hair...

todays mid-week quote is from a conversation i just had with my co-worker. he is one of the sweetest people i know. imagine bill cosby.... a little rounder... less uptown... and with tattoos....

i had just gotten my brows threaded.....
(every time is sit in that chair... i think "daaaamn this hurts! i am never going to do that again!". but unfortunately it looks really good....)

aaanyway, we were talking about... well... body hair...... 

paul: "sometimes it is hard to grow hair in certain places"

me: "sometimes it is hard to get rid or hair in certain places"


next week's quote will be more serious and... inspiring. maybe......

 

 

turtleneck.... option 2

of course this is also an option for a black turtleneck look......

beautifully capture by raquel chicheri

 

 

 

 

(to see some of the make-up looks i have done with turtlenecks click here, here, or here)

 

the dilemma

today i had lunch on the highline. (one of my favorite places is new York... by the way). i was just thinking about leaving (because it was a bit windy) when i heard someone playing the saxophone. i love the sound of the sax. i even used to play myself.....

 

 after taking his picture i wanted to give the musician (who (without knowing it) infused my ordinary lunch break with some loveliness) some money, but i only had a 20....... which is what i told him.... he smiled and told me it was fine...... but i still suggested that he breaks it down for me. he luckily could.... and we started talking.

 

i asked him where he was from. (i love a french accent...) belgium, was the answer. he told me about the time he toured in germany.... how he makes his own chocolate (chocolatsmeurens.com)....  how he got fired 2 times in the last 2 weeks ...."but, that's cool because the weather is nice". in that moment i envied him... for standing on the sunny highline and playing his sax. (i had a desk with a computer and piles of papers waiting for me) ..... when i told him that i envied his freedom, he replied "it's a choice and a dilemma"

photos of paul and his saxophone, on the highline... taken by me.

black turtleneck

first off... this post is overdue....... it was the last time i was wearing a turtleneck. yay! so lets just file it under flashback-friday.

 

whenever i wear a turtleneck and or my hair pulled back i pay extra attention to me make-up. nothing to hide behind..... ya know?

 

 

eyes: i built this eyeshadow by first using a blending brush to apply all that glitters and on the general aria of both eyelids. with a c-motion i deepened the creace with quarry. staying on the movable part of my eyelid i spread a silvery-purple pigment (limited edition........). all by mac cosmetics. using a small eyeshadow brush i rimed my eyes with liberty by bare escentuals (that i also did a look with here), before carefully finishing the look with black eyeshadow at the very roots of my lashes and mascara.

 

lips: the lipstick is media lined with vino (also both by mac.....)

 

since that is already kind of a lot..... i kept the rest of my face (blush... brows... etc.) quite basic.

 

 

on that note...... happy fiiiiiidaaaay!

 

 

comparison .......by cameron

ultimate orchid

because it is spring... and because i am always on the search for a lip color to pair with darker eye make-up....

 

my newest addition to my over-flowing make-up table is revlon, colorstay ultimate, liquid lipstick in ultimate orchid.

 

I love the look of it and how it is easy to handle and long-lasting.... but am not in loooooove with the way it makes my lips feel (somehow... rubbery......)

 

have fun

take your own advice

this morning i reeeeally had to remind myself of my own advice to get up early and go to the gym.... luckily i was wearing my gym clothes and taking them off before getting them sweaty would have been a major fail!

 

the sprortsbra i like to sleep in (because it is not so tight and constricting) is my new gapfit racerback bra.

