Kat Von D Lock-It concealer D35 Neutral- Review

My beloved concealer from Makeup Forever HD, is no where to be found here in Denmark. Unfortunately for me the Sephora only caries five shades so I had to find a new concealer.
The first concealer I decided upon was the Urban Decay Naked concealer which I liked but didn't really loved as much as MUFE HD.
I've been using the Urban decay concealer but still searched for the "perfect" concealer and I came across the Kat Von D Lock-it concealer. I've heard a lot about this concealer and decided to try it out.

There is a good selection of shades and luckily for me the Sephora caries the darker shades also. The shade I got is D35 neutral which suits me perfectly. It has great coverage (full coverage), easy to blend, and best of all, it dosen't crease.
The formula is very creamy and a little goes a long way and I use a damp beautyblender to blend the concealer.
I'm delighted to have found this concealer and its become one of my farvourites. Though I still hope that the MUFE HD concealer in darker shades will be stocked here.

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Indiscretion - swatch on dark skin

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Indiscretion

This stunning highlighter is from Laura Mercier is a gold shimmering highlighter. I was thrilled to try it out but unfortunately this highlighter shows up pink on dark skin and I'm not a fan of pink highlighter on my skin tone. I wish that the colour in the pan translated to my skin tone because it looks gorgeous in the pan.

Eyebrows - pencil, powder or gelcreme?

Eyebrows framed the face and applying a good eyebrow product with the right technique can do wonders.

Pencil - is the quickest way of using an eyebrow product. It's precise and you can go wrong with it. Finding a good eyebrow pencil can be quite tricky as some pencils don't have a great colour payoff. I've tried a Rimmel eyebrow pencil once, where there weren't any colour payoff to the point where I hurt the back of my hand (maybe stop swatching the first time where you can there is no colour payoff?) .
Two of my favourite eyebrow pencils are of course the raved about Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in medium brown and Soap & Glory Achery in brunette. Which are quite similar, the Soap & Glory pencil is a little darker and gives a bit more colour payoff.
I would like to try the Tom Ford eyebrow pencil as that also has been raved about.
I remember when I was younger being recommend to use a black eyebrow pencil and did buy a Chanel one (huge mistake, I looked like a clown). I've learned that as darkskinned, you shouldn't use a black eyebrow pencil but a brown shade (cool or warm tone depending on your undertone).


Powder - gives the most natural look in my opinion. Applying eyebrow powder to make it look natural took me quite a while as it can be quite messy. I use eyebrow powder when I have loads of time to apply makeup. The one and only eyebrow powder I've used is Mac eyeshadow in Espresso and I apply with The Body Shop angled brush.

Gel - as well as the powder this also takes time to perfect in my opinion. A gel last longer and if you have and oily face similar to mine, this will last a long time. Unfortunately I picked up a dark shade of gel and applying it with the lightest hand, it ends up looking acceptable. I've been using Mac Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in deep dark brunette. I've been eyeing up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade.

If you want something quick and easy go for a eyebrow pencil.
If you want something natural and have a decent amount of time go for a powder.
If you want something that won't budge go a gelcreme.

I have to say that when applying eyebrow products I don't follow any guidelines, I'll look at myself and fill them out to look natural. Remember that eyebrows aren't identical (well mine aren't) and filling them out to look perfectly identical is not a must.

L'Oréal Lumiere Mono Eyeshadow 502 Quartz Fumé - review + swatch on dark skin

This eyeshadow is one of the most gorgeous eyeshadows (I mean look at it!) I've ever owned. I was having a prowl a my local drugstore when this little beauty caught my eye and at first swatch I was sold.
The L'Oréal Lumiere mono eyeshadow in 502 Quartz Fumé is a metallic dark brown/bronze/taupe colour but when applying its also a bit purple running through.
It's a powder eyeshadow thats smooth as butter (if that makes sense) when applied. It really is a beautiful shade and the picture doesn't do it justice.

If you have oily eyelids you should apply a primer before any eyeshadow and it's always a most for me. I use the Urban Decay primer potion which has never failed me and this combo lasted hours. Having oily eyelids is so aggravating some times and as a result of not using a primer, the eyeshadow either disappears or creases and I'm left with a weird line.

Have you tried the L'Oréal Lumiere mono eyeshadow and what were your thoughts?

