Maybelline Brow Drama - review

I've wanted to try a brow mascara for a while now. I had my eyes on Benefit's "Gimme Brow" but the price was way too much for my budget. Then I saw a video by Piwiwoo on Youtube, and she highly recommended Maybelline "Brow Drama". Since it's a drugstore product I thought it was a good opportunity to find out whether I'd like a brow mascara or not.

It comes in two shades, Medium brown and Dark brown. I picked up the lightest shade, and it fits my hair color pretty well. The brow mascara isn't super pigmented, but it is build-able. The brush has a round tip that grips the hairs easily, without smudging on your skin.

The brows look natural yet defined. It sets quickly which means you can build it up quite fast. Since it is a mascara product it does leave the brows a bit crispy depending on how much you use, but this also means that your brows will stay in the shape you left them all day.
I found that this did flake a bit after a couple hours, but it wasn't noticeable from afar, but up close you could see some small brown fall outs around my eyebrows. (I possibly made it worse by trying to wipe them away!)  

I noticed that this mascara colored some of the small white hairs around my brows too, which made my brows look crazy, but it was easy to correct with a gentle swipe of a finger or q-tip. So if you, like me, do your eyebrows at home, and don't wax or thread them or get them done professionally, be aware of accidental mono-brow!

I don't think I'd use this on its own, rather just as a last step for setting my brows, since it can flake off. But it would work nice on a "no makeup day" to add some light definition to the brows.

~Kira

Tables for less

(design: viacph)

The first time I saw these tables I was in love! The colors, the shape, everything! The only thing I didn't like was the hefty price tag, OUCH!
I've scoured the web for similar tables for years but I never found anything like it, and at a price I could afford on a small budget.

Until now! Earlier this week I came across a poster from a Scandinavian shop called "Søstrene Grene", and on this poster I saw the tables I have been searching for all this time. Pretty pastel tables perfect for the spring season! I stalked the store for a few days, asking when the tables would be in, and every time they said on the 20th march. So when the day finally arrived I got up early and was at the store 30 minutes before they opened. As 2nd in line. As the minutes went by, more people came, and I realized I probably had to get my elbows out and fight for those tables!

Thankfully I got what I came for.

A medium size table in mint (it's more mint green in real life but every picture I took it turned out blue) and a small table in white. I did have my eyes on a large table, but some guy decided he needed 2 large tables, 3 medium and 2 small tables... Dang, talk about hoarding!

The store was so overwhelmed by the interest in these tables (lots of people didn't get one), that they decided to make more! The new shipment will be in stores in a couple months time.

I will probably try and get a large table when the next shipment arrives, if that's not possible I'll surely buy another small one, these are just too cute to pass up!

I'm only aware of "Søstrene Grene" shops in Scandinavia, Holland and Japan.

The copper candle holders are from "Søstrene Grene" as well, and they double as small bowls!

~Kira

Pretty pastels (with swatches)

It's finally spring time, so I dug out my L'oreal balms from last years spring collection "Versailles Romance". In the collection they had 6 limited lip balms and nail polishes. I managed to get my hands on 4 of the balm shades through eBay, since the collection wasn't available where I live.

The colors I have are (L to R) 945 Sundays by the Seine, 947 Legally Regal, 948 Laze in the maze and 949 Bijoux bijoux bijoux! All names are French inspired or connected to Chateau de Versailles, which is a beautiful royal castle in France and definitely worth a look, if you are ever in the area!

The Seine is a river running in Paris in northern France. In Paris you will find Versailles the regal castle, known for it's maze garden among other things. Bijoux means jewellery which is again connected to the castle.  

The 4 shades are all very moisturizing like the regular balms from the permanent line. All shades deliver a healthy glossy sheen to the lips, and leaves the lips feeling smooth.

On the bottom we have the Sundays by the Seine, this shade only leaves a blue-ish sheen, and isn't really that noticeable on the lips. Next one up is Legally Regal which is a pretty purple shade, with good color payoff. The color is build-able with this shade, and it can be sheered out for those who are not brave enough to sport a purple lip. Second to the top is Laze in the maze, a beautiful coral color that is also build-able. A perfect spring color! Lastly we have Bijoux bijoux bijoix! a pale yellow shade with little to no color payoff. The shade doesn't really leave any hint of yellow on the lips what so ever. All colors are swiped twice in the above picture.

~ Kira

Tarte review - Amazonian clay full coverage airbrush foundation

This product have had a lot of hype lately. It seems like everyone is loving it and I can see why, to some extend.
Despite the name I don't see this as a full coverage foundation. It does even out my skin tone but I can't get more than a medium coverage with this. The first time I used this I had to take it off right away. I clung to every dry patch I had, even places I never imagined I had dry skin.
My problem areas are mainly my jawline and chin, since this is where i have a lot of acne scars and even some active spots going on. Around my nose is also an issue for me since I find that everything tends to cake up there, even tinted moisturizer.
I have the shade Fair Honey and it is a great match for me. Its not too yellow and not too dark for my fair skin.
The powder feels very nice and soft on the skin and leaves a matte finish. I found that this does cling to dry patches VERY easily even though I wore a primer. However I tried dampening my skin with some of Urban Decays De Slick setting spray before applying the powder, and it really made a big difference on the dry patches!
I like using a smaller brush on my spots, that way it's easier to pin point where you want more coverage and blend out the edges without disturbing the spot you just covered.

