PETITE-SAL

Review: MAC Diva lipstick

2015-06-09T12:00:00.000+02:00

To everyone who isn't really a red lipstick kinda person: I'm sorry. To everyone who is: look what I got!

So many stories about the famous Diva lipstick from Mac. No wonder I had to try this beauty. It's a colour that looks differently on every girl, that's for sure. Of course I had to have it. Let's give it a more detailed look!

Diva by MAC, definitely a lipstick with many question marks. Why? Because it looks so different on every girl (and guy, I don't judge). The lipstick has interesting undertones and the colour is very hard to describe. Many hyped about this lipstick, so no wonder a girl got curious! Needless to say, I had to buy and own this lipstick.

Colour

MAC Diva is a deep red, matte lipstick. It reminds me of dark cherries. The undertone is a combination of brown and purple. Which makes this lipstick really interesting, because it turns out different on every person. On me it looks a bit more purple-ish. The colour is very chique and edgy at the same time. The lipstick is very pigmented. Just one stroke and BAM, colour all over. Look at that swatch. I used one stroke for the swatch. That's the way we like it!

Formula

The lipstick is from the matte series. However, I don't really agree on that. The lipstick is matte, but it's more of a velvet matte. Very subtle, as you can see on the pictures. I'm used to very matte lipsticks and that's why this lipstick isn't really that matte in my opinion. However, because it isn't thát matte, the colour isn't that drying when wearing it on the lips and it applies easily. But what I don't like is that the insides of your lips get really weird after wearing it for a while; it turns into a different colour. You can solve this with a lipbalm, but I like my lipsticks matte.

The lipstick has a subtle vanilla-ish smell, like most MAC lipsticks. I like it, it's not overwhelming, just very subtle.

Packaging

The lipstick has a black, sleek packaging, that reminds me of a tampon. Just the usual MAC packaging, nothing special. The only thing I dislike about this packaging is that you can't see what colour it is, without looking at the name. So when I'm looking for a certain colour, I have to check all my MAC lipsticks, before I find the one I was looking for. First world problems. I know.

Lasting power

MAC is known for their quality lipsticks and Diva is no exception. The lipstick doesn't bleed and without a lip pencil it stays for about 3 hours; 5 hours if you don't eat in between. Usually I prefer using a lip pencil, but not with Diva. For some reason it looks less beautiful with a lip pencil and it comes off quicker. If you use a lip brush, you can still apply it neatly, without having to use a lip pencil. The lipstick leaves a stain when you take it off or when it fades away, but very slightly. The lipstick survives a small meal without a touch up.

How to wear Diva lipstick?

I like to wear this lipstick with just mascara or mascara and eyeliner, because I usually wear Diva to work. But you don't have to limit yourself like that, because the lipstick looks amazing with smoky eyes too! Because this is a bold lipstick, you can also go for extra bold eyebrows.

Retail

I bought Diva at the MAC Pro store for €19.

A little summary

The pros

Amazing colour

Solid packaging

Lasting power

Amazing pigmentation

Doesn't bleed

Good quality and reasonable price

Feels creamy

Not drying

Nice, subtle scent, no taste

Blends well (ombre lips)

The cons

Not entirely matte
Lipstick gets uneven after wearing it for a while

After a while the inside of your lips get a weird colour

When removing, it leaves a vague red/purple-ish stain

So would I repurchase this lipstick?

If I didn't have this many red lipsticks, I'd say YES, in capital letters. However, I have many red lipsticks and some colours are similar to this one. I do like the purple undertones and I think the colour is really awesome! What I really don't like is that the colour gets uneven after wearing it for a while and the weird colour on the inside of your lips. You can slightly see it on the picture above. Even though I really like the colour, I have to say: no, I won't repurchase this lipstick.

What do you think of Diva by MAC?

DIY workout armband for your phone in just 4 steps

2015-04-19T21:24:00.000+02:00

Now that the sun is shining, the time for outdoor workouts has started! But how often do you find yourself cursing because you don't know what to do with your phone/mp3 player? Those workout armbands are pretty expensive. Which is pretty useless really, cause it's so easy to make your own band.

How? I'll gladly show you how!

As an iPhone user I can tell you that Apple products and products for Apple are incredibly overpriced. So buying accessories for my iPhone is a no-go. In that case you have to be a creative little minion. And sometimes the solution is closer than you think. A foot closer (badum tssss).

For this tutorial you will need a sock and scissors. An old sock will do. I used one with a hole in it.

Let's get started!

Step 1

Find a sock. You can use a sock with a nice print that matches with your workout outfit. I know how women think. Don't worry, I won't judge.

Step 2

You have to get a tube, so check where you can cut the sock at the bottom. Don't cut too high or you'll get a short band and then your phone won't fit in it.

Step 3

Cut that sock like your life depends on it.

Step 4

Yeah that's it, actually. You're done now, but I'll show you how it works, just in case.

Put it on your arm.

Fold it.

Place phone.

Work out!

That's pretty much it! You can also use a legwarmer. In that case you only need to fold it around your arm and you're done. What I like about this method is that it's within reach. You can even recycle an old sock or a sock that lost his soulmate. Or use a new sock that you specially bought for this cause, because you like the print/colour. Either way, it's still a lot cheaper than buying the actual armband. You're welcome.

Where do you keep your phone when you're working out?

OOTD: Trible Tremble

2015-03-29T19:46:00.000+02:00

No doubt, there's a little gypsy nomad trible spirit in me. I can't pick just one term, cause I feel connected to all. As soon as I see gypy-ish jewelry, it's mine. Right away.

Surprise surprise, for this outfit I've decorated myself with some gypsy nomad tribal ornaments! And I got me an awesome photographer who took awesome pictures. Ch-ch-check it out!

Man oh man, how I fell in love with Trudy's photography style. I'm giving a hundred thanks to my aunty, who manages to make me look awesome on every single picture, every single time! If you think my pictures are awesome, you should check out the other pictures on her blog!

PS: What do you think of my new lay-out? :)

What I’m wearing:

Dress – H&M, Necklace – Prirmark, Earrings – Bijenkorf, Shoes – Zara, Rings – H&M, Forever21, the market, Bracelet – Forever21, Hat – H&M

What's your favourite jewelry style?

Finding my way back in your life

2015-03-12T16:31:00.000+01:00

MAN, IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK! And this timez for realz! New laptop? Check. Hella inspiration? Check. Stuff fixed? Check. New hair? Double check. I know, I know, it's been a very long time since I've blogged and you have the idea that we've grown apart. But let me explain everything and make it up to you. We've been together for so long. Much happened and I will all explain it to you cause you deserve to know. It will only take you 3 minutes!

(I promise. I was listening to Coldplay - The Scientist (for some extra drama) when I was reading everything back and I finished reading before the song was finished.)

Shit happened

So. Yeah. Here we are. It kinda feels awkward, right? No? It's just me? Okay, well let me just start talking then.

Soooooooo what happened? I'll tell you what happened. First my computer crashed. And being the broke girl I am, I didn't have a back-up computer to replace the broken one. Weird, right? I know, I know. After that, I discovered websites and blogs were stealing my content. At this point I didn't see the point of blogging anymore. I mean, people copy my stuff, so why put effort in something that is going to be stolen anyways? Kinda lost motivation. Kinda got over it (insert sassy girl emoji with the fabulous hand to the side).

Let's ruin Sal's only normal hobby by being a jackass

And oh, also the worst thing evahh happened. Evahh. I lost my domain name. Yup. Gone. How? The hosting company was being a jackass (I won't excuse myself for the foul language). I wanted to move my domain, they didn't, registration expired, no one let me know. PLUS I had trouble with the internet company as well. No WiFi for months. Yeah, that was hell.

