christmas day

Hello everyone! I know, you've probably been inundated by Christmas posts, but it is that time of the year and I love seeing everyone share photos of their day. Frankly, I thought this year would be very weird and awkward as it's our first year celebrating Christmas with one parent as opposed to the two (my mother chose to stay in England with her parents), but it was great actually! There wasn't an awkward atmosphere like last year and we all had lots of fun, even if I was under the weather.

These pictures were all taken with my present, a Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens! I haven't worked it out completely yet, but practice makes perfect!

I couldn't resist trying out a bokeh effect as my standard lens wasn't really good for depth of field.

A picture with my fluffy Molly (and basically an excuse to try my Nikon remote out!).

Some of the makeup related presents I received (from my sister and her boyfriend ) although there are a few more bits and bobs.

Molly looks like a puppy in this picture, despite being 7 years old! She was like a teddy bear as a puppy and still retains that quality, it seems!

My cat Charlie, who at least posed, unlike her sister.

Molly wearing my new Gryffindor scarf! She's so photogenic, this dog.

Dani and Minnie, my two older sisters.

And that's me, looking a bit dopey due to the meds..

My crazy siblings and I.

The dinner table, although a few things were missing.

My favourite part of Christmas dinner, sausage meat!!!! I lovelovelove it.

Charlie, looking exceptionally inspirational. It just needs one of those quotes next to her.

And our Christmas tree!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you're enjoying the sales+ I haven't been out yet to browse them although I may do so soon. Tonight we're going to see the Hobbit, as we are all big Lord Of The Rings fans!

Gift ideas: L'occitane

A lot of gift idea posts have been popping up all over blogger and I love seeing these. No matter how well I know my friends and family, there will always be someone whose gift I will be despairing over. So seeing lots of bloggers post ideas is always refreshing, even if they just push you in th right direction.

Now I'm not going to post in general about gifts, rather I will talk about certain gifts that I have already got. Of course, these aren't gifts for my sisters as I know they read my blog and I'm not that stupid as to post about their presents.

So today I'm going to post about my nan's present, which was quite a coincidental discovery. I was in the shopping centre after tutoring, waiting for my bus (yes, I have to get two buses to get home from tutoring, which isn't that much of a hardship) when I decided to amble along into the L'Occitane shop. I've been contemplating getting my mother a present there, but I didn't find anything that really stood out to me. But fortunately, my visit was not in vain as I discovered something I could get for my nan. I would have killed two birds with one stone and got one for my granny too, but I wasn't quite sure about what scent she liked so I had to wait.

 

This is "4 Reines (4 queens)" rose trio, which I thought was a perfect present for my nan as she is quite fond of rose-scented things. The trio retails for 15€ in Europe, I couldn't find it on the English website but it should be around the same price. 

So in the set are a bath soap, a bath and shower gel and best of all, a hand cream. I myself love hand creams and it's a perfect gift for during the winter as your hands will need a bit of TLC. This gift may seem a bit 'grandmotherly' but I don't think it's limited to grandmothers as the shop really does have a lot of stuff, including some very interesting perfume scents and personally, I would quite pleased if I got something from L'Occitane as it's not something you really need, but you'd be pretty pleased if you get it anyway. It's also not as generic as getting something from Sephora (as in, the brand Sephora, which is what I used to get people when I wasn't quite sure what they wanted) as it does have a certain luxury to it.

Not to mention the adorable packaging and in-store service. Yes, I am sold because their samples were a lot more pleasing than what I get from Sephora (really? two years on and you still give out the same Clarins cream sample?). So if you're in a bit of a rut of what to get a female friend or relative, I think you can't go wrong with L'Occitane unless of course, said friend gets headaches due to scented stuff ;)

lazy days

Hello everyone, how are you all?
I myself have had a rather lucrative and productive weekend, babysitting and tutoring yesterday. I'm especially pleased with myself as I am saving up to buy everyone presents, especially once I get to England (16 days!). Aside from that, with yesterday the 1st of December, we've had our first (official) snowfall! It was lovely last night, watching it snow. Snow never fails to lift my spirits up, although unfortunately it had all melted by this afternoon...

I have decided to do an outfit post as instead of just wandering around in my joggers and some random top, I actually put a different outfit on as I felt like wearing some of my more winter appropriate clothes, especially as it's officially December and it's getting quite chilly now.

 

I have yet to master the art of both posing and getting my camera in good position (let's hope Christmas fixes the latter - I'm hoping to get a tripod of some description). I don't usually wear leggings as I've always preferred tights. But I've seen a lot of people wearing leggings and a long top and it is quite a nice look, so I decided to try it out myself. I'm not sure if I would go out in this outfit, especially with the woolly cardigan - I fear it may be too in your face for some people in Luxembourg.

