Shoes Of The Day - Ankle Strap Heeled Sandals

I love my new shoes :) These are the Stylish Ankle Strap Heeled Sandals from New Look via ASOS. I had originally had my eye on the Steve Madden Realove pump, but after reading some reviews online, that mainly said that while they looked amazing they were unbelievably uncomfortable to wear, being very narrow and with a 4 inch heel height, that made them prefect for standing only, I decided to try and find an alternative :) 

ASOS actually have a fairly big selection of sandals like these, but I went for the ones from New Look, mostly because of the price, but also because they had the shortest heel height with 9 cm (approx 3,5 inches) making the perfectly fine for walking :) 

I find them to be comfortable and good to walk in. I love how versatile they are as they go with any dress but can also be rocked with boyfriend jeans for a more casual look, similar to how I'm wearing them today.

So I am very happy with my choice, even if I do still think the Steve Maddens ones are amazing..to look at ;) 

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MAC eye shadow haul

There is nothing like a MAC eye shadow haul :) This haul is actually a few months old, but I though I would still share. 

I much prefer to buy MAC shadows as refills. First of all they are a lot cheaper and I find them much easier to store in the palettes. I really like the quad palettes as they are super for going away or putting in you make-up bag for the gym etc. I love being able to mix & match and having the flexibility to make my own palettes.

So this time around I got (clockwise): Coppering, Embark, Arena and Espresso:

Coppering lives up to its name, an amazing coppery shade. Like all MAC shades it has excellent pigmentation and staying power. Embark is a matt dark brown with red undertones which really seem to make my blue/green eyes pop.

Espresso is not as dark as I though it would be as it is more of a soft brown, but it is still a great colour and a very versatile matt brown that goes with almost anything. The last shade in this haul is Arena, which is a super pretty neutral warm peachy/golden colour with a satin finish.

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Rimmel Blush

My local drugstore was having a 2-for-1 on Rimmel some weeks back and I decided to try out these two Lasting Finish Soft Colour blushes. I got the shades 020 Pink Rose and 010 Santa Rose. As you can see Pink Rose lives up to its name, being a lovely rosy pink shade where Santa Rose is a more peachy toned blush. 

I have to say that I have been so impressed with these blushes! I have almost worn them every day since getting them. I absolutely love the colours, especially Santa Rose, it is just the perfect blush shade and I love how it looks on my skin. 

I guess the staying power could be a tiny bit better, but that's honestly just me nitpicking...I mean for drugstore blushes, these have good pigmentation and colour pay off. Plus they do stick around through out most of the day just fine, they just loose a bit of oomph late in the day, but nothing that makes me love them any less. I think they are absolutely fabulous :) 

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Shoes Of The Day - Gladiator sandals

These are my beloved suede gladiator inspired sandals. I got these on a trip to Hamburg a few years ago and they are still some of my very favourite shoes for summer. They are from the brand Scholl and I love the details, the gladiator look and the colour. They are also super comfortable and just really great. 

PS: On my nails I'm wearing my go-to colour for summer...Holiday by Chanel. Even if does look more red, than orange in these pictures :)


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Hot Mama! from The Balm

I recently purchased my very first item from The Balm. It's not a brand that is readily available her in Denmark, so I have only seen their stuff online, but I had heard such good things about their blushes, that I wanted to try one out for myself. 

I ended up deciding on Hot Mama! which is an amazing coral/peach blush with gold "shimmer". Initially it does sound a lot like NARS Orgasm, but it is a lot lighter, more peachy and I really like it :) As far as the colour and overall look I actually much prefer this to the Orgasm. 

It has pretty good pigmentation, goes on well and has good staying power. I don't find the gold "shimmer" to be too overwhelming nor does it make you look like a disco ball. Just a really great coral/peachy blush, that gives a pretty warm glow to the skin. In the description it said that it's a shadow and blush, I have yet to use it as an eye shadow, but I'm sure it would make for a great summer look.

So I'd say that I am a happy first-time buyer of The Balm :)

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Maybelline Colorama/Colorshow Power Red

Oh how I have fallen in love with the Colorama/Colorshow nail varnishes from good old Maybelline - seems like they are going with the Colorshow name here as well. 

