NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo

When I'm on holiday I always have to do a little bit of shopping. There are so many new stores to discover and who doesn't like spending money on things they probably don't need? Well, when I entered the Emporia Shopping Centre in Malmö and saw Sephora I actually -gracefully- jumped up and down and screamed in excitement. We don't have a Sephora in the Netherlands, so whenever I spot one I get all psyched. After spending about an hour in there swatching and testing I decided to buy one little thing. Honestly, I wanted everything in that shop, but my bank account simply does not allow it. In the end I went for the NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo, because I have always wanted to try the Laguna bronzer and the Orgasm blush and this way I get them both! 

NARS has a special place in my make-up loving heart. As a teen it was out of my reach to buy something from NARS. Of course, it’s an expensive brand, but it was nowhere to be sold. When I went to London a couple of years ago I made it my mission to buy a product at the NARS counter in Selfridges. I went for the Deep Throat blush and funnily enough I do not use it as much. I tend to go for my Estée Lauder blush in Tease on a daily basis, but the NARS blush is still really pretty. Especially the packaging.

The blush/bronzer duo has the exact same classic matte packaging that I love so much. It's a small and petite compact with two shades of the most popular NARS products: the Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush. Bots products are very pigmented and pretty on the cheeks. And even though I thought Laguna could be a bit too warm for me, it definitely works now that the sun is out and I have a bit of a tan. The blush is a pretty coral colour with gold glitters, and in my opinion a shade that works for everyone. You sweep both products across the cheeks and you are totally ready for these warm summer months.

Now the sweeping part is the only thing that I'm not a fan of. Because this product has a bit of both, you don't get a lot. With a blush it doesn't matter that much, but with a bronzer I like to swirl my big, fluffy brush in the product and apply it on my cheeks. The swirling is very non-existent with this, or I should mix the blush and bronzer together. Then it's no problem at all, but I like to do my bronzer and blush in two separate stages.

I think I will purchase the NARS Laguna bronzer at one point in my life. I like the pay-off and it's definitely worth the hype. The Orgasm bronzer will last me a life time since I don't use it every day, but I totally get why you would. Who doesn't like a coral flush for the rest of their life? 

What is your favourite NARS product?

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Rimmel London Sculpting Palette by Kate

Contouring has been hip, hot and happening for a while now and I have to say I have quite a soft spot for that shaping technique. I own many contour kits and when a new one comes along it usually doesn’t take long before I own it. I have this Rimmel London Sculpting Palette by Kate for a while now and just gotten around to share my review.

The packaging is basic but nice looking and handy as well. I always love it when they put multiple products in one item, because this way you get three for the price of one. Whenever I travel I always make sure a kit like this is in my make-up bag. It saves space and is way easier.

Now a similar style to this is the Sleek Face Form Kit. A kit with a contour powder, blush and highlighter. I have used that one to death and it's safe to say that I need to buy a new one -it’s that good!-. However this palette from Rimmel doesn't come close to the quality of Sleek. 
The brown shaping shade is very warm, has glitter in it and is more meant to give you that bronzy Victoria Secret glow than to actually give you shape. Although I do like the angel look I think there are way better products to make that look even better. The pigmentation is also a bit off and overall I'm not a fan. 
Then onto the blush. The product I probably like the most. Again this product is also not that pigmented, but it leaves a nice peachy sheen on the cheeks. Perfect for those light make-up days.
Last but not least: the highlighter. Now I love highlighter, the Shimmering Skin Perfector from Becca is my absolute fave and I know what I expect a highlighter to be. Again this product just doesn’t meet my expectations. When I apply it I don't see a glow on my face, not in the way my Becca or MAC highlighters do the job. And yes, those ones are far more expensive, but the Sleek kit does work for me and that is from the drugstore so it must be possible. The highlighter from the Rimmel kit gives you a light shimmery sheen that won't make your dreams come true. As far as you have dreams about highlighting your face of course.

I like the idea of Rimmel to create a sculpting palette but the outcome is just not that good. You are far better off with the Sleek Face Form Kit. You pay a few extra dimes but it's totally worth it!

Have you tried this palette before?

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The Blush Ensemble

When it comes to blushes I am a bit of an addict. There is something about those bright coloured powders and creams that make me very happy. Since then I have a lot of blushes in my collection, but I keep going towards my faves.

The Estée Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Blush in Tease is an absolute beauty. It is a limited edition and I am happy that I have it in my make-up drawer. This blush gives a beautiful, illuminating sheen and a light pink flush to the cheeks. I just love the packaging and this is definitely my favourite in the spring time.
Now on to the gorgeous pattern of this Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural. A friend of mine picked this up for me when she was in the US. Something about those hearts make me love the product even more. I swirl my brush around all the coloured hearts and it gives a sheer, pink flush to the cheeks. Very pretty indeed!
For fall and winter time this is my go-to blush. Frankly Scarlet by MAC is a classic for me and it gives my cheeks the ultimate winter flush. I did an entire post about this beauty that you can read here.
During my London trip in 2013 I picked up my first ever NARS blush, so this one is very special to me. Deep Throat is super pretty and definitely a must when it comes to blushes. I love the pinky, coral sheen it gives. Perfect for any time of the year!

What is your favourite blush?

Red as an Apple

As a child I was obsessed with Disney films; I still am to be honest. The magical world and the gorgeous dresses made me want to be a princess. Unfortunately for me, that never happened, but I can at least still look like one.

Snow White's flushed cheeks are a perfect look for this winter and since I am very pale, it could not have worked any better.

Which blush makes you look like a Disney princess, you say? Well it is one by MAC and it is very pretty. ‘Frankly Scarlet’ is a classic when it comes to blushes. Every fall and winter time I see it pop up in a lot of videos, so time for me to discover this bright looking blush.

