New Favourite: Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

I’d heard so much praise about Lush’s Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, and was desperate to acquire a box of my own. I went to their Norwegian online store (click here for the international site), but decided I wasn’t quite desperate enough to pay 99,- NOK in shipping for such a little thing. Fortunately darling Cindy lives in Oslo, and sent me a box a few weeks ago.

First of all: I have very dry hands. Dishwashing without gloves is impossible, and after a full day of doing laundry my hands feel like sand paper. I’ve always envied girls with pretty hands, and especially the ones with perfect cuticles (Laquerized is my ultimate cuticle role model).

– Warning! Starved cuticles below! —

In case you didn’t know, the cuticles are the transition from the nail to the skin of the fingers. As you can see, mine are rather dry and flaky – this is how they always look when I come out of the shower. Regular hand lotion simply doesn’t cut it, but the Lemony Flutter is fantastic!

This is after a very thin layer (the butter is rather sticky, and I had things to do), so the effect isn’t insanely impressive, but you can still see some major improvement. Normally I’ll put on a larger amount of the stuff before I go to bed, and I wake up to the happiest fingertips I’ve ever had.

As for the butter itself, it looks like this. *points to picture above* You can see I have only used product from the lid, not the actual box yet, as you need just a tiny bit on each finger. The smell is a bit strong, like lemon mixed with some sort of cleaning product. I think it’s perfectly tolerable, one of my friends joyfully shouted “IT SMELLS LIKE CANDY!” when I opened the lid, and some people simply cannot stand it. It’s still the best goo I’ve ever put on my cuticles, and they’re looking better each day.

Have any of you tried this stuff? Opinions?

Etsy Lusting-for List

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All images link to their sources

Etsy is a dangerous place indeed. Especially if you’re skint (skint: adjective, Brit., informal – having little or no money available) but also feel that you should acquire something to celebrate finishing my five-year long education. The origami bird is pure perfection, and also very suitable considering my DIY-lamp.

This one is rather plain, I know, but my mother used to have a mobile with birds just like this one hanging from our ceiling when I was little. I adore it.

On to the slightly darker stuff. Stylized hearts aren’t quite my thing, but an anatomical one? Definitely.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all kinky with you – but the title of this Etsy necklace says it perfectly: Even Good Girls can be Bad.

As you can probably tell by now, pendants are my preferred kind of jewelry. Earrings normally have to be sparkly to grab my attention, but these ones are fantastic! They would also keep me constantly humming Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”, but that’s more than fine with me.

Ah, yes, rings. Big and silver are my motto, and this one reminds me of a fan, which reminds me of Dita Von Teese, which reminds me of burlesque dancing and all the fabulousness involved. Need I say more?

My one exception from the silver-fetish. Some of you might remember my beloved camera necklace, which I love to death (actually, I would like to be buried wearing it). This ring would be a nice sibling, more suitable for those rare (but still treasured) days I feel like dressing quite girly and romantic.

Did anyone else love the Pixar movie Up? (Cookie, we’re watching that when we’ve moved in together, and if you don’t love it then, I’ll drop you off our 5th floor balcony). I first thought this ring would be a bit too whimsical for me, but it’s grown on me and is now permanently attached to my Lusting-for List.

Normally I’d ask you to share your Etsy favourites in the comments, but this time – please don’t. I’m skint enough as it is.

Review: the Alexa bag from Motedronningen.com

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

All images are my own, and clickable!

It’s here (finally!). Remember I decided to order a copy of Mulberry’s Alexa bag? I chose to buy it from Motedronningen.com, a new Norwegian online store that looked promising and has been recommended by a lot of big bloggers lately. First, a small review of the shop before I look at the bag itself.

Using their contact form, I contacted Motedronningen a few weeks before deciding to buy the bag, as I wanted to know the exact measurements of the bag (the item description says nothing about this). I didn’t receive any answer. I tried again a week later, and was told the bag was 40 cm wide and 23 cm tall. This sounded strange to me, as the proportions seemed very different in their picture:

I measured my bag just now, and, measured flat, it’s 40 cm wide and 30 (!) cm tall. Strange. I prefer online stores that describe their measurements directly in the item description, but the least you should be able to expect is for them to give you the correct measurements when asked.

