Bloggers ( and Youtubers ) Made Me Buy Them

Watching youtube videos and blogwalking are my favorites things to do in my spare time. I can literally spend the whole day in front of my laptop, watching youtube videos and blogwalking. That, results in me wanting almost every thing that the beauty gurus/bloggers recommend. I have to admit that my make up wish list grew longer and longer. Emily from the BeautyBroadcast on youtube just did the 'Youtube Made Me Buy It TAG' recently and I thought it would be fun to do so.

Almost 70-80% of my make up collection is purchased based on beauty gurus or bloggers' recommendations, but there are some products that I bought mainly because they are so raved and hyped and loved and often talked by beauty gurus/bloggers ( very bad for a curious cat like me :p ).

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette - Probably the most talked about and recommended eye shadow palette ever after. Following the success of its sister ; Naked original, this 2nd edition has gained so much attention and love from the beauty community. I didn't buy it, because it was given to me as a birthday gift 2 years ago, but I did write it on the wish list and I would had bought it by myself if it wasn't given to me. 

Rimmel London Apocalypse Lip Lacquer - One of my recent purchase, I finally caved in after reading and watching so many people rave about it. It was on sale in asos so I picked it up. The shade I picked was Big Bang, a gorgeous bright red. I didn't regret the purchase at all but I don't know if I will buy other shades.

Clinique Chubby Stick - The mother of all the lip pencils hype. This product was soooooooo hyped around the german beauty community. I know it was famous everywhere but seemed like it adjusted very well to the german market. I took time for me to like the formula at the beginning, but now I am head over heels with it. I have bought a lot of its 'wanna be' from different brands, but mainly cheaper alternatives and I must say, the one from Clinique is still the best one. 

Bourjois Little Round Pot Blushes - Sleepandwater's blogpost here was the biggest reason why I purchased the pretty little blushes from Bourjois. I didn't regret it at all, though they tend to get harder after times because of the baked consistency, but I still love it. I usually use brush with slightly more rough bristles to get the product and I find that the mini brush given is perfect to use at times when the blush gets harden. Overall a very nice blush, smells amazing and looks pretty on my dressing table.

Revlon Lip Butters - Together with Naked2, this is also probably the most raved, loved, hyped and talked about lip product. I remember I wanted them so bad I asked my mom to send me some from Indonesia because Revlon is not available in Germany. But I have to say I was disappointed. They are not bad, but not as great as I expected them to be. They are not moisturizing enough as 'lip butter' and the texture is a bit drying and rough ( because of the glitters ) imho. Most of them are also too shimmery for my liking. I def prefer the Chubby stick from Clinique and its 'alternatives' better than Revlon lip butters.

Manhattan Clear Face Powder - It won the best face powder for yearsssss in Germany and almost every German beauty bloggers/gurus love it so much so I had to try it out! It is indeed a very good finishing powder. It keeps my face looking matte and less oily for hours and the finish is very natural and not cakey or blotchy. A drugstore gem that is comparable to the famous MAC blotting powder.

Catrice All Matt Foundation - When Catrice took it out from the standard collection last season, people got hysterical and when Catrice brought it back, people got overly excited so I gave it a go because I was so curious why so many people love it.  A lot of german beauty bloggers that I follow, are mostly loving this foundation. This foundation has won many awards as well. 

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - I think this is the only skin care that I bought because of the hype. I am very picky when it comes to skin care so I rarely buy skin care based on other people's reviews. I usually do my own research and come to the counter to do consultation with the advisor. But I have read sooooo many great reviews about this balm so I couldn't resist to pick it up when the dept.store where I work part time was having regular end of the month employees' discount. It is not a long term skin care I'd say, but more like a emergency helper. There is something in it that can transform unpresentable-tired-exhausted skin to a presentable-bright-fresh skin. I try my best to wear it only on special occasions so my skin doesn't get used to it. 

Do you have products that you bought under the influence of the beauty community?

