My Makeup Favourites for a Classic Chic Look ♥

Hello everyone !

Today, I'm showing you my favourite products to use when I want to create a classic but chic look, for example for birthdays or nights out. On these occasions I tend to go with a simple look, and put my efforts in my outfit intead ! 

So here are some of the products I usually use :

When you want to go for a chic look, you have to pay attention to skin and make it look flawless. The best thing for that is to wear a good foundation. Mine is the Mat Velvet + by Makeup Forever, which I reviewed here. It's quite thick and has a good coverage, so maybe some people wouldn't like to use it on a daily basis because of this coverage. But for a special occasion, it's perfect to make your skin look perfect and matte for a long time !

My eye makeup for this type of look is winged eyeliner and long lashes. There is nothing as lovely and easy as that ! Well, it can be difficult sometimes to match both eyes for the eyeliner but the more you practice, the better you get at it ! My eyeliner is the Super Liner by L'Oréal. The brush is not the thinnest you could find, but I don't really like thin eyeliner, so I don't mind. It's still quite precise and handy ! My mascara at the moment is the Millions de Cils So Couture by Maybelline. It is great ! It makes the lashes look longer and it gives it a nice curl. For a night look you could add fake lashes of course, to make the eye makeup look more dramatic.

To go with eyeliner, red lips are the way to go ! There are so many red lipsticks and mine is a Kiko. It's a simple satin red lipstick, with orange undertones. 

Finally, to give more definition to the face, you could use a bronzer (but I don't haha) and add a bit of red on the cheeks. The Benetint by Benefit is great for that, because I feel like when you have red lips, you want to have something more subtle on the cheeks to make your complexion look more natural. The Benetint gives you a slight red shade on the apples of the cheeks, and as it's a liquid formula it stays on the skin for a long time, no need for touch-ups ! (except for the lips of course ;) )

That's it for my classic chic look ! This combo works fine on everybody I think, and it's timeless :)

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #9 : Nude is Better

Hello everybody !!

First of all, sorry for the lack of posts these past few weeks. I'm on holiday and strangely, I find myself with a lot more to do than when I was in uni/working ! So the posts are going to be sparse until, let's say, October (because I'm going to do something super exciting in September, I'll speak more about it later !).

Today I wanted to make a quick nails of the week post because I need to show you this pretty nail polish that I bought a few weeks ago (and I speak about it in my makeup favourites for a nude look, right here !) and that I can't get enough of !

It's the "Ivory Rose" by Maybelline. First of all, the colour is great ! Nude nails are always perfect, not matter the season or the occasion. If you don't really know what colour to wear, just put this on and you'll be ready to go with any outfit ! It goes with everything and makes your hands look so lovely.

As for the quality, it is also very good. The brush is like that of Essie nail polishes, it's big so it makes it quicker to apply the polish on the nails. It dries quickly, and stays on for quite a long time without chipping.

I can't find anything wrong with this nail polish, which is probably a good thing ! 

See you soon (well I hope haha) for a new post !

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #8 : the Bronze Age

I don't know why I went for this title, but it sounds good to me. Maybe because I'm really into Ancient History at the moment... Anyways, it kinda matches the name of the nail polish I'm wearing so I guess it's okay !

I bought this nail polish a few weeks ago for 2.99€ only. The brand is Monop' Makeup, which is the new makeup brand of the shop Monoprix that we have here in France. It's a shop that sells various things, from food and drinks to homeware and clothes. They also sell a lot of makeup and beauty products, with brands that we can't find anywhere else in France (recently they started selling the Aussie brand which I need to try out, but they also sell Model's Own, Essie, etc.). But they also have their own makeup range, from which I haven't tried anything but two nail polishes. This one is called "Bronze Pailleté", which means Glittery Bronze.

The shade isn't really a bronze colour to me, but more of a silver with pink undertones. Either way, it is a very pretty colour, super shiny. When you are under the sun it sparkles so much !

This nail polish is exactly the same as another one I have from Kiko. I tell you, the colour is perfectly similar ! And I've almost finished it, so I'm glad I bought this one to replace it. It was even cheaper haha :P


Julia xx

My makeup favourites for a nude look ♥

Hello !

