out even more on my chin, at least I think it was the cream. After about two days using that cream the tightness of my skin was gone. All I was left with was red and flakey skin.
I stopped using the benzoyl peroxide and three days later my skin was a bit red, but normal again. No pain, no flakiness and no irritation. That same week I started my other treatments which helped a lot.
They say that the longer you use it your skin doesn’t get as dry anymore and the burning feeling goes away. I haven’t used it for that amount of time. So I can’t say if that is true or not.
 I don’t think it is the best solution for acne. In the end it didn’t solve my problem. I still got blemishes while I was using the benzoyl peroxide. It dries them out, but I still got new ones. I don’t think the burning and the dry/tight-ness is good for you skin. However I didn’t use it for a long period of time, so maybe it does work in the end.


I am happy I didn’t go through with it. I feel much happier with the treatment I am doing right now.
I would love to know if you used benzoyl peroxide and your experience with it.



Friday, November 29, 2013

Review | NARS Deep Throat Blush

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Beauty | Empties #1


MAC Full Coverage Foundation in NC15

This is the first high-end foundation I ever bought. I wanted something with a little more coverage and in the right colour. So I decided to go to MAC, since they  have a very wide range of colours there.
I first used it as a foundation, but now I use it as an concealer. I do think that it can look a little cakey sometimes. So that’s why I wanted something lighter. The colour is a little bit to light for me, but with some bronzer that problem is solved. This foundation is perfect for when you have acne or scars on your face. I covers them up really well. You can apply it lightly for  medium coverage or heavy for full coverage. It is a very versatile product.
I would repurchase it, but honestly I want to try out the other MAC concealers first. So maybe in a couple of years.


Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 100 Ivory
I hated this at first. It made me look orange and it just wasn’t something for me. Untill I mixed it with Bourjois Healthy Mix and I fell in love with it. The colour is a bit too dark, but when you blend it down your neck it is not very noticeable. I have repurchased this one already and I would definitely do it again. Unfortunately they don’t sell it in stores anymore. At least I can’t find it. I also see it as a summer foundation, because of the glowy effect. So this will be my go to summer foundation.


Catrice Prime and Fine Translucent Loose Powder
I love this powder a lot. It keeps the shine away for a very long time. I hate to reapply powder so the fact that it does its job is amazing. I also have repurchased this one a lot. Right now I am trying there other matte powder. I have to say I am not a fan,  so right after I’ve finished that one I will buy this powder.


Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Black Waterproof
This mascara is really really good. I think it holds the curl very well and it stays put for most of the days, since I can end up liking a raccoon with normal mascara. I will definitely repurchase this mascara over and over again.


Charles Worthington Hair Healer
At first I really liked this product. After a while it made the ends of my hair really dry and I stopped using it. A couple of months ago I went through my drawer and found it again. I have used it in combination with a drugstore hair oil and It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray. This really moisturizes my hair. I would not repurchase it again, since I have other hair products that work better.


Bioderma Créaline/Sensibio H20
The hype around this product is definitely worth it. It takes you make-up off very well. I used it more as a toner. Since it takes a lot of cotton pads to take off your foundation. I also had an allergic reaction, because I had to rub my make-up off. But as a toner it works fine. It takes off the make-up that is still left on my face. You can also use it as an eye make-up remover, but I do not really like it to use it for that. I would definitely repurchase it.


This is a serum that I absolutely love. It really puts moisture back in to your skin. If you have dry skin this will be the holy grail product for you. I have combination/oily skin, but in the colder months my skin always tends to be a little bit dryer. Only con: you cannot buy it in The Netherlands. But I would definitely repurchase this product if I could.


My holy grail cleanser. I takes of your make-up very well. I do not like to take of my eye make-up with this, but you can use it for that. It leaves my skin feeling very clean and soft. I would definitely repurchase it.


Kiehl's Ultra Oil Free Lotion
Another product that I have bought multiple times. It is a really good all-round moisturizer. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized and soft. It leaves your skin a little bit greasy though, but I can live with that. I would definitely repurchase it.


So these were all the empty products I have. I need to have a box where I can put in all my empty products. And of course not forget to put them in there.


 Have you tried any of these products?