Here you can see the size – Costume magazine is a tiiiny bit smaller than a normal Elle

I ordered my bag on the 4th of May. I knew their shipping info said it might take “9-35 days”, but I assumed the 35 days were in case something was sold out, and that I would be notified if this was the case. On May 16th I e-mailed them, asking for the reason for the unusually long shipping time. The answer: “Our shipping rate is 9-35 days “. Now, a smiley is nice and all, but that wasn’t what I asked for.

I sent another e-mail, this time telling them that I have blog readers who would probably like to know the reason for such slow shipping. Finally, on the 26th of May I got a mail letting me know the bag had been sent, and I also received a more proper answer. Motedronningen “dropship” their goods, you see, which means that their main storage isn’t in Norway. This saves us Norwegian girls International shipping costs and customs, but it also means that you might have to wait a full month for your stuff.

Now, on to the bag! I really, really, really wanted to fall in love with it. Really. But my first thought was: it looks cheap. And fine, it might cost 1/8th of the original, but I still expect a bag at 1000,- NOK to look better than a bag from H&M. Sadly, it doesn’t.

The thing is, the “leather” (it definitely isn’t real, it smells nothing) looks so fake, and has very visible “pores”. It’s much more textured than it looks in the picture from the shop. The metal also looks cheap, rather like plastic gold.

Details such as the braided handle don’t look luxurious at all. It’s a shame, because I like the colour of the leather a lot, and it is very soft. But that’s no good when it looks like it cost 199,-.

There’s something strange about the inside zipper – see how it’s very long on the left side, extending far beyond where it’s attached to the bag? This leaves a long flap of loose zipper, which just enhances the impression of poor handiwork.

The inside is perfectly tolerable, but the lining is a rather cheap polyester-like fabric.

To sum it up:

- the bag looks cheap, and is quite different from the (very small) picture in the shop’s item description.

- the store replies to e-mails quickly, but not always with a correct answer.

- shipping can be SLOW. Really slow.

- the bag cost 949,- NOK when I bought it, and the price has now been raised to 1299,- NOK. Trust me when I say that it’s not worth even the first price.

I’m returning the bag tomorrow. It’s bound to be an interesting procedure, as they didn’t give me a return form in the package, so I had to e-mail them and request it. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime I’d really like to know if any of you have experiences from Motedronningen.com? If so, do share them in a comment!

Make an Effort

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Click image for source

Knowledge is a funny thing. Everybody seems to understand that you have to learn things like math or fixing a car or playing an instrument, but it’s a different matter when it comes to knowledge about beauty or fashion. I often get comments like how do you manage to walk in those heels? or I wish I was as good with nail polish as you are. People make it sound like I simply know these things by intuition, but that’s not the case. As a teenager I spent a whole lot of time reading fashion magazines and playing around with hair and makeup. I wasn’t very good back then, but I wouldn’t now have known how to walk in high heels unless I’d insisted on stumbling around in them when I was sixteen.

A few times people’s comments make me slightly irritated. No, it’s not luck or good genes or magic, it’s simply hard work that made me good at this! But mostly I just feel sad for those out there walking around thinking they have no hope at all at mastering these things. You do, you do! And here’s how:

1. Research and practice. If you want to learn how to make your nails look prettier, go to YouTube and search for “manicure”, “nail care” or “nail art”. Watch at least fifteen videos – most of them are only a few minutes long. Make a mental note (or, even better, an actual note) of all the clever things they teach you. Then practice. Do the same thing over and over again, remembering your notes. If you have a friend/acquaintance with beautiful nails, ask her about it! I guarantee she’ll be flattered – as long as you actually pay attention to her answer and…

2. Accept that it will take time. In the beginning, as you are learning something, you’ll make mistakes and have to correct them, and progress will be slow (remember learning to write? Yeah, it took a while, didn’t it?). But as you get better everything will speed up, and soon you’ll be able to curl your hair or apply lipstick in a flash. Still, pampering does require a little time no matter what – hoping that you can just touch a curling iron to your hair and have gorgeous waves in one minute is simply unrealistic. The thing is, it’s perfectly all right to spend time on how you look. It doesn’t make you vain or stupid or annoyingly girly, it just means that you’ve decided to make an effort to improve your appearance.

Applies lipstick and turns toward camera.

“And there’s nothing wrong with that!“

Big, sparkly smile, a toss of the hair and… end scene.

Stage Outfits!

