Eye tutorial: MAC Chrome Yellow

MAC Chrome Yellow... Certainly doesn't look like the easiest shadow color to pull off on a day to day basis. However I've made it a quest of mine to create as many wearable looks with this bright yellow eye shadow as I can! This is one I did recently - a simple brownish smokey eye with a pop of color! (Can you notice that I'm in desperate need of Spring?)

I just applied MAC Chrome Yellow all over the lid and 1/2 on the inner lower eye lid. I then applied the color 'Moss' from the Sleek Au Naturel palette on 3/4 of the outer eye lid, blending it into the crease and onto 1/2 of outer lower eye lid. I darkened the outer corner and crease by blending in some MAC Charcoal Brown. Finished off by pushing some of the color 'Noir' from the same Sleek palette onto the upper lash line for some definition. Highlighted with Sleek's 'Nougat', curled the lashes with my Chanel eye lash curlers and then applied a generous amount of the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless mascara. 

For the face I used the new Revlon Nearly Naked foundation in 'Shell'. This color is a tad too dark for me during these cold months, but I can get away with it nevertheless. Filled in my brows with MAC Omega and defined my cheekbones by buffing in some of the Stila Convertible Color in Lillium. Powdered it off with a tiny bit of the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 001 Transparent to matte down the T-zone.

My first decent photographs of an eye tutorial! Hurrah! Do the wave! Expect more of these in the near future, as a whole load of reviews on products I've been loving!

Haircare Routine 2012

Gosh darnit, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I have bought so much during my absence! Too much, actually, but that's not my point. My stash consist of Real Techniques brushes, a Skindinavia setting spray, MUFE Face and Body and so much more! I've fallen in and out of love with some products and made up my mind about what does the trick for me and what doesn't. I have a lot of foundations stacking up in my drawer that need a review asap. A skincare routine is on its way, too, but let's start off with my haircare routine.

I've used loads of products, drugstore to professional brands. My current haircare has been going steady for about a year now - especially the shampoo.
My favorite shampoo of all time is the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo. The thing that makes all the difference for me is that is contains no silicone. It strips my hair from all the dirt and leaves it squeaky clean. It may not moisturize my hair, but that makes no difference as my weekly hair mask makes up for that. This shampoo is so easy to rinse out! I mean, not that rinsing your hair out is one of life's challenges but an impatient person such as me knows how to appreciate a time-saver. My hair is left feeling clean, airy and soft. As my hair is pretty much as flat as a pancake, I love the 'airy' part. Shampoos that contain silicone make my hair stick to my head, which results in greasy hair. Not a good look on me.

Whilst Alkaline Trio is filling my room with sweet, sweet music, I'll move on to my favorite haircare products, my conditioners. (Yes, I am using the plural.) We all know it's important to switch up your conditioner every once in a while. The choice is always made randomly. My two current drugstore favorites are the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner and the Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends conditioner. I prefer the Aussie one. It has a pleasant smell to it which I find impossible to describe - apparently it's the Australian Balm Mint, but since it's not available where I live I use it sparingly. What can I say... It does an outstanding job at hydrating and moderating the frizz, making my hair look shiny and healthy and it's a great detangler. It leaves my hair smelling sweet and spicy, which is great for those spontaneous sniffs during the day.
The Herbal Essences one has a fruity scents - way less intense than the Aussie one, which is quite enjoyable. It makes my hair soft and shiny, what more could I ask for?

