Truly Chaos

Moved to...

2010-10-31T14:22:00.001+01:00

www.inyourface.at - my new Beauty Blog in German.

Sorry for the long lack of update. Was busy at my internship and I have finally decided to have a blog in German for now. Check it out, I'm posting there almost everyday with lots of pictures!

Summary of this cosmetic year

2009-12-29T14:01:00.004+01:00

only a few days left until 2010. And it's very unlikely that I should buy anything until then (simply because I'm not in Vienna). So I looked through my excel spreadsheet and boy, did I get a lot of free stuff in 2009... 2008 was a meagre year concerning cosmetics due to my exchange term in Singapore (the climate is too hot and humid to think about make up). 2007 was quite a lot, until I looked at 2009. I got 16 products for free. A large part is from the L'Oréal competition, another part from a friend and a few items were X-Mas gifts from retailers. I'm curious what 2010 will bring, but unless MAC re-releases Mothbrown eyeshadow, Coco or Sweet Sienna Pigment or have nice Holiday Sets (looong wait), I'm not supposed to buy. Given the array of colors I own I should have enough for the next few years.

And after doing the math I'm a bit wowed too: in 2009 I acquired cosmetics with a total retail price worth of ~800€, but paid 'only' 650€ due to various discounts and gift cards, and the free items. This does not include perfumes and skin/body care. Now 650€ could have bought me a new bag... on the other side I have lots of colors to play with and maaany substitutes.

One of my new year resolutions will consequently be: BUY LESS MAKEUP!!!

Oh and a random old snippet of the nail polish I'm currently wearing on my left hand... a bright green (looks less bluish in real) frost by a German drugstore brand.

Just my lipsticks...

2009-12-15T20:14:00.002+01:00

I've been really busy recently, so that's why I'm showing you the pics just now. My lipstick collection is pretty small compared to other people's. But most of mine are actually just standing around...
... as you can see from their height. I still stick to the neutrals for everyday lol. Too much hassle with the brights/extremes to look good when you're already running late.

It's been awhile... MAC Pigments and lipstick collection

2009-12-07T22:51:00.004+01:00

I havent't posted anything in a while because I started a new foodblog (foodoos.blogspot.com). However, it doesn't mean I'm not buying make up anymore. So for a re-start I'll show you my updated pigment collection.
It consists of the 2006, 2007 and two of the three 2009 sets. 2008 didn't had colors I liked. Now we'll look at each color in detail.
From left to right we have the following colors: Frost, Frozen White, Vanilla, Reflects Gold Glitter, Reflects Blue Glitter, Pink Opal, Helium, Naked, Lily White, Jardin Aires

From l to r starting with the first whole pigment vial on the pic: Jardin Aires, Dazzleray, Sunnydaze, Museum Bronze, Mauvement, Tan, Pink Bronze, Copper Sparkle, Sunpepper, Chocolate Brown, Rushmetal

Rushmetal, Old Gold, Reflects Antique Gold, Copperized, Chartreuse, Forest Green, Naval Blue, Softwash Grey, Violet, Softwash Grey, Dark Soul.

We have 4 pigments that look very much alike. The first pair is Dazzleray and Jardin Aires. The only difference is the slightly pinkish hue of Jardin Aires. Then we have Copper Sparkle and Rushmetal with the first being more sparkly and a bit more reddish.

The following pic gives you an idea for the next post... some bright colors will be among them.

Random lip swatches, some Chanel and MAC

2009-08-09T22:42:00.003+02:00

When I was digging through my old pics I discovered this one: The grey lips I made with MAC Myth lipstick and some MUFE Black lipstick and clear gloss.

The next one is Chanel Silex, notice the pink and gold sparkle on my pigmented lips. The gloss itself isn't so pigmented, the sparkle gives your lips some kind of glow though.

The last pic is a comparison of my latest lipgloss buys:

- MAC Dazzleglass in Money, Honey

- Chanel Glossimer in Silex (of which you can see the swatch above)

Both were worth their high price tag. Though MAC Dazzleglasses have that kind of packaging that let the content seem bigger... but Dazzleglasses are only around 2g, half of what you usually get in a MAC lipglass... and have a higher price tag...

Free L'Oréal Stuff - Part 2

2009-08-09T21:29:00.004+02:00

Labeling my eyeshadows is quite time consuming... if you do it with MS paint like me ^^...so I figured I'd show you something else for now. As I participated at the L'Oréal Brandstorm challenge with two colleagues we received quite a bit of free stuff. Here is what we got in the final (we didn't win unfortunately). It's retail worth is around 180€ ^^

We mainly have hairstuff from the L'Oréal group. Of course Maybelline stuff and some other. So what's really useful for me is the clear Maybelline nail polish as it's serving as my base now. Then the mineral foundation is also nice, a little too pinkish for my complexion but the darkness is okay. The eyeshadows don't rock my boat as I'm used to intense MAC pigmentation... but oh well, I can use all of the products somehow. But honestly I wouldn't have bought any of the products. As for haircare, I don't need any with my thick straight Asian hair... but the L'Oréal brand playball hairgel is nice, and the Fructis shampoo smells soooo delicious like green apples. Yummy.

Woooohooo - finally BACK!

2009-08-07T20:56:00.002+02:00

Well, this university term has been the hardest of all - graduation... And it's not over yet as I just submitted the first draft of my thesis. But I will have ~10 days of break until feedback and working on it again. Anyway, back to the good stuff. I've aquired a few pieced of cosmetics during that time... my newest one being MAC Smoke & Diamonds (due to hype, but it's a nice colour and sold out very quickly... I'm very happy I got it ^^). I also did an eyeshadow pic session as it always reminds me that I actually have too much stuff ö_Ö but powder doesn't go bad, so... yeah, will add color names to the pics and post some time later. Some of my other cosmetics (liquids, fragrances) are down in the cellar as it's damn hot in my room and the fridge is too small. See you later!

Free Maybelline stuff YEAH

2009-03-18T20:50:00.002+01:00

So I'm participating in the brandstorm competition by L'Oréal. We had this briefing day and got some nice full size products for FREE, to get to know the brand ^^ (we gotta launch the first Maybelline fragrance...). Ok, I gotta say not everyone who participates get it :P we were 1 out of 5 teams who made it into the national finals (out of 12 participating teams, not that much eh...).

Now I have a Matte Mousse foundation which is a bit too pale and pinkish on my NC25 skin (the Maybelline color is 030 Sand). So it accentuates dry flaky skin and coverage isn't the best, BUT the consistency is nice. Ít feels so soft and smooth when applying. LOL I'm gonna find a way to wear it... with yellow colored powder ;D

Then I have an eyeshadow duo with too much white shimmer in it. Come on Maybelline, you have a nice image, so don't make cheap looking eyeshadow. Thanx! (if you didn't notice, cheap eyeshadows with bad quality that you find in those noname sets usually have white shimmer overload....).

Next up: A clear nailpolish which is supposed to dry in 40 seconds. Didn't try it yet, but I will wear it as a basecoat anyway and I really needed a basecoat!

Another item for the eye is the XXL Mascara, but unfortunately it's not waterproof... I can only use waterproof due to my Asian stick straight lashes.

