Spotted: Essence Tribal Summer LE

Hey there!
Today I'd like to talk about Essence's new LE for July, which arrived at my drugstore a bit early, really cool! It's called Tribal Summer.
This LE contains 4 pigments, 2 lipsticks, 1 liquid blush, 1 bronzing powder, oil control papers, 5 nail polishes, 1 set of tip painters and feathery hair extensions. All products can be seen here *click*.
The pigments are all very warm-toned, lots of red in them. That makes them rather hard to pull of in my opinion. There are some shimmery and some matte ones among them.
The lipsticks come in darker and vibrant colors, matte as far as I could tell. I didn't get the chance to try them, but they looked like they'd be very pigmented.
The liquid blush comes in a bright pink shade. Unfortunately no tester, so I didn't get it.
The bronzing powder comes in a fun design with zig-zag stripes, but it's very glittery, too much for me.
The oil control papers or also blotting papers are very useful in summer. Both Essence and Catrice also have some in their permanent line, and I still have some at home.
The nail polishes are all very fun in bright matching colors. I really liked them! I bought one of them, in the shade 05 Na-Rock. It's a warm rosewoody red pink shade, hard to describe. It's a creme and very very pigemented, the swatch shows 1 coat!

The tip painters come in nice useful colors, and I'm sure are a great thing for starters in terms of nail art. I already own similar stuff, so I didn't need them, but I do recommend you have a look at them if you like nail art!
And finally, feathery hair extensions. Not my taste.

After all, this is a cute LE, very red-toned and warm, but fun for summer.
How did you like it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 29th: Essence Me & My Ice Cream LE 02 Always In My Mint

Hey there!
Today I'd like to show you the nail polish I bought from Essence's Me & My Ice Cream LE, called 02 Always In My Mint.

Always In My Mint is, as the name already says, a mint color. It is very light however, almost white-ish. On me it looks surprisingly blue! It has a very slight silvery pearly shimmer to it, but that is barely noticeable!
It is rather patchy at first, so I had to do 3 coats to level it out.
I really like this shade, it looks very chic and flattering!

What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Spotted: Essence Me & My Ice Cream LE

Hey there!

My local drugstore is rather quick at the moment, quite surprisingly actually, but they already have Essence's Me & My Ice Cream LE! Really cool, so I've got something to show you :)
This LE contains 3 eyeshadows, 3 lip balms, 1 cream blush, 1 pot of shimmer pearls, 4 nail polishes, 1 set of nail stickers and hand wipes. You can see all products here *click*.

The eyeshadows are all baked ones, and in rather light neutral colors. They are all very shimmery and looked great for day-to-day looks and highlights on the eye.
The lip balms come in fun colors and have a very interesting marble look to them. Don't know how the colors look on the lips, however.
The cream blush actually looks like a baked blush, which is rather weird :D The color is a coralish pink with a nice shimmer. It seemed to be pigmented quite nicely, but not too much. A very pretty shade, but I didn't feel like I needed it.
The shimmer pearls strongly resemble those of Guerlain, the Meteorites. They are basically little shimmery pearls in light shades such as light green, light pink, light peach, and mixed together they have a white-ish color with a slight shimmer, great for highlighting. I'm looking forward to trying these! It's called 01 I-cy U and was 3,25 Euros.

The nail polishes are all very cute, I quite liked them! All pastel shades, with the tiniest hint of a silver pearly shimmer in each of them. I bought the light mint shade, called 02 Always In My Mint. I did 3 thin coats for the swatch, was a bit streaky at first. It was 1,75 Euros.

The nail stickers are very cute, they look like colorful sprinkles! But I didn't need them.
Last but not least, the hand wipes. Cute idea for on the go, but I always keep hand sanitizer with me, so I don't need them.

After all, I quite liked this LE! It looks fun, the theme is a very cute one and the products seem very nice :) Finally something I liked!
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 26th: Union Jack Nail Art

Hey there!
Today I'd like to share some nail art I recently did!

I was already wearing China Glaze's Water You Waiting For from their Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away Collection from earlier this year. Then I added a Union Jack on my ring finger for an accent nail :)
I also used China Glaze nail polishes for the Union Jack, and a small nail art brush. Drawing this did require a very steady hand! It was quite hard to get the lines at least somewhat straight.