Anyway they hands down have the best staying power I have ever come across. I now have several shades and they all hold up amazingly well and that on top of being deliciously cheap :)

This is the colour Power Red...a gorgeous bright red. The perfect red for summer :)

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My foundation routine for combination to oily skin

First thing you will notice with this foundation routine is that I don't actually mention any specific foundation! This is a routine that basically works with any foundation you choose and will help keep oil and shine at bay through out the day...at least this has been my experience the past few months, so I though I would share :) 

I have included my morning skincare products below - all from the Effeclar series by French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay, just for good measure, even if it really isn't part of the overall make-up routine. All these products are for combination/oily skin and do ultimately help give a more matt finish to my skin.

La Roche-Posay Effeclar series

The first step in this routine is primer. If you "suffer" from oily skin using a primer is a must, if you want to prolong the staying power of your foundation. For the past year I've been partial to the Photo Finish primer from Smashbox, but have also used the Neutrogena shine control with great results. I actually think I prefer the shine control, but both are really good primers.

Recently however, I have been using an SPF from La Roche-Posay! This was a bit of an experiment as in the past I have found all SPF's for the face to be super greasy and something I've only ever resorted to when on holiday and definitely never something I used with my make-up. But this is a dry touch formula and it truly is an amazing primer! It's actually quite superior to the other two on my skin and I've used nothing but since I got it. Added benefits is the SPF 50,which is the recommended SPF for the face, it is great for sensitive skin and without parabens and perfume. Really what is not to love?

I know that Vichy has a similar product, which I haven't tried, it does however contain perfume - or so I'm told.

Left to right: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50 Dry touch and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Step 2 is a loose translucent powder. This is a fairly new step for me in my routine, I randomly came across it surfing the web one day. I decided to give it a try, seeing if it really made a difference in terms of controlling shine and prolonging the staying power of my foundation and I found that it did. I use it lightly all over the face, but with extra focus on the t-zone where I get the most shine, applying it with a large powder brush.

I've been really pleased with the e.l.f. HD Powder for this step, which also has the added bonus of a great price tag. At a recent Sephora visit I got my hands on a deluxe sample of the MUFE Microfinish Powder, which I can also recommend.

E.l.f. High Definition Powder and MUFE Microfinish powder

Next step is then to apply my foundation, but as I mentioned at the beginning, this is a routine that works with any (liquid) foundation. So I'm "skipping" that step here and going straight to the last step which is setting powder.

If you have oily skin you benefit greatly by setting your foundation with a powder. I'm not a big fan of using the HD powders mentioned above as my setting powder. I just don't like the "colour" they give and I prefer pressed powders. I alternate between the 3 pictured below, depending on mood and whether I want to add some colour or not. Reserve Your Cabana by Wet n' Wild is actually a bronzer, but it works perfect as a setting powder. I don't find that one works better than the other and I really do reach equally for all 3.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, Wet n' Wild Bronzer and Neutrogena Shine control powder

I "suffer" for oily skin year round and as much as I try to embrace and accept it, keep reminding myself that it should mean less wrinkles for me when I get old, I do gravitate towards skincare and make-up products that help control and minimise oil and shine on my face. 

That being said I don't really want products that completely eliminate it, as I find it hard to believe that such products would allow my skin to breath and wouldn't ultimately clog my pores and generally be bad for my skin long term.

But I have now been doing this routine, with multiple different foundations, for about 2-3 months and for me it has made a massive difference in the overall appearance and staying power of my foundation(s). I live in Denmark where we, despite some less than impressive temperatures, do endure crazy levels of humidity, which basically sucks if you have oily skin and more often than not makes your make-up run down your face! But with this routine I've truly had such improvements in this area, even on days were the humidity have been high. I still have oil and shine coming through, but nothing like I use to, which is enough for me to keep up this routine! 

Obviously I cannot guarantee that this will work for anybody but me...but it can't hurt to share, just in case someone else can benefit :)

As a very last point ( I promise) I want to say, learn to love blotting paper! Instead of using more product and continuing to re-powder throughout the day, I find that using blotting paper is a massive help. More product often just makes for a cakey look, especially if you powder directly on the oily part. If you feel that you have to powder, use blotting paper first and you'll get a much better result.

Bobbi Brown blotting papers

The End 

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Summer wedges - Shoes Of The Day

There are few things I find more exciting than new shoes :) Perhaps only new shoes bought at a massive discount! I saw these adorable wedge sandals a few weeks back at my local supermarket, but though the were are little too pricey at the time. 