But I would definitely like to try the leggings + long top combo, perhaps tomorrow if it's not too cold and if I dig a nice long top out of my wardrobe. I've noticed that I have a distinct lack of long tops and party dresses. In fact, I only really have three party dresses and one of them doesn't even fit me...

 So the cardigan in question was a gift from my nan. She knows how much I like  neon colours and whilst I have toned my wardrobe down from what it was like a few years ago (clashing colours galore if you're curious), I still do like the odd colourful piece. Knowing my nan, it's most likely from TK Maxx or M&S, and I just checked and it is indeed from Marks & Spencers. I like that the print isn't the most aesthetically pleasing, its oddness is endearing to me so maybe I will wear it out to school, even if people will think it's a monstrosity. At the least, I'll wear it if I attempt to take my dog for a walk (as a side note, I have the laziest dog ever).

But the pattern is definitely wintery, so I will probably wear it most weekends, even if my dad winces when he sees it. My dad thinks my fashion choices are 'unique', in his diplomatic words, especially my pink doc martens, of which he isn't particularly fond.

Anyway I hope you all like this post, although I am aware that my blog isn't nor will it ever be a fashion blog. I suppose I just like to occasionally post my outfit of the day, if it's something special. I won't post every day as usually I repeat my outfits weekly ;)

So what do you all like to wear at home on lazy days? I've seen the trend of onesies grow but I haven't yet bought one...who knows, I might buy one when I'm in England :)

the hair deal: introduction

For as long as I can remember, I have hated brushing my hair. This is definitely due to the fact that my hair was -and still is- always a frizzy mess. My mother had a lot of difficulties getting me to brush it when I was a child, and when she took matters in her own hands and did it herself, it was still no walk in the park. In fact, when I went on a school trip for 10 days aged 11, my mother had to ask my best friend to make sure that I would brush my hair. But why did I have this attitude?

Simple, really. My hair was full of knots and it was damned painful brushing it. Of course, it was only a few years ago that I realised I should comb it instead of brush it. So my hair then went from a frizzy, undefinable mass to somewhat manageable, still frizzy, curls. But the condition of it is...deplorable. I had resigned myself to having forever dry and broken hair, especially as I've managed to get it to grow so much later (Oh how fickle we can be!). But lately, I've realised just how painful it is even combing my hair, which I usually do during or after my shower, when my hair is still damp (I don't want to go back to the triangle of hair, after all). But by the next day, new knots will have formed, which sort of defies the whole point of combing it. To put this into perspective, I'm sure if I left my hair to its own devices, it would form natural dreadlocks, which isn't a look I'm particularly keen on for myself.

This is sadly what a post-combing session looks like

So what to do now? Well, for starters, I definitely need to invest in a hair mask. Tonight, I tried out a sample I got from L'Occitane which was for dry and broken hair. To be honest, I wasn't whether to be offended or not when the lady added it, but then I figured that it was nothing personal as I did choose the hair sample. So now I'm going to see how it affects my hair and if it works, I might get it (if I get over the price tag, sob).

One thing I have learnt from my hair "journey" is that if you have curly hair like mine that's already damaged, avoid heat products like the plague. Yes, that includes hairdryers. I let my hair dry naturally, even in winter, because otherwise it gets more damaged despite heatsprays, and it just doesn't look good. I also only ever straighten my hair once in a blue moon as it never fully straightens anyway.

So basically I'm going to try and chronicle my hair journey to see if using various products actually improves it. I can't say this will be a weekly thing because let's face it, I need to save up at this time of the year.

I do however have a hair oil that I only ever used once that I think I'll try out when I have the time so I can see if it actually makes a difference to my hair.

If anyone has any tips, I would be very thankful to hear them and I hope you all like this new 'feature' I want to attempt.

On another note, could you all let me know if my layout is properly aligned? It is on my laptop, but I'm not sure it is on different resolutions. I might still change it to make it easier...

Changes

Hi everyone!

Just a quick post to say I've changed the layout, but I'm not finished yet so it may seem a bit strange for the moment. What I'm trying to do is put links underneath the header that will link you to pages as I've noticed that my sidebar is a bit cluttered...

If anyone has any tips on how to do this, they would be greatly appreciated as I'm not too confident with the method I'll be trying out...

Thanks and bye!

Reinventing myself

Lately I've been getting back into the blogging world with the help of my google reader app (even if it malfunctions a few times per day - anyone got any recommendations?) and I've been starting to feel the need (more of a want than need, after all it isn't an obligation) to start blogging again. But then I realised that whilst I do still love makeup, it's not my only interest nowadays. I feel like I have changed a lot recently, become maturer in a way although that has no relevance to makeup.