Instead of doing a post with my favourite beauty items in general, I've decided to split my favourites into a series of several themes. I'm starting with my favourite products to use to create a nude look !

Most days, I tend to go for natural makeup, without eyeshadow or strong lipstick, just because I can't be bothered to do it all the time. But a nude look doesn't mean a bare face either, and it's always pleasant to have a nice result with only a few products and very little time ! :)

Here are my favourite products I always use to achieve a quick nude look :

For the skin, I only use a bit of concealer (the Full Cover by Makeup Forever) to hide redness, spots and dark circles. After that I apply some powder, the Stay Matte by Rimmel, which is very good to keep a matte look for a while.

Then to add a bit of light, I use a tiny bit of High Beam highlighter by Benefit. It is so pretty, I adore it ! I put it on my browbone and on the top of my cheekbones, it gives a nice glow to the face without being too shimmery, which I really like - I'm not keen on proper glitter anywhere else than on my eyelids !

Of course you could add some blush on the cheeks and that's what I do usually, but I don't have a favourite in this category, I tend to use by Sephora pink blush (which has no name) all the time. Just a bit of pink on the cheeks make you look more alive !

For the eyes, I use my Vibrant Eye pencil by Kiko as an eyeliner. The colour is a dark brown which looks more natural and neutral than black, and which fits a nude look better. This pencil is really smooth and you can blend it easily if needed. The only other thing I wear on my eyes is mascara, and my favourite ever is the They're Real by Benefit - nothing new here, everybody knows how great it is !

(yep the pencil is disgusting and not even sharpened... sorry for that !)

Last but not least, I stick to a very light pink for my lips with the Apocalips by Rimmel (named "Show off" in France, no idea why they changed the name), this is the colour 201 "Solstice" - again the names are different in France, but this one really looks like the "Galaxy" colour you have in anglophone countries. It is not a real nude, more of a pink with a slight shimmer, but it looks natural enough.

I've added what I would use on my nails to complete the look : the is the Maybelline Forever Strong Pro  in the colour "ivory rose". It is a simple beige nail polish, which applied in three coats gives you the best nude nails ever. It is so chic and makes your hands look like delicate princess hands ! The brush is nice and thick also, like the Essie brushes, so you apply it very easily. A must have !

There you have it, my favourite beauty items for a nude look ! Maybe you have and love some of these already :)

These pinks and beiges are the best colours to make you look nice but effortless !

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #7 : Princess Nails

Hello people !

Here we are, for nails of the week n°7 ! I really love doing these posts, I've got so many nail polishes so it helps me to check everytime I put a different one.

I went for something light and pretty glitter over it - "Muchi, Muchi" by Essie, and "Jo is in the House" by H&M !

This Essie polish is one of my favourites. It is a really pale pink, perfect for nude nails with one or two coats, but if you want the colour to be exactly like it is on the bottle, you can go with three.

Unfortunately, like every nail polish, when the quantity diminishes it gets all thick and it is a pain to apply it evenly on the nails. But when it's done, it's worth it !

I felt like I needed a bit of glitter in my life these days. This nail polish from H&M is great for its price, and it goes with pretty much every colour. I tried to apply it in a kind of gradient effect, I find it prettier than applying it on the whole nail.

Kinda looks like princess nails, doesn't it ?

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #6 : Lilac

Pastel nail polishes are my favourite : baby blue, pastel pink, mint... the only one that I'm not sure about is pastel yellow, but maybe I'll buy one someday to see how it looks on me.

But for this week, I've chosen a nice lilac shade from Kiko :

This colour looks amazing at this time of the year, especially when you associate it with other light colours in your outfits.

Kiko nail polishes are really good, they are so cheap and exist in so many colours ! However, the quality depends on each product, some are great, last a long time and dry quite quickly, but others take more time to dry completely. You have to be lucky when you pick one !

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #5 : Blue Jeans

Hi there !

This week, I decided to try something new on my nails, and went for a deep blue colour. I've never painted my nails blue, except for pastel/baby blue, which is one of my favourite colours. I thought dark blue wouldn't suit me, but then I was given this tiny Yves Rocher nail polish, so I had no reason not to finally try !
... and I don't know what to think about it. I'll just show you how it looks :

The blue is darker in real life than in the pictures, it looks lighter here.