However I couldn't really get them out of my mind, so when I went to the supermarket earlier today I had to check if they still had them. They did and they had been marked down to under half price and on top of that there was an additional 30% off all shoes this weekend...I LOVE when things come together like that :D So they ended up at 70 DKK (approx. $11/£7) a total steal, which only made me love them more. They are 100% synthetic, but who cares at that price and I just think they are so cute and can't wait to rock them the rest of the summer :)

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Maybelline Colorama in Coral Reefs

I recently picked up this pretty nail varnish at my local supermarket. It is from the Maybelline Colorama collection and I got the colour 110R Coral Reefs. I've noticed that this collection is called Color Show in the UK, not sure what it's called everywhere else, but here in Denmark they are obviously going with the Colorama name.

I picked it up on a whim as I have a weak spot for coral and peach :) And this really is such a pretty pearly coral/peachy colour, that is neutral and sheer enough to go with everything, but its pearly sheen makes it stand out. I was surprised by how much I like it! I have been searching for the perfect all-round neutral nail colour, but didn't really get this with that in mind. But it is the absolutely perfect shade for me and I'm completely in love with it.

On top of my excitement about the colour it also turns out it has AMAZING staying power. I cannot recall any other nail varnish that has stayed this long on my nails without chipping etc. I am normally lucky if I get it to last 24 hours, this lasted 4 days!!!!! And I could have still kept it on, as it was only really two nails where it had worn off a bit. Obviously lighter shades are often more forgiving as chipping and wear & tear is less noticeable, but 4 days is still more than amazing! I don't know of this formula is the same throughout the collection, but this is hands down the most impressive staying power I think I've ever come across, so if you see a shade you like, I say give it a go :)

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Maestro fusion makeup by Giorgio Armani

And the winner is...me! A few weeks ago I randomly entered a competition my local department store was running on Facebook. You had the chance to win the Maestro fusion makeup by Giorgio Armani in the shade 5,5 and wouldn't you know, I actually won! Me, who never wins anything, I was (overly)excited when I found out :) 

But back to my grand prize. I was a little worried about the shade being too dark for me at first, but it works surprisingly well, however it's definitely a summer-shade for me. The foundation dispenses from a teat pipette, which I've never seen before, but it's a very good thing as this foundation is extremely fluid and this helps to control the amount you get really well. I find that a little goes a long way when applying and that it's super important to shake it well before use, as it says on the bottle, because if you don't the colour changes quite dramatically. 

The best words to describe the texture once on the skin are probably odd or strange. I don't mean this in a negative way, but it truly feels very different to any foundation I've ever tired and it just feels a little....strange :) Once it's on you almost can't feel it and I find myself touching my face a lot to make sure it is still on, so an extremely lightweight foundation for sure. I find it to have pretty good medium coverage and it dries to a matte almost powdery finish. I definitely had to cut back on my powder with this foundation as it otherwise becomes very visible and mask-looking. 

In terms of staying power I have oily to combination skin and even though it says it is for all skin types, I think it will hold up better on normal skin. I can't get it to last all day and my t-zone does pretty shiny through out the day, so on me this is not a long wearing foundation. 

I do actually really like it, the finish and feel of the foundation is just so unusual and different. I like the look it gives and it might be light weight enough for me to wear in the summer, depending on how the heat affects the staying power obviously :)

Would I buy this foundation "again"? Not sure to be honest. I do like it a lot, but the price is just quite outrageous here in Denmark, so for that reason alone, probably not. Even if it is quite a special foundation it just isn't good enough in terms of staying power to make me want to spend that kind of money on it, but I'm happy to have gotten the opportunity to try it out like this :) 

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Paparazzi by Chanel

As I previously mentioned when I got Starlet from the Avant Première de Chanel Collection for Spring 2013, I knew I would also have to get Paparazzi...and here it is :) It is just such a gorgeous colour, a bronzy burgundy with subtle golden shimmer. This is probably my favourite shade in this collection, a great classic shade that goes with everything, but still has that little something extra.

   

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Benefit longwear powder shadow in Nude Swings

So I recently discovered Benefit eye shadows and so far I have been impressed with their finish and staying power, so another trip to Sephora resulted in a purchase of their longwear powder shadow in the colour Nude Swings :) This shade is not included in any of the World Famous Neutrals ( I have the Most Glamorous Nudes Ever which I love!) and can therefore only be bought individually.

 How absolutely adorable is the packaging!?

The shade is a pretty soft rose gold. I have seen some swatches online where it comes off much more warm and golden, but on me the pink seems to be what comes through the most, making the colour appear cooler.

