What a night! Christmas, Champagne & Perfumes $

Last week I was so lucky to get invited to my first ever London blogger event! L'Oreal Prestige & Collections hosted a fabulous evening at the gorgeous Soho Hotel for us to get a preview of their Christmas Fragrance collection. 

There was a range of delicious smellies on display which we all got to sample whilst sipping french champagne and enjoying canape's! I think Christmas is the best time to buy fragrances because I love how you usually get stunning gift sets.  Some of the brands on display that night were: Ralph Lauren, Georgio Armani, Diesel, Stella McCartney and Cacharel.

♥ The Victor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb' Gift Set, the bottle comes in a unique décolletage case with the Bombalicious Shower Gel & Body cream. SUPER cute! Flowerbomb is one of my all time favourite perfumes!

♥ Getting into the Christmas spirit with all the fragrances on display - even in the Christmas Tree!

♥ And me and the lovely Natalya of FilthyGorgeousMakeUp

After sampling all the fragrances we got to choose one to take home! After a lot umming and arring I choose Emporio Armani Diamonds because I really loved the smell and the design of the bottle :)

Emporio Armani - Diamonds eau de parfum
"Diamonds is a symbol of audacity, of sexiness with elegance. Sparkling and brilliant, the signature of a strong, confident, sexy woman living life to the full. Featuring the freshness of raspberry and lychee, and invigorated with the pure femininity of rose and the sensual rhythm of patchouli and amber. A unique indulgence for your senses."

I've loved wearing this fragrance the last few days, so yum! The best thing about wearing a new perfume is that you can actually smell yourself hehe! The Christmas gift sets are for sale now at most department stores. Have you got any smellies on your Christmas wish list? xoxo

Natural Interview MakeUp FOTD

Hi my lovelies,

So quick update: I have been in London for two weeks now and I'm slowly starting to feel settled. I have found a fabulous flat in Clapham and have loved catching up with friends in London. On the job front, I am still looking....It's all about finding that right job at the right company and those things don't happen overnight! However I in the last 2 weeks I have been to MANY interviews and agency meetings, and to be honest, I'm getting a little over talking about myself day-in-day-out ;) LOL. 

First impressions are so important when meeting agencies or prospective new employers so when I attend interviews I always ensure I look very polished and professional. I thought I'd quickly share my standard Natural Interview MakeUp FOTD: 

♥ Face:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Medium
Revlon ColourStay Foundation in Sand Beige (#180)
MaxFactor Creme Puff in Translucent (#5)
Sleek Contour Kit (light) - dark colour to contour
Bourjois Blush #33 - Lila's D'or

♥ Eyes:
MAC Nylon eyeshadow (tear duct & inner corner of eye)
MAC Grain eyeshadow (all over lid)
MAC Charcoal Brown eyeshadow (crease & lower lashline)
MAC Smolder eyeliner (waterline)
Barry M Liquid Eyeliner - black (upper lash line)
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara
Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper in Blonde

♥ Lips:
Estee Lauder - Crystal Baby #301

As I mentioned, the key is to understand the importance of first impressions. Your goal should be to convey your competence, neatness, and attention to detail — and all of those things can be communicated by your appearance. More importantly, when you feel confident about your appearance, you'll be able to focus on presenting your qualifications and experience. So for any fellow job hunters out there, here are some great practical tips that you can use before your next job interview:

Hair: Keep it simple

♥ Wash and dry your hair the night before the interview. By getting that out of the way, you'll save time the day of the big event.

♥ If your hair is long, consider pulling it back in a ponytail. This way, you won't be tempted to absentmindedly fiddle with it.

♥ Even if you don't use hair spray every day, a light dusting of it will keep flyaways at bay.

♥ Don't wear a hat as part of your ensemble. If you need a hat to keep yourself warm, remove it before entering the building, and peek into a mirror to remove any traces of hat head.

♥ Skip the flashy hair accessories.

♥ Keep your hair out of your face at all costs. Long bangs falling into your eyes are sexy for a date, but they won't project a professional image. If you need to get them out of your face, using a simple barrette or bobby pin is a fine solution.

Makeup: Less is more

♥ Give yourself extra time. If you take five minutes to get ready in the morning, allow yourself 15. Trust me, weird things pop up, so it's better to build in some wiggle room.

♥ For your face, you probably won't need much more than concealer and loose powder. If you have blemishes or uneven skin tone, by all means, use a foundation! But if you don't need much coverage, just skip it.

♥ The night before your interview, exfoliate chapped lips by scrubbing them with a warm, wet washcloth. Follow with a generous coating of lip balm. Before the interview, use a sheer lipstick to give lips a hint of color. 