I'm not sure this colour suit my skintone very well... I feel like my hands look almost yellow haha, because of the undertones of my skin. But the colour itself is really pretty ! a nice navy blue, which I like to pair with denim shorts, beige blouses, lace, blue and white striped tops...
Also, I had never tried Yves Rocher nail polishes before. I've got this one and a red one, I've tried them both, and they are really opaque (if you're on the go you could definitely wear one coat only) and, best thing of all, they dry really quickly !
I prefer to wear dark colours on my nails during the autumn/winter, but these days the weather has been quite dull and I thought this suited the atmosphere perfectly, unfortunately.
Maybe I will get used to this colour eventually, by wearing it a few times :P


Julia xx

Wishlist : Spring '14

I haven't made a wishlist in ages ! Maybe because I haven't bought many things either during the last months. But now that we're in spring (and almost in summer, who could believe time would pass so quickly !), I decided it was finally time for a new wishlist.

So here are all the things I want to buy in the upcoming months ! :

1. Dahlia Noir, by Givenchy (50mL), 62,90€ in Sephora. I got this perfume for Christmas and I've finished it, sadly ! It smells sooo good and is perfect for the season, that's why I need it again in my life.

2. Fit Me Concealer, Maybelline, around 9€. I've heard many good things about this concealer, and I'm almost running out of my Full Cover Concealer by MUFE, and I can't afford another one right now haha. We'll see if this one's good !

3. Effaclar K, Laroche-Posay, around 12€. This product is a sort of base/cream for combination to oily skin, supposed to reduce spots, regulate the sebum of the skin, make it look clearer, etc. Again I've heard good things about it, and Laroche-Posay is a nice brand for skin-related products. 

4. They're Real mascara, Benefit, 25€. I've got this mascara in sample size, and I'm afraid it'll run out soon. It is such a good mascara, I must buy it again !

5. Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell. I've watched the BBC adaptation of 1999 of the novel, and I loved it so much I want to read it now (I'll probably make a blog post about it by the way). Nineteenth century literature is my favourite, so I know I'll have a great time reading the book.

Well, that's it for my spring wishlist ! I could add some other things in it, but they aren't items in particular, more like "categories of things I need to get" : some pastel nail polishes, new black treggings, a mid-season jacket... Let's hope I will find all these things !

Julia xx

Review : Sugarlicious Kit by Benefit

I got the Sugarlicious kit by Benefit for Christmas, and I've been using it quite a few times since. It was about time for me to make a review !

The box contains four small size products and a tiny blush brush :

On the left you have two of Benefit's best sellers, High Beam and Benetint.

High Beam is a liquid highlighter, which can be applied with the little brush inside of it. It is a very light pink colour with sparkles in it, and it looks sooo pretty. You can apply it on your cheekbones, under your eyebrows, or anywhere you want to make your face brighter.

I always apply it under my eyebrows, and sometimes on my cheekbones. I catches the light and gives a pretty glow to your face, without too much sparkle. I was afraid of shining too much with this because I have an oily skin, but it doesn't make it worse at all ! I would even probably consider buying this in full size. Also, you use a very small amount of product each time so it will last you so long !

Benetint is a lip/cheek red stain. It is very liquid and you also apply it by using the little brush inside. Everybody loves this product, but I must say I'm not so much into it. It is very sheer and liquid so not very handy to use when you're in a hurry, in my opinion. As it is very sheer, you have to be careful when you apply it if you want the colour to stand out. It is supposed to give a very natural look, both on the cheeks and on the lips, so if you're in for a deep rosy cheek this won't satisfy you. 

And I don't know if it's just me, but when I apply it on my lips it always gives the strangest result - some parts of my lips are more coloured than others, especially the middle of my lower lip. I can't seem to have an even colour and I always struggle to put it so that it looks right. That's why I don't use it anymore, I don't know what I'm going to do with it honestly ! I was slightly disappointed with it, since so much people raved about it everywhere.

Anyways, let's get on to the main product of the kit : the blush, Sugarbomb.

