Lieve lezer, met enige trots mag ik vandaag aankondigen...

Dear reader, today is the day I can proudly announce...

Het is...

It's...

Exact één jaar geleden kwam ik op het toffe idee een eigen blog te starten. Ik hield (en hou nog steeds) enorm van schrijven. En ik ben blij dat ik vandaag al reeds een jaar bezig ben. Eerlijk, het is niet altijd even makkelijk. Iedereen kent het fenomeen “tijdsgebrek” en jammer genoeg krijg ik er ook regelmatig mee te maken. Maar ik probeer mijn best te doen! En ik kan in alle bescheidenheid toch wel zeggen dat ik al vooruitgang heb gemaakt sinds die allereerste blog post. Denk je niet? Dus...

Jij die dit momenteel leest, heel erg bedankt voor het bezoeken van mijn blog!! Aarzel niet een berichtje na te laten. Ik leer je namelijk heel graag kennen!

 Exactly one year ago, I came up with the idea to start my own blog. I loved (and still very much love) writing. And I’m extremely happy that today marks my first anniversary. It’s not always easy though. Everybody’s familiar with the phenomenon “lack of time” and sadly, it happens to me a lot. But I do my best! And in all modesty, I can honestly say that I’ve definitely made some progress since that very first blog post. Don’t you think?

So… You reading  this right now, thank you very much for visiting my blog!! Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I would love to get to know you! 

Beste lezer, je kan me ook volgen op instagram. Mijn instanaam is livinthemoment1982... Check it out! 

Dear reader, you can also find me on instagram. My insta handle is livinthemoment1982... Check it out! 

Trouwens, morgen wordt een heel speciale dag voor de blog! Kom zeker terug als je wil weten waarover dit gaat! 

By the way, tomorrow is going to be a very special day for the blog. Do come back if you want to know what this is about!

Lieve lezers, ik geef het toe... ik was vroeger een op-en top zomermens die de herfst en winter echt verachtte. Koude en sneeuw konden me echt niet boeien. Het is pas sinds enkele jaren dat ik moet toegeven dat deze tijd van het jaar ook wel zijn charmes heeft. Ik ben het najaar steeds meer gaan waarderen. Er is namelijk niet alleen het vallen van de bladeren, de avonden die vroeger vallen en de stilaan meer en meer aanwezige koude... Er zijn ook de gezellige feestdagen... Halloween en de bijhorende al dan niet uitgeholde pompoenen, snoepjestochten, heksen, en spinnen (liefst enkel in pluche of plastiekvorm)... De kerstperiode met zijn kleurrijke verlichte winkelstraten, die heerlijke sfeermuziek, kerstmarkten, glühwein en warme chocolademelk, prachtig gedecoreerde kerstbomen en vele leuke cadeautjes...  Al aan het wegdromen? Heerlijk toch!

Dear readers, I admit... I used to be a true child of the sun and summer, who really despised autumn and winter. I couldn’t be bothered by cold and snow.  It’s only since a few years that I realised this time of the year obviously has its charms too. I slowly began to appreciate the fall. There’s not only the falling of the leafs, evenings that come a lot earlier and the more and more present cold… there’s also the cosy holidays… Halloween and the appropriate (whether or not carved out) pumpkins, trick or treat, witches and spiders (I prefer them in pluche or plastic, TY!)… Christmas time with its colourful gorgeously lit shopping streets, that lovely accompanying music, glühwein and hot chocolat, decked out Christmas trees and many great gifts… Daydreaming already? Pretty nice, isn’t it!

Wat er natuurlijk ook plezant is, zijn die aantrekkelijke herfst- en kerstcollecties die deze tijd van het jaar her en der beginnen opduiken. Ik vind het heerlijk om van blog naar blog te zweven en al die nieuwigheden te ontdekken, en me onder te dompelen in al die prachtige kleurtjes en spulletjes... al die leuke nieuwe hebbedingetjes!

What’s also very pleasant about this period is those attractive fall and christmas collections that are slowly beginning to pop up here and there. I just love drifting from one blog to the other and discovering all those newbies, submerging myself into those wonderful colours and thingies… all those new fun novelties!

Ik ga hier nog niet teveel over uitwijden, maar 1 van die nieuwe dingetjes die ik deze week ontdekt heb, zijn “Les automnales” van Chanel. Prachtige naam voor een al even prachtige nieuwe collectie, vind je niet. Meesterlijk! Ik ben al eens snel gaan snuffelen en wow! De eyeliners lijken me verbluffend mooi, die lipsticks... Rouge Allure Velvet in “La Bouleversante” lijkt me wel spek voor mijn bek! Ook de nagellak Vert Obscure spreekt enorm tot mijn verbeelding! Chanel Le Volume mascara behoort ook tot deze nieuwe collectie, maar die heb ik als make-up addict uiteraard al langer in mijn bezit.