♥ Wear lipstick, not lip gloss. Gloss is too shiny and youthful for a formal occasion like an interview.

♥ Use eye shadows in neutral shades such as tan, brown, and cream. A little bit of shimmer is fine, but stay away from adding a lot of shine to your eyelids.

♥ Mascara & a thin line of smudged pencil or simple (well applied) liquid eyeliner are really all you need. 

♥ Well-groomed brows show that you pay attention to details. Tweeze any stray hairs that threaten to give you a Bert-like monobrow, and if you have brow gel, use it to set your brows in place. (A tiny bit of hair gel, diluted with water, can do the same thing.)

♥ Applying a little bit of blush makes everyone look healthier. Use this rather than bronzer for a natural-looking, healthy glow.

Nails: 

♥ Unless you have naturally clean, even, hangnail-free nails, get a manicure.

♥ It doesn't matter whether your nails are long or short, but they should be neatly filed.

♥ A neutral nail is fool-proof, so look for barely-there beige and pink polishes. Classic red can work, too, but use your judgment: It'll probably fit in at an ad agency, but not at a conservative law firm. I would not recommend a French manicure; some people think they're classy, but others think they're corny, so just go with a single color.

Finally, SMILE. All of the primping and grooming doesn't mean a thing if you aren't excited to be there.
Good luck! xoxo Roz

Holiday Wish List

Morning everyone,

Want to know what's on my Wish list for Christmas??  Then make sure you check out my Holiday Wish List Guest Post that I did for the wonderful Andi of SaltwaterDreams! 

What are the items on your Christmas Wish List this year?? xoxo Roz

NOTD: Revlon Goldfinger

Discovered this pretty nail polish the other day, as it belongs to one of my new flatmates! Gotta love living in an all girls house ;) I'm a big fan of Revlon polishes already and "Goldfinger" is  a gorgeous pale gold colour that can look quite neutral or metallic depending on the light that falls onto it. Gold nails really get me into a wintery/holiday spirit. Can you believe today it's exactly 30 days until Christmas!!! 

Left: Natural Light                                                            Right: with Flash  

Do you know any other lovely Gold nail polishes? xoxo

Happy Hump Day %

Have a lovely day! xoxo

Face Masque 'Tottles' Review+

If you a girl that's into her face masques, you're probably familiar with the brand  Montagne Jeunesse and have tried one of their products before (you know the little one application sachets, which you can buy at most supermarkets or drugstores?). Well Montagne Jeunesse have recently launched a new range of products called "Tottles". Bottle + Tube = Tottle - get it? ;)

They were so kind to send me 3 of these new and delicious formulations to try out! I was pretty excited, because I'd never really tried face masques before! I know this sounds crazy for a girl like me that's so into her beauty products but truthfully skin creams/masques and treatments have never been my kind thing much - up until now that is!! 

Each Tottle allows for up to 10 applications of face masques and peel-offs. My friends told me they'd used the individual sachets before and mentioned how great these tottles are in comparison because they felt the sachets were a little messy and product would end up being wasted. With the Tottle; all you need to do is squeeze out the amount you need for one application and then reseal! No mess, no waste - perrrfect! Application is a breeze; just smooth the masque product onto your skin, leave for 15-20 minutes and then rinse off thoroughly.   

Also I love that Montagne products are made with only the purest, most natural ingredients and that they are strongly against animal testing! Now onto the masques I tried: 

Damask Rose & Marula Oil Ultra Deep Cleansing Masque

"Renowned for its cleansing and super hydrating properties, delicate Damask Rose is infused with Africa’s miracle Marula oil to rid of anti-oxidants and seriously moisturise. Then the Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter join forces to soften and smooth for enviable silky skin. The lovely fresh floral fragrance is a damask delight. A lovely mask to use on sensitive skin or older skin."

My skin felt super soft after using this masque so was very happy with the result! Plus the sweet flower scent is gorgeous and made it a relaxing experience.

Dark Chocolate & Orange Deep Cleansing Mud Masque

"Indulge in divine, dark chocolately orange bliss where moisturising Cocoa and Shea Butters combine with sweet Orange Oil, to deeply cleanse and nourish. Did you know that orange is jammed packed full of anti-oxidants which help protect skin from free radicals that bring on the signs of ageing? This ultra rich wonder masque smells like heaven on earth and is not to be missed when it comes to spoiling your skin."

