FESTIVE MAKEUP LOOK

FESTIVE MAKE UP LOOK

 

gher6

Hello lovelies! I can’t believe Christmas is just around the corner! I am so excited thinking of all the food and sweets and just how fun that day will be. For a festive day like this, a festive look is appropriate. However, I am not a huge fan of extravagant makeup looks; I mostly like subtle yet glamorous makeup that does not look heavy on the face. I really like the old school Hollywood stars make up, where lips are the centre of the entire look. For this festive Christmas look, I will go for shimmery eyes but not too loud, and for bold lips. I am torn between red and purple, as I love purple lipstick a lot however, I believe red lipstick puts the F in Festive! So let’s get started shall we?

The face

face

In order to look extra glamorous and fresh on Christmas day, I moisturized my face using Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream. I really love how smooth and hydrated my skin feels afterwards. Then I used MAC’s Prep and Prime primer to prime my face so the makeup will not crease and stay in place for the day. In order to achieve a dewy base, I used a tiny bit of my Nars Sheer Glow foundation in the shade Mont Blanc, which I applied with a damp sponge. For under my eyes, I used my Bobbi Brown Corrector in the shade Bisque to cover my dark circles, and then I applied my Nars Radiant creamy concealer in the shade Vanilla. To set the base I used my Rimmel Stay Matte powder in the shade Transparent. Once everything is set, it’s time for the highlighter and blush. For blush I used MAC’s Breath of Plum because I find it a lovely winter color that ties well with gold shimmery shades. For highlighter I used my Physician’s Formula “Natural Nude” palette. I love this multipurpose palette and especially the top white colors for highlighting. I applied the highlighter on my cheekbones, inner eye corners and my cupid’s bow. I am not a huge fan of contouring and bronzing however, I used my Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit palette to bring some warmth to my pale face. I used the middle bottom shade because it is perfect for very pale skin, and I applied it on the hollows of my cheeks and my forehead; but only a little because I didn’t want to end up with darker face than body. And with that the face is finished.

The eyes

eyes2

Moving on to the eyes, I went for a shimmery yet subtle look. I wanted to keep the eyes bright and glamorous but not very strong as to overshadow the lips. To create the festive look I was going for I used two of my favorite palettes: Naked 2 (p1) by Urban Decay and Everything Nice (p2) by Too Faced. These palettes are extremely pigmented, which means you really need a small quantity each time on your brush. First I applied the color Turtle Dove (p2), which is a creamy matte white, all over my lid and up to my brow bone, in order to create the perfect base. Then from the first palette (p1) I used the color Bootycall (I know right?) on my lid. This is a nude-peachy metallic color, which is going to deepen my lid a bit.   Then, from the second palette (p2) I applied the color Shinny Happy on the centre of my lid. This is a shimmery, cool toned gold. It sets the base for the glamorous part. With a fluffy brush I blended the color Suspect (p1), which is a silvery gold, on the edge of my crease to brighten the eye a bit. Lastly I used the color  Don’t Settle (p2), which is a brown-gold color, on the outer corner of my eye and all the way to the middle, to make the look a little bolder and tie everything in. On the inner corner of my eye, as mentioned before, I used my highlighter. On my lower lashline, I used the color Don’t Settle (p2) to enhance the look and make it a little more dramatic. I am not a big fan of liquid liner or eye liner in general, because I feel it looks heavy on my droopy eyes. Therefore, I choose to use a black eye shadow with an angled brush and I create a small wing which I bring to the middle of my lid and smudge it a little bit. I also connect the wing to my lower lashline until the middle as well. I don’t use fake lashes as I am rubbish at it however, I love mascara! I curled my lashes with my H&M curler and then I used Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye mascara. It makes the lashes longer and much fuller, perfect for a festive look. Of course we should never forget our eye brows. My eye brow routine is very simple. I brush them with a spoolie, then I fill them in a little with my Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown and I set them with a clear brow gel.

