The London Haul 2016 Take Two

A while back I talked about my London & Brighton trip and now I finally uploaded a video with all the stuff I bought. It's not as much as I normally buy, which to be honest, is way too much anyways. It still surprises me that I never have to pay for extra baggage, because that's honestly how much I pick up there. 

It's a bit late, but I finally sorted my editing problems out and I am back on track. There are also two more hauls on the way, so get ready for some serious shopping cravings. For now I really hope you enjoy watching this vid and don't forget to subscribe to see when I upload a new video!

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Vintage

The leaves are falling down and the temperature drops, which can only mean one thing: sweaters and dark, burgundy lips! I have quite a few of these lipsticks in my stash but I decided to pick up one more, because it's not like the rest. Yes, my name is Marjolein and I'm a beauty addict, can ya tell?

I bought the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Vintage when I was in Brighton and whilst I thought it was more of a brown colour it turned out to be a dark plum with a mauve undertone. Sometimes a swatch in the store just isn't enough. Besides the fact that I was a bit disappointed about the colour fail I still gave it a whirl.

The formula of this liquid lipstick reminds me of the Kat von D liquid lipsticks. It has a liquid consistency and because it’s a bold colour it can be hard to apply. The pigmentation is really good and one coat pretty much gives you the best matte pout in the world. 

It dries fast and that's where I started to not like it as much. The lipstick started to crumble on the inside of my lips. I tried to bite it away -I know it's not the best solution here, but a girl's gotta do something without the possibility of going to the bathroom to check her make-up- but that only made my teeth look weird, because there were lipstick crumbles everywhere. 

Besides this small detail I did like the finish. It didn't crumble on the rest of my lips which is a common problem for me and the lasting power is also quite good. Of course you need a touch up after a hot chocolate and some delicious nachos, -I had a catch up with a friend yesterday and that's what we had. Best combo EVER!- but every lipstick I tried needs a touch up from time to time, so I'm not too fuzzy about that.

For a drugstore liquid lipstick I think the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick is really good. The Kat von D one still wins every single time, but you also pay a bit more money for that. For €8,80 I think you get a very good deal: it’s long-lasting, gives good coverage, but does crumble a bit. NYX also has a lot of fun colours for this lipstick, so I think I will pick up those next time, because what's life without a fun colour on the lips?

Have you tried the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks before?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Matte lips are my fave when it comes to make-up. They stay on really well, smudge less and look absolutely fab. While I was in Boots I decided to pick up a few NYX goodies including this Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm. Let's see how we get on, shall we?

The colour Stockholm is a lovely peachy tone that goes very well with my skin tone. To be honest, I think this colour will suit anyone. Yep, it's one of those! I picked up Stockholm because in the back of my mind I remembered this one was being talked about by quite a few bloggers. Crazy how that's the only colour of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams I remembered, because I'm sure there are so many other colour that are the bomb dot com!

Applying this product on my lips was quite easy and not much of a fuss. It's super creamy and after a few minutes it sets to a matte finish. I find that it stays on for 2-3 hours max. before it starts crumbling on my lips. I found that this is a very common problem with matte lip products and I have only found one product that doesn't do that (review coming soon). 
When you are in a situation where you can reapply it's easier to keep your peachy pout perfect, but when I'm at work I have no time to touch up my lipstick. I will probably not wear this while I'm at work, but for other occasions I think it's perfect. 
The scent is also really nice and makes me want to apply it more. It's not really overpowering and doesn't hang around for the rest of the day. I really don't like those artificial strawberry scents that won't go away. Am I the only one with this?

Overall, I think they are great value for money -they are only €7,65 (!)- and the colour is really nice. They do crumble a bit but to be honest which matte liquid lip product doesn't? I will definitely be picking up more NYX goodies in November when they open their own store in Amsterdam. SO exciting!

Have you tried the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams? What are your thoughts on them?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

The Brighton Haul

I didn't just come to Brighton for the lovely seaside and a yummy stack of pancakes at Café Coho. I also came to do a bit of shopping! I absolutely fell in love with The Lanes. These cute streets are full of small independent shops with quirky items. And also: cake. Lots of cake. While I was walking through those small alleys I saw so many bakeries and cute tea shops. If I lived in Brighton you would find me in one of those places sipping tea and eating cake every single weekend!