My favourite of the 3! This masque seriously smells DELICIOUS. I was almost tempted to eat as it fully reminded me of these Leonidas Orange/Chocolates my parents used to eat all the time! One note; you do have to be a little careful when applying & removing this products because it's dark brown! Plus I have warned you - serious chocolate craving's after using this product could occur....

Tropical Peel off Masque with Red Grape & Mango

"Revitalising and rejuvenating, this exotic mix of fruits will give your skin an energy injection. Red Grape, Noni Fruit and juicy Mango work to revitalise and cleanse pores, lifting away impurities and dead skin cells, revealing a more glowing and radiant you." 

The peel was a funny and new experience for me. I love how easy it was to apply + remove and how you see it truly clears the pores and dead skin. My skin was so glowing and fresh afterwards!

Overall I think these Tottles are fabulous for a girls night in skin pampering session! In the Tottle range they also have a Sensuous Spice (Cinnamon & Ginger) Self Warming masque which I can't wait to try this winter!

You can buy the new Tottle face masques (plus many other Natural Beauty products) by Montagne Jeunesse on their website for £4.99 each - shipping is free in the UK if you spend £7.50 or more - or you can find Montagne Jeunesse products at these stockists.

Celeb Style > Kate Bosworth

Am loving Kate Bosworth's look at the screening for her latest film 'The Warrions Way' on Friday in LA. The fashion loving actress went for a chic look on the red carpet in a white lace dress with red embroidered flowers from the new spring collection by Erdem. She teamed the stunning dress with metallic Christian Louboutin sandals.

MakeUp - Loving the defined brows, simple eyes and pink lip. 

Hair - Different but fun braided updo. 

As always Kate = perfection :)

Photos courtesy of JustJared.com

Knight Divine Smokey Eye

Hi my lovelies,

Firstly, sorry that I have been a little absent recently! With my move to London last week I have been pretty busy trying to find a place to live and a job. You've got to set priorities in life sometimes; to blog or to have a home and income.....? ;) Anyways, I am happy to announce that mission #1 (a roof above my head) has been accomplished!! I have found a lovely flat in Clapham and I move in tomorrow. I can't wait to decorate my room and create a little cosy 'haven' for myself in London. 

On Tuesday I attended my first blogger event in London (post to follow!) & I thought I'd quickly share my Face of the Night. I used Knight Divine eyeshadow by MAC to create a grey/navy smokey eye:

♥ Face:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

Revlon ColorStay Foundation in #180
MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC20
MAC Bronzer in Refined Golden
Topshop Blush in Neon Rose

♥ Eyes:
MAC Paintpot in Blackground (base - on lid applied until crease)
MAC Wedge e/s (crease)
MAC Knight Divine e/s (all over lid, blended into wedge e/s & lower lashline)
MAC Dazzlelight e/s (brown bone highlight & inner corner of eye)
Chanel Kohl Liner in Claire (waterline)
Barry M Liquid Liner in Black (upper lashline)
MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

♥ Lips:
Rimmel Volume Booster Lipgloss in Magnet (#20)

Healthy Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars!

Want a delicious filling snack without any guilt? 

Then look no further than my amazing Healthy Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars!!! 

Ingredients: 

1 + 1/2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup dried fruit (I used 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/4 cup golden raisins, 1/4 cup normal raisins)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 + 1/4 cups skim milk

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla

Let's start making these yummy and healthy snack bars!

♥ Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F)

♥ Start by adding all dry ingredients in a bowl. Start by adding oats (1), walnuts (2), dried fruit (3 & 4), cinnamon (5) and salt (6)

♥ Mix them all together (7)

♥ In a separate bowl add the milk (8), egg (9) and vanilla (10)

♥ Pour the wet into the dry ingredients (11)

♥ and stir to combine (12)

Super easy right?! 

Now pour the mix into a 23x23cm (9x9inch) baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with baking paper. Pop this baby in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Cut into squares & let it cool! While delicious, the only sweetness in these comes from the dried fruit so you can add in 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey) if you like, but personally I don't feel it needs it. 

The variations for these bars are endless: cranberries, coconut, all kinds of dried fruit (e.g: dates, apples, cherries, banana) and nuts, seeds etc! (you could even add some chocolate chips...hehe) 

I usually wrap each bar in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. This means I can easily grab & go for a healthy (but delicious) snack or microwave for instant enjoyment. Note: these are not crunchy like a granola bar, but they are chewy like thick muffin. I can pretty much guarantee that you will love them & whoohoo you actually won't have to feel guilty when you can't stop eating them ;) 

ENJOY xoxo

Original recipe from Kath Eats

Deliciously soft kissable cherry lips!