Come back, make that comeback!

Now what? Now we're back in business, baby! For a while I thought all these things were signs for me to quit blogging. I visited my blog every single day (how sad...) and I couldn't believe that my piece of pride and my only hobby had come to an end. HOWEVER, then a friend of mine started talking about how she missed my blog and how she was a loyal follower. It surprised me. And she wasn't the only one asking about my blog. Better yet, I kept gaining followers, even without new content. Not many followers, but it meant a lot to me that people were following me, even though I didn't post new things. It made me miss blogging even more.

What's new?

My URL! You can find me at petite-sal.com now (or petitesal.blogspot.com if you like to waste your time. I don't judge). The only thing that has changed is the dash (-) between petite en sal! Or just Google me if you can't remember this. Yup, I'm Googleable. And ehm what else.. Oh, I might try some new things on the blog. You'll see. I know you can't wait. Oh and in the past few months I got me a new hair do! Picz belowz of the beforez and the afterz.

So here I am. And this time I ain't going noooowhere. I hope y'all have missed me too! I can't wait to be 100% back again. Oh by the way, you got to pat me on the back for the gifs used in this post. I think I enjoyed looking for relevant gifs more than actually writing the post tihi.

What did I miss? Send me your favourite blog posts so I can catch up on reading!

All images are from Tumblr and I used the direct link

to post the images, so they're not mine

Review: DermaSalve face cream and body cream for dry & sensitive skin

2014-04-11T17:44:00.000+02:00

We beautylovers all know how hard it is to find the right skin care. Every skin is different and every skin reacts differently on used products. Finding the right skin care almost seems like a never ending journey!

So when I got the chance to try out the DermaSalve* face cream and body cream, I couldn't wait to see how this would work on my skin!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

If you're just here to read the review quickly, there's a summary at the end.

A little background info: I have combination skin. Some places are quite dry, while my forehead gets oily, especially when I use the wrong products. However, these products are products for dry/sensitive skin and I did keep this in mind while testing it. I review this foundation from my point of view. What works for me, might not work for you. What doesn't work for me, might work for you :)

DermaSalve is specially formulated for people with problem skin, such as eczema, and sensitive skin in general. It's supposed to prevent clogging and to moisturize the damaged and sore skin.

Now, I don't have such bad skin problems (knocks on wood), but my skin does react quickly on products, which makes it a little sensitive.

Face cream

Let's start with the face cream! To provide you of a good review I've used this at least two months. And I have to say that even though I have a combination skin and this products is for dry (and sensitive) skin, my face didn't get as oily as I expected! I didn't break out either. Because usually I do get impurities as soon as I use something of dry skin.

Ingredients and such

As you can see, the products has no lanolin, fragrances, no alcohol, no parabens and it's non comedogenic (which means it does not contain products that will clog your pores). I also see no mineral oils.

Formula

This moisturiser has the weirdest formula I've ever used. It has these weird, tiny pieces in it, but you can't feel them and once applied, you won't see them either! What did catch my attention was the way the cream feels when you apply it. It feels really weird, kind of squeaky. You know when something is really clean and you get that squeaky feeling? That. That's how it feels when you apply it. I had to get used to it at the beginning, but it's not uncomfortable. Oh and it penetrates the skin almost immediately!

Scent

As some of my readers know, I'm the kind of girl that can get obsessed by products just because of the way they smell. As you can see there is no perfume in this product. What the cream smells like? It smells like walnuts/pecans. I mean that literally. Not the improved smell of those nuts that you usually smell in sun block, to give you that exotic feeling. No, as if you're putting walnuts on your body. It's not that it smells bad, but I really had to get used to it. I know that it's important that products like these don't contain perfume, but I also know that I like my products deliciously scented, because I'm a little diva.

Packaging

I love the hygienic packaging! It's also really easy to dose your cream because of the pump. The design of the packaging is clean, simple. I like it.

DermaSalve face cream and my skin

I still use this moisturiser daily! Even though I had to get used to the squeaky feeling and the weird scent, I do like to use it. I do get oily on my forehead, but that's not especially because of this product. I love how this product doesn't clog my pores (it seriously doesn't) and I like how I haven't had impurities in a while! The only thing I really miss in this face cream is a UV filter.

Body cream

Next is the body cream! I usually like my body creams to be thick, moisturising and lovely scented. I have to be honest that I don't use body cream/butter/lotion on a daily base, simply because I think it's too much of a hassle (even though the dry cracks in my legs are at a point that people can live in them). So when I do use body creams I like to take my time and see it as a little moment for myself.

Ingredients and such

As you can see, the products has no lanolin, fragrances, no alcohol, and no parabens. But I do see mineral oils (paraffinum Liquidum) in this body cream!

Formula

The formula of the body cream is slightly different from the face cream. This cream is smooth and not that squeaky, compared to the body cream. What I love about both products is that it penetrates the skin almost immediately. What I also love about this body cream is that it doesn't clog my skin either. Maybe a little too much information, but sometimes I get blackheads on my legs when I use certain body lotions. Not the case with this one!

Packaging

Same as the face cream. Hygienic and convenient.

DermaSalve body cream and my skin

To be honest, since I've received this body cream I've moisturised my skin more often than I usually do. It penetrates the skin so quickly and because it smells like nothing (unlike the face cream) I can quickly apply the cream on my body, without getting distracted by feeling (too) zen! It also moisturises my skin very well and I can actually see that it also works when I accidentally skip a day. My skin is moisturised on long term (long term meaning more than one day, don't get too excited!)

Retail

Both face and body cream can be bought at http://www.skinsalveation.com/.

The face cream retails for €10,84/£8.99 for 100 ml. The body cream retails for €7,22/£5.99 for 100 ml.

A little summary
The pros

Moisturises well
No clogging of the skin
No break outs
Hygienic packaging
Practical packaging
Good price
Ideal for problem skin
No alcohol, perfume, lanolin, or parabens
Penetrates skin immediately

The cons

Scent of the face cream
Only available online

Would I repurchase these creams?

I think I might repurchase the face cream! But because I still feel like I get an oily forehead, I might try some other products first. But I seriously love how it doesn't clog my skin. I won't repurchase the body cream, because I think I still like my body moisturisers scented, even if that means it'll clog my pores.

What is your biggest issue when buying skin care products?
And which products do you use?

-The products were sent by DermaSalve. However, DermaSalve has had no influence on the review or on my opinion.

Read my disclaimer here.

Get Inspired: The Mystic Purple Lipstick

2014-02-13T17:05:00.000+01:00

As you've probably read in my previous post, I'm converted to purple lips! I haven't said goodbye to my signature red lips permanently, but I do wear purple more often. Yes, you read that right. The red lipstick is temporary replaced by purple and purple-ish colours.

I want to infect you with my new addiction, so I've gathered some inspiration pictures for yah. Cause sharing is caring and I care about y'all!

Get inspired and understand my new obsession!

There are many, manyyy different shades of purple. You have lilac, deep purple, blue purple, pink purple, red-ish purple-ish purple and so on. Some are extreme, some are wearable, some are a bit weird. But we're all a bit weird, so that's okay. Just scroll down for more and...

Enjoy the inspiration!

And of course a picture of my last makeup look with purple lipstick. Skip the false lashes and you've got yourself a wearable look!

Do you understand my love for purple lips now? Do you?! I bet you do! Purple is one of those colours that suits everyone, every skin tone and every make-up style. Whether you like to go bold with your make-up or the opposite, when you like to keep it natural. There are many shades of purple and many ways of wearing them.

Which one is your favourite?