Make Up For Ever HD Concealer pen - review

This is the second time I've bought this concealer and it's one of my favourites. The concealer has a silicone applicator, which makes applying a lot smoother. First time using the concealer pen, you should turn the of the pen a couple times before the product comes out. Then when applying the concealer, you can either turn the pen 1-3 times depending on how much cover you need. I turn it two times and use a Real Techniques contour brush to blend it out.
I've been trying out a new method where I leave the concealer on to "bake" before blending it out with powder. This new way of putting on the concealer (well new for me), has made the concealer last longer and doesn't make it crease. The powder I use to set is Mac mineralize skinfinish.
I only use this concealer and haven't touched the Mac Studio Finish concealer as it always creased on me. I would like to try out the Nars Creamy concealer but that will have to wait for another time.

What's your favourite concealer?

NARS Casino Bronzer - review + swatch on dark skin

Nars Casino bronzer is darker than the laguna bronzer and has a little shimmer to it. The bronzer was a impulse buy as I was returning a foundation that didn't match me. The salesassistent helped me find a highlighter and then asked me if I wanted something to contour with. She brought the Nars Casino bronzer and applied and I was sold.

This is the only product I use to contour with (even though I'm eyeing up the Make Up For Ever ultra HD stick foundation to use as a contour). It's quite pigmented and the shimmer is not to noticeable, the only thing thats a con about this product is that it's quits expensive.

What's your favourite contour/bronzer?

Worth the Hype? - Nuxe Réve de Miel

The Nuxe Réve de Miel has been hyped about alot. It promises to restore suppleness and comfort to dry and chapped lips. This sounds amazing and though the price point is pretty high, I went ahead and bought it. 

My experience with this lip balm was that it did nothing for my lips. I didnt see any changes on my lips and thought to give it more time. The lip balm has these weird lumps that are supposed to be exfoliating but the lumps are big so the

purpose gets lost as it just rolls on the lips. I've used it all up and I can say that I'll be sticking to my EOS lip balms (they're pretty amazing and not as expensive). The one thing that I did like about this product was that it had a nice orange and honey scent about it. 

This product for me was not worth the hype and I will not be purchasing it again. 

Which lip balms would you recommend? 

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer

I needed a new moisturizer for a while and decided to try out the Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer. I have oily/combination skin that tends to get really oily towards the end of the day.
I've always wanted to try out a moisturizer from Origins as I've heard great things about them and that the Origins Drink Up Intensive moisture mask is my favourite mask, review here.

The moisturizer is light and is not greasy, it has a orangey smell to it and I love it. I used it in the mornings and evenings after cleansing. Before this my skin looked quite dull and needed a pick me up and after using it for quite some time I could see that my face become more radiant.
Its a light weight gel cream that absorbs quickly into the skin, which is great if you're in a rush in the mornings.
As you can tell by the picture I've used one up and already purchased a new one.

Have you tried this and what were your thoughts on it?

Nars Sheer Glow in Macao - Review

I've been wanting to try this foundation for ages but unfortunately they didn't have my shade in Sephora, Denmark. It was either too dark (New Orleans) or too light (Cadiz) and I didn't want to take a risk buying it online and ending up with a wrong shade because after all it is rather expensive.
My sister and I decided to visit our cousins, who live in Birmingham and while we were out shopping one day, I finally got matched in Selfridges and picked up the Nars Sheer Glow in Macao.

Now on to the review. After wanting this foundation for a long time and seeing it praised by many, my expectations were very high and I must say that I was not disappointed. Application wise, this foundation goes on smoothly, blends very well and it feels like velvet when you applied it.
Its medium coverage which I prefer but can be build up to a fuller coverage.
As the name applies it does give a glow/ dewy finish and does not give a greasy look to your skin. The foundation lasted quite a while I would say about 6-8 hours.
I have normal to combination skin and tend to get shiny at the end of the day but using the sheer glow has not left me in a greasy state thanks to the Bioderma Sébium Pore refiner (review coming soon) which I've been using as a primer under this foundation.
I wish that I could have tried this foundation sooner as I am in love with it now and would recommend it.

The only con that I can think about is that this foundation does not come with a pump and I had to buy it separately.

Have you tried the Nars Sheer Glow and what are your thoughts on it?

Models Own Lilac Dream

Models Own Lilac Dream

I purchased the Models Own Ice Cream Sundae collection quite some time ago and Lilac Dream was one of my favourites. This collection is a great set to have for spring/summer as it includes some beautiful pastel colours.

The shade I'm wearing is a pastel lavender colour. The formula one these nail polishes are great and to achieve the opaque look, it took two coats and was even without streaking.
I used the O.P.I Rapid Dry topcoat and the nail polish lasted about a week. 

The only negative I have to say about the nail polish, is that it smells quite strong compared to other nail polishes almost like paint so when using this brand, have the window open. 

