Mini Sephora Haul

There is a very big difference between the products you find on Sephora USA with the products you find in Sephora Spain but still I have to be thankful that at least there is a Sephora with a big variety of products here. The big mistake I have made is to be on their newsletter because they enchant me with their sales online every now and then and I have little-to no self control when buying makeup.

So when I received an email last week telling me there is a «gift» from Marc Jacobs makeup I had to succumb to the temptation of buying more than 40 euros so I could receive my gift and I am pretty I did.

1. ZOEVA palette in «Naturally Yours»
2. Marc Jacobs little purse mirror
3. Glam Glow «Youthmud» mask in travel size
4. Marc Jacobs mini lipstick (246 Slow Burn)
5. Too Faced «Better than Sex» mascara in travel size
6. Marc Jacobs (Velvet Noir 10) travel size mascara
7. Marc Jacobs travel size eyeliner

This is my first time trying  ZOEVA products and I have to say that the packaging is very nice and most of the colors blend well (the three nude colors in the corner were actually not pigmented at all even though I used some Mac Fix + to blend them in my eye). I wanted a travel friendly palette that wouldn’t ruin my bank account (this palette was 22 euros) and to be fair the rest of the colors were lovely.

 

 

Some chocolate please: hair make-over

I used to be a big fan of ANTM make-overs; the truth is that was the only episode I was looking forward to. Make-overs have a magical air of new beginnings and hopeful promises to something exciting and new.

After my birthday I was feeling a little braver than normal and decided to go chocolate-brunette. I have had this color before and I really like it because my hair looks healthier. Don’t get me wrong, I still really love the blonde ombre look and in a near future I will go back to my usual self but meanwhile I am loving the change.

My sister got a make-over herself and went from long medium blond to short caramel. She looks gorgeous! My little munchkin is a grown woman now. Time passes so fast (which means I am getting old 🙂 )

 

My self-tanning routine

I try to avoid sun bathing as much as possible and that is why I did my best to find my go-to products for a home self-tan.

I must warn you though; there is a fine (microscopic) line between looking like you spent 2 days in Barbados and resembling Julio-Iglesias-rolled-up-in-Doritos tan. So be careful which products you use and follow carefully the steps to a nice self-tan.

(Last Summer I went and got spray tanned professionally and I must say I did love it. It lasted for ten days and I was really happy with the result.)

Steps

1. Shave / wax a day before (I say a day before because when I wax the same day my pores tend to soak up all the tanning lotion and the polka dot look is not cute at all)
2. Exfoliate the areas you want to tan (DIY idea: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup honey + 1/2 cup water) Do not use any kind of oil-based products because it will ruin the tan process)
3. I use a tan applicator mitt to apply the product all over. Be very careful with your elbows and knees because those are dry areas and they tend to soak up a lot of product. (Tip: put a little moisturizer in those areas before tanning.) My all time favorite self-tan products are St. Tropez but the St. Moriz ones works absolutely fine as well (they are cheaper but the tan doesn’t last as much though).
4. I normally do this at night and let the product sit while I sleep and take a shower in the morning. Be sure to use black loose clothes if you don’t want to stain your sheets. Don’t be alarmed by how crazy the tan looks while it sits on your skip, after a shower it regulates to a nice glow.
5. For the next couple of days use moisturizer every day. Do not to use very hot water and do not scrub because it will scrub away your tan.

I also tried the Lancaster self-tanning gel but I prefer to use it after two days of the other tanners for a small touch up to keep my tan going a little bit more.

If you don’t like the long commitment idea of a complete self-tan then you can use the ones that wash away after one use. The Sally Hansen airbrushed legs ones work marvels: you just spray the area and it is an instant tan for a night out.

🙂

New Year’s makeup: some glitter please

Last year our Christmas night was kind of relaxed and homey. This year I plan to practically do the same; a lovely home-made dinner and some fun movies. Both Jimmy’s family and mine are far away so we have each other to keep company and celebrate new traditions together.

My mother-in-law and my brother-in-law are coming to visit and spend New Year’s Eve with us so I hope we have some time to go out and celebrate!

I was searching for some make up inspiration on Pinterest and decided that this New Year is going to sparkle big time. I am going for shimmer and glitter!

Here I present you my inspiration for New Year’s Eve makeup.

My 12th Anniversary: Beauty gifts

Jimmy and I celebrated our 12th Anniversary on December 20th and I still can’t believe how long it has been since we met. It is always a special day for us and we celebrate it (that is why our artistic name is 12/20).

I was really excited when I opened my presents because I saw some M.A.C products (yey!) and some ESSIE products which I love (just to make things clear: this post is not by any means sponsored, I just truly love them).

A bonus with my present were those beautiful earrings; last month I told Jimmy in a casual conversation that I had lost and earring and he got the clue (my smart boy).

