Look Of The Day

Today is a day to celebrate for me... and of course it's Friday... Yeah!

Leo-Look - soft matte brown on the lid and very dark black chocolate on the lower lashline - is made with following products:
Eyes:
IsaDora matte Chocolate eye shadows
MAC kohl pencil blacktrack
YSL mascara Shocking Black


Lips:
Benefit Lipbase
Sephora nano lip liner Native Nude
Sephora eye shadow Hawaian Beach tapped on the middle


Face & cheecks:
USLU Airlines airbrush make-up
MAC Beauty Powder Play it Proper (Chenman Collection)
MAC Rouge Strada

I hesitated a little with the mascara because the cat-eye look went so well without it.

If this would be for an editorial shooting I wouldn't use mascara. It's way more "rooooaaaaarrr" without it.
But for me... for today... somebody might have thought I have forgotten my lashes.

Happy Weekend everybody!

Shooting: frfr-international

One of the last shootings was for the vintage re-design label frfr-international.

Those vintage dress seen on the pics will be soon transformed into something really marvelous... but I won't tell you more... have a look at their website.

So hair and make-up had to be a little bit vintage as well.

It was a very fun and great shooting!

Big thank you to all:

Corinna from frfr-international

Bon, the photographer

and the lovely models Alma, Larissa, Vivi and Janice!

Girl Crush: Babypink Hair - Part II

A few months ago I already wrote about my little crush about babypink hair here. And you see it more and more on runways, covers and editorials.

Also bloggers dye their hair or only their hair tips lately in all colors of the rainbow. Also Hollywood stars like Kate Bosworth or Kate Perry was seen in colored tips. (see more here)

pic via http://love-aesthetics.blogspot.com/

pic via http://nyheter24.se/modette/angelicablick/

pic via http://stylorectic.blogspot.com/

pic via http://beautyeditor.ca/

Since not everybody is a star, a full-time blogger, a model, a creative working self-employed or in a hip agency, who can dye your hair permanently, you have to improvise with something else for the weekend or just for one day.

And wigs are not for everybody, besides if they are good quality they are expensive and if they aren't they are uncomfortable and look cheep.

"So why not use an eye shadow for your hair?" must Kevin Murphy had in mind, when he invented his color bug.

It's really like make-up for your hair. Since the pigmentation is very strong and opaque, you can use it for dark hair, too.

Be sure to cover your shoulders with a towel to protect your clothes.

Rub the bug on your hair until it has enough color.

Fix it then with a hair spray.

Look Of The Day

Today I'm wearing my new lip stick from USLU Airlines, see more here.

My eyeshadows are from IsaDora. I finally found some only matte brown tones in just one palette: 50 Mattes Chocolate

They are great for traveling since the colors are for every day and every occasion - from sheer business look to bold smoky eyes for a night out. And they go with every other color on the eyes or on the lips or cheeks.

pic via board.beauty24.de

USLU Airlines Review

I weaseled around the brand USLU airlines for or a long time. I often read and heard about their nail polishes in blogs or magazines, but as I found out that they have also airbrush make-up, they got me! Ready for take-off and order!

The luxury brand was founded by Türkish make-up artist Ferie Uslu and German entrepreneurial master mind Jan Mihm in 2003.

Each color - from nail polish to lip stick - is named after the shortcut of an airport.

Since it's only available at Colette Paris, Departementstore Quatier 206 Berlin, Apropos Cologne Milan and Stefano Saccani Parma I had to order via their online-shop, which I usually don't like.

It's always giving me this unnecessary adrenalin-kick: will the color be like on my screen? will the products arrive in one piece? How is the texture? Smell? ...?

The handling was super-easy. It arrived inert a few days and the package was double-safe as you can see on the pic: soft outer package, sealed plastic-package and additional covering box.

I also got a lovely handwritten postcard saying "Greetings from Berlin".