The lips

lips

Last but not least, the lips. Remember the lips are the centre of the whole look. It’s the holidays so I decided after some conflict to use a lovely bright red lip color. First I muted my lips with some powder and then I used my MAC lip liner in Ruby Woo to line my lips slightly. I don’t go over my lips with my liner; I simple go over my natural lines and accentuate my cupids bow. I absolutely love red lipsticks. For this look I wanted a bright red but not orangey, so I used Rimmel’s Kate Moss number 10. Such a beautiful creamy red! It is not very matte or very glossy. If you want to go full on, then you can add some red or even clear lipstick on the top. To make sure my makeup will last and look amazing after a couple of hours, I set it with MAC’s Fix Plus spray.

I love how festive this look is, without being over the top. The eye makeup is a cool toned gold, paired with a bold and bright red lipstick. It is a look that can carry you throughout the day and night. You can have it on the Christmas table and the bar you might pop at night. It is flattering for everyone, as you can never go wrong with a red lipstick. I hope you like the look as much as I do. If you recreate it, share it on Instagram (@blueberrylover) and Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) with the hashtag #myshinyxmas.

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

THE GIFT OF GODDESS – HOLIDAY SET REVIEW

THE GIFT OF GODDESS – HOLIDAY SET REVIEW

charlotte tilbury

Hello guys! Being sick for a few days now has really brought down my mood, however, this weekend I received something I have been dying to try out since the end of November; Charlotte Tilbury’s “The Gift of Goddess” skin holiday set. You all may know by now that I am quite a skin care hoarder. I love skin care products probably more than makeup ones. The reason for that is that with skin care products you don’t just enhance your characteristics and your natural beauty, but you can actually improve your imperfections or any problems your skin may have. Skin care products are a huge addiction for me, especially moisturizers and face cleansers. I just love trying different brands and see what they have to offer.

charlotte

Charlotte Tilbury is a very renowned makeup artist who works with many celebrities. I have heard so many amazing things about her makeup and skin care products so I have been longing to try some for quite a while. When I am not sure about a brand, I prefer to try a sample first before I invest in a full size product. Holiday sets are the perfect way to get to know a brand and try many different products. Therefore, when her holiday sets came out I really wanted to get one. I picked “The Gift of Goddess” skin set, because the products included are the ones I really wanted to get. The set has 3 products and is 15 ml each. It has Charlotte’s Magic Cream, which is a moisturizer, the Wonderglow, which is an illuminating cream like a highlighter, and the Goddess Skin Clay Mask, which obviously is a mask.

cream

Charlotte’s Magic Cream is absolutely lovely. It is a moisturizing cream with SPF 15 so you can wear it in the daytime. I have been wearing it in the nighttime as part of my before-sleep routine. My skin is quite dry recently because of the cold weather and I need a good moisturizer. This cream is simple lovely. It smells amazing, like roses and gardenia, is thick enough but it is absorbed easily by the skin and it is spreadable, which means you only need a small quantity to cover the entire face. So although it is 15 ml, it will last for a while. I really enjoy using this cream and I do feel my skin moisturized. However, the best part is how soft my skin feels next morning. It is smooth like a baby’s butt. I absolutely recommend it.

mask

The Goddess Skin Clay mask is a mask that lifts, smooths, brightens your skin and tightens your pores. I have used the mask twice so far and I am not very sure how I feel about it. It has the same lovely scent as the cream and it is very easy to apply on your skin. Because you need a thick layer in order to have some results, the 15 ml may not last for as long as the cream. It has a nice feel to it and it is easy to remove with a warm cloth. I love how my skin is soft and smooth afterwards and it does look a little brighter however, I can’t really tell if it lifts the skin and tightens the pores. I believe if it is used for a longer period, you might get all the mentioned results, but just after a couple of times I didn’t get everything promised. Hence I am unsure how I feel about it. I am not dissatisfied, but it is more like one of these products that don’t really wow you. It is a nice mask, smells good and is quite rehydrating. It feels lovely and it brightens the skin a bit. I am glad I got a 15 ml sized tube to check it out before I splurge on the big one.