This beauty is a matte, powder blush that blends like a dream. It is very, I repeat, very pigmented. So beware before you apply it. Otherwise your cheeks will look like you just went for an intense work-out instead of the desired ‘I just went on a walk in the snow’ flush. Since you need just a tiny bit, this blush will be in your make-up drawer for a very long time. It will also be the perfect Christmas party essential, since it will stay on your cheeks no matter what happens!

I have definitely found my beauty pick for the holidays. Is it not crazy how fast the year went by? I cannot wait for Christmas Day and eat lots of food and watch a bunch of Christmassy films on TV. Maybe they will even play Snow White?

Beauty | Maybelline Terre Indienne Bronzer/Blush

 It is always excited to try new products. I stumbled across this new blush from Maybelline and decided to buy it. It is the new Maybelline Terre Indienne Bronzing Powder with Blush in the colour 09 Golden Tropics. (€13,99)

The packaging is pretty simple. It reminds me a lot of the Rimmel Stay Matte packaging. Not the prettiest, but of course it is about the product inside.

When opening, the scent immediately went into my nostrils. If you don’t like products that are heavenly scented, this is not the one for you. It is not a bad scent though; it smells a bit like baby shampoo to me..

On to the product! I like the design of the bronzing powder and the blush.  It looks very pretty! Also very handy when you don’t want to bring a lot of products with you. You have your two products in one kit!

They are both lightly pigmented for a sheer flush of colour. Both products have a very smooth consistency. They feel very buttery on the skin and blend in very well.

The bronzer has a light glow and is very sheer. If you have fair skin this would be great for creating that ‘touch of sun’ effect. If you have a darker skin tone I would not bother to even try this. It would not really show up on your skin. The blush is beautiful. It gives the skin such a lovely, sheer, coral flush.

Overall a nice, compact product. Handy because it has two products inside, but a bit of a letdown when it comes to pigmentation. 

What are your thoughts on this product?

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Dupe Alert | Wet 'n Wild Pearlescent Pink VS NARS Orgasm

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Review | Estée Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelée Blush in Tease

So if you have red some articles on my blog you know that I am really sensitive for hypes. Whenever there is a hype going on I want to try it. Bioderma, I have it. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, I have it. Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer, I have it. And this list goes one and one. I know that I am probably not the only one who has this problem. Hahaha.
That's sort of how I bought this product. I watch YouTube videos a lot and that's how I found out about this product.

Estée Lauder came out with her S/S line and it also had a beautiful illuminating blush. I saw the blush being used in a lot of tutorials on YouTube and it made me also want to get it. When I went to the store it was already sold out, this was in May. In June I went to another store in my town and it was also sold out. I sort of gave up the hope to find it. Then a miracle happened. I went shopping with my mom a couple of weeks ago. We went to a drugstore that also had a small luxury beauty department. They had Estée Lauder, so I looked at the counter and they still had it on the display. I asked if they still had one. She looked it up and pulled THE blush out. I was so happy and overjoyed. (*cough cough* beauty addict). It was €48, which is a bit expensive for a blush, but it is totally worth it.

The blush is beautiful. It is a very light pink with lots of shimmer in it. I love glowy skin, so this is perfect to accomplish that look.

The packaging is amazing. Just what you expect from a luxury brand.

All with all I am very happy that I found it. It is a perfect light pink colour. I think I will wear this blush a lot. It is very subtle. You can apply it very lightly for a nice sheen or you can apply more for a very shimmery pink look.

Which blush do you love for fall?

My Sephora Haul

Last week I went to Sephora with a friend. The reason: a 3 for €10 sale on all Sephora make-up.

I had been there before and it was crazy. Everybody was digging for the right colour of make-up and my friend was like: ‘Oke.. I will hold your bag and good luck.’ In the end I bought a foundation, compact powder, mascara, blush, nail polish and a primer. All this for just €20!

This time the sale was 3 for €10 on everything, only the foundations and mascara's were 2 for €10. I already made a list in my head of all the products I wanted: a blush, lipstick, primer and highlighting powder.

When we stepped foot in Sephora, it wasn't as crazy as two years ago. Of course I went on a Thursday and not on a Saturday, but they also changed it. There were not a lot of products to choose from, which was really disappointing. I still managed to find some nice products and looked at other brands.

I immediately went to the Benefit counter; I just love their products and packaging. A lady from Benefit tried the They're Real mascara on me. I already wore another layer of mascara, so the result was not that amazing, but you could definitely see more volume!

I was thinking about what I should buy: the They're Real mascara, the Dandelion mini box (the blush, lipgloss, High Beam and Cha Cha Tint) or go to the Benefit Brow Bar, since I always wanted to go there. In the end I decided that my eyebrows needed a serious wax, so Benefit Brow Bar it is!

I never really knew what to do with my brows. They always looked sort of uneven; at least that is what I see. So time to let a professional take care of them!

You will hear all about my Benefit Brow Bar experience in another blog post, but first the products that I bought:

Sephora Blush in N° 06 Corail Rosé/ Coral Flush
A nice coral blush with gold glitter
Sephora Smoothing & Brightening Concealer in N°01 Clair/Light
This concealer is even lighter than my foundation. It is almost white, so I am really happy with it. For me that is hard to find!

From left to right:
Sephora Rouge Lipstick in R20 Honey
A pretty peachy nude color.
Sephora Cream Lipstick in R19 Charmer
A pink peach color.
Sephora Cream Lipstick in R12 Sexy Game
A lovely old pink color.
Sephora Cream Lipstick in R23 Crush
A gorgeous Berry color.

I am really happy with the products I got and I will definitely go again in February/March!

Are you familiar with Sephora make-up?