Something changed when i hit 28 this year. All of the sudden had the urge to use bright lipsticks and go for a more polished, lady like look. Of course, pictures of the ever so gorgeous girls from VivaAdonis and ArtDonatella encouraged me to take the plunge and experiment for once with myself, not just others.

The new Rouge in Love collection from Lancome, is right up my street: a gorgeous selection of lipsticks and nail colors, varying from light nudes to provocative reds.The shades are divided in three category for different type of events: Jolis Matin (day to day, casual nudes), Boudoir Time (brighter, bolder shades perfect for a cocktail with the girls) and Tonight is My Night (intense, going out, flirty colors).

The texture is long lasting, comfortable and bursting with pigment. Initially it leaves a lovely shine on the lips, while settling for a matte finish after a while. It claims to last 6 hours and i can totally vouch for that, it lasts for ever whilst remaining comfortable.

Behold Rouge In Love 159B from the Boudoir selection:

No gloss was applied, this is the pure color straight from the tube.

RRP. €25

Next on my list is a bright coral!

I’ve been playing around with my eyebrows, needed to find a good makeup routine to fill them in. Because i have a ‘touch’ of alopecia going on, my eyebrows have become sparse and thin. I still thread them once a month, although they are thin i need to have a proper shape to work on.

This is how they look on a daily basis:

These are the steps that im using to deal with my problem:

1. Thread/trim/pluck your eyebrows to give them a good shape. Because im useless at it, i always leave it for the professionals.  Ive used The Body Shop’s threading services in store (€12) and Clerys Wink Threading (€10), been happy with both.
2. Use an eyebrow pencil to draw the shape. Im using the Lancome pencil (02) or the Mac one (Spiked), both are good just the Mac annoys me because its hard to twist. You can get eyebrow stencils to play around with different shapes.
3. After you drawn the shape, fill it in with an eyebrow powder using an angular brush. I’m using the Smashbox powder in Taupe with the Smashbox Eyebrow Slanted Brush. Other great powders you can find at Sleek or Clarins.
4. Use a champagne/vanilla highlighting eyeshadow under the outer corner of the brows to highlight the shape. Im using Smashbox Eyeshadow in Fizz.

Pictures of the products are in my January Favorites, so you can have a look here.

I am very aware that they don’t look perfect (yes, i know they are a bit far away), but im trying to do the best of an awkward phase of my life. Im optimist that it will pass, but until then i will be playing more with makeup .

If you have any tips or tricks, share them bellow in the comments

Lots of love,

Andreea

My daily face for the last two months (Dec and Jan):

Estee Lauder Idealist serum. Use it every morning, under my day moisturiser to minimize my awful looking pores. Two drops its all you need, spread it in the essentials areas (my case cheeks and nose). I’m pleased to say it really works, seen a reduction after just a week and my pores are looking airbrushed.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation (shade 53). This is my ‘day off’ foundation, it provides a medium coverage with a dewy radiant glow. I only use it when im off just because i get loads of shine through the day and this foundation doesn’t have any mattifying properties, so its nice when i slap it on just for a few hours.

Lancome Teint Idole 24H (No. 03). Was lucky to try it before it was launched (which is 1st of Feb, tomorrow!) so had about 3 whole months of daily testing. This is my ‘work’ foundation – it doesn’t budge, needs minimal retouching for shine and has an excellent color range. I was a fan of the original Teint Idole Ultra, but sometimes i found it too drying and the coverage was too heavy. While the new is style full coverage, the texture its a lot smoother and velvety.

Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer (no. 52). An excellent concealer! Very moisturising, full coverage and with a brightening effect. I apply it first, then my foundation and then highlight with YSL Touche Eclat.

YSL Touche Eclat (no. 1). I use it on top of the Bourjois concealer, just in the inner corners of my eye and on my nose bridge.

Bourjois Smokey Eyes in 04 Nude Ingenu. I have been obsessed with these eye shadows, reach for them every morning and for the first time, hit pan on a color.

Lancome Artliner in Black. My signature look for 2011 and im sure for 2012 as well, the windged black eyeliner.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara in Black. Love the brush, it gives me length and separation. Think that this is the type that gets better with age, when it dries up a bit after a week from opening it provides the most flawless application.

Sleek Nude Blush. Because of the cold weather i was a bit over the pink blusher, it looked like a had rosaceea cheeks! Instead i reached for the nude brown/tan blush to sculpt some cheekbones.

Mac Mineralized Powder in Medium Plus. Dewy, natural, flawless coverage what is not to love?!

Eyebrows: penciled first with Lancome eyebrow pencil (02) and then sealed the color with my all time favorite Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe.

Other Loves

F for Salvatore Ferragamo Perfume, probably a more summer appropriate scent as it is light and floral but it makes my happy so im gonna use it up.

Kerastase Nutri Sculpt Leave-in Conditioner. The first leave in conditioner that doesnt leave my hair flat and greasy. My hair drinks it up and re becomes shiny and soft.

Vichy Lipidiose Body Exfoliant. This is the old packaging version, they have re-vamped the range since i got it (a year ago). Use it once a week and it delivers the softest skin ever. Its definetly not a gently scrub, but sometimes rough is better .

