New in part 1

For New Years I went to Germany so this haul will be divided in 2 parts. In the first part I will be showing the things that I have bought shortly before my trip and in the second post I'll be showing the stuff that I bought in Germany and some duty free products.

Because now it's winter gels or oil free moisturizers are not enough so I needed a new, richer night cream. I really like Lancaster's Aquamilk thus I decided to get the cream for normal to dry skin for winter. It is a great cream that doesn't make my face feel greasy and absorbs quickly. I have also repurchased the eye cream from the same line. Since it is a repurchase clearly I must have enjoyed it. The hand cream I received as a gift because I bought several Lancaster products. Since my skin is dehydrated I also purchased the flash mask. It is minty and once applied the face feels very fresh and at the same time very hydrating. Overall I have been very impressed with the Lancaster products.

I also went a little crazy at the Estée Lauder counter and one thing let to another resulting in me buying three things there. 

I needed a new concealer because I was running very low on my MAC concealer and somehow the Double Wear concealer drew my attention. I have intentionally picked a slightly lighter shade to create that under-eye-highlight.

I was also in the market for a new foundation primer and I saw that Estée Lauder brought out two primers: the illuminating and the matte one. I decided to give the illuminating one a go. So far I have only used it once and thus cannot offer a review on it yet.

To finish the spree I decided to venture into their mascaras and glosses since I only ever owned eye shadows and bought this lovely duo. It contains the Sumptuous Bold Volume™ Lifting Mascara in Bold Black and the Pure Color Gloss in Cosmic Pink. I think this duo is really lovely and definitely handy for travelling.

My morning trio

For the new year I thought I start with something I have been using for the past months and so far my skin has been really liking it. You can call it my morning routine if you will.

After washing my face I apply my serum "The even skin tone illuminator" by Estée Lauder. As the name suggests it evens out the skin tone and gives it a nice shimmer. It also fades acne scars and discolorations as it contains vitamin C. However bear in mind that you have to use a cream or foundation with SPF afterwards.

Next in line is a product that I have actually purchased a year ago but wasn't satisfied with it as I had very dehydrated skin last winter and the lady sold me the "hydra-matte lotion" by Clarins as a hight time moisturizer which of course didn't do the job. But this winter I discovered it again after it has been lying around unloved in my drawer. I started using it as a base for my tinted moisturiser or my foundation and I really like the finish it has been giving me.

Finally last but not least is my SeboCalm tinted moisturiser. In summer I used to use it on its own however in winter I find that it doesn't moisturise my face enough thus the lotion underneath it. I have written a post about the Sebocalm products. It is an Israeli brand and I have been really enjoying them. The moisturiser has an SPF of 29 so it's ideal for summer and it doesn't feel greasy whatsoever .

OOTD

Please excuse the lighting. Finally an outfit post again. As I realised everything I am wearing here is from Mango. The jumper, the shoes and the bag were all from new collections, so should still be available. 

Everything is from Mango

OPI Gel Manicure

Recently I have decided to give the whole Gel manicure thing a go and tried the (not so) new OPI Gel colours. My choice was the classic OPI Big Apple Red and it looked beautiful. It lasted very well and was shiny and scratch-free for the whole time. People complimented me on the nails and the colour and it did not damage my nails in the slightest.

It is definitely pretty, long lasting and absolutely fuss free.

The only negative thing that I have to say about it is that after about 1,5 weeks it starts looking slightly weird as the nail is growing out and in my case nails grow fairly fast. Thus after 2 weeks I removed it. 

SeboCalm

Usually I like to stick to brand I know and products I have heard of, however SeboCalm is an Israeli brand that is quite popular amongst Israeli women. It was developed for sensitive skin and is hypoallergenic. I have acquired a little collection over time. 

My two favourite items are without a doubt these creams. The first is a moisturiser that soothes red and irritated skin. Since my skin is quite sensitive it reacts to a lot of environmental factors and this cream really does help. The second cream is a tinted moisturiser with SPF 20. I like to use it in the morning. It provides some coverage and both moisturisers are oil free. 

I also quite like the body butter. It feels quite light yet it contains shea butter and feels great on the skin. 