With the cold winter months approaching I thought I'd share one of my all time favourite lip products that keep my lips moisterised, soft, healthy and kissable ;) during the chilly winter season.

Introducing: The Body Shop, Wild Cherry Lip Butter 

The Body Shop Lip Butters come in little pots with screw top lids. They are basically a miniature version of their Body Butter pots, for anyone who is familiar with those, but made for the lips. A pot is 10ml in size and costs £4.00. On the bottom of the pot we are informed that the pot is recyclable after use and that of course The Body Shop is against animal testing (FAB!)

They come in a variety of other flavours; pink grapefruit, shea, coconut, mango, sweet lemon and the new spiced vanilla one which I cant wait to try next! The colours of the pots correspond to the flavours - coconut is brown, lemon is yellow, pink grapefruit is pink etc. - with stickers on the top of each one to inform you which variety it is.

When you unscrew the lid you are exposed to the lip butter which is a soft pink colour and comes about three quarters of the way up the pot. As soon as you remove the lid you are hit with a gorgeous sweet cherry smell which is what initially drew me to this product! You just need a tiny bit of the butter on your finger for your lips and as such I am sure that this product will last a long time, making the £4.00 price tag not as bad as it perhaps first seems as a pot is sure to last you a very long time.

What The Body Shop says: 

A rich, intensive moisturiser for the lips with tantalising wild cherry. Its creamy butter-like texture melts onto the lips to help prevent dryness, leaving them feeling soft, smooth and kissable.

The main ingredients are wild cherry oil known for its moisturising benefits, community trade shea butter which leaves the skin soft, smooth and supple and community trade beeswax which is a skin conditioner.You can get the Lip Butter online here or at any of their stores.

What I love:
The smell, I adore anything cherry! ♥
The texture, leaves my lips feeling super soft & moisterised
The small and convenient packaging
That it's not tinted and makes my lips a little glossy but not sticky

What I hate:
Nope....Nada...Nothing :)

One little thing I should say is that I wouldn't recommend this product if your lips are already sore or chapped. Because it is a butter and not a balm, it does not have good healing properties and is therefore better suited as a general moisturising product when your lips are already healthy :)

What is one of your favourite lip moistering products for the cold winter months?

Win an exclusive NARS make-over!

Would you like receive a make-over from a top NARS makeup artist? Well this is your chance! HQhair is offering 3 lucky winners a make-over by celebrity makeup artist David Scheffen PLUS each winner gets to take home a fabulous goody bag filled with NARS products! 

Entry is super simple, all you have to do is tell HQhair, who your Beauty Icon is and why!
Please click the image below for all the information and to enter yourself in! Good luck :)

Victoria's Secret 2010 Fashion Show >

Last night was Victoria's Secret Lingerie Fashion show in New York! 

I think they are the most amazing and fun shows - check out these fabulous photos below ♥

Katy Perry opened this year's Victoria's Secret fashion show in spectacular style, rocking colourful PVC outfits! She sang a medley of her hits, including Fireworks, Teenage Dream and California Gurls.

Middle: Karolina Kurkova & Right: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Model: Chanel Iman

Some of the themes of the night were the exotic "Wild Things," the heavy metal-infused "Tough Love," the flirty "Pink Planet," the sports-themed "Game On," and the wholesome-but-not-really "Country Girls."Left: Candice Swanepoel & Right: Adriana Lima modeling a $2 million fantasy bra by Damiani!

Designed in collaboration with Italian jeweller Damiani, and containing more than 3,000 jewels, the piece took six craftsmen 1,500 hours of work to complete.

Adriana looked amazing returning to the catwalk after having her daughter only a year ago! 

Lais Ribeiro strutted down the runway along with 'warrior' male models

There were a few notable absences from the parade.

Heidi Klum this year decided to bow out of her affiliation with the Victoria's Secret label after 13 years.

'Obviously, it's different,' said Ambrosio, when asked about Klum's departure.

'I miss the way she walks and her laugh and her personality,' Lima said.

Miranda Kerr, who is expecting her first child with actor Orlando Bloom, sat the night out too.

Pregnant Doutzen Kroes, who married to DJ/producer Sunnery James this week, was also understandably otherwise engaged.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show screens on CBS on November 30 in the U.S.

Will you watch it? xoxo
Ps: Check out an earlier Victoria's Secret Inspired FOTD post here!

Winter Must Have: The Camel Coat

As the weather gets a bit more chilly, it is always important to invest in a beautiful coat. The easiest easy way to upgrade your wardrobe, stay on trend AND make a fabulous fashion investment right now? Look no further than a camel coat - the most elegant way to keep warm this winter. 

