Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush in Exposed

I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Tarte but aside from eyeshadow palettes I haven't really tried anything from them.  Mainly because I order most of my Tarte products online from Qvcuk.com and eyeshadowpalettes are a safe bet and also because they don't support the whole range.  Take this bluch for instance, I wanted this one since I saw it online on a youtube channel but it was never available on Qvcuk so when a friend went to Dubai and mentioned she would be doing some shopping I asked her to bring this blush along.

Exposed is described as a nude pink and that's a perfect description for this color.  The color is part of the Tarte naughty nudes blush collection and is a great blush for a more natural everyday look.  

The pigmentation is good and I love that you can take the pan out of the compact.  No depotting horror scenes to get this one in your Z-palette.

Now, when I want a blush, I'll just buy it (unless it is out of a normal price range) and I did pay a bit more than what it's priced on the official Tarte website (apparently prices are higher in Dubai) but it wasn't until I was typing this post that I began to wonder about blush prices.  I think I may have been watching way to many youtube video's by Stephanie Nicole and she always does a price breakdown and comparison.  So I thought I'd do a bit of the same and this is the result:

	gram	€	€/gram	source
Colourpop	4,2	7,45	1,77380952380952	colourpop.com
Makeup Geek blush pan	4,25	11,2	2,63529411764706	beautybay.com
MAC powder blush/pro palette refill pan	6	19	3,16666666666667	maccosmetics.be
MAC powder blush	6	22	3,66666666666667	maccosmetics.be
Makeup Geek blush compact	4,25	17,3	4,07058823529412	beautybay.com
Tarte	5,6	28	5	tartecosmetics.com
Makeup Forever sculpting blush	5,5	31,55	5,73636363636364	makeupforever.be
Bobbi brown blush	3,7	29,5	7,97297297297297	parfuma.com cosmeticary.com
Benefit	varies between 5 - 9 gram	34		inno.be

Small note: shipping costs and taxes/duties weren't taken into account making this but I think it gives a pretty clear overview of the price range Tarte is in.  Do you find this cost breakdown useful and should I do more of it or not?  Let me know in the comment section below.

Overall I'm very happy with this blush, it's a great everyday color and suits almost everyone.  This will definitely find its place in my everyday routine.

Where to buy:

In Europe you can buy Tarte at QVCUK.com (where you do pay shipping but no duties/taxes as it is shipped from within Europe) and Tartecosmetics.com (they offer free shipping on order €75 and up but you'll have to pay customs so take that in account).

NOTD: Orly Breathable treatment + color in Nail Superfood (20919)

You know how you walk into a store and you are drawn to the same thing over and over again?  And no matter how long you try to be sensible, at some point you just think "ah crap, let's just get it over with and buy it already"?  (Please don't answer no to these questions because you'll make me feel like a freak)  Well, that's what happened to me and this color.  Every time I passed it I just had to take it off the shelve, look at color, roll the bottle in my hand, only to decide that I already have so many similar colors and at €13,49 this is not a cheap nail polish (in my book anyway).  But one day I gave in, I just needed a little pick me up after a day at work (yes, I blame work!).  And can you blame me? If this color doesn't get you in the springspirit than I don't know what will.

Orly has always been a bit of a mysterious brand to me.  I never really knew much about them but at one point a few years ago, there were a lot of beauty bloggers talking about their Bonder base coat and that became my first Orly product.  I loved it!  But when it came to their polishes I never really felt like there was a buzz surrounding them like there is with other brands like O.P.I, Essie, Zoya ... Recently I noticed Di had started selling Orly and my interest was sparked.

According to their website the Breathable formula prevents chipping an peeling, is infused with argan oil, Pro Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C.  No top or base coat is needed and is a 13 free formula*.  It is marketed as a treatment + color for stronger, heathier nails.  I can't really say anything about the treatment part.  My nails are in pretty good shape and really don't wear nail polishes long enough for them to work as a treatment. 

Nail Superfood is described as a Bright Watermelon Creme color, to me it's a warm bright pink color. The formula applies easily, there was no trouble with streaking and it took me 2 thin layers to get the result shown on the swatch.

The brush is great, not too small, not too thick and the bristles don't feather around.  I also love the grip of the top, it feels a bit like rubber (which will make it hard to keep clean) which, combined with the engravings, give you a solid hold on the brush while applying you polish.

*ORLY Breathable Treatment + Color is formulated without: Toluene, Formaldehyde,

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, 

Triphenyl Phosphate (TPP), MEHQ/HQ, MIT, Parabens, Animal Derived Ingredients or Gluten

Where to buy:

In Belgium you can buy Orly at DI or online at Orlybelgium.be, the Breathable treatment + color polishes retail at €13,49.

Mac Technique and Mac haul

I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I enter a Mac store even though I've been inside plenty a time (I'd say at least once a month now that we have a Mac in my hometown Leuven).  There's just so much to choose from, sometimes I wish I could be locked in a Mac shop for a night just so I would have time to try out everything.  Unfortunately that's never going to happen but a good alternative is to book a Mac Technique class.  Last week I went to my third (I think) Mac Technique, the first one in Leuven, and I took my bestie along (if you're Dutch speaking you can read her blogpost about it here).

