Moisture Surge from Clinique

Moisturising is key when it comes to good looking skin and good looking makeup on top. Nobody likes dry patches peeking through foundation or dull looking skin. "Moisture Surge" from Clinique should have changed the game for me and it did kind of.

The outside is typical clinique packaging simple and sleek. The pot is not out of glass as you could think first, it's plastic which makes it lighter and not so easy to destroy. Another benefit of the packaging is, that it's see through so you always know how much product you have left.

Inside is a pink gel-like cream with the typical clinique scent. Nothing special and also not too strong to be annoying.

The cream goes easily onto your skin and sinks in within minutes. It leaves your skin feeling soft and plump. The feeling on your skin isn't heavy as most moisturisers are and it nourishs your skin well with moisture. If you have dry or normal skin, this is definitely a product you should check out.

For the peeps with verydry skin (like me at some parts) it could be too less hydrating. Very dry areas do get hydrated but that doesn't hold on for long, especially throughout the day and with makeup on top your skin gets dehydrated. The moisture surge is also a great moisturiser for wearing it under makeup. The foundation glides on easily and doesn't get flaky or anything.

In combination with other products like serums or oils you can up the game in terms of hydration and then it is also for very dry skin peeps a great moisturiser.

From the idea to the perfect Blogphoto

Sometimes it takes a long sometimes a short time until a blogphoto is how i want it to be. There are a few staple steps involved that help me get the perfect blogphoto and i thought i might share them with you. This is the routine i go through with every blogphoto i take. Sometimes i'm done in 5 minutes, sometimes it takes 20 minutes so take your time to figure everything out until you are satisfied.

STEP ONE | INSPIRATION & PLANNING

Sometimes i have a immediate idea how i want the layout, background and lightning to be and then i skip this step. Most of the time i don't. So while scrolling through Instagram or blogs i take a screenshot or save every picture i like the layout, background, composition or lightning of and save it in a file named "Photo inspiration". If i'm totally uninspired how to take my photo i look through the file and hopefully find one composition that fits. Same thing happens, when i read magazines. I put a post-it on the sites i think could be a nice background or prop for a photo. In times i need a background or a magazine as a prop i just look through my post-its instead of the whole magazine. 

Once i found the background, lightning, composition i want to use i move on to the next step.

STEP TWO | PRODUCTS & PROPS

This is probably the most important step, because dots in gold is a beauty blog and what would it be without the products? Sometimes i use all the products i mention in a post, sometimes i don't. It depends on the category of the post and if it's necessary to include all products or if a few are enough. For the example picture in this post, i included all the mentioned products.

Next are props. If i decided to skip props, i leave this part out. But if i decided to use some i collect a few that could work and put them in a pile next to the products.

STEP THREE | LAYOUT & COMPOSITION

Now that i have all the products i want to include and all the props that i might use. And i know on which background the things will lay and i have a basic idea of my layout i go ahead and put everything together. If i shoot a bunch-of-products-photo i place the products on my background and arrange them randomly. Then i take a few pictures, zoomed in and out. After i looked at them i see if i like the arrangment of the products and props or if i have to change something. If i'm not satisfied with the placements i change it until i am satisfied. This step can take a few minutes, if i get it right quickly or can take 20 minutes if i have to change it over and over again.

Sometimes it helps to change the angle.

Or to add or take away props.

Some pictures are nice with a big shadow (like the one above) and on some pictures the shadow is too bothering (like in the one below).

 

STEP FOUR | EDITING

I try to shoot the pictures as perfect as possible so i don't have to edit a lot. But what i do most of the time is make the picture lighter and sometimes i crop it. 

And that is the finished blogphoto i would put into a post (and will soon).

Do you have any tips on taking blogphotos or photos in general?

Foundation Routine

My current Foundation/Base Routine contains products that are light and achieve a glowy illuminated skin as we are heading into summer.