Hands-down, camel, is the “it” color of the moment, although, camel will always be a Fall/Winter staple. The popularity of the camel coat heralds the trend of minimalism and back-to-basics that many designers have embraced this season. The camel coat is an invest that can be worn year after year! This versatile neutral can be paired with almost any item in your wardrobe. Wear it in the style of a bohemian jetsetter with a pair of jeans, gypsy blouse and over-the-knee boots or dress it up with a classy pair of gray trousers, skinny belt and cashmere boyfriend sweater to up the chic factor. This color can be worn essentially by anyone. If you feel you are bit too pale to wear camel, look into a camel coat that is a bit more of a warmer tone. I think the camel-coat will never really go out of style and you will not be sorry to invest in one!

Of course I couldn't resist and had to get myself this ultimate Autumn/Winter Must-Have: 

♥ Funnel neck coat by Mango. Featuring belted waist with buckle and pockets to the side.

Available 

online at MANGO or ASOS

♥ Bootleg jeans by ZARA

♥ Snakeskin print heels by ZARA

Camel coats on the runway this fall:

Clockwise from top left: two looks from each by Chloe, Michael Kors, and DKNY. 

Michael Kors says that “camel looks indulgent like winter white but has the pragmatism of gray and black. It’s the best of both worlds. … A camel coat evokes throwaway glamour.” 

I'm definitely loving this trend - are you?

Topshop Lazy Days FOTD

When browsing the cosmetics section at Topshop a few weeks ago I picked up one of their eye pencils. I got the crayon in 'Lazy Days'. I was drawn to it because it reminded me of NARS Night Star eyeshadow, which has been on my lust list for yonks!

Topshop describes it as: Chunky eyeshadow pencil with glitter for shading, lining and defining eyes. 
Its available on the Topshop website for £6

I created a FOTD recently using the Lazy Days Crayon:

♥ Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Topshop Lazy Days Crayon (all over lid)
MAC Wedge e/s (crease & lower lashline)
MAC Engraved eyeliner (waterline)

Barry M liquid liner in black (upper lashline)
MAC Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

♥ Lips:
YSL Rouge Volupte in Lingerie Pink

What I think of this product? It's a nice and creamy pencil that applies smoothly and is easy to blend. I really love the soft pink/nude colour with its slight gold glitters (which unfortunately don't seem to photograph that well, grrr). The only downfall is that when using this crayon as an eyeshadow it's perhaps a little too creamy and doesn't really 'set' into a powder finish. I used a primer but still found it smudged, creased and faded after only a few hours. Therefore I think this pencil is great for a day look but not ideal for if you are going out at night because think due to heat of bars etc this would smudge and fade too much. 

Do you have any of the Topshop pencils and what do you think?

+ Explore Dream Discover +

Hi lovelies,

Today is quite a BIG day for me. It's the start of a new adventure!

I'm officially getting on a train, with my life stuffed into two suitcases, and will be heading for the amazing city of London. What will happen there? Not sure, I am kind of heading for the unknown...

This is very unlike me really. People that know me will concur that I can be a bit of a planner/organiser or 'control freak' as such, LOL. So not having a definite plan for once I get to London is completely new for me. But basically the main idea will be to find a place to live, find a job, meet new people and start a new life! What an adventure right? Love this quote by Mark Twain on this special day:

I will be honest, of course I am a little scared and freaked out but I just have to remember to keep breathing and keep smiling! Reminding myself that I have the support of my dear friends and family and if I just keep believing in myself let's hope things will all start falling into place. 

I WILL Explore, Dream & Discover! :)

Lots of love xoxo

Best & Worst: MTV EMA's 2010

The 2010 EMA's were held last night at La Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain. Looking at the photos that have started surfacing on the internet, I have to say I wasn't overly impressed with the Red Carpet Looks :( 

I know the MTV Awards are always a little more casual and alternative but I feel it's still a Red Carpet, so a little more effort would have been nice. Anyways, these are my quick Best & Worst picks of the night:

Rihanna looked stunning in a Marchesa gown!

Shakira looked fun, sparkly and glam. Pefect look for the MTV EMA's!

In recognition of her commitment and dedication to making education accessible for children around the world, Shakira received the MTV Free Your Mind award. Congrats :)

Can't quite make my mind up about Eva Longoria's black Georges Hobeik dress for the Red Carpet.  

It's quite different, which I like, but also maybe a teeny tiny bit short? Eva was the host of the Awards show. 

Taylor Momsen. Am lost for words to describe this look.....

