OOTD - Casual

Casual day, casual outfit. The weather was a bit cooler today so a thin sweater was the way to go. I thew on some black jeans and some flat booties and I was ready for the day. Since it was a casual/ lazy day, I didn't bother to wear makeup or jewellery (hence no face showing).

I like that this outfit is simple, but both the shoes and the top has some cool details to make it more interesting.

Top: H&M
Jeans: Pieces
Shoes: River Island (bought at Asos.com)

~Kira 

Pamper night

I've been feeling down and emotional the past few days, and I really felt like I just needed to relax and have some "me- time", so when my parents needed me to watch their house and take care of their fat cats I immediately took advantage of the opportunity to use their bathtub while having the whole house to myself.

A pamper night to me is nothing without music, luckily my parents have a radio in the bathroom, so I blasted that as loud as I could, while filling the tub with hot water. I added 1/4 of the LUSH Comforter,which smells nice and sweet and... well, comforting - exactly what I needed, as a bonus it makes tons of bubbles! I also added a piece of Each Peach, which is a LUSH massage bar, but it can double as a bath melt. It has a refreshing citrus smell and really helps softening the skin.

To pamper yourself even more, bring a snack and a drink with you. I always make sure to have some kind of drink with me because after sitting in the hot water for a while I can get light headed. 

After the bath I put on the Origins Charcoal mask and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, while cleaning the tub. Following the charcoal mask I used the Origins Drink up Intensive overnight mask. This mask really moisturizes my skin and leaves it soft and hydrated.

What's included in your ultimate pamper night?

~Kira

Hair Oils - comparison

Ever since I first tried a hair oil I've been hooked! With the right amount it tames flyaways and nourishes the dry ends of the hair. It adds shine and makes the hair look healthy. But what is the best oil for your hair type?

I have fine Scandinavian hair, which means I barely have to touch my hair with an oil before it looks like a greasy mess. However my ends get super dry and break easily, so i need an oil that will provide enough nourishment without dragging down my hair and make it look greasy.

Amika Oil: This oil is the heaviest of the three. It has a sweet floral scent, but it's not as strong, and won't overshadow your perfume. This oil will suit thick hair better since it is a heavy product if you dont use it with caution.

Macadamia Oil: This oil is right in the middle. It's lighter than the Amika oil, so you don't have to worry too much about the amount you use. The scent of Macadamia is sweeter and more powerful than the Amika, so this will linger all day in the hair, and it might clash with your perfume. This oil will suit most hair types, you probably just have to test out how much is going to work for you.

Moroccan Oil: Probably the most well known oil of the bunch. It's a deep strong floral scent that lingers all day. The scent is so powerful that I don't wear perfume with this, and people still ask what "perfume" I'm wearing. The oil is, unlike the others, yellow in color but it doesn't stain your hair or clothes. The oil is lighter than the others and I can pretty much use twice as much of this oil and still have clean looking hair. But even when I use a small amount of this, my hair still gets enough moisture. This will suit most hair types, but most likely finer hair types. Moroccan Oil also makes a light version of this oil suited for those with ultra fine hair. I haven't tried the light version but if you have tried the original version and you found it too heavy, maybe the light version is the way to go.

Hope this was helpful!

~Kira

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