 

sorry i only have this instagram pic to show you.... but you can find it here

 

 

thankful-thursday

new default

sometimes i need to do a fast make-up. like when i go for a pre-work run. (if you are asking yourself how anyone in their right mind can manage to hit the gym before work…. i have some tips for you)

usually i will grab my blending brush like mac's #224 and swirl on mac eyeshadow antiqued for example... and end up with some sort of natural-brownish-smoky-eye. (like here or here)

i feel like it is time for a new default….



i am soooooo happy with my new foundations! and i will be telling you about them again and again...... revlon, photoready bb cream, skin perfecter with spf 30 under bare essentials, bare minerals, original foundation broad spectrum.

for this natural-always-good quick make-up i used... all that glitters by mac as the base. grey eye shadow for the soft cat-eye line (from middle of the lid a litte past the outer corner).on the bottom lid and on the brow bone... vanilla sugar. and in the buff   on the bottom tear duct and centre of top lash line (both by bare escentuals). mascara (of course lash architect by l'oreal paris) only on the top lashes.

for my brows i have been using dark brown eye shadow with an angled brow brush. must have them threaded.....

on my lips... revlon, colorstay ultimate, liquid lipstick, miracle mauve

for the this subtle summer-glow i use the frosted pink color from the benefit,10, bronzing and highlighting face powder duo on the apples of my cheeks and mac mineralize skinfinish, soft and gentle on along the cheekbones (and sometimes above the arch of my brow)

i have been doing this type of look aloooot lately. first i felt a bit naked... because it is a lot less color than what i usually do. but it is good to switch it up from time to time and i have been getting a lot of good feedback.

have you tried a new default look lately?

the early bird.... get's the bikini-bod

this morning was one of those magical days that i got up extra early to go for a run before work...

 i already told you about how i enjoy seeing the empty streets of downtown manhattan, early in the morning. but if you are thinking "yeah that's nice but i can't even make it that far....." i will share my little tricks with you to help you, to also turn into a pre-work-work-out-er.

when people (including my jogger-mom) used to tell me about how great it is and energizing and bla bla bla....iI kind of wanted to punch them. well not my mom! i never want to punch my mom. she's totally cool. but i am saying, if you are rolling your eyes at me, for this post..... i get it.

the very best tip i can give you, to get up (in my case) an hour earlier is... sleep in your gym clothes. even just the pants or your sports bra (if you don't find it toooo uncomfortable). so you won't lie in bed thinking "oh no.... i don't want to leave these warm sheets.... and pull on those tight clothes...... i don't know where my sports bra is anyway.... well... i have the pink one but i don't like that one..... and i wore the shirt that goes with it yesterday......." i have been in this situation. can u tell? and if you think about it, your gym clothes are not thaaaat different from your jammies. (correct me if I'm wrong) unless of course you sleep in the nude.... which is totally cool too. then you at least don't have to take your pajamas off....

anyway, it might seem weird to you, but just give it a try. and put your shoes and socks(!) (i always end up looking for my running socks...) next to the bed. theeeen you'll lie in bed thinking "just have to slip my shoes on and go!"

another help to actually get out of bed (which, i think we'll all agree on, is the biggest obstacle) is your alarm clock. the ringtone, to be more exact. if (like me) your playlist is an important part of your workout make one of the songs your alarm clock ringer. (i do it on my iphone. it's suuuper easy.) my current ultimate workout song is work bitch by britney. no matter how tired you are, if britney tells you to work... you work!

britney: "you want a hot body? you better work bitch"
you: "ok. britney, i m getting up."

this last tip is for everyone who (like me… unfortunately) has the habit of checking e-mails… instagram... facebook... and all that other super-social stuff before getting up….. put your phone on airplane mode before you go to sleep. this way it will also be easyer to roll out of bed and straight to the treadmill.... weights... morning yoga class... or whatever goodness you want to do for your body that morning. and you can't get cought up with liking… commenting…. or posting. you can let the social-media-world know all about your success after you wiped those sweat pearls from your forhead. 

all that's left is drinking a glass of water (i add a shot of apple cider vinegar) (let me know if you want to learn more about why.) head phones on and i am out the door.

if you head out suuuuuper early you might even have the treadmills to yourself…

i would love to hear if these tips help you at all. or if you have any other questions.

and of course, please share if you have your own little tricks to get your early work out on.