I love how this turned out! What do you think?
In case you'd like to see a tutorial, please let me know!
xoxo, Misch

July 2013 Essence LE Previews

Hi guys!
With July already nearing, I thought it was time to show you some Essence LE previews for that month :)
Essence will be releasing 2 LEs, and the first one will be called Me & My Ice Cream. You can see it here *click*. I really actually like the pastel shades and the cuteness of it, can't wait to see it at the store :)
Other than that, Essence's second LE for July will be called Tribal Summer, *click*. This one is very matching for summer, but I don't find it that interesting. We'll see how I like it when it's out :)
What do you think of these LEs?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 24th: OPI - Houston We Have A Purple

Hey guys!
Today I'd like to show you OPI's Houston We Have A Purple!

Houston We Have A Purple is a bright purple shade, very red-toned. It has a jelly finish, meaning it's rather sheer but squishy.
I did 3 coats to get a somewhat full opacity, just a bit of visible nail line still apparent.
I really love how fun and delicious this color looks, great for summer :)

It was part of OPI's Texas Collection for Summer 2011, but should still be available.
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Spotted: Catrice Matchpoint LE

Hello there!

Today I'd like to talk about Catrice's current LE called Matchpoint!

This LE contains 3 baked eyeshadows, 1 eyeshadow base and highlighter, 1 mascara, 2 lip balm tints, 2 blush sticks, 4 nail polishes and 1 cosmetics bag. All products can be seen here *click*.

The baked eyeshadows are all very very shimmery, but also very pigmented. They looked nice, but weren't my colors.

The eyeshadow base and highlighter is a cream product in a shimmery champagne shade. Don't like colors like that as a base, though.

The mascara is a waterproof one, which also seems to be part of the permanent line.

The lip balm tints are basically shiny lipsticks in the shape of pencils, and they come in rather dark colors. They are a tiny bit sheer but do have a great color pay-off.

The blush sticks come in coordinating colors, they look very similar to the lip balm tints. Also quite pigmented.

The nail polishes look fun and match the rest of the LE, but there is nothing exciting to them.

The little cosmetics case is a bright blue one in a cube shape, quite cute.

This LE is nice and everything, but it just didn't wow me. 

What do you think of it?

xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 21st: China Glaze - First Mate

Hey there!
Today I'd like to show you what I'm currently wearing, First Mate by China Glaze!

First Mate is a navy blue creme. Nothing other than that, just a very true navy blue.
Application was great, it went on really smoothly :) I did 2 coats for full coverage.
First Mate was part of China Glaze's Spring 2010 Collection called Anchors Away. But it should still be available!

I really love this shade a lot, navy blue always works for me :)
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Spotted: Essence Ticket To Paradise LE

Hey there!
Today I'd like to talk about Essence's current Ticket To Paradise LE.
It contains 3 cream eyeshadows, 3 lipglosses, 2 lipliners, 4 nail polishes, 1 shimmer powder and 2 hair mascaras. All products can be seen here *click*.

The cream eyeshadows come in very fun summer colors, and they are extremely glittery. Pigmentation didn't seem to be the best, though.
The lipglosses also come in fun shades, but they weren't so much my taste. Would have loved to test the blue one, but it had already sold out here.
The lipliners in pink and orange correspond with the lipgloss shades, really fun.
The nail polishes aren't that special, 3 cremes, 1 glitter. All summer shades.
The shimmer powder looks gorgeous, I love the print! It felt like it's a little too warm for me, however.
And the hair mascara. Purple and turquoise to put some color accents in your hair. Not my style.

After all, this is a fun little LE, and I'm sure you could find something you like. For me it wasn't that interesting.
What did you think?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 17th: Zoya - Faye

Hi there!
Today is my birthday, yay! To celebrate it I'm wearing a very pretty shade by Zoya, called Faye.

Faye is a very interesting color. It's a rather light purple, and it has this very very strong golden foil finish to it which makes it look utterly golden at some angles.
Application was fine, it's a little thick and sheer, but I got a nice result with 3 coats :)
I love how stunning and unique this shade is!

What do you think?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 14th: Kiko - 244

Hi guys!
More Kiko swatches for you, yay! :D Today I have Kiko's 244 for you :)

244 is a very very deep rather warm, plum-toned purple. It's almost black actually, or that's at least what it looks like! It's a creme.
Application was good, it went on very smoothly and was very squishy. I ended up doing 3 thin coats as I experienced some cuticle dragging.