Now we're almost done: Superstay Powergloss! In a pink shade with gold shimmer, I was hoping to get Fire Granet, but that shade is also nice.

Finally we have a Moisture Extreme Nude collection lipstick. It smells nice, like caramel/toffee (its name is Toffee cream ;D), the color is a bit too bright for everyday. I mean I like paler stuff (MAC High Tea), but with the right Eye make up it will look more healthy than High tea haha. Since it was free I love my gifts ;D Gonna post pics when I do looks, but Sunday will actually be my first free day this week urgh... to think that I'm only in university lol

Piha Black on red lips

2009-03-16T23:17:00.002+01:00

So this is MAC Lasting Lust with Lancôme Piha Black Gloss over it. You can see my dry lips through the gloss... because the layer of color dries out your lips, the gloss over it is just some kind of illusionist comforter. The lips don't get moisturized, it just seems so lol.

Not so great lol, but Piha Black definitely tones down colors... Lasting Lust with regular clear gloss is a bit more garish, slightly orangy, at least compared to Russian Red. Actually I like the red Maybelline shade more, and it's even less expensive....

Nails...

2009-03-13T01:31:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post before going to bed...

This is MAC On the Prowl. The only grey I could find... (shimmer stuff doesn't count. it would be silver, I wanted NO SHIMMER this time).

On the other hand: MAC Whirlwind.

Excuse the mess, I took the pics right after applying Seche Vite. Anyway, I applied all this on Saturday and today (very early Friday) there is still NO CHIPPING! Amazing, just amazing. All for under 4€ lol. Tomorrow I'm gonna remove the colors though, need some fresh stuff to look at. I guess Chanel Black Satin on the left and Zoya Tangy on the right. Or both hands Zoya Blair... we'll see.

I also went shopping today, got MAC Pro Longwear in Lasting Lust... for now I'll only tell you it really doesn't smear/go off. What it looks like on it's own, consistency, what it looks like with Piha Black and if it rubs off with a different gloss than the intended topcoat... I'll tell ya tomorrow *zzZZzz*

Here it is...

2009-03-12T10:16:00.003+01:00

I was surprised that I got my package today... pretty fast (Douglas Online Shop to Austria). I didn't include the clear up strips in this pic as it didn't fit into the group shot (stylewise). On top is the Eau de Star Sample. When trying it out it instantly reminded me of Angel, but it's not as strong. I don't really love it, Angel Innocence and the Original are better. On the bottom is the generous YSL Rouge Volupté Sample, it even includes a mini-brush. The first color on the left is definitely something I'd wear, the second would work too. I'm curious what the bright red will turn out to be, since I love MAC Russian Red already and will buy Lasting Lust (Pro Longwear formula) today. I'm not a hot pink person, but maybe with the right eye makeup...

Here is Lancôme Piha Black on it's own. Now I own a L'Oréal Group lippie I can take with me to the Briefing Day and whip out if I need to touch up... black colored haha.

Piha black is more of a dark grey with lots of white shimmer. When applied it looks grey because it's quite sheer. I will try it on my lips and with different lipsticks later.

Coming up next: my Nails :P You know what's funny - I applied my current nail polishes on Saturday, they still didn't chip or anything... that's why I love Seche Vite topcoat.

Piha Black was shipped...

2009-03-10T21:16:00.002+01:00

seems it isn't actually THAT limited. Probably those sets were, but you can get a bright lipstick for wearing under the gloss from many companies... anyway, I also found the gloss being sold online on another European cosmetics retailer :D I'm curious what this gloss will look like over Russian Red...

Lancôme Piha Black Gloss

2009-03-09T23:53:00.003+01:00

So I read that this gloss was super limited and twice as exp. Now I looked at some cosmetics retailer which is very big in Germany and Austria, just randomly, looking for Juicy Tubes. Then what do I see?! They have Piha Black in stock O_O ok, short thinking, and 23€ later I ordered it. It's the same price as every other Color Fever Gloss, and in stock... sooo now I'm really curious if it will arrive lol. Along with some clear-up strips (free delivery) and 2 free samples: Thierry Mugler Eau de star and YSL Rouge Volupté ^^ Will definitely post pics when/IF it arrives since I couldn't find any swatches of it.

Holographic Nails

2009-03-07T14:28:00.002+01:00

This is what I've been wearing the last week. It's OPI DS Shimmer over Chanel Black Satin. I lurrrvvee the holo effect.

However, I just painted my nails (removed the holo yesterday). Now I'm wearing MAC Whirlwind on my left hand and On the Prowl on the right. Even though On the prowl is a pretty and quite unique shade (grey with no shimmer) it's consistency is plain terrible. Its weird goopyness (though just opened) makes application a very streaky affair. Thanx to 3 coats and 1 coat Seche Vite it looks decent now... pics will follow.

One step closer to Paris...

2009-03-05T19:43:00.002+01:00

as mentioned many posts ago, I took part at the L'Oréal Competition 'Brandstorm'. Now we've passed the first round, right into the National Finals where we're gonna have a briefing at L'Oréal. 12 teams have submitted their pre-cases. 5 passed, we're one of them. But at the national finals there can only be 1 winning group. This one will fly to Paris and compete with international teams. Soooo, if we're gonna win I'm sooo going to Goyard again and look for a white St. Louis tote haha. XD

Guess what I found today? A grey nail polish! In the MAC Helly Kitty collection, named 'On the Prowl'... gosh I've been wandering through Taiwan's department stores to find a grey NOT silver polish, and now I found it in Austria. Too funny. Lucky they got a second shipment though as almost all stuff was sold out yesterday. Pics are gonna follow...

Inside my bag...

2009-03-04T19:15:00.002+01:00

Today I carried my Reissue to a french course at university:

Contents:

- LV Taiga Wallet

- Samsung cellphone

- Asus PDA

- Montblanc Case with Rollerball
- iPod shuffle

- Le SportSac Makeup bag

- MAC Lipstick in High Tea

- Chewing gums

- Tissues

- Plastic bag for heavy rain protection...

- some scribbling paper (the green)

- some french information papers, folded (the white)

I wished each lessons would be such a leightweight one...

Still got the flu, but here's the Hermès!

2009-03-04T12:56:00.003+01:00

So here is my first real H-piece (I don't count perfumes).

And that's what's inside:

The belt in black box/chocolate togo leather and a shiny gold buckle in the small drawstring bag ^^ The following is the chocolate side on a black Zara pant.

Again, with flash which washes all colours out, but gives you a more crisp view...

The only thing now is to lose weight as I can't close the belt on my lowrise pants and the gold buckle doesn't go with my washed grey jeans. I'd do sports now if I wasn't coughing and sneezing all the time. Apart from my throat, lungs and nose hurting lol. Goddamn flu.... I went to the Opera yesterday and managed to look (somewhat) smashing while feeling smashed ^^. Thanx to makeup, a thick layer of MAC Studio Fix Fluid with concealer, bronzing powder and blush... Humid Eyeshadow etc. and I looked human again (when I'm sick I neglect skincare so little red bumps will show up on my whole face...). Only my eyes looked watery, but that I couldn't help lol. Isn't it great, makeup makes you look so healthy and gorgeous while in reality you're sick, feeling like sleeping/fainting/dying. I guess you don't wanna know, but I had to cough that hard yesterday (after Opera, thank god) that I threw up my late dinner... never happened until now lol. One day I'm gonna die from coughing...