Now since I love tea so much I had to pop in Bluebird Tea Company. I remember this shop making an appearance in Zoe's vlog and had to see what it was all about. In the end I left with two different kinds of tea: Gingerbread Chai and Nearly Nirvana. The woman that worked there was so lovely and clearly even more obsessed with tea than I am. I can't wait for the autumn weather so that I can snuggle up on the couch with a cup of tea and my favourite film.

As I walked up the road to the train station I also spotted a Boots. Now don't get me wrong, there are enough Boots stores in London, but it has happened way to many times that an item was sold out everywhere. I picked up the Super Facialist Cleansing Oil, that I also bought in January and one out of four Collection Lasting Perfection concealers (yes I picked up three more in London *insert my favourite monkey emoji here*). I also had my eyes out for a NYX counter. We have NYX here too -we are actually getting a big NYX store in a couple of months- but the items that they sell now are not the things I have on my wish list. I was happy to pop the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm and the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Vintage in my shopping basket. I will put a full review of these babies on the blog soon!

I didn't buy a lot, but for me it was all about the Brighton experience. Sitting in Café Coho and watching all the people walk by, strolling through all those small alleys and letting that sea breeze through my hair. My visit to Brighton was definitely not the last and I hope I will be back next January to explore more of this gorgeous city!

Have you ever been to Brighton? What is your favourite thing about the city?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette

When Kim K. started to contour her face I was obsessed with it. I don’t do it as dramatic as she does, but a bit of highlighting and shaping never hurt no one. 

As you can see in this beauty haul I picked up the perfect palette to create a contoured face: the NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette. I already own many face shaping kits, but this one gives me the Anastasia Beverly Hills vibes and you must know that's on top of my wish list.

In this kit you will find four highlight shades and four contouring shades. From left to right:

01 - Ice Queen (shimmer)

02 - Soft Light (matte)

03 - Cream (matte)

04 - Nectar (light shimmer)

05 - Tan

06 - Toffee

07 - Sculpt

08 - Hollow

It's basically everything you need for a contoured face in one kit. You can bronze the face with 'Tan' and also give the cheeks a bit more definition with 'Sculpt' and 'Hollow'. The highlighting powders don't do much for me, probably because I am too pale, but they are nice to set the under eye concealer with. 'Ice Queen' on the other hand has lots of shimmers in it and does show up quite well on the skin. It gives a lovely glow to the face and I have to contain myself to not dust it all over my face.

The contour powders are very pigmented so I always make sure that I get rid of the excess on the back of my hand. They feel quite creamy and not drying at all. Sometimes matte powders can give a drying feeling but you don't have to worry about that with these. My personal favourite contour shade is 'Sculpt', it is a bit more cool toned than the others and gives me the best shape. I love to use it with my Zoeva Luxe Face Definer brush aka the best contour brush ever! It goes right in the hollow of my cheeks and leaves a perfectly blended contour.

Overall, I think this is a really nice product. The formula is lovely and you get a big variety of colours. The price (€25,30 via ASOS) is also decent for a product like this. Do I still want the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit? Yes, but that's just because I can never own enough contour palettes!

What is your favourite contour product?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

A Beauty Haul

A few weeks ago I was super happy to be invited to a beauty sale. As a beauty addict there is no greater place than a room full of new make-up products that are half the price. I tried to behave myself and not buy everything I laid my eyes on, but I did find some amazing items that I am going to show you today! Hope you enjoy watching it!

What is on your beauty wishlist?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Follow me on Instagram | Subscribe on YouTube

Review | Mac Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NW20

After I finished my well-loved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer I had no idea what I had to do without it. That concealer is amazing and so cheap. Unfortunately it’s only available in the UK, so I had to look for something else. I tried the NYX HD Concealer Wand  but I wasn't fully satisfied, with the Collection one in the back of my mind. This concealer from MAC is a YouTube classic and overall well-loved in the beauty community. It has been on my wishlist forever!

MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NW20. 7 g / 0.24 US oz. €18,-

According to MAC Cosmetics:

‘‘A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer. Provides a smooth, long-wearing invisible coverage for all skin blemishes. Water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-blemishgenic. This emollient-based, lightweight concealer is so concentrated that a tiny amount can provide opaque coverage of the skin's imperfections and discolourations. It effectively covers dark circles, blemishes, moles, tattoos and birthmarks. Enriched with antioxidants (derivatives of Vitamin A and Vitamin E), it also contains Silica to help adsorb the skin's oils. Concealer has an SPF of 35 and is available in a wide range of colours.’’

I got matched with the colour NW20 which, for me, is the same as number 51 from the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. With the summer coming up, and a tan hopefully, this suits me very well. It has a creamy consistency that blends into the skin perfectly.

Before buying it I heard that it’s exactly the same as the Full Coverage foundation from MAC. I was a big fan of that foundation two years ago and if you ask me, they are exactly the same. The only difference is the price, the amount and the SPF. A thing that you could do, if you love this concealer, is buy the Full Coverage foundation to use at home and the tiny Studio Finish concealer for touch-ups during the day.

The reason why I stopped using the Full Coverage foundation was because it looked cakey on me, from time to time. It also made me very oily during the day, so I switched to something else. This concealer does that as well. Of course you only place it on skin that needs more coverage, but still it’s not a nice look. If I don't powder it during the day I look like a shining disco bal. It lasts well, but after 8-9 hours some skin becomes more visible.

I placed a dot with an eyeliner and covered it with the concealer. If you look close you see a dark dot there.

All blended in. The dot is more visible now, but you can put more layers of concealer on top.

It gives really good coverage. if you have acne or scarring on your face, this will definitely cover it all up. I like to apply it with a concealer brush. For me this is more hygienic than putting your finger in the jar, every single day.

A little bit goes a long way and I think it will take a long time before I ran out. I also like that there is an SPF 35 in this creamy concealer. Blemishes and scars need more protection anyway, so this is a nice addition.

I do really like this concealer. As is said it gives good coverage, but can look a bit cakey and shiny at the end of the day. Bring a good powder and a setting spray and you are good to go!

What is your favourite concealer?

Review | NYX HD Concealer Wand in Porcelain

A make-up routine is not completed without a concealer. I use it to cover up blemishes, scarring and dark circles. Since my other concealers, sadly, ran out I was on the hunt for a new one.

My eyes fell on a concealer from NYX. I have never really tried anything from NYX, so it seemed fun to explore this brand. I was contemplating between the HD Concealer Wand and the Concealer in a Jar. In the end I went with the HD Concealer Wand, since it's more hygienic and it's mend to give good coverage as well.

NYX HD Concealer Wand in CW01 Porcelain via Douglas.nl        €6,99 for 3g

I ordered mine online so I had no idea if the colour was right for me. I went with the lightest colour they had, since I am very pale. The packaging is really nice and looks more expensive than it actually is. Now on to the product inside, since that is the most important part.

The concealer is a little bit lighter than my own skin. NC15 from MAC is also a bit too light, so I think the colour is most comparable to MAC NC15. When I blend it with my foundation the colour difference isn’t noticeable. For under the eyes it's perfect because you want to highlight your under eye area. So colour wise, it's a good match.

It has a super creamy consistency and it blends very well. The finish is semi-matte to satin. Since I have combination/oily skin I prefer a concealer that has more of a matte finish.

Coverage wise I have to say I am not very impressed. Yes, it does cover well, but I know other concealers that do a better job. I had to apply more than I normally do, which means it has almost ran out. I have been using this concealer for about six weeks and normally they last longer. I do really like the applicator of this concealer. 

Will I buy this concealer again? Probably not. It was nice to try it out and it does work well, but I want something with a bit more coverage. I am hoping that Collection will finally come to The Netherlands. I need to stock up on there Lasting Perfection Concealer ASAP. My hunt for the perfect concealer goes on and I will inform you every step of the way.

What is your favourite concealer?