A little surprise was waiting for us, a black Mac Technique makeup bag

 and a travel size mascara (which I threw in my handbag and of course

 it's nowhere to be found, it has probably disappeared in that secret section

 of my handbag where stuff just magically disappears in and just as

 magically turns up again someday).

Mac Technique is like a private group makeup class, we were 7 including myself, and the reason for booking one is different for everyone.  Some people just started using makeup, others wanted to learn more about techniques and others (like myself) just wanted to test products/colors that are out of the comfortzone.  All of this is under supervision of well trained Mac MUA's (Katleen, Elke and Eva in our case) and served with snacks, drinks and lots of laughs ... all the ingredients for a fun friday evening!

MAC HAUL!!!

(and a sample size foundation and concealer)

When you sign up for Mac Technique you have to buy a voucher of 60€ that you can use to buy products on the night itself.  Needless to say I had no problems spending my 60€ and then some.  

Mac eyeshadows in Coppering (bottom) and Nocturnelle (top)

I was brave when they asked me what colors I'd like to use on my eyes.  I went with "you can choose, I'm open for everything and anything".  After a bit of whispering (I admit I did get a bit nervous at that point), Katleen and Elke introduced this duo to me: Nocturnelle and Coppering.  I know purple and orange tones go great together yet I never really try this combo on myself.  But these two were great together!  I even got some compliments from the man when I got home ...

Mac fluidline pencil in Metropolis

I used this on the outer part of my upper lashes, smudged it out and immediately decided to buy it.  The color is described as a deep metal grey and since black can be a bit harsh on me, this is a great alternative.

Mac lip scrubtious in Candied Nectar

I'll be doing a blogpost on lip scrubs soon but this one got me hooked on its smell alone.  You'll see more details on this soon so stay tuned!

Mac blushes in Blush All Day and Harmony

(I couldn't get the colors to appear correct in this picture)

I used Blush All Day on myself and since I've been looking around for a new blush colors I decided to get it together with Harmony (Eva was wearing this one and I was looking for a more brownish blush).

Mac blushes in Harmony and Blush All Day (top row) 

compared to a cool toned Sculpting powder in the color Sculpt

As you can tell by this picture, Harmony is actually very wearable and not at all too brown.

Mac cremesheen lipstick in Crosswires

Crosswires is described as a bright pink-orange and this color has been on my wish list for ages so I finally decided to just buy it (and make space for new items on my wish list).

Mac mini Zoomlash mascara in Beets Me

I admit I bought this for my makeup kit because aubergine colors are a necessity.  I love these mini mascara's, they come in a few different colors and since you usually don't use these colors on a daily bases there really is no need to buy a full size one.

I really love these Mac Technique classes, I always have so much fun and come home with goodies that I probably never would've tried if left on my own.  So if you want to venture out in to the Mac world of makeup go check out your local Mac store for Mac Technique dates.

Hello, remember me??

Hello, remember me?  It's been a while, almost exactly 6 months to be correct.  Where have I been you may ask?  Living my life really and doing something that I've wanted to do for so long, but more about that later (not trying to make you curious at all here).

The past 6 months have been filled with working, vacation, more working and oh yeah, I also turned 40 (which was more of a big deal for the people around me than for me really).  I've always had the blog in the back of my mind but never found the energy to (re)start writing and before I knew it 6 months had passed.  The longer it took, the harder it was to get back to it but the last few weeks I'd been putting aside beauty stuff because 'I need to photograph that for the blog before I open it' so that's when I realized that I really had to start again.  So today is the day, I am back ... I'm not quite sure how much posting I'll be doing, that's something time will tell but I'm going for at least one post a week (hopefully two).

Trust me when I say that the last 6 months may have been without a blog but certainly not without makeup!  I have bought a ton of stuff but my spending has been a bit different than before because I started a makeup course in september.  We have lessons every monday for a whole year so it's not just a short term course (which I already did in the past, you can read about that here) but a full year of playing with makeup.  The first part was focused on face painting (totally out of my comfort zone) but starting december we're doing beauty makeup.  So I most certainly have been focused on makeup but from a different angle and as a result my spending habits have changed a bit.  I'm not that focused on limited editions anymore, I'm concentrating more on getting a makeup kit together that I can use when doing someone else's makeup.  Which means buying colors I wouldn't necessarily buy for myself, exploring other brands and finding a good mix of expensive and less expensive makeup to start building a makeup kit.  That doesn't mean that I'm planning to make this a career, I honestly don't know how far this is going to take me and I don't want to put any pressure on myself.  But the truth is that I'm really loving doing makeup on people!!  I still have a lot to learn but practice makes perfect right?  If you want to see some of the looks I already did and will do in the future you can always follow me on instagram (username an_ronsmans and it's a public profile - no trolling or rude behaviour or you'll be blocked though, I'm all about the love, live and let live).