Oh yes!!!

2009-03-02T22:37:00.003+01:00

I was lucky on saturday - or not. Depending on your point of view. I got my Hermès Belt, right color, right size (more or less). Great - just that I began developing a fever while shopping and now I'm coughing and dripping outta my nose like a tap (yeah I knew that's something you wanna know....). Anyway, beautiful belt looks gorg. on each side, the shiny golden buckle fits perfectly to both black box and chocolate togo leather. The only gripe: I don't have any pant that fits with the belt... it's tight to begin with since I wanna lose weight. But either the pant has the wrong color (grey jeans and gold?! NO WAY!) or they sit too low on my hips which are too wide for size 85 lol. You will get pics of my first Hermès baby tomorrow... when I'm hopefully less coughing and so on...

My first Hermès leather piece...

2009-02-28T09:53:00.003+01:00

will not be a bag, unless I find a bag of gold on my way. So today I'm going to the boutique again and will finally buy a belt, black/brown, size 85. If it's still available that is... I want a shiny gold H buckle with it. And additionally I'm gonna pick up a MUFE HD-Powder which took like ages. One thing: MUFE is cheaper in Austria than in Taiwan, OMG can you believe Ö_Ö haha MUFE must really be a Paris brand.

So why an H-belt? My stomach is really really fat, 85 is just a bit too small for my waist, if I lose several kgs it will fit perfectly AND Hermès is far too expensive not to fit in!!! So much to my motivation...

Grey lips and blue lashes

2009-02-27T21:18:00.003+01:00

I was browsing old runway makeup looks when I stumbled upon two things:

- Grey lips and

- Colored Lashes

Ok, the first look is by Tom Pecheux (pics from nymag):

He used concealer and MAC Black lipmix. My version is 100% for the mouth: MAC Myth and MUFE L86 Lipstick. The first one is colored like a concealer and the second plain black. Thought this was interesting, I like weird colors on lips like blue or black, but I never thought of grey... gonna take pics when my lips are less flaky.

Now the second thing - colored lashes - sound less interesting. What I discovered is actually this: You can wear any color you have as eyeshadow/pigment on your lashes... that's it lol. So easy, but I was too stupid to figure it out myself until I saw some pics of MAs applying blue pigment to the lashes with some kinda fan-shaped brush. So the thing is you get a Mascara as close to your desired color as possible OR a clear mascara. Put some eyeshadow/pigment on one side of the brush, then distribute mascara on your lashes and immediately pat the brush with the colored side on your lashes, preferably coming from below, so the powder won't spill... since the mascara is still wet the color pigments will adhere to your lashes and give them the color you want.

Here is the inspiration (source: style.com)

And that's how it's done:

Simple, eh? I learnt something interesting today...

Fabulissss

2009-02-27T08:42:00.002+01:00

Good morning! Jetlag's gone, pictures are coming...

Sooo, here a (miserable) pic of Zoya Tangy on my nails. Due to the flash the duochrome is not visible (imagine pale orange-golden shine on vibrant neon green metallic). If I don't use flash the pic will be to blurry (shaky hands and weightless digicam lol). I can promise you the color is more greenish in real life with the duochrome effect. Only downsides: you need 3 layers to get it opaque and it shows streaks easily. Since the price is below 4€ and the color quite unique I will readily put up with it.

Next up is Zoya Blair. It's a slightly bluish, dark berry red frost. Out of all the Zoya reds at the fair, this was my fav, I don't like orangy reds or too bright ones for nails. So this showed the most 'dimension' in the bottle and so it came with me. Again for under 4€ this is a steal and must have color! Ready to be glam? Get Blair!

Oh, btw Zoya products are free of Formaldehyde and some other bad chemicals. See www.zoya.com for more information on this.

Here is a group shot of my mini nail-haul.
On the very left is the OPI DS Shimmer color I'm gonna pair with lotsa colors hihi. Next mani will be Chanel Black Satin, one hand with DS Shimmer over it. Thanks to Seche Vite (on the very right) I can now get shiny black nails without the usual nicks and dents.

All in all - gaaawjuss finds. The Seche Vite was about 4€ too, slightly more than the Zoyas. Only the OPI at 16€ is a bit exp. but worth it. Ok, I would have bought the Zoyas for up to 15€ too and OPI and Seche Vite for 25€... hope the producers won't read this haha.

Chaos is back!

2009-02-26T23:00:00.002+01:00

And it bought some nice nail polishes at a cosmetics fair in Taipei. I never would have imagined to see Zoya or Seche Vite in my life (unless I fly to the US, which is unrealistic at the moment as I need a visa for entry). But now I'm the proud owner of a hot neon green metallic with slight orange duochrome (Tangy by Zoya), a warm berry red metallic, which has just the right amount of blue to catch my interest (Blair by Zoya) and the best top coat on this earth! Seche Vite... never was getting a smooth, shiny nail so easy! I cannot hold still for 1 hour to let polish dry properly. Even if I did the next day I'd wake up with fine scratches in my polish. But Seche Vite really sealed the color. No scratches, if only I let this top coat dry for 3min. Gosh that's gonna be a very nice nail season. AAAANNND the final one I got my claws on: OPI Designer Series in Shimmer. Stumbled upon this by chance and I must say WOW, this is amazing 3D color haha. Pics tomorrow... now I gotta sleep, jetlag gaaahh

Holiday Break

2009-02-10T19:10:00.006+01:00

So I've had quite a lot of stuff to do the last few days. I'm still writing on the L'Oréal brandstorm pre-case. Since I'm leaving for 2-weeks (Taiwan) I won't be posting much during that time. I will only have internet access in public places, so... well I'm just gonna give you an outlook of what kinda looks you're gonna get in the future, when I'm back that is.

My new babies

2009-02-06T23:16:00.002+01:00

I don't buy much make up nowadays. First I already have a lot and could probably mix almost every color with my pigments, second the nice stuff is friggin expensive. However, I don't own that many blushes compared to eye- and lipgear. Sooo MAC came out with new MSFs, I already like the Promo pics of Redhead MSF. However, I first swatched it on my hand and thought it would never show up on my NC25-30 skin. Then I read some reviews on makeupalley.com and darker people than me liked it. So ok, let's get one before they sell out... btw I also got the Brunette, since I'm actually (dark) Brunette lol and didn't had any blush in that color yet. So bad Blonde MSF didn't arrive in my fav store yet. I will probably buy that one too since I'm running out of my pink Armani blush. I was fortunate to get 10% off yesterday and my fav MA was there too! Here are my virgin babies:

Here they are unpacked :O left is Redhead, right it Brunette and bottom is Pettycoat for comparison. Awww I can already sense the gorgeous glow of Redhead!

Here is a swatch on my hand, from l to r: Brunette, Redhead, Pettycoat

What was it like on my cheeks? Redhead does show up! As a subtle glow... it instantly brightens my complexion and I can't overdose it with my dense brush. Looks pretty natural too. Very nice... friggin fabulous and me likey likey! :P I will probably run out of this in 5 years or such, but wish it was permanent... The other one, Brunette is tooo dark for a normal blush brush, I will try it with my #188 once I clean it from Studio Fix Fluid lol. As for now, just toooo dark lol.

