Lana Del Rey Young and Beautiful Video inspired Makeup Look ♥ (+Giveaway Winner)

*** Disclaimer : I am only recreating one of Lana Del Rey's Makeup looks. I'm aware of the fact that I look nothing like her and I am not, by any means, comparing myself to her. *** 

Hello Beauties!

Here I am again with a Lana Del Rey inspired Makeup Look...I know what you're all thinking: Good God doesn't she know any other celebrities?

Well yes, but I love Lana Del Rey and her looks never fail to impress and inspire me. Plus, this is my blog and I can do whatever I want ;) haha

This is the look I decided to recreate

Since I couldn't really tell what shades they used on her eyelids, my take on her look is probably not dead on but I tried my best :)

Products Used

Face

Chanel Perfection Lumière Foundation in BR12

-

MUFE Full Cover Concealer

-

MAC Studio Fix Foundation Powder in NW20

-

MAC Harmony Blusher

Eyes

Nars Pro Prime

-

MAC Groundwork Paintpot

(along the outside corner and lower lash line)

-

MAC Vanilla 

(along the inner part of the eye)

-

MAC Wedge, Sable and Swiss Chocolate

(mixed and applied on the rest of the lid, crease and along the lower lash line)

-

MAC Teddy Kohl Pencil

(to create the - rather thick - windeg liner on the upper lash line and smudged along the lower lash line)

-

Ben Nye Matte Dark Brown Shadow

(to set the liner)

-

YSL Effet Faux Cils Mascara

-

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

-

Accent Lashes

-

White Kohl Pencil

(along the lower waterline)

Brows

MAC Fling Eyebrow Pencil

-

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel

Lips

MAC Rebel

-

Lancôme L'Absolu Crème de Mat Lip Colour in N°300 Magie Pourpre

With Instagram Filter

I really hope you enjoyed this look as much as I did :)

_______________________

Before I plunge back into my thesis, I just wanted to announce the winner of the Last Minute Giveaway. Her name is Kate from New Zealand and she has already been contacted

!!!CONGRATS!!!

Unfortunately, Chris didn't make it to round 2, which is really frustrating because there were only a few votes missing :(

Anyway, thank you all so much for participating and voting your socks off. 

It means a lot!!

Have a lovely weekend ♥

NEW YORK HAUL!

Hello Beauties, and welcome to my NY Haul :)

Little disclaimer: I know this might seem like a lot of makeup to some people but believe me, I tried to refrain myself haha 

It probably doesn't look like I succeeded, but trust me, my list of products to get was humongous!! 

In my defense, there were huge Sephoras on every street corner...way too many temptations! It was ridiculous ;) And don't even get me started on that gorgeous Henri Bendel shop!! It was to die for!

New York really knows how to lure makeup addicts!!

The purpose of this post is to quickly present the products that I bought, but I'm not going to do a detailed review yet. Mainly because I haven't had the time to try them all, or haven't used them enough to give you a full review.

Let the show begin :)

Marc Jacobs Daisy Rollerball 

My all-time favorite perfume 

♥

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in N°01 Chantilly

Pretty decent concealer: long-wearing and light diffusing but in terms of coverage, it doesn't stand a chance against my MUFE Full Cover.

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Granite & Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Bought backups

♥

Tweezerman Tweezers

Severely overpriced but I HAD to jump on the bandwagon...

Sephora False Lashes in Celebrity

Naturally looking false lashes that flare out at the outer corner.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light

Again, I couldn't refrain myself from following the hype but I ended up regretting it...I really don't get what this product does...Admittedly, it doesn't seem like I've picked up the right color (it's freaking mauve!!!! But I swear it didn't look like this under the freaking store lights) but still...I don't notice any particular difference, except that my skin looks more powdery...

Maybe I'm using it wrong...

Hourglass brush

The brush is super soft, qualitatively excellent and brilliant for contouring but I don't really know what to use it for since I'm not a fan of the Ambient Powder and don't usually contour my face (due to my fair skin tone, it always ends up looking like I've just traced 2 random mud lines under my cheek bones...sexy!). 

