March Favourites 2014

April is almost here and therefore it is time for a March favourites! April is a really happy month for me, because it's my birthday in April and I feel like Spring is finally here!
So the products/ things I have been loving this month were:























My Chunky Boots from boohoo.com: They look really edgy yet still feminine and can transform any outfit. Because of the platform they are not too high and so comfortable to walk in, which is always a plus. I especially like to style them with swing dresses. I did a whole video on how I would style them here.
My Handbag from Zara: This bag is absolutely beautiful and makes me feel all grown up. Especially if you are a little OCD and need to have everything organised, this one is great! It has so many compartments so almost everything has it's own place and the colour goes with everything as well. They also have it in blue.

My Sunglasses: I got these little sunglasses in a small shop in my home town and just fell in love with them. They have a slight cat eye shape and cover most of my face, which is great on days when I don't feel like wearing any make up. Asos do a similar pair.
My Coconut Oil: I use coconut oil for everything. This month I used it every night for taking of my make up. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and looking dewy and I swear it makes a difference in the whole appearance of my skin. I also used it a couple of times as a deodorant. I know, sounds gross but it works.

My Aquaphor: I bet people are getting sick of me going on and on about Aquaphor but it's just amazing. I have no words for it. And especially this month, which has been my first month on Roaccutane, it has been an absolute live saver!
My Maybelline Fit Me Concealer: What can I say, they have a great range of shades, it covers everything that needs to be covered and blends like a dream. I have acne and quite a few scars and I can get away with just using this concealer and no foundation. Ah-mazing I tell you.

My Real Techniques Stippling Brush: Alongside with the Maybelline Concealer I used this brush to achieve a sheerer more natural finish. And in the places were I need more coverage I just tap the brush a couple of times and it does the job. 
My Nars Laguna Bronzer: I like to bronze my face to give it dimension. This bronzer is quite shimmery and makes you look glowy and healthy. Especially if you're already tan, this will make you look fancy but even pale like me (lighter than MAC NC 15), you can make it work.

My Sleek Storm Palette: Along the lines of  'Shop your Stash' I rediscovered this eyeshadow palette. When I first got it I didn't really like it because the eye shadows are not the BEST quality (fall out) but the colours and pigmentation are great. I guess the warmer it gets the more I get into shimmery stuff. This would explain a lot. haha
My hair staigthener: This is just an old, cheap, no- name hair staigthener I got for my birthday when I was 14 or 15. I never used to use hair tools because I was simply to lazy and in all honesty my hair looked fine just air dried. But ever since I had to chop off 4 inches of my hair (sad tear), I really need to do something with it otherwise I'll look like a mix between Joker (minus the green hair) and Kurt Cobain. And no...just no. So this tool has come in handy. 
 

Lip Tints

I am not one for wearing lip products. The stickiness of a lipgloss and the "heaviness" of a lipstick make me constantly aware of my lips and it is just an extra step I can't be bothered with in the morning. (That doesn't keep me from buying more and more lip products, though. duh! haha) But would like to wear more colour on my lips, because...well, because I can. And also I find that when I have a really bad skin day, a dark lip for example, can draw the attention away from my imperfections and towards my lips. Which, you know, I can appreciate.

So here we have pixi lip blushes in No.1 Youth (left) and No.2 Purity (right), Manhattan Colour Splash Liquid Lip Tint in So Paris! and L'oreal Caresse 402 MiLady.
I have to say, that if you have dry and patchy lips, lip tints won't hide ANYTHING. In fact, they will stick to the dry patches and highlight them. So make sure you exfoliate your lips and apply a lip balm before you use them.
The pixi lip tints are really easy to use, since they have this felt tip applicator with which you can literally just draw on your lips. They do dry out quite quickly though, so you might want to find a cheaper alternative?! Purity is more of a red on the lips and Youth is a really sheer pink. Oh, and the smell is just define! Reminds me personally of peaches.

The Manahattan one looks nude but oh no! It goes on like a nude colour first and after a few seconds it turns into a bright pink colour. What?! I know! I guess it reacts with the warmth of your lips? I dunno. It lasts super long (20+ hr) and is easy to apply. It has a slightly tingly effect when you first put it on, which I am not really fond of, but hey.

The product, which takes most effort is the L'oreal one because it goes on quite patchy and you really have to work with it and build it up until it looks presentable. And that takes time, let me tell you. It is also the only one that comes off when you eat or drink something, the other ones stay on for about 18+ hours. This one doesn't unfortunately. But nevertheless it is a beautiful colour and it works better for me than a lipstick. Especially if you like to wear dark lips, I think lip tints would be something for you, because you really don't have to worry about them once they are applied. They don't smudge and stay on for ages. In theory anyways.

Youth, Purity, So Paris!, MiLady

Do you have a favourite lip tint? Please let me know! :)

- Julia xxx

4 Beauty Tips You Might Not Know About

I have heard a lot of make up tips in my time. In fact, I would actually go as far as to say that I know almost every make up tip that is out there. I do still get excited when I read "10 Make Up Tips That Will Change Your Life" on a magazine cover, though. But at the end I know that they will be just the same old make up tips that I have heard over and over again ever since I started watching Youtube videos five years ago. Sorry magazines, but facts like "Powder your make-up to make your foundation last." just aren't that revolutionary anymore. 
So I have collected a few make up tips that aren't that common and surprised me when I first heard them.

1.) Apply blush not only on your cheeks but also a bit on your temples and the bridge of your nose. That makes it look more natural and less "drawn on" and also draws everything together.

2.) Use the handle of your make up brush to "roll" over your concealer under your eyes after you applied it. This takes off all the excess concealer and prevents it from greasing.

3.) Apply Highlighter above the arch of your eyebrow instead of underneath. This will lift your eye and especially if you have little eyelid space this will be the better option for you. 

4.) Use coconut oil as deodorant. Yes this is correct. You can use coconut oil in many ways and on your armpits is one of them haha. I tried it out myself and it really works! It also doesn't contain aluminium and all that other nasty stuff. So just give it a try.

Source

Have you heard of any of these tips before? And do you have any tips that you think nobody knows about? Then please share them!

- Julia xxx

Dewy Light Spring Makeup

Now that we are slowly but surely (as it seems today) going into Spring, I tent to go more for a minimalistic and glowy make up look than in the winter. But since I do have acne, I still want everything to be (semi) covered up and I have found that there is one product out there, which covers up all my blemishes but still manages to look really effortless and like I am not wearing much makeup at all. And it is the infamous Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.

I like to mix my concealer (shade 15 - which is a little to reddish for me, but oh well I can make it work) with some of the Benefit High Beam Highlighter to make my face look dewy all over. I then apply it with a stippling brush so it doesn't go on too heavy.

I do have to fill in my brows, because they are real wonky and it just draws everything together and I apply some Mascara to make my eyes pop.

 If I am feeling fancy I like to apply some blush. But not any blush. The NYX blush in Mauve is my favourite for everyday wear, because it looks really natural and like my skin has been kissed by the sun. (What?) When you are really pale like me, than you can also use this blush as a bronzer because it is slightly brown and has a red undertone and that's exactly what I look like when I "tan". A little brown (less than a little) and a little red. And because the lipstick goes so well with the blush, I applied some p2 Via Medici, but on any other spring day, I will just be wearing lip balm, because I just can't be bothered. Aquaphor to be specific.