Loving: Step Up Revolution

Last week I went to the cinema with my BF to see Step Up 4: Revolution. I LOVED it! 

As a dancer myself I'm obviously attracted to this type of movie but I thought it was the best film in the Step Up series yet! And my BF even liked it ;)

I'm not going to spoil anything here, but if you liked the previous Step Up movies I would definitely recommend watching this one. If you're not convinced yet, this is the trailer:

XOXO Jorien

Tag: Most worn things - Summer Edition

Hi everyone! 

I was watching some YouTube videos this morning and saw Pixi2woo do the Most worn things tag - Summer Edition (watch her video here). As it is finally starting to feel like summer in Belgium, I'm in a summery mood today so these are my most worn things for the summer of 2012 so far:

Nail polish(es): My favorite nail polish colors this summer are my Essie polishes in Tart Deco and Off the shoulder. I have been wearing both colors almost all the time, either on my finger or toe nails. They are such bright and happy colors that they give me an instant summer feeling! (I posted a review of the pink one)

Hair product: This category is the one I had to think about the longest. I decided on my dry shampoo that I mentioned in my latest drugstore haul. I use dry shampoo all year round but I like it especially for giving my hair more volume when I wear it up in the summer or for work.

Bag(s): I found this a difficult one too, but I chose my black bag from Primark because I took it on vacation with me. It's not really a summer bag but it is a pretty big one (I like to take 1001 things with me all the time!) and it goes with almost every outfit. The green one is also from Primark, I love the color and it fits a LOT! 

Shoes: These sandals I bought at the beginning of the sales at Eram (I believe it's a French brand) and have worn them probably 50% of the time since! I love the pop of neon pink because it is bright, on trend but very wearable at the same time.

Accessories: I've been LOVING wearing a stack of bracelets this summer! It is an easy way to add some color and personality to an outfit. The ones in the picture: blue and gold bangles are from H&M and the beaded ones I made myself (let me know if you'd like a DIY post!)

Clothing item(s): The two clothing items I chose are my bright pink shirt dress from New Look and my baby blue jeans from H&M. Both pieces stand out because of their beautiful colors. I especially love the dress because it can be worn both casual as smart, depending on how you style it.

Foundation: As you can see I've almost ran out of this foundation and I will be buying a new one soon. It's the Photo Finish Liquid Foundation 18h by Catrice cosmetics (a drugstore brand that is available in several European countries). I like the color on me and it does stay put for a pretty long time.

Blush: If you've read my June Favorites you know I love the MAC blush in Peaches, especially in the summer time ;) It is actually the ONLY blush I'm using at the moment!

Lip product: My favorite summer lip product is a Clinique Chubby Stick in 07 Super Strawberry. I absolutely love this product because it is a moisterizing balm and gives your lips a natural hint of color in no time (I can even apply it without a mirror!)

Mascara: The mascara I'm currently using is the NYC High Definition Volumizing Mascara. It is not an exceptional mascara but I like it and it is budget proof.

Eyeshadow(s): My most worn eyeshadows are some from my Urban Decay Naked Palette and the MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study. The Paint Pot is perfect for a touch of color/shimmer on your eyes if you don't want to wear actual eyeshadow. The shades from the UD Palette I use the most are: Sin, Naked, Buck, Half Baked and Smog.

That's it! What are your Summer favorites?

XOXO Jorien

Recipe: White Chocolate Mousse

picture from: simplygreatmeals.com.au 

Last sunday, I tried this recipe that I received from a co-worker. It came out so good that I decided to share it with you!

Note that the picture is not my own. I didn't manage to take a photo before tasting plus I prefer the way it is served in this one, I however didn't have raspberries at home ;)

Ingredients for 10 portions (more or less depending on the size):

- 2 sheets of gelatin

- 4 eggs, separated

- 50 grams of granulated sugar

- 3 dl heavy cream

- 400 grams of white chocolate

1) Soak the gelatin in cold water.

2) Melt the chocolate in 1/2 dl of heavy cream.

3) Squeeze the gelatin to remove excess water and add to the chocolate. Stir until combined.

4) Whisk the egg yokes with half of the sugar until light yellow and foamy.

5) Whip the remaining heavy cream to stiff peaks.

6) Whip the egg whites and remaining half of the sugar also to stiff peaks.

7) Mix the chocolate mixture (lukewarm) with the foamy egg yokes. Add the egg whites and mix well. Lastly, add the whipped cream. Fold until just combined, don't mix too long or the cream will separate.

8) Divide between the containers of your choice and put in the fridge to set.