(The colour is very light but looks better in real life on the face, unfortunately I couldn't get a better swatch)

As you can see, the blush is divided into four little sections : an orange, a coral, a light pink and a mauve one. You can use them separately (which can be a bit difficult as this is the small-sized version of the blush) or you can blend them together. I mostly use them blended, but sometimes I try to pick the coral and the pink shades only, when I want more of a pink cheek.

The colours are amazing, and they have a gold shimmer in it which, when you apply the product, makes it look almost like a bronze colour. I love it, and I recommend it especially if you skin is naturally tanned, as mine is.

The little brush is quite cute and very soft, I usually use it to apply the blush just because it's already in the box and I'm too lazy to stretch my arm and take another brush haha. It's not the most practical (round brushes are generally better to apply blush), but I find it still okay to use.

The last product is the Sugarbomb lipgloss. It is a pinky nude colour with gold sparkles in it.

Although it looks very pigmented in the packaging, it is in fact very sheer and when you apply it without anything underneath, you can barely see the actual colour, it just gives a nice shimmer and glossy effect to your lips. It would be best to use it on top of a nude lipstick to give more dimension to the lips.

***

That's it for the Sugarbomb kit !

It has proved me that Benefit actually make great products, of a very good quality, although I've been disappointed by the Benetint. Anyway I don't regret getting this because I use the High Beam highlighter all the time and I know I will use the blush as much when the weather will get warmer and I'll want this nice bronzy look on my face.

I can't wait to try other Benefit blushes now, this is my new goal for this year haha !

Julia xx

Nails of the week #2 : In Stitches by Essie

Well, it seems like everytime I speak about how sunny the weather is, it suddenly gets worse in the following days... ? I'll stop mentioning the weather from now on I guess, if it always brings us rain and clouds !

As a consequence of this brutal change in weather, I'm not in the mood for wearing pastel colours on my nails for the week. Instead I've chosen a lovely dusty pink, which goes with everything I wear. 

It is the "In Stitches" by Essie.

As you probably know, Essie is a very good brand. They have a lot of shades and every collection they make is amazing. The only thing is, as for OPI, the price, unfortunately ! Although Essie nail polishes are a bit cheaper than the OPI ones.

I only have three Essie polishes, and they are all pinks ! I have a fushia pink (which I'll probably wear in the summer only), this dusty pink and a very light nude pink. They're all so good, I love wearing them ! Easy to apply, quick to dry...

I've noticed this one doesn't stay on very long, it goes off quite quickly on the ends of the nails, even with three coats on. That bugs me a little because I hate when you can see the white of the nail on the tip of the finger, but it's not overly important either, it won't stop me from buying other Essie nail polishes in the future !

Julia xx

Nails of the week #1 : I don't give a Rotterdam by OPI

Hello !

Now that spring is coming and the sun is there more often, I've been more excited about painting my nails. I always paint my nails and never go without nail polish, but I don't know why, these days I've been super happy to do it ! That's so strange. But I truly feel like buying new colours, bringing back my pastel polishes, etc. 

So I thought I could do "nails of the week" posts sometimes ! Just to show you a few of my favourite colours and brands.

This morning I've applied the nail polish that I'm going to wear this week. It is the I don't give a Rotterdam by OPI, from the Holland collection. I remember when I first saw this shade, I fell in love with it and knew I had to buy it.

(Sorry, I just noticed that I have applied the nail polish very badly and I haven't taken off the excess. Oops !)

It is a light blue shade, almost greyish at time, and it has tiny silver sparkles - or speckles, you can't really tell. It is a very good colour for spring and as it is an OPI nail polish it does stay on a long time (but of course you should always wear a top coat on it). The only thing is that the colour is very sheer so you have to apply quite a few coats to get a good coverage. I've applied four coats here (!), but luckily it dries very quickly so it doesn't take hours to do your manucure anyway.

I do hope that the weather this week will be nice enough for me to wear springy clothes to match this nail polish !

Julia xx

Review : Full Cover concealer, by Make Up For Ever

I've had the Full Cover concealer by Make Up For Ever for a while now, and it's about time I speak about it on here because it is definitely worth a try !