Monday, November 25, 2013

Haul | Drugstore Make-up: L'Oréal, Rimmel, Catrice and Essence

Make-up can be really expensive. Especially when you go for the higher brands. Drugstore brands on the other hand are cheaper. But still, for the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara you pay €16,99, for a foundation from L'Oréal you pay €15,99. I think that it’s really overpriced for drugstore products. Especially when you compare the prices to other countries.
So when a good deal comes around I am there. Last week there was a buy one, get one free deal on all make-up. You got 50% discount on the total amount.
I told myself you do not really need anything. But when you are standing there you just want it all. Since everyone knew about this it was really busy. It was like a day at Primark. So I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I managed to buy everything I wanted, even though I did not really needed everything.



L'Oréal True Match Foundation in R1 C1 Rose Ivory, from €15,99 for €8,00

This foundation was my holy grail product when I was about 15 years old. I’ve used this one for years and years, until I wanted a little bit more coverage. I wanted to try it out again. Since I am very pale, it is really hard to find a drugstore foundation that matches my skin. I  use Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation right now, but I cannot find it any more in stores. I also wanted something that was less illuminating. So I am excited to try this one out.


Essence Fancy Lashes, from €2,59 for €1,30

I never really wear false lashes. I bought a pair of Primark lashes once and they made me look hideous, so I’ve never worn them. This pair however looks very natural but dramatic. I cannot wait to wear these on Christmas or New Year’s Eve.






Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 120 Cutting Edge, from €8,99 for €4,50

Since I don’t have enough lipsticks already, I bought another one. A friend of mine has this and it looked so amazing that I also needed to add this to my lipstick stash. The formula is not drying and the color payoff is amazing. It is a pinky purple and I will wear this a lot this fall and winter.


Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder in 010 Transparent, from €3,59 for €1,80

I have a really oily t-zone so I need to powder my face. My other powder ran out, so I decided to try this one. I bought it in the lightest color. I already tried it a couple of times and I do not really like it. After a couple of hours my face gets really shiny. I have had other powders that kept my face matt for a long time. Even after that time it did not look as shiny. But I will give it some time and if I do not like it then, it’s just not for me.






Catrice Made To Stay Inside Eye Highlighter Pen in 010 In The Mood For Nude, from €2,89 for €1,45

Lately you see a lot of waterline highlighters. You put a white or flesh colored eye pencil on your waterline and it gives you an instant wide awake look. I already bought a white one, but I also wanted to try this one out. It is very long lasting and the color payoff is great. I do think I like the white one better. It makes them more awake than the other one.


Catrice Eye Liner Pen in 010 Black, from €2,99 for €1,50

I love a black line above my eyes. I already discovered that gel liner is nothing for me. It always creases and I never get that thin line. Eyeliner pens are amazing because I can get a precise thin line. Although not every pen is the best. It runs out very quickly or black isn’t black, if you know what I mean.
This one belongs in both categories. The color isn’t very black. When I draw a line I need to go over that line five times before there is an actual ’’black’’ line. Because of that I feel like there isn’t a lot of product in there. The plus point is that it is very long lasting. I will keep looking for that perfect eyeliner.


So these were all the items I bought. I know I didn’t buy a lot, but I actually didn’t really needed anything. Only foundation and powder, and then all these other bits went in my basket. I cannot wait to create a look with all the items!

Have you bought any make-up products recently?






Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Review | It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin

I am always on the hunt for good haircare products. I have really long straight hair, so that needs a lot of care to keep it in a good condition.
I wanted to get this for a while. I was contemplating if my friend in America should bring it back with her. Then in London I went to TK Maxx and they had it there. I was contemplating, but decided to get it. 






The It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Spray was £14,99/ 120 ml

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Keratin Amino Acids, Cyclopentasiloxane, Fragrance, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Panthenol, Quaternium 80, Silk Amino Acids, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3 Cylcohexene Carboxaldehyde, Butylphenyl Methylpropianal, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Methychloroisothiazolinone

It is called It's a 10 because it says it does 10 things for you hair.

1. Maintenance of keratin straightening treatments.

2. Increases styling & manageability
3. Perfect for all hair types
4. Replaces lost protein
5. Protects the natural keratin in hair
6. Protects against heat
7. Restores hydration balance
8. Detangles, defrizzes & adds shine
9. Strengthens hair structure
10. Seals cuticles for extra silky hair

I do not know if it really does all that, but what I can tell you is how my hair looks after using it.






The bottle has a spray pump which I don't find very handy. Also I do not really see it as a spray but more as a cream, because of the thick creamy consistency.

