Monday 22 June 2015

London picture post

Hello my lovely readers,
I know it has been quiet around here. Work has gotten crazy and i get barely time to breathe. However, whenever i feel like its getting all too much i love to escape to my favourite city: London. As contradictory as that may sounds, the buisiness of this city revives me. In London, it is never boring. Around the next corner, there is the next performance or wonder waiting for you to sweep you off your feet. 
I have been living for quite a while in another country by now and while i love Belgium, i never quite can shake the feeling of just not really being a part of it. The weird part is that i start to feel similar in Germany. I have been away to long. I do not quite fit in anymore. When i am in London, i feel like i fit right in. London is such a multicultural city. If you sit in the tube, you will have a hard time to find two people looking or dressing alike. I love it.
You will also have a hard time to ever get bored in London. No matter how often you have been there, there is always way to much going on to even see it all.
But well i am rambling. When work stress gets the better of me i just love to check my phone for the last London pics. Today it struck me that maybe there is some more people which love to look at pictures of London. So here you go. For the beauty purists under you. You will recognise some beauty temples and shopping pilgrim pathes and also a true beauty blogger celebrity. So i think that justifies this post on a beauty blog ;). Now lean back and prepare for loads of photos.


Regent street. Second only to oxford street when it comes to shopping for me.

My temple. Selfridges. I could spend days in their beauty hall.
Look who i met. Yes this is Anna from Vivianna does make up. She was doing a live tutorial in the beauty hall at Selfridges. She is such a lovely person and after approving of my beauty shopping bag contents and letting me swatch her charlotte tilbury collection she promised she will come to Belgium some time. Please do Anna :)!.


The new Lush flagship store. If you ever thought you have seen all there is to see from Lush, think again. There is a huge amount of products not available anywhere else and the displays are gorgeous. I left with two big bags, feeling a little guilty continuously smelling my bag again. A behaviour i call "the Lush effect". I tell you they put something in this stuff which numbs your brain. I have about 15 bath bombs at home but i definitely needed 10 more since i take so many bath during the summer. Ah well: Je ne regret rien.



 Need a good lunch while shopping? Go try ping pong. Dim Sum to die for. It is close to Oxford street and perfect for quick lunch. You get to order a variety of different dim sum in their cosy corner shop. While everybody seems to be talking about it (it was even mentioned in the on board magazine of the Eurostar) its still all comfy cozy and surprisingly calm.
Hamleys. For the kid in you. A wonderful store for any toy you can possibly imagine.



I went to OXO tower on this visit. I can really recommend it. Situated close to Tate Modern at the river of the Thames, it offers a wonderful view of London and amazing food.  I tried the Alice in Wonderland experience which was amazing. Careful though, if you do not want to get drunk in the middle of the day, ask them for the alcohol free version of at least some of the drinks (i didn't know this and it took me all i had to keep it together and walk elegantly out of the restaurant without bumping into someone)


 London museum. Wonderful to escape the craziness of the british museum ( do not miss out on that one either though). The history of London in a wonderful exhibition starting from the stone age and ending up in the year 2000. I loved this dresses from the begin of the previous century.

This elevator used to be in Selfridges. What an experience it must have been. Its now exhibited in the London museum.

Picadilly circus of cause.

The food halls of Harrods. Oooh god. Perfect for picking up some treats after dinner. But i promise you, you will have a hard time to choose.

Sushi! 'Nough said!

London is pretty even during crappy weather.

Good weather is not to bad either though. These are the gates to Buckingham palace by the way.

The Tate modern. A beautiful museum but you have to bring some time.


So these are my photos. I hope you enjoyed a bit with me. I will be back to London in October and already my list of things to do is full :)

Wednesday 3 June 2015

A long overdue London Haul post

Dear Lovely readers,
I know its been quiet around here but workload has gotten crazy. However, this London haul pictures have been rotting away way to long so i thought i share them with you.


So my first stop was obviously Boots and while i focused last time i was in London mainly on makeup i had been really looking forward to get my hands on some skin care. I had a list of a few brands i heard so many great things of on various British blogs which i was dieing to try. A detailed review of those is still going to follow so let me just get over them quickly. I picked up two night cremes: The No7 beautiful Skin Night cream for oily skin and the Superfacialist by Ùna Brennan rose  hydrate peaceful skin night cream. I have normal to combination skin and find night cremes often to rich, leaving my skin oily, so i was thrilled to pick those two up which promised to give my skin the hydration without the oily film. The Superfacialist rose cream was recommended by "A model recommends" and the No7 one i got because i heard great things about No7 making decent affordable skin care (also i had a coupon ;) ).
The next thing i picked up was several masks: The tea tree and witch hazel charcoal mask, The fab pore by Soap and Glory (because Soap and Glory!!!), The good things manuka honey radiance face mask (brand recommended by Caroline Hirons). I have to admit i am a bit addicted to masks at the moment. They are my favourite summer time pamper treat.
 Next i picked up the the Neutrogena blackhead eliminating daily scrub. I just love Neutrogena and was fighting a break out at the time of purchase. The break out has since then vanished completely. Not sure if this was the only product which did the trick but it made my skin feels very clean without irritating so i think it definitely played its part.
Next there had to be some beauty bits. I really wanted to get into contouring and i heard that the Barry M chisel cheeks contour kit is a good dupe for the Anastasia beverly hills contour kit. So i am exited to play with this. 
After hearing so many british beauty bloggers rave on about the Barry M nail polishes for being such a good quality at an affordable price i could not walk past them. I especially was interested in the Speedy Quick dry polishes (i have zero patience for nail drying) and the daylight curing summer collection which promises to be chip resistant like gel polish while being removable like a normal nail polish. Given that i work in a lab and put my nails under a lot of strain. That sounds amazing.









Further i still picked up  few bits and bobs. I bought a second Sleek palette. I really liked the selection of nude colours in the au natural palette and i am exited to play with it. 
I also picked up one of the eyes uncovered palettes everybody has been raving about. After Fleur de Force showed so many great looks with the nude grey version and for the price of 4,99 pounds i had to have it. 
I also bought a No7 lipstick and Revlon colour crush lip butter. The second one i already used a lot. Perfect marriage between moisturising and colour pay off for a everyday "my lips but better" look. I also picked up this BB cream by Rimmel. I love that this comes actually close to my skin tone and with SPF 20 its perfect for lunch breaks outside.




When i was in Selfridges i could not walk past the Charlotte Tilbury stand. I had been oogling the Lip cheat in pillow talk and the Lipstick in Bitch perfect for the longest time and now they are finally mine. I wore this combination for the rest of my London visit and i am in love with it. Since then i have been saving them a bit for special occasions but the love remains un-dimished.
In Harrods finally i picked up this travel size origins drink up intensive mask. This smells beautifully like mango. I took a travel size since at this price ticket i wanted to make sure that i have no adverse skin reactions to this. Rest assured i don't and i will go for the full size next time.
I also bought some clothing and some souvenirs and i came back with way to much bags but i did just want to make a post, not write a book over my haul ;).
So is there anything i missed out on? What is on your wish list for London. I am going back in november and you can never start the shopping list to early right? ;).
Rest assured i am super happy with all of my purchases and have been indulging in them since. 
If you would like a review of any of these items, do not hesitate to ask.