April Favorites | Beauty

This year is seriously flying by so fast, it's scary. It's May 1st already, and soon I will start my exams, and soon after that, I will be walking 'round in summer dresses and eating ice cream while on my summer holiday.

Back to present day, though. April has been a so-so month for me.
The first two weeks were really nice - obviously, I was on spring break and as care-free as one could be, but the second half of the past month has literally left me feeling stressed burnt out and just really, really tired.

I also decided to put myself on a spending ban halfway through April because I realized that in around two months, I will be off to Berlin - which seems to be incredible for shopping from what I've heard.
But you know me, I still managed to purchase a few new products, some of which I ended up using every single day without fail, along with some products that have been in my make up collection for ages.

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub (14,99€)

As I mentioned, summer is fast approaching, so the season for bare skin is almost here!

I'm a little conscious about my legs - it's not even the fact that I'm not really thin, but my really pale, dull skin annoys me- so I was incredibly happy when my Mom suprised me with this!

Using this body scrub once or twice a week has made my skin look (and also feel) so much better - it feels a lot softer and also looks way more healthy. Plus, the scent of this is absolutely heavenly.

If you want a more in depth review on this, I have one up here.

MaxFactor Creme Puff Blush in "Nude Mauve" (8,45€)

MaxFactor's Creme Puff blushes have probably been one of the most hyped drugstore products over the past few months, but it was only until pretty recently that they were released here in Germany.

"Nude Mauve", which is the shade I own, is a light pink that gives you a natural, subtle glow due to the slight shimmer it includes, which works great for pale skin like mine.

The longevity of these is insane - I have gone up to four hours until I had to touch my blush up!

LR Deluxe Longwear Lipliner in "Nude Line" (10,95€)

Lip wise, there weren't a lot of changes this month - when in doubt, I still went for a nude lip.

In fact, this product isn't new to my collection, either. To be honest, I got this last summer, and I've been using it on and off ever since.

This month, however, I actually made the effort to line my lips every single morning, and I'm really glad that I rediscovered this in the process.

This really does what it promises - this lipliner stays in place all day long, there have been days when I came home at around eight, and even though my lipstick had long gone, the lipliner had stayed in place!
Another thing I love about this that the shade "Nude Line" literally goes with every single nude lipstick I own, so it's worth the investment.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (11.27€)

If you've read the post I wrote on this (you can find it here), you will know that before I got this product, I haven't been much of a foundation-wearer. In fact, after some past experiences, I didn't wear foundation ever.

Rimmel's "Wake Me Up" foundation, however, lured me in with the fact that they actually acknowlege the fact that there are people with really fair skin, and because this foundation promises a healthy glow - something I was definitely lacking.

This has to be my favorite discovery of the past month - the shade "Light Porcelain" is a perfect match to my skin tone, the foundation feels insanely light on my skin and it makes me look like I've had either a full night's sleep or at least three cups of coffee.

EOS Lipbalm in "Vanilla Mint" (12,99€)

My lovely friend Lisa, who I stayed with when I was in America, sent me this as part of a parcel for my birthday, and I was so happy to find this little gem in there because even though we do have EOS in Germany, this particular one hasn't been released here.

I'm seriously obsessed with this.

I have pretty dry lips, so I'm always looking for a super hydrating lip balm, and this one is definitely one of them. It keeps my lips feeling super soft for around two hours, and it tastes and smells a lot like vanilla, which I love.

So, there you have the products that I've been enjoying the most all through April - and even though I'm really not proud of the fact that against my spending ban, I picked up some new stuff, I can now say that that money was definitely worth it.

What is something that you've been loving this past month?

Thank you so much for reading!

Spring Beauty Wishlist

It's spring, the season where love is supposed to blossom, but to be honest, the only thing that is actually blossoming is my beauty wishlist.

So naturally, being absolutely broke and completely frustrated, I decided to share my cravings with you guys as some form of therapy.

