a still from a L’Oréal mascara advert featuring Penelope Cruz

This is my interpretation of her make-up. I do not think I look like Penelope Cruz, this is merely inspired by her and her make-up. My face looks lighter than my body in this picture but this is due to the flash! And my hair looks different because I put bobby pins in my fringe to pull it back

In close-up.

Products I used for this look:

• Manhattan eyeliner pencil on upper and lower waterlines, smudged using Sigma SS209
• Black eyeshadow from the Zoeva 88 warm palette, applied and smudged with Sigma SS209
• Peach eyeshadow from the Zoeva 88 warm palette, applied to the crease with Sigma SS219 and blended with the SS239
• Applied false eyelashes from Gypsy Lashes in 94
• The Falsies Volum’ Express Mascara by Maybelinne
• Dark brown eyeshadow from the Zoeva 88 matte palette to fill in my brows with Sigma SS266 (one of my favourite brushes)

on my face I used Face & Body foundation by MAC, Hema Wet&Dry Blush and Gosh lipstick in Darling.

The lashes I used here weren’t featured in my huge lash post, I thought they would be too wispy and dramatic but they proved perfect for this look! I really love them now.

Image courtesy of Madame Madeline. Lashes provided by Madame Madeline.

A while ago I discovered gossmakeupartist on Youtube, an amazing professional make-up artist who makes really great tutorials. I saw his male make-up tutorial a while ago and was really inspired by it, his skills really blew me away. I made my boyfriend watch the video too and he jokingly said that I should try it on him once. I’m one of those people who takes everything seriously (at least I know I do!) so I did it on him today. I have to add, this is the first time EVER I did make-up on a man. I think I did okay for a first time and with the available tools I had.

This is the “before”-image. Though I have to add, technically it’s the after image cause I forgot to take a before picture this is after we took off all the make-up, he also shaved by the way.

This is the “after”-image. I think it gives him a more defined and masculine look, it also evened out his skintone to blend better with his neck. It may look slightly dramatic in this picture (I think so at least) but it looked very natural in real life. I told my mum I had done make-up on my boyfriend before she saw it, when he came in she kept staring at him before she finally said “If you hadn’t told me I wouldn’t have noticed it.”

He enjoyed having the make-up applied a lot, but I’m sure us girls will understand cause being pampered is great. We had a lot of fun doing this, it doesn’t look 100% perfect but as I said it was my first go. I followed most of the steps gossmakeupartist did besides curling his lashes and covering them with eyeliner (instead of mascara) because he thinks lash curlers look really scary. Boys are such wimps sometimes!

And by the way, this is not something we’re going to do regularly, it was just for fun!

This was requested by Laurein, a brown smokey eye look. I decided to make it a really simple look, using just one eyeshadow, something for everyday that won’t take more than a few minutes.

STEP #1

First prime your eyes. Then apply your favourite brown to your eyelids, just right above the crease. I used the sigma 252 brush for packing in lots of eyeshadow. It’s fine if it doesn’t look perfect yet, we still have to blend it out so this step is just applying it evenly all over your lid!

STEP #2

Blend, blend, blend! I used the sigma 224, a fluffy brush is ideal for this.

STEP #3

What I always like to do is use an eyeliner brush and apply some of the eyeshadow just under my bottom lashes from the outer corner to about 3/4 of your lashline. Apply mascara and eyeliner to finish off your look!

STEP #4 (optional)

Add false lashes! I used the Revlon defining lashes, applied them with DUO lash adhesive. (I know I was going to do an entry about false lashes, I might do that later on I’m not sure. Also, you can buy DUO lash adhesive at MAC Counters, just be careful with the one in Antwerp. First time I went there a really nice girl helped me, the others times I had appalling service, very rude staff!)

Hope you liked the look! I used a more warm copper coloured brown to compliment my brown eyes, you can also use a darker colder brown.

A few days ago I received the The Travel Brush Kit from the famous Sigma. I know most (or some) of you don’t really follow the make-up vloggers on Youtube, but I can say that right about everyone that means something on youtube has spoken about these brushes. They have been compared to MAC brushes endlessly (which are much more expensive) and some say they are better than MAC, others say they aren’t. I believe it is unfair to compare them as they are from a different price range, let’s just say that being compared to MAC is a compliment, they are without a doubt of a professional quality, but for a price most of us can afford and are willing to spend on make-up.

I can honestly say that the right brushes are key to creating a stunning make-up look, I have given some make-up advice to several of my friends face-to-face over the past few months, it always started off by saying “get proper brushes!” It is so important I can’t stress enough. However, you don’t have to spend an average of €15 per brush if you want decent quality, I don’t think all of us are willing to spend that much, I for one am not, even though I am really into make-up.

Sigma offers several brush kits, ranging from €31 for an Eye (seven brushes) or Face kit (five brushes) to €120 for the Premium set (fifteen brushes + brush roll).