It is a gorgeous neutral shade, perfect for soft subtle looks. It has pretty good pigmentation and I have nothing bad to say in regards to staying power either. A really lovely shadow that I've already used several times :)

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Fancy nails

I'm not normally big on doing anything but one colour on my nails and I prefer solid shades, but this might also partly be due to my total lack of skills when it comes to doing any type of "nail art" :) But after getting the Sally Hansen Gem crush in the shade 04 Blingtastic in one of MyBeautyBox I kept wanting to live a little and try it with my Blue Rebel by Chanel, so recently I (finally) took the time to give it a go! 

I did one coat of Blue Rebel followed by one coat of Blingtastic and I think it turned out pretty good :) It is very shiny, but somehow still "subtle" because of the dark blue. I know that this by no means qualifies as "nail art", but it is about as fancy as I can get :D 

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Shoes Of The Day - DKNY pumps

These fantastic leather pumps from DKNYC are a purchase from my recent trip to London. I got them at the DKNY store at the Bicester Village Outlet. I am so in love with the dark maroon colour, especially for A/W, so I do think this is one of the last times I'll be wearing them before they are packed away for a bit :) 

This is a really comfortable shoe, as they have a cushion bit at the front, so no sore feet after a long day :) The heel is approx. 10 cm, but it's quite sturdy and really good to walk on, so this has quickly become one of my go-to pairs :) 

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Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express

I am always happy to try out a new mascara - if I can find it in brown that is...yes, I don't own a black mascara and (probably) never will..I think they are too harsh on me and prefer brown, so there ;) 

Anyways, I am a big fan of Maybelline The Falsies and lucky for me I was able to find The Rocket Volum' Express in brown on a recent trip to Sweden. I am not normally a massive fan of the rubber brush/bristles, but really wanted to try this one, as everyone else seems to love those. 

After trying it out for a few weeks, I am still not sure how I feel about the bristles...I didn't hate them as such, but do feel like the brush deposit A LOT of product, perhaps a little too much for my liking. Volum' Express might be the perfect name because it is very volumising, dare I say it, maybe just a little too much? I am all for volume in my mascaras, but I find this to be a little over the top, if I'm not careful. After using it several times I do seem to have managed to work out how to apply it in a way where it does come off not quite as intense and then I like it. The colour is great and it has really good staying power and is a good mascara. 

So overall it's a pretty good product, but definitely not my go-to, unless I'm going for intensity and a lot of volume :)

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Wet n' Wild blushes

I'm a big fan of Wet n' Wild, especially their eye shadow trios and their prices, so recently I decided to try out some of their blushes and they didn't disappoint! I got Pearlscent Pink a pretty bright shade and Mellow Wine a deeper and darker pink, both really gorgeous colours. 

These blushes are über pigmented...as in if you aren't careful you will end up looking like a circus clown! Obviously this is a luxury problem, but do keep in mind that a little goes a very very long way with these blushes :) They also have awesome staying power and are just an overall amazing product. It continues to amaze me that Wet n' Wild can make such fantastic products that are so incredibly inexpensive...but I love it :)

Apologies for the dodgy close up of Pearlscent Pink, but the blush broke on me, so I had to fix it, which made it look a little funky, but it still works prefectly :)

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Benefit velvet eyeshadow in Leggy

I stopped by Sephora this last weekend and they had a jumble box with all sorts of goodies marked down 25% and I found this pretty Benefit velvet eye shadow in "leggy". It is a gorgeous pale pink with a tiny bit of metallic shine. The pigmentation is great and it truly has a velvety feel to it, it almost feels soft, plus it held up great through out the day (with a primer), so I'm super happy with my very first Benefit eye shadow. 

PS: How precious is the packaging :)

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Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick

My local department store is having a sale so I thought I would splurge a bit and that resulted in me getting the Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Vanilla Truffle. I have recently tried a few different Estée Lauder products and have been super pleased with them, so even though I am not much of a lipstick fan, I had been wanting to try out this particular shade for a while. As mentioned the shade is Vanilla Truffle, a pretty nude peachy colour, not quite as "orange" as it seems to come out in the pictures though. 

I so wanted to love this lipstick, but sadly that just isn't to be the case :( It looks super pigmented in the swatch, but for whatever reason it just transfers really sheer on my lips. It is a very creamy product, almost seems balm-like to me but no matter how many times I re-apply it just won't stick and moves all over my lip, and in terms of being long lasting, all I can say is that I find it to have almost no staying power at all! 