The product looks like this :

Mine is in the shade 8. It is a bit too dark for me unfortunately - I hate the lights in these beauty shops, they always make the colour of the products appear different than what they actually are in daylight. But luckily for me you can't really tell the difference once it's applied on my skin, so that's okay.

The texture is quite thick (well same as any other concealer I guess). The lady in the store told me it could cover scars and tatoos, so I thought it was really good and it would be enough to cover my blemishes ! To give you an idea of the coverage, here is a sort of swatch on my hand :

The coverage is actually very good. You can cover the little scars you have once your blemishes and spots are gone (y'all know these little scars which seem to never disappear ? argh !), your rednesses, your dark circles even (I use the Full Cover as a concealer too), and in the end your face looks really good already !

In my daily routine I don't even put liquid foundation on anymore, I just put the Full Cover, then a bit of mineral powder, then transluscent power to set everything on, and that's enough ! If your skin isn't too damaged or if you don't have severe acne, you could definitely just put this concealer to hide what's to be hidden, instead of going for full foundation every day.

For the lasting effects, I haven't been disappointed either : it stays on all day long, but of course you have to use a long lasting foundation/powder on top, otherwise it'll probably mess everything up.

The only negative aspect of the Full Cover is its price - 26,50€ is a lot, but all Make Up Forever products are more on the expensive side... I guess if you want the best quality you have to pay more (or get it for birthdays or Christmases, hehe !).

If you can afford it and are in need of a good concealer then you should spend your pennies on the Full Cover, that's the only advice I can give you ! ;)

Julia xx

My Sales Haul | Winter 2014

Hi everyone !

First of all, my apologies for the lack of posts these days (or rather these weeks, huh). I've been so busy with university and work that I couldn't find the time to sit down and write a proper thing. But I'm back today with a haul !

I know it's a bit late but I've decided to do a sales haul. I don't post hauls every time I go shopping, but I'm so happy with what I got this year (in terms of clothing) that I cannot keep that to myself !

I've picked up a few nice pieces for very good prices, which always makes you happy, right ? I'll start with the clothes because that's the main thing I bought, then I'll show you the two tiny makeup items I bought also.

First from New Look, I got two cute dresses, which look like this :

As you can see, it is a black dress with pink and purple flowers all over. Isn't it cute ? I've taken a better picture for you to see the print :

 

The shape is also very flattering, and this is the main reason why I finally bought the dress. It really fits me and makes a pretty silhouette :)

It was 12.00€ reduced from 29.99€, so quite a bargain !

The second dress from New Look is this one :

And the detailing on the top part looks like this :

It is a simple black dress, with a floaty skirt (I love it !), and the only touch of colour is the detailing on the top, embroidered with light pink flowers (you can't really see the colours on the pics though). I thought it was very feminine, and it looks waaay prettier in real life ! I know it's going to become one of my favourite dresses.

Again, it was 12.00€ reduced from 29.99€ !

I bought another dress, from Pull and Bear this time. It is a light beige dress with lace on the sides and on the top part. It will be perfect for spring and summer !

 

I looove the detailing around the edges at the top, it is so pretty and makes it looks more "finished" and delicate. It was 25.99€ reduced from 39.99€, which is a good price compared to what I would have paid for it if I had bought it a few weeks earlier !

Next I went to H&M, where I bought two amazing shirts/blouses.

The first one is this beige blousy top with lace at the front :

 

It is very sheer so you have to wear something underneath it. The sleeves are in a different material than the rest, very flowy and nice. You can't really see it but the collar goes up on the neck, which gives the blouse a very vintage style. I looove it ! It was 15.00€ instead of 29.95€.

The second one is a pale pink shirt :

The colour doesn't really show in the pictureS but it is pink. The thing that got me to buy it was the collar, I think it is the cutest thing ever. It is a very simple shirt, but then it can be worn with anything so it's a staple to have in your wardrobe. This one was also 15.00€, instead of 24.95€.

I'm done with the clothes ! Here are the few beauty things that I got :

 I got two lip products from Sephora :

 - An ultra vinyl lip pencil, in this pretty pink shade, perfect for spring. The pencil reminds me of the Chubby sticks, although the quality is not as good obviously.