Pictures are not mine, except the last one. Sources:

image (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)

FOTD: Only Want To See You Laughing With The Purple Stain

2013-11-20T15:09:00.001+01:00

Purple has got to be my new favourite colour when it comes to lips. Purple has always been a favourite colour in general, when it comes to make-up. But a new obsession is born and purple lipz it iz!

Check out this fresh and cool, yet sultry look with a purple/berry lip!

For this look I wanted a dramatic, yet simple look. Can you smell the struggle I've been through? I decided to go for big lashes, thick liner, much highlighter, bold lips and a fresh shimmer-y shadow on the eyelids. Not too many shenanigans, but enough shenanigans! As usual I've listed my products and I have quite some (full face) pictures for y'aaall.

Enjoy!

Products I used
Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 53 Light Beige
MAC Cream Colour Base - Pearl
Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder - 005 Silky Beige
Urban Decay - Naked2Palette Tease (contour)
E.L.F. Blush - Pink Passion
MAC Fix+ Spray

Eyes

Urban Decay - Naked2Palette (Foxy, Bootycall)
Sephora Long-Lasting Eyeliner - Black
Max Factor Masterpiece High Volume & Definition Mascara - Black
Catrice Kohl Kajal - 040 White
MAX Makeup False Eyelashes

Lips

Gosh Velvet Touch Eye Liner Waterproof - Purple Stain
Essence Long Lasting Lipstick - 09 Wear Berries!

Et les photos!

The lipstick, eye liner and long lashes made me feel kinda badass as you can see. I mean, the amount of pictures with the (almost permanent) bitch brow says it all. I apologise for not caring about this because I love feeling badass. There, I said it. However, I do love this cool toned look, even though I'm usually more fond of the warm toned looks. I blame the awesome purple lips. Have they replaced my signature red lips? I'm not sure about that yet, that's how much I love it!

What do you think this of purple lipstick?

PS: you're awesome if you got the Prince reference

OOTD: Aztecdam

2013-10-28T17:18:00.001+01:00

First of all: thank you for bearing with me! I hope to get my computer back soon, all fixed and well. Until then, I try to post as soon as I can :)

So for this post I have an outfit for y'all. A little late, since this is the outfit I wore to the Hairloxx event, but that's okay. It's a simple outfit, but I got the request to post more OOTDs, so here it is! :)

The event and this "photoshoot" were in Amsterdam. My pants reminded me of aztec prints (I am aware that this is not aztec, don't worry).

So have a look at my Aztecdam outfit!

There's just something about Amsterdam. It doesn't even feel like the Netherlands when I'm there. It feels like I'm abroad; it's a weird feeling I can't explain. And for some reason I can't love or hate Amsterdam. However, it's in my top 10 cities I like to visit. Yes, yes I know, double standards, but that's why I'm a woman!

Anyways, enjoy the pictures! And yes, I am wearing a ponytail with curls, even though I'm not a big fan of that. But you have got to understand that there was wind and my hair was strangling me. So.

What I’m wearing:

Shirt/Blazer/Pants/Bag - H&M, Necklace – Forever 21, Ear rings – Morocco, Big ring - H&M, Above the knuckle rings - Forever 21, Flats – H&M in Antwerp

What is your favourite "big city"?

Event: Collection PRC Fashion Show - Backstage

2013-10-10T21:26:00.001+02:00

A while ago I attended the Collection PRC fashion show at Little Buddha in Amsterdam. Collection PRC is a clothing line by Maria Tailor en Tamara Elbaz, also known from the Dutch show Modemeisjes (translated: Fashion Girls). Because my computer broke down, I couldn't write about it any sooner (ARGH), but better late than never, right? And I promise, I have some amazing pictures for you! There's no doubt the hair & make-up will inspire you, as they have inspired me too.

Prepare yourself: this post contains some hella beautiful ladies!

HELLO GUYS! I'm back! Did you miss me? I sure did miss you guys! My computer is still broken, so I'm afraid I will still not post as regularly as I did before, but I'm trying my best.

Let me start by saying I had an amazing time backstage with the models and their make-up artist! They were so much fun! The hair was done by Fuente, a professional hair care line with products on a natural base. I tried to pick up some techniques, while they were busy. Even though they had the hardest time to get ready for the show, they politely answered all my questions in detail. Talking about professionals!

The models' hairdos were all the bigger the better! Except for one model, who had short hair. Extensions, curls, backcombing and lots of Fuente hairspray. What caught my attention about the products they used is that they gave the right amount of fixation the heavy hairdos needed, without making it look like it had 2 kg of hair products in it.

Yadda, yadda, yadda - I know you're here for the pictures.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous looking make-up!!

I wanted to feel glamorous too!

Updating social media - everyone was busy with their iPhone

This model was seriously so much fun! Even when she was getting her hair done, she was a party starter.

As you can see, the last picture is a sneak peek of the next post that is coming up soon: the fashion show.

Hope you enjoyed the post! Oh, and was I lying when I said that I had pictures of hella beautiful ladies? I think not!

Until next time!

What do you think of the hair & make-up of the models?

Now I'm officially forever alone - RIP computer

2013-09-14T23:25:00.001+02:00

It's been a while since my last update, while I have so many things planned. Why, you ask? Because my computer decided to cheat on me. Because my computer decided to leave me. Because my computer decided that he no longer wants to be part of my life. Better yet: he decided to no longer be my life.

I'm talking about blue screen of death. Yes. It has happened to me. It's one of those things you never expect to happen to you until it does. And it did. My sadness goes beyond human conceptions. Thank God for my iPhone! (Which I'm using to write this post)

Anyways, no worries because I will find a way to still post my things, but it will take a little more time & more effort now. Still, no worries!

Just keeping you updated about my heartache and my sad loss.. BUT I will see you soon!

Update: I dropped my phone in oil when I wanted to do a hair mask, so no more iPhone either. I am cursed for life. Bye, you can find me crying a la Leonardo in a corner. In the fetal position.

Sal's Sunday Solutions: 7 ways to use baby powder

2013-09-08T12:42:00.001+02:00

A while ago I told you how you could use baby powder for your Summer problems. Today I'm writing about how you can use baby powder in other ways too! I bet that you haven't heard of some of them before. That's okay, I love to educate you on how I use baby powder and share them secrets with you!

ONE - Sweaty body parts

Summer is almost over, but I'm repeating it once again: when you deal with sweaty body parts, you can use baby powder on your body and it will reduce the sweat production! I wrote about it before, so here's the link again to the post about how to use baby powder on sweaty body parts. (I just realised how gross that sounds, but you get the point)

TWO - Extra help when waxing

It's not easy being a woman and I think we can all confirm this. For example: waxing. No explanation needed. But I can make it a little easier for you. Use baby powder on the body parts that you're about to wax. The wax will grab the hairs easier.

THREE - Body powder

Number three is similar to number two, but that's okay. Use baby powder as a body powder to smell fresh and to feel fresh! It's not just for babies, you know. Benefit from the fact that we adults can use baby products too.

FOUR - Set your make-up (emergency tip)

This is an emergency tip. Let's say one day you discover that you ran out of make-up powder (all of a sudden) and you need to set your make-up. Carefully get some of the baby powder on your brush and set your make-up! Make sure you blend it in well, because you don't want to end up looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost. He might look friendly, but your make-up won't look that friendly on you. Trust me on that one.

FIVE - Foot powder

Put some baby powder in your shoes (or on your feet) and you changed it from baby powder to foot powder! Put some extra between your toes, as it tends to get a bit warmer (and sweatier, again: sorry for the details) there. Big plus for your baby smelling feet now.

SIX - Sheet refreshener

Cover your bed with white sheets, sprinkle some baby powder on it and enjoy the soft and fresh feel! This is also perfect when you want to freshen up your sheets in between nights.