Hot Goth Tutorial

2009-02-03T19:40:00.013+01:00

I love my red eyeshadow. It's so intense and vibrant! And it's limited :( MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Mi'lady brought about a baked goodie with one red and one purple side. I love to pair it with black. I liked goth looks for quite some time. Back in high-school... nowadays I look more natural (for my standards). So wearing bright colored e/s is always fun. A friend requested a red/black goth look, so I did one lol...

The bottom pics show the look with artificial waterdrops on lashes. Basically it's just glue on a special applicator called Crystal Lash and was bought in Japan a long time ago...

What you need for the goth look (hot because of the red lol) without waterdrops (from left to right, top to bottom):
- MAC Eyebrow Pencil in Velvetone
- MAC Kohl Power in Feline (darkest Kohl ever! lol)

- MAC #266SE flat brush
- MAC #219 brush
- MAC #213 brush
- MAC #266 flat brush (yes, another one)
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Yves Rocher Waterproof Mascara in Black
- Shiseido Maquillage Concealer
- MAC Mixing Medium Waterbased
- MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow in Mi'Lady
- MAC Eyeshadow in Carbon
- A foam applicator
- Biotherm Play On Eyeshadow in #320
- Cheapo White Frosty Eyeshadow (thebrand is essence, for people living in Austria and Germany)
- MAC Eyeshadow in Beauty Marked
- Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

so that was a long list urgh... Now let's start again with a fresh naked eye haha

Put on foundation to make your complexion look even. I use MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC30 and blend with fingers.

Then dab concealer under your eyes to erase undereye shadows.

Blend into foundation with a finger. Your eye's skin should look less tired now, but artificially even colored lol.

Next is the HG primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion. Dab a tiny amount on upper lid and blend with a finger. Do the same on your lower lid.

You shouldn't be able to see the primer, otherwise it's too much.

Also put a bit Primer on your lower lid.

Now take the MAC Kohl Power. Draw your waterline and be careful not to poke your eye out. Can you see how dark it is? I LOVE it! THIS is black. MAC, make Feline perm, thank you...

If you got too much time compare this liner with Chanel Marine on this pic

Now squeeze your eye shut to distribute the color to your upper waterline. I cannot stand lining my upper waterline directly, it itches sooo much.

Line again and squeeze one more time.

So this should be it:

Here comes the pink e/s... hey stop! Why pink? Because the red in Mi'Lady has a slight orange undertone. With pink underneath it will be a bright true red. That's it.

Apply the e/s on your upper lid. Don't forget it's the base, the red will cover it all up so don't color too much pinkish ;D

I covered the following area:

That wasn't enough for me :P so I put on some more haha

Now put a drop of Mixing Medium on some plastic, I used the lid of my GA eyeshadow LOL. Was lying around...

Dip into the MM with a foam applicator. Make sure it's not too wet or the MS e/s will apply unevenly! Too little MM and it won't be intense...

Here I'm tapping away excess moisture haha.

Now swirl around in the red side of Mi'Lady.

Apply it all over the pink e/s, but not too far into your outer eye corner.

I spared an area to add something else...

Eye opened...

Now take a different foam applicator and dip into Mixing Medium again.

Swirl around in Beauty Marked. The MM makes more of the red shimmer visible.

Apply on the outer corner, but be careful, if it's too wet you will have a hard time blending this dark e/s, even when it dries.

Kinda tap some black into the red e/s so you don't have a harsh line (unless you want one lol).

I also apply some above the red margin, until the mid of the eye:

It looks bad unblended:

So blend with a clean finger by wiping on both sides, like a windshield swiper.

Looks better now, but we're not finished yet...

Take your 213 brush and dip into the white frosty e/s.

Apply below your brow.

Blend into the colored e/s:

Finished it looks like this:

Now dip your #266 into MM

Swirl in Carbon e/s and flatten both sides to line your eyes:

Hold the flat side parallel to your lid like this and line, starting with the inner corner working your way out:

The thickness of the line depends on your eyelid.

Open your eye and look :P

Line your eyebrows with an appropriate color.

Grab your second #266 brush and blend the eyebrow color into your brows. Move in the direction the brow is natually growing.

Now your brow will look a bit more defined.

Get your eyelash curler!

Put the curler as near to the lash roots as possible. Be cautious not to pinch your eyelid. The pain will cause your eye to water and ruin the makeup unless you know how to suck it up with a tissue.

Pinch from root to tip. Do it several times if needed to achieve your desired curl.
Then apply mascara in a wiggling motion from root to tip to evenly coat each lash.

Now you can actually see my lashes:

Blend the Feline Kohl you applied earlier on you lower lid. It will certainly look messy after all these steps.

Afterwards you have an even grey color on the lower lid.

Take a bit of the red e/s again, put on a tiny bit of MM if you want.

Apply over the mid of your eye, but not quite to the outer corner:

Dip the #219 into Beauty Marked without MM.

Line your outer corner:

Lookie lookie

Dip the same brush into Carbon e/s

Now blend between the Kohl and the red e/s

Reline with feline if necessary

My waterline always looses color during the process...

So here is a potentially finished look... but since it was a lot of work anyway we'll add something more haha

Dip a very fine brush (wet) into Carbon

Put a small dot into the inner corner (outer is also great, be creative!). I wouldn't recommend the inner dot for people with narrow eyes though.

Here we have the look with a small dot:

A better angle lol:

Oh I almost forgot... blend the red e/s into your skin (if necessary)

Apply Mascara to lower lashes

Almost finished...

If you want the waterdrops you gotta have this (or the blue version lol).

Apply according to the directions on the packaging and voila waterdrops!

Now that's it... pretty lengthy XD

Natural brown smokey eyes

2009-02-01T13:47:00.011+01:00

Today I'll show you my grab-n-go look, if I don't have much time to play but need to look groomed, somehow lol.

I call it the Natural brown smokey eyes, it's really easy and quick (15min., 10 if you don't need to curl your lashes). You will need the following items (description below pic):

From left top row to left bottom row clockwise:

- MAC Mixing Medium Waterbased

- MAC Carbon Eyeshadow

- Giorgio Armani Eyeshadow #11

- Clean Mascara Wand

- Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

- Yves Rocher Waterproof Mascara

- Urban Decay Primer Potion

- Shiseido Maquillage Concealer

- Chanel Crayon Kohl in Marine

- MAC Eye brush #219

- Foam applicator

- MAC Eye brush #266

Now start with no makeup... I reuse the first few pics because the steps are always the same...

1. naked eye lol

Put on foundation all over your face

Dab concealer below your eyes

Blend it, then it shouldn't be detectable:

Now get your Primer Potion and dab a tiny amount on your upper eyelid and blend. Do the same with an even tinier amount on the lower lid.

It shouldn't be visible like on the following pic:

Here the new pictures start lol: take the Chanel Crayon and line your lower waterline and 1mm beyond it.

Blink after one layer, then reapply and blink again to get an intense and even application.

Now dip the foam applicator into the brown e/s (the Armani in this case, MAC Satin Taupe is a close dupe). Apply on your upper lid.

Don't worry if you see the lines.

Wipe with a clean fingertip to blend the shadow into your foundation/skin.