Do you have any nail polishes from Models Own and which shades would you recommend.

My Natural Hair Journey

I thought I would tell you about my natural hair journey.

I started using relaxer when I was about 14-15 years old, I wanted my hair to look sleek and straight like all the people you see on TV. My hair didn't need the relaxer though and my mom warned me about using it but I was adamant and my mom finally caved in. My hair was long, quite curly and had a lot of frizz. After using a relaxer for about 9 years I noticed that my hair wasn't as long as it used be and it was quite damaged. I decided to stop using relaxer and had my last relaxer on the 10th May 2010. I didn't do a big chop as I was afraid to see what I would look like with short hair so I opted for a transition where I would have relaxed ends and new hair growth, I would occasionally get my split ends cut. I felt like the new hair growth was quite "harsh" but after a year the hair started to soften. The transition was really hard, it took a long time to finally manage it and then problems began.

Around November/december of 2011 I noticed that my scalp was itching and really dry, I went to the doctors and they gave me shampoo for fungal infections. When that didn't help I was sent to the dermatologist. Here I was told that I had psoriasis. I had to come in for five days straight and get coal tar massaged in to the scalp, I couldn't wash it out until the sixth day. It smelled horrible and it was almost unbearable but I had to hold it out until the last day. I was then given a coal tar shampoo that I'd have to use twice a week. After that ordeal I haven't had any problems and my hair started to grow again.

Alopecia: Fast forward to end of February 2014, I started to notice some hair loss at my right temple. It wasn't much but I still went to the doctors, here I was told that it was a fungal infection again and got a prescription for a shampoo. I kept losing hair but the doctor told me to keep using the shampoo and that it would be fine. By March/ April my hair loss had gotten a lot worse and I started to loose hair at my left temple too (hence why I've been MIA) and by May I had two big bald spots and each side of my temple. It had gotten to the point where I was afraid to comb my hair as it would just come of in a big chunk. I told this to my doctor who finally sent me to a specialist. I was here given a penicillin (that I've since been on three times) but they couldn't give me a reason for why I was losing my hair, I was just one of the unlucky ones that this happened to and that the majority who has had alopecia has had regrowth. For the first time since I started to lose hair, I've seen some progress here in July, I can see some new hair growth and the bald patches has gotten smaller. I can comb my hair without massive chunks of hair falling off. I've been wearing headbands for a long time now and get wait to get rid of them as soon as the hair growth is long enough.

I've been relaxer free for four years now (seen hair growth on my two bald spots) and couldn't be happier.

Alpha H Liquid Gold - A Midway Review

Alpha H Liquid Gold

I made a wishlist a while back that included the Alpha H Liquid Gold and a month ago I finally caved  in and purchased it. The Alpha H Liquid Gold has many qualities among them are tightening pores, helping with sun damage, pigmentation and wrinkles therefore giving a brighter and clearer skin.

My expectations were high as the reviews overall are positive if not great for this product.
I've been testing it out for about a month now and I'm sorry to say that I'm disappointed. I haven't noticed or seen any mayor changes to my skin. It says on the package for best results that you should skip the moisturizing part and here I saw that my pores had gotten a little smaller.

My expectations were as I stated above maybe to high as this was a raved about, holy grail skincare product and I expected fast and great results. This is what I have experienced with the product so far. I haven't finished the product yet but when I do, I'll let you know.

Have you tried the Alpha H Liquid Gold and what were your thoughts on it?

Morning Skincare Routine

My morning skincare, I do this every every morning and I've made it as simple as possible. I've condensed down to four steps.

Step 1: I start cleansing with The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. After applying and rinsed off, you feel refreshed. I have an oily T-zone and it has helped a lot with keeping the oil way and has a mat effect. Its soap-free and therefore isn't drying on the skin.

Step 2: Then cleanse with a micellar solution and this time I'm testing out the La Roche Posay Micellar solution and so far I'm liking it. The fragrance isn't as strong as the Sephora Micellar solution. The LRP micellar is for sensitive skin and it doesn't contain alcohol, parabens and colorants. For all the ladies with sensitive skin, I recommend that you try this one out if you haven't already.

Step 3: I apply eye cream and the Avéne Soothing eye contour cream is still going strong. My eyes tend to get puffy in the mornings and the eye cream helps calming it down. It ads moisture without being creasy and is quickly absorbed.