1. Stila Eyes Are The Window Eyeshadow Palette in "Soul" (~44€)

Do I own enough eyeshadow palettes? Probably. Do I still need this in my life? Hell yes.
I've been eyeing up several of Stila's eyeshadow palettes for a while now, but I've come to the conclusion that this one is exactly what my soul I need.
It contains both matte and shimmer shades and a lot of copper and brown tones, which I'm loving at the moment.
Might I add, the packaging of this absolutely gorgeous. It makes the product seem even more luxurious and is just such a pleasure to look at.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in "Very Victoria" (31,95€)

I have heard so, so many great things about Charlotte Tilbury's products, but sadly, they're still really hard to get hold of where I live.
Their matte revolution lipsticks, however, might be worth the extra effort (and money, sigh) I'll have to put into getting them, because let's be real, they're absolute swoon-worthy.
There are a few shades that I'm liking from this range, but when I bite the bullet and purchase a lipstick that's this pricy, I want a shade that I'll get the most possible wear out of - so "Very Victoria", a light brown toned nude, took my heart by storm.

3. Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter (34,99€)

Even though I always get sucked in by the Benefit counter everytime I'm shopping downtown, I actually don't own any of their products yet - because hey, most of them are over thirty Euros, and I'm a stressed out student.

However, the one product that I keep swatching everytime I'm there is their Watt's Up highlighter. I've been looking for a good quality highlighter for a while now and I just find the finish of this very nice, it appears to leave a healthy glow - something that I'm seriously lacking.

4. MAC Satin Lipstick in "Brave" (20€)

If you've read my review of Mac's "Twig" (which you can find here), you will know how much I adore Mac's lipsticks - especially the ones with a satin finish.
I spent a good thirty minutes swatching shades at the Mac counter last Saturday, noting down the ones I liked to do a little research, and "Brave" is the one that has won my heart.
I'm more a subtle lip kinda gal - reds scare the living shit out of me - so this beauty would nicely fit into my collection.
Besides, how wrong can you go with a Mac lipstick?

5. Benefit Rollerlash Mascara (24,99€)

This one has been all over the blogosphere for the past two months, and really, I'm dying to try this. If I didn't have a few unused mascaras floating around in my drawer, I think I would've picked this up already.
I have insanely short lashes, and achieving a curl is next to impossible, so I would be really interested in seeing if this miracle product really does what it promises.

6. Rimmel Lasting Finish Cream Concealer (7,74€)

On top of dealing with those stubby eyelashes, I have the worst dark circles you could imagine. Think dark purple, insanely huge. There's nothing that covers those.

I've read a few good reviews on this product, and seeing that so far I've always gotten along with Rimmel's products really well, this would be worth and try and won't even break my bank balance.

7. Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil in "Nude Perfection" (4,90€)

I already own one of these in the shade "Pink So Chic", a darker plum color, which I reviewed on here, so I know that I'm probably going to like this one as well.
As I mentioned above, nude lips are my thing at the moment, and I've heard a few people call this their perfect nude, so I've got high hopes.

8. Essie Nailpolish in "Mint Candy Apple" (7,99€)

I feel like everyone and their mother owns this shade, and I know, I know, I actually own multiple mint-ish shades, but this one is just so pretty to pass up.
I don't own a single nailpolish by Essie yet - shocking, I know - and I feel like maybe I should change that this spring.

9. "Daisy Dream" by Marc Jacobs (91€)

I have been lusting after this perfume for over a year now, and if it wasn't so damn expensive, I would probably bathe in this.
I love this scent. It's light, but not so light that you could miss it, and it's floral, which is a huge change for someone like me who's usually more into sweet scents.
I feel like this is something I should mention in a few conversations with my parents, wink wink.

These are actually only a few of the many products that fill my ever extending wish list, and I'll make sure to keep you guys updated on whether or not I'll actually treat myself to one of them!

Thank you so much for reading!

The Foundation That Changed The Game For Me | Beauty

To be honest, until recently I was that kind of girl that didn't use foundations at all - I used to steal my Mom's Helena Rubinstein one, which was about two shades too dark for me, when I was younger, so once I realized how utterly ridiculous that made me look, I completely restrained from wearing it altogether for the past few years.