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Photo shoot: You’re a Stone Fox

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A while ago Cindy and I did a photo shoot together, and here are some of the pictures I shot. Editing them, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the Virgin Suicides, as I’m reading the book for the umpteenth time and still love it. The movie is gorgeous, too, by the way.

Cindy is a joy to work with (as you can probably tell). She’s very creative, but often in a completely different way than me, which always makes things interesting. You up for another one as soon as we’re in the same city again, Cindy? Please say yes, it was so much fun!

Hair Product How-To

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I have bought an embarrassingly large number of hair products in my life. I’m always on the lookout for something that can make my hair thicker and shinier, but I don’t like the feeling of a hair full of products. My motto has therefore become: as few products as possible, with as much effect as possible. I thought I’d share some of my hard-earned knowledge with you, in hope that it might spare you some trouble (and possibly some cash as well). First:

Volume and shine are opposites.

If you want hair with lots of volume, shine products are your worst enemy. Why? Well, think of your hair as… as Spiderman’s hands. When you add products for shine, the hands are smooth and slippery, and he’s just plain old Peter Parker. To get voluminous hair, you need him to become all prickly and spiky (watch this, at about 0:40). Thus, if you want big hair, stay away from the shine products, all right? But what if I want big AND shiny hair? Only one way to do that, darlings, and that is to keep your hair in general good condition. Which means moisturizing products aplenty – just not on that particular day you want extra big hair.

Good, now I got that out of my system. Let’s get to the good stuff! Here’s how to make some key hair products work their best:

Volumizing shampoo: Use as normal, but don’t throw on a heavy conditioner afterwards. A volumizing conditioner is the best, and most of it in the lengths, not the roots.

In-shower treatments: It’s better to use too much than too little. Clip up long hair in the shower to avoid it being rinsed out while you wait. For ultramegahypersuper effect, cover with gladpack, then a warm towel, and leave in for as long as possible.

Volumizing mousse: Apply to wet hair – mousse in dry hair will only make it heavier, in my experience. If you want to do it properly, blowdry as well. Most volumizing styling products need heat to work.

Shine products: A little goes a long way, as too much will make it heavy and greasy within a few hours. Applying it to the lengths only is a good precaution.

Hair spray: Give it time do dry. If you use it to fixate a finished hairstyle this won’t be as important, but if you’re spraying to make sure teased hair stays teased, or to give volume etc., then hold hair the way you want it, spray, and wait for at least ten seconds. Otherwise you’ll just add lots of product without it actually doing anything.

Voilá! If there’s any product you miss on my list, just leave it in a comment and I’ll see if I can offer any advice. And by the way – do you have any I haven’t discovered yet?

Brush Guilt

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Today I received a new facial cleanser/makeup remover in the mail, and thought “ah, how lovely it’ll be to have a clean face again!” Then I looked at my makeup brushes and felt a twinge of guilt. I haven’t washed them since… well, it’s been too long. And I do depend on them, especially after I started using all that mineral makeup from Tikei. But before I start about brush hygiene, let’s get you properly introduced, eh?

1. This tiny little darling is for liquid eyeliner – she always does a five times better job than those applicators you get included in the liner. I don’t know what the brand is, as I bought her from an adorable old lady in a charming little perfumery.

2. Eyebrow/lash brush from a brush set by ecotools (as are all my other brushes with wooden handles). Not used very often, either, but excellent to have if I get a bad case of bushy eyebrows or lumpy lashes.

3. Baby Kabuki brush by Tikei. I use it for my mineral foundation, and it’s so soft and does the job rather quickly, considering its size.

4. Ultimate Powder brush. Excellent for Tikei’s Finishing Veil in Glow, which gives a fantastic glow without looking sparkly or shimmery.

5. Blusher brush. I use it for bronzer, too.

6. and 7. Ultimate Concealer brushes. I have one for the yellow concealer (for under-eye circles) and one for the green (for red areas or impurities), as I don’t think it’s a good idea to use the same brush for both purposes.

8. Eyeshadow brush, I use this one for dark shadows as it’s got dark bristles (it just makes it easier to remember).

9. Eyeshadow brush for light colours.

10. Slanted eyeliner brush. This is the brush I depend upon the most, as I use it both to fill in my brows and to apply dark brown eyeshadow along my upper lash line.