I’m not going to stray off too much yet, but one of those newbies I discovered this week is “Les Automnales” by Chanel. Lovely name for an evenly lovely new collection, don’t you think. Masterly! I’ve been sniffing around the shop quickly and wow! Those eyeliners look strikingly beautiful, those lipsticks... Rouge Allure Velvet in “La Bouleversante” seem very much up my alley! Also the nail polish Vert Obscure really intrigues me! Chanel Le Volume mascara is also part of this new collection, but as a true make up addict I’ve already had it for ages.  

Voorlopig heb ik nog geen foto’s maar ik beloof plechtig me zo spoedig mogelijk naar de lokale parfumerie te begeven en onze economie te gaan steunen. Foto’s zullen later aan deze post worden toegevoegd.

I don’t have any pictures yet, but I pledge that I will surrender myself to the local drugstore and support our economy. Photos will be added later to this post.

Tot dan wens ik iedereen een prettig begin van deze veelbelovende herfst!  

Till then, I wish everyone a great start of this promising autumn! 

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Update 07/10/2015:

Net terug van de parfumerie en ben gezwicht! Maar ik vertel je er meer over in één van mijn volgende blogposts! 

Just got back from the drugstore and gave in! But I'll tell you more about it in one of my next blog posts! 

Last Monday, I was (unexpectedly) supposed to be in Leuven for a work related training. Always nice isn't, a day "back at school" and more importantly, not having to work! And especially when you get an hour off at noon. What do you do then? Hmm... well... how 'bout a trip to the shopping street! Evidently, I couldn't resist and had to pop in to the local beauty shop. Consequence: some 20 minutes later, I was back on the street, but a few nice little products richer! 

Vorige maandag was ik toevallig in Leuven voor een opleiding. Altijd heerlijk, zo'n dagje "terug op de schoolbanken" en dus niet hoeven te werken. Vooral als je 's middag een uur pauze krijgt. Wat doe je dan? Hmm, effe de winkelstraat in natuurlijk! Ik kon het (uiteraard) niet laten en moest toch effe in de lokale beautyshop binnenwippen. Gevolg: een dikke 20 minuutjes later stond ik terug op straat, maar was ik toch alweer een paar leuke productjes rijker! 

Max Factor Blusher in the shade Gorgeous Berries is a very nice blush. I'd been looking for a blush that doesn't come close to the millions of other terra cotta shades I already possess. This summer, I'd already purchased the Bourjois Aqua Blush in shade 03 Pink Twice, but have to say, I wasn't really convinced by it. Maybe I don't have the right skin type or colour, but I found it too "clowny-esk". This blush, you can just apply as much (read: just enough) as you want using your blushing brush, and the result will be a "healthy" flush! Pretty! 

Max Factor Blusher in de kleur Gorgeous Berries is een hele leuke blush. Ik was al langer op zoek naar een blush die niet zo hard naar de terra cotta teint nijgt die ik me in het verleden steeds aanschafte. Ik had sinds deze zomer al de Bourjois Aqua Blush in shade 03 Pink Twice in mijn bezit, maar was er toch niet volledig van overtuigd. Misschien heb ik niet de juiste huidskleur voor die blush, maar ik vond het net iets te "clownachtig". Bij deze blush kies je door middel van je brush borstel zelf de intensiteit van je kleur, en het resultaat is altijd een "gezonde" blos op de wangen. Mooi! 

Maybeline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold... Hmm... Can I get a woop woop for this cream shadow! Wow, this product is SOO good! I was already the happy owner of the shade On and On Bronze and wanted to try a second one, and let me tell you: it's been decided, these will be my new holy grail creamy eye shadows! No doubt about it! Easy and handy in these busy times! 

Maybeline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold... Hmm... Can I get a woop woop for this cream shadow! Wow, dit product is echt wel goed! Als gelukkige bezitter van de shade On and On Bronze wilde ik me toch nog aan een tweede creamy wagen, en dit wordt dus mijn nieuwe holy grail cream shadows! No doubt about it! Gemakkelijk en handig in drukke tijden! 

L'Oréal La Palette Nude Beige... This I must admit was a case of doubt, as there wasn't any tester available to see the colours beforehand. I decided I'd buy it anyway. Having arrived at home, I wasn't really surprised by the colours. No wow effect there, and that's a bit sad... I haven't used it yet though. Bummer! 

L'Oréal La Palette Nude Beige... Dit was een beetje een twijfelgeval, mits geen tester om de kleurtjes eerst eens te aanschouwen. Uiteindelijk toch besloten er eentje mee te nemen. Thuisgekomen, toch niet echt overtuigd van de kleuren. Geen wow-effect bij het openen en dat vind ik een beetje jammer. Heb het nog niet gebruikt. Bummer! 

