Trans-seasonal work appropriate outfits!

Up until now, this blog has been mainly beauty related, but I was lucky enough to be offered an internship at a high end fashion boutique and found myself rummaging through my wardrobe for some work appropriate clothes. Since it is the beginning of Spring here in Sydney, the weather is a bit turbulent and whilst the mornings and evenings are quite nippy the midday sun definitely heats things up. Here is what I wore for my first few days at my new job.

For the slightly cooler days

In my opinion, there is nothing worse than being cold and for that reason I opted to wear a black turtleneck jumper to keep me snug throughout the day. I swept my hair up into a classy low bun to keep my look professional and to not interfere with the neck of the jumper. As my internship is in retail, I am able to wear Tsubi Coated Jeans to work but this could easily be alternated with a pencil skirt or some straight-legged Zara trousers. For a pop of colour, I throw over my powder blue Zara coat with gold zips – the number of complements I get on this piece is reason to wear it alone! When paired with chunky heeled boots from Rubi Shoes and my Saint Laurent Sac Du Jour in navy, this is a chic yet understated look, perfect for day one on the job.

For the spring days  

This is my favourite look of the week with this Topshop pleated faux leather midi skirt being the key piece of the Spring season. I paired this beautiful skirt with my Zara shirt and some Sportsgirl platform sandals for a slightly casual but feminine look. I am not exaggerating when I say that every time I wear this skirt I have a number of people stop me in the street asking where it is from. I absolutely love the shape and the length, perfect for spring days when the weather is a bit unpredictable. I definitely need to grab a few more midi skirts to get me through the coming months!

For unpredictable days

A buttoned up collared shirt can smarten up any outfit and I love that this is in powder blue as an alternative to white. I am wearing this cropped shirt with my Tsubi coated jeans and a vintage navy Moschino blazer to neaten the entire look. When teamed with my statement Skin boots I think this outfit is stylish yet professional. Of course, the Sac Du Jour made an appearance once again.

I hope you all enjoyed this sort of post! Let me know if you’d like to see more look books, perhaps for the coming summer months!

Love, Catrin xo

'Hello Spring' Nail edition

With the arrival of Spring here in Sydney, I felt the need to coat my nails in a colour other than burgundy for a change. I got to browsing on the web and realised that I had never purchased an Essie nail polish – I know right?! I promptly made a list and the next morning off I went to priceline. I had around 30 colours in mind when I entered the store but decided to focus on Spring colours for the time being, knowing that my new obsession would mean I would be returning to the shop on a weekly basis. Here are the five spring like colours I came home with.

Meet me at Sunset

A beautiful orangey-red, Meet me at Sunset just screamed out to me as the perfect colour to wear when on holiday. It’s such a fun and vibrant shade that I can just imagine it looking dreamy with a white bikini when lying on the sand.

Cute as a Button

This is my ultimate favourite of my purchases. This polish is the most amazing shade of coral that seems to flatter every skin tone. When worn against white (as seen here in my YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CT4AW7D5wE) Cute as a Button is so distinct and just beautiful. When worn on tanned skin it most certainly makes any person look a little browner than they are – yippee! This is seriously a must-have for any girl’s nail polish collection.

Style Hunter

A stunning hot pink in the bottle that translates slightly redder onto the nail. This is the perfect colour for me, as I love plum-like colours and I really enjoy wearing bright shades on my nails during spring and summer. I can imagine this would look amazing with tanned skin!

Fashion Playground

Now, I actually had my eye out for the much raved about Mint Candy Apple when I strolled into Priceline, however this one was free with my above purchases so I thought I’d give it a go first! It is a gorgeous mint shade that applies quite opaque although it has a tendency to be a bit streaky. That being said, if applied in multiple thin coats this leaves a beautiful pastel green colour that is different to every other polish I own. Yay!

Fiji

This milky whitey pinky nail polish (very technical terms) is my new ‘work appropriate’ fave. It is beautifully opaque and leaves your nails looking chic and classy. I am so excited to wear this when I have a tan in the coming months and honestly think every girl should own one similar! I have heard that it is the opaque version of ballet slippers ;)

Overall, i find Essie nail polishes have a relatively good formula that lasts a few days before chipping. I absolutely adore the colours I picked up and I will definitely be back soon to grab some more! I'm particularly lusting after Bikini So Teeny and Tarte Deco. What are your favourite Essie shades?

Love, Catrin xo

Chantecaille Vital Essence Serum - Oh my...

Happy Friday everyone! Today’s post is a little bit about the importance of a good skincare regime and how a new discovery has changed my life! Earlier this year I committed to doing a full skincare routine morning and evening to try and sort out my problematic complexion once and for all. It was the first time I had purchased a serum and I opted for the much talked about Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair complex to rehydrate my dull skin while I slept. This worked beautifully and I really saw a difference so in the last month or so, I really started seeing the importance of investing in a serum that was appropriate for morning use but also suitable for wearing under make up – cue Chantecaille Vital Essence!

When purchasing make up at Mecca Cosmetica recently, I was telling the SA about my search for a morning time serum and she honestly jumped with excitement because she had the perfect solution. She ran across the shop and returned with a sample size of Chantecaille Vital Essence serum and honestly raved about its goodness for at least 5 minutes. Needless to say, I was beyond eager to take home this beautiful product and test it on my troublesome skin. I can confirm that it was love at first use. Vital Essence is a lightweight yet ultra hydrating formula, a lot less thick than the Advanced Night Repair. The serum glided onto my cheeks so smoothly that I could feel my skin still had room to breathe (being acne prone, this is a great feeling!). A little goes a long way with this product and almost instantly your skin feels hydrated, plump and so very soft. I became addicted to the way my skin just drank this up and I barely felt the need to use a moisturiser afterwards because it was working so beautifully alone.