A few of the things that put me off foundations were the fear that it would feel super heavy on my skin and not allow it to breathe at all, causing me to have harsh breakouts; or the fact that I never even found a shade that was remotely similar to my very pale skin.

Obviously, being timid as I am when it comes to using products on my skin, I read a sheer endless amount of reviews on multiple foundations. As I didn't want to splurge on a highend foundation that might end up causing irriations on my skin, I opted for a drugstore one. And how could I not get the maybe most hyped durgstore foundation ever?

Yeah, that's right. I finally gave in to the rave reviews and decided to see what all the fuss was about myself - and with a retail price of around 11€ on feelunique, which is where I ordered it from, you really couldn't go wrong, could you?

The first thing I noticed about this - and to be honest, I crumbled a little inside - was the scent this foundation gave off when I first swatched it. I mean, the scent isn't all too strong or persistent, I just instantly feared that whatever made the foundation smell like that would irritate my skin - but fear not, it actually didn't! I've been using this for well over a week now, and I haven't noticed any weird breakouts yet.

To me, the main attraction of this foundation was the fact the Rimmel offers it in a very light shade - Light Porcelain, which is a rather pale, peach toned shade - and it turned out to be the perfect match for my skin tone! This has never happened to me before, so you can imagine that I was very drilled.

What I like about this it that it doesn't make you look like you're wearing a lot of make up, it looks like - well, skin. If you're going for a natural, 'lit-from-within' look, this might be the one for you!

As far as applying this goes, it blends in very easily. I'd say that this foundation gives you a medium coverage, it does a good job at hiding smaller blemishes and red patches. If you're trying to go for more of a full coverage, though, you can build it up as well.

Rimmel claims that this foundation "stays put for up to 10 hours", and while I haven't worn it for a full ten hours yet, I can stand by the fact that it lasts for at least seven hours, which I found incredible as most of the products I've used so far seemed to literally slide down my face after a few hours.

Overall, I think it's safe to say that Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation has converted me to somewhat of a foundation lover.

This gem made it's way into my everyday makeup insanely fast, both because of the insane longevity of it and because it still feels very light on the skin at the same time.

I think I'll have an in-depth look at Rimmel's other foundations in the near future because this one definitely got me hooked!

Have you tried any of Rimmel's foundations?

Thank you so much for reading!

March Favorites | Beauty

Alright, is it just me or is has this year literally flown past so far?

Three months of it have already passed, and I feel like I got nothing done - okay, that's a lie. I've been in the process of moving out for months now.

Anyways, March has been a month filled with new products and redicovered past loves and I'm here to introduce you to them.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette (47,99€)

While the first Naked palette had its moment for me in February, this month I've been all about the metallic shades the Naked 2 has to offer!

The pigmentation and staying-power of these are insane, but you've probably already heard that from at least twenty other bloggers, am I right?

This palette includes three matte shades as well as nine shimmer shades, it's got some rose tones ones, some gold toned ones, metallic shades - basically, no matter what shade you're feeling, this will probably have something for you.

The shades that I've used the most from this were Bootycall, Chopper, Suspect, Verve and YDK.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (3,30€)

This has probably been my biggest essential of the month, not a day passed where I didn't pop this into my handbag!

I'm not gonna go into too much detail as I have a review of this up here.

This does a very, very good job at keeping my skin matte for a few hours, even though it's pretty oily.

There shade I own, which is Transparent,actually suits my skin tone - wait, something like that does exsist?

It's also incredibly cheap, so the value for money you get for this is over the moon.

Mac Satin Lipstick in Twig (20€)

To be honest, I felt guilty as hell when I made this purchase, but oh boy has it served me well.

'Twig' is slightly red toned brown shade with a Satin finish, which is incredibly long-lasting and makes the product stay on literally all day while still leaving the lips feeling somewhat hydrated.
Even though this is a bit of a darker shade, I still found it to be great for every day wear.
I think I might've found my holy grail lipstick!