Bourjois CC Cream in Beige Doré. This is a product I regularly use when I'm a bit pressed for time to do my make up (I believe this will be my 3rd already). After your day cream, apply a bit of this to your face, some matting powder (preferably Bourjois Healthy Balance) and you're good to go! 

Bourjois CC Cream in Beige Doré. Dit is een product dat ik ook regelmatig gebruik als ik weinig tijd heb om me op te maken (is geloof ik al reeds m'n 3de tube). Na de dagcrème beetje van dit op je gezicht, wat matting powder (Bourjois Healthy Balance) en je kan er tegenaan! 

This brushing brush is by Kruidvat and I use to it to tame my recently cut locks. I needed one that really grips my hair while brushing, so my freshly washed locks don't fall right through as I brush them. This one's ideal! 

De brushborstel is van Kruidvat en dient om m'n recent kortgewiekte haren in toom te houden. Ik had er een nodig die m'n haar echt "vasthoudt" bij het brushen, zodat m'n vers gewassen lokken niet gewoon doorglijden. Deze is ideaal! 


On another note, is it October already? Halloween is just 30 days away and I can't believe how time flies! Definitely looking forward to the holidays though... and you? 

Iets anders, is het echt al oktober? Halloween is al binnen 30 dagen en ik kan niet geloven hoe de tijd vliegt! Ik kijk alvast enorm uit naar de feestdagen... en jij? 

So yesterday I did a whole new makeup look on myself and I have to say I was very pleased with the result. I’m relatively new to the whole makeup / beauty blogging scene though, so please give me some credit. The products I used you can see on the picture below and I will quickly talk you through how I did it.

For preparation of my face, I started off with the Estée Lauder New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert serum. This serum has only recently launched and I was lucky enough to be selected by Estée Lauder to test it, through a campaign on someone’s blog I like very much, mostlysunnyblog. Its purpose is to redefine facial contours and lift the cheekbones and jaw lines. Like any other serum, you can use it before applying makeup or just before bedtime. I have been using it for about a week now and this far I am very pleased with it. You have to use it for at least two weeks to be able to tell the difference, so I will definitely get back to you on it!

Then I used the Be Creative Make Up photo perfecting primer. I only got this some time ago as I didn’t even know what a primer was till like a year ago. This is a budget product by Ici Paris XL, but what a difference it makes! It definitely persuaded me that a primer is indeed very effective before applying makeup. And I only used three drops!

 

Then the first thing I did were my eyes. For eye shadow I used my Jupiter Ascending palette by Pür Minerals. This is a palette I purchased online because I really liked the colours. It also holds an eye liner and a lip gloss with a light inside and mirror! Not really sure about its goal though (‘cause like, who applies lip gloss in the dark anyway?) and you can’t even see yourself in the makeshift mirror, but hey… 

As for the palette, I must say I’m not really convinced about it. The eye shadows seem nice after you put them on, but really they don’t last too long. Pigmentation is mediocre. I started off by applying the colour Jupiter just under my crease, which is a very lovely colour once it’s on the lid! I then used the colour Cosmos above my crease  and to fade the Jupiter out. In the outer corners of my lids, I used the Majesty colour. The brush that’s in the palette is not very nice to use either, as the hairs on it feel like little metal pins on your eyelids. So definitely a no. I used my Real Technique brushes instead! For mascara, I used my Chanel Le Volume mascara, and applied it just very lightly. Then I did my wings using the Pür Minerals eye liner and applied some fake eye lashes. As it was really my first time using them, I have had to redo it a couple of times but finally got them right! I guess practice will make perfect in the end! I really liked the effect they gave though! They really made my eyes pop!

 After I was done with my eyes, I noticed the eye shadow already began to fade so I had to retouch both eyes (pity!). I guess you can’t expect much about a palette that was put out for promo of the corresponding movie, but I’m going to keep using it for my stay-at-home makeup.

For foundation I used my Infallible 24H matte foundation by L’oréal in the shade 20 (Sand). I absolutely love this foundation. For concealing my under eye circles I used my brand new Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush-on glow BB highlighter, and then applied a fine line under my eyes using my Réserve Naturelle black eye pencil and the colour Night Sky on the palette.

To finish everything off and settle my make up, I used my much loved Bourjois Healthy Balance matting powder in 55 Dark Beige, before putting on some golden glowing highlighter by Topshop. What I forgot on this picture was my bronzing powder by The Balm, which I lightly applied over my highlighter.

On my lips I used the Max Factor Colour Elixir lipstick in the shade Mulberry.

 

 

So this is a complete resumé of my look. Let me know what you think!

Last Friday, I got a message from my neighbour, inviting me on (very) short notice for a Tupperware Party the day after @ her place. My mom used to love Tupperware when I was little, so I decided to sneak a peak and go.