Step 4: The last step is moisturizing. Currently I'm using the Estée Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF 15. I got it as a sample when I purchased the Estée Lauder DayWear foundation. I've been using this moisture for some time now and on me it feels kinda greasy on the skin. The only thing I like about the creme is that is has SPF in it.
If you have any recommendations on a good moisturizing day creme please let me know.

This is my morning routine and I'm quite happy about it at the moment. You can read my evening skincare routine here. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Stereo Rose

To be honest I've first heard about the MAC MSF Stereo Rose recently, I saw it in the new collection A fantasy of Flowers, which was launched in Denmark on the 24th of February 2014. I searched online and saw that this product was raved about a lot.
The MAC MSF Stereo Rose was first released in 2005, then in 2010 and again in 2013 in the Apres Chic collection and now in A Fantasy of Flowers collection.That is a total of four times and every time they are released they sell out fast. I don't get why an product that's so coveted doesn't get to be included in the permanent collection maybe in the future they would release it again or better yet, make it permanent.

I was contemplating on whether or not to get it as I've read that this product on dark skin doesn't look good and that it was not worth the hype. In the end though I went to the MAC store to see how it would look on me and that if I liked it, I could still get it without it being sold out.
I must say that in the pan this product looks absolutely gorgeous. It's described as a coral with golden and bronze shimmering nuances. The golden and bronze nuances runs through as veins and no pan is alike.
The MAC artist applied it as a highlight on me and I must say that I'm happy that I decided to try it out. When applied on me it looks more pink than coral. When I got home I tried combining it with MAC Gold Deposit and it looked beautiful.

I'm glad that I bought MAC MSF Stereo Rose and I know that I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. If you're contemplating about picking it up as I did, try it out first but do it quickly because it sells out fast! I know that if I didn't pick it up and it sold out, I would be kicking myself.

Are you going to pick it up or do you have MAC MSF Stereo Rose already and what do you think of it?

The Body Shop - Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

The Body Shop - Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

I´ve made a post on my current evening skincare routine, you can read about it here. I wanted to switch it up as I wanted to try a cleansing balm. Originally I had my eyes set on
the Clinique take the day off balm but its unfortunately not sold in Denmark any more. So I was delighted when I saw that in The Body Shop, they had a cleansing butter.
The scent on this is camomile and I like camomile but this scent is too sweet. It doesn't linger on after you've rinsed it of which is a good thing. The packaging is simple and I like the tin can, I find it a little unique.

I start of by using a micellar water and then I take a small amount of the cleansing butter. Rub it between my hands and it starts to melt, when melted it looks like an oil. I then massage it onto my face. The cleansing butter removes the rest of the makeup and is gentle enough to also remove eye makeup. It says that you can rinse of or remove with a wet muslin cloth. I would say that its best to remove it with a muslin cloth because when you just rinse it of there would still be some of the oil left on your skin.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is on the expensive side but its worth the money as a little goes a long way and is suitable for all skin types.

Have you tried The Body Shop Cleansing Butter and what were your thoughts on it?

Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - 06 Pink in Devotion

The YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks are quite expensive hence why I've waited so long to buy it but when I saw this colour I couldn't resist!
First of all the packaging on the YSL lipsticks are gorgeous, the gold with the silver initials and the colour of the lipstick showing through simply beautiful. Some lipsticks can have a weird smell but these have a nice fruity smell.
The YSL lipstick I have is Pink in Devotion 06. Its a pretty pink colour and it comes of as a bright pink. I have dark lips so looks a little darker on me and I like that way. The lipstick glides on smoothly, gives a beautiful shine without being sticky and adds a hint of colour as the lipstick is a little on the sheer side.
They are quite moisturising for a lipstick  which was a pleasant surprise. Another bonus is that its long lasting and it fades out evenly.

This is the first lipstick and the only one I have purchased from YSL but will defiantly not be the last.

Do you have the YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks and what are your thoughts on them?

My Makeup - Simple

This is the makeup I've been wearing recently. I wanted to keep my makeup as simple and minimal as possible. I've been wearing my favourite foundation at that moment the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light as it gives a nice sheer coverage. To set the foundation I've applied the MAC Mineralize Skinfinsh Natural in dark. The Dior nude bronzer for contouring and adding a little bit of  warmth to my face. For my eyebrows I've been loving the Anastasia Brow Wiz in dark brunette and the GOSH clear brow set which works as a great combo. My NARS blush in Seduction, I've written a review of it here. On my eyes I haven't been wearing any eyeshadow just my Urban Decay Lush Lash mascara and I've reviewed it here. I've been loving wearing this simple makeup for days when I'm in a hurry and just wanted a no makeup, makeup look.