I spray a couple of pumps in my hand and massage that in my hair. The next morning my hair feels really soft and looks healthy and shiny.The only con about this product is the scent. I just do not really like it, but I am getting used to it.

I think that when you use this product every day for a long period of time it will actually make your hair healthier from the inside. I do think it is an amazing product. My hair feels really soft and it looks healthy. I do find it is a little bit overpriced for what you get. It is also not available everywhere. There are products out there that also make your hair soft, shiny and healthy and are way cheaper.

So for me it is not worth the hype. I will just finish up my bottle and look for something new. I already set my eyes on the Bumble & Bumble Texture Creme. Do any of you know if this is good?


What is your favourite haircare product?



Monday, November 18, 2013

My Life | What's on my Wishlist?

As a shopping addict I always love to buy things. Since I have an interest in beauty and fashion a lot my money goes to those products. I can not get enough of flawless concealers, moisturising masks and lovely shoes. But at a point in the month I come to the end of my budget, but my wishlist grows and grows. Every month I keep adding more and more products to it. But I am trying to make the list smaller with saving for particular products. Since some of them are pretty expensive. Here are the products that are currently on there.


River Island- Grey Ombre  Mongolian Fur Tote Bag €200


Via riverisland.com



I saw this one in a video of Lily Melrose. I instantly fell in love with it. The bag looks so soft and I just want to stroke it 24/7. I have not seen this bag in the River Island in Amsterdam. But I just know that it will be the best thing ever.


Vagabond- Grace Leather Boots €99,95


Via vagabond.com

Lately I see Vagabond boots a lot. I never heard of the brand Vagabond, until I saw them appear in a haul video of The Persian Babe. These boots are really classic and go with everything. I know I will wear them a lot. The heel on the boot is not to high so they are great for everyday wear. They will last me a long time.


Topshop- Joni Jeans in Aubergine €46,00


Via topshop.com

I have the black Joni jeans. Honestly I do not really like them. At first I thought they were the best jeans ever. They are very high waisted which I love and they just fitted me perfectly. After two days of wearing them they already got a bit baggy. When I got home from London, where I bought them, little white elastics came out of them. The colour has faded as well, and that after two washes. 
But since everyone in the reviews is saying it is just the fabric of the black Joni jeans, I am willing to give this pair a try. The aubergine colour is just to pretty and I love the high waisted fit of these jeans.


Topshop- Chelsea Boots €59,00


Via topshop.com

The Chelsea boot is such a classic and stylish boot. They are very 'Dutch proof' as well. Since they can stand the rain and the cold. They match with pretty much everything. Just a staple piece that is missing in my wardrobe.


Jose Eber - Curling iron 


Via joseeberhair.eu

Curly hair is just not really for me. I love it though, but my hair is not made for it. When I curl my hair it is flat within an hour, so I just gave up hope for pretty long lasting curls. 
I had never heard of this brand before. But me and my friend got a demonstration of it when we were in a department store back in April. A man that worked there curled my hair. I had nothing in my hair no mouse, hairspray etc. He also didn't use any. He claimed that it would last three days, since my hair doesn't even last an hour I did not really believed that. 
That night me and my friend went to a concert of Beyonce. Luckily my curls survived the concert. The next day I still had curls. Not as pretty as the day before but they were still there. The third day my hair was wavy. Most of the curls had disappeared.
The fact that it holds my curls for two days, without any hair products, proves to me that it is the perfect curling iron for me!


Clarisonic - Mia 2 €149


Via iciparisxl.nl

I am a bit of a skincare junkie. So of course the Clarisonic is on this list. I am really curious to find out for myself if my skin changes while using this product. Everyone says that it made there skin clearer and there pores smaller. Also the fact that it really cleanses your face makes me want to try it.


Michael Todd - Avocado and Mango Mask and Charcoal Mask (both 34 dollar each, which is currently €25,19)


Via michaeltoddtrueorganics.com 

Via michaeltoddtrueorganics.com 

I saw those two in a lot of videos. Everyone seems to rave about them. Since I love avocado and mango, that mask will become one of my favourite masks to use. 
I want to try out the Charcoal Mask as well. They say that it really cleanses your skin and makes it very clear. I can not wait to try them out!

So this is my wishlist for now. I probably will be adding a lot more to it. Since I am always looking for new beauty and fashion bits.


What is on your wishlist?



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