copper plum

then i started this make-up i didn't quite know what i wanted to do…. i just knew that i wanted to use a different color for the bottom lid....

eyes: i used bare essentials, bare minerals in passionate plum as the main color on my top lid. along the lashes and in the crease i also painted a matt grey. for the bottom lid i chose a shimmery-copper look. i achieved that with mac's coppering and then a dusting with bare minerals loose powder in the buff.

lips: revlon, kissable balm stain, rendezvous

are you ever stuck with your make-up or clothes and can't think of a new look?
i'm blaming it on this stupid long winter (here in new york), that seems to finally be over now. wohoooooo! so have fun!

keira's facial... little things that make me smile

took this picture last fall. still makes me smile......

silver... spring...

one of the things spring has brought out in me (apart from a bunch of happy hormones) is the mood for some metalicsI am finding myself in the mood for some metallic.......

 

 

eyes: for the base of this look i used one of my favorite mac eye shadow colors (that unfortunately was a special edition…..) performing art. on the center of my movable lid i blotted let loose shimmering shadow dust in rejoice by prestige (it has a really good "easy-dip" applicator... which makes it a great little friend to add to my on-the-go-touchups kit. adding a little silver dust can never hurt. right?) and spread it out with my finger. for more dimension i drew silver eyeliner on my bottom tear duct and in the middle of my upper lid. along the very roots of my  upper lashes i used an angled eyeliner brush and black eye shadow to draw a delicate line.

brows: the mac eye shadow colors i used for my brows were embark and black

lips: haven't used my stila, stay all day, liquid lipstick in aria in a while. but it made me remember how much i looove it. i applied it before brunch and running a couple of errands. shortly after leaving the house i noticed that i forgot it at home….. but let me tell you… i did not need it. i even had to remove it with water and a towel before heading to the gym later that night. amazing this little product. (for a more detailed review on the liquid lipstick click here)

have a fun weekend ladies and gents. i hope the sun is shining where you are and if not...... you gotta shiiiiiine yourself! remember? cloudy day.... sparkle away!

max's coffee... little things that make me smile

remember the nice food-cart-guy i told you about that makes me smile every morning? well his name is max, and this morning he toped himself by giving me a free coffee....

 

haaaaad to instagram it 

 

bosses don't cancel....

from my pinterest....

 

 

life is all about priorities.

 

have a beautiful little-friday and don't forget.... you are your boss... your oooonly boss.

morning… rain...

a perk of going to the gym before work or early on a sunday, is seeing the streets empty ....a rare occasion in new york. 

today they were especially nice because it was raining. ok rain can totally be annoying... but i do generally like rain.... the sound... the thought of all the plants getting good-old gulp of water.... the feeling. (have you ever stood in the rain not caring that you are going to get soaked and later probably be really cold... and enjoyed it? ... enjoyed the feeling of the raindrops on your face... and enjoyed your make-up running down your face and having dripping wet hair (which can actually also look kind of sexy...)

aaanyway, i took these pictures as i was heading to the gym for my pre-work run.

if you are thinking "she's crazy. i could neeeeever work out before a day at the office".... a couple of months weeks ago i would have absolutely agreed with you. but remember how it told you about how some things changed since i moved to this wonderful place called new york..... and i also have some simple-and-affective ticks to make it easy easier, to get your sexy but out of your warm bed and throw on you sneakers and sports bra... and go sweat.

have fun. in sunshine or rain

liberty….. day and night

ok it's a weekday… filled with my good-old 6am alarm clock… a loooong but lovely day at the office…. and from there i head to the east village for drinks with a friend. 

eyes: i started out with a matt grey base that i sweap on with my blending brush, which made it easy to get a soft edge where my brow bown strarts. i used a small eyeshadow brush to intesify the outer aria of my movable lid and the bottom lash row. with the same brush i placed the sparkly blue loose powder liberty by bare ecsentuals, bare minerals,  i started at the lashes and moved toward the crease. in the crease i used the blending brush without adding additional color and melted the existing colors together, with little circular movements. i used two eyeliners… a sparkly-black above and between the lashes and a classic black kajal for the waterlines. then i added one more thing.... a little purple on the very inner corner of my top lid.