Last but not least, my savior: the L'Oréal Absolut Repair Hair Masque. This fortifying and restorative treatment helps hair regain strength and health. Apparently it's Neofribrine technology what makes this mask so good. I'm going to spare you the technological explanation, but essentially it contains some ceramides that are naturally found in hair. When these disappear, hair gets damaged. So basically using the mask helps you regain these ceramides. It also contains some products that renews the dead cells that are found in the scalp and it contains magnesium, which prevents hair loss and such. Another important facet that drew me to this mask is that it has a UV filter. Sun does my blond hair no good, and if I think using SPF for the face is crucial, I should protect my hair from the sun, too.
It has restored my hair to its former glory. Goodbye to dryness, brassiness and frizziness. Since using this mask me hair is more manageable, it looks and feels healthier and shinier and it makes my hair feel incredibly soft. I can honestly say it has made a huge difference on the state and the structure of my hair. It has helped strengthen it.
Don't be afraid to use this as a conditioner, too. I mean... what's the point in paying the same amount of money for a conditioner when you can get something better instead? Waste not, want not.

My two most loved styling products are the Redken Satinwear Blow Dry Lotion - which protects my hair from heat brilliantly and makes my hair so darn soft and shiny, and the L'Oréal Professionel Serie Expert Liss Ultime Shine Perfecting Serum which leaves my hair frizz-free, shiny, soft and hydrated. These two products also smell divine... I like that. (I'd tap that!)
I'm also trying out the Trésemme Heat Defence Styling Spray which is okay, but doesn't match my Redken Satinwear by far. I've used other products but none that made a (big) difference, so no need to mention them here.

Another vital products is dry shampoo. My all time favorite is the Batiste Original Dry Shampoo. It does the trick on taking away any greasiness and leaving my hair looking like it's freshly washed. I also love it for creating some volume and giving some texture - it does the trick better than the much more expensive Osis+ Dust It. The smell leaves me feeling refreshed and clean.
If I can give you a warning: don't dry the new Batiste Big & Bouncy XXL Volume Dry Shampoo. It's horrible. It leaves my hair immobile and it's just an awful feeling. Once you spray this on, there's no more budging. Touching it feels like rubbing paper handkerchief against each other. AWFUL.




What's your haircare routine? Have you tried any of the products? Let me know in the comments!

Quick eye look: Turquoise liner look

As I am going to go out with friends in a bit, I decided to step out of my usual neutrals comfort zone and go for a more colorful look. I love blue eyeliner, especially because I'm blond and fair skinned. I just think it's a perfect match. As I was thinking of ways to use this turquoise eye pencil I got a while back from Sephora. I haven't used this a lot since it's such a vivid color. The website describes it as a "metallic deep sea blue shimmer", a description I could live with if the word 'turquoise' was in it.

I found a way to use this gorgeous color in a subtle way. Here's how:

- Apply the MAC Chromographic pencil in NC15/NW20 (click here to watch my review on it) on the lid with your finger. Be sure to work fast as it sets pretty fast. I also put some on the waterline to make the look even more natural.
- Put some of the Sephora Liner Electro Glitter eye pencil in Marine Electro (06) on the back of your hand and then apply it lightly below your waterline. (I used my Sigma SS209 liner brush for this.)
- Repeat this action using a a small crease brush (I used a Sigma SS 219 brush) to make the line less harsh. (You probably need to apply more liner onto the back of your hand before doing this.)
- Blend out any harsh edges using the chromographic pencil. (I put some of it on the back of my hand, again using the small crease brush to blend.)
- Apply MAC's eyeshadow in Grain to the lid.
- Finish with applying mascara. (I used my beloved CoverGirl Lashblast Volume.)

Photo courtesy: beautycabby.blogspot.com

 I love this look! The warmth of Grain balances the coolness of the eye pencil out perfectly. Maybe next time I'll use the pencil directly on the eye, making a more vivid look.
I can't wait to try out more colorful eye pencils now!

How do you apply colorful eye pencils? Let me know in the comments  below!