I really like this shade, it's very pretty and might also be a good fall shade!
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Hey everyone!
Today I'd like to review a book I read a couple of weeks ago during my trip to Italy. It's called Looking For Alaska, written by John Green.

Looking For Alaska tells the story of Miles "Pudge" Halter, who is rather bored by his life. In his search of something exciting to happen he decides to join a boarding school. There he meets a couple of interesting people, who seem to be just as not-fitting-in and crazy as he is, among them Alaska Young, whom he finds highly fascinating.
The book basically tells what happens to them at boarding school, parted into one part of "Before" and one of "After". In between there's a life-changing incident. Life at boarding school might sound pretty boring, but it is very entertaining to read as there aren't any boring things happening to our main characters.
I love how the characters are very well described. They all have very special but relateable personalities which makes reading about it a lot more fun.
I love the way the story is told from the perspective of Miles, you can very easily feel with him and understand his actions.
Somehow, this book kind of reminded me of the Dead Poets Society! I guess that's due to the story taking place at a boarding school, and the rather unusual main characters. In terms of how the book is written they don't seem similar at all.
After all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and highly recommend it! Love John Green looks in general :)
Has anyone of you guys read it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 12th: Zoya - Apple

Hey everyone!

Today I'd like to show you Apple by Zoya!

Apple is a bright apple green shade, a little bit yellow-toned. It has a very strong golden shimmery foil look to it which makes it a very special shade.

Application was great, this is on the rather thin side but I was able to get it opaque with 3 coats.

Apple was part of Zoya's 2011 Summer Collection called the Sunshine Collection.

I really love this shade, it's so fun!
What do you think of it?

xoxo, Misch

Spotted: Essence Girls On Tour LE

Hi everyone!
Today I'd like to talk about Essence's Girls On Tour LE which is out now.
It contains 1 eyeshadow palette, 1 lip & cheek creme, 4 nail polishes, 1 perfume, 1 pocket brush and 1 phone charm. All products can be seen here *click*.
The palette is rather small and consists of 6 shimmery girly shades. I do think they'd be very wearable, but I'm not so much a fan of these pastel-y shades.
The lip & cheek creme comes in a vibrant coral orange shade. Very pretty, but quite bold! I bet you'd have to be careful about overblushing!
The nail polishes all come in cute creme shades, matching the eyeshadows. They are nothing special.
The fragrance looks cute and is supposed to smell floraly, fruity and sweet. Didn't try it.
The pocket brush is something I've owned for years already, and it really is useful!
Last but not least, the phone charm. Cute.

After all, this is a nice little LE, but I feel like it's made more for the younger buyers. It's just not that exciting for me!
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 10th: Kiko - 372

Hey there!
Today I'd like to show you another Kiko nail polish in the shade 372.

372 is a nude creme. It's rather cool-toned, looks a lot like a light grey actually! But it also has a slight pink tone to it.

Application was great, it went on smoothly. I did 3 thin coats for full opacity.

I really like this shade, it makes for a nice palette cleanser!

What do you think of it?

xoxo, Misch

Review: Balea Professional After Sun 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner

Hello guys!
Today I'd like to review one of my current favorite hair products that I already raved about in my May Favorites: Balea's After Sun Shampoo! Here you go:

Information:

• Balea After Sun 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner
• part of the Balea Professional line
• available at dm
• contains 250 ml
• costs 1,45 Euros
• contains coconut oil and papaya extract
• doesn't contain any silicones
• contains a UV protectant
• combines shampoo and conditioner in one product

Positives:

• price
• lovely summery scent, smells like coconut and papaya
• scent lingers quite long in my hair
• doesn't contain any silicones
• contains a UV protectant
• untangles the hair nicely
• makes the hair very soft and easy to brush
• doesn't irritate my scalp
  

Negatives:

• availability
• doesn't care your hair as much as a real conditioner would

I'm super happy with this shampoo! It works great for me, also when my hair was a little damaged from the beach. Highly recommend it!