Vichy Liftactiv Serum. This serum has been an absolute savior during winter months, have been using it religiously every night under my moisturiser to plump and boost my skin. I can really see a difference in my complexion in the morning, it looks brighter and more relaxed.

Promise the next Favorites installment will be a lot shorter than this, haven’t done one in a long time so had lots of loves.

Only two weeks in my cosmetic/makeup spending ban and i already break the rules. Jeez i have the willpower of a fly!

It just has taken me by surprise, the sale i mean. You see, if i know there will be sale in a shop i prepare myself and if it really comes to it, i just don’t enter the shop at all. The crowds and the mess put me off (unless it is a Zara sale!) and im usually too tired for a good rummage.

But what do you do when the sale its at your counter and you have to re-label the products for the sale?

It all started with some products that didn’t have a tester so i just checked the color out of curiosity. Big mistake! Cue three lipsticks and two lip glosses:

Lancome Color Fever Lipsticks and Color Fever Glosses

Warning! I’ve taken the photos at night time with a pretty crappy camera. Capturing the tones of a lipstick its an art that i haven’t mastered yet. Ill be doing swatches in the morning, with natural light and update the post.

Lancome Color Fever Lipstick 332 (was €24 now €16)

Its a lot prettier and lighter in real life than in the photo, its a beautiful barbie pink suitable for a casual day.

Lancome Color Fever Lipstick 147 (was €24 now €16)

The classic red lipstick! Not too pink, not too blue…just perfect. Need to byte the bullet and start wearing reds, im in my late twenties for heaven’s sake.

Lancome Color Fever Lipstick 104 (was €24 now €16)

My absolute favorite from the bunch. Yes, my camera fails miserably and probably you cant even notice the differences between the two reds. 104 its a coral/orange toned red who would look fabulous on blondes and makes an ultimate summer staple. Tanned skin, tasseled beach hair, a sexy maxi dress and this lipstick, can not wait for summer nights!

Color Fever Glosses in 326 (top) and 334 (bottom) (was €20 now €13.50)

Non sticky, medium coverage, delicious pink tones. 334 its a cooler pink, while 326 has a touch of peach in it, making it warmer.

Perhaps if i’ll stop buying lipsticks, i could afford a proper DSLR…

Disclaimer: I have paid for the products with my own money.

Time certainly flies when you’re having fun, can’t believe its almost a month since my last post. Ive been so focused on work and become too excited to think about anything else – im the typical workaholic when im not at work, im thinking about work lol.

Also it seems im not that inspired to blog, im craving for a new site layout and desperately need a better camera. Santa, are you reading this? Im very much into fashion blogs lately, find myself looking up lifestyle and fashion blogs on blogloving more then the beauty ones. Who knows, i might start doing some OOTD in the new year and maybe some videos to spice things up a bit here.

I haven’t been shopping loads in the last month, im trying to save my pennies for the January sales. Every year im promising myself ill have a decent budget to splurge on the sales and on my birthday (new year baby – 3rd of Jan) and i end up broke, so im determined to get organized. Im already so excited about the next year resolutions!

Well, enough chit chating ill get straight to business:

Took advantage of the 3 for 2 offer in Boots at the start of November and got my skincare staples: La Roche Posay Effaclar K and Vichy Normaderm Anti-Age. Seriously, this routine is the best ever for my skin! I tend to test out other products for ‘research’ purposes, but nothing agrees with me better then this two products. In just three days from re-starting with my routine my skin was looking perfect again: smooth, clear, no bumps in sight. I use the Effaclar K in the morning with Shu Uemura spf 30 priming mousse and the Normaderm Anti-Age during the night.

The Kerium Extra Gentle shampoo is for himself, its the only shampoo that he can use. Unfortunately he suffers of seboreic dermatitis on his scalp and face, when i met him was using Nizoral shampoo for every wash. Now he only uses the Nizoral once per week or even once every two weeks, and washes with the Kerium every day. He never looked back.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

This foundation deserves a proper post by itself, it is absolutely amazing. Excellent color match on my skin (im no 53), light weigh with a medium coverage, dewy radiant finish. Find it very similar to the more expensive Chanel Aqua Lumiere that i’ve had a couple of samples during the summer. The only drawback is that it gives me shine on my t-zone, but again even the Double Wear is not strong enough for my oiliness. Also it doesn’t have any SPF, so make sure you use a primer or skincare with SPF.

Last but not least, got some Clarins goodies: One Step Exfoliating Cleanser and the Energizing Lotion for the legs. Had them both before, the One Step exfoliant is a cult product for Clarins, it gives such a good scrub and the smell is delicious. Felt the need of a more rigourous face exfoliant, the Liz Earle is good and still have loads, but with my oily skin likes rougher stuff.

The Energizing Lotion is a God sent for anyone working on their feet all day, its so refreshing and stimulating. The only warning is that is very, very cooling so use it sparingly.

Any news with you guys?

xo

PS. Sale alert: The Body Shop are having 30% off this Friday (25th Nov) and Clerys Department Store on O’Connell street (Dublin) are starting the Mega Days this Thursday (24th Nov) with 10% off on all beauty counters/cosmetics.