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Sunday, February 3, 2013 beauty, behind the scenes

It’s February already and I swear it feels as if I am still getting over the holidays. Is it me? Perhaps. I honestly didn’t realise I had been away from the world of blogging and social networks until a. I couldn’t remember my Twitter password and b. I couldn’t remember what size the photographs on my blog are. Major fail if you ask me.

On to happier things! I thought I’d share with you my favourites of the past couple of months. Yesterday I bought a new camera, and I’m so incredibly happy with it that I just want to go around and shoot everything. So at #1 on my favourites list is my new Nikon D90 with a 50 mm 1.4f lens. Heaven. It’s not featured in the photo, but I took the photograph with it. So that counts.

Since August of last year I’ve been using Philosophy Hope in a Jar non-stop. And my skin loves it. The smell takes a little getting used to, but other than that it seems to be working miracles on my skin. A little hope goes a long way …

My go-to scrub has been the St. Ives one. I like my scrubs to actually feel like they are, well, scrubbing. This one does -and – as an added bonus my skin feels super soft. Love.

I’m addicted to perfume. I have a ton of  bottles and samples and I have two scents that I made myself. But for the first time ever I’ve been reaching for the same scent a couple of days in a row. It’s Donna by Trussardi. It has top notes of yuzu, lemon, and watery fruits, orange blossom, jasmine tea and lotus in the heart  and white patchouli, cedar, sandalwood and vanilla in the base notes. A combination of fruit and wood are always good in my books!

Lastly, after seeing a number of reviews of the Real Techniques brushes I decided to try out a few of my own. My favourite so far is the blush brush – it looks and feels (as one would imagine) like a bunny’s tail. What’s perfect is that you can build up the colour without it being too visible.

 

Miyo Goodies

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 beauty, buy buy buy!

It’s been a while since I blogged about beauty! Truth be told I was secretly on a no-buy because my stash had become so big and I kept using the same things again and again. But I couldn’t help myself in buying some of these goodies from Miyo. I’m looking forward to trying them out and hopeful I’ll be able to show you a look of the day sometime soon. I’ve been saying that for ages now so I should really take my promises seriously. Although I did post my look with red lips! In any case, it’s a very busy week for me so I’m off now to finish cleaning my house (and putting away my birthday presents *glee*).

Ps. I forgot to mention that I am now also blogging at Color Objects! My bi-weekly column will be about a variety of things that link to colour (most importantly about Art, Fashion, Photography – maybe if I dare a bit of Philosophy). The column is called Charlotte’s Spectrum and the first one on pigments (based on my B.A. thesis) is online! Check it out here.

Red Lips

Saturday, November 10, 2012 beauty

Just wanted to wish you all a happy Saturday! Felt like playing around with some bright lips today. This beauty is from Calvin Klein and it’s really one of the most beautiful red lipsticks I own. It goes on like a dream and stays pretty long as well. The only place that I’ve been able to find CK lipsticks is on StrawberryNET, so check that site out if you are interested as they have a lot of stuff!

Fragility 2.0

Monday, November 5, 2012 Art, beauty

Happy Monday everyone! I just wanted to share with you these artworks made by Jon Shireman. I like the fact that they are a still life, and yet ever so dynamic. I also like the fact that there seems to be a duplicity with the idea of ‘the fragile’. Flowers in themselves are seen as very fragile, and here soaked in liquid nitrogen and smashed they seem to embody that even more so. I just wanted to leave you with that on  Monday night and not do all too much thinking or analyzing myself. Sometimes it’s just beautiful to look at.

 

And then Autumn comes

Sunday, October 14, 2012 beauty, behind the scenes, diary

I’m going start with the hardest bit – I’m a little bit lost with my blog. (Hence the void-of-meaning hand self-portrait, oh the drama). To avoid a long story, and to repeat myself as I so often do, the reason why it’s been a little quiet is that I’m not really sure what I want to get out of my blog – do I really want it to completely and solely focus on my outfits? Not really. Then what? As mentioned, I want to add writing to it – the trouble is, I need to find my inspiration once again. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to abandon my little blog, I just need to find a place where I can be happy with it. Maybe it will indeed really be about love and about labels. Right now I just don’t know so please please bear with me. What I will promise you is that I will start updating more regularly, and this might include ‘makeup of the day’ or ‘worries of the day’ (hey, I’m still a 20-something who hasn’t got her life sorted out yet!) and of couse ‘outfit of the day’.