Love,

Pam

Manhattan Colour Splash Lip Tint

I am usually not a fan of lip tints. I love how they look on some people but I don't like how they can be high maintenance and drying and usually such a hassle to apply. Manhattan recently brought some lip tints to their collection and the reviews I read about them are almost all great. So I was very happy to get this lip tint from the lovely Claudia from BeautyButterflies. Thanks for sending me the lovely package, Claudia! <3

I got the shade #54L - So Paris, a matte blue toned fuchsia with a hint of magenta and purple. I though t at first "darn, it is not going to work for my complexion" but I gave it a go and surprisingly, I kinda like how it looks on me. 

The lip tint comes in a simple tube with doe foot applicator.

The lip tint has wonderful consistency. It is very watery but it applies evenly which is unusual for lip tint. It is a bit wet after applied but it dries up to a velvety finish which is such a pleasure. The pigmentation is the bomb, it looks opaque after only 1 swipe. I was very surprised that it was that good. It doesn't bleed as well so it is not high maintenance. It can set to the lip lines a bit after awhile but nothing very bad. The staying power is unbelievable. It stays on like nobody's business. It started to fade gradually after 5-6 hours but it fades evenly so it doesn't look bad on the lips. I usually apply a thin layer of lip balm beforehand just because I am used to, but I tried it without lip balm and it is not drying at all. It feels comfortable on my lips , not sticky like most lip tints.

It is very difficult to remove, though. I have to use an oil based eye make up remover + powerful rub to remove it completely. 

The lip tint is scented, something fruity and sweet but not disturbing. 

I don't have any idea whether Manhattan is available in another countries, but I hope it is, because this product is a gem.

It retails for 3,79€ / 7ml

What do you think of the color? 

Love,

Pam 

Current Obsession

What is your favorite eye shadow shade? Mine is definitely burgundy - plum - to coppery red. I found that the shades look most flattering on my complexion and my eye color. I've been gravitating towards the shades very often lately, here are some of my recent favorite shades :

1. MUA Undressed Palette #9 - A very wearable redish peachy shade with a hint of burgundy. It is a very nice worn alone shade which is my go to shade if I don't have enough time to get ready. I don't need another eye shadow because this one looks good and pretty even when it's worn alone. The sheen - duo chrome finish is a winner.
2. Sonia Rykiel duo eyeshadow #04 - This shade is my go to for a dramatic eye look that requires no hassles. It has a very intriguing duo chrome finish which is when applied, looks like you applied more than 1 shade. It has soft spongy texture, very similar to L'oreal Infaillible eye shadows.
3. KIKO Sensous Burgundy - It is by far my favorite burgundy quad. But my favorite shade is the upper left shide which is a true burgundy shade. It has satin finish, so def not matte with a hint of redish pink sheen.
4. Burberry Plum Pink - As the name suggests, it is a eye shadow quad with plum theme. It is by far the best high end eye shadow formula I have ever encountered. My fave shade is the 2nd stripe from the left. A gorgeous plumy shade.
5. Essence Sun Kissed Mousse Eye Shadow - I bought it on sale, after the LE display was no longer displayed so I had no expectation. But it is actually really good. The texture is mousse-y and it applies like cream to powder finish. Pigmentation is amazing and it looks beautiful on the lids.
6. Maybelline Color Tattoo Pomegranate Punk - The perfect mix of plum and burgundy. It is exactly something in the middle. A beautiful mix that looks vibrant on the lids, also perfect as base for a dramatic eye look.
7. Catrice Plum Up The Jam - As the name suggests, a true plum shade with a hint of dark purple. The finish is semi matte, and once applied, it leans more to purple. So it is more on the darker side of plum. The texture is okay, a bit powdery but I find it great for drugstore product.
8. MAC Cranberry - A lot of people complain that it looks to redish and makes our eyes looking like you've just been punched. But I have to disagree as I think this shade is beautiful. It can look wrong on some complexion or if it is not applied correctly, but I looked and watched some tutorial on youtube on how to make this shade work so I think it is a beautiful shade.

What is your favorite eye shadow shades? 