MAC Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20

Since I've bought this pencil I've been experimenting with it non-stop. It's such a versatile product! A lot of people purely use this on their waterline, when it has so much more to offer!
Mine is in NC15/NW20, the lightest color available (left shade on the picture below). I find this to be the color to work for the most skin tones, even on those whom complexion is above NW20. The color of the pencil is slightly lighter than my actual skin tone, even though I'm definitely a NW15, if not lighter. I've looked for a pencil like this for such a long time. I originally used a white pencil to brighten up my eyes, but I found that to be way too harsh. This pencil, ladies, is everything I wanted and more. It's incredibly creamy - one strike along the waterline and it's all covered. It's more creamy than most (regular) pencils I've ever used, but it needs way less sharpening. Is it magic? No, it's just a great product. (Some MAC magic may be involved though.)

So what can you use it for, except for brightening up your eyes, taking away the redness (which I suffer from greatly, as I am a student who is a sucker for procrastination) and making you look more awake by applying it to your eyes? I'll sum it up for you right here, right now.
- Use it in the inner tear duct to further more brighten up your eyes.
- Apply it under the eyebrows for defining them and for highlighting your brow bone in a natural, subtle way.
- Use it to sharpen a look: apply it underneath the end (the flick) of your winged eyeliner to define it and prevent smudging, or apply it outside your natural lip line when wearing e.g. a red lip to make it stand out and to prevent bleeding. It's also perfect for erasing any mistakes you may have made whilst applying lipstick or lipliner, or even muting out your lips.
- Apply it on your cupid's bow to make your lips appear fuller (this works way better than any shimmery highlighter).
- Use as a concealer! It's creamy, blendable and it stays put. This is perfect for on-the-go as it's so compact and so darn versatile. I've tried using it as an under-eye concealer, but I personally think it's a tad too vast for that.

Photo courtesy of temptalia.com

Another thing worth mentioning is the staying power. If you're using in on the waterline the staying power depends on how watery your waterline gets throughout the day (what a weird thing to say). I get about six to sometimes even eight hours of wear out of it. It even remains fairly strong through tears. Another lovely thing is that after about an hour the original, more stark color 'fades' into a more natural color, making it look absolutely perfect.

MAC has made this item a permanent  PRO product. Hurray!
(FYI, I would totally bring this baby along on a deserted island.)

Do you have this pencil in your collection as well? If so, what are your thoughts about it? Is it a holy grail product for you, too? Or is it just an 'eh' for you? Let me know in the comments below.

MAC Warm Soul

MAC Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul. Sounds like something that might not work on fair complexions, right? Let me just start off by telling you that ears and looks can be deceiving. To me it looked a bit dusty rose in the pan, but when applied to the cheeks it's most definitely a tan peach.
It provides you with a sunkissed glow, with slight golden shimmer that's only visible in some lights and gives you a lovely glow - as is the main intention of this product.

It's a tan peach color with some red in it, verging on being a bronzer. It's a bit like Gleeful and some bronzer made a baby. It really brightens and warms up the skin.
To me it's perfect for when my eyes are the focal point - especially when they're neutral to brown -, when I'm sporting a natural look or on those days when my face just needs a little bit more oomph to it. I have it on right now and I'm just so happy with it!
Because I'm so fair, it also gives me a bit of a contouring effect. It doesn't look 'bronzer orange' on me, it just looks... sunkissed. A perfect nude/tan blusher if you ask me.
Mind you, I'm not thee biggest fan of pink blushes - NARS Deep Throat and MAC Dame are, at the moment, the only pink blushers that I love. I know it's kind of a 'mandatory rule' that pink blushers look the best fair skinned ladies, but I highly disagree. I could even make a purple one work if it were the right kind of purple.

My first blush ever was a mineralized blush from MAC, named Gleeful. (Click here to see the post I've written about it.) I find these sorts of blushes to be more pigmented than regular ones - but of course there are exceptions, like a lot of the sheertone blushes, for example Peaches - and because they are baked they have a slightly marbleized shimmer to which always converts to a subtle sheen.

Warm Soul is everything I look for in a nude and natural blusher. It warms and brightens up the face whilst looking both natural and noticeable at the same time. So go on ladies, fair skinned or not, just try it and prepare yourselves to love it!