I will be reviewing the Travel Set in Pink (also available in black) which costs €39 or $49. The kit comes with seven brushes and a complimentary foundation brush which makes it eight in total. It is a travel kit and comes with a great brush roll to keep your brushes in, with a zipper for some smaller items (I keep the complimentary brush in there, perfect!), the brushes are smaller in size, I was a bit scared this would bug me but it doesn’t at all, they fit very nicely into your hands and applying make-up with them is very comfortable despite of the size. I did read on several reviews that they smell a bit at first, some described it as “a rancid stench”, which is totally exaggerated, they did have a mildly unpleasant smell but I washed them before using and after that the smell was fine.

The Face Brushes:

SS150 – Powder Brush
This brush is sooooo incredibly soft! I thought my Zoeva brushes were the softest in the world but these are even softer! Feels wonderful to apply powder with on the face.

SS187 – Duo Fibre Brush
I was most looking forward to trying this one, it’s a stippler brush. It can be used for several things, for regular powders like blushes, highlighters, bronzers and pressed, loose or mineral powders. But you can also use it for liquid foundation, it’s perfect for creating an “airbrushed” finish.

SS168 – Angled Brush
This is an angled brush you can use for contouring or blush. I like my zoeva angled brush better I have to say. It’s really soft but for me it’s not springy enough. A nice brush but not my favourite.

SS190 – Foundation Brush
This is the complimentary foundation brush, it is AMAZING I really love it. The quality of this one is superb and it makes applying foundation a dream, I had a Zoeva foundation one already which I thought was good but this one is miles better.

SS194 – Concealer Brush
This is the same story as with the foundation brush, it’s the same quality, great for applying concealer.

The Eye Brushes:

SS239 – Eye Shading Brush
This is a really great brush, great for applying eyeshadow but I love really using it for blending as well as applying.

SS224 – Tapered Blending Brush
This is a blending brush, it’s nice cause it’s really big but I wish it had been slightly more springy, I feel like I’m just stroking and sweeping over my crease and eyelid instead of really blending it in. Other than that it’s really soft and I think I will likely use it most for applying highlighter under my eyebrow. I honestly have spoken too soon, I tried this brush several times and it is an absolute dream to blend eyeshadow with. It’s become my favourite!

SS219 – Pencil Brush
This is a great little brush, to me it’s absolutely perfect for applying dark colours in the crease, sometimes I do a look and it just needs a tiny bit more black in the crease and in the outer corner, this is great for finishing off your look, dotting the I!

All in all a great brush set, you really get your money’s worth, it’s just €4,80 per brush if you count the complimentary one, which is a great price. These brushes are a great alternative for the pricey ones, if you are just getting into make-up or if you want to invest in some nice brushes that don’t cost a fortune… Meet Sigma!

website: http://www.sigmamakeup.com

I was sent these products by Sigma Make-Up to review. I am not in any way affiliated with this company nor am I being paid by them. All opinions stated are honest and my own.

This is an everyday look, ideal for work. Very understated though enhances your natural features.

Products used:
1) Face
♥ Zoeva Concealer Palette
♥ Mac Face & Body Foundation
♥ Hema Compact Pressed Powder
♥ Hema Blush Wet & Dry in 02
♥ Hema Terra Bronzing Powder in 01

2) Eyes
♥ Mac Gesso e/s
♥ Zoeva warm shimmer palette, shimmery brown e/s
♥ Manhattan eyeliner pencil
♥ Eyelash curler by Hema
♥ Maybelline the falsies mascara
♥ Brown e/s to fill in lashes

“Tonight I’m not taking no calls cause I’ll be dancing!”
It’s been out for a few weeks now, the new Lady Gaga video, Telephone. I’ve been madly in love with it ever since I first saw it, it’s a piece of art. Lady Gaga is my one weakness, I just love her catchy songs and her over the top wardrobe. It’s a breath of fresh air to finally see something else than skimpy booty-shaking bimbos on the telly. I hated her on her first Friday Night with Jonathan Ross appearance, she is a bit full of herself but I just can’t help dancing to her tunes.

One of the things that immediately caught my eye in the telephone video (besides the obvious) was Beyoncé’s make-up in the petrol station scene. It looks absolutely stunning!

This morning I felt like recreating it myself. One of the reasons it looks so stunning is because of Beyoncé’s chocolate brown skin, sadly I don’t have a dark skin like hers otherwise I’d have looked even better!

I added a few false lashes to dramatize the look even more, (I found them in a discount basket at Kruidvat) though they’re a bit too dramatic for a day look, I’d really love some more natural looking lashes though haven’t got the budget to spend, if anyone knows some great inexpensive lashes let me know!

I used a liquid liner pencil by Manhattan and the yellow eyeshadow in my 88 palette. A fun tip to make your colours more vibrant, try to wet your brushes first! It helps a little bit. You can also use mixing medium, I believe MAC has this but you can also make some yourself, I’d love to try it but you need cosmetic glycerine, I’ve no idea where to find some, should look around in Holland at a chemist’s maybe. I’ll let you know if I find any and if it works.