Now open your Carbon e/s, drop a tiny amount of Mixing Medium onto it and stir with the 266 brush to get a creamy color (I always use one side of the shadow only, because making it wet will harden the surface). Start to line on the inner corner as close to your lashes as possible.

The lining serves to even out my eye shape and to make lashes seem longer:

Here comes the Curler:

Put the curler as near to the lash roots as possible. Be cautious not to pinch your eyelid. The pain will cause your eye to water and ruin the makeup unless you know how to suck it up with a tissue.

Pinch from root to tip. Do it several times if needed to achieve your desired curl. Then apply mascara in a wiggling motion from root to tip to evenly coat each lash.

The Kohl on the lower waterline is always smeared afterwards, so I use a clean fingertip to blend the color into my skin.

It will look like this:

Now take the foam applicator again and some brown e/s. Line your lower lid carefully.

Unblended it will look like the following:

Now get the #219 brush and some black e/s to line between waterline and brown e/s.

It softens the harsh line. Again blend with a clean fingertip to make any lines between brown e/s and skin disappear. Now we're ready to to!

Looks a lot fresher than the naked eye, what? Next time I'm gonna do a much more complicated hot goth eye look. A request from a friend ;D

OMG I finally have stuff to do again...

2009-01-31T23:14:00.002+01:00

so I was at the Jetlag party in Vienna on thursday. I arrived somewhat after 10 PM, let's say there were sh'tloads of people... 400 were expected, but 1000 came... it was really really crowded and after snapping some pics of poor quality and being surrounded by professional photographers I gave up...
Here is a pic of the models and stylists (by vienna.at/party), you can find more -->here<-- I'm also on the pics in the gallery... twice lol. But I won't tell you which one :P Back to the fashion show itself: the clothes aren't my cup of tea and most models couldn't walk properly. I dunno how pro they are yet... It was interesting nevertheless. I'm supposed to be on the fashionTV video, but I don't have an account to watch the whole vid... if you could help me out I'd appreciate it so much I'd do a tutorial for ya! :P Just write an e-mail to treyjones@mail.com ;D

Nuff said, next post will be a tutorial again, natural brown smokey eyes... Will post tomorrow morning as the pics are finished already, but I'm off to sleep soon. Then after that I'm gonna do a hot goth tutorial :P I love my red eye shadow...

Fashion Show Tonigh Ö_Ö

2009-01-29T12:01:00.003+01:00

and I have nothing to wear urgh... Thanx to a friend I will be able to attend the JetLag-party @ Little Buddha, Vienna. I've never been to a fashion show, even though I wannabe designer lol. Gotta wear some boring pinstripe blazer... don't have time for shopping today. Here's the flyer of the party. I'm gonna snap some pics of course.

Simple Smokey Eye - Asian Edition

2009-01-27T18:54:00.013+01:00

As promised I'm gonna do a tutorial for the following makeover.

I call it a Simple Smokey Eye because all you need are 3 different eyeshadows (and some other gear). Since everyone's face makeup (foundation, concealer, blush) varies I will only include the products you need for the Smokey Eyes. Read below the picture for exact things:

From bottom left clockwise:

- MAC Carbon eyeshadow

- MAC Knight Divine eyeshadow

- Chanel Crayon Kohl in Marine (dark grey base with blue shimmer)
- MAC Eyebrow Pencil (mine is Velvetone, yours depends on haircolor)

- Yves Rocher Waterproof Mascara in black (every other waterproof Mascara should work, Great Lash is nice too, as long as it's WP! Why? Because I have heavy Asian lashes, only WP formula keeps the curl)

- Urban Decay Primer Potion

- MAC Brush #266

- MAC Brush #213SE

- MAC Brush #266SE, why twice? You'll see...

- MAC Brush #219

- P2 Eyeshadows (it's a cheap brand, you only need some frosty white, every other one will do to)

- Sponge applicator (mine is from H&M)

- Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Ok now that's what you need. My tutorials start with the naked eye. Yuck... well don't forget to put on a moisturizer before the fun begins.

Put on foundation to make your complexion look even. I use MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC30 and blend with fingers.

Then dab concealer under your eyes to erase undereye shadows.

Blend into foundation with a finger. Your eye's skin should look less tired now, but artificially even colored lol.

Next is the HG primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion. Dab a tiny amount on upper lid and blend with a finger. Do the same on your lower lid.

You shouldn't be able to see the primer, otherwise it's too much.

Now take the Chanel Kohl. Draw your waterline and be careful not to poke your eye out.

Don't press to hard... my dumb look below results from trying to photograph myself whithout killing my eye with the other hand.

Line, line... might take some time. MAC Feline is darker than this and glides on easier, but I find it too harsh looking sometimes.

Line until your waterline and some additional 1mm are deeply colored.

Grab the sponge applicator and swipe over Knight Divine.

Put the color onto your lid.

Blend! Add color if needed (I need to because I want lots of color).

Finally blend the edges with a clean finger. The result is this:

Then take the fluffy #213 brush and get a bit of frosty white e/s.

Place it below your brow.

Blend it into Knight Divine with the brush.

Make sure that there are no harsh lines (clean finger works best!).

Now put a tiny drop of water on Carbon and mix it with the help of the #266 brush. Make some creamy black color and press each wide side of the brush flat.

Now draw a flat line across your lid, as close to lashes as possible.

The thickness depend on your lid. If you have smaller lids, make a thinner line.

It's time for curling now.

Put the curler as near to the lash roots as possible. Be cautious not to pinch your eyelid. The pain will cause your eye to water and ruin the makeup unless you know how to suck it up with a tissue.

Pinch from root to tip. After one time it will look somewhat like the following, not very convincing...

So, take the curler again and pinch as often as you need to get your desired curl. This part always takes the longest for me.

When I'm satisfied my curled/massacred lashes look like this:

Now the mascara comes to bring them into life. Place the wand near the roots and move upward to the tips in a wiggling motion. This will distribute color evenly.

After one coat they are a bit clumpy:

I separate them either with a clean mascara wand or my nail file. But be careful... I'm not responsible for any injuries :P

Repeat the mascara and separating until you are happy.

Blend the Kohl that got on your lower lid with a finger.

The lower lid should look like this and is ready for eyeshadow.

Now get the #219 brush and dip into Knight Divine.

Line the lower lid starting on the inner corner. Get more e/s on your brush throughout the line.

Your lower lid should look like the following:

Grab the Kohl again and line if your waterline lost color during the process.

Looks slightly more intense now.

Take the #219 brush again and dip in Carbon.

Now line the area between your waterline and the line of Knight Divine to create a blended effect and add smokiness.

We are almost finished.

Next come your lower lashes. Pull out the Mascara wand again and color your lower lashes. Attention! It's easy to slip and color your lower lid to...

Let them dry unless you want instant racoon eyes.

Now comes the very last step: the eyebrow definition.

Here you can start to play 'spot the difference' since we are only doing the finest details now.

Get the other flat #266 brush and draw in the direction of hair growth.

Here is the final look:

Looks a bit different from the very first pic ;D I hope you liked the tutorial. If you have any question or suggestions just leave a comment! Tomorrow I'm gonna do some green or violet... we'll see ;D

OMG finally proper Internet again yeaaahhh

2009-01-27T15:10:00.001+01:00

now that means for you: more pictures! Will do the Smokey Eyes tutorial in a few hours...