It's so frustrating when you decide to splurge a bit on a high end product to treat yourself and then it ends up being such a dud :/ It really doesn't hold a candle to my Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in pigmentation or staying power, so I will just be sticking to that one. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes, at least I really like the packaging, which is super slick and classy ;)

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Starlet by Chanel

It seems to be all about nails these days, but with the Chanel Avant Première de Chanel Collection for Spring 2013 in the stores now how could it not. The collection consists of these four colours and from what I hear the shade Starlet will be limited edition, the other 3 will be included in the permanent range:

Picture borrowed from Cosmo

I tried to contain myself, so I just got Starlet seeing as it was the one I liked the most and the one that is limited edition, so I wanted to get it while I still could. It is such a pretty pink/peach shade with subtle gold shimmer. Absolutely perfect for spring and I'm already loving it :) I also already know that I will have to get Paparazzi at some point. It is an amazing burgundy colour, also with shimmer, so pretty! I really do love my reds, so we shall see if I can withstand the urge to also get Cinéma :D  The last one, Provocation, is a deep plum and not really a shade I typically go for, so I that one I shall be giving a miss...but 3 out of 4 isn't bad :)

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Oz The Great and Powerful mini collection by OPI

OPI often makes limited edition collections to tie in with movies and their most recent collaboration is with Oz The Great and Powerful. The collection contains 7 different shades I believe, but I got the mini collection containing 4 of the colours: I Theodora You a sheer pink, Don't Burst My Bubble a sheer white, Glints of Glinda a sheer beige and What Wizardry is This? a taupe and one of their liquid sand lacquers. The first 3 of the colours all have pastel hue and are very sheer, really pretty shades for more neutral looking nails. The last shades is the only one that packs a little punch. It is a liquid sand shade which means that it has a textured finish and you can see and feel the little "grains of sand". 

I really like this little collection and even though the 3 light shades are a little hard to tell apart, I was looking for some sheer nail colours and I had wanted to try out one the liquid sand colours, so all in all this was the perfect deal for me, plus I really like the mini size bottles as I have yet to actually finish a with a nail varnish - of any brand :)

I Theodora You (thumb), Don't Burst My Bubble (index finger), Glints of Glinda (middle finger) and What Wizardry is This? (ring finger) 

Oh and if you haven't seen the film yet, go see it, it's really good :)

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Sally Hansen Color Quick Fast Dry Nail Color Pen

In my latest MyBeautyBox one of the items was a nail colour pen from Sally Hansen. I immediately loved the concept and had to try it out - what an amazing idea to put nail varnish in a pen! It works by pressing down on the top part and an amount of varnish is dispensed through the brush at the other end, just like lip gloss, a high lighter or the like. It was incredibly easy to use and the application was much quicker than with a "regular" nail varnish brush and it lives up to its tag line as it was super quick to dry. 
It did require two coat to get a proper coverage and I did experience some streaking with the finishing result. The staying power was acceptable, there was no "chipping", it more just wore off. But the pen is prefect to carry in your handbag for touch ups and with the easy application and fast drying ability it makes it so convenient to make them look perfect again. Initially I wasn't too happy with the colour which is fuchsia chrome, not a big fuchsia fan really but over the days I wore it the shade grew on me a little :) I can't say for sure if some of the issues I had with the streaking and wearing off is specific to this particular colour but I will definitely try out other colours as I love how easy it was to apply, how great it was for touch ups and I just think it's brilliant idea :)

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Shoes Of The Day

Today's shoes are from my recent trip to London. They are the Dune Aleen ladies plain round toe medium court shoes in the colour apricot. I absolutely adore the apricot colour, the patent look and the round toe. I don't normally go for a shorter heel (80mm) like this, that being said it does make them more of an all-day shoes and make them a perfect for work. 

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Revlon Brow Fantasy

Revlon is one of the brands that are not available here in Denmark, so when I go traveling I try to pick up some of their products to try out. I got the brow fantasy pencil & gel when I was in New York last year and it instantly became my favourite product to use on my brows. I still think that using a brow powder/eye shadow gives a much more natural look/finish, but for me it's just quicker using a pencil and when I do my make-up in the morning I am all about speed :) Whatever gets the job done the quickest is ultimately going to be my go-to and this pencil is great. I do also love the result I get with it and to me this pencil is just the right amount of creamy to apply with a good "colour payoff", but not greasy so that it becomes "obvious" and makes it look like you drew them on using a crayon :) I did buy the shade 104 dark blond in NY, but then placed the wrong order on Ebay once I got home and got the shade 108 light brown..however it turned out that both colours work well on me, so now I just use whichever one I grab first or choose the shade depending on what kind of look I'm doing that day.   