SEVEN - Irritated skin reliever

Sometimes we cope with irritated skin. Put some baby powder on the irritated places on your skin. Also on itchy skin.

Always a pleasure to have multifunctional products. One product and so many ways to use it. And I'm sure that I forgot other uses of baby powder too, so if you can name more, drop them in a comment below!

Oh a little warning: if you're allergic to perfume, please check the ingredients of the baby powder. Even though it's a product for babies, there's a chance you might react to it. In that case: there are plenty of (baby) powders without perfume!

What is your go-to multifunctional (beauy) product?

OOTD: Monochrome Ma'am

2013-09-02T23:26:00.000+02:00

What's better than a monochrome outfit? Right, nothing. Nothing beats the colours white, grey and black. Please, do not try to discuss with me whether black and white are colours or not. Scientists are debating this subject for years and I agree with the scientists who say that black & white are colours!

Sorry, lost my focus there. A while ago I went to the Inglot pop-up store in Rotterdam and this is my outfit. I bet you want to see more of these pictures, so you better click to continue reading!

When bloggers unite it's always a good time. Why, you ask? Not only because they have much in common, but also because they can offer each other a hand! Mainly when it comes to fashion posts. And as we know, Trudy likes to lend me her hand every once in a while. Her hand with her camera. Which happens to take amazing pictures. Me likey.

Enjoy the pictures!

With Trudy! Go show my aunty Trudy some love on her blog It's True!

What I’m wearing:

Shirt – H&M, Blazer/Jacket – Zara, Pants – Zara, Necklace – A stand on Koninginnedag, Ear studs – Six, Ring - Mango, Bracelet - Pull & Bear in Antwerp, Heels – H&M, Sunglasses – H&M, Bag – Zara

This time something edgy chic - my two favourite styles to combine in an outfit. I've never been one for preppy outfits, but I like me some edginess in my clothing. And the (casual) chic part is obviously très, très Sal. No way in denying that, as every outfit until now involves a blazer. That's just me, I guess!

What is your favourite style to wear?

Sal's Sunday Solutions: Skip wash day with this DIY hairspray!

2013-08-25T20:24:00.000+02:00

Especially when you have curls it's essential that you don't wash your hair every day. Unless you want to end up with really dry hair, of course, that's up to you, you know.. But I know you don't want that, so here's a tip to skip another day of washing your hair, without your curls looking all silly or dreadlock-ish! Oh, and this tip works for other hair types as well! I say: you must read it.

So what is all the hassle about, you ask? How can you skip wash day and still have beautiful hair? In another post with tips for curly hair I told you to not wash your hair every day, but to wet it. But here I have a better tip for you: wet it with a DIY hairspray.

What you'll need? Only three things!

A leave-in conditioner
Water
An empty spray bottle

I think you can already guess what to do, but I'll explain it anyway. Get your empty spray bottle. Put some of the leave-in conditioner in it, about 10% (depends on how quick your hair frizzes and how deep your product conditions). Add water to it and shake well. Then you can spray your hair wet and scrunge it for nice curls, without washing your hair!

Above you can see what products are my favourites to use (sometimes I mix them too), but it's completely up to you what you use! I'm not sure what the Dove product is called, because it's in Greek! I bought it once on the market and I still regret not buying more. If you know the name of this product, please let me know!

I've been doing this for a while now, but I did some research to see if others do the same thing and they do! Some like to add oils and other kind of moisturizing products too. Play with mixing and see what works for you! A little extra tip: don't forget to shake well every time before you use it!

How do you skip wash day, but still make your hair look good?

Also the ladies with straight hair can comment their tips & tricks, so we can learn from you!

Review: Benefit They're Real! mascara

2013-08-22T20:00:00.000+02:00

There's no beauty lover who hasn't heard about the Benefit They're Real! mascara. The much hyped mascara is everywhere and it claims everything. "Statistics" show that 94% saw dramatic length & volume, 90% saw base-to-tip curl, 94% saw visible lift and 100% saw long-wearing results. Oh, results observed in a consumer panel survey, but I can't find how many testers there were! (94% of 1000 is a lot more reliable than 94% of 50 people.. Just saying..)

ANYWHOOOO, check out MY review of this mascara! I have thick lashes, so I wondered..

A while ago lovely Caroline from Miss Carolily asked me if we could do a collaboration post. I got enthusiastic and my answer is pretty obvious since you're reading this collaboration review post. For this collaboration we each sent each other a list of our favourite products and now we're trying out the other's favourite products!

Benefit They're Real! mascara. This is not the usual box, but there was a promotion when you get a mini version of the mascara and the price was still the same, soooo yay!

Oh a little background information before I start. I have very thick and long lashes and I have many of them. I've tried many mascaras, but usually they make my lashes heavy or make them clump. So if this mascara doesn't work for me, it can definitely work for you. I have them problem lashes, y'all.

The claims

Packaging

The mascara usually comes in a black box with orange and white letters, but this time there was a promotion. The mascara is packed in a very sleek and chique silver packaging. It looks pretty! The mini version of the mascara is dark grey, with the same letters.

Brush

The They're Real! mascara has a rubber brush. I used to hate these, but since I'm wearing my favourite mascara of all time (Max Factor Masterpiece HD) I got rid of the hate. What caught my attention were the bristels on the top of the brush. And I have to say, I love using this brush vertically so I can use these weird little fellas. All in all, the brush is good and it seperates the lashes fine (almost perfect).

Pictures with no mascara on, but lashes already curled.

Formula

What really bothers me is that the mascara is not available in waterproof. Waterproof mascara is a bit lighter than normal mascara, which makes my lashes less heavy. The formule of the mascara doesn't make my lashes clump at first. I did curl my lashes for this review, because I always curl my pin straight lashes. I tried applying the mascara without curling my lashes and it was just a massacre. (I guess I'm part of the 10% that doesn't see base-to-tip curl with this mascara)

First layer

As you can see, the mascara doesn't do that much for my lashes. I did curl my lashes, but the mascara made my lashes heavy and they went almost straight again. Bummer.

Second layer

After the first layer I carefully curled my lashes again with an eyelash curler. Here you can see that the mascara does more for my lashes now, but still not what I'm used to. My all time favourite mascara does a lot more for my lashes. I do like how it opens up my eyes more. Okay, let's continue..

Third layer

The lady at the store told me that you can layer up this mascara without it looking clumpy. Well LADY, I guess you haven't looked at my thick lashes. So, no. You can't layer up this mascara without it looking clumpy if you have thick lashes.

However, I have to stay honest in this review and I honestly think that if you don't have thick, heavy lashes like mine, this mascara might actually work! Plus, it did give me much much length. Just too bad my lashes got too heavy to actually see the length.

What do I think?

I think this mascara really opens up my eyes, which I love. Too bad it makes my lashes heavy and it clumps a little. But it does make my lashes really long. And the heavy part is a liiittle solved if I curl my lashed twice, but that's just too much work for me. Like I said, I have problem lashes, so mostly what doesn't work for me, does work for others. And I honestly think this mascara would do so much for your lashes if you have thinner lashes than mine! Really!

Retail

The Benefit They're Real! mascara retails for €24 euro at Douglas.

With a little more eye make-up

It looks pretty decent with my eyeliner, though!

A little summary

Pros

Makes lashes really long
Easy brush to use
Unique brush that actually adds something to the (use of the) product (with the funny tip)
Opens up your eyes
Gives volume and length
It's jet black!

