26 Jan 2012

L'Oréal Infallible Eyeshadows Review

I've tried out five of these new shadows by L'Oreal and I have to say I'm pretty impressed! The are a drugstore version of the Armani Eyes To Kill shadows (which are incidentally also made by L'Oreal Cosmetics but for their Armani brand) and are a very unique texture. They are soft-pressed eyeshadows which actually have a liquid component to their formula, which makes them buttery smooth and slightly creamy. There is a stopper insert below the lid which you can use to press the eyeshadows down.

Clockwise from the top row left: Flashback Silver, Sahara Treasure, Purple Obsession, All Night Blue, Hourglass Beige

The five I've picked out here all have a very frosty, metallic finish, although I think there are one or two matte shades available (I think the black is matte.) The are really pigmented on my lids and last a very long time without fading or flaking. It's best to use a flat, slightly stiff shading brush to pack these down on the lid; I didn't have very good results with a soft blending brush.

Overall I'm very pleased with these. They have a great color pay-off and an interesting finish, and the colours are really nice and can be combined very well with each other. They are on the more expensive side as far as drugstore products go but I think they are also much more pigmented than most drugstore eyeshadows.


Check out my video review for a closer look and swatches!

25 Jan 2012

Spiced Chicken with Roasted Pumpkin Vegetables Recipe

I filmed another quick, easy but healthy cooking video! The point of these videos is more to serve as inspiration for healthier eating, you can always substitute specific ingredients or make your own taste adjustments.


This is a really simple and fast dinner solution, and one of my favorite ways how to make vegetables in the wintertime. You can also substitute with root vegetables like beets, rutabaga, parsnips or anything else. Roasting them in the oven means you actually have very little "active" cooking time, and you just have to turn the veggies once in a while in the oven while they are roasting.

I hope you try it out, and let me know how you liked it!

22 Jan 2012

Bold Party Look




Here's a look I think is perfect for a night out partying, or maybe just for those who are looking to be a bit adventurous with a bolder look. The eyes are smokey navy blue, and the lips are multi-tonal for the added kick. Watch my video below for step-by-step instructions!


Face
Revlon Colorstay foundation, Barry M Natural Dazzle Bronzer, MAC Beauty Powder blush in Play It Proper,

Eyes
KIKO Cream Eyeshadow 09, Ben Nye black eyeliner pencil, L'Oreal Infallible eyehadow in All Night Blue, L'Oreal Infallible eyehadow in Flashback Silver, Ben Nye Toast eyeshadow, L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Hourglass Beige, Sugarpill Bulletproof shadow, Sephora eyeliner in Keep Blue, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Beguile, KIKO khol in 706, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara

Lips
Catrice lipliner  in 060 Very Berry, Nivea Lipstick in Bedtime Plum, Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Fuchsia, Barry M Lipsticks in Nr. 100 and Nr. 37

Nails
Anny - The Show Must Go On, China Glaze - Tinsel Town

Watch the video directly on Youtube

19 Jan 2012

Drugstore Look: Smokey Purple



Many of your requested to see more videos using drugstore makeup. I don't buy too much drugstore makeup here in Switzerland because a) we have a really crappy variety of colors and products, and b) many "cheap" drugstore brands are insanely overpriced here! (Revlon foundation for $30 USD, L'Oreal macara for $25 USD.)

So when I was recently in the States, I went to town at Ulta and Target, picking up loads of cheap but good drugstore products, most of which are not even available here. In many cases, drugstore products can deliver great results, and with so many brands coming out with hip products geared towards a younger consumer, you should have no problem replicating most of my looks with cheaper alternatives (if you live in a country that has a wide variety.)

Here's a soft and pretty purple look using mostly drugstore products. For some items I just had no drugstore product available to me that suited the look, but in the video I give budget alternatives.

Face
Revlon Colorstay foundation, MAC MSF in Blonde

Eyes
MAC Paint in Mauvism, Wet n Wild Color Icon palette #736 Petal Pusher, MAC Feline kohl pencil, L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes mascara

Lips
Milani Lip Flash pencil in In A Flash, Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss (purple one)

Nails
OPI Skull & Glossbones

Check out the video below!


Watch directly on Youtube here

13 Jan 2012

When KIKO and CND Effects have a baby...

...this is their offspring:



What a beautiful baby, don't you think? This is KIKO Nr. 336 as a base, with CND Effects Nr. 561 Sapphire Sparkle on top. I love how the CND Effects polishes just add a bit of pizazz to any cream finish polish, and they work great for layering. This one has an icy blue and purple duochrome. I picked up two of the CND Effects polishes on my recent trip to Vancouver, and I can't wait to try them out with lots of other combinations.

Yup, I changed the shape and length of my nails. I'm starting fresh and I need something low maintenance right now. My nails grow pretty fast, and I like having them short and round sometimes for a change.

I flew in from Vancouver yesterday after a rather pleasant flight - I managed to get a whole middle row to myself on the plane and even got a bit of shut-eye in - but am now rather jet lagged. I went to bed at 8:30pm and woke up this morning at 5am. Nothing like getting up super early and making the most of the day!

Now two brim-filled suitcases await me, ready to be unloaded with laundry to wash, and many beauty products to set aside for a haul video. I recently uploaded a haul of my USA shopping trip with my friend Heather, aka Sokolum79 on Youtube, so make sure to watch it to get a sneak peak of some of the things I purchased. I still bought a lot of other things while in Vancouver, so I may do another one.


I had such a great time in Vancouver with my family, but am now ready to get back into the swing of things and film new videos! Have a stellar day, everyone, and a great weekend! I'm off to the cabin for the weekend to do some skiing in the alps - first time this season. I'm stoked to try out my new boarding pants and jacket from Roxy and Burton to see how well they fare.

5 Jan 2012

How to Remove Glitter Polish

Glitter nail polish. I love how it looks, simply hate taking it off! I go through about a million cotton pads and at least half a bottle of polish remover if I'm going by the traditional method. My arms start to hurt with all the rubbing I have to do. (Um, yes, that sounds so wrong. Haha!)

This is a much simpler method how to remove glitter polish using foil. It's quite popular on nail forums and with nail techs, so why not try it at home next time? It makes the glitter polish just slide right off - rub free! No joke.




Watch the video directly on Youtube.