My only issue is that I wish that the pencil was longer as I don't really use the gel, as I find that it seems to clump up on my brows once is dries, which looks bad and in any case my brows don't really seem to "move around" during the day, so I don't feel I have the need for a gel. So I wish I could to just buy the pencil on its own in a "regular size" instead...that would be perfect :)

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Nivea BB Cream

A few weeks ago I got a little sample of the new Nivea BB cream in one of my magazines and thought I would just try it out. The sample had enough product for me to try it twice, which proved to be more than enough for me to go out and buy the real thing :) Let me just say that I am not a big BB cream fan or user, I think it's all just a little bit of a silly gimmick and re-packaging of tinted moisturizer in most cases, but I have tried a few different ones and I have liked a few, that I sometimes use as an alternative to foundation.

But back to Nivea's version of the BB cream, which to me is like a foundation. This cream has definitly full coverage. It gives a flawless finish, but not a natural one like a tinted moisturizer. I personally prefer the full coverage and have therefor been really impressed by this one. It preformes better than some of the foundations I use and even though it is a very heavy cream (think typical Nivea) it seems to work ok with my oily skin, which really surprised me. I find that I don't really need to use me concealer as this does the job of covering any problems on my skin by itself. 

My only issue is the colour. I have it in the shade "Light", which I am assuming is the lightest one and even that is very dark (too dark) - don't let the picture fool you! I have to be very careful with how much I use, as I very quickly look extremely tanned. I think the colour will be great for summer, but then I'm a littled worried that it will just be too heavy, for me anyway. I have oily skin, which is even more predominant in summer and I have to wear lighter products to allow my skin to breath and as great as this is, it just a very thick and heavy cream...but we shall see, perhaps it'll surprise me ;)

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Shoes Of The Day - Tory Burch #2

Oh how I have a weakness for Tory Burch flats :) I was recently in London and made the mandatory trip to the Bicester Village Outlet where they have a TB store. The selection at the outlet store is obviously not as great as in the actual store, which in London is on New Bond Street (I did go just to browse...oh so many pretty shoes!), but the prices at Bicester are just a little less scary :) But even with the more limited selection I did manage to fall in love with this pair of tumble patent leather Reva flats. The colour is just fantastic...I am such a sucker for bright orange and I just had to have these. I can't wait for summer as these will definitely be the go-to for the season :)

PS: The colour is a perfect match for the Chanel nail varnish in Holiday :)


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Shoes Of The Day

I am ready for spring and summer :) I saw these cute pink/coral pumps at my local supermarket a few weeks ago and they are just summer in a shoe! They were cheap and probably not the best quality either, but the colour just makes me happy and brightens up any outfit, so I love them :)

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Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss

I have never been a much of a lipstick fan, I have always been more into lip gloss, but it is safe to say that I have become a fan now...at least a fan of this one shade from the Lasting Finish by Kate Moss line for Rimmel. I saw this mentioned in a video by Lisa Eldridge last year sometime and I thought I'd give it a try. I can honestly say that I have used it every day since I got it. Obviously I don't have much to compare it to in terms of staying power, but I have been very impressed as it manages to stay on even after my morning coffee and well into the day ;)

But what really got me is the shade. I am very much a fan of a neutral lip and have previously tired a bunch of different nude shades to see if I could jump on the lipstick-wagon, but I almost always find them to be too flat or too bland. This one however is just the perfect shade of pink, but still has the "nude" feel/look to it. So over all I think this is a really great lipstick in terms of staying power and pigmentation, but the shade is what I am really in love with...it really is the perfect colour :)

  

I always add a little bit of my trusted Stila silk shimmer luxe lip gloss in Kitten to make it pop :)

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Samoa Silk by MAC

Samoa Silk is my latest MAC purchase. This is one of their Velux shades, meaning that it has a matte silky finish, is very pigmented and has a very fine texture. This colour is kind of hard to describe...I cannot decide if it's peachy or orange :) In any case I really like it and think it will work perfectly as a more subtle warm crease colour. I have also worn it all over the lid with MAC's Texture in the "outer v" as I think those two shades compliment each other really well. Basically Samoa Silk is a great and versatile matte shade :) 

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Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm

It's official, I am addicted to the Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in Honeysuckle! I bought this on a whim, as I'm not normally a huge fan of lip balms, I tend to prefer gloss or glaze. But around Christmas I got a Clinique Chubby stick, which also qualifies as a tinted lip balm and I love it. Balms are perfect for the cold Scandinavian Winters, where my lips tend to dry up, to the point of being almost painful. The lip balms I have gotten in the past are just the regular "white" ones and they aren't really all the sexy are they?! But these tinted ones are just fantastic. From Burt's Bees my favourite is most definitely Honeysuckle, I love the "pink" shade, but also that it's still nude and sheer in its colour. In terms of pigmentation it is pretty sheer, so don't expect "full coverage", but it's noticeable. I guess the staying power in terms of the colour could be better, I feel that the wax stays on even if the shade has gone a bit, but hey I'll take any excuse to re-apply ;) On top of all of this it is made with 100% natural ingredients incl. coconut oil and shea butter, so just an all-round great product for your lips. 

PS: I found a UK website that sell them for about half price, compared to here and even better they offer free shipping to Denmark...win/win I say :)


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Expensive Pink by MAC

I recently treated myself to the fabulous Expensive Pink eye shadow from MAC. The colour really reminds me of Rubenesque, which is one of my all-time favourite MAC colours. This is one of the velux pearl shades, so it has metallic shimmer and a high-shine pearl finish. Just such a pretty colour, perhaps a bit redundant to mention that it has great pigmentation and colour payoff ...like any other MAC eye shadow :) 

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Sigma Brush Spa - Brush Cleaning Glove

The already (in)famous Sigma Spa™ Brush Cleaning Glove :) It hasn't been out long and already it's caused quite a stir. I got mine a few days ago and have used it once to clean all my brushes and contrary to what seem to be popular opinion I actually really like it :) 

I have a lot of brushes, mostly because I'm really lazy and hate cleaning them. My hands are also not fond of being in contact with water for long (I always wear gloves when doing the dishes and overall cleaning), so this glove seemed like the perfect solution for me. I managed to clean all my 40+ brushes and my hands were as good as new afterwards...almost a priceless feat in my world ;) I also have to say that my brushes seem a lot cleaner, which might be because water was no longer an issue, so I could really get in there and clean them properly. I also found that I used a lot less soap as it seem to lather up better on the glove, than when just using my (bare)hand. 

Is $36 a lot of money for a glove, that looks like an oven glove and whose sole purpose is to clean your make-up brushes? Possibly, but luckily that is for each of us to decide :) As price seems to be the biggest "issue" people have with the glove, I say try to find a "dupe". I for one am pretty happy with my new glove as it has made brush cleaning something I hate a little less now :)

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Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips

I recently decided to give the Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips a try. I'd had my eye on the "Love Letter" ones for a while and finally caved when the local drugstore had them on sale. I've never tried using strips on my nails before and I have to say that applying them was a lot harder than I thought. As a result I was not really all that pleased with the way they came out and took them off almost immediately - not sure if the pictures really show how bad they looked, but it was not pretty. I am honestly not sure if it was the strips, if my nails are "weird" or if I'm just really bad at applying them, but they are pretty expensive here, so I didn't really feel like getting another set to find out. Essie just came out with their own strips and they have a very similar set with the writing on them and I have purchased those to try out at some point...hopefully with a prettier outcome :)

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Shadow Velvet by Tromborg

This eye shadow from Danish make-up brand Tromborg in the colour Shadow Velvet is an amazing grey shade with brow undertones. It's a really gorgeous natural and versatile colour, that can easily be worn on its own and still look great. This particular shade was sold out everywhere at the beginning of this year, so I gave up and completely forgot about till I saw it at Sephora this past weekend. It truly is one of those standout colours and Tromborg is normally a brand that offers good quality products and this eye shadow did not disappoint, with excellent pigmentation and staying power :)

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Shoes Of The Day

I'm in love! These fabulous Dune oxblood sheeny plain round toe high courts were given to me as an early Christmas present and I absolutely love them. The colour is just to die for, a deep dark almost black reed that is utterly fantastic and reminds me of Chanel's Rouge Noir. A classic round toe pump with a heel height of approx. 9- 10 cm, I think the patent leather look and the colour makes them stand out and I might just never take them off  :)

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Malice by Chanel

This year Chanel's limited edition Holiday colour was the amazing Malice. A deep and dark red with ruby shimmer, a must-have as always. Unfortunately I was too slow and didn't get my hands on one before they completely sold out here in Copenhagen :( My niece was lucky and got one when she was in Paris recently, so she took pity on me and let me try it on. I'm not sure that was a good idea, as I am now even more disappointed I didn't get it #Firstworldproblems

 



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Shoes Of The Day

'Tis the season to keep ones feet nice and warm...but hopefully without compromising on style too much :)  My lush leather DKNY Iliana black calf ankle boots, that I got a little over 2 years ago at the Woodbury Common Outlet , are prefect for doing just that. The heel is approx. 9 cm/3½” but with the rubber sole and the platform of approx. 1,2 cm/½” these boots are actually made for walking. I love the ribbed sweater-knit cuff detail that also helps you keep warm.

