Review: Astor - Soft Sensation Lip Color Butter

Happy holidays! Hope everyone had a lovely christmas and that you're all looking forward to the new year :). I thought I'd do a quick little review on the "Astor Soft Sensation Lip Color Butter" for you all. They were a bit raved about here in Europe and I was curious to give them a go. Conclusion? I'm not a huge fan. But they are really good...

I know that's a confusing statement to make, but hear me out. They're essentially lip crayons, or lipsticks in crayon format. The formulas for each one are not identical. I know, weird.

The first one I bought was this hot-pink shade called Feeling Feline (#011). This one has a great formula, it's really pigmented and doesn't dry out your lips. The staying power is also incredible, it stays on your lips all day long without budging. However, the colour really doesn't suit me. So great product, but not for me.

But then I saw another shade, specifically a nude one. This one is called Caramel Envy (#003) and it swatches beautifully. However, the formula for this one reminds of the Revlon Lip Butters: very creamy and not incredibly pigmented, and it has glitter bits in it like "Peach Parfait" from the Revlon Lip Butters range. And again, the colour did not look good on my lips. And none of their other shades interested me.

The packaging is really nice though. I love that they made the lip crayons slanted on the top like a lipstick would be. It's just much more convenient than the typical round surface you get with lip crayons. The only downside with the packaging is that the text rubs off very easily (again, hardly anything to complain about).

So needless to say, they are really nice products. Sadly though, none of the shades suit me. However, I definitely suggest you give em a swatch if you see them because they are quite lovely :). I can't wait to try out more products from Astor! 

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4 Products Face

I don't know about you guys, but I personally cannot be bothered or have the time to do a proper full face of makeup for school. Anyone in university I think will understand. Of course, nor can I go completely bare faced. Therefore, I developed the 4 Products Face. All you need are 4 products, and I promise you'll end up leaving the house looking fresh and less "I got only 6 hours of sleep". This look is definitely a "no makeup-makeup look", the focus being on looking healthy rather than super glam. The main point of this look is to keep the eyes bare. Personally, I don't mind how my eyes look without makeup. I'm usually very tired and sleepy in the mornings, meaning I'll be rubbing my eyes a lot. And nobody wants to look like a smudgy panda in class...

So here's what you'll need:

1) Foundation: this is necessary in order to even out your skin. My personal favourite is the Wake Me Up foundation by Rimmel because it really does make you look more awake. I like to apply this foundation all over my face, including under my eyes in order to cover up any dark circles.

2) Brow pencil (or shadow): your eyebrows really do frame your face, so if you need some filling in, then definitely go for it. If you have wonderful full brows (you lucky sod!), then you can skip this step.

3) Blush: in my opinion, this product brings back life to your face after applying foundation. A nice healthy flush is always desired. Personally, I find bronzer to be too much sometimes during the daytime, but blush is always welcome. My current favourite for the winter time is 'Flushed' by Sleek.

4) Lipstick (or lipgloss): I never feel complete unless I have something on my lips when I leave the house. The colour all depends on what you feel like, though I'm not sure if I would suggest a super duper bold lip for the daytime. My personal favourite at the moment is Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in the shade "Candy Shimmer (#05)". It just gives you that "your lips, but better" look.

Of course, you can change it depending on your needs. If you had to stay up late writing your term essay, then maybe use a proper concealer to cover up the dark circles. Same goes if you're breaking out. And if you have oily skin, or want a matte finish, then pop on some powder. Also, if you really can't stand going with bare eyes, then maybe pop on a hint of mascara. The world is your oyster, so customize this look as much as you want :).

So I'd like to know, what is your go-to look for school or work? Which products do you use? :)

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Things I've been Loving Lately

I know I skipped 'November Favourites', but this is mainly due to the fact that I couldn't think of a concrete list of things that I had specifically only loved during the month of November. But I thought I would still list a few beauty favourites and some random favourites that I've been enjoying during this season :).

1) Aveeno - Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion (with cooling menthol): this is an absolute life-saver during the cold months. I get patches of dry and itchy skin during the winter and this really calms it all down and keeps the area moisturized for days. I kid you not, they really should write 48 hours + on the packaging instead of 24 hours. Amazing stuff and super affordable!

2) Lip Smackers in "Candy Apple": you all know my love for lip smackers, they are the only brand of lip balm that actually works on my chapped lips. And this year, they brought out some new flavours with disney characters on the front. I ended up going for Pluto since the flavour was Candy Apple. And let me tell you, this lip balm smells exactly like Christmas. Seriously, even my lips are now in the festive season! :)

3) Garnier - Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream: I have a whole review up on this BB cream right here, if you're interested. But basically it's been my favourite morning/afternoon foundation for the past couple months as it gives me the perfect finish and coverage that I need. And it's only 9 euros. Bargain!