Love,

Pam

Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Make Up

I love foundations very much. Applying base make up ( foundation, primer, concealer, powder ) is the favorite part of my make up routine. I just love how foundation can transform my less presentable skin in the mornings to be more presentable :p

I love the feeling on freshly applied foundation. I love the brush swipe, or the beauty blender dab. I love love love it. I find it also most interesting to read about foundation reviews because they are more difficult to write in comparison to lipstick or blushes in my opinion. How about you?

I recently picked up the new formulated All Matt Plus Shine Control foundation from Catrice. The foundation was very much loved and have won many awards here in Germany , so when Catrice took it out from their permanent range last season, people were manic and hysterical ( like literally ). But now Catrice put it back to the permanent range with a new formula that supposed to be better than the predecessor.

The foundation comes in a luxurious looking matte glass bottle. It is very sturdy and well made, definitely nice for the price. It also comes with a pump that dispenses the product really well. Packaging wise, the new version looks almost identical to its older sister. you can see the comparison pict, here. 

My shade is #020 - Nude Beige. It is the 2nd lightest shade available out of 4. The lightest shade which is #010 - Light Beige is too light for me but Nude Beige is my perfect match. 

Nude Beige has neutral undertone, a bit of yellow hint but nothing that disturbs me ( I dislike foundation with yellow undertone ).  The formula is something between liquid and cream. It is more like a mousse consistency I'd say. It also has kind of powdery feel to it, like you can feel that the foundation will dry to a matte finish ( if that makes sense, sorry for my poor description :p )

As you can see on the pictures above, this foundation has medium coverage. It covers my imperfections well and evens out my complexion. I do still need concealer on some spots though, but not very necessary. I can go without concealer either.

The foundation feels lightweight on the skin, definitely not heavy. It does have matte-powdery finish but it doesn't cling on my dry patches and pores. The finish is natural and I feel like it reflects light a little bit which is good because my face looks brighter and 'fresher'. I tried to apply this foundation with beauty blender and buffing brush but beauty blender works better because buffing brush can get a bit streaky.

The oil control is average, despite of the matte finish ,it is not very impressive. My T zone gets oily after ca. 4 hours. But I don't really mind to blot a bit more often.

I notice a very subtle fresh scent which I like. It is very subtle so people with sensitive nose don't have to be worry. 

Since Catrice is now slowly spreading its market internationally, I hope more of you can get your hands on this foundation. It is a very decent foundation for 6,05€ / 30ml

Love,

Pam

KIKO Kiss Balm

Another beauty brand that jumped on the bandwagon of tinted lip balm ; KIKO. I think this tinted lip balm didn't really get much attention because I haven't seen it online before on any blogs or youtube videos. But the KIKO girl showed me this lip balm and I liked it the first time I tried it on the store. So I picked one up.

I picked up the shade #06 - Blackberry. It is a mauve-y berry shade with no shimmer. The lip balm comes in a metallic purple bullet and comes with a box as well which is good for the price ; 5,99€.

This is what KIKO said about the lip balm :

KIKO MAKE UP MILANO presents KISS BALM, the lip balm with a velvety and ultra rich texture that, day after day, leaves lips soft and moisturized. A lightweight, semi-transparent film that moisturizes the lips and adds a delicate hint of colour, elegance and style.

Enriched with Shea Butter and Vitamins, the formula provides immediate relief to chapped lips thanks to the emollient and antioxidant action of its special ingredients. Lip moisturizers are also paired with City Filter to offer SPF 15 protection.

A complete treatment, KISS BALM unites lip care and vibrant colour with the pleasure of delicate fruit aromas. Special combinations of colours and aromas were designed to create an alluring match that immediately comforts the lips.

The first time I tried it on the store, I really liked it. But as I tried it more at home, I started to find things I dislike from this lip balm. The texture is very slippery until it is a bit hard to apply. I don't think it moisturizes and hydrates my lips enough for a lip balm. The fact is, I notice that it is a bit drying after awhile. The pigmentation is not that great, but I don't expect it to be very pigmented either since it's a tinted lip balm. 

It doesn't feel very comfortable on my lips because it is so slippery. It has SPF 15 which is a good point but I just don't get the whole concept. -__-

The other thing that annoys me, is the scent. It is very strongly scented, sickly sweet and it lingers on. I am usually not sensitive to scent but this one is very overwhelming.

