Haul: The Essentials

I picked up all of the essentials in life: makeup tools, tea and a candle. What more do you need, right?

First things first: makeup. I have been missing having a spare foundation brush in my kit since my last backup got ruined in a airplane + nail polish accident (R.I.P. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, you have been very missed), and now was the time to replace it. Let's be honest, cleaning your makeup brushes is tedious so a few spares are essential. While I was standing at the brush counter I picked up the Kicks Professional Foundation Brush and also the Smokey Eye Brush, because, again, spares are essential. A new pencil sharpener was also on my list as my last one had to sacrifice to sharpen my sketching pencils (I realized it was the only one I owned and I was feeling very creative, it was a small price to pay), and I doubt it's very hygienic to switch back. My favorite moisturizer was the last thing I bought at Kicks (the Swedish equivalent to Sephora), it's the Nivea Daily Moisturizer for normal skin and I swear by it and have been using it for years. Need any more convincing? Didn't think so.

At Indiska I bought a new gorgeous coconut and tamarind candle. It smells like summer and vacation and beach. It's basically perfect. The strawberry ginger tea you see in the picture is the one I am currently sipping on as I write this post. This is my fourth cup in two days - it's delicious! Now all I have to do is wait for spring and then I'm pretty much set.

New In: Clean First Blush

Last week me and my friend, who is also known as the Queen of Fragrance (seriously, her collection is almost the same size as my lipstick collection...) went to the mall to check out the post Christmas sales. We went into Kicks (the Swedish equivalent to Sephora) and, naturally, over to the fragrance section. My eyes immediately caught the two Clean First Blush boxes and my hands grabbed one before anyone else could.

I'm horrible at describing scents, but I would describe First Blush as a dark floral scent. It's like a heavier version of Marc Jacob's Daisy, which has been my everyday scent this fall and winter. I'm very happy with it and have been wearing it everyday since I got it. Consider this an introduction to my new favorite perfume.

Video: New beginnings

This weeks video, and my very first video of 2015, is a proper, sit down video after (almost) a month of daily vlogs. I must say it felt weird to be back, I still haven't quite fathomed I am back in Sweden yet, so to be filming videos in my old room was... surreal, in lack of a better word. In a good way. It's like I say when people ask me how it feels to be back - good, but weird.

In the video I talk about my new uploading schedule and my plans for the future. Head on over to my Youtube channel (HERE) or click the video above to watch it!

Hello 2015

I have a good feeling about 2015. I foresee a year of new things, lots of creativity and excitement. I'm starting off the year by sitting down with my new Filofax I got for Christmas (stationery lovers unite!), a huge cup of strawberry tea and my MacBook. One of my goals for this year is to be more consistent with the content I put out on the interwebs and for that to be done, at the same time as beginning my first semester at University, I need to be organized and plan ahead. Taking into consideration the painfully slow internet at my house - this is definitely going to be a challenge.

So stay tuned while I plan blog posts and videos, desperately try to film while the sun is still up and get a hang of the new chapter of my student life.

First Impression: NARS Matte Velvet Lip Pencil

This weekend I went into Sephora and picked up two of the Nars Matte Velvet Lip Pencils. I had (kind of) decided I was not going to buy any more makeup before I go home. Makeup addict + moving with limited amount of suitcase space, turns out it is not the best combination. But, it's Nars, so somehow I justified it. I have a habit of doing that. Anyway, packing problems later, now on to the fun stuff...

After long consideration (thank you, lovely girl in Sephora for not getting sick of me) I finally decided on Red Square and Mysterious Red. The first one being the first ever I heard of from the series when it first launched, I cannot tell you how many times I have read or seen it on Hello October and craved it. It was love at first sight.

I have worn both, and love them both equally. Red Square is the more orangey-red of them and, for me, more appropriate for day wear (I'm still getting used to a bold lip, and orange somehow seems less scary). But Mysterious Red is beautiful and I got so many compliments when I wore it at a party.

The lasting power is very good. It lasted all night at a party and all day during office hours (food and drink included, no touch ups). I hate being nervous and constantly being worried about smudged lipstick or lipstick on my teeth, but I did not feel the need to think about it with these lip pencils. It is a matte, red lipstick so naturally it is drying, but it's not as drying as some other products. I could easily get through a full day without feeling like my lips are falling apart.

It's a love story.