Paint and brushes...

2009-01-25T18:24:00.006+01:00

As I'm planning to post more about make up, I'm gonna introduce you to my collection. All the colors I need and more.

Above you find a mix of mostly MAC eyeshadows and pigments. Additionally there is some Chanel, Cargo, Lancôme, Biotherm and several cheapo drugstore brands that work wonderfully.

I don't own that much stuff for lips in comparison. You can use powder based products for eyes like for an eternity, but liquid based things will go bad quite fast. So I only buy what I cannot resist haha. Again some MAC lippies and various balms and sticks. Also some eye liners.

Here you can look at some lipsticks. The bright blue shade is by MAC of course. I rarely wear it though... And yes, there is a black lippie by MUFE and a very dark violet one by MAC.

Here is some face stuff. All kinds of foundations and powders and some blushes. I don't own many of them obviously. My favorite parts are still the eyes.

Finally my small, mostly cheapo nail polish collection. Nowadays even the cheap brands make nice colors, so why buy expensive?

Now here is stuff I forgot lol... Some very old lipglosses and liners. I don't have a vast collection like some other ladies whose stash I saw on various forums. But I'm pretty happy with what I have, because I can create countless looks already and be creative. Stay tuned for an Asian Smokey Eye tutorial...

Oh and about the brushes, pics will come when I update my stash pics. I didn't buy much in 2008 so the above ones are pretty accurate for now. But the next time I'm bored you'll see some new products.

Classic Red lips tutorial

2009-01-23T21:03:00.005+01:00

Here I show you how to transform yucky cracked lips into the hottest red pout. Funny thing about those before-after pics: they were taken with the same cam and the same flash. I guess the red color made my digicam turn up the intensity of the flash so my skin looks paler and my teeth whiter. But I promise I didn't photoshop anything! All you need are the following MAC Cosmetics items:

- Russian Red lipstick

- Cherry lipliner

- Cult of Cherry lipglass

of course you can use your own favorite shades of red instead...

Start with some clear lipbalm, bit not too much! Apply foundation to your face if necessary (I wear MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30). Please ignore the yuckiness of my cracked lips... but this starting point shows you that make up can do a lot.

Get the Cherry l/l. It should be pointed so you can draw exact lines. Start in the middle of your lips to define the shape.

After lining your entire lip shape they should somewhat look like this. Make corrections with concealer if necessary.

Then get you Russian red lippie and fill in the rest of your lips. Since Cherry has a more bluish undertone try to draw over it with your lipstick, but be careful not to draw out of the line.

Now take out the Cult of Cherry lipglass and dab some gloss on lower and upper lip.

Press your lips together and spread the gloss carefully. The result is bright red lips.

Here is another shot of the combination.

The most difficult part is really lining the shape. If you get this right almost nothing can go wrong then. ALMOST lol

Asian Eye Make Up Tutorial

2009-01-22T20:56:00.006+01:00

Today I got the idea to do a red lip tutorial since I recently fell in love with this look. The only problem is: my lips are flaky and red from pulling dead skin, ewww yeah... so I'm gonna do a lip tutorial some other time.

So I'm gonna post an eye make up tutorial from quite some time ago. First pic is no make up at all. Just some moisturizer. Look at this: an awful, tired eye.

Put some concealer under your eyes

Then put on foundation all over your face. Now take a tiny bit of Urban Decay Primer Potion on one finger (this stuff is really great, lives up to its rave reviews!). Pat it on gently and blend it with the finger. The amount on the pic is actually enough for both eyes...

Then line your upper lid and lower lid, including your waterline with black Kohl. Still looking tired...

Take a natural, brownish eye shadow. Apply with a foam applicator.

Blend the brown eyeshadow. Then put on a highlighting shade like MAC Vanilla Pigment under your brow and blend with a brush.

Grab an eyelash curler (I love Shu Uemura). Pinch your lashes from root to tip in small steps. Get as close to your lid as possible while not pinching your eyelid (that really hurts! so pay attention). After 1-2 minutes of torturing your lashes into shape they should look somewhat like this:

Apply mascara in a wiggling motion to spread evenly. BTW I like the spiderlash look :P If you don't, get a clean mascara wand (from drugstores or clean an old brush that you would have thrown away with your old mascara) and brush through lashes to seperate them.

To achieve a glow effect, put some iridescent white eye shadow on your lower lid (I used MAC Vellum and Lancôme Color Design in Sentimental Blue, Smashbox has a quad with fabulous duo-chromes too).

Blend the e/s and work them into the black Kohl.

Take the MAC brush #219 (perfect for smokey eyes blending) and put black e/s (MAC Carbon) underneath your lashline to blend the black kohl line and the whitish e/s.

The result looks like this:

Looks much more awake and fresh than the first pic. I think I'm gonna do some more tutorial in the future.

MAC's new homepage

2009-01-22T14:16:00.003+01:00

Take a look at MAC's new homepage:

I don't like the color quads. You have to click on each to see the 'real color'. However, the bars on the right side are really convenient. Gotta get used to it... we'll see

Maybelline's first fragrance - What do you think?

2009-01-21T02:24:00.002+01:00

If you know L'Oreal: they have a university competition every year and this time I'm participating. Our product this year is the very first fragrance by Maybelline New York. The problem is: there is no product yet. We (a bunch of students) have to define the olfactory style, packaging, campaign etc. What do you expect to come out? What would you like? Flowery, sweet, oriental, fresh? One 'It'-scent or a range of different ones? - I'm just conducting a little marketing research... write some comments!

Grey nail polish, MAC Parrot and nothing else to do

2009-01-19T23:30:00.004+01:00

This is what I did all day:

Sorry for the dents and polish on my skin... I'm not patient enough, even though I didn't had anything better to do actually. I'm so happy tomorrow is another shopping day, so I won't be hanging round at home on the internet all the time. Waiting for e-mails, furniture and other people in general is so goddamn boring... Since I'm on it anyway I also did a comparison of the famous MAC Eyeshadow called Parrot. Prices on ebay went crazy before it was re-released. Fortunately I don't use ebay, so I got my favorite color for the usual MAC price.

On the top is Cargo Smokey Eye Duo in Barcelona and on the bottom Parrot. Both were applied over the teal base that comes in the Barcelona Duo. As you can clearly see Parrot is more opaque and bluish, but Barcelona has some kind of glow to it. This shade layered over Parrot and you have the perfect turquoise color. Remember this for the next time you wanna lool like a peacock ;D

Current obsessions

2009-01-18T23:00:00.003+01:00

As I'm waiting desperately for some university related e-mails, nothing can entertain me better in the meantime than consumption. I don't need anything, but hell I am bored. So one of the more expensive fragrance brands is Creed. A friend re-introduced them to me while shopping. Some years ago I tried Spring flowers and I HATED it. Gross, the typical old woman stinky flower scent that was surely expensive, but not worth its money. Oh well, I forgot Chanel No.5, terrible. Some things survive because of reputation, not real quality. But enough ranting, I actually found a Creed scent I liked, Virgin Island Waters (pic from globalpackagegallery.com).