The color I picked, is a pretty shade. It is sheer on the lips, it looks like 'your lips but better' shade, perfect for every day use. If you don't mind it being slippery and sickly scented, it is actually a nice decent product. 

Love,

Pam

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick

I've been loving these eye shadow sticks from Rimmel lately. They are so good I can barely find the downside.

I picked them both on asos sale for 30% cheaper ( I paid around 4€ each ).

Bad Girl Bronze is a bronzy brown shade. It has sheen finish and doesn't contain any chunky glitters. Bulletproof Beige in other hand is a peachy champagne shade also with sheen almost shimmery finish. Both shades are so creamy and very well pigmented. They apply like a dream and don't tug on my lids. I have quite sensitive eyes but these sticks don't irritate my eyes.

Both shades really need only 1 swipe and they already look very vivid, we also have to be a bit careful on application because they dry up really fast. So we have to blend them soon. Because once they set, they don't go anywhere for hours. They stay on really well even without base.

Both sticks are not retractable so we have to always sharpen them, which I think is a good point because we can make sure the point is 'sharp'. It will be difficult to apply if the point is dull.

A lot of people compare these sticks with NYX Jumbo Pencils , and I must say I prefer the ones from Rimmel. They are simply more creamy, more pigmented, they stay on longer and have better formula. 

Have you tried these sticks from Rimmel?

Love,

Pam

Rock The Boat

On my last trip to drugstore, I picked up a new nail polish from Essie's latest collection. I had 10€ voucher for my local drugstore after I redeemed the points I got on my reward card, so I used the voucher to buy the Essie nail polish, as they retail for 7,99€ which is a bit on the higher price of drugstore.

 

I got the shade Rock The Blue, a periwinkle - baby blue shade with shimmer particles. The shimmers are very visible on the bottle but not really on the nails. They are very subtle and only visible under bright light.

Rock The Boat is sheer and it took me 3 coats to get the opacity like on the pictures above. The application was a bit gloopy, so make sure to let each layer dry completely before adding another layer.

I like Essie nail polishes but they are not very consistent with the quality. Some polishes are so difficult to apply and very gloopy while others are dream to apply. 

But however, Rock The Boat is beautiful, and unique shade that is not that easily dupable. 

I love the color but not really the formula.

Love,

Pam

Ice Bomb

I've been loving cream blush lately so when I saw this cream blush from the latest Essence limited edition , I picked it up blindly since there was not any tester on the display.

The cream blush comes in a very simple packaging. It is quite small as well which I like because it is travel friendly. I put it inside my everyday make up bag because it is small and easy to apply with fingers so no need to bring extra brush.

This blush has a very interesting texture. It is bouncy and a bit spongy. I believe it is the same concept with the famous Maybelline Bouncy blush in the US. 

'Ice Bomb' is a bright orange-y peachy shade. It has a bit of shimmer but it is not visible once applied. It has satin finish on the cheeks. The pigmentation is amazing so I don't recommend to apply it with brush as it usually tends to get too much. It is written in the packaging to apply it with finger and I agree that it is the best way of application.

The blush has a very unique formulation. It is creamy but at the same time powdery and it feels lightweight though when you swatch it, it does feel a bit sticky. Fortunately it doesn't feel sticky at all once applied.

I am overall happy that I decided to pick it up since it is now a staple on my make up bag that I carry everywhere I go. It gives a nice color , natural flushed and has good staying power. 

Love,

Pam

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

When it comes to concealer, I don't really have a lot of wishes. I am lucky not having to deal with heavy under eye areas so a lightweight concealer will do just fine for me. But sometimes there are some parts on my face that need more coverage such as acne scars, and rednesses on my cheeks so concealer is still part of my make up routine.

Maybelline FIT ME concealer and Benefit Fake Up have been my everyday staples recently but I read a lot of good reviews on this concealer from Bourjois and as I am a fan of face products from the brand, so I decided to try it out.

The concealer comes in a small squeeze tube packaging. It is a nice little tube but it is difficult to dispense the right amount because it always comes out too much, so I prefer doe foot applicator better than this one. But it is still a nice , practical packaging.