The day my tester ran out, I genuinely realised that I could not wake up the next morning and not use this because I just knew my make up would not look the same. Yes, at $144 this stuff is extremely pricey and I almost cannot believe I purchased it, but I did not question handing over my card because I just knew that I needed it in my life. So much so, that I can no longer use my Estee Lauder ANR that I cherished so dearly because since the Chantecaille Vital Essence came into my life, the ANR just seems so thick in comparison and I can feel it suffocating my skin. I could not be happier with this discovery and I am so excited to try more of the Chantecaille skincare range – even though my bank balance is not!

Love, Catrin xo

SEPHORA opening in SYDNEY!!!!

I was lucky enough to live in England when Sephora still existed in the UK, unfortunately I was only about 10 years old and couldn’t afford much *first world problems*. When it was announced that Sephora would open its very first Australian shop in my hometown later this year I could not have been more excited. With only two months to go until it opens its doors, I thought I should start preparing a list for the sake of my bank balance and to ensure that I don't become overwhelmed with excitement!

1. Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo foundation – I have to admit that foundation is one of my main weaknesses when it comes to make up shopping. I own way too many considering I only have one face, but I thoroughly enjoy using a different one each day. This foundation has been on my radar for months due to its high pigment, full coverage and smooth finish. The fact that it claims to cover tattoos gives me hope that it may cover my acne scars and blemishes and with more than 3000 people giving it 4 stars+ I’m getting seriously excited. Here’s hoping!
2. Urban Decay Naked Palette – I have no idea how I have not caved and made someone post this to me from England but I think it will make it all the more special when I finally have it in my hands in December! I’m personally lusting after the original, due to its wider range of neutral shades and because I figure I can always purchase the more recent releases at a later date!
   
   
   
3. Sephora Favourites ‘Summer Crushes’ – I couldn’t do a wish list without including one of the famous Sephora Favourite sets and this one seems ideal as the store opens during Sydney Summer time. This beautiful pack includes miniature sizes of so many great products including; Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, Caudalie Divine oil and even a mini tanning mitt! What more could a girl want? 
   
4. Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Bronze Perfect Tan – Lately I’ve become slightly bored of my regular bronzers and I’ve been on the look out for an exciting replacement. This one definitely fits the bill! This jumbo-sized bronzer has a radiant-matte finish (the perfect combination), a sensationally universal colour and its beautiful packaging tops it all off – not to mention it’s Marc Jacobs, so it’s a must have! 
   
5. Beauty Blender – I know, it’s probably a complete fad, but I just need to own one. I personally love to apply my foundation with a buffing brush, but this just looks so simple and it’s not very expensive so you can’t really go wrong!
6. Fresh Sugar Lemon Shower Gel – I have not heard of this brand before but yum…this sounds seriously delicious. Is it weird that even the name is making me hungry? I'm also loving the sound of their Brown Sugar Scrub, but one thing at a time Catrin!
7. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour Full Coverage foundation – I couldn’t possibly write a Sephora wish list without including a Tarte product! This foundation has definitely been popular among the blogging community. It supposedly suits every skin type, covering any form of blemish whilst also treating your skin so that it looks healthy yet flawless. Yes please!

I am 100% sure that this list will triple in size by the time the store opens in December, but so far I am beyond excited for these seven products. What products do you love from Sephora?

Love, Catrin xo

Nars Sheer Glow Review! Is it worth the HYPE?

Happy Sunday everybody!

I have been testing out a number of new products recently and after mentioning a few in my Beauty Haul video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXGQIr6s5dU I thought I would give a more in depth review on a few cult products. The first product is a very much raved about foundation, Nars Sheer Glow. I picked this up a couple of weeks ago, after much deliberation, in the shade Deuville (for reference, I wear Mac NC20) and this colour is a great match for my cool toned skin.

First impressions The SA at Mecca Cosmetica recommended I apply the foundation with my fingers (my usual preference is a buffing brush) to ensure it really sunk in to the skin. I found the coverage was a little lighter than my usual preference and although it was beautifully smooth to apply, the velvety finish seemed to make my skin shiny within just a few hours. My skin is pretty normal and whilst I have hormonal breakouts I usually don’t have problems with oil and very rarely wear powder or primer, so I just applied it like I would my normal foundation; with concealer, some bronzer and a highlighter. It just did not work well for me - I also found it slightly sticky over the course of the day and by the time I was home from work, I was ready to claw my face off!

Take Two I didn’t want to give up, since I utterly adored the velvety texture and the overall idea of the product, so I tried again but this time I applied a pea sized amount of Benefit Porefessional primer all over my place five minutes before application. I decided to apply two pumps of the product with my usual Real Techniques Buffing brush this time around and I found this gave greater coverage and I really enjoyed wearing the product. I set this with my new Hourglass Dim Light (review to come) and bronzed up my cheeks with Hourglass Radiant Light. This method seemed to last a lot longer on my skin and I really did enjoy it.

Conclusion

This would be a great foundation for someone with normal to dry skin who doesn’t have many blemishes but who is looking for medium coverage with a natural radiance to it. For my skin type personally, it was not the best coverage or formula when applied on its own, but I definitely found it worked best with a mattifying primer underneath and a setting powder on top. I must say that Nars Sheer Glow is still growing on me and I will definitely continue to use it on those days when my skin is relatively clear. Who knows, with a bit of practice we may see this in a monthly favourite sometime soon! But, for now, I will be sticking to my Shu Uemura Face Architect as my go to foundation and using the Sheer Glow on days when I’m more comfortable with my complexion. 

Have you guys tried this foundation and what did you think?! I'd love to hear any tips to help with longevity :) 

Love, Catrin xo