I know she's a 'rock' chick & all but honestly what was she thinking (not to mention the fact she's only 17!)

Kesha in a 'Breeze' by KD T-shirt and some other weird stuff...

The singer took home the award for "Best New Act" & performed at the show.

Big winners of the night were Lady Gaga (surprise surprise) and Justin Bieber who won the Best Male category. Here is the full list of winners:

♥ Best New Act: Ke$ha 

♥ Best Pop: Lady GaGa 

♥ Best Alternative: Paramore 

♥ MTV EMA Global Icon: Bon Jovi 

♥ Best Rock: Thirty Seconds To Mars 

♥ Best Male: Justin Bieber 

♥ Best Video: Katy Perry (California Gurls) 

♥ Best Hip-Hop: Eminem 

♥ Free Your Mind: Shakira 

♥ Best Live: Linkin Park 

♥ Best Song: Lady GaGa (Bad Romance) 

♥ Best Female: Lady GaGa 

♥ Best European Act: Marco Mengoni 

♥ Best Push Artist: Justin Bieber 

♥ Best World Stage Performance: Tokio Hotel

What do you think of this years Red Carpets looks? And will you be watching the MTV EMA Award show? 

Photo's courtesy of JustJared.com

Yves Saint Laurent - L'amour Fou

This afternoon I went to the Yves Saint Laurent documentary/movie 'L'amour Fou' with my mum & dad. The movie premiered in Paris on 22 September and when I noticed it was playing in a film house here in The Hague, I was quite intrigued to see it. 

Yves Saint Laurent has been named one of the greatest fashion designers of the twentieth century. Sensitive and tortured soul Yves Saint Laurent & clear-eyed businessman Pierre Bergé met at Christian Dior’s funeral in 1957 and moved in together soon after, embarking on a symbiotic 5 decade long relationship that pretty much lasted until YSL’s death in 2008. Pierre Thoretton’s (Director) L’Amour Fou is the moving and informative story of Saint Laurent and Bergé’s love for each other and for beautiful things - tens of millions of dollars worth of beautiful things! Upon Saint Laurent’s death, Bergé decided to sell their private art collection, that they had spent their lives accumulating. Known as “The Auction of the Century,” this multi-million dollar sale (€374 million to be exact!) heralded the end of an era. L’amour Fou (literally 'mad love') also shows rare material archives and exclusive images of their three fabulous homes – the Parisian apartment on the Rue Babylone, the fantastic Marrakesh compound, and the country house in Normandy.

I definitely enjoyed this documentary. I was blown away by the passion for fashion of Saint Laurent, and also his personality. Bergé says: “He was only really happy two days in a year, when he received the applause from the public during the finales of his S/S and A/W collection”. I was amazed to find out that the extremely shy Saint Laurent was only 21 when he took over the House of Dior and only 4 years later (in 1962) started his own fashion house and became a superstar in the fashionworld. The youth the missed was sadly replaced with alcohol and drugs. However this was not a documentary full with sensation and drama, it was very touching to hear from Pierre Bergé how they both started their fashion house and gradually became more and more succesful, and how all of this influenced their personal relationship: bittersweet...

This biopic of one of the greatest names in fashion will stay with you, and linger in your mind. As Yves Saint Laurent once said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal,” and this gorgeously stylish film will not soon fade from my memory. If you ever get the chance to see this film, I'd definitely recommend seeing it & I think it's a movie even the non-die hard- fashion fans would enjoy!

Smokey Eye Tutorial using Club eyeshadow =

Hi darlings, 

Guess what? I filmed another video tutorial! 

I know, I know....it's been a while since my last one..... (sorry!) In today's video I'm showing you how to create a Smokey Eye using just ONE brilliant MAC eyeshadow called Club. This is the finished look: 

Products used in the tutorial:
♥ Face:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer
Revlon ColourStay Foundation in Sand Beige (#180)
MaxFactor Creme Puff in Translucent (#5)
Rimmer Natural Bronzer in Sunlight
MAC Well Dressed Blush

♥ Eyes:
MAC Club eyeshadow
MAC Brule eyeshadow
MAC Smolder eyeliner
MAC Fluidline gel liner
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara

♥ Lips:
Sephora Lipgloss in Apricot Souffle

I really enjoyed filming this video and have made a promise to myself to do LOTS more!

Therefore I'd love to know if you have any specific tutorial requests; perhaps a look I have done in one of my past FOTD's? Please put your request in the comment section below or feel free to email me directly!
Thank you :) xoxo

Silver & Gunmetal FOTD

Happy Friday my lovelies!