The texture of the concealer is a bit thick and creamy. It has yellow undertone but I heard that yellow undertone is good for highlighting the under eye area ( ever heard of the famous banana powder? ) so I don't mind the yellow undertone at all. It doesn't look yellow on the skin either. The pigmentation is amazing, a little goes a looooong way.

This concealer is perfect to cover imperfectness as it is well pigmented and it blends very well. I usually apply this foundation after primer and sunscreen, but before my foundation. It blends with the foundation easily without looking cakey or blotchy. It doesn't cling on dry patches as well.

It is now summer in Berlin so the weather is unbearably warm and I sweat a lot like a suckling pig, but this concealer stays on pretty well. I notice it does fade after 6 or 7 hours.

I am overall very pleased with this purchase. I think I am slowly becoming a Bourjois fan.

What is your favorite concealer?

Love,

Pam

OOTD - One Bright Summer

Hey guys!

It has been very warm the last 3 weeks here in Berlin which I hate with all my heart. I don't like summer even though a lot of people LOVE it. I prefer to freeze in winter rather than sweating in summer. 

But fortunately it gets cooler now and the weather forecast shows that it will not get as warm as the last weeks. 

I've been wearing a lot of dresses and skirts during the super hot temperature as they are flowy and cooler than pants. Here is one OOTD I  wore on a shopping day with my friends when it was 32'C :

 

Black satin shirt : Forever21+

Paisley printed skirt : H&M

Flats : Primark

Bag : Rebecca Minkoff

Necklace : Primark

How is the weather where you live? 

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Love,

Pam

Benefit Stay Flawless 15 Hour Primer

I am a fan of Benefit Porefessional. It is by far the only primer that works for my skin. After 6 months of constant use, my Porefessional is now coming to an end. I was going to repurchase it, but the SA showed me their new stick primer.

I have seen this newly launched stick primer a lot on youtube as many youtubers are raving about it. So out of curiosity I picked up this stick primer instead of repurchasing The Porefessional . ( The SA advised me to apply The Porefessional on the top of this primer for perfect base which I refused because of the price. Like, 65€ for primer? No no no )

Yes, it is my strategic marketing handout that I used as base to take picture. :p

Benefit never fails me with their cute, vintage, retro packaging. This swivel stick form is also less hassle to apply.

The SA told me that the primer can be applied directly to the skin or with brush to get more coverage. But I don't like applying it with brush because the consistency of the primer is more like a balm. It is not silicon party like Porefessional which feels matte and powdery. This one is more like applying balm all over your face. It feels kind of sticky at the beginning but it absorbs fast and after that my skin feels tighter and smoother.

Please mind my banana finger and yes it's Tanya Burr in the background. :D

For application, I apply my sunscreen first, then glide the stick all over my face and even it out with my fingertips. Then I apply my foundation. 

I did a test for this review which I applied the foundation on half of my face over the primer and the other half without . I didn't notice any difference on the application in terms of finish or foundation coverage like its claims but after few hours, it did show some difference. 

 After 5 Hours of application

After 5 hours , I noticed that the part without primer was slightly more oily and the foundation started to fade on some spots. The part with primer was less oily and held the foundation better. But overall, there was no huge difference .

After 8 Hours 

After 8 hours, the difference was more noticeable. The part without primer was more greasy and oily esp on the cheek area. The part with the primer was also more oily than after 5 hours but still less oily than the without part. My foundation started to fade on both side but there was more left on the primer side. 

I would say, the 15 hour claim is exaggerating but this primer does work to help make up stay longer. It also helps to control the excess oil on the face.

I don't think this primer is something groundbreaking and I still prefer The Porefessional to be honest. But the swivel stick form is really good and convenient. If Porefessional comes in swivel stick form as well I'll definitely be very happy. It is also more expensive as The Porefessional. This one retails for 34€/15.5gr and Porefessional retails for 32€/22ml.

Have you ever tried primer from Benefit?

PS : I just updated my BLOGSALE , and I can ship international, Please take a look :D

Love,

Pam