Bon appétit! Jorien

Travel Tip: Outfit packing tips (by Soniastravels)

If you're anything like me, you always get back home from a vacation with half of the clothes in your suitcase untouched. Not this time around! I was saved by Sonia from Soniastravels on YouTube and her packing guide:

She gives numerous tips in this video but I mainly followed her rule for the amount of outfits:

1 day outfit for each day of your trip + half of that in night outfits

I do suggest you pack some more extra items. What these items are depends on you and your holiday but I took an extra raincoat, two scarves and some sporty clothes (you never know!).

I was really surprised with the result myself, not too little outfits and not too many! From now on I'm going to use this rule every time I have to pack for a holiday! I hope it helps you too!

Lastly, some other videos from Sonia to help you with packing:

XOXO Jorien

Review: Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes

YTC Facial Towelettes

After a relaxing vacation, I'm finally back with a review! In a way I discovered these while on vacation ;)

I did buy them a while ago, at Kruidvat*, and I used them a few times before but during this vacation these wipes were the only thing I brought with me to take my make up off. I used them every day I wore make up and I <3 them! (maybe even more than regular make up remover :o)

The positives:
+ one towelette is easily enough to take off a full face of make up
+ sensitive skin friendly (says the description, I don't have sensitive skin myself)
+ 98.7% natural
+ they come in a compact pack of 30 towelettes, which lasts you for about a month (also comes in a pack of 10, perfect to take on a trip or put in your handbag)
+ they leave a pleasant cooling sensation

The negatives
- a clear cucumber smell, not a negative for me but maybe for people who don't like face products with stronger smells
- they leave a slight drying feeling, but nothing that can't be solved with a light moisterizer
- this pack costs 6-ish euro, which I think isn't the cheapest option 

If you're looking for good make up removal wipes, I suggest you try these! I believe they are pretty easy accessible in different countries, e.g. at Sephora.

XOXO Jorien

* Kruidvat is a chain of drugstores in Belgium and the Netherlands

Drugstore Haul

As I mentioned in my last Manicure Monday, I went to the drugstore a couple of weeks ago with my sister to get my hands on some Essie nail polish. Of course I did get some other stuff too ;)

At Kruidvat* I bought a big can of dry shampoo from the store's own brand. This dry shampoo has been my life saver numerous times before and it was on sale in the shop so I decided to pick up an extra one.

I also purchased a pack of cleaning wipes for glasses, also from the Kruidvat brand. I bought these before and always keep them in my bag for when I might need them. They come in a pack of 25, are practical to keep in your bag and don't break the bank!

Last but not least I bought Essie's nail polish in Off the shoulder (read the review here).

I also went to Action, which is a kind of discount store with a very wide range. They also sell beauty and body care products, and sometimes you can find some really good deals!
First, I bought the Pure Coconut Shower Crème by Inecto. I also picked up the Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days body lotion with cocoa butter. I had been wanting to try both these products and as they were discounted I just had to buy them ;)
Lastly, I bought a packet of Purifying Nose Strips. I read a very positive review about these on a Dutch beautyblog so I had to try them myself.

It isn't that much but I love the products I've tried so far! You can expect some reviews in the next couple of weeks ;)

XOXO Jorien

*Kruidvat is a chain of drugstores in Belgium and The Netherlands

DIY face mask for blemished skin

Last night I noticed that my skin wasn't in the best condition. The reason for that probably is that I didn't cleanse it very well the past few evenings before going to bed (LAZY, I know :p)

So I decided to do a face mask today as I'm just doing things at home all day... I don't have a prepared one at home for blemishes at the moment so I just made my own. It is a really easy recipe (if you can even call it a recipe!) and I was really happy with the result, so I thought I'd share it with you.

- 1 tablespoon of natural yoghurt: doesn't matter what kind (I used greek yoghurt), but keep it natural (no sugar or fruit)

- 1 teaspoon of honey

- 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa

Just mix these three ingredients and your mask is ready! You may need to adjust the measurements a little bit depending on the kinds of ingredients you use, just make sure you get a mask consistency.

Apply it on your face and leave it to dry (I left mine on for 20-30 minutes). Afterwards, you can take it off with warm water and a wash cloth.

The results: After using this mask my skin felt surprisingly clean and soft! Other masks to treat blemishes can be quite drying but this one left my skin hydrated because of the yoghurt. The only remark is that it made my blemishes a bit red and more noticeable than they were before. I think its a sign that the cocoa has an effect on your blemishes: I've used the Cupcake mask from Lush before, which also contains cocoa/chocolate and it had the same effect on me. The redness disappeared in the next hour, so I would just advice you not to use the mask before running out the door or a big event :p In my opinion its best to use at night or on a free day and let your skin breathe afterward!