Here is what I ordered:

• Nail polish Palmsprings PSP
• Lip stick Czestochowa CZW
• Liquid Make-up for airbrush Mandalgebi MXW

PSP was created to celebrate Colette's 15th anniversary. It's a transparent nail polish with subtle holographic thin glitter in it. It's perfumed and smells like fig. Reminds me more of an holiday in Greece, but I've never been to Palm Springs.

Here I wear it over OPIs Did You 'ear About Van Gogh? from the Holland Collection.

Next I like to try it over my naked nail and over some black or dark-blue polish to receive more effects from the glitter, like a starry night.

CZW is a lovely tomato red.

It's not perfumed and has a tiny creamy smell. It's very comfortable to wear (Vitamin E) and does not dry your lips out.

It also stays quite good in place, although it's not a kiss-proofed formula.

The pigmentation is gentle, so you can apply it more sheer (one time) and very bold (3-4 times)... as you like it.

left: one time applied, right: 3 times applied

 I'm already a big fan of the airbrush foundation, but I will do a review on all airbrush make-up's I have soon for a better overview.

Summery:
Ordering and handling was easy and delivery was very fast. The package for protection is very good and charming with the postcard! The colors are exactly as on my screen. And there's also a good written description of the colors. Although I was worried about the liquid make-up, it fits perfectly. The price is similar to MAC products, but the design of the packing is way more nicer. Love it!
5 from 5!!!!

Pic of the foundation via http://www.usluairlines.com

Make-up for a cold

Again this year I caught a cold. Twice in winter is not fair!

What to do if you are not too ill to stay at home, but still feeling awful? At least a little color on your face can cheer you up and you look better than you feel ;-)

Here are the best steps to keep your make-up in your face and not on your handkerchief.

Foundation is everything! Prepare your face with a good moisturizer. Especially around the nose. After your foundation use a strong concealer for your dark circles around the eyes and around your nose for the red parts if already necessary. Use a yellowish powder if you have to hide the red nose, but don't use to much, since your nose will get flaky from using so many handkerchiefs. Find a little overview of yellow powders here.

For a little healthy glow I would use a light peach rouge. No rose tone - it doesn't match your red nose. It would make it worse.

For your lips just use a very good lip balm (I love my Dior Rose Balm). Take it with you when leaving the house, you'll need it! No lipsticks or lip glosses! Seriously, they will anyway only end up in your handkerchief the minute you use it. Or your smudge it around your mouth.

To give your tired and swollen eyes an awaken look use white liner for the waterline, stick to fair matte colors like beige and brown and use a water-resistant eyeliner and of course a water-restistant mascara.

If you have time, allow yourself a cucumber mask for your swollen eyes before bed. No time? Use Bobbi Browns Extra Eye Balm. It's a rich moisture balm with cucumber extract and helps to reduce puffiness.

Drink a lot of water or tea and go to bed early.
Get well soon!

MAC Chenman Love and Water

New at MAC counters is the line extension Love and Water made in cooperation with Bejiing-born fashion photographer Chen Man, inspired by love and water, yin and yang and of course the colors blue and pink.

Find the whole collection-overview in the Mac-Store here.

I found the pigments and the mineral eyeshadows kind of boring, the fluidliners we already know... and the beauty powder was sold out.

Really outstanding of this collection is the nail polish in Breezy Blue, a bright neon blue, quite similar to the wonderful and famous Yves Klein blue.

Have you ever heard of him? Check it out here.

But for some reason, although I liked it that much, I haven't bought it. Must be guilty conscience whispering "You have enough nail polish, my dear." I wonder why it worked this time :)

Still.. isn't it lovely?
Have a look:

pic via www.vampyvarnish.com

You already know that I have a soft spot for statement lipsticks and really good ones are hard to find.

... and I love bright matte colors.

Say Hi! to MAC Force of Love.

It's a vivid coral-pink matte lipstick. It's very opaque and can be used for a powerful, opaque appearance or just a hint of color by tapping it on the lips with your fingers.

Find more swatches here, here and here.