For instance, I've deactivated my facebook account because some backstabbing ex-friend thought she would start a fight with me over facebook. Having more class than that, I didn't respond, but I started thinking that it was so stupid that someone would start a fight on it and I decided to have a break from it. And I actually enjoy it. The thing is, we're all surrounded by social media, we don't realise how unnecessary it is. Of course, I am using one right now but I like the anonymity that comes with it. On Facebook, everyone (whom I'm "friends" with) knows who I am and what I'm posting. With a blog that I've only shared with my family and closest friends, nobody knows who exactly I am. I may be Nathalie, a makeup blogger, but I'm not Nathalie who lives in x and goes to y, ... . 

So I feel I've changed lately and with these changes, I haven't got such an avid interest in makeup. It's more like I've broadened my horizons.

 So subsequently, I asked myself the question: Should I really still have a makeup blog? I mean, if I post about other stuff as well as makeup, I can't really call my blog Oh la la Maquillage, can I? 

The term "lifestyle blog" is thrown around a lot, for want of a better time, but isn't that what a blog essentially is?Writing about your lifestyle, be it your clothes, your makeup, etc... 

So I think I'll reinvent this blog as I'd like to talk about different aspects of my life, one of which would be traveling as that is a new passion of mine and I love sharing photos or planning my next trip. 

So I have two choices: just change the blog name and make a new layout, banner, etc.. or start with a new blog?

And as for the new name, I think I'll go with ohlalanatalia as it is somewhat keeping elements of my original blog and then, at the same time, making it more general. Of course, my name isn't Natalia but it sounds better ;) 

So I would just like to ask my readers (although that term comes across as too possessive, I'll just stick to people who read my blog) what your thoughts on this are. I've always been someone who likes a bit of advice before deciding so please, tell me what you make of it :)

And by the way, I've changed my comments setting to moderated as I've been getting so many spam comments and it's really been annoying me.

mini haul

Hi everyone!

Again it has been quite a while since I've blogged, but instead of a super long post, I'm using iphone pictures as I haven't used my camera very much lately.

I have a few FOTDs for you all, one using stuff that I bought when I went to Saarbrucken the other week and others just whenever I did something special with my makeup, which has become more and more rare as I've slipped into my school routine but I intend on changing that!

I still had my fringe then but by now it's grown out and I'm not sure if I should get it trimmed. It would be lovely if my nice readers could help me decide...*puppy eyes*

 

So here we have my mini haul. Well I say mini haul, actually I spent waayyy too much in Primark (I have no winter clothes) but at least I didn't spend much on makeup! Catrice is super cheap and the quality is quite good so I'm very pleased with my haul. The lip tint is very opaque, which is excellent, although it wears off after a few hours but for the price it was, I'm very content. The gel eyeliner is very nice too, I'm just concerned it'll dry out quickly (only time can tell), but application is very easy and it does last all day.

This is the "Oh My Goldness" nail polish with polka dots added on with a random unbranded nail air pen. It's quite a peculiar varnish cause at first you think the first coat isn't opaque enough so you apply a second and turns out that's too much. Well, that's probably because I'm very heavy-handed so that didn't work out very well for me. I need to acquire patience when doing my nails :P .

And this is an early morning FOTD using the above products. The lighting's not fantastic but you can see that the liner is dark (and not grey, I hate those liners that are very wishy washy), but unfortunately you can't see the lip tint very well. I would take a picture today but I'm having a bad skin day urgh...

 

And last but not least, my new jeggings and boots! I love these boots, they cost 30 euros and are from a German shop called Jumix (I think) and they were much nicer than what Primark had to offer so I'm glad I didn't just settle and buy some from Primark, because afterwards I got lucky!

I'll try and post again this week, maybe Friday or more likely Saturday, so stay tuned!

today's face

Hi everyone!

Lately, I've been experimenting more with my makeup, trying different looks every day as on Monday, I'm starting my second (and hopefully more pleasant) summer job as a cashier in the sort of local supermarket (actually there are two closer to me...) and I've always noticed how most of the ladies working at the tills put a lot of effort into their looks and experiment with their makeup. I would say they look quite put together, but unfortunately I have seen a few cases of bright blue eyeshadow, so that's not always the case. :P

So anyway, as opposed to showing up looking like the living dead  - trust me, I looked horrendous when I was emptying out bins last week... - I'd like to look nice so I've been seeing what kind of makeup I should go for, as I have been quite lazy these past few months.

The other week, I went to an outlet centre in Belgium and in the Body Shop there, everything was super cheap so I splurged a bit. Unfortunately, I just deleted the pictures as I thought I had them on my laptop, but turns out I don't so you'll have to bear with me until I post about what I bought, as I've managed to lose the cheek tint, which is really annoying me at the moment.

Back to what I was originally harping on about, today I decided to (for once) photograph my makeup step by step AND take pictures of the products I'm using, which I usually forget to do. (The above paragraph is revelant because I bought a face powder which I'm very happy with and which will feature in this post.)