In the foundation compartment i go with the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation at the moment. It's a nice foundation with a medium coverage, but you can build it up if you want more coverage. They have a good range of shades, so you should be able to find a shade that matches your skin tone (i use shade 110 Porcelain). It doesn't feel heavy on your skin, but it doesn't have a long staying power either. It tends to disappear after two thirds of the day. The Fit Me Foundation has a SPF 18 which is a nice extra, because you don't necessarily need to wear a SPF under your foundation. It is supposed to blend seamlessy which i have to agree with. You can blend it in very easily and it doesn't cling to any dry patches you might have.

To add a bit more radiance i like to mix the foundation with the Body Shop Radiant Highlighter on the back of my hand. With this combination you end up with a very glowy healthy looking skin, which i love at the moment.

Concealer wise i use the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser first. I apply it with the sponge applicator it comes with and it is a genuis way for applying concealer. The regular foam tip applicators doesn't apply the concealer good on a rather big area. I take the concealer from the inside of my eye under the eye to the end of my eye and then draw a triangle under my eye as well. Blend it in with a foundation sponge and i am most of the time good to go. If i want a bit more coverage under the eyes (or on any blemishes) i apply the Catrice Camouflage Cream on top. It's a very thick consistancy which gives a good amount of coverage. I pat it on the still showing dark circles or redness with my ringfinger and everything is covered.

For a bit of contour and bronzing up my face, i use the Body Shop Honeycomb Bronzer. The bronzer isn't too dark and looks very natural on the skin. It doesn't have any shimmer, which i like because my foundation combination is already glowy and i don't want too much glow on my face.

What foundation/base products do you like at the moment?

Weekend Face

At weekends i either go completly nude (on my face) or if i have to go under people i use products, that are light and doesn't take ages to apply. I am a lazy person especially in the morning and sleep rather the ten minutes longer than spending them on putting on makeup. 

For a bit of covergae without needing to blend in foundation a lot or a heavy feeling on my face i reach for the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream. Sweep it all over the face with my hands and the face base is done. Next step to cover my dark circles is concealer. Currently i am loving the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser, i apply it in a triangle shape and blend it in with a sponge or my fingers. If i need a bit more coverage under the eyes or on any blemishes i apply the Catrcie Camouflage Cream (germany only) on top of my concealer again with my fingers. 

Blush or bronzer wise i just sweep on a blush with a bit of shimmer in it to replace a highlighter. I really love the P2 Glow Touch Compact Blush "touch of berry" (germany only) at the moment. The shimmer isn't glittery with huge chunks of glitter or anything it just gives a nice sheen with a bit of colour to your cheeks. 

For eyes i just go for mascara and a cream eyeshadow. Mascara wise i choose the clinique High Impact Mascara it gives a good mixture between volume and length to my lashes. And for the eyeshadow part i take the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in (surprise surprise) "Bad to the Bronze" put it all over the lid with my finger and blend it out with a blending brush. Eyemakeup done.

To tame my brows i just use a clear brow gel like the essence lash & brow gel mascara and last but not least the clinique chubby stick in "mega melon" to moisturize my lips and give them some colur at the same time.

That's my weekend face done and it only takes me five minutes and you nearly need no tools for the application.

Do you go completely without makeup on weekends or do you have a few products you always reach for?

Muffins which combine my two favorite foods

I have a thing for peanut butter to be honest. One time i tried it and then i loved it so much, that i nearly ate it everyday whenever i could. I go through phases where i am either obsessed and eat it all the time or i am not eating it at all. At the moment the i eat it all the time phase is on.

Another thing i love are bananas. Banana Pancakes? Hell yes. And peanut butter with bananas? Yum.

Peanut butter with bananas in a muffin? Let's try it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

3/4 cup oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup milk

1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas

1 egg

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

chocolat chips, walnuts, etc if you want

HOW TO DO IT

Heat your oven to 375°F. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk peanut butter and milk in a different bowl until they're nicely blended, then stir in the bananas, the egg, the oil and the vanilla. Afterwards add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir all untilit's smooth. Add chocolate chips or walnuts or whatever you like and blend it all together. Take a muffin baking form and spray it with cooking spray then put two tbsp. dough into each pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you remove them.

We put some chocolate chips into the muffins and they were delightfull. I will definitely make those muffins a second time!