The one thing that the past months has pointed out to me again is that I have THE BEST FRIENDS a girl could wish for!!!  All my friends have been so supportive, they could've acted like my makeup class was a midlife crisis thing but they honestly have more of a 'finally, what took you so long' attitude and they truly deserve a special mention.  I never have to look hard for a model (special mention to my die hard model Jolien who lets me paint the strangest looks on her) and it doesn't matter if it's for class or to practice on later.   My bestie is always there to kick my ass when I'm having a confidence crisis and my always-without-makeup friend came to model.  And even though it's been hectic, working fulltime, taking a class, practicing what I learned ... it's been a hell of ride so far!  

All these words to say that I've decided to get some life in my blog again.  Most post will be about beauty products of course but with the occasional 'personal' post.  I'm also focussing a bit more on the pictures that I take for the blog (in case you're wondering I do all the photographing myself) any tips and tricks for that are more than welcome!  I still have a lot of plans when it comes to the blog but all of that will have to wait until I have a bit more time.  And if there's something you want to see on the blog or ask about, feel free to leave a comment.

For now I'm not saying bye bye but see you soon!

NOTD: L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis A L'Huile in Orange Triomphe (444)

Feeling fierce, yes I am!!  Somehow I always get that feeling when I'm wearing a bright reddish nail polish. This type of color always makes me feel like a woman that's ready to conquer the world!

Pictured above together with the swatch are a few of my healthy nail essentials (and a leopard print makeup bag because hey, it's leopard, the perfect match for a bright red nail).

So far I like every color that I've tried of the L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis à L'Huile range and this one is no different.  The quality is great, I only need two coats of this color to get full coverage which isn't  always the case with a bright red.

The brush is exactly how I like it, a big dense brush that's easy to use.  I already have a few more colors that are ready to be swatches and shown to you so keep your eyes open for them.

Where to buy:

You can buy the L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis à L'Huile polishes at the drugstore or online, in Belgium they cost €9,99.

Tarte Young, Wild & Free Palette

Somehow I always seem to feel when QVCUK does an update on their Tarte stock.  I'm just surfen the net and than a little voice says "go check out Tarte on QVCUK" and voila, 9 out of 10 there'll be a restock and new items.  And usually the new items are on an introductory price (which is just a fancy word for sale or discount) so there no excuse not to buy something, as a matter of fact you should buy right then and there because it's on sale.  Right?  So it's no surprise that this cutie found his way home to me even though I wasn't planning on buying it.

I really love the fun factor of the palette, it's like a feel good palette.  I smile every time I pick it up, even on a pre-coffee monday morning it makes me smile.  I feel like this is what the world needs: more kindness and more confetti (and more makeup)!

After buying the Tartelette and Tartelette in Bloom palettes I completely fell in love with Tarte.  Their palettes are just so userfriendly and the eyeshadows are great quality.  The only thing is that their colorsheme seems to be the same all the time: neutrals.  And this palette is no different.

There is a particular smell to this palette when you open it.  It's a sweet smell that reminds me of the whole Too Faced chocolate frenzy.  I'm no fan of funny smelling eyeshadows, it makes me hesitate to put it on.  I mean, I don't like putting perfumed things on my eyes even if they are dermalogicaly tested.  It just doesn't feel right to me.

from left to right:

wow, party, dream team, lucky charm, weekend, virtue, happy place, simple life

The quality is what you expect from Tarte eyeshadows, great pigmentation and smooth application except for Wow.  What bothers me about the palette, and this is the first time I've felt this with a Tarte palette, is that the finish of the palette itself isn't up to normal Tarte standard.  Maybe it's just mine or maybe it's just the batch but you can see that Simple Life isn't put in straight.  The pan even comes out of the palette slightly on one side.  I noticed it the moment I opened my palette and I feel that just isn't right.  I assume it's just a fabrication error since I don't see this on pictures of others but it's still there.

There are tutorials for a day and night look that come with the palette which is always nice for when you're lacking inspiration (or on a pre-coffee monday morning).

If you're looking for a nice neutral palette and you like sweet smells you can always take a look at this palette.  Overall it is a good palette but I do prefer the Tartelette palettes over this one.

Where to buy:

Tarte.com does ship internationally so you can buy it directly from them (taxes and duties may apply).  You can also buy it at Qvcuk.com together with an LCL mascara for £38 (app. 45€).

NOTD: Essie Watermelon

We're officially experiencing a heatwave here in Belgium.  It's crazy hot here and with this kind of weather you have to stay hydrated so enter watermelon.  My man and I are real watermelon addicts.  It's just so refreshing an healthy at the same time, what else could one want right?

So when a colleague at work started talking about Watermelon by Essie I thought this was the perfect time to throw this one on the blog.  It's a classic color that screams summer.  On the US website this color is described as "a creamy and refreshing juicy red", on the Belgian website it's described as "a juicy and refreshing watermelon pink".  It really is a bright pink that navigates towards red so the truth is in-between.

Swatches are made with three coats and as you can see the color still isn't totally opaque.  

Where to buy:

Watermelon by Essie is part of their standard collection so it's available at your local Essie retail.  In Belgium you can find Essie at Di and Kruidvat and one polish costs €12,49.