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Sephora brush kit

Yesterday I went to Sephora and got this nice little mini on-the-go brush kit. I have been wanting  some small brushes to keep in my make-up case, that I keep in my bag, for touch ups during the day and when I saw these I thought they'd be perfect. They are not super great quality or anything, but I didn't want to get really expensive brushes, when I was planning on hauling them around with me in my handbag everyday. I felt these were good for the price (DKK 165 approx. £17/$27) and thought the patterned design on the handles was a cute detail.



The kit included a powder brush, a foundation/concealer brush, a shading brush and a smudge brush. Each brush is between 9 - 12 cm in size.

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Estée Lauder Michael Kors

This limited edition extravaganza by Estée Lauder and Michael Kors is the perfect gift, right in time for Christmas! They come in several combination (about 5 I believe), each with a different Michael Kors clutch/cosmetics case and different make-up by Estée Lauder. I chose to treat myself to an early Christmas present so I got the black clutch which contains a compact with 3 blushes, a lipsticks, a gloss, a mascara, an eye line and a nail lacquer. The retail price is DKK 595,- (valued at DKK 1.230,-) I was lucky as I managed to snatch up my set when Sephora was running a little special with 20% off everything a few weeks ago :)

But let's get started on the Estée Lauder goodies. First up is the Pure Color Intense Kajal Eyeliner in 01 Blackened black. I shall be honest and say that I am not a massive fan of black eye liners, so I have yet to try this one out, but when I swatched it, it seemed to be really good quality.

Next up is the Delux blush compact in (left to right) 74 Soulful Spice, 09 Brazen Bronze and 10 Lover's blush Shimmer. I love the actual compact, but initially I was a little disappointed with these blushes as these are shades I wouldn't typically go for, but I have been proven wrong. After using them for weeks I have to say that I absolutely love them. All 3 colours are really lovely on their own, but I have actually been sweeping my blush brush over all 3 and love the colour that combination gives the most, plus it has amazing staying power and will last more or less all day, very impressive. This is turning out to be one of my favourite items in the set.

For the nails there is Pure Color Nail Lacquer in the shade 03 Enchanted Garnet and this colour is amazing! I absolutely love it, a bright but deep red that just looks great. I don't recall ever having tried an Estée Lauder nail varnish before, but after this one I will definitely be taking a closer look at their selection. It has really good staying power and was easy to apply. Did I mention that the colour is fantastic! :)

Then there's the Sumptuous Extreme Mascara 2,8ml in black. Again, not a big fan of black mascara, so I haven't really tried this one, but it is the perfect size to keep in your bag and it has the typ of brush I prefer so I might end up trying it out :)

Then for the lips, the lip Pure Color Lipsticks in 74 Cherry Passion is just fabulous. The colour is truly cherry red, I have yet to be brave enough to wear it outside the comforts of my own home, but one day I will because it is just so pretty.  The Pure Color gloss in the shade 15 Garmet Desire    shimmer is a little more subtle so this I have worn several times and it is lovely. It has excellent staying power and the shade is prefect for that little pop of colour.

I shall be honest and say that the primary reason I had to have this set was the Michael Kors cosmetics case. It was love at first sight, it is just so pretty and I adore Michael Kors. I love the fake "snakeskin" look, though I am not sure what material it's made from, it feels really soft, but still sturdy and strong. Inside it has one big compartment in the middle and 2 smaller ones on the sides. The observant reader will have noticed that the case originally comes with a tassel (see first picture of this post for reference), however tassels and I aren't a good match, so I removed it and now I love it even more! I keep in my handbag for all my make-up and every time I take it out I fall little bit more in love with it :)

I have never really tried much Estée Lauder make-up in the past, but I have to say that all the items in this set are such good quality, so pigmented and with amazing staying power, that they just gained a fan :)

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