 

 

Color me red: holiday accent

There is something chic and yet quite sultry about wearing red.

A red accessory gives that extra accent to an outfit or if you are feeling the whole red vibe then I think you are going to love the pop of color that it will give to your day. I rarely wear red (wore a red backless dress to a friend’s bachelorette party and then a red jumpsuit on Halloween).

This holiday season I want to incorporate some red lips here and there and I will be in the pursuit of finding the perfect chic red dress.

Here some inspiration for the day:

Latest beauty buys: 6 favorites of the month

Lately I discovered Jaclyn Hill. I think is not possible to watch her videos and not fall in love with her. Sweetest makeup guru on earth.

So since I am in this «I-love-makeup-and-Jaclyn» phase, I have been upgrading my makeup drawers. I normally do my makeup for photoshoots and videoshoots, so having the right tools is definitely a big plus on how it is going to turn out.

In this post I want to share my 6 favorites new buys.

1. Maybelline «Baby Skin». I know this is not a new product of anything but I recently discovered it and loved it. I sometimes apply it alone if I don’t want to wear any foundation and it leaves my skin soft and glowing.
2. YSL Foundation «Le teint touche eclant» in B40. I tried a sample of this foundation and loved it. It stays on my skin all day long without wearing off. The tone is just perfect.
3. Revolution’s Pro-fix oil control fixing spray. I went to a wedding recently and my makeup stayed put for as long as 12 hours, no kidding. I spray this after I finish my makeup and it sticks to my face giving me a healthy glow. A-m-a-z-i-n-g.
4. I was not into matte lipstick thing until I discovered this one: L’oreal Color Riche Matte in 640 «erotique». It is the perfect lipstick for any occasion.
5. Revolution’s Salvation Velvet Lacquer in «Keep crying for you» shade. Be warned: this is as hot pink as it gets.
6. Yves Rocher highlight powder. I bought this in-store here in Madrid but can’t seem to find it online because it says that the product is no longer available. This is a similar one.

Comfy…and chic

For me sneakers have always been all about sports; no sneakers with an outfit other than shorts or gym pants. When I moved to Spain last year I brought with me all my fabulous high heels just to have them sit there in my closet because I was walking all day, everyday, everywhere I went.

I needed chic comfortable footwear.

So now I use high heels in specific occasions and on a daily basis I’ve learned that flat shoes go a long way. I see everybody in the city wearing sneakers with jeans, tights and even dresses. When I tried to pull it off, I felt so weird and strange that it didn’t work for me then. The problem was I was trying too hard and the point is to just let it be.

Yes, let it be …comfortable (and chic).

Fifty shades of grey

I know we are all going to age, eventually grow some grey hair and maybe hate it but lately I have been flirting with the idea of silver hair.

I really like the trend. But then again… I have read tons of articles regarding silver hair maintenance and I am backing down.

Remember my pink ends post? I think that is how far I could go for now…

Some lovely inspiration just in case I change my mind. 🙂

 

 

Plum lips: yes please

I am not used to winter.

I try to look stylish but somehow find myself resembling a snowman. Layers and layers and more layers of clothing. But what can I do? I am cold (I can hear my mom’s voice in my head saying «then invest in some heavy-good-quality winter coat»).

So to compensate for the «snowmanish» attire, I try to play with statement makeup. I have fallen in love with the plum lips trend. I had never used it before and the other day I felt bold enough to put some of this dark-colored chic lipstick. Works marvelous. Really, I have done my research and almost everybody looks good with this color of lips.

Since I didn’t know how this was going to turn out, I bought mine from H&M just to try it and I really liked it. Pair with neutral eyes for day and with a bold cat-eye for a night out.

Vogue’s Fashion Night Out: Madrid

Eventually I took the dust of my black jump suit and put it on. I can’t remember the last time I wore this outfit. I love this jumpsuit (except when it’s time to pee and you have to take the whole thing off).

I have to say we where looking quite good that night. Perfect for the «Vogue Fashion Night out». The only problem was that as we were walking I told Jimmy that it would be a wonderful idea to buy an umbrella because somehow I predicted it was going to rain. He never listens to me and so it did rain and my hair got wet resembling a electrocuted chicken.

That being said I managed to make the look work and we headed to the crowded Madrid streets. I don’t know if you have noticed in my past «Fashion Wednesday» posts but I do have sneaked in my collages some pics of «Madame de Rosa«. I love this Spanish blogger. She has a very cool style and I have been following her blog for quite a while now. Who would have thought I would meet her? Yup, it was pretty cool.

Blue makeup inspiration

In a recent post I share my summer bucket list. I am happy that I’ve already done some of them and I pretend to do them again and again. One of the things that was on the list was to try blue makeup. In that post I also shared this easy tutorial. I gathered some beautiful photos so I can get a little inspired to see which one to try.

I would love this look for the day

This for a night out