Oxfordjasmine

Recently I’ve been browsing Youtube a lot and I’ve found a few really great make-up gurus I didn’t know before. One of those was the make-up artist oxfordjasmine, she is a huge supporter of cruelty free make-up and I can only applaud that. A year ago she did a great series on eyeshapes, the right make-up for your specific shape of eyes. When I first saw her “Guide to making the most of your make-up“-video I was so excited, it’s so recognizable, I see someone doing a make-up look and think, that looks gorgeous but it wouldn’t look as good on my eyes cause they’re totally different. The key is to knowing what type of eyes you have and doing the right make-up for what goes with them.

These are a few different types:

Small – Cameron Diaz
Prominent – Angelina Jolie
Round eyes – Scarlett Johannson
Close together – Victoria Beckham
Wide apart – Kylie Minogue
Hooded – Paris Hilton or Madonna
Oriental – Lucy Liu
Deep set – Jennifer Aniston

I found it to be a great help to know how to make most of my slightly oriental and hooded eyes. (Thanks to Jasmine for helping me to determinate what my eyeshape is!) I recommend everyone to go take a look at her videos and determine what you’ve got, listen to her tips and I’m sure it will help you a great deal as it did for me.

her website: http://www.oxfordjasmine.com
her blog: http://oxfordjasmine.blogspot.com

This is a similar look to what I do most days, it’s very simple yet fun. So this isn’t for a special occasion, just a basic every day look. Though my boyfriend came over, that’s as special of an occasion as I need to make myself look pretty.

What I used:

♥ I started off with a day cream by Hema with SPF6
♥ Applied concealer from my Zoeva Palette under and on top of my eyes, around my nose and lips and on problem areas
♥ I applied MAC face and body foundation in the colour C2 with a foundation brush
♥ Compact foundation powder by Hema to set the foundation and create a matte look
♥ Catrice Bronzing mineral powder below my cheekbones
♥ Candy Kisses Very Cherry lipbalm
♥ MAC eyeshadow in the colour Gesso (matte white) under my eyebrows and the inner corners of my eyes
♥ A shimmery grey colour from the 88 Palette, in the outer corners of my eyes and in my crease

Even though it’s done with only two colours it looks really great and it’s very simple to do. You just have to keep blending!

A friend of ours, Peggy, is going to a wedding in a week and she came to seek some advice with me as to what she could do for her make-up! She’s going to wear a green and blue outfit and as she has green eyes I suggested using peachy and brown colours which make green eyes really pop. As she doesn’t wear a lot of make-up normally and as it’s for a day-time occasion, a wedding, I suggested keeping it very simple and neutral.

The steps I did:

♥ First apply a daycream or moisturizer (Hema)
♥ Concealer underneath the eyes and on top, around the nose and lips and on problem areas (red spots etc.) (Zoeva Concealer Palette)
♥ A liquid foundation or/and a powder (MAC face and body foundation)
♥ A small amount of blusher on the apples of the cheeks (Hema)
♥ An eyeshadow base on the eyelids (Homemade with bodybutter and some foundation)
♥ A highlighter colour (white) under the eyebrows and in the inner corners of the eyes (Zoeva 88 Palette)
♥ A brown eyeshadow across the eyelid (Zoeva 88 Palette)
♥ A darker brown eyeshadow in the outer corners of the eyes and along the crease, I also applied some dark brown with a very fine brush under her eyes (Zoeva 88 Palette)
♥ Here I used a black eyeliner pencil just above her upper lash line and black mascara on top and bottom lashes, I didn’t have brown, but I suggest using brown as that will make this look even softer (Pencil by Manhattan, Mascara by Maybelinne, the falsies)
♥ A slight dash of colours on the lips to make them pop(Candy Kisses Very Cherry Lipbalm)

A big thank you to Peggy and I hope she enjoyed this look and will be able to recreate it on the occasion!

I have two looks to show today, a make-up look I’m really excited about and a nail look I’m even more excited about!

Eyes are a pain to take a picture of, not everything is sharp and I only had a decent picture with my eyes closed but you get the idea! It’s a black and gold look, perfect for going out. I really love it! I made it with my Metallic Stones Palette by Zoeva.

And this lovely half-moon manicure. I know I’m a bit late with these, they are “so last year” but I still like them very much, even on my short nails.

They’re quite easy to make, if you don’t have a steady hand I suggest using paper reinforcements as a guide tool. First paint your nails white, I used a white french nailpolish by Hema, then place your stickers where you want your half moon to be, then paint your nails in a red colour, or any other for that matter. I used a red longlasting nailpolish by Hema. I didn’t use a guide I just painted the red on free handedly as I had some trouble with stickers in the past.