It's a mix of coconut and lime. Ok, it actually has a few more ingredients, but I'm not able to smell them so... yeah I like it. But for a coconut-kinda-mainstream scent it's too expensive. If I pay a big price I want a boombastic scent. One that knocks you down when the wearer enters the room.

(pic from thailandout.com)

Something like Terre d'Hermès, my current favorite which is actually a men's scent. I'll wear it anyway, until I find a nice enough women's perfume.

Dreamcoat...

2009-01-17T19:15:00.004+01:00

What's better than finding the perfect coat? Finding it on sale!

When I first saw this Zara piece in Singapore it was more than 400S$ (200€ roughly), arrghhh... I couldn't stop thinking about it since it made my arms look slimmer than they were :P it fitted great in the mirror (it still feels tight on, but it LOOKS good)

pics from zara.com

I also adore the way the fabric falls. When it's opened it looks like the right pic above. When closed the neck part can look like a wrapped scarf, but different each time. I simply love it.
So I lost all hopes of finding the coat in Austria (one store in Graz never received it) and the two in the heart of Vienna also didn't had it. One day I went shopping with a friend who needed a coat. We happened to go into a different Zara I usually don't frequent. While browsing I saw it Ö_Ö but only in M... anyway I tried it out and liked it, but S was better in my memories. So my friend went back to the rack to look for a Small sized one while I was trying to balance all the coats and hangers and my bag... there she came with the only S left Ö_Ö there were 3 Ms, two were missing the button... but the S was perfect, it only needs a bit ironing. I looked at the price tag and the coat was 119 instead of 199€! Of course it had to come with me...
Now I only need to lose some weight... the S fits my frame, but my fat arms got a bit fatter since Singapore. And my weight is out of the healthy range anyway, slightly... I have time until March-April though due to the unbearably cold weather now, nothing colder than a down jacket is gonna accompany me out there!

Finally Internet again + Luxury Shopping Info

2009-01-15T20:23:00.001+01:00

Thanks to a nice neighbor I don't have to walk to my university daily for my usual internet routine. Blogging again now ^^
Today I went luxury shopping with a friend. Initially I only wanted to take a look at the new LV Vernis pieces, which looked blah on some pictures and gorgeous on others (honestly, I don't like the new colors in real, weren't neon enough, but too bright for anything else). I ended up asking in every store whether they would support diploma theses... In 7 months I want to graduate, finish university, get out there as quickly as possible ;D but I'd like to finish with something I love: luxury (-thesis) haha.

Anyway, Chanel Vienna has some fur bags on sale, -50% and some patent ballerinas at -30%. They also have the turquoise metallic Reissue bags, at regular prices :P There are also some silver and black Reissues with this funny new chain I dunno the name of, gotta catch up on this. If Chanel has a sale, I guess Gucci has a sale too, but I didn’t went inside though.

Louis Vuitton Vienna has nothing on sale of course :O but the Vernis Alma MM in Amarante ( <3>

Hermès (Vienna :P, unless I mention it this post is all about Viennese shops lol) had accessories in all of my favorite blue shades. Now that I saw the 3 in real my new favorite is Blue Paon, it’s the most intense while Lagon seems a bit too light and Turquoise a bit too bluish :P I’m all about bright turquoise. However, if I had the money I’d still get them all. Nice pieces of turquoise leather *drool*

Finally we went to Make Up For Ever. Since the shop has more colors and glitters than MAC it could become my new favorite… once I try enough products that is. When I was painting my face today I realized I don’t own a matte powder without shimmer anymore. I have the Guerlain Meteorites, lots of shimmer. I have T. LeClerc Banane Powder with Silver glitter… yes it’s so much and big enough to count as glitter for me. Then I was eyeing Dior Night Diamond, but again loads of shimmer. So it’s time to try MUFE HD Powder. It’s just not in stock now, but once it arrives I’m gonna get it… and post comparison pictures of course. Oh I almost forgot, I tried the YSL Black Lipgloss, but I could mix that color from clear gloss and my MUFE Black lipstick. It’s nothing special if you want the look. If you want the particular gloss for whatever other reason, get it, the packaging is nice :P

Next time you’ll get pictures, I promise

2009 Bag Wishlist - Part 2

2009-01-06T12:55:00.009+01:00

Finding a dream bag is like falling in love. You know instantly you want it! You can't stop thinking about it until you get the bag, or whatever other material thing you crave. Here are my obsessions:

1. Balenciaga in Turquoise 05 - whether it's the First, City, Work or Part-time, as long as it's the color I'm gonna love it (pic by Aki_Sato from The Purse Forum I also love the Tottoro in the pic ^^)

2. Hermès Birkin or Kelly in Lagon/Turquoise/Blue Paon - all 3 of them are gorgeous, I'd be happy with any of those colors. Below is a color comparison pic by The Pu rse Forum member Chipper. Colors from left to right: Lagon, Blue Paon, Turquoise and Bleu Jean.

3. Chanel Classic Flap in Medium, Caviar Leather with Gold H/W (pic from chanel.com)

4. Hermès Kelly or Birkin in Black - depending on what model I have in the blue shade ;D

Now those are the bags that are permanently on my wishlist. Seasonal cravings will be posted when they arise ^^ Next post will be about makeup again, while I'm working on a non-purse wishlist, which comprises my favorite watches, jewelry, writing instruments etc. Stay tuned!

2009 LV Wishlist

2009-01-03T14:25:00.012+01:00

Since I own quite a number of bags already my wishlist comprises of items that I purely desire for looks. They might not be practical at all, but hell, they are beautiful. If I won a couple of millions I would collect the following LV bags (pics from eLuxury and vuitton.com):

Louis Vuitton Vernis Alma MM in Amarante:

This deliciously shiny piece of art stands at the top of my list due to its limited availability. Vernis colors get phased out after some time and my beloved Amarante (the color that made me buy high-maintenance-vernis!) has been out there for quite some time... Take a look at it while you can, in proper lighting that is. The gorgeous red sparkle hidden under the apparantly black shiny surface will hypnotize you to want this immediately...

The second LV I desperately want it the Mahina XL in Black:

What I like most about it is the shape. The whole bag looks so soft and slouchy. The gold/black combination add elegance to the casual shape and the alomost invisible LV monogram gives the finishing touch. At 2080€ and being a permanent bag I will have to wait for some time though...

A bit more affordable is the Monogram Tivoli GM:

Again, it's the shape that make me want it. That and the pieces that attach the handles to the bag. The cross-shaped leather pieces remind me of gothic style a bit. If the Tivoli would come in Mini Lin Ebene, it would be perfect. I'd buy it in Mono too, though Anyway, here comes the last two bags from LV I would love to own: Both Mini Lin bags...

The classic Speedy. Why? I saw it in a japanese magazine and it looked fabulous on the girl wearing it. She paired it with a black/white dress. Just gorgeous.
The other Mini Lin is the Saumur. The design reminds me of medieval times. The closure, the shape and the long strap hint 'old times' and 'great quality', somehow...

That was the LV bag wishlist. Next comes my 'Other luxury bags' wishlist ;D

Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Goyard and more...

2009-01-02T15:30:00.007+01:00

New year - new bags? Before deciding on new acquisitions I should take a look at my collection of 4 years again. Then I will make a new wishlist...

