Your Eyelids Look Weird

Sat down at the breakfast table this morning only to have the husband stare at me for a while.

He then stated:" Your eyelids look weird. "
Me: " What do you mean weird?"
Him: " Umm..They are much more colorful than normal!"
Me: " Umm.. yeah is that a bad thing?"
Him: " No. Its just weird!"

*insert blank face*

Well a weird look was not exactly what I was going for if Im honest.

Rewinding one more hour back I was sitting at my makeup table feeling fed up with all my brown,taupe,golden eyeshadows I use day in and day out. I opened the drawer to the less used shadows and first one that caught my attention was NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Kauai. I can rock a purple eyeshadow to work I thought to myself. Hence this face of the day was done.

Base: NARS Sheer Glow (Link) is still the everyday choice for now.
          Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (Link) still totally love this and do not understand why it is not sold in Dubai?
         
Blush: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed. Perfect nude almost not there blush. 

Eyes: Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Kauai (Link). The purple shade dusted all across the lid and then packed on towards the outer corner. Also added some purple onto the lower lashline.
         Clarins Crayon Khol Long-Lasting Eye Pencil in Intense Black (Link) smudged into the upper lashline. This one comes with a handy smudge brush at the other end.
          Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara (Link).

Lips: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 01 (Link)

You see what a wuss I was being. So careful about not using a colorful lip and only the most natural blush I own.

I ask you to give me your honest opinion.
Do my eyelids look weird to you? Because I shall return right back to my safe neutral browns if you say they do (secretly I think I like this look).

Not a Morning Person

Early mornings are not a magical wonderful time for me..

I don't think of sunrise as the best part of the day..

I dislike when I don't have time to hit the snooze button

I'm not a delight to be around until I have a bite to eat and a cup of coffee..

I am not what you would call a morning person. I just like my bed and sleeping too much..

The reality is I do have to wake up, make myself presentable, try to start a day with a smile and head to the office on most days.

There is this trio that has really made the getting ready party rather enjoyable for the past few months. I had a sample of Clinique Moisture Surge (Link) and I wrote about it here. I adore this in the mornings and it works super well under makeup. Its gel like and refreshing, smells great and really packs a proper hydration punch.

 So when I saw this Clinique Travel Kit at the Duty Free few months back I had to snap it up. This added Clinique All About Eyes Serum (Link) and Moisture Surge Face Spray (Link) into my collection. I expected to like them based on the Moisture Surge on I was not disappointed. The eye serum with the cooling rollerball tip is especially good. It brightens eye area visibly, the cooling massage tip de-puffs fast and it really helps with the concealer to blend easy. Its super lightweight as well so I dont have to wait for a long time before starting with the makeup. Absolute gem of an eye serum if you ask me! Best one I have found for morning use.

The Face Spray is lovely as well. Fresh scent, fine mist and just a quick burst of moisture. I use it after makeup and I often carry it with me during the day.

I'm in love with this little trio and they make my mornings better. The Moisture Surge range seems to have a few more products and I'm super interested to try these as well. You can get the full set here or otherwise this set looks pretty good also.

Whats your favorite morning products? Have you tried the Moisture Surge ones?

Life Lately #10

I read Lauras post and immediately felt the urge to throw together my own. The winter in these sandy parts of the world means social life as well as work tempo pick up so I though I will pick up where I left off with my Life Lately posts. So I looked into the album on my phone and chose some moment to share with you. Left to right it goes something like this:

- A totally gorgeous Diptyque event I had the pleasure to attend. It was the release of 34 Collection that includes not only luxurious candles in hand crafted porcelain vessels but also stationary and perfume. I learned a lot about the brand and came away with a wishlist including their solid perfumes and elegantly designed room diffuser. This brand is just utter luxury!

- From a fancy penthouse event to eating street food on the grass. My favorite ever way to spend a Friday is back- Ripe market! Its fun, colorful farmers market full of yummy food, delicious drinks, pretty peonies and cool handicrafts. We had a delicious late breakfast from Taqado- I mean its never too early for some Huevos Rancheros right? Cant wait for Friday to make our way down to Zabeel Park again.

-We have a picture of my zoo for no other reason than..LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE!

- After an almost 3 month hiatus I'm back in gym. It sucks! I'm sore and weak and I dont understand why I ever stopped for 3 months? What was I thinking? Anyway there is a lot of cursing in the morning when I have to drag my hurting muscles out of the bed.

- Kind of carrying on from the gym motivation but also a mental work period ahead I love this quote about half-assing! It makes me smile every time I see it!