What have you been wearing recently?

Rimmel Salon Pro Soul Session

Rimmel Salon Pro Kate - 237 Soul Session

This week I've painted my nail in Rimmel Salon Pro Soul Session. It´s a beautiful muted pink and I wanted to wear this nail polish as I want it to be spring already.
The brush on these Rimmel Salon are a great because of the thickness which makes applying easy. To get the opaque look I applied two coats of the nail polish.
These nail polish last a long time on the nails without chipping which is a bonus. They are many other beautiful shades from this range, I also have Cocktail Passion a coral shade perfect for summer.

Have you tried the Rimmel Salon Pro nail polishes and what is your favourite shade?

MAC Eyeshadow Palette

MAC eyeshadows top row: from left-right Naked Lunch, Amber Lights, Sable, Antiqued, Cranberry. Middle row: Embark.

I started of by having a four pan palette and noticed that it was a little less expensive as to buying the normal singles therefore I thought it was best for me to buy the refill pans. I've been slowly
building it up as I think about the eyeshadows I buy. I don't want go in and start buying eyeshadows just for the sake of building up my palette. The colours I want for this palette are those that suit my skintone and something that I'll always can wear. I've always loved MAC eyeshadows (and lipsticks!) as they are very pigmented and therefore shows very well on my skintone.

Espresso: This is the first MAC eyeshadow I've bought and I use it on my eyebrows, it was also the first thing I used to fill in my eyebrows with. This eyeshadow is not in the 15 pan palette but as a single so it easier to carry it around with me. Espresso is a matte dark brown other than filling it in my eyebrows, I also sometimes use it as a crease shadow.

Top row; from left-right
Naked Lunch: This eyeshadow is a beautiful light pink and has shimmer running through. I was a little on the fence on buying this eyeshadow but once it was applied on me, I had to have it. I use it a brow highlighter and as inner corner highlighter on my eyes.

Amber Lights: A golden brown with shimmer running through. If you haven't seen this yet, you have to. Its the perfect golden colour you'll ever see. It'll look good on any skintone and the golden brown colour would make any eye colour look good.

Sable: I bought this recently, I was deciding on whether to get Sable or Satin Taupe and I'm glad that I ended up with Sable. Sable is a brown/bronze/plum colour with shimmer running through. It looks very warm on the skin, on the pan you don't notice the plum colour but on on the lid it really comes through. This eyeshadow is one of my favourites of the bunch!

Antiqued: An other favorite of mine is Antiqued. a dark brown and bronze colour with shimmer running through. Sable and Antiqued is a beautiful combination and works every time. The thing that really draw me to this eyeshadow was the bronzed colour, its really a true bronze, when you think bronze then this is the colour you imagine.

Cranberry: This eyeshadow is a little different from the rest. Its a dark red/plum with shimmer. I thought that it would look weird on my skintone, it doesn't look plummy but more red on me but I still like it. Its quite different from the standard dark browns and golden eyeshadows. I don't wear it as often as I like to because I haven't yet found a combination that really works for me, any suggestions?

Middle row:
Embark: A dark matte brown, slightly lighter then Espresso. I use it on my crease when a I want a lighter look that looks effortless.

Which MAC eyeshadows are your favourite?

Jane Iredale - PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation

Jane Iredale PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation e.l.f Powder Brush 

This is the second mineral powder I've ever purchased. This first one was from MAC and I liked until it broke me out (it had weird scent, maybe it was just mine or have any of you noticed it?)
I didn't know which mineral powder to chose as there were a lot of different brands Smashbox, BareMinerals etc. I asked someone who worked at Sephora and she recommended a brand called Jane Iredale that they've just received in store. First of all the packaging on this product is beautiful, I like the gold compact and that it has a mirror inside. I got in the shade mink. I've been using it for while now, it hasn't broken me out or anything and I can sat that I'm quite impressed with it.
I apply with the e.l.f powder brush which I feel works the best for me. I really like this brush because its quite dense, picks up the right amount of product and is great for buffing the powder on to your skin. It doesn't look cakey on the face, it lasts all day and it blends beautifully in with your skin.
I tend to get oily skin during the day and the powder is great at keeping your skin matte all day. The thing that really sold me was that it works as a foundation, concealer, powder and sunscreen (SPF 20) all in one!

Its great for those days when you just don't feel putting on everything on your face. Also if you tend to break out from some products and find it hard to find powders or foundations then this would be a great product to try. The only negative thing I have to say about this product is you have to buy the compact and the refill separately.

Have you tried anything from Jane Iredale?