Happy Girls Are Pretty

A few years ago I discovered this thing called contouring and it has changed my life. No cheekbones and a double chin? A bit of contouring can solve that problem straight away!

I am always interested in new palettes and the Anastasia Beverly Hills products are - of course - on my wish list, but I am also interested in what the drugstore has to offer.

This contouring set from Essence was part of their A/W collection and since I already knew that they were bringing out this range (a few of the advantages of working for a magazine) I could get my hands on one quite easily.

Now the packaging itself is very simple, but I do like the engraved words in the powders. It looks so cool and in case you have no idea how to tell the two powders apart, now you know!

I had high hopes for this product. Contouring has been one of the biggest make-up trends, so I thought it was quite fun that a drugstore brand like Essence would bring out a product like this. I just don't think they did a great job at it.

Despite the fact that there is only one shade to choose from, I don't like the formula of these powders at all. The highlighter is very powdery and has a few tiny sparkles that hardly show up on the skin. When I use a highlighter I like to have the most amazing shimmer on my cheekbones. One that looks natural and silky, not powdery and cakey.

The matte bronzer is fine, but I am not the biggest fan of the pigmentation. I like to get the job done and not reapply a hundred times. The contour powder also feels very powdery, so overall it’s not the best product.

I also compared the two powders to the highlighter and contour powder in my Sleek Face Form Kit and there was a huge difference. Especially the highlighters were so different. As the Sleek powder is shimmery and gorgeous and the Essence powder just gives a very, very subtle sheen. The contour powders don't look as different, but you can feel that the consistency of the Sleek powder is way silkier that the Essence one.

I was so excited when I purchased this contour set, but I kind of feel like I am never going to use it ever again. In the end it's definitely not my best buy, but maybe I can use it on my eyes or something?

Have your tried this Essence palette before? Do you have any other recommendation from Essence?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Like me on Facebook | Subscribe on YouTube

Pure Soul

One peek in my make-up drawer and you now that I am obsessed with nail polish. I have many colours, but I found out that there was one missing: a nude nail polish. I know, I know it's like the most standard colour, a musthave for every nail polish addict and I didn't have it..

The main reason for this is that I DID have some, but I used them so much that I throw them away and never replaced them.

Now lately I have been obsessed with white nail polish, but since I had a lot of job interviews I decided that a nude colour would be better. Luckily I found a cheap option in the drugstore and I have to say: I LOVE IT!

This beauty is from Essence, it's in the colour '05 Pure Soul' and it was €1,89. Such a bargain for this lovely nail polish. I really like the colour and it stays on for 5 days, which I think is pretty good for a drugstore nail polish. 

There are only two things that I don't like about it. It takes 3-4 coats to get an opaque nude colour. I just want to paint my nails with 1-2 coats and be done with it. Because there are four layers on my nails it takes ages to dry. I can't do anything, because one single movement will ruin everything. It's a real struggle sometimes haha.

I have never really found a nude nail polish that covers the nail in 1-2 coats, do you have any suggestions? All in all, I am very happy with this colour. I think it's perfect for any occasion and it looks very sophisticated.

What is your favourite nude nail polish?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Like me on Facebook | Subscribe on YouTube

Cinderella Approved Nails

I’ve always loved Disney films. From when I was a little girl to me being 21 years old and still shedding a few tears when a character dies. Nail polish is also one of my faves. I just love buying all those pretty colours, so you can imagine how I felt when I saw these babies in the shop!

Because of the new Cinderella movie (that I haven’t seen yet), Essence has teamed up with Disney and came out with a special limited edition collection. The collection has some amazing products, but what caught my eye was a sparkly nail polish. It just looked so pretty that I couldn’t resist not buying it. There was a ‘buy one, get one free’ deal, so I decided to also pick up a pastel lilac, which looked more like a grey colour in the store, but it’s still very pretty.

‘02 Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’ is, as I said before, a pastel lilac with a matte finish. Two coats of this bad boy will transform your nails into the perfect spring manicure.

To top it all off, I decided to coat my ring fingers with ‘01 The Glass Slipper’: the glitter topper with silver and purple sparkles. I applied 2-3 coats, just because I wanted some more sparkles on my nails, and it looked amazing. The two nail polishes go very well together, so all in all I am very happy with my Cinderella approved nails.

The nail polish also lasted for quite some time. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo started to chip after three-four days, which for me is quite decent and The Glass Slipper would’ve stayed on for forever, but after six days I removed everything and reapplied the same combo. The only downside for me is that The Glass Slipper won’t come off my nails. Half a bottle of nail polish remover later, it finally started to come off, but it’s so pretty and sparkly that I can get past that.

If you also want to get some princess approved nails then head on over to your nearest Essence counter and have a look. They are both €1,99, so that’s quite good for these amazing nail polishes!

Have you tried anything from the Essence Cinderella range?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Like me on Facebook | Subscribe on YouTube

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?