Thanks everyone for following love&labels and for giving me tips and advice. I’ve appreciated it a lot.

Liz Earle Products

Tuesday, June 19, 2012 beauty, behind the scenes, buy buy buy!

On Sunday night I finally got a hold of a package that my neighbor had received when I wasn’t home. I was super excited because I knew that it must have been the Liz Earle products I ordered earlier that week! I read about Liz Earle on Zoella and decided to try out some of their products. As I mentioned here I’m still trying to find some great products for my skin, because quite frankly it can be a real bitch sometimes.  I have combination skin, prone to breakouts and when I was younger I must have tried at least five or six different skincare products for acne as well as prescribed ones. So I have always been rather self-conscious of my skin. In any case, after thus reading that Zoella loved the products, I thought I would try them out. Seeing as I had already bought some new creams, I only opted for the Cleanse & Polish and the Tonic Boost.

I thought it would be fun to do a quick video of me opening the products. Note that I indeed say ‘cleanser’ instead of tonic, and also a bunch of other things I picked up on but hey, you’re always your own worst critic! The products I got:

Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser for £14.25

Instant Boost™ Skin Tonic £12.50

I paid £4.95 for p&p which is a little steep in my opinion (I am actually really spoiled by all the online stores with free shipping!) My first impression: I really like the feeling of the C&P although I have to get used to cleaning with a cloth. My skin was very smooth after using it only twice (evening and morning) and so I have high hopes! The tonic is nice a fresh, I don’t have anything interesting to say about it yet. Although, I wonder if there is anything interesting one can say. Oh yes, it was a little tingly!

I’ll keep you updated!

Do you know Liz Earle? Do you own any products?


U.K Skincare Haul

Sunday, June 10, 2012 beauty, buy buy buy!, new

Finally a mini haul post! These are the three skincare items that I brought back from the U.K. If I like any of them, I’ll be sure to do an in-depth review! I bought them at Boots for 3 for 2 plus five pounds discount on the No7 serum. I’m sorry for the rather bad quality of the photographs, my camera just wasn’t working with me today! The grainy shots reminds me of film. Oh the joy of imitating film with digital photos!  So what did I get?

Sanctuary Deep Cleanse Facial Matte Perfecting Hydra Lotion 50 ml £14
Soap&Glory Wish Upon a Jar 50 ml £15
No7  Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum 30 ml £23

I had been wanting to try out the No7 serum for some time now, and I opted for the ‘normal’ serum as opposed to the ‘intense’ one which is for the older ladies. I don’t have any wrinkles yet (thanks to my genes!) but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t already been worrying about it. I was surprised how milky soft the serum was. I plan to use these three products together over the next couple of weeks. My skin sure could use some pampering!

The Soap&Glory I bought firstly just for the packaging. I shot a photograph of it on Instagram (loveandlabels_) as soon as I was home, it’s super cute! I’m actually not sure if it’s right for my skin but it claims to be a 21 day collagen boost/overhaul cream. It reminds me a lot of this product I reviewed last year. I am just wishing for that glow!

Lastly, I bought the Sanctuary Lotion for its mattifying properties and of course for the added bonus of clear skin. Truthfully, my skin is a proper nightmare at the moment. And I’m thinking of seeking out a dermatologist to help me out. In the mean time, I’ll try anything I can get my hands on.

If you want to see one of these products reviewed, let me know. Have a lovely Sunday evening!

Are you following me on Blog Lovin’ yet?

 

From the Archive: USA Roadtrip

Thursday, May 17, 2012 beauty, photography

I was going through my photographs on my computer and I came across this photograph. When I am behind the camera I am usually the worst critic ever, most of the photographs never make it to the computer and if they do, they probably get chucked out when I make my selection. For some reasons selecting photographs that I make is very easy for me to do. I’ve been told that some people can take hours to decide on a particular shot but I’ve never experienced that. This photograph appealed to me the moment I checked the screen after it was taken. I was so surprised that it was an enchanting shot, in my humble opinion. You see, I shot this from my car window – as we were driving by. I think that it was shot in Mississippi although it could also be in New Orleans. It was taken during my roadtrip from New Jersey down to Florida. Getting back to the photograph, there have been no alterations made whatsoever (aside from the typography). I like it because it’s raw, slightly off centre and very saturated with colour.