XOXO Jorien 

P.S: This makes enough for 2-3 applications. You can keep it in the fridge for at least a couple of days or use it together with your girlfriends or mother ;)

Manicure Monday: My first Essie experience + Essie Off the shoulder

Essie - Off the shoulder

At the end of last month I bought my first Essie nail polish ever! I had been wanting to try the popular American brand for a long time but it was only available in Belgium at very few salons... Until about two months ago, when selected Kruidvat* stores started carrying the brand! Can you imagine my excitement? :p 

I went to one of the selected shops that carries the brand with my sister, just to get my hands on some much anticipated Essie polish! When I spotted the Essie display I was overwhelmed by the beautiful colours and at first I couldn't decide which one to get, but I went for one of the polishes from their Summer Collection. I chose the hot pink one, called Off the shoulder because I didn't have anything like this in my collection yet.

When I first applied the polish I was really impressed by the quality! I really like the broad brush, it makes the polish very easy to apply. The pigmentation is outstanding: you could get away with only one thin coat, however I like to always apply two for a more even look. The polish dries very quickly which made painting my nails not as time-consuming as it usually is. I was happy with the durability of my manicure (it lasted about four days), especially because I didn't apply a top coat which I normally do. 

The only downside I could find is that the polish has a very strong smell in comparison with other nail polish brands I've used. I noticed this when I opened the bottle for the first time but while painting my nails I wasn't bothered by it.

Last but not least, I LOVE the colour! It is the perfect summer hot pink in my opinion. It is very in your face so it may not be for everyone but if your on the hunt for a bright summer pink I advise you to have a look at this one. When I first used it I couldn't stop looking at my nails and for the first time ever I immediately repainted my nails in the same colour :)

For some reason the photo above doesn't do the striking pink shade justice, in person the colour is brighter and a bit darker**. I liked the picture on my laptop but when I uploaded it, it just wasn't the same colour. I advise you to take a look at the polish in stores if you're thinking about buying it!

In short:

+ broad brush for easy application

+ pigmentation: 1-2 coats

+ fast drying

+ durability

+ LOVE THE COLOUR

- strong nail polish smell

XOXO Jorien

* Kruidvat is a chain of drugstores in Belgium and The Netherlands
** I found that if you click on the photo to see it in full size, it gives you a better representation of the colour ;)

June Favorites

The very first blogpost on the 1st of July... Nothing more appropriate than an overview of my favorites in the past month! As you may have read in the short info I'm a student which means I've been studying for exams the past couple of weeks. For this reason my June Favorites contain very few beauty products and are pretty random ;)

Without further ado...

MAC blush in  Peaches - The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick

The few products I've been using regularly are the MAC blush in Peaches and the Cocoa Butter lipbalsem from The Body Shop. 

The blush is perfect to add a little colour to your complection. No matter how long I sat behind my desk, some moisturiser, a little mascara and a dab of Peaches on the apples of my cheeks made a world of a difference! It has been a favorite of mine since I bought it but during this exam period I just couldn't live without! 

The lip balm has also been a favorite since I first purchased it in December of last year. At the moment I nearly finished my second one. While studying I've been constantly reapplying.

Healthy eating - homemade smoothie - Lipton Ice Tea Green -
homemade ice tea (not my photo) - Lonka Soft Bites Caramel

Next, I've got three food favorites. 
The first one is healthy eating in general. I'm trying to eat healthier for a while now but during this exam period I really felt a difference, which I never believed would happen! I especially try to eat a healthy breakfast to start my day, generally natural yoghurt with fruit and muesli. I also made a lot of smoothies, for breakfast or as a snack. 
I also try to drink a lot during studying to keep me hydrated, but after a few weeks it can get quite boring just drinking water so my mom went out and bought me some iced tea. Iced tea is my favorite soft drink, I prefer a large glass of Lipton Iced Tea Green or even homemade Iced Tea, with extra ice :) I especially enjoyed it during exams as a little pick me up.
 My third favorite isn't quite as healthy as the others, it's the Soft Caramel Bites from Lonka which I bought at Action because they were very cheap :p I love caramel so these are spot on! But they are very very sweet so I don't eat more than a few at once (which says a LOT in my case!). 

Coffee cup (Lidl)

A really random favorite is this one: my I <3 Coffee cup which I spotted while doing some grocery shopping at Lidl with my mom and sister. The only thing I drink more than iced tea (besides water) is coffee, especially during exams ;)

Twitter - Instagram - Law and order SVU

Social media favorites during the past month were Twitter and Instagram. Perfect for a short, or not that short, study break ;)
My favorite television show is Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I hadn't watched this tv series before downloading it but I really like it! I'm already watching the second season at the moment.

Favorite song: Cheryl Cole - Call my name.


XOXO Jorien