Cons

Not for you if you have thick, heavy and many lashes
Clumps if you do have them
Expensive
Not everywhere available in the Netherlands

Would I repurchase the They're Real! mascara? No. I'm afraid not. I do love how it opens my eyes, but I'm not paying €24 for it again. It has too many cons for me. I will use this mascara until it's empty, or I'll give it to my cousin who has thinner lashes than me. I really want to love this mascara, because it has many pros, but the biggest con is that you can't see my lashes are long, because it weights my lashes down :( Such a bummer!!!

Have you tried Benefit's They're Real! mascara yet?

What did you think of it? If not, what's your favourite mascara?

OOTD & FOTD: Soft & Sweet for Eid

2013-08-16T18:47:00.001+02:00

After a month of fasting (Ramadan) it was Eid al Fitr on August 7th! If you're not familiar with this religious holiday, you can click the link and you'll end up on the Wikipedia page with info.

It's a day of good food and family and that's also how I celebrated my Eid. Someone requested a post on my outfit and make-up so here it is! I have to say that isn't that big this year, because we only went to my grandma. The rest of the family was abroad.

Enjoy the pictures of my outfit & make-up!

So like I said, it's quite a simple outfit for this year. I wanted to buy a beautiful abaya, but I couldn't find one and then I thought: "Ah well, we're only going to my grandma's, so no one's going to see it anyway." And I decided to go for this outift. I also kept the make-up soft and sweet (I even skipped the red lips, y'all).

On to the outfit pictures!

What I'm wearing

Blazer , Shirt, Jeans, Bag, Heels, Necklace, Big ring - All H&M (really a coincidence!), Ring with diamonds - Diamond Point, Earrings - my mom's

And on to the maquillage!

Products I used

Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 53 Light Beige
Chanel Powder Blush - 72 Rose Initial
Teeez Be Blushious - 401 Brilliant Peach (highlighter)
Urban Decay - Naked2Palette (Tease for contour)
Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder - 005 Silky Beige
Rimmel Natural Bronzer - 022 Sun Bronze
MAC Fix+ Spray

Eyes

Urban Decay - Naked2Palette (Foxy, Bootycall, Tease, Busted)
Sleek Au Naturel Palette (Cappuccino)
Sephora Flashy liner waterproof - 16 flashy ultra brown
Sephora Long-Lasting Eyeliner - Black
Max Factor Masterpiece High Volume & Definition Mascara - Black
Catrice Kohl Kajal - 040 White

Lips

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine - 79 Saga

And that's it! I'm sorry for the many selfies and the not so many outfit pictures, but I worked with what I had!

It's so funny: not until I wrote this post I realized that my whole outfit was H&M! While usually I can't find anything there. Ah well..

Drop me a comment with what you think of this soft look!

What clothing store do you visit most?

Review: Schwarzkopf Got2B Sparkling shine hairspray

2013-08-13T11:00:00.000+02:00

This week I'm reviewing the Schwarzkopf Got2B Shine hairspray. And I can tell you one thing: this hairspray is one that tickles your senses! Keep on reading!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

If you're just here to read the review quickly, there's a summary at the end.

Because I'm so attached to my L'Oréal Elnett hairspray, I decided to try this hairspray from Schwarzkopf: the Got2b Sparkling shine hairspray. And I have to be honest, once I saw it in the store, I couldn't help but think: "aww.. what a sweet looking hairspray!" So this one it is!

Packaging

As any other hairspray, this one comes in a spray. Duh. It contains 300 ml, which is quite normal for hairspray. The spray is really easy to use and you don't need to press hard. The minimalistic packaging is pink and looks sweet and that's done with a purpose, I'm sure about that. Continue reading to know why.

Formula

The hairspray gives the right amount of hold and fixation, without getting sticky. That's really important for me, because I like my hair to be bouncy and playful and there's nothing playful about sticky hair. Another big big PLUS is that you don't get those icky white flakes when you comb out your hair or when you accidentally run your fingers through your hair. I like!

Sweet pink spray

This hairspray has such an amazing scent. When I sprayed it for the first time I was in shock! It kind of smells like watermelon bubblegum, or more like strawberry ice cream, or maybe like a sweet perfume. I can't place it, but MAN does it smell good!! Usually I'm not into sweet scents, let alone something that smells like candy or ice cream, but this hairspray.. The smell is amazing! It's a lot better than the suffocating hairspray smell you usually have. When you're spraying it, you can still smell the alcohol, but the sweet scent through it really makes a difference. After spraying it on your hair, the scent is really subtle (a subtle perfume-ish scent) and it doesn't last on your hair (to me that's a plus).

Does it do what it promises?

Does it give you the shine it promises? Yes! It does, actually. I had high hopes, and even though it doesn't live up to those hopes, it definitely gives a right amount of shine! I tried it on straightened hair, so I could really test if it gives my hair shine and it does. I used dry shampoo on my hair and we all know that makes the hair so dull. But after spraying with this hairspray it got shiney again! Yay!

Retail

The Schwarzkopf Got2b Sparkling shine hairspray retails for €6,79. I bought mine at a local drugstore (Kruidvat).

A little summary
The pros

Smells divine
Isn't sticky
Combs out without leaving white flaky traces
Gives shine to hair
Good price
Easy spray
Long lasting fixation

The cons

After combing out, some parts remain hard (as if you just sprayed the hairspray on it)

Would I repurchase this hairspray? I think I will, actually! Like I said, I'm very fond of the L'Oréal Elnett hairspray and I still am, don't get me wrong, but after using this hairspray I think I'll variate more often. The Got2b hairspray has a lovely scent and gives a beautiful shine to the hair. To be honest, it doesn't have the same hold as the Elnett hairspray, but the rest of the pros will cover up for that!

What do you look for in a hairspray?

And tell me which one is your favourite!

Sal's Sunday Solutions: An easy tip to make your hair grow faster without using anything

2013-08-12T20:08:00.002+02:00

Growing out your hair is a hard thing to do and usually a long process. Some girls are just blessed with long hair and some other girls have to work a little extra for it. Today I will be sharing a free (!!) beauty secret to make your hair grow a little faster and stronger.

To make your hair grow faster, for free and without using any tools, there's one very simple thing to do: massage your scalp. By massaging your scalp, you stimulate the blood circulation. The hair grows a little faster and it grows back a little thicker and healthier too!

The easiest way to do this is by massaging your scalp while washing your hair when you're taking a shower. But you can also massage your scalp while watching tv, reading a book, while you're sitting and staring around... It's easy and free woohoo!

It's most effective when you massage your scalp at least 10 minutes. You can also use an oil to massage your scalp. Warm up the oil a bit. You can use different oils. My favourites are olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil (which actually stimulates hair growth too!)

As you can see, my hair is getting pretty long too! Usually I have curls, but I straightened my hair to see how long it got. I recently went to the hairdresser and cut my hair, but it's already long again! Massaging my scalp while taking a shower or while watching tv goes automatically, so my hair grows like crazy.

However, there are also other factors that play a role in hair growth and the most important one is healthy eating. If you eat healthy, your hair will not only grow faster, but it will look a lot better too! There are many other ways to make your hair grow faster, but that's for another post! I wanted to focus on massaging this time, because it's easy, not that time consuming and you don't need anything a.k.a it's free!

Do you prefer long hair or short hair?

PS: I'm so sorry the tip is a day late. I started typing it yesterday, but I was literally so exhausted that I typed the weirdest words without realizing it and I constantly fell asleep. I decided to post it today, after a good rest, so I could deliver quality (instead of quantity). Hope you understand. Love, Sal.

NOTD: Nazar Boncuğu / The Evil Eye Amulet

2013-08-09T22:18:00.000+02:00

To brighten up a rainy day I started playing with nail polish. I call this nail art Nazar Boncuğu. That probably doesn't ring a bell at all, unless you're Turkish or internationally orientated. Nazar Boncuğu is an eyeshaped amulet believed to protect you against the evil eye.