In any case, this marks the first photograph from the archive. In reflecting on all the digital files I have stored on my computer and elsewhere, I thought it would be nice to show some older photographs once in a while. Not everything has to be in real time that’s what Instagram is for (loveandlabels_) nowadays. I thought I’d also dig up some old fashion photographs. Well, we’ll just have to see how fashionable they are!

Skin Care Ritual

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 beauty, must-have, skincare, stash

I thought I’d share a little bit of my skincare routine. Now I must admit that my skin has a mind and will of its own and I’ve had a lot of trouble with it! When I was a lot younger I had acne and I still have random breakouts which simply stated really sucks. I would say I have normal combination skin, but I also have periods when I’m just really oily. I tend to just try a bunch of projects and what seems to help keep my skin clear, I’ll stick to. I’ve also noticed though that my skin can get used to certain products and then they won’t work as well as they did when I first started to use them. So what do I use?

  1. Murad Clarifying Cleanser  - This stuff is pretty good when it comes to keeping my skin clear. I’m not claiming that I have no problems whatsoever since I have been using this, but I think that it does help. If anything if gives my skin a fresh minty feeling (do you know what I mean?) and it doesn’t dry my skin out. This I buy on StrawberryNET because I find it a little pricey in some of the shops I’ve seen it in.
  2. Purity One-step Facial Cleanser - I use this when I want to take off my make-up, it works like a charm. I bought this one while I was in Paris, but I think it’s available at your local Sephora. It’s thick and creamy and cleans very well without drying my skin out. Approved. Loved. Repurchase.
  3. Biotherm Aqua Source (Gel)  - I like to wear a lightweight day cream most of the time because the last thing I want is to have a greasy/slippery base for my makeup. I’ve used Biotherm for years, and to me it’s just a go-to day cream. I must say this though, I was shocked to find out how cheap Biotherm is in the States compared to the Netherlands (or Europe)! When I lived in the States, I think I bought 3 pots of this cream because it was so cheap in my eyes. So my tip? Buy this stuff when you are in the States, I believe that it’s only available on their online shop because I didn’t see it in any of the stores. (Let me just give you a rundown of the prices: Aqua Source Gel is $36 which is around €27 whereas it’s sold at ICI Paris XL in the Netherlands for €36!)
  4. Dr. R.A.Eckstein Carotin Feuchtigheits Creme - This was one of the first things I received with the GlossyBox and I was very skeptical at first, but let me tell you something: I am in love with this cream! I use it as a night cream and it has really helped calm down my skin. I will tell you something else: I have no idea why. The cream is very thick and ideal for the winter months, which would usually mean that it’s too strong for my skin. As I said I usually have normal combination skin, and not really dry skin. I am happy with the ‘results’ and so I’ll keep using it as my night cream from now on! The only downside? It’s only available at skin specialists … so if I want a new one, I’ll have to go and find out where exactly.
  5. Clarisonic Pro  - I had wanted one of these for a very long time. What stopped me? The price tag. However, when I visited the IMATS last year there was a Clarisonic stand and I was able to get a very very good deal! I used it every other day when I was in the States, and when I came back I sort of forgot about it. I have no idea why because I love it. After watching a youtube review with my friend, I decided to start using it again. I haven’t found out which brush I like best (right now I am using for acne I believe) but I love that my skin is soooo smooth after using it. True baby bottom soft.

This was a selected of my daily skin care products, I sometimes switch around what I use when my skin is acting up (or looks great haah!). Would you guys like to see a daily makeup post? Maybe a video?

Beauty Secrets Revealed

Tuesday, May 8, 2012 beauty, behind the scenes

I was invited to discover the beauty secrets of Dutch celebrity Renate Verbaan. Unfortunately, I came down with a horrible cold and had to stay in my bed to avoid i) being ever so charming when sneezing and sniffing (not) and ii) to not get everyone else around me sick. In any case, here is a video of the revealing of her ‘beauty’ secret, I’m afraid it’s only in Dutch. The gist of the event was that beauty comes from inside and out, and that paying attention to what you eat (in this case light cheese spread) can make all the difference. I love cheese, so if it truly is a beauty secret – then I’m all up for it!