As you can see in the picture the powder does cover the redness I had in my skin, but it did not cover the spots completely. I do like that it's not full coverage since I like my own skin to "peek through".
I do also like this powder as a setting powder over a bb cream or sheer foundation for extra coverage without piling it on. No cake face, yay!
This powder does look better after you've had it on for a while, so don't give up on it, even if it doesn't look perfect when you first apply it. 

All in all a nice powder foundation, when you find out how it works best for your skin. I would recommend this for people who like powder foundations and people with normal/combo skin but I think pretty much anyone could love this if they give it a try.

~Kira

Blush dupes + swatches

What's better than buying a new blush? Buying a new blush dupe for much less than the high-end alternative!
In the pan these blushes all look very different, but they all look similar on the cheeks with the exception of one or two.

1: NYX Mauve 
2: Benefit Rockateur
3: Bourjois cream blush 04
4: Tarte Exposed 
5: Milani Luminoso
6: Korres Philia Rose

I've heard a lot of people compare Rockateur (2) with Luminoso (5), but as you can see in the picture these two blushes have little in common. Sure they both give that sheen to your cheeks, but Rockateur is more browny peach and Luminoso is more of an orangey peach.

Now Bourjois cream blush in 04 (3) and Korres Philia Rose (6) are pretty much dead on dupes in terms of color. They are both cream blushes, but Bourjois' blush is a cream to powder finish which sets matte, and Korres' Blush is super creamy and leaves that sheen that typical cream blushes do.

Initially I thought that NYX Mauve and Tarte Exposed would be great dupes. They both look pretty dull in the pan and they both have a matte natural finish. However Tarte Exposed is a lot more pigmented and it comes of as more pink than NYX Mauve. 
Nyx Mauve actually looks more similar to Benefit Rockateur except that NYX Mauve has a matte finish and Benefit Rockateur has a satin to shimmery finish.

I hope this was helpful!

~Kira

Peachy cheeks + swatches

I'm a sucker for blush, peach blush to be exact. So here are some high-end and drugstore blushes side by side.

(from bottom to top)

Benefit: Georgia - very little pigment, but gives a slight sheen to the cheeks. For fair skin girls it can be used lightly as an all over powder or build it up for a neutral peachy sheen on the cheeks.

Forever 21: Love & beauty blush - this blush is more pinky peach when the two colors are swirled together. It has a slight shimmery look on the cheeks.

Hard Candy: skinny dipping - super pigmented! very much on the orange side, but when swirled together with the brown it makes it more wearable. This will look amazing on tan skin tones.

Illamasqua: Lover - king of pigmented blushes! very orange but blends like a dream, will look good on most skin tones when you use a light hand.

Bourjois: cream blush 01 - cream to powder finish, easy to blend. Probably my most used cream blush. Stays on all day and doesn't feel sticky. 

Jouer: honeysuckle - very creamy and easy to work with. Because it is a cream blush it leaves that "dewy" sheen on the cheeks, perfect for a fresh spring cheek look.

Most of the drugstore blushes are just as good as the high-end ones, in fact i probably use the drugstore blushes more often. 

Which one is your favorite?

~Hugs from Kira

OOTD

I went to a lovely dinner at my friends house, (and I ended up cooking it by myself) and this is what I wore!

Makeup: usual look (see last post)
Necklace: Accessorize
Watch: Michael Kors rose gold Blair watch (MK5263)
Clutch: Accessorize
Perfume: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh 

Earrings: Ted Baker rose gold jigsaw stud earrings
Ring: Hm 
Sweater: Topshop
Jeggings: Pieces 

The lighting was a bit off, but jewellery and the bag are all rose gold and my sweater is lilac. 

~Hugs from Kira

FOTD

Time for another face of the day! This is pretty much what I look like everyday I use makeup.

Base:

Chanel - vitalumiere aqua (B10)

Bobbi Brown - corrector (porcelain bisque) 

L'Oreal - lumi magique (1 light)

Maybelline - perfect & cover concealer (light)

Hourglass - ambient lighting powder (diffused light)

Cheeks:

Bourjois - cream blush (01)

Lips:

Nars - lip lacquer (Chelsea girls)

Tony Moly - Tiny tint (cherry)

The Body Shop - honey bronze shimmer lip balm

Brows:

Hourglass - arch brow sculpting pencil (blonde)

Eyes:

Maybelline - the rocket (waterproof)

L'Oreal - miss manga (black)

Tools:

Elf - small stipple brush

Real techniques - setting brush

This is pretty much how I do my makeup on most days. However I do change products from time to time, especially foundation, blush and lip products. 

Today I focused on correcting my skin tone since I have a lot of redness and scars. I also tried to do a "bitten lip" and it worked ok, even though it doesn't really show on the pictures.

~Hugs from Kira