Foundation application with a sponge or a brush?

There are a lot of ways to apply foundation and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. I am not that big fan of the hand application for foundation so i will leave that option out.

The two options i tried and kind of liked are the application with a brush or with a sponge. There are a lot of brush types and also all different kinds of foundation sponges out there. You can say the same thing for the price range. 

One revolutionary new addition to the foundation brushes types out there was the
Foundation Buffer. There is one from Bobbi Brown, Real Techniques, Zoeva and the list goes on and on. I personally own the Zoeva version at the moment but have the Bobbi Brown and the Real Techniques ones on my wishlist. The Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush is a medium sized buffer brush. It is the perfect size, not too small not too big either. I pour the foundation on the back of my hand and apply dots of foundation on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. Then the buffing brush comes into action. I blend the foundation in with circular motions until it is nicely blended into my skin.

The foundation sponge is on the market for a few years now. There is the original Beauty Blender and a lot of dupes from Real Techinques for example and other drugstore brands. I own the Real Technique Compelxion Sponge and i am happy with it. I don't think that there is a huge difference between the different foundation sponges, but if you compared them and know, tell me please. I have used the sponge for complete foundation application by patting the foundation
"dots
" into my skin. I would recommend to soak it under water several times before you use it, because otherwise it doesn't work that great. It leaves you with an airbrushed finish, but i found it hard to blend the edges of the foundation properly. So it's not my favorite for using it simply for the application, but i found a way to incorporate it into my routine. 

First step is blending my foundation in with a buffing brush and then i go over the whole face in dabbing motions with the complexion sponge. It gives you the airbrush skin-like finish the sponge gives, but the edges are nicely blended with the brush before. 

Another thing i like to use the sponge for is blending in liquid concealer. It keeps more of the concealer on my face then the brush does, so i end up with more coverage, which is always good.

I can't say this or that, because i like them both for certain things and for others not. So for me the combination of both gives me the finish i want.

How do you apply your foundation?

March Favorites

How long have i waited for March to come along? Because for me it was like the break between winter and spring and now it's over again. Insane. March was really springy here in Canada, but instead of going fully springish with my makeup I was going more for the natural glowy look.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation & The Body Shop  Radiant Highlighter

The combination of those two products mixed together was the look i was going for, if i decided to use foundation. When you mix the Body Shop Highlighter with your foundation instead of applying it under it, you end up with a glowy illuminated skin. I probably need a new tube of the highlighter soon.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Concealer & Real Techniques Complexion Sponge

March is the month of combinations (:D). The second favorite combination is the Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer everybody is loving at the moment blended in with the Complexion Sponge from RT. I apply the concealer in a triangle shape under my eyes and blend it in with the damp RT sponge and the result is just flawless. 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Last face product for this month favorites, i promise. I had this for quite a long time and loved it way back, but then it got lost in my stash. Now i rediscovered it when were going towards summer for a more light formula as a base. This is the product i use, when i am not using foundation. A decent amount of coverage, moisturizes your skin quite well and feels nice and light on the skin.

Mac Blush "Blushbaby" (here)

I mentioned this in a favorites post before (January i guess...), but it had a revival this month. I don't want to use a shimmery blush with my foundation-highlighter-combination, so this one is the blush i am reaching for the most. It doesn't look like much in the pan, but on your cheeks it makes you look healthy and fresh without too much bright colour on your face.

Milani lipstick "25 Naturally Chic"

My go to lipstick at the moment, because it's a your lips but better kinda shade. A nude tone with a rosy touch. The liptsick has a creamy formula, which can be a bit drying if your lips aren't moisturized enough. One thing that really puts me off though is the smell, it's a very sweet candy scent and i just hate it. 

Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion + (here)

 The last item to mention is this moisturizer you might have already seen in my AM Skincare Routine. This clinique moisturizer is the one i grab in the mornings. For the declaration as a lotion it's quite a thick consistency, but i moisturizes my skin throughout the day very good. I also like to use it under foundation with the Body Shop Vitamin E Serum underneath. Soon it's time to buy the big version of it (i only have a travle size at the moment).