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 03 (4,40€)

While I've been wearing 'Twig' when I wanted some color, this has been my go to nude lipstick (which I also mentioned in my Top 5 Spring Lipsticks) for the past month.
I really, really like the formula of this lipstick. It dries to somewhat of a satin finish - not as stark as the one Twig has, though - while still being creamy.
Again, the longevity of this is great. For a good four to five hours, the lipstick stay in place, without dissapearing or smudging.

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Sorbet (13€)

Okay, I've got to admit that I bought this sometime last summer because I saw Zoe Sugg raving about it, and I had really good intentions, but then I got a few other body lotions and body butters, and this kind of just dissapeared in the huge stash.

This month, though, I fell in love with it again.
Can I just stress how much I love body sorbets? I prefer them over other products because they sink in so much quicker - alright, maybe I'm a little impatient.

This makes my skin feel super soft - like the way your legs feel right after you shaved, but better.

Also, the smell of this is just delicous. The grapefruit smells like summer without being too heavy or sickish sweet.

So these were the products that have made the past month a lot more enjoyable for me.

What are some things that you've been loving throughout March?

Thank you so much for reading!

Rimmel Rita Ora 60 Seconds Nail Polish | Beauty

I've said it before and I'll say it again - my habit of buying nail polishes whenever I go to the drugstore is probably not healthy, and I've managed to cut back on it - who says that new year's resolutions are worthless? - but sometimes, I stumble across a few shades that are just too great to simply ignore.

One of those is Rimmel's Rita Ora 60 Second Nail Polish in "breakfast in bed".

I've been looking for a few new nail polishes to try out this spring (and also summer) and this one just fits perfectly for me!

Breakfast in bed looks like a slightly muted, grey toned turquoise shade while it's still in the bottle, but appears a little brighter when you actually apply it to your nails.

It dries to what I would call a semi matte finish - certainly not what I had expected, to be honest, but it does make it look somewhat more chic.

Applying one coat of this might not provide enough coverage, so if you're aiming for a more vibrant finish, you'd definitely have to go for two coats.

Rimmel claims that this polish dries in "less than 60 seconds" and while I wouldn't swear by that, I do agree that this dries a hell lot quicker than most of my other ones do - which is great if you're a busy bee like me and don't have the time (or patience) to wait for twenty minutes until your nails are completely dry.

The longevity of this is pretty great for a drugstore product that is priced at 2,60€.

I've been wearing this nail polish for the past week and for some reason this shade only chipped on three out of my ten nails (while the other shade I own of this had almost completely worn of after two days - Rimmel, step up yorur game!)

There is a pretty big variety of shades available of this polish, some of which you can check out here.

In my opinion, this nailpolish is great value for money.

For only 2,60€, you get a product that keeps what it promises and stays on for a few days before seriously chipping.

If you're not into brighter shades, fear not, Rimmel's got your back - there's also a few nudes and dark shades,

What's your opinion on Rimmel's Rita Ora nail polishes?

Thank you so much for reading!

Declaring War On Oily Areas | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Now, everyone and their mother has probably heard about this product, but for someone who, like me, doesn't have access to Rimmel products if they don't order them someplace online, this is a new discovery.

And where the heck has it been all this time?

I suffer from fairly oily skin that is mostly annoying me in my T-Zone, but is also pretty persistent in my chin and cheek area.

Because of that, I've been on a hunt for a powder that fights my super shiny face and stays in place for a few hours before it needs some touching up while also suiting my incredibly pale skin tone - yeah, no budget friendly product would do all these things at once, right?

That's what I thought, anyway - but then I picked up this powder after seeing quite a few bloggers praise this - and I never looked back.

I picked this one up in the shade 001 transparent, which works great for my pale skin and doesn't end up looking cakey or chalky at all. It also doesn't feel heavy in the slightest.

First of all, on of the most important things about this powder is that it doesn't break me out at all.

If you, unlike me, don't have too sensetive skin, then this will probably not be your highest priority, but for me, finding a product that doesn't leave my face covered in rash is like christmas coming early.

According to Rimmel, this is supposed to give you "5 hours of natural shine control", which I actually stand by - on an average day, my face stayed matte for four to five hours - which, for a price tag of 3,30€, is pretty damn neat.