highlighter

Lastly, the Wonderglow is a very promising product but I don’t believe I fully understood what it is when I first put it on. I was under the impression it is a sort of metallic highlighting primer, like Benefit’s High Beam but as a primer. You can use the product under your foundation, over your foundation or just on its own on a makeup free face. Once I applied it though, I realized it is a shimmery product. It has a beige color which dissolves once you apply it, and it is very shimmery. I don’t like shimmer on my skin a lot especially on an everyday basis. I made the mistake to apply it to my entire face which stressed me out because I didn’t want to have shimmer on my forehead and chin. The shimmer however, is quite discrete, so I am confused as to what the product really does; if the shimmer is barely seen then I don’t understand what’s the point of it. Plus I can only apply shimmer on my cheeks, otherwise it’s going to look tacky a bit. So this product is very confusing to me and I didn’t really enjoy it.

“The Gift of Goddess” skin set by Charlotte Tilbury, is a lovely holiday set for anyone who has never used the brand before. The products are a great introduction to the brand’s skincare line. The size is quite small for the money you pay ( 50 euro ) but compared to the price for the full-sized ones it’s a good deal. Overall the products are quite nice, with the Magic Cream the set’s hit. I recommend this set for anyone who wants to try the brand out plus it would make a lovely Christmas present. Have you guys tried any of these products and if so what do you think about them? Don’t forget to pop over Instagram (@blueberrylover) and Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) to say hi.

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HIM

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HIM

red

Following my previous post, Christmas Gift Guide for Her, this post is going to be a Christmas Gift Guide for Him. It is a suggestion of what I consider great Christmas presents for the special guys in your life. I am so excited for the gift guide posts, because I love sharing lovely things I would definitely get for the people I care about. You guys already know how much I enjoy getting gifts for the people I love, so these posts are really fun for me and hopefully for you too! I always found shopping for a guy much harder than for a girl, mostly because I am quite unfamiliar with what a guy might like, plus guys have a smaller variety of categories of products they use. However, in this gift guide I have picked out some pretty cool things that I believe they would put a big smile on that special someone’s face.

Photo credit:
Photo credit: www1.bloomingdales.com

A perfume set is always a lovely and safe choice of a present.  I love perfumes, especially the male ones, because I love strong scents just like my mom. I absolutely love Dior’s Sauvage Coffret gift set. It features Dior’s newest perfume (yes the one with the Johnny Depp ad), which just happens to be amazing. Also it has the aftershave lotion, which is perfect for grooming and a small pocket spray you can actually refill. It is great for carrying around or travelling. I know it’s on the pricey side but it is truly an amazing and luxurious gift. Dior perfumes are among my favorite ones!

art of shaving-horz
Photo credit: www.sephora.com

Another gift I consider very important for a guy, would be a shaving kit. I love getting my boyfriend different shaving kits so he can try out a few products from the range of different brands and decide the one which works best for him. The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Carry-On from The Art of Shaving, is one of my personal favorites. I got this for my boyfriend and he really enjoyed it. This kit is the carry on version which is half price from the regular one, and the products are travel sized. I believe it is a good introduction to the brand and in case it doesn’t work 100% for your guy, he can just keep the set for travelling purposes. The set has a pre-shave oil, a shaving cream, an after shave balm and a shaving brush. It basically is a complete set of everything necessary for the perfect shave! I really love the shaving brush; it adds such a splash of luxury and pampering. The set comes in an unscented version and in a lavender-scented one. But just to be fair, if your guy is on the beardy side, you could get him a beard grooming kit. I would recommend Jack Black’s Beard Grooming kit which contains an all over wash, a beard oil, a beard conditioning lube and a beard comb. My boyfriend has used Jack Black’s products before and he always was satisfied. The price is a plus as well!

aesop
Photo credit: www.aesop.com

While we are still in the grooming-pampering area, I believe another great Christmas gift would be a skin care set. A good skin care routine is not only a female issue; men should take good care of their skin as well. I would recommend Aesop’s Collective Care for Combination Skin. It’s a lovely set that consists of a face cleanser, a balancing toner and a rehydrating cream. Aesop is a skin care brand with plant-based products. I haven’t tried the brand yet although I am about to get my first product soon and I can’t wait. It has amazing reviews and it is highly recommended. I know it is quite pricey, but it will be a luxurious set that your special man will definitely enjoy!