No? Still doesn't ring a bell? That's okay. You can still enjoy the many pictures I have for you!

1, 2

A somewhat simple, but still a little different nail art! This week's nail art is elegant, wearable and an eyecatcher at the same time. To variate I gave my pinky nail an accent, instead of the ring finger. The pinky nail has stripes in different colours that intensify each other.

Like I said in the intro, the nail art reminds me of the amulets for evil eye that they have in Turkey. The nail art is just inspired on this amulet and it doesn't have the eye like the amulet does, so unfortunately it won't protect you! (badum tss...)

What I used

H&M Nail Polish - Golden Treasure (yup, the stinky one! doesn't smell that horrible anymore, thank God)
Catrice - 410 Pool Party At Night
Fogan Cosmetics Nail Polish - Color 08
Essence Tip Painter - White

Bla bla bla... You came here for the pictures, right?

Well, here they are!

The ring I'm wearing was a present from my mom (it used to be her ring), so I can't tell you where it's from, unfortunately.

It's pretty obvious the Turkish evil eye amulet has inspired me.
But I'm curious: what do you think about when you see this simple, yet eyecatching mani?

So what does this nail art remind you of?

Sources images: 1, 2

FOTD: Take A Tribal Dive

2013-08-07T14:27:00.000+02:00

A real challenge is to make a Tribal inspired make-up look wearable and that's what I went for. It's a simple, yet exotic, bronzed look with the right amount "pop of colour". I bet you want to see and read the details about this look!

The theme for this week's make-up tag is Tribal. Tribal all the way, baby! Like I said, I wanted to keep the look wearable, so I went for a gold look that I "smoked" out a bit and a pop of colour. Bronzed up my face, put a generous amount of highlighter on the cheekbones and a soft colour combination on the lips. It's no surprise I got a little carried away by the theme, so I grabbed different scarves and tried to tie them around the head as a true African, as I went for the African tribal look.

To see how the other ladies did, check out Aqeela's post here!

As usual I have many pictures for you, so keep scrolling!

Products I used
Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 53 Light Beige
Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid foundation - Caramel (contour)
Catrice - Club Tropical Bronzer - 001 Light Bronze (limited edition)
Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder - 005 Silky Beige
Teeez Be Blushious - 401 Brilliant Peach (highlighter)
Catrice Kohl Kajal - 040 White

Eyes

Urban Decay - Naked2Palette (Snakebite, Chopper, Half Baked, Bootycall, Tease, Verve)
Sleek Au Naturel Palette (Cappuccino)
MUA Intense Colour Eye Liner - Turquoise
Teeez Island Palette Eyeshadow - Take A Dive
Sephora eyeshadow duo - Golden Kaki N06 (light colour)
Sephora Flashy liner waterproof - 16 flashy ultra brown
Sephora Long-Lasting Eyeliner - Black
Max Factor Masterpiece High Volume & Definition Mascara - Black

Lips

E.L.F. - Radiance Enhancer highlighter - Golden
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur - 66 Boise De Rose/Rosewood

On to the make-up!

I've got to say that I'm digging this soft look with the pop of colour! I might be wearing this more often this summer. Without the tribal dots on my cheeks, bien sur. A little tip for the green eyed ladies: try this look, but replace the blue by purple and make your green eyes come out beautifully! The purple and gold will do your eyes so much good, you'll see!

Is this a look that you would try?

Or do you already wear a similiar "pop of colour" look? Send me a picture or the link to the post if you wrote about it!

OH BY THE WAY!

Make sure you follow me on Instagram too! Every week I post a (sneak preview) video of the make-up look I do, so you can see how it looks "in real life" (so not only on pictures, I am aware that Instagram is not real life, really)

Plus I post other fun stuff too of course :) Go find me on username petitesal and hit that FOLLOW button!

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 53 Light Beige

2013-08-05T00:26:00.001+02:00

When you have combination skin like I do, you know how hard it is to find a good foundation. Either the dryness of your skin gets accentuated or the oily parts. I decided to try Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, because I've read so many things about it. I wanted a light-medium coverage foundation and this seemed to do the job.

Have a look at my review!

Click on pictures to enlarge.

If you're just here to read the review quickly, there's a summary at the end.

A little background info: I have a combination skin. Some places are quite dry, while my forehead gets very greasy, especially when I use the wrong products. Foundation usually gives me a shiney face or a dry and cakey face (you know, where you look like a birthday cake with dry flaky spots too), because of my combination skin. I review this foundation from my point of view. What works for me, might not work for you. What doesn't work for me, might work for you :)

For a long time I've been looking for a good foundation. I don't want too much coverage, I want it to feel light and it should last a while. I've read many things about the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, so I decided to try it out myself in the colour light beige/beige clair N53.

Packaging

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation comes in a light, plastic bottle, which makes it easy to take it with you. The packaging doesn't feel or look cheap at all. What I really like about the packaging is the pump. It's hygienic and easy to dose. You can do "half pumps" too. It's really easy to dose! The foundation contains 30 ml.

Formula

The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is a liquid foundation. The fluid is quite thin. That's a good thing, because you only need a little and spreading out the foundation goes easily! An important thing to say: this foundation smells DEVINE. It smells like apricot, but it's not too sweet or too dominating. It has a subtle scent, but it's delicious! Light beige N53 has a yellow undertone. I accidentally bought a colour that's a tad too dark for me, but for some reason it looks like the colour adjusts to the face.

The foundation contains Apricot for radiance, Melon for hydration, Apple for anti-oxidant and Ginger for energy. This foundation does give a soft and nurtured feeling, to be honest. And it just does so many (good) things for the face! Just look at the picture above. You can't see the lines on my hand anymore, because of the foundation. Amazing.

Lasting power

The foundation claims to stay up to 16 hours. Needless to say it didn't last me 16 hours. Without a primer and without powder the foundation gives a greasy forehead after 3-4 hours and the foundation lasted for about 6 hours. With a primer, without powder it lasted me about 8 hours. Without a primer and with powder (Rimmel - Stay Matte pressed powder) it lasted me around 8 hours as well. With primer and with powder it lasted me about 10-12 (!) hours.

Ingredients and such

In the picture above you can see the ingredients if you're interested in them and some claims: "Perfect coverage. Semi-matte finish. Oil-free. Tolerace tested dermatologically. Maintains essential skin hydration."

Coverage

The foundation has light-medium coverage, which is perfect for me. I don't have many blemishes but I do have some redness in my face, some colour differences, and many freckles. I don't want to cover up all my freckles (just a few of them), and that's why I prefer a light-medium coverage foundation. What I love about this foundation is that it's buildable, without looking unnatural! The foundation overall has a very natural finish and coverage.

Finish

The foundation has a semi-matte finish, just like Bourjois claims. I love how it gives a healthy glow on the right places. It's a very natural finish, like I mentioned before. Also, when you built the coverage up, the finish is still very natural. If you use a powder, you get rid of the healthy glow the foundation gives, but it will still look natural (some foundations look very unnatural with powder).

How does it look on the face?

Like I said, I accidentally bought a colour that's slightly too dark for me, so try to look past that. I have some before and after photos for you! Oh, and still growing out the eyebrows :)

Without foundation

Without any make-up

A close up - without any make-up. You can really see my freckles here.

With foundation

With the foundation

Here you can see the healthy glow I was talking about! No highlighter or any other make-up (besides the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation) is used here!