The powder is also supposed to "minimize the appearance of pores", which in my opinion it only does to a very, very small extend - but as that wasn't what I was looking for in the product anyway, it didn't bother me too much.

However, if you're looking for minimized pores, I'd definitely use a primer before applying this powder.

Verdict:

This is one of my new make up essentials!

There are quite a few shades of this powder so even super pale girls like me will actually find a shade that goes with their skintone.

This does an amazingly good job at keeping oily skin at bay and giving my skin a matte finish.

And on top of that all it is super cheap - Rimmel is, as I mentioned, not availabe in stores in Germany, so I had to order it only - and it still was only 3,30€!

What is your go-to powder?

Thank you so much for reading!

My Top 5 Spring Lipsticks

I will admit it - if there is anything I'm obsessed with, it's lipsticks.

I own plenty of them - my parents keep stressing how having over thirty lipsticks can't be normal for a sixteen year old whenever I bring home a new one.

But to be honest, I just can't help myself when I come across a gorgeous colour, especially when the season changes and I'm on the hunt for some new, lovely shades.

As spring is nearing - or at least it should be, damn you Germany! - I thought I'd show you the five lipsticks I will probably be wearing most during this season!

1. Mac Cremesheen in "Fanfare"

This is one of my most used lipsticks ever. 

I actually haven't heard a lot of people rave about 'Fanfare', but to me this shade is absolutely gorgeous.

It's a more of a coral shade than a dark pink, which slightly but almost unoticably brown toned.

As I have very pale skin, this comes out looking even darker on me than it does on other people.

It lasts for a good 3 hours on my lips until it starts to fade, and it doesn't smudge while I eat and drink.

The Cremesheen finish also makes it feel very smooth on my lips, not letting them dry out at all while I wear it.

2. Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish - Spring Collection in the shade 16

While my Mac lipstick looks nice all year 'round, this shade just screams spring to me.

I've been eyeing up the Spring Collection shades for so long until I got this one, and I don't regret it.

This is a rather light toned pink, which I'm really not used to, but this year is supposed to be all about trying new things - so here I am!

Unlike 'Fanfare', this leaves my lips feeling rather dry after an hour or so - so I suggest you apply some lip balm before you apply the actual product.

It's not quite as long lasting, but it still looks good for about 2 hours, which I think is great for a bargain like this.

3. Avon Ultra Color in "Tangerine Tango"

Probably the most popping shade I own.

Tangerine Tango is a soft matte, orange toned lipstick - definitely not something I'd wear on a day to day basis, but with a neutral colored outfit this would look pretty sweet.

Even though it's a matte, this lipstick doesn't dry out at all.

However, it might somewhat smudge while eating which isn't too great because I personally don't like getting a bold color all across my face.

4. Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish in the shade "03"

I know I mentioned in my February favorites that I'd found my go-to nude, but this definitely waved my old favorite bye-bye.

This looks very dark brown on my lips, which is fine with me because at least it dosen't wash me out.

Unlike the other Rimmel shade it own, this one doesn't really dry out my lips. (Do they have the same formula? because if they do, that's pretty weird)

This doesn't smudge or fade for a really long time, I wore it for more than 4 hours yesterday and it still looked flat out fabulous - and Rimmel's lipsticks are an absolute bargain.

5. Avon Ultra Color Indulgence in "Honey Flower"

This isn't as much of a nude as the Rimmel 03 is, but it's still a rather subtle pink toned brown - not too much of a popping, springy colour, but I've been liking a simple/nude lip a lot recently.

This formula, again, is very long lasting - something that is a must for me when I buy a new lipstick.

The only thing I don't like about this product is that when you apply too much of it, it tends to get a bit creamy and/or sticky.

top - bottom: Mac's Fanfare, Rimmel's Kate 16, Avon's Tangerine Tango

(sorry that the Fanfare one turned out to be so tiny!)

top - Rimmel's Kate 03 ; bottom - Avon's Honey Flower

So there you have the 5 lipsticks that I'm looking forward to using this spring - what will your go-to lip products be?

Thank you so much for reading!