4) Stila - Convertible Colour Dual Lip and Cheek Cream: Guys, this stuff is the shiz. Seriously, this is the holy grail of cream blushes. It's super pigmented, lasts a long time, and gives your cheeks a beautiful healthy glow. This is the most natural looking blush I have ever tried out. I'm officially making a list of other shades I want to get from this line. I only currently own Peony, which is a beautiful warm colour for winter time.

5) MoreZoella Vlogmas: Of course, you have all heard of Zoella. She just hit 3 million subscribers (wow!). I remember being subscribed to her when she only had around 400,000 subscribers and she has just flourished ever since. I have especially been enjoying her vlogs for Vlogmas, they are an absolute pleasure to watch :). Link here, if you're interested.

6) Bubzvlogz: I am absolutely obsessed with vlogs by Bubzbeauty. Anytime I've seen that she's uploaded a new vlog, I will instantly stop whatever I'm doing and watch it. They are that good. She's hilarious and has the cutest dogs in the whole world. Definitely worth a watch! Link here.

And those are the things I've been loving lately :). Let me know in the comments what you've been enjoying lately! :) 

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Review: Garnier - Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

(Lipstick swatch for reference of coverage)

I was about to do a post on "Things I've been loving lately", but then realized that one of the things in the post needed a whole review on its own :). And that ladies and gentleman, is the Miracle Skin Perfecter BB Cream by Garnier. Now, normally I stay clear from BB creams. This is mainly due to the fact that they don't offer enough coverage for me and tend to be not the best choice for those with oily skin. But then I kept hearing great things about Garnier's latest BB Cream. Essentially, it sounded like more of a foundation rather than a tinted moisturizer.

But what really sold me was this: UVA & UVB 20 Protection. I have found it so hard to find a foundation that has UVA protection as well, instead of just UVB (aka SPF). A quick explanation as to why both are important is that UVA rays age your skin (number one cause of premature aging), while UVB burns the top layer of your skin (aka a sunburn). So when I saw that the Garnier BB Cream had UVA and UVB protection, I had to have it!

Now for the finish it gives...

Even though it promises a matte finish, that's actually not really the case. I would say it's more of a velvet finish, which is my personal favourite because it looks quite natural since it's not too matte and not too dewy. It's also medium coverage (another favourite of mine!) and does a good job at covering up redness and any imperfections. It just looks wonderful on the skin, and the colour match is perfect for me.

Now don't get me wrong, there are a few drawbacks.
1) Packaging. I saw this because the bb cream is very runny, and with the tube you can accidentally squeeze out too much. A pump would be a lot nicer.
2) Application. When applied with fingers, it's flawless. When applied with a brush, you look orange. Now I'm not quite sure why this is the case, but it is a bit annoying. I think it might be that you have to work with thin layers (easier achieved with fingers), for it not to oxidize so badly.
And the final drawback: for those with oily or combination skin, your t-zone will become oily after a couple hours. This is probably the biggest negative aspect about this bb cream and I think it can't be helped because of the SPF in it. But I love it so much that I manage to keep calm and powder on (see what I did there? ;) ).

What's your favourite foundation or BB cream? :) 

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Winter OOTD / Fun day in the park

Dress: Forever 21 (old) / Coat: Aritzia / Scarf: H&M / Boots: Deichmann / Purse: River Island / Watch: Fossil 

I can't believe it has taken me this long to finally do an 'Outfit of the Day' post. I had previously attempted to do a Summer Lookbook, but ended up getting shy and never posted it. But I am finally stepping outside my comfort zone and posting about something related to one of my passions in life: fashion. I find that the easiest way to design your own outfits is by have a clear definition of what your style actually is. For me, it is "casual elegance". Though I do have some days where I like to break out the "bold n chic" look. My advice is to just let your creativity take you wherever it goes :).

I have officially decided to dedicate myself to posting at least one OOTD each week. And yes, this idea still terrifies me. But with the help of your support, maybe it'll become easier :).

Today was a beautiful day: sunny with clear skies, and even slightly warmer than usual. It was also officially the 1st of December and the first day of Advent. I know what you're all thinking... A chocolate a day to countdown the days till Christmas?! Yes, please!

My boyfriend and I decided to spend our quiet sunday morning at the park, enjoying the breathtaking scenery and the lovely weather. It has now been 7 months since I left Canada to live & study in Germany. Now that all the terrible home-sickness has more or less subsided, I am finally fully appreciating the beauty that surrounds me each day. I find that the key is to try to make each day the best it can possibly be :). After all...

Life won't wait forever

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