There! Not a huge collection, but I don’t really use a lot of different makeup, so I don’t need anything else. What I do need, though, is to take better care of the ones I’ve got, especially when it comes to cleaning them. Today I watched a video on the subject on YouTube, and I really like how she mixes dishwashing soap (it’s anti-bacterial) with olive oil (to re-hydrate the brushes). I’ll leave you guys with the video, and then I’m going to clean my own brushes. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to do the same?

Winner of Giveaway!

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Congratulations, kitten!

To the rest of you who entered – don’t worry, there will definitely be more giveaways in my blog! A lot of you were readers who’ve never commented before, and it was so much fun to hear from you. I really appreciate it, darlings!

(And thank you to Boyfriend – today’s birthday boy, supreme camera man and video editor extraordinaire – and Ann-Iren (the adorable girl in red) for helping me with the video!)

Outfit Again

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New favourite earrings: H&M.

Shoes: Eurosko (I think?), tights: Lindex, skirt: H&M, belt: Topshop, t-shirts: H&M, jacket: Gina Tricot.

Mr. Photographer (thank you for the photos!)

The Search for the Perfect Bag

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Image: the Alexa bag from motedronningen.com

Yesterday, after I managed to finish my composing homework by the time limit Boyfriend set, I bought the bag in the picture above. I know, I know, it’s a straight out copy of that gorgeous Mulberry Alexa bag, and I don’t normally like copies (items inspired by is another matter, though). But, you see, I’ve been searching for the perfect everyday bag for months now, and it’s nowhere else to be found.

I am quite picky, and have some very particular demands:

- has to fit my 13″ MacBook Pro.

- must handle rain and snow (meaning a top flap or zipper is a requirement)

- must have an across-the-body strap

- made of (preferably real) leather in a shade that looks good with all my outerwear

And I’ve searched everywhere! H&M, Gina Tricot, Topshop, Asos (even though I don’t like that shop), Miss Selfridge, New Look, Forever 21, Ellos, La Redoute, Etsy and a whole lot of other webshops, but nothing can compare to the Alexa. The thing is, I simply cannot spend 8000,- NOK on a bag right now, and I’m not sure I’d be willing to even if I did have the money.

So I ended up buying the copy. Normally I don’t like copies because they tend to look cheap, are often of bad quality, and they make me feel like I’m stealing from the original designer. Still, the alternative was a less-than-perfect bag, so I chose the copy. I still feel a twinge of guilt now and then, but I hope it’ll be drowned in happiness once the bag is here and it’s perfect. I’ll keep you posted, but in the meantime it would be really interesting to hear your thoughts on designer copies – are they a good or bad thing?

And don’t forget my GIVEAWAY, only two days left!

Beauty Routine

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

How much time do you spend on your looks during a week? And of what does your regular pampering routine consist? Here is mine, just in case you, too, find these things fascinating.

Every day: Evening primrose oil. Brushing teeth & flossing, morning and evening. Deodorant and perfume (Chanel no5). Hand lotion, lip balm. Usually some kind of hair product. If it’s a makeup day: concealer & foundation (from Tikei), blush (BeneTint), dark brown shadow to fill out my brows, mascara, and either some dark brown, smudged eye makeup or a strong lip. Makeup remover in the evening.

Shower routine: shampoo (twice) and conditioner. Fixing legs and such furry places. Exfoliate face, scrub feet. Washing body. Afterwards: moisturizer on face and neck, body lotion (normally just on legs and arms, I’m lazy). Deodorant, perfume, some kind of hair product.

A few times a week: protein or moisturizing hair treatment. Manicure. Moisturizing face mask. Plucking eyebrows.

I could improve in these areas: pericures! Moisturizing face daily (with SPF). Take better care of cuticles. Eye cream (with SPF). Heat protection in hair before styling. Experimenting more with hair & makeup.

What does your routine look like?

And don’t forget my GIVEAWAY, darlings!

Giveaway!

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

That’s right, it’s giveaway time! The main goodies are the two nail polishes above: Grape Pop from China Glaze and National Velvet by Essie (both brand new, of course). The colours are fairly correct in this picture, the one from China Glaze is a rich, but wearable purple, while National Velvet is a shimmery red that hints of raspberry (it’s perfect for creating your own Moulin Rouge-moment).

I also included some pretty sparkly things, as you can never have too many, right?