Silver & Grey soft smokey eyes is one of my all time favourite eye makeup and today I created this kind of look using my lovely new NAKED palette :) I hope you like it!

♥Face:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC20

MAC Studio Fix Powder NC20

Revlon Bronzer (contour)

Bourjois Blush #33 - Lila's D'or

♥Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MAC Electra e/s (lid, inner to 2/3 of lid)

Urban Decay Gunmetal, NAKED palette (mid to outer corner of lid)

Urban Decay Naked, NAKED palette (softly blended into crease)

Urban Decay Virgin, NAKED palette (brow bone highlight)

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero (waterline & smudged into upper lash line)

♥Lips:

MaxFactor Vibrant Curve Effect Lipgloss in Trendsetter (#3) 

I hope you've all had a fabulous week. It's the start of the weekend, woop woop! And to all my Australian, NZ and British readers: have a FUN but SAFE Guy Fawkes tonight :) xoxo

2010 Fall/Winter Fashion Trend: Socks

Normally a humble accessory that most women hide, SOCKS turned out to be very popular on the Fall/Winter 2010 runways. However, it goes without saying that not all socks are all off a sudden fashionable ;)  

To compliment your 2010 wardrobe condiser investing in some of the following styles:

♥ Knee high socks

♥ Over the knee socks

♥ Thigh high socks

This season, socks can be the ideal way to winterize your favourite skirts, dresses or shorts. Over the knee socks are just as good casual as they are dressy. Perfect with your favourite boots and shorts, skirts or baggy dresses or even more perfect when the night comes with towering heels and fitted dresses.

Here are some simple pointers to get the thigh high socks and knee high socks fashion trend right:
♥ Wear your knee-high or over-the-knee socks under tall boots, adding extra warmth and a little color flair to the top of your boot. It is okay for socks to stick up over the top rim of the boot, just make sure the color or pattern of your socks coordinates with the rest of your outfit.
♥ Wear knee-high and over-the-knee socks with short dresses, shorts, and skirts. However make sure your clothing doesn't overpower the socks, creating a large cluster of fabric. The hem of your clothing piece should also not go below the middle of your thigh.
♥ Wear knee high and over-the-knee socks with heels or boots. Taller boots whether UGG style or leather look trendy with socks underneath. Closed toe heels or open-toe heels can be worn carefully, giving the trend a more polished and girly look.
♥ Don't wear short or bulky socks. Bulky socks were in style in 2007 and styles seldom repeat themselves quickly. Go for tight-fitting socks.
♥ Try and experiment knee-high or over-the-knee socks with leggings. Leggings that are sheer and/or patterned can add warmth and a whole new look.
♥ Don't go for the school-girl look!! Avoid pairing socks with plaid skirts :p

♥ Whether you have big or small legs, knee-high and over-the-knee socks can compliment your bone structure. People with bigger thighs should wear socks just below the knee for a smaller-thigh look, while those with smaller thighs can wear over-the-knee socks to highlight their small thighs. Try both styles on to see what you like best!

What do you think of this trend? I love it :) I picked up some woolen knit over the knee socks when I was in London so thought I'd share a quick OOTD of how I wore my over the knee socks yesterday :)

♥ Navy sweater by ZARA (also available in red or camel online here)

♥ Demin Skirt by GAP (current collection - buy online here)

♥ Woolen grey over the knee socks by H&M

Later that I went into the city and was just blown away by all the lovely Autumn colours!

So just had to get my camera out to take some photo's:

Beautiful right? :) Are all the trees in autumn colours where you live? xoxo

Baking: Dutch Speculaas Chunks

Being quite the typical girlie girl, I love cooking and baking! While on my job 'hiatus' I have loved cooking dinner for my parents every night and with the recent colder weather; I have really gotten into the baking spirit! On a dark, cold and rainy day nothing can beat  home baked goodies right? Yummmm.

In the anticipation of winter and St Nicolas here in The Netherlands the shops are filled with lots of lovely wintery 'Speculaas' goodies! Speculaas is a type of distinctively spiced flavoured shortcrust biscuit, traditionally baked for consumption on St Nicholas' Eve in the Netherlands (December 5). However, in recent decades it has become available all year round. Speculaas are thin, very crunchy, slightly browned and, most significantly, have some image or figure stamped on the front side before baking. Overseas speculaas is often sold as Dutch Windmill cookies! Beside the famous Windmill cookies there are various types of Speculaas treats available ranging from cakes, muffins to biscuits in many shapes and sizes. Because I am a HUGE fan of anything Speculaas I wanted to try my hand at baking some myself! 