My first designer accessoire: Louis Vuitton Epi Leather Pochette in Black with Gold H/W, bought in Vienna, September 2004

Second piece is the Trotteur in Monogram Canvas, bought in Vienna again for my prom, January 2005

My first decent wallet: from LV again in grey (Ardoise) Taiga leather, February 2006

Here comes my first big luxury bag: Goyard Okinawa PM, bought in the Paris boutique, July 2006

One hour later I went to get this classic: Speedy 35 in Monogram Canvas, bought in the mothership on Champs Elysées Paris, July 2006

One year later I got the Roxbury in Vernis Amarante in the St. Germain store in Paris, July 2007

One month later I got the Small Noé in Toledo Blue, vintage since the color was discontinued some time ago (this baby is 12 years old), Taipei 2007

My most expensive bag was at the right store at the right time for me to buy... A Chanel Reissue 227 in Navy Metallic. I have set my eyes on a Reissue long ago, but back then it was unrealistic for me to get one. Now this one is my crownjewel and only Chanel. Bought in Vienna, January 2008

Next was this French favorite: A Gerard Darel 24h in black. I love the simplicity of it, even though buying wasn't that simple: had to order it from Munich since it was the nearest place to have GD bags. However, the service was great, nice staff @ Ludwig Beck department store! (sorry for the mess in the background), June 2008

When I went on exchange in Singapore I had to carry my notebook computer everyday... which formed a preference for light bags. The sudden rainshowers also affirmed my ideal of a water-resistant bag. However, only when I left Singapore I found my dreamcolor for the Longchamp Le Pliage: an almost neon bright green in Taipei, December 2008

Now looking at all the bags I think I have one for every situation in life - except for some dropdead sophisticated clutch... Most bags I want because of the design itself, not for conveniency anyway. So the next post will list my wishlist for the next decades, unless I win in the lottery sometime soon.

MAC Monogram

2009-01-02T15:03:00.004+01:00

MAC's yearly 'better packaging with worse content + double the price'-collection brought about this baby. The Monogram collection is marked by opulent gold and gradient new logo. Upon seeing the product pictures I had to get a Sheerspark powder, because of the compact, and a lipstick and maybe a gloss too... when seeing them in real I only got the powder... The packaging didn't look as expensive as I hoped. Still the compacts appealed to me, so I got one of the sheersparks after some swatching.

This flash-pic shows the color 'Personal Touch', which is actually pure pink/peach/violet sparkle without any color payoff. At 27€ and 3g of product the packaging had to be nice. It is heavy and has a magnetic closure, as one would expect. The gradient colors remind me of the German flag, gold, red, black. Since I was born there I like the compact even more ;D All in all a nice product when you like sparkle. For me it's a great addition to my makeup collection.

MAC Cosmetics - Colorful new year

2008-12-31T17:05:00.006+01:00

7 hours to go and I'm well prepared for the new year. How? - I collected loads of eyeshadows, lipsticks and glosses over the last few years, as well as various highlighters and glitters to spark up every event.

My all time favorites are the Holiday Pigment Sets by MAC. The usual jars are far to big to ever get used up by a non-professional makeup lover, so I got the sets from 2006 and 2007, making my pigment count increase to 21 colors. The most remarkable are the following:

- Vanilla (bottom row, second small jar from the left): white powder, golden iridescent shimmer when applied to the skin

- Old Gold (bottom row, third from the right): reddish brown/neon green duochrome, beautiful as neutral eyeshadow with a twist

- Softwash Grey (top row, second from the right): light lavender/blue shimmer which give a soft gorgeousness to brown eyes

- Violet (top row, very left): electric violet in a frost texture, not natural at all, but truly attention-grabbing

- Dazzleray (bottom row, third small jar from the left): warm golden sparkle with a touch of orange, lights up every eye corner

- Reflects Gold (bottom row, first small jar from the left): yellowish golden glitter

- Reflects Blue (bottom row, first from the right): blue glitter, ice queen effect guaranteed

I didn't buy the 2008 sets though, the Reflects Glitters were enticing, but the pigments themselves were very disappointing this year. I don't like colors with white shimmer throughout the line. Every cheap brand has eyeshadows with white shimmer, doesn't really look good... hopefully next year's sets are more interesting again.

ALDO, Godiva and Chomel

2008-12-29T10:19:00.000+01:00

What stroke me about accessories in Singapore was the high level of design and quality you got for a few bucks. In Vienna you would get crappy quality and designs for the same amount of money... I'm a fan of Subversive jewelry, but it is far too expensive for me as a student right now and I don't have access to any Target. So when I found a necklace at Sgp's ALDO that reminded me a bit of the signature layer look, I had to get it! It was on sale anyway...

Since I love goth looks the colors fit perfectly too. The second piece I got is this faux gold-pearls necklace. The quality looks good, but it isn't though... the pseudo-gold coating wore off after the first sweaty day on my neck.

Take a look here: ALDO Jewelry. It's the US page since the Singaporean one only provides store locations. However, the Sgp shops had a bigger range of necklaces than the US page. The Godiva bag in the back is empty. I had to get 8 pieces to try whether they would be tastebud-blowing as their prices suggest. The crushing result: NO! The chocolates are nice, but the 1-2 bucks versions in the supermarket taste just as well. I might try other pralines or their chocolate elixir sometime later when I feel like having too much money in my wallet though.
Before I left Sgp I had to get a Chomel real pearl necklace. The following one was just ~25€. Ok the color is not real... but they look pretty good for the price. My flash pic washed out the different colored sheen to a monotone grey, but I guess you know how black pearls are supposed to look like. They're more colorful in real ;D

Really colorful stuff coming up the next time

Chaos in Austria!

2008-12-28T20:37:00.000+01:00

Hello from Austria! This blog will be about fashion, design and make up. My love and passion haha. A lot of things fall under design, a picture of my breakfast could be design, but I will limit myself to the most interesting/beautiful things.
I'm currently in rural Carinthia. Snowflakes and freezing temperatures outside (for someone with subtropical genetics, that is). 4 days ago (Christmas) didn't show much snow though... anyway, that's the Christmas tree I'm facing right now.

It's actually standing on a desk, the presents are already unpacked ; ). The theme was blue and silver. I would have preferred a different kind of tree (speak faaat branches and needles) with lots of bling decoration and edibles. However, it's not my house...
On another note: Why the freakin h*ll didn't I buy more cosmetics and those super cute clutches in Singapore, where nice things are relatively cheap??? Lots of bling included! - Answers: Theoretically I didn't need anything, I was blank and my suitcase was most surely overweight back then... *sigh* reality is not nice. One day I'll come back, empy suitcased and loaded with cash hahaha (one can dream, no?). In the meantime I will show you the must-gos in Singapore, Vienna and Taipei. An exchange term of 4 months (Singapore) can create a third home for ya!
I miss the beach... Sentosa is mostly artificial and surely hasn't the cleanest water, but it was nice being so neatly located.

Now these pics are good enough when all you have to do is hop into the subway to have some beach and sun. Beautiful, and CHEAP! ;D When I was there I had no time. University... now I have more time then ever (holidays) and dunno what to do. Being in the wrong place sucks so badly, urgh. The next post will introduce you to the materialistic side of Singapore. Beautiful things to come...