Rhinestones! Use them for your nails (dip them in some clear polish, let dry for a bit, then seal with a layer of topcoat) or your face (I use eyelash glue to make sure they stay in place all night). I like that they’re so small, since they look more expensive and elegant this way. The darkest ones in the bottom right corner are actually black and opaque, by the way, and there is approximately 720 rhinestones altogether.

This is 1 gram of golden-green glitter, which can be used for both nails and face. The particles are very fine, so you can use just a little if you want a subtle effect, or layer it if you want to be the green fairy…

Three rather different kinds of nail stickers: pretty white florals with coloured glitter, bright flowers in warm tones and (my personal favourite) the Chanel logo in gold. I don’t normally like obvious logos, but these will look  classy no matter what you pair them with, so I fully approve. And stickers are applied in seconds, so you can have fancy nails in no time at all.

The rules: simply leave a comment below, and make sure you write down your name and e-mail address in the designated area. You don’t have to own a blog to participate, but the giveaway is only open for Norwegian residents (sorry, my international darlings!).

I’ll draw a lucky winner in a week from now, Friday the 7th of May, then e-mail the winner (to get the address) and ship the goodies as soon as possible. And before you ask, no, I’ve not obtained a sponsor. I won the purple polish in a giveaway, but it turned out not to be completely my thing. I bought the Essie polish on my recent trip to Oslo, and the rest of the things were purchased by me from Neglemakeriet, or received as freebies from the same shop. I do hope you like it!

Today in Pictures

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11:43 am. Waking up to what’s practically a blizzard. Yes, snow. In April. Tromsø is brutal.

1:00 pm. Time to put on a face. Can’t be bothered to do much because of previously mentioned blizzard, but can at least smell good.

2:58 pm. This is one of the rehearsal rooms at my school. People spend a lot of time in here, and I’ve started doing the same as exams are approaching.

3:01 pm. Rehearsal essentials (from left to right): MacBook Pro, throat lozenges (my voice has been rather sore lately), lip balm, my access card to the school, a portable recorder, water.

4:34 pm. Real comfort food for dinner: pasta, rucola, bacon, onion and a cream sauce. Yum.

6.04 pm and the rest of the day – composing. I have to arrange a song for various woodwinds and brass instruments, plus vocals. Oh, and it has to be done by Friday, which means I’m almost in trouble. Almost, but I’ll make it work.

Having a boyfriend with a 27″ iMac, Logic Pro (it’s a recording application), a midi keyboard and good speakers is so much help. Now I just need to create something. *looking around in search of muse*

Oh, and by the way, tomorrow I have a sweet little surprise for you. I really do hope you’ll like it.

Airam’s Ultimate Guide to Fringes

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It is now eleven days since I got a fringe (or bangs, if you prefer the American term), and I must say it has been an interesting transition. I don’t regret it at all, in fact, I’m really glad I did it, but it has taken some getting used to. I thought I’d share my experience with you, in case somebody out there is considering a fringe but is still on the fence.

Articles and such always talk about how it’s important to find a style to suit your face. That is important, of course, but I think it’s by far more important to find a good hairdresser. You see, there are lots of ways to cut a simple, blunt fringe like the one I’ve got (not to mention all other kinds of fringes), and different cutting techniques suit different kinds of hair.

When it comes to what will suit your face, I never thought a blunt bang would look good combined with my quite round face. I’ve read my share of hair magazines (“Perfect Hair” being my favourite), and some of them have these drawings of faces with a “suitable” bang for each type of face. These rules aren’t written in stone, though, and what will suit you also depends on the placement of your features (especially the eyes), the condition and structure of your hair, and your personality. I mostly chose my fringe based on what kinds of bangs I normally think look cool. Zooey Deschanel and my little sister Cookie have the most fabulous blunt fringes, so I knew I liked the concept of that particular style. I then booked an appointment with the only hairdresser I trust (Therese at Hårny in Harstad, if you were wondering), and told her about my concerns.

I expected her to say “yes, you can have a fringe, but let’s stay away from the heaviest kinds”, as this is what I’ve been previously told – I’ve always suspected it was because of my “round face”. But no, Therese suggested a quite long, heavy fringe that starts almost at the very top of my head – you can see it in the picture above. This was so clever as it makes the fringe pretty heavy, thus preventing it from becoming thin strands that look greasy simply because it’s not one even layer of hair. No previous hairdresser have ever understood my hair (each hair is rather thin, but there are lots of them!) properly, which is probably why no previous fringes have looked flattering.