Upon arriving we were all handed a cardboard pad and pen, an order form, the catalogue and a few folders. There were drinks and toasts for our enjoyment.  We all sat in a circle around a table full of Tupperware products. A woman then introduced herself as Karen and said she was doing the presentation with her boyfriend Kevin. She started by telling us what got her interested in Tupperware and what had motivated her into doing these demonstrations. After that, she passed a bag of Tupperware goodies along and we all got to choose a little present to start with. I chose a mini strainer.

Then her boyfriend took over and said he was gonna cook us a pasta salad with chicken, tomatoes and cucumber, all by using only Tupperware products.  Meanwhile, Karen continued showing us all sorts of containers, canisters, spoons and knifes and some kitchen appliances. All these different products at the table looked very colourful, attractive and fun.  I remember my mom’s products were all boring orange and white, so they really stepped up their game by adding so many fancy colours to their range. I’m not going to go too much into detail, so if you want to know what I’m talking about, just go to the Tupperware website and see what’s available in your country (since it differs).

The pasta was first cooked in the Pasta Party microwave container. The chicken was then cooked in the Ultrapro Oven Plate (also in the microwave) without using any butter and much to our surprise, after a good 15-20 minutes, was nicely golden baked. Kevin cut the tomatoes and cucumber and finished the salad off with a nice mustard olive oil dressing. We all got to taste a small plate, and really liked it.

After our little eating moment, everyone was allowed to share their own personal experiences with Tupperware. And seeing the audience existed mainly of women, we talked a lot, even exchanged recipes! Something I found out and was really surprised by was the fact that you can easily exchange your old used Tupperware products for new ones. You just hand them over to your Tupperware consultant and she’ll make sure you get them replaced.

By the end of the demonstration, everyone started filling in their order forms. I myself ordered some Eco Water Bottles, very handy (and trendy!) for drinking water at work and refilling at the water fountain. Or just to take with you during your work out. I also got the microwave Rice Cooker and the Salad Party bowl (with cutlery and mini sauce container).  

All in all, it was a fun and vivid afternoon and I had some good fun. I know the brand Tupperware is really old and sounds a little boring, but this demonstration was quite the opposite. If you ever get invited, I’d recommend you to go, even if out of pure curiousity! You will be surprised!

Find Tupperware at: www.tupperware.be (Belgium) or www.tupperware.com

So do you ever get that feeling when it's a little dull outside and you're feeling a little bit down because the sun's gone after a long period of nice weather, and you had just kind of gotten used to it... But then bam, heaven's gates open and there's the rain and the clouds... And you're like "Pfff... I need to go out and buy something to make me feel a little better!" :-)
Well, that's the feeling I was having yesterday morning.
So on my lunch break, I decided I needed to get outside and I went to The Body Shop (new @ Brussels South Railway Station!!! Best decision they ever made to reopen a store there!). There had been a few things I had already seen before but always doubted buying.  But yesterday, I thought "Oh well, I'm gonna buy a few things this time!" lol

The first thing I got my hands on was the Shimmer Waves Bronzer in the shade Coral. I love these pinkish colours. I had been considering buying the Chanel Les Beiges' new Les Marinières bronzer, but eventually decided I was gonna go for the more budgetty one.

Next thing I got was a lipstick in the shade Colour Crush. There was a whole line of, like a meter or so, of lipsticks to test and choose from but this was the one that kind of immediately captured my attention. It's a very peculiar colour, I think. It's a little flashy, very neony... but perfect for a hot summer day!

Then I noticed all the brushes and thought I needed a face brush for my new bronzer, so I got the Face & Body brush. When I got home and unpacked it, I was really surprised by the softness of it. It just feels very fluffy and I'm really happy with it. Brushes are, for beauty lovers of course, very important and sometimes it's difficult to decide which ones to buy best. But I'm glad I got this one.

Talking about brushes, during one of my previous hauls, I'd already gotten the Honey Bronze Brilliance Powder, in shade Copper Shimmer. It's basically a brush that adds like a golden shimmer to your skin. At that time it was on sale at the counter, you know, in one of those sales baskets they have (very tempting when you're on the verge of paying and you're like "hmm let's quickly add this one to my haul!). But ever since, I've loved it! Very summery as well (can you tell I love the summer?!). It actually surprised me that it was on sale back then, and ever since buying it, I see it everywhere. Friends talking about it, beauty blogs, in magazines... Weird!

Then, because I'd bought for over 35 EUR and I'm in possession of a The Body Shop card, the ladies at the shop were very nice to offer me a Coconut Shimmer Body Butter for free. Now I'm usually not a fan of anything coco, but I tried this and much to my surprise, it smells really nice. So I'm definitely going to use it!

So there you have it, that's what I bought. And yes, I did feel much better afterwards! ;-)