Review: Kenzoki Face Creams

Thursday, October 6, 2011 beauty, buy buy buy!, review, skincare

The first guestblog appearance! I introduce to you Julie, a friend of mine who is crazy about her Kenzoki products. I’m off to town to smell some of the Kenzoki products in person now!

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For a while now, I’ve been talking to Charlotte about writing a review of my new beauty favorites: a day and night cream by Kenzoki. Since the guest blog feature is now alive and kicking, I’m excited to share my opinion with you on these two fab face finds.

Kenzoki is sold exclusively by Ici Paris XL in the Netherlands, and I jumped at the opportunity to try 2 of their products when Ici Paris had a special offer. I asked the lady at the counter for advice: which product would suit my skin type best? She told me that Kenzoki has 4 lines; Energy, Euphoria, Relax and Sensual, and I should pick based on whether my skin feels stressed, dull, tired or otherwise. I thought it was really fun that Kenzoki doesn’t use the standard line categories, like anti-age, spotfree and things like that. Each line is inspired by a different natural/herby scent, and I decided to choose based on scent alone since my skin isn’t very difficult. For the day cream, I chose Vital Ice, and this is what I think:

Vital-Ice Cream Euphorisant Day Cream
€61,01 for 50ml
Where to buy? Ici Paris XL
Repurchase? Definitely. Bliss!
Vital-Ice is a luscious cream that smells slightly of ginger, but as with all Kenzoki creams, the fragrance nice and watery, definitely not overpowering. The fun thing about this cream is that you keep it in the fridge. The texture becomes thick without being dense, and it remains light and fluffy to the touch. Only a tiny helping will smooth right over your face, leaving it feeling firm, blissfully scented and perfectly moisturized. Euphoria in a jar!

For my second product, I wanted a new night cream. I chose the Cosmic Cosmetic Cream from the Relax line.

Cosmic Cosmetic Relax Night Cream
€61,50 for 50ml
Where to buy? Ici Paris XL
Repurchase? Probably, if I don’t feel like trying another scent!
Cosmic Cosmetic Cream smells of watery, sweet white lotus, and its texture is lighter than that of the day cream above. As with the other Kenzoki products, it glides onto the skin very easily and gives a very pleasant feeling. No tough, sticky night cream here, but instead a silky texture that is just what your tired skin needs at the end of a hectic day. The scent is perhaps its most powerful asset, as it instantly makes you feel zen and ready for bed.

This photo shows the two textures. Notice how the night cream (left) is very glossy yet light, while the day cream (right) is slightly thicker.

The great thing about Ici Paris XL is that they give you lots of samples with your purchase. I received several other Kenzoki products, which were all marvelous. Also, they currently have a deal where, if you buy 10 products in 1 year, you get your 11th Kenzoki item of choice entirely free. I think that’s a nice initiative, but to be honest, I’m not sure I would purchase that many creams in 12 months. Would you? At the end of the day, though, I would wholeheartedly recommend any of the Kenzoki products. If you’re thinking about investing in a nice new cream, cleanser, polish or mask, head over to Ici Paris and ask for some samples to see which one you like best!

Photo Diary: Henna Dye

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 beauty, DIY


Last week, I helped a friend out with putting Henna dye in her hair. I wanted to try something different, so instead of a tutorial or an explanation of what I did, I compiled a photo-diary. I hope you like it. The only photographs missing from the series, are the ones of my friend with the Henna in her hair. I can tell you one thing, it’s incredibly messy (or maybe I just did it wrong!) and so at some point I made sure my camera was away from the goop.

At work it’s been crazy busy. I work part-time at a PR agency, and we’re planning a launch party which is very exciting. I have some fun news to share with you soon as well! Stay tuned!


The ingredients: henna from Lush, a knife, a bowl and wooden spoon, gloves and vaseline (to hopefully prevent staining)

The Lush henna bar packaging close-up

The six henna blocks

Cutting up the blocks, should we use four or six?

Mixing everything with boiling water (Here’s where we made a mistake: too much water)

Trying to get rid of the chunky bits

The lovely results of mixing. Yes, it looks like .. what it looks like

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