This is how I style mine (I’ve partly copied Cookie’s routine, as she is my fringe-idol).

After shower: dry hair with towel (squeeze the water out, don’t rub vigorously), add some volumizing mousse (preferably one with heat protection). Make sure to get it into the roots – I didn’t do this before as I was afraid it would make them greasy, but I’ve realized not that this is pretty much what causes the volumizing effect. Silly me. Blowdry fringe from crown (the top of your head) and down towards the front, until it’s dry. Then blowdry a little bit from beneath, so the air is directed almost up your forehead. This will give the fringe some lift (thank you, Cookie!), but if I do it too long I end up with weird kinks at the ends. Experiment with what works with your hair. Then brush, and use a straightening iron to slightly curve the fringe so it goes away from the top of your forehead, and in again towards your brows. This takes some practice to avoid kinks where you clamp down the iron, and to get the right curve, but it’s so worth the effort!

Without showering: I don’t wash my hair daily, but the fringe seems to need some freshing up pretty much every day. In the beginning I used to simply wash it in the sink (tie the rest of the hair into a high knot or away with hair clips so it won’t get wet), but that requires more blowdrying and straightening/curving, which seemed damaging and like a lot of job. Maja tipped me off about Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo, which works like a charm. Spray into fringe, leave it in while putting on makeup, then rub with fingers or a towel and brush. It looks almost better than when it’s freshly washed, and it takes very little time. Ss they have a brunette version it doesn’t turn greyish, and it doesn’t make the hair sticky or brittle at all, either. I’d feared it would be a little like when using Dust It and such powders, but the hair stays nice and soft. They have it in non-Brunette versions too, of course – and right now it seems to be on sale at Vita, by the way.

What I found most important – and fun! – about my fringe, is discovering new ways to style my hair. Pulling all my hair up into a high bun, which used to be my emergency hairstyle, doesn’t work without using hairpins to keep the fringe back, but I haven’t felt the need to do this. The dry shampoo makes a greasy fringe a non-issue, huzzah! I’m still working on how updos look with a fringe. I find it rather exciting, as I usually struggled with how to style my long, sideswept bangs in combination with an updo, but that’s not a problem any more.

The thing I love the most about my fringe, though, is how it has changed my general look. Not only does it bring out my eyes in a wonderful way, but it also gives me an edge, a touch of devil-may-care. And that, my darlings, is always a good thing.

Clarins Age-Control Hand Lotion

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One of the things I bought at the airport before leaving Oslo, was Clarins Age-Control Hand Lotion. I’m always on the lookout for a good hand cream as my hands get terribly dry in the winter (which means practically 3/4 of the year up here in Tromsø). A-Derma’s one is the best one I’ve found so far, but I wanted one with SPF now that the sun’s finally starting to show. Plus, I seem to be in one of my I’m-not-taking-proper-care-of-my-skin-and-will-end-up-damaged-and-wrinkled-in-two-years-time-moods, so SPF seemed like a must. I ended up with this one because the one from L’Occitane made my hands downright slippery (and it didn’t even contain SPF), and the one from Ole Henriksen (with SPF 15) was rather expensive.

Clarins’ version cost me about 150,- NOK at the airport – you can get it from Feelunique HERE for about 170,- (with free shipping, of course). What I think about it?

+ contains SPF 15

+ affordable

+ smells good, rather like a suntan lotion or some sort of pleasant-smelling soap

+ does not leave a sticky film on my hands (which always drives me crazy), and is absorbed very quickly

- not moisturizing enough for my thirsty hands and cuticles

Verdict: a good hand lotion for daily use, as it protects from the sun and doesn’t feel sticky. I would use something else for nights, though, if your hands are very dry. Still glad I bought it!

Tuesday Things

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Click image for source

♮Mum and I managed to jump on a plane home yesterday (Huzzah!), and today I travelled back to Tromsø. It’s snowing here.

♮I won a gorgeous purple nail polish (“Grape Pop” from China Glaze) in Cathrine’s giveaway in her blog Serendipitycat. She even included a very sweet card she’d made herself – thank you, darling!

♮I seem to be in a beauty product period again, so you can expect some posts about a new shampoo/conditioner I bought, a shower oil and a hand lotion with SPF 15 – and some other things.