So today I present to you: Speculaas Chunks! Don't they look amazing? 

Ingredients:

200g self raising flour

100g butter

125g soft brown sugar

a pinch of salt

2 tbsp milk

5 tsp speculaas spice mix (see below)

handful of sliced or halved almonds (optional)

(click image to enlarge)

Next? Time to start baking!! 

1. Cut the butter into pieces, add the self raising flour & cut the butter into smaller pieces using 2 knives.

2. Add the sugar, salt, milk and spice mix.

3. Knead the mixture together with your hands until it forms a nice dough.

4. Make a ball of the dough & wrap this in plastic foil & leave to rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours (this will develop the delicious flavour)

5. Preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out the on baking paper to create a slab of around 1 cm thickness. 

6. Brush the slab with a little bit more milk (this will give it a nice coating once baked)

7. Optional - Lightly press sliced or halved almonds into the dough

Now place into the oven and bake at 170°C for about 30 minutes.

Leave the Speculaas to cool on a rack. Once cold, break into chunks and ENJOY!

These biscuits are seriously delicious with a cup of hot chocolate/coffee or tea. I introduced some of my friends in NZ to Speculaas & they absolutely loved it! But this posts comes with a small warning: these chunks can be very additive haha! Once I have one bite, I find it hard to restrain myself :p Nom Nom....

Let me know if you try making these, would love to know your thoughts :)

Hope you've all had a great Hump Day! xoxo

I finally got NAKED >

Ever since the HUGE praise started in the blogosphere about the Urban Decay NAKED palette months ago, I knew this palette was something I just HAD to get my hands on! One little problem, it wasn't available in The Netherlands :( So I waited and waited...but as soon as I was in London and saw it calling my name at Debenhams, I was sold! So I know this is a little late and there's already a million other reviews out there about this palette, but just thought I'd quickly put in my two pennies worth :)

The NAKED Palette in its full glory! (hehe can you spot me in the mirror?)

What does Urban Decay say:

"These neutrals won't leave you naked. THIS is how Urban Decay does neutral: Far from a group of boring beige shadows, this long, lean, seductive case is packed with TWELVE gorgeous neutrals. Shades range from delicate champagnes to dark, gritty gunmetal. This is a shadow palette that everyone will want, everyone can use, and everyone will buy. Experiment with office-appropriate neutrals, summertime bronzy looks, or sultry smokiness (achieve golden, brownie, or grey-hued shade combos). With all this at your fingertips…you'll hardly need clothes at all."

The palette is packaged in a beautiful velvet chocolate brown case and contains 12 full sized eyeshadows, a double-ended version of the award-winning 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero (black) and Whisky (a warm brown shade without sparkle) and a miniature bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

The palette contains 7 existing shades and 5 brand new ones. You'll get:

Permanent collection shades:

♥ Gunmetal (gray with silver sparkle)

♥ Half Baked (subtle, lustrous bronze)

♥ Naked (matte buff nude)

♥ Sidecar (cocoa with golden sparkle sheen)

♥ Sin (champagne shimmer)

♥ Smog (coppery chocolate bronze)

♥ Toasted (rich copper)

Brand new shades:

♥ Buck (matte nutmeg)

♥ Creep (onyx with golden sparkle)

♥ Darkhorse (bronze patina)

♥ Hustle (plum bronze satin)

♥ Virgin (satin chamois)

Swatched from L to R: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, 

Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

All summed up: 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette! Why? 

♥ Gorgeous range of colours and textures: everything from glitter, to shimmer to matte.

♥ Great pigmentation; the shades go on smooth, blend perfectly and stay put all day and night.

♥ Every shade is usable. You can create numerous looks; from a subtle neutral eye to using the shimmery & darker colours to create a more sexy and sultry look. 

♥ Great value for money; 12 full sized eyeshadows, 2 eyeliners & a primer for only £27 or US$44.

♥ Size; the packaging is super sleek & therefore perfect to put in your purse or take traveling with you.

Here the first FOTD (of many more to come) using my new beloved NAKED palette: 

♥ Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Sidecar (all over lid)

Urban Decay Darkhorse (outer corner of lid, crease & lower lashline)

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Zero (waterline + smudged into upper lashline)

MaxFactor Calorie 2000 Mascara

Honestly I'd recommend the Urban Decay NAKED palette for every girl, even if you are not a huge cosmetics collector. This is one product I feel is a must have & I can guarantee you won't be disappointed! 

Do you own NAKED and are you as besotted with it as I am? xoxo