Here I'm wearing the Healthy Mix foundation and a powder (Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder)

Let's put 2 photos next to each other to compare

Left: without makeup - Right: with Healthy Mix foundation

What I think

As you can see, the foundation gives the right amount of coverage for my face. My redness and uneven colour are gone, but you can still see my freckles (I don't want to cover them up entirely, or I'll look like a porcelain doll). Just the way I like it: very natural! And if I want more coverage, I just add another layer. I still need to use concealer after this, but that's normal. My dark circles are hardcore, unfortunately. However, it's funny Bourjois claims the formula is oil-free, because the foundation gets me shiney after a few hours, if I don't use any powder. What a shame.

Retail

I bought Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation for €14,99 at Etos (a drugstore in the Netherlands). The bottle contains 30 ml/1 fl.oz.

A little summary
The pros

Very natural
Glowy finish
Long lasting (with primer & powder up to 12 hours)
Medium coverage - covers redness and evens out skin tone
Buildable coverage
Easy to blend
Little goes a long way
Smells devine
Packaging has a pump
Not expensive
Gives a healthy and energetic finish

The cons

Doesn't last 16 hours, like Bourjois claims
To make it really last, need to use powder and/or primer
Gives greasy T-zone without powder (depends on skin type, though)
No SPF

Would I repurchase this foundation? Yes! I would! But this time I'd buy the right colour. The foundation gives such an amazing glow and a healthy, natural finish. It's exactly how I want a foundation to be. I love how it doesn't accentuate the dryness on my face. Unfortunately it does get my T zone a bit oily after a few hours, but that's easily solved with some powder. Besides, I haven't found a foundation that doesn't get my T zone oily AND doesn't get me dry, flaky skin. And since I have to pick, I'd rather pick the oily T zone that I can easily give a little powder. Re-buy? Definitely. It's the perfect foundation for every day.

What is your favourite every day foundation?

FOTD: Bohemian Breeze

2013-08-01T17:15:00.000+02:00

Soft colours, bronze skin, curls/waves.. That's what crosses my mind when I think of Bohemian. I might be wrong there, but interpretations are different per person, right? Based on those thoughts I did this very soft, bohemian inspired make-up look!

The theme for this week's make-up tag was Bohemian. To check out what looks the other ladies of the weekly make-up tag created, you should click here!

As I mentioned I wanted to go soft. Too bad I couldn't take the pictures during daytime, which forced me to use flash on my camera! This influenced my photos a lot :( The make-up doesn't show well, because it's a very soft look. Also, I bronzed up my face and that doesn't show either. Anyway, bare with me please. It's a very soft look, even though it doesn't show!

For the Bohemian look I actually skipped the liquid eyeliner! How about that. Usually I never skip my best friend, but I really wanted to keep it soft. I used a little bronzer and blush on the eyes to keep it soft and to match the eyes with my bronzey face. To compensate I used a little more mascara than I usually do. Might look a little clumpy, but I blame the cursed Maybelline mascara for it. I tried giving it another chance: never again. For the face I went for mucho bronzer! I kept the lips soft with my nudelips trick!

Products I used
Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - 53 Light Beige
Sephora Smoothing & Brightening Concealer - 01 light
E.L.F. - Radiance Enhancer highlighter - Golden
Rimmel Natural Bronzer - 022 Sun Bronze
Sephora Long Lasting Blush - Sunkissed Bronze N03

Eyes

Catrice Prime and Fine Eyeshadow Base
Sleek Au Naturel Palette (Nougat, Cappuccino, Honeycomb, Toast, Regal)
Rimmel Natural Bronzer - 022 Sun Bronze
Sephora Long Lasting Blush - Sunkissed Bronze N03
Gosh Kohl Eyeliner - White
Maybelline Eyestudio Mono Eyeshadow - 01 Snow White
Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara - Black Waterproof
Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express - Black Waterproof
Urban Decay - Naked2Palette (Tease, Half Baked, Foxy)
Sephora Flashy liner waterproof - 16 flashy ultra brown

Lips

My trick for perfect nude lips! (used a little more pink lipgloss than in the tutorial)

Now on to the make-up!

Oh FYI, still grown out the brows! Excuse the messiness.

And as you can see: I kept my accessories to a minimum too! Normally I like to play with accessoiries when I do a themed look. But a headband or flowers/braids in my curly hair look just weird. Even though I'm a lover of heavy make-up looks (they're just more fun to do!) I'm kinda digging this style too! I might be doing this look more often, just to wear during the daytime. So, do you guys think I nailed the theme?

What is your idea of a Bohemian make-up look?

Sal's Sunday Solutions: 7 steps for perfect fake tan application on hands & feet (+ extra tips!)

2013-07-28T18:10:00.001+02:00

When I say fake tan hands you immediately know what I'm talking about. Better yet, for some of you it's a reason to skip fake tan. That's not necessary anymore, because I got some easy tips for you! The perfect fake tan application isn't as hard as it sounds, you know!

As usual I explained it step by step with clear pictures and I have some extra tips for you at the end. Have a look!

1 - 2

Self tanner is perfect for who wants to enjoy a beautiful tan, but doesn't want to go in the hot sun or doesn't tan at all. Completely understandable. But fake tan sounds a little scary and to be honest: it is scary when not done right!

In this post I'll explain how you can apply self tanner without the scary fake tan hands (and feet). You know, when your hands go all orange and streaky. I'm sure this is the hardest thing of applying self tanner flawlessly. And you can't just leave the hands and feet without the tan, right? It took me a while but now I know how to apply it perfectly without getting the self tanner hands!

What you'll need:

Fake tan or a body lotion with self tanner

2-3 cotton pads

Patience

It's best to keep this part for last. So first do your body and then your hands and feet.

Once you're done with tanning your body, wash your hands really well and don't forget to wash between the fingers and around the nails.

Done? Then we can start!

Step 1

Apply some of the fake tan on a cotton pad. I use a body lotion with self tanner. It's streak proof-er and the application is buildable on a natural way. But you can use whatever you like! Make sure the cotton pad you use is firm. We don't want it to fall apart during the application!

Step 2

Smear it over the cotton pad for better and a more even application

Step 3

Apply the fake tan over your hand. Just carefully rub the fake tan over your hand and make sure you apply it evenly.

Step 4

Bend your finger, so you can also apply fake tan in the wrinkles of your hand (we all have them, don't act like you don't!)

Step 5

Go over your wrist with what's left on the cotton pad. You can add a little more, if your cotton pad is entirely dry. But not too much. We want the fake tan to fade here and that's why we add just a little!

Step 6

Also go between your fingers with what's left on the cotton pad. Again: if your cotton pad it dry, add just a little! Enough for the cotton pad to be moist.

Step 7

Get a clean cotton pad and go between the fingers again and also along the sides of your hand. By doing this you're blending in the fake tan, without having those harsh lines!

Feet

And for your feet goes the same! Just repeat step 1-7!

While the self tanner is doing its work, make sure to bend your fingers (and toes) a little while it's drying, like you did in step 4. It'll prevent the fake tan from creasing in your finger wrinkles (I always know how to make things sound good, don't I?).

And that's it! Let the tan dry well, before you wash your hands again.

Extra tips for applying fake tan without streaks

- Scrub well before you use fake tan (most important tip!!!)
- Don't apply fake tan right after you shaved your legs!
- Massage the fake tan in well to get an even result
- Avoid your nails or clean up really well after
- Avoid hairlines and eyebrows
- Let the fake tan sink in before you dress up
- It's better to layer your fake tan than to apply much at once

At the moment I don't use any fake tan, but in the winter I like to use this one! It's a body lotion with self tanner. Gives a very natural finish and it doesn't smell as bad as most self tanners do.

Hope my tips will be useful for when you decide to tan up the pale situation with a little fake tan!