Look Of The Day - Karolina Kurkova for The Perfect Model Finale

Inspired by yesterdays look of Karolina Kurkova for the finale for The Perfect Model, I did this look today. Pic via Bild.de, unfortunately I couldn't find a close-up of her look.

Her complexion was dewy and sunkissed. I used my new Laura Mercier Primer for this... more information please find here.

Her Lips were red - as always and her eyes had a bronze eyeshadow with a smudged well blended wing.

Here's my version of it:

for the lips I used my new Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Rose
here with red liner for more color 

and here without the liner for a more natural look

Review: Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Hydrating, Foundation Primer Radiance

Laura Mercier is quite new here and only available in one mall in Zurich (Globus, Bahnhofstrasse).

I first heard of the brand from a Make-up Artist from London. She loves LM Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer which gives your face a healthy dewy look and also protects it with SPF 20. So I went to the counter to try it. I really love it. It has a lot of shimmer in it but it's tinted, so it doesn't give your skin this shimmering-pale look like a fairy.

But since it was very expensive and it was still winter here and my skin needed more a little extra hydration, I spotted the new Foundation Primers:
Hydrating, Mineral and Oil Free.

So I asked for a little sample of the Hydrating one to test it at home. Never buy an expensive cream or make-up without testing it unhurriedly at home for two or three days. You can always get a little sample, that should not be a problem and good make-up counters are happy to help you with this.

So I tried the sample and it was great. My skin soaked up the extra moist and my skin wasn't sticky or oily at all. I bought it. I was happy.

Unfortunately after one week the product changed. The texture started to get heterogenous. I shook the product to mix it well but with day by day it got worse. At the end there was only cream and water-like liquid in it. So I went to the counter again to report the problem and to get a new one. I thought that maybe the package had a hole or something else. I got a new one with no problem.

And again happy with my new Hydration Primer. But after four days the product started to change again. Same problem: only "water" came out. I had a quick look at the internet and I found out, that I wasn't the only one - see the reviews here.

So I went again to the LM counter. And it shows that they were already aware of this problem. It seems that there was a manufacturing error, but only for the serial M11... (I think it was this number) One ingredient was missing or so... that's why the cream divides into two substances. You can find the number on top of the tube - marked in red. Maybe that's why it's already "sold out" on the LM homepage.

And with no problem - of course I had no invoice left at this point - they wanted to give me a new product with another serial number. But since spring is starting and my skin has now other needs I asked for a the Foundation Primer Radiance

And again I'm very happy with it. 

So now I have my radiance product for a dewy look and a little extra moisture for my skin. It's very light and non sticky. 

It's also slightly tinted, so you don't get a spooky pale white look.

Product tested on my arm:

light beige-rosy tinted cream

with flash: primer left, no primer on the right

without flash: primer left, no primer on the right

Résumé:

I really liked the Hydration Primer, well, until it got runny. But if it's really only a manufacturing error  in just this one serial product line and they have, as they told me at the counter, the problem solved, I can recommend the product and I will buy it next winter again, because for dry winter skin it's really perfect. Because instead of other primers it doesn't get greasy or oily and you can apply the make-up free of streaks.

I was very satisfied and surprised how they dealt with me, returning a product twice. They were very friendly and not nerved or irritated. Very calm and competent they explained the problem, gave me a new product and left me with a very good feeling. This was an outstanding example of customer service! I'm not often returning things but I also had bad experience with this, like blaming me for destroying it or similar. So thank you very much Laura Mercier counter!!! 

And although there was a huge problem with the product I won't take all "pencil-points". We all make errors, they can happen. But it's not about the error, it's about how we deal with it and how we solve the problem!

So it's 4 from 5 pencils for the LM Hydrating Primer!

The Foundation Primer Radiance is a great product. I already love it. I just hope that it won't get runny ;) It's light, it soaks up quick, it has no smell or perfume and it gives you this adorable dewy look - just perfect for spring and summer. 5 from 5!