playstation
Photo credit: www.playstation.com, www.amazon.com

Moving on from grooming products, I don’t know a single guy who does not love video games. I know it may sound such a cliché, but boy oh boy do they love video games! Mine does for sure. So it goes without saying that a video game related gift would be amazing! Since I am totally clueless when it comes to video games (I only have a Wii and Mario games), I would recommend 2 different game related gifts. First a Playstation Plus subscription sounds amazing. For a yearly subscription, he could get free games, discounts and game trials. I don’t know much but this sounds quite lovely! My second recommendation would be a 2-part gift; a game of your choice and an extra controller. How cool would that be right? I have no idea about games to recommend one from personal experience, but Fallout 4 is quite hyped and I really like the DualShock 4 Wireless controller in black color. This little duo would be an excellent gift for a PS lover.

polaroid
Photo credit: www.amazon.com

Another lovely and vintage style present would be a Polaroid ZIP Mobile Printer. This little gadget that I have been lasting over for ages, allows you to print pictures from your phone on paper like an instant camera. I am really into the whole self-printing technology that is quite trending lately. I have a Fujifilm Instax camera and I absolutely love it. I like how all the pictures we snap on a daily basis on our phones, instead of keeping them in our computers or phones forever, we can print them out and put them around us so we can cherish the memories they bring. I find this gift really amazing. Just don’t forget to get a little pack of paper to go along with the printer!

stocking
Photo credit: www.selfridges.com, www.urbanoutfitters.com

The list gift I would recommend, as I did in the Hers gift guide, would be a big stocking filled with lovely smaller gifts. Imagine his surprise when he opens the stocking and finds all the little goodies inside. You could fill it in with Selfridges Men Grooming Kit, which 8 travel size products, a razor and of course the travel bag. This kit is so cute and it has everything a man needs when traveling from shaving to showering and moisturizing. Another lovely gift would be a leather wallet-phone case like Urban Outfitter’s Understated Leather Wallet Case. You can carry your phone, cards and cash plus I really like the color of it the design of the moon on the front. Such a pretty and masculine case. Or how about his own Makerskit Mason Cocktail Kit by Urban Outiftters which includes everything needed to make your own cool cocktails! As a huge mug lover, there are so many lovely mugs you could get as stocking fillers like this cool Star Wars mug from Urban outfitters. I love Star Wars and I have to admit Darth Vader is ultra cool! Or how about this Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit by Urban Outfitters, which includes almost everything he needs to make his own beer. Now how cool does this gift round, right? There are so many amazing things out there you guys could use to fill your big stocking; just don’t forget the Christmas candy!

I absolutely love Christmas; it is my favorite time of the year. I love the gift giving spirit and how happy people are once they receive their gifts. All the above gifts sound so amazing and I would love to get my special man something from above. As a matter of fact I have already decided which one I will get him 😉 I hope you enjoy my gift guide for Him and if you have a special girl and you are looking for gift ideas, you should check out my Christmas Guide for Her post. Are any of those gifts on your wish list or do you even have any of these and if so what do you think of them? Also don’t forget to pop over Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and Instagram (@blueberrylover) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HER

 

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR HER

 

 

valentina-horz

With Christmas only a few weeks away, it’s this lovely time of the year again where we buy gifts for our loved ones, and share the holiday spirit! I love getting gifts for all my family and friends more than getting stuff for myself. Although many of you like to get your gifts quite early and have a stress-free countdown to Christmas, I am quite naughty and I always end up getting my gifts on the very last-minute, which completely stresses me out. Therefore, this year I decided not only to get my presents earlier than usual but also to suggest some pretty cool gifts for your favorite ones! I am so excited since this is my very first Christmas gift guide post and I really can’t wait to share with you guys some lovely things I have picked out.

Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge/?lang=2&menuid=14&id=114&page=2
Photo credit: http://lutecia.ge

A perfume set is always a lovely idea for a present. I absolutely love perfumes! Who doesn’t right? Valentino’s Valentina Eau de Parfum set is perfect! I am quite picky when it comes to perfumes but I am in love with Valentina. It is such a sexy and feminine yet fresh scent, that you can’t go wrong with. This set is great as it also contains the body lotion. Layering the perfume on top of the body lotion will make the scent last longer and be more intense. And how cute is that box right?

Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com/new-arrivals/sweet-temptations-ambre-vanille-luxe-body-collection-12615222.html#start=2
Photo credit: http://www.lauramercier.com

In the whole spirit of layering and smelling amazing, another great gift and personal favorite is Laura Mercier’s Sweet Temptations Ambre Vanille Luxe Body Collection. I actually got this set for myself and it is amazing! The set has a body wash, body lotion (or soufflé), perfume and honey bath, all with the Ambre Vanille scent. Everything is so pretty. You can use the body wash for a quick shower or the honey bath, which is a best-selling product, for a more relaxing bath. Then layer the body soufflé (which is brilliant!) and the perfume. The scent is quite sweet but not in a sickening way. Such an amazing gift!

Photo credit: http://www.net-a-porter.com
Photo credit: http://www.net-a-porter.com

Since we all know how important skin care is to girls – and it should be to guys as well – I find that a luxurious skin care set would be a great gift to your special someone! There are so many out there that I can’t wait to get my hands on, but Sarah Chapman’s Facial In a Box set has really stand out to me. It is a lovely set of 5 products, including a 3-D mask and 2 professional cleansing mitts. It is such a lovely introduction to the brand and such a luxurious set. Using these products will make you feel like you are being pampered in a spa.

Photo credit: http://shop.lomography.com
Photo credit: http://shop.lomography.com

In an era where we capture every moment on our phones and cameras, what a better gift than a lovely camera that ties the old with the new. Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is a wonderful present for everyone; boy or girl. I have the bigger one and I absolutely love it. However, it is quite heavy and big which makes it really hard to fit it in my purse and carry it around all the time. The Mini 8 is a cute camera that immediately develops the pictures taken. It has a vintage vibe combined with modern design. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors. I personally love the powdery blue one! Don’t forget to get a pack of film!

Photo credit: http://www.diptyqueparis.com
Photo credit: http://www.diptyqueparis.com

As a proper candle-addict, I believe that Diptyque’s Seasonal Candle Set is another amazing gift. Diptyque’s candles are just wonderful. They smell amazing and last forever, plus they are perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere. This seasonal set includes 5 mini candles with different scents which is amazing. It is a perfect introduction to the world of luxurious candles. I have a review of my favorite Diptyque scent, that you guys should check out!

Photo credit left to right: www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.amazon.com, www.anthropologie.com
Photo credit left to right: www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.amazon.com, www.anthropologie.com

The last gift I would recommend is a little bit more complicated. Personally, whenever I get gifts for my people I always like to get a couple of gifts instead of just one. I don’t know why but I just love the moment when the present is unwrapped and there are more presents in it. Like the babushka dolls! Therefore, I believe a big stocking filled with many small gifts would be a great gift itself. You could fill the stocking with a book, like Madeline Shaw’s Get the Glow book for the healthy eater, or Jemma Kidd’s Jemma’s Makeup Secrets for the makeup addict one! Great stocking filler could also be a cute little journal like Urban Outfitter’s Oh Snap leather journal, along with some cute stationary. This Gold Monogram Mug from Anthropologie would also make a lovely stocking filler. You can add any bits and bobs you like and personalize the present which makes it even more perfect! Don’t forget the Christmas candy!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year! The holiday spirit is just everywhere and everyone is happy and cheerful. I love that is a gift giving period, because buying presents for my loved ones is ony of my favorite things and it makes me very happy. On my Christmas gift guide for her, I am sharing some ideas of presents for your favorite girls; mom, aunt, sister, bff or loved one!! I personally love all those things; I even have some of them and the ones I don’t have, I really want to get! Following this post, there will be a Christmas gift guide for Him, with some nice gift ideas for the special guys in your life, so stay tuned! Are any of those gifts on your wish list or do you even have any of these and if so what do you think of them? Also don’t forget to pop over Twitter (@vickyinlalaland) and Instagram (@blueberrylover) and say hi!

Till next time take care dolls 😉 xxx

Vicky