blush: for my cheeks i used a bright pink loose powered.

lips: for a natural-but-slightly-more-defined lip (since this look also had to work for the day) i used revlon just bitten, lipstain + balm in instinct. 


have fun whatever your day is filled with. 

sunday… morning… downtown…

i loved today… and today loved me right back.

beside the sun bringing out the most beautiful side of new york… and new yorkers……. a big reason for my i-want-to-hug-the-world mood was starting off the day with an incredably lovely visit to great joins spa. i finally used the gift certificate i got for my first birthday….. and booked a facial for sunday morning.

on the way to the spa i walked through the morning-light flooded streets of downtown manhattan. the very streets that, just a couple of hours prior, ware packed with intoxicated ladies in too-high heals and men in any variation of plaid buttondowns…. waiting for the next free cab… having group discussions on which bar to head to next… or devouring a dollar-a -slice pizza.

all pictures from my sunday morning stroll taken by me.

my day continued being incredibly wonderful….. filled with sun… friends… memories… happy faces… spending money on myself... yoga… and sushi.

i hope u have had one of those green-lights-all-the-way days lately.

i would love to hear what this would imply, for you. 

kate... spring... pastel.... good-ness

i just came across this picture on pinterest... and i had to share it with you.

because kate is always good... the sun is shining here in new york... and i must try some pastel make-up looks.

 

 

kate moss photographed by corinne day

more....

 

...that's what i need.

lash-secrets

here are finally my too-easy-to-be-true tips and techniques, to enhance whatever lashes you are working with….

to prep the lashes... every time i shower or wash my face i will use the towel and make sure to dry my lashes. "ok, crazy" you are thinking, but just the way you hair will pretty much stay the way it dried, so will your eyelashes. when they dry all stuck together and messed up then you will have a harder time to keep them from looking clumpy. it really is no big deal. i hold the towel against my eyes and blink onto it to separate the lashes (you could say that they get combed by the forte-loops of the towel) and at the same time they will go get lifted up.

i am not a friend of lash curlers. i don't like the shape they give that lashes and they are really bad for the hairs. if you want good lashes you have to treat them right and not pinch them between rubber and metal until they crease….



as far as the application goes.... it is very important that you start at the very roots of your lash-hairs. i don't really have very full lashes, so i have to make sure to not have too much skin peaking through, between them. i place the mascara coated wand at the roots and wiggle back and forth a bit. (here are so many little hairs that you don't want to miss). i pull the wand towards the tips, while i carefully close my eyes. this will give them a beautiful curve.

for a more intense look i will then close my eyes and only coat the tips with an additional layer. don't do this after the mascara has dried. and be careful to not over do it, because it is easy to get them too clumpy when you do this. if it does happen that there are a couple of hairs that don't want to separate….  don't try and comb them with the bristles of the wand (you will just end up adding more product...) instead, take a safety-pin and carefully(!) separate the individual hairs and remove the excess mascara, that caused the clumping. (no, i did not just advise you to bring a pointy object dangerously close to your eyeball.....)



when switching from one eye to the next, make sure to reapply mascara to the wand, by not only dipping it but litterly screw it all the way closed. it only makes since to start each eye with the equal amount of product on the wand. i don't ever pump the wand like a lot of ladies do. i don't understand the point….. and i imagine that this messes up the consistency of the product....

i will use the tip of the wand for the little hairs in the corners (i personally don't like it when the two lashrows connect on the outer corner. and also for the bottom lashes (after doing the wiggle-wiggle in the roots thing). before doing that just make sure to take off that little glob that usually happens on the tip of the bristles, when you pull the wand out.

now ladies, bat those lashes!


i would love to hear about your personalized mascara-techniques.