First of all, it's recently been brought to my attention that you should use a powder puff to apply powder instead of a brush! Steph @ In Her Makeup Bag  posted about this after having seen a video by gossmakeupartist and after reading and watching the video, I tried it out with a powder puff (well actually I think it was a sponge, but it's the same principle, I think) and the difference really is noticeable. With a brush, the coverage was acceptable, but it's a lot better with a puff, which is great for me as I really don't like the feeling of foundation so I'm starting to rely on powder. In this picture, I've applied powder to the right side of my face and it really makes a great difference, in my opinion.

So here is my face with my base on - basically primer, concealer(s) and powder.

  

 

The products that I used were the Benefit primer that I got for free in Glamour magazine, which I'm not convinced about. It feels nice but I don't get the feeling it really helped. Otherwise I have the Boi-ing concealer, which I love but don't use often as I haven't got much of it left and that stuff is expensive! Otherwise I have the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat which was a present for my birthday from my best friend. I basically use this underneath my eyes and eyebrows (for highlighting) and the Benefit one for blemishes. Finally I have the Body Shop Nature's Minerals powder, which was a bargain at 3 euros! ( I love outlet centres.)

And now for my eye makeup! I decided to repeat a look I did last December by using cream eyeshadows and a red eyeliner underneath my eyes, despite it not being very summery. Of course, I didn't want to look as if I'd been crying so I used a brown eyeliner on my waterline and was generous with the mascara on my bottom lashes, which I do anyway as my top lashes just flop down with any amount of mascara.

 

So for products, I started off with MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly which is my most used primer. It lasts really long as I've been using it regularly since last summer, so I'm quite impressed with it! Otherwise I used Fred Farrugia's mousse/cream eye shadow, which I just applied with my fingers as the end result is better than using a brush, although I still haven't found a way of applying cream eyeshadow and having it last, which is frustrating. Any tips?

Otherwise I used Sleek's Kohl pencil, which is dark red and was part of their christmas set and then an Urban Decay brown eyeliner and finally, my eyelash curlers and Benefit's Bad Gal mascara, which was also free with Glamour a few months ago.

And for the final touches, I just added a cheek tint, bronzer and a lip stain.

 I used Benefit's Hoola bronzer and Posie tint, which are part of the Cabana palette that I got for my birthday and then I used a Maybelline lip tint.

And that's it for today! Unfortunately the look didn't last very long because I sweat for some reason and even if I'm not doing anything and I've got the fan on, I still got flustered and my face gets sweaty so the makeup rubs off, which was upsetting me a bit as I'd really like to have normal skin for once. I don't have excessively oily skin, but I do sweat a lot which is unpleasant and unattractive, even if it doesn't happen all the time - only really as soon as I apply my makeup, which is frustrating.

Anyway I will try and post more regularly with my work makeup from next week onwards, stay tuned¨! 

FOTN from Berlin!

Hello everyone!

I have finally got round to posting the makeup from last Wednesday, over a week later, but nevertheless, at least I am blogging! I have just been chilling out this week as I am starting work on Monday (manual labour...yay. It pays though!).

So Wednesday night/Thursday morning was a lot of fun and I can only recommend that anyone who visits Berlin and wants to go clubbing should try Matrix on a Wednesday. It's Buy 1 Get 1 Free all night so it's not mega pricey and it also has several different rooms with different djs which helps if you get bored by the music. Apparently it's a club for tourists and not real Berliners (lol!) but oh well, I enjoyed myself and it takes a lot for me to enjoy myself going out, so I definitely recommend it. And the people I went with were lovely and awesome (my roomie and I went with a bunch of Brazilians and they were so hilarious and up for a good time).

Anyways onto the make up!

 So as for makeup, I used the Naked palette for a light smokey eyes, Benefit Hoola bronzer on my cheeks with Topshop's Neon Rose, Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat, which my best friend gave me for my birthday , Benefit Bad Gal mascara (the Glamour mini) and Mac Speak Louder lippie. Haha, I've got quite a few high end stuff now, haven't I?

 Anyway, I'll finish this here as it's time for me to sleep and boy, do I value my sleep! I'll try and do a few reviews in the next few days, just need to find the right background!

hair update!

Hey guys!


I'm going out tonight (hopefully it's not a repeat of the time I went out in Paris- fail!) and I decided to straighten my hair a bit, cause I'm curious to see how long it is and wow it's grown since the last time I straightened it (which was a few months ago lol). I left the top layers curly cause it gives it a bit more texture and doesn't look too artificial.

 

please ignore the awful cleavage there, slightly awkward lol...

But anyway I kind of look terrible cause I haven't applied my makeup yet but this is the best picture to show my hair :) 

I will take pictures of my makeup so I can finally post something makeup related yay!!