Has anyone of you tried it?

xoxo, Misch

Spotted: Catrice Glamazona LE

Hey there!
Today I'd like to talk about Catrice's current Glamazona LE!
This LE contains 4 eyeshadows, 2 Lip Colour Pens, 1 Liquid Gold Topper, 2 blushes and 5 nail polishes. Pictures can be found here *click*.
The eyeshadows are all shimmery as far as I could tell. They are very pretty, with 2 colorful and 2 natural shades. I already own similar colors, that's why I didn't get any of them.
The Lip Colour Pens are lipsticks in the shape of thick pencils. The colors they come in are red and pink, both very bright. They are very pigmented and shiny. Too bold for me :D
The Liquid Gold Topper seems to be interesting for some more artful make-up looks, so I left it there.
The blushes come in just as bright shades as the lipsticks. They are both matte, and again a little too bold for my rather fair skin tone.
4 of the nail polishes are creme colors, in nice bright shades that work well with the rest of the collection. Nothing new, however. The last nail polish is crackling top coat, which is supposed to create a croco pattern on your nails. Not so much a fan of this crackling stuff.

After all, this LE is quite nice and looks good, and if you're into color, this is definitely something for you!
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 6th: Kiko Sugar Mat Nail Lacquer - 644

Hey everyone,
today I'd like to show you another one of Kiko's Sugar Mat Nail Lacquers. This shade is called 644.

644 is a purple-ish blue shade with silver glitter particles. It's another one of those OPI-Liquid-Sand-type polishes, which means it dries matte.
Application was fine, but this one really was on the thick side. But once you got that first coat smooth, it is already opaque enough :)
I really like this nail polish, it looks a bit like a liquid sand version of OPI - Russian Navy Suede, at least a little bit :D

What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Hi there!
Today I have a new movie review for you guys! Last weekend I went to see Star Trek Into Darkness with a good friend, and I really enjoyed it!
We went to Munich to see it in English, and actually had to go there twice, because the first time we went, it was already sold out :P We were so relieved when we finally got to see it!
I'll try to do this review without any spoilers, but that means I can't really go into detail as far as the plot is concerned. Go watch the trailer here! Just a short summary: Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew on the Enterprise have to go after a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and try to take him down, which leads to quite a couple of unexpected events. Any more detail would contain spoilers :D
Now, onto how I liked the movie.
It was full of suspense and very exciting to watch, always love that with a film. I loved how they did the scenes on the Enterprise and all of the other sci-fi-related parts, it all looked quite cool :D
The actors were all really great. I liked Kirk's whole crew, but especially the villain, Benedict Cumberbatch, was pure awesomeness. He's so talented, really worth seeing!
There was so much action going on in this movie, so many fights that you had to take in. Afterwards I felt a little mindfucked because of that :D
I really enjoyed this movie, and so did my friend! If you're a fan of the genre, go watch it!
Has anyone of you seen it?
xoxo, Misch

NOTD June 4th: Kiko Sugar Mat Nail Lacquer - 643

Hey everyone!
Sometimes it's very fortunate to have sisters how are just (or almost) as into nail polish as you are. I get to borrow the prettiest shades! Today I'd like to show you Kiko's 643 from their current Sugar Mat Nail Lacquer line.

This shade is a apple green color with a golden flecks to it. It is a glitter nail polish that dries matte, just like OPI's Liquid Sand finish. The shade reminds me a lot of Zoya's Apple, just in matte.
Application was really great, it is a bit on the thick side, but has lovely coverage. It already looked great with just one coat, but I did a second one just to be sure.

I'm liking the glittery matte finish more and more, this really is a beautiful shade!
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch

Swatches: Urban Decay Naked Palette 2

Hey there!
Today it's time to show you swatches of Urban Decay's Naked 2! This isn't anything new, and you've probably seen swatches quite often already, but for the sake of completeness on this blog, here they are!
This palette consists of 12 eyeshadows, 1 double-ended brush and 1 mini lipgloss. Here you go:

Eyeshadows:
Foxy - a pale cream-colored matte

Half Baked - a very shimmery warm bronze shade

Bootycall - a shimmery highlighting color

Chopper - a shimmery copper shade

Tease - a matte purple-toned greyish brown shade, very cool-toned

Snakebite - a darker shimmery brown

Suspect - a cooler-toned shimmery light brown shade

Pistol - a shimmery greyish silver shade

Verve - a light silvery shimmery shade

YDK - a darker brown with a strong silver shimmer

Busted - a shimmery dark grey

Blackout - a matte black shade

Pigmentation is really good with all of these.

Lipgloss:
a medium pink shade with shimmer particles in it. Rather sheer.

Brush:
double-ended: one side a rather fluffy blending brush, the other a more sturdy flat eyeshadow brush.

I'm a huge fan of this palette, it looks so nice and all of the content is very usable :)
What do you think of it?
xoxo, Misch