Sephora Micro Smooth Blush in Fuchsia Flushed

My favorite blush of the moment!! 

Silky smooth application + beautifully shimmery (not glittery, nor overly frosty) and naturally flushed pink + longevity = ♥

Tom Ford Blush in Frantic Pink

Haven't used it yet but it sure looks gorgeous in the pan!!!

Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Crushed Amethyst

Every makeup addict and their mother keep raving about the quality of Tom Ford eyeshadows and when you pay over 70$ for a palette, you expect it to be extraordinary, phenomenal and astonishing...Guess what? I'm not a massive fan of these shadows. I actually find them to be poorly pigmented and to be honest, they can't hold a candle to my MAC shadows...True story!

Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder - Pressed in Translucent Crystal

My new holy grail setting powder for concealer!! It was love at first application, even though you really have to "scratch" the surface of the product to get the slightest amount of powder on the brush. Either way, it's worth it!!

♥

Hope you enjoyed this haul.

Have a great day/night and thank you so much for reading!!

♥♥♥

LAST MINUTE GIVEAWAY! ONLY 1 WEEK TO ENTER! C.L.O.S.E.D

I NEED YOUR HELP!

Hello dear Followers,

I don't usually ask for favors but it would mean the world to me if you could help out a friend of mine in making his dream come true.

Christopher is a very lovely, friendly, funny, caring and generous guy who decided not to dream his life but to live his dream by participating in the Axe Apollo competition (basically, the winner will be allowed to go into outer space).

Unfortunately, he needs a good number of votes to reach round 2 of the competition.

That's why his girlfriend and I considered combining the voting with a little giveaway, in order to encourage you to vote and spread the word :)

What are the prizes?

One lucky winner will get...

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

+

Real Techniques Core Collection
+
Real Techniques Stippling Brush

+

Sleek Storm Palette

+

Sleek Blush by 3 in Pumpkin

+

SURPRISE(S)

The more votes Chris gets, the more prizes you will receive!!! 

How can one enter?

Please read the rules carefully

1. The obvious: Click on the link below and vote for Christopher Clarke on the Axe LYNX Apollo competition website.

https://www.lynxapollo.com/en_GB/146845/christopher-clarke/

You can only vote once but you can of course ask your Friends and Family to vote as well!! The more, the better :)

-

2. ALL my FAITHFUL READERS CAN PARTICIPATE.

You don't necessarily have to be a follower of my blog but I would truly appreciate it ;)

-

3. SHARE this Giveaway ON YOUR BLOG, via blog post or side bar. There will be an additional BONUS if you do both or get your Friends and Family to vote!! 

For those of you who don't have a blog, make sure to share it via FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR WHATEVER ;-)

Don't forget to include the respective links!!

-

4. Leave ONE COMMENT below (no crazy spamming please ;)) telling me HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU PERSUADED TO VOTE!

Make sure to provide your E-MAIL address!!

-

5. OPEN INTERNATIONALLY (Make sure to check if your country accepts the shipping of cosmetics)

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6. Must be OVER 18 or HAVE YOUR PARENT'S PERMISSION (to give out your information (address + name) if you win)

Keep in mind that we are not responsable for any additional shipping charges (duties & taxes)!

The Winner will be chosen at random!

This giveaway has not been sponsored. We bought the mentioned items ourselves.

GIVEAWAY CLOSES APRIL 30

VOTE YOUR SOCKS OFF PEOPLE :)

♥ GOOD LUCK AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO IS PARTICIPATING, WE TRULY APPRECIATE IT ♥

A Little Bit Of Everything (Mac, Michael Kors, NY Haul Sneak Peek)

Woohoo 2 posts in one week! That is truly incredible!

I've been meaning to upload this post for the last couple of months now...I know, I'm a mess!

As you probably all know by now, I'm a huge lip product addict/weirdo and I love collecting MAC lipsticks. It seems like I can never get enough...Consequently, I couldn't refrain myself from adding 4 more shades to my stash.