♮Having a girl’s night in tonight. Hopefully there will be chocolate, and maybe some pictures?

♮I’ve just realized I’ve got 45 followers on Bloglovin’, and it makes me dizzy. THANK YOU.

♮The movie “The Secret Life of Bees” is a must-see! Dakota Fanning seems to be my new girl crush.

Lost In Ash

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

I’m stuck in a hotel room near the Oslo airport, everything is grey and it’s very isolated. I don’t feel very inspired, fashion-wise, but I’ve managed to take some pictures. This is the view from the hotel window, and yes, that’s snow falling.

If you follow the red carpet road, you can find the way out, or -

- vending machines! Containing real food for dinner, and chocolate for dessert. Definitely a good thing when it’s Sunday and everything else is closed or really far away.

Microwave dinner. Not exactly Grandma’s food, but it still did wonders for my mood. And anything good is worth treasuring when you’re stuck in Nowhere!

Yesterday I took the train to Oslo and met these lovely people. They were nice and cheered me up, took me shopping and made me dinner. They even let me win a game of Monopoly, which I appreciated.

Ingvild and I saw a tree with laminated notes hanging on the branches. The spring green one says something like: “New passion and joy. Thank you!”

Oh, and I’ve cut my hair. I’ve got a fringe now (or bangs, if you prefer the American word), and the layers aren’t so pronounced as they used to be. It could use a wash here, I see, but you get the idea.

We have a small hope of being able to fly back home tomorrow. Fingers crossed, eh?

Pretty New Things

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

I’m in a city called Jessheim to watch my sister in a play (she’s got the lead, and she’s marvellous. Marvellous, I say!). Mum and I have been killing time with a little shopping, and today at Bianco I found the most magical shoes I’ve ever seen.

Can you believe the sheer perfection of these shoes? In daylight they’re a pale grey colour, and in lamplight they get this purple tinge. Add the sparkling diamonds and the shoes actually being comfortable, too, and you’ll surely understand why I’m so in love. The only thing better today was seeing my sister on stage (yes, Cookie, I’ll keep saying that until it’s imprinted in your head for the rest of your life).

I also found a lot of Essie polishes on sale – they’re normally 149,- NOK and these were only 50,-, huzzah! I’ve realized that although I’ve got lots of blues and greys, my nail collection is rather sad in the red-department. That’s why I got (from the nude one and towards the right): Angel Food (can you believe that name?), National Velvet, Hot Commodity, Jag-U-Are and a pretty little thing from Star Gazer, nr. 245. The colours actually don’t look like this, but my camera struggled in the lamplight and I was tired. Better pictures some other time!

The eyelashes are from the same place as the polishes (as shop called Visage), and the headband is from Gina Tricot. It reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland that I had to have it, even though I’m a little over the whole headband thing. Ah, well, it was on sale

My sister is the best. Let’s leave it at that.

Challenge: Styling the Chanel Tights

Category: Utvalgte moteblogger • Author: Airam • Comments: Comments Off

Chanel Tights – Level 1 by mariaairam

The “Level 1″ Polyvore above shows what I think is a foolproof way to wear the tights. The shoes are plain black pumps with a rather high heel, which will help combat the short-leg syndrome. The black like from the back of the leg is allowed to continue all the way down through the black heels, which gives the impression of very long legs indeed. The shoes are strapless, too, which is good as the nude panel in front won’t be cut off by a sudden black line.

The clothes in this outfit are simple and plain, kept in neutral colours to prevent that Harlequin-feel you might get with bright colours. Details such as the bow on the clutch and the birdcage necklace keep it young, and the denim shorts make sure your legs get all the attention. As it should be.

Chanel Tights – Level 2 by mariaairam

“Level 2″ is a little bit more daring. The dress – in that fabulous blue colour – makes it less safe. The shoes also add interest, as they reflect the pattern of the tights, but twist it around the foot somehow. It is still quite classic and elegant, but with a slight twist that gives it a little more personality.

Chanel Tights – Level 3 by mariaairam

Now, “Level 3″ is a little bit crazy, I know. But that’s the general idea – it makes a statement, it’s bold and feminine, but still not crossing into Harlequin-territory. To carry this off, you definitely have to wear the outfit, and not let it wear you. It’s all about the attitude, and mixing spring-like bright colours with bold black.

How would you wear those tights?