Estée Lauder Advance Night Repair

Well finally I caved and bought the Advance Night Repair serum by Estée Lauder. I have heard so many good things about it and decided to acquire it and loads of beauty bloggers have raved about it. Truthfully I decided to get it a long time ago after reading Anna's blog and watching her Youtube channel. Naturally I have very high hopes for this product. Apparently its main ingredient is hyaluronic acid, which is responsible for renewal of skin cells. I will give it a go and obviously review the product in the future. 

I actually had to hold myself back not to buy their Idealist Even Skin Tone Illuminator and decided to give that one a go next month. It brightens the face containing vitamin C, fades sun damage and hyper pigmentation. It is also supposed to help with breakouts and is used in the morning, thus a great combination with the night repair. 

New in ... part 2

So here is the second half to my "New in" post. And no, I did not buy everything in one go! I have been picking up bits and peaces here and there and now I can put everything into a nice and long post. 

You may or you may not know that I am a total silk freak, so as soon as I see a top made of silk my brain turns off because I have to have it. Thus with the 3 shirts below it was no different. My only excuse it that they were all on sale.

The first shirt is a lovely green high cut shirt with a little key hole in the back from Mango. I really always wanted to have a green silk top so now my foolish dream has come true and I can fantasise about a new clothing item.

The 2 tops below are from Zara. The first one has a little collar and it is of a sheer white colour. The collar turns to ribbons in the back and is tied into a little bow.

The second shirt is rather a jumper. It has a viscose metallic beige front and a silky back with a golden zipper. 

Somehow I seem to have gotten into metallic/silvery tops lately, thus I absolutely had to buy this linnen blazer with metallic fibers from H&M. I particularly like the neon orange fabric inside.

I was walking around this jumper from Mango really wanting to buy it and tried to convince myself that I absolutely do not need it. Technically this is a valid argument, however, when I found it on sale I just couldn't resist... It is quite silvery with low shoulders. It just looks stunning with dark skinny jeans and black or silver ballet slippers. 

To round up the collective haul, I present to you my new favourite perfume. It is Eau de Toilette from Chloé. I find it very elegant and feminine and it really does go well will all the silk shirts. I always have to think about the stunning silk Chloé always brings to the run ways and it makes me feel like one million $.

New in

Finally, I am back after a long hiatus and wanted to share a some of my new things with you. It will probably happen in 2 parts since this post would get too long.

I can never again enter ALDO because they just have stunning stunning shoes! I really cannot wait for the weather to get worse so that I can finally wear them since just the view makes me excited. However, it might still take a while...

After I purchased my 7 for all mankind jeans, I realised that there are no better jeans for me out there. So when there was again a 50% off offer I decided it is time for an addition to the closet. My old Miss Sixty jeans really could use a replacement and the colour is gorgeous. This is the high waste super skinny model.

I was doing so well and already on my way out of the shopping center and decided to peek into the MAC store. Why did I do that? No idea...

What they do have though is their annual brush set release which is more than 50% cheaper than buying their brushes individually. This year it was illustrated by Julie Verhoeven and contains the 187, 130, 282 and 286 brushes. Also for the first time I have ventured into cream bushes and so far I really like it. The shade that I got is "Brit Wit". 

OOTD

Zipper blouse Zara • Jeans 7 for all mankind • Flipflops Havaianas • Nails Essie Fiji 

New in

Here it is - the walk of shame. I have slipped today and shopped. I wandered into the MAC store. What a big mistake!

Although you all know how much I love my Helena Rubinstein mascara, I decided to try something new because I thought some volume would be great, so I bought the Zoom Lash mascara. I am not too sure about the volume but I am still trying it out. Also, I have decided to invest in better curlers so I got the full lash curler. I definitely thing it is way better than the one I had before.

As you can tell I concentrated on my eyes during this mini haul. I also purchased the technakohl liner in "Fancy Moves". It is stunning purply colour that shimmers slightly. I wanted a colour that brings out the green in my eyes and I really like it.

My probably most favourite purchase is the eau de toilette by Givenchy in "le bouquet absolu". It is an incredible scent. Very flowery, just like a garden. Unfortunately it is not very long lasting, so I take the bottle with me and reapply if needed.