From L - R

Patisserie (Lustre) - Soft Sell (Longwear Lipcream) - Brick-o-la (Amplified) - Captive (Satin)

Moreover, I've been wanting a new bag for ages and had been eying the Michael Kors Selma Bag ever since it came out. It's so classy, sophisticated and simply gorgeous! Don't you think? 

Well anyway, I finally convinced myself to pick it up before it sells out everywhere. Because that's usually the way it goes. 

I see something that I really love. 

I wait 100 years to make up my mind.

When I finally do, the stores are out of stock! 

♥♥♥ I'm in Handbag Heaven ♥♥♥

Finally, I'm giving you an exclusive sneak peek at the makeup items I bought while I was in New York City!!!

I'm still debating whether I should do a video about it or just an ordinary blog post...we'll see ;)

Have a lovely weekend!!!

Thanks for reading ♥

My Favorite/Staple Brushes ♥

Hello, remember me? I used to be a blogger...

Seriously, I feel like I've been abandoning my blog lately and I'm really sorry about that but I've been so busy with doing researches and writing papers for my university classes...

Anyway, enough complaining for today :)

Since I haven't done a brush post in what seems like forever, I thought it might be interesting to show you my staples, i.e. my very favorites.

EYES

MAC 239

I'm not a particular fan of MAC brushes since the quality-price ratio is mostly rubbish. However, the 239 is one of the most fantastic brushes for patting/applying eyeshadow on the lid. I could not live without it!

BDELLIUM TOOLS 785

If you're looking for an affordable and effective blending brush, search no more. 

This brush is super soft and blends your eyeshadow effortlessly. I do own a MAC 224 but it's really coarse and spiky so if you're thinking of investing in a MAC 224, I would advise you not to! 

In fact, if you're thinking of investing in any MAC brush, I would recommend checking out Bdellium first because you'll get quality brushes for only a fraction of the price!

SEPHORA Rounded Crease 13

This has easily become my go-to crease brush. It's soft, it's affordable and allows me to define my crease and blend the shadow at the same time. I love!

MAC 266

Every girl/woman needs an angled bush (doesn't need to be MAC, I just happen to own a 266), whether it is for applying or smudging gel or shadow liner, cutting the crease, shaping your eyebrows, etc. 

LOUISE YOUNG LY38A

Perfect for defining or cutting the crease since it allows you to get a really precise shadow application.

SIGMA MISTER BUNNY Liner Brush E05

I'm not a fan of Sigma brushes - and more generally of the brand Sigma - either. I feel like there are so many better brush brands out there that are so much more affordable but that's just my opinion :)

Nevertheless I really like their standard liner brush. The one shown on the picture came with the Mister Bunny set but the regular E05 works just as good.

BDELLIUM TOOLS 781

This is a true multipurpose brush! You can use it to define or cut the crease, shape the outer V to create a smokey eye, smudge gel liner, define the lower lash line, etc.

FACE

Real Techniques brushes are undoubtedly the most affordable synthetic quality brushes on the market. Everyone and their dog's sitter have been raving about these brushes ever since they came out. 

Since they are all multipurpose brushes which can be used in combination with different products and techniques (for example: the contour brush doesn't necessarily need to be used as a contour or bronzing brush, it can also be used as blush brush or powder brush) I'm only going to outline which brush I like using for which particular application. 

REAL TECHNIQUES Buffing Brush

For the application of liquid, cream and powder foundation.

REAL TECHNIQUES Stippling Brush

For cream blush.

REAL TECHNIQUES Contour brush

For liquid, cream and powder highlighter.

REAL TECHNIQUES Setting Brush

With my Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in order to set my concealer. 

REAL TECHNIQUES Powder Brush

For powder blush or bronzer. 

DIOR BACKSTAGE Blush Brush (Discontinued)

I absolutely adore this brush!! I didn't know whether I should include it since it has been discontinued (you might however still be able to find one or two at your local Dior or Sephora counter) but then I thought that some of you might have this particular brush sitting in a drawer and have completely forgotten about it :)

It looks like a standard blush brush but it is much softer than all the other ones I've tried (Sephora, MAC, Sigma, etc.) and it has the most perfect size to function either as a blush brush or a contour/bronzer brush. Love Love Love!!