 - A long-lasting vinyl lip lacquer. I bought it because of the colour, which is dark, almost burgundy, but with fushia pink sparkles on it. When you put it on the lips, it is darker than what it is in the packaging. The texture is very sticky, which bugs me a little. It is quite difficult to apply also, you struggle to have an even colour everywhere on your lips and you have to take your time to apply it properly. I'm very disappointed in it, if I knew that I wouldn't have bought it even if it was really cheap !

They were both 2.00€, so I got them for 4.00€ instead of 16.80€.

Lastly, I went to a Make Up Forever shop, because I heard they were making sales on a selection of products (unfortunately it wasn't in the whole shop) and some were very interesting. And indeed, you have some little palettes which were reduced by 70%. Amazing ! There were also liners, and the other things I don't remember.

The only thing I bought was this small-sized HD Powder, which was also with 70% off. It contains 5g of powder, so I think it will last for a while ! And for 4.26€, it was totally worth it !

***

So that's it for my sales haul ! I thought I would get more beauty products than clothes, but I'm actually happy that I came across such bargains to add to my wardrobe !

Julia xx

My empties #1

Hi everyone !

Today I'm trying a new type of posts that I've seen in many other blogs but that I never thought about doing before. Empties posts are quite nice to discover new products or see if something is worth the try or not.

I've got five things that I've finished recently, so I'm going to show them to you and tell you what I think of them and if I'm going to repurchase them or not !

1/ Le Volume mascara, Chanel

I've spoken of this mascara in my all times favourites, some months ago. It is a really good product, makes your lashes look great. The brush is quite thick and takes every lash perfectly.

Although because of its price, I won't be buying it again for now (and I have a sample size of the great They're Real by Benefit to use hehe). But I'll surely buy it someday, because I loved it !

2/ Blueberry body butter, The Body Shop

I've had this body butter since last year, and I finally finished it ! I only used it during the autumn/winter times, so that's probably why it lasted me so long.

The smell is quite good, not too strong nor too sweet. And it lasts a few hours on the skin, which is always nice ! But I won't rebuy this one, because I want to try new scents from The Body Shop.

3/ Exfoliating body scrub, Galeries Lafayette

I bought this last summer during the sales, mainly because it was cheap and smelt good haha. It smells of iris, so a very floral and light scent. I used it as a scrub before using my shower gel, and it did a good job and left my skin soft. The exfoliating bits are tiny so they don't hurt your skin as some scrubs could do. But I won't be buying it again, because I have another one of the same brand to use !

It is only sold in the Galeries Lafayette in France I guess, but it is maybe something to try if you are in France and want a nice shower product !

4/ Gliss Ultimate Repair mask, Schwarzkopf

As I have curly coloured hair, I'm always on the hunt for a good mask that will moisturise my hair and leave it soft. I've tried sooo many that I couldn't list them all, but as I've just finished this one I can really say what I think about it.

It is one of those masks that you apply after your shampoo for a few minutes - I always left it for about three to five minutes. It does make your hair soft, and pretty shiny too. But this effect doesn't last, at least on me. If you have normal to dry hair I think it should work well - but if your hair is damaged or frizzy, it probably won't be enough.

Not sure I'll rebuy it because I'm always changing my hair routine (at this point this is not even a routine haha), but I can say that it's a pretty good product anyway!

5/ Vanilla dee-lite body lotion, Lush

I got this lotion on the Lush box I received for my birthday. I was excited to try it out, because I haven't had the chance to use a cream/body lotion from Lush before.

First, the smell is amazing. Although it is called Vanilla dee-lite, it doesn't smell of vanilla, but rather of jasmine, and it even reminds me a bit of lilac, which is my favourite flower ! So as you can imagine, I love the smell of it. It is very light-weight as it is a lotion obviously, and it is very refreshing. I would recommend it for the months of spring especially, because it is not at all a winter smell.

As it is very light, it doesn't moisturise your skin deeply, and if you have a very dry skin I would probably advise you to use a thicker texture. But I'd love to buy this again for spring and summer, I love it !

***

That's it for my first empties ! A lot of shower/body products as you can see, but naturally these are the ones we can finish the most easily. 

I'll do another empties post in a few months maybe, see if I can find new interesting products to show you !

Julia xx