DECOR: Christmas creeping around the corner

As some of you might know, I am a gigantic sucker for Christmas. I guess it's a British thing that I've adopted. 'Cause when I do Christmas, I do it guuud! I've replaced my pumpkins with pinecones and my fall candle with an amazing Christmassy scent.

But what I'm most excited about is this candle set I put together myself *proud look on my face*. The three candles in different sizes, I bought at an Albert Heijn, as well as the tin plate underneath. I know, why buy decorative stuff in a supermarket...? Because it's cheap, that's why! Plus I really loved the color and texture of the candles.

I bought the pinecones from a store called Wibra, which is that kind of store you're embarrassed to go into because it only sells junk. Well, I searched my butt off for decorative pinecones and was so happy to find them!

I found the cute little bells in a Casa, which is a homegoods store.

As mentioned before, I replaced my pumpkins with more pinecones and switched up my fall candle with a nice spicy scent by Yankee Candle called Spiced Orange. I find the smell to be very addictive!

Last but not least: bed decorations! I went Primark shopping a few weeks ago and simply fell in love with this cushion. I've been totally into Scandinavian interiors lately, where textured pillows and blankets are key! I also added this pleated blanket, which doesn't really fit the Scandinavian atmosphere but reminds me of my Christmas in England last year.

Then I added some Christmas lights on my bedframe to fit in with the holiday theme and voilà, done!

Are you into Christmas decorations? Do you love decorating your room?

Xoxo,
Anine

Product battle: Champagne pressed eyeshadows

Here I am today with another product battle! This time I'm discussing pressed eyeshadows and my two favorites happened to both be in a similar champagne color. Let's compare the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in 90 Convoitise with the L'Oréal Color Infallible in 002 Hourglass Beige.

Quality:

Both products have a similar pressed shadow consistency. They feel amazingly soft and buttery and shimmer like champagne colored discoballs! The Chanel shadow probably feels the most buttery, while the L'Oreal one feels more velvety. Both show up very nicely when applied or swatched. They're not like pigments that contain lots of loose glitter and thus have a lot of fallout. These babies only have small shimmer particles in them without those big chunky glitters. I don't like to go for too much glitter, but these ones are just shimmery enough for a lively, awake look.

Packaging:Obviously there's quite a difference in packaging between the two products. The chanel Illusion d'ombre has a typical sleek, very fancy looking Chanel packaging with the see through jar, black screw-on top and the Chanel logo on it. The L'Oreal eyeshadow has a plastic packaging but it's sturdy and works perfectly with its product.

When looking at the product, you obviously notice a slight difference in color. The Chanel product (on the left) has more yellow tones in it, while the L'Oréal product has more white tones in it.

 Swatches:
On the left: L'Oréal Color Infallible in 002 Hourglass Beige.
On the right: Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in 90 Convoitise

Now we notice an even bigger color difference. Also, the L'Oréal Color Infallible seems to contain more shimmer than the Chanel Illusion d'Ombre.

Conclusion: 
I like both, but for the obvious price difference I have to say L'Oréal is really competing with Chanel when it comes to the Illusion d'Ombre pressed shadow. The product is quite similar in consistency and finish, only the color and the price differ. Want the Illusion d'Ombre but can't make yourself spend the money it? I think the L'Oréal Infallibles could really be a nice dupe, plus they have an excellent shade range to choose from.

Have you used one of these products before? Or do you know any similar products?

Xoxo,
Anine

REVIEW: Essence All about matt fixing powder

Hey lovelies, today I will be reviewing the Essence All about Matt fixing compact powder. I noticed a lot of Dutch bloggers talking about this product so I had to try it out for myself!!

Quality:
Surprisingly, for the price and though it is from drugstore brand Essence, it is very nice. I have to admit that I wasn't really an Essence fan, but this powder really got me converted! It doesn't add any coverage, but I like to set my face with it in the morning above my colored powder to avoid extra shine in the T-zone. I do have to be careful with it, since my mom noticed it when I used it (too) generously and she added drily: "I think something's wrong with your makeup honey, you look so white." So girls, use this product sparingly!

Packaging:
Obviously from one of the cheapest brands at the drugstore you can't expect high-end beautiful packaging. But this one just does the job nicely. Plus, I don't really feel like powders need amazing packaging anyway.

Price:
I almost can't believe it myself: I paid €2,99 for this powder. How is that possible??? I'm usually a believer that more expensive products grant more quality but in this case, Essence clearly proved me wrong.

Conclusion: 

For the amazing price, EVERY ONE should have this powder in her stash. Do apply it carefully and not too generously. Perfect for combination to oily skin.

Have you already tried out a lot of Essence products?

Xoxo,

Anine