SEPHORA Natural Foundation 111

This is supposed to be a foundation brush but I don't really use it for that purpose. In fact, I mostly gravitate towards this brush when I'm doing detailed contouring work. Notwithstanding the fact that it is super soft, it allows you to get really defined cheekbones in one sweep. Plus, the price-quality ratio is amazing!!

I hope this was informative enough. If you should have any questions, don't hesitate to leave them in the comment box below. I'll get back to you asap :)

Thanks for reading ♥

Giveaway Winners!!

I'm aware of the fact that it took me way too long to announce the Winners of my past Giveaway but that's what happens when you try to be a full-time student and blogger at the same time...

So, without further ado, let me announce the 2 Winners of my Holiday Giveaway

*drum roll*

The 1st Winner is: Diana

Your Prices:

Nars blush in outlaw + Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Never Say Never + High End Products of your choice (products have to be chosen from the SEPHORA.FR website and the value cannot exceed 50€)

_____________

The 2nd Winner is: Nana

Your Prices:

Clinique Chubby Stick in N°16 + High End Nail polish of your choice (item has to be chosen from the SEPHORA.FR website and the value cannot exceed 25€)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

The winners will be contacted via e-mail!

Thank you all so much for participating ♥

Battle of the Brands : Matte Foundations

Are you ready to rumble?

As most of you probably know, I'm a sucker for lightweight and glowy foundations, but there comes the times in every woman's life where you just want to try something new...or in my case, something more matte :)

So I went on - what appeared like - a never-ending mission in order to hunt down the most perfect matte finish foundation that doesn't plaster my face and still lets my skin shine through...sounds impossible right? 

Well let me tell you something... *beware, spoiler alert* 

Mission Accomplished ♥

Burberry Velvet Foundation in Trench 202

After reading so many positive reviews on this foundation, I had really high hopes but unfortunately this product didn't live up to the hype...well at least not for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad foundation but it just doesn't suit my skin type...

The formula is quite thick and dry, which makes it nearly impossible to get a flawless finish. I normally have combination skin but every once in a while my skin gets dehydrated and suffers from the occasional dry patches here and there. In the latter case, I noticed that the foundation tends to cling to these dry patches and accentuate them even more...

I really wish this foundation would work on my complexion because other than being a tad bit too dry, it's rather lovely. It gives a matte but radiant finish without looking cakey and lasts throughout the whole day, even without primer. In addition, it has the typical Burberry fragrance which is just to die for!!

Bottom Line: 

Probably best for oily to normal skin but not really appropriate for combination to dry skin...unless you moisturize accordingly.

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in N°115

There is a saying according to which women's first foundation purchases are unfailingly flawed...TRUE FOR ME! 

Similar to the just mentioned Burberry foundation, it's way too dry for my complexion but unfortunately, this is not the only downside I discovered. 

It feels heavy on the skin, gives a mask-like appearance, doesn't help with oil-control and on top of all this, the color doesn't match my skin tone at all. In fact, not only is it too dark on first application but it also oxidizes throughout the day, which leaves me looking like an Umpa Lumpa...so flattering!

Bottom Line: I would not recommend this at all!

And now, please give a big round of applause for the winner of our battle...the fantastic, unique, outstanding and irreplaceable...

Chanel Perfection Lumière in BR10

I guess this didn't come as a surprise, did it?

I'm going to try not to ramble on too much about it but let me just say: I am irrevocably in love with this product!!

Depending on how many layers you apply, it provides a light to medium coverage but unlike most matte foundations, it leaves a natural finish and lets your skin shine through. The silky formula allows an even and smooth application that doesn't cling to any dry patches. 

It perfects and mattifies the skin, helps with oil control and leaves the complexion looking beautiful and naturally radiant all day long. In addition, it has a heavenly scent...What more could one possibly want?

Bottom Line : ♥♥♥

What is your favorite matte foundation? Please let me know in the comment section below :)

Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading ♥

P.S. Since I've been really busy lately, I didn't get the chance to choose a Giveaway winner yet. I'll try to read through all of the entries as quickly as possible.

Please bare with me.