Don't get me wrong though: there's nothing wrong with being pale. Better yet, it looks beautiful and very doll-like. But if you're like me and you like to tan things up a little, I'd rather have you do it the right way, hence the tips!

Which fake tan do you use?

Sources: image 1 - image 2

NOTD: Essie's Snap Happy makes me Happy

2013-07-26T23:48:00.000+02:00

By now every blog writer or blog reader has heard of the famous Essie nail polishes and their big choice of colours. So I decided to pick up a colour too: a bright red one (quelle surprise..) A classic colour that needs to be bought in every possible shade, right? Right?! RIGHT?!

Right. I decided to test it myself and see if the hype around the nail paint is really worth it.

The colour red knows many shades. I own quite some, but most of them are either deep red or dark red. So I decided that it was time to buy a bright red one: 244 Snap Happy. This beauty immediately caught my eye! It was a red with the right amount of POP. Perfect.

This is a picture with flash. As you can see it's a really bright red, with a hint of orange undertones (only seen with flash or very bright sunlight). I think I'll call this colour a tomato red! Anyway, it's red and it's bright and it pops and it's classic. All I need.

On the pictures I'm wearing 2 coats and that's enough for a good coverage. For perfect coverage I think you'll need a third layer. But as you can see 2 coats work fine too! Essie Snap Happy shines like no other! I love the finish and how smooth it applies. The nail polish dries incredibly quick, I couldn't believe it. I accidently touched my nail and panicked, but panic was soon over when I discovered it was already dry!

The formula of the nail polish is lovely too! Not too thick and certainly not too watery. Like I mentioned, it dries quickly. Also, the nail polish has a lovely brush that makes painting the nails easier. Unfortunately I didn't wear the nail polish long enough to know when it starts chipping.

I kinda get the hype and I understand why many bloggers are crazy about Essie. Did the hype get me too? Not entirely. I love it, don't get me wrong! I love the formula, the colour, the brush and how quickly it dries. But I don't love it enough to pay more dan €6 for it, to be honest. Sorry. I'm staying loyal to my Catrice nail polishes (but still trying other brands too!). Maybe if Essie has a unique colour that I need to have. Otherwise, not really.

HOWEVER, Snap Happy does make me happy :)

I'm glad I bought it! Pretty colour and lovely formulation.

The bottle of Essie nail polish contains 13,5 ml. I don't remember how much I paid for it, but I think it's around €10.

What is your favourite nail polish? Brand + colour, please!

I'd love to read about your favourite(s)!

FOTD: Black & White makes Monochrome Maquillage

2013-07-24T13:00:00.000+02:00

Monochrome inspired make-up: a theme that was quite abstract, but I did know what I wanted to do. I wanted black, white, red, and tight lines. Just black and white seemed a bit boring, hence the added colour.

For this week I also decided to skip the Sunday Solutions and I will explain that too in this post.

I have many pictures for you, so keep on reading!

So let me start with a quick explanation about the Sal's Sunday Solution post. I decided to skip this week because of several reasons. Don't worry though: the post will not disappear! This week was really hectic because I had to work a few days with no pause inbetween. Also, the long and hot days here caused me to be exhausted. I just didn't have the energy to compose a new post. I'm a perfectionist and spend at least 2 hours per post, so you can imagine why I didn't have the energy. PLUS I decided to do the Sunday Solutions every other Sunday, to keep my blog variated. Lately I felt like I missed diversity on my blog, so that's the decision I took :) Hope you understand! SO: the post isn't disappearing! But instead of 4 times a month, it's here twice a month :)

OKAY soooooo about this post. This week's theme for the weekly make-up tag is Monochrome. I didn't really know how to get to work with this theme, but an image immediately popped up and that's what I worked out! I went for two thick winged liners, a black and a white one, I went for extra highlighter and for a deep red lipstick. In real life it's a lot deeper than on pictures. It's more like a bloody red. Okay, that didn't sound well..

Anyyyway, check out how the other ladies did the tag by clicking here and enjoy!

PS: I'm growing out my brows (yes, again) so excuse the messy look.

PS2: Please check out the name of the lipstick I used. You'll love it. I love it. Let's love it together.

Products I used
Face

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder - 005 Silky Beige
Urban Decay Naked2Palette - Verve (highlight) & Tease (contour)
Rimmel Natural Bronzer - 022 Sun Bronze
Sephora Eyeshadow - I love the 80's N68 (blush)

Eyes

Sephora Long-lasting Eyeliner - 01 Black
Gosh Kohl Eyeliner - White
Maybelline Eyestudio Mono Eyeshadow - 01 Snow White
Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara - Black Waterproof

Lips

Too Faced Lip of Luxury - Drop Dead Red (THAT NAME, I LOVE IT. Also main reason why I bought it tihihihi)

Now on to the maquillage!

Well..

That's actually a pretty wearable look, right? Right?? I have to be honest: even though I have a superduper amazing new camera, the pictures still don't do this look any justice (maybe it's the flash?). I was staring at myself the whole time with this make-up, because it looked DOPE! (Can I still say that? Or is that soooo last decade? I don't know, please tell me if you do. I don't want to look un-cool..)

What do you think of this look?

Would you wear this look on a casual day?

Sal's Sunday Solutions: Soothe your sunburn (all natural tips)

2013-07-14T14:53:00.000+02:00

Source original image

Sunburn. I'm pretty sure the majority of you readers have coped with sunburn. We all know the "avoid sun, use sunblock & wear unrevealing clothes"-tips, but for some reason we're either stubborn or just unfortunate and still burn our skin. Of course it's important to avoid sunburn, but what to do when it happened anyway?

For this post I have one great tip and a few other good tips for you to soothen your sunburn with something that's (mostly) yummy too!

Source

There are many ways to soothen your sunburn, but this one is by far my favourite: Turkish or Greek yogurt. Just put some of the yogurt on your sunburn, leave it for a good 15-30 minutes (you can leave it longer too, if you want) and you'll see and feel results immediately! You skin will be less red and the yogurt cooled down your skin a bit. You can repeat this as many times as you want, until your skin isn't red anymore.

The cell turnover is sped up by the lactic acid in the yogurt and that helps the skin heal faster! Also, the freshness of the yogurt helps it cool down the skin and help it soothe. Make sure you always bring yogurt with you when you're on a holiday! Oh, and keep in mind it's a fat yogurt like Turkish or Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt can help too, but it's not as effective.

Other DIY tips to soothe sunburn

Beside yogurt, there are other ways to soothe your sunburn. Here are just a few DIY/natural tips to use!

Aloe vera: probably the most known treatment for burnt and irritated skin. It's best to apply it pure, right from the plant (if you have any available). If you buy aloe vera in a tube, make sure it's 100% aloe vera.
Black tea: boil water, add the tea and let it steep for 10 minutes, let it cool down and apply on your sunburn with a soft wash cloth or towel.
Milk: apply some on a soft cloth and dab it carefully on your sunburn.
Tomato juice: if your sunburn is recent and still bright red, apply juice of a tomato on it.
Apricot: peel and mash an apricot, put on sunburn and leave it for 10-20 minutes before you rinse off with lukewarm water.
Argan oil: this amazing oil is good for everything, more in my post about must-have oils.

Source

PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND

These are tips to help your sunburn heal, but of course it's better to prevent! Keep in mind that sunburn is really dangerous, MAINLY when you're under 18. One good sunburn will increase your chances on skin cancer with 50%. So please take good care of your skin and of your kids' skin, if you have any.

Of course there are many other ways to soothe your sunburn and I like to hear that from you! If you know any natural/DIY sunburn treatments, share them below. Oh and another tip: stay hydrated!!!!!! Tres importante, amigos!

So, how do you treat/soothe your sunburn?
Tell us your DIY sunburn soother!