- bottom left we have a lot of greenery which might seem odd for desert. That is because I am in the Garden Center picking out plants. We moved into our place in spring and it soon got too hot to enjoy the garden but now..the most glorious months are ahead and I plan to get some cool furniture and more plants and spend as much time in our small garden as humanly possible.

- the most important thing about October is the birthday of our impossibly smart, cute, cuddly and perfect dog Mate. He is 5 years old now!! He has lived in 3 different continents and as my husband likes to say "if he could hold a pen he would be writing his memoirs at this point".  Oh and if you didnt know this yet..yes..yes we are the kind of people who buy a balloon for our dogs birthday! I love my Mate!

- lastly comes a work event which happened to be a Gary Barlow concert. He was nice but he ain't no Justin Timberlake. I also realized I know very few of his songs (I did give my all at least when Back For Good was played). I think this was more fun for people from the UK as they knew all the songs and everyone was singing along.

So a little overview of whats been going on. Hope you enjoyed and I will definitely be making this more of a regular thing again.

OOTD- How to Feel Like A Grown Up

This is my new fake it til you make it dress from ASOS.

Let me elaborate. 

On days I have meetings I'm not overly confident about or just generally woke up feeling a bit blah and in need of a boost in "Im-a-professional-grown-up-with-a-real-job" game this has become my go to outfit.

I actually listed this ASOS dress in my last Midi Wishlist. It was sold out for a while but is now back in stock, so take a look here if you would like to. Initially after arriving I wasn't wow'ed. The material is rather thick and I felt a bit frumpy in it. Somehow it grew on me and now I love it.  Especially after ordering the metallic belt for it(Link). I think the problem lay that it was a bit wide from the waist and didn't nip it in as much as I would have liked. That however is needed as the pleating of the skirt is generous and rather full.

It does have a deep V-neck but nothing crazy revealing if you are not blessed with bigger boobage.

The "grown up" outfit always includes heels and red lip of course. The great things with this dress is that white can be worn with any color accressories so I do tend to swap the heels according to the mood. Today I went with my Topshop pink heels which due to the fact they were on sale are now sold out. NARS Dragon Girl (Link) was the lipstick of choice.

Whats your confidence booster outfit? Before this one arrived mine used to always be a black dress.

The NARS Trinity

Yes these are old news but when the news is sooo good I think its ok we talk about them again. 

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils!

These are the favorite matte lipsticks in my modest stash ( I use the word modest liberally as you might guess). They are long lasting, don't bleed, beautiful matte finish, super pigmented, dont make my lips feel like desert..I could go on and on.

The range is vast in color choice but as I wear red lip most often mine are all from that color family. However they are all "totally" different as you will see below.

So starting from the left we have the darkest of the trinity called Cruella (Link). Described as scarlet red by the brand this is "prepare to be seen" kind of lip color. Blue based deep red that is so "sexy" if that can be used as a color description. I would say this is a color not for the faint hearted. If rocking a red is your thing then this is a must have for fall-winter especially.

Next up is my latest addition and one I had been chasing for a while. Dragon Girl (Link) seems to be constantly sold out in various online stores so it was a long time coming. Boy was it worth the wait! Vivid siren red is how NARS describes it. This one is also blue based (we all know those are the best to make those pearly whites shine) but with strong pink undertones- a proper bright cherry red. The shade just lasts and lasts for a good 5-6h through the day. If I would describe Cruella as "sexy" then Dragon Girl would be my more "glam" option.

Lastly comes Red Square (Link) which was actually the lipstick that converted me into the red-lips-during-day-time business. I bought this years ago when visiting my sister in London and it was a random purchase to be honest. Little did I know it will start a whole red lipstick hording episode of my life. If someone asks for my favorite red lippy the first one that comes to mind is Red Square. Bright orange red is what the official description reads. I think this is such a day appropriate shade. Red Square is proper orange based warm-toned and pretty bright. I love that it isn't neon but more of a "retro" shade that makes me feel like a vintage vixen ( I have good imagination okay!)

L-R: Cruella, Dragon Girl, Red Square

So there we are. 

My favorite NARS reds all lined up for you. 

Have you tried the Velvet Mattes? Whats your favorite shade? 

Maybe I should be branching out from the red category?

OOTD Just Another Manic Monday

I am not allowed to buy any new clothes for at least a month!
There I said it!

Now you have the right to make fun of me and call me names if I do.

Well obviously this skinny belt (Link) I already ordered from ASOS doesn't count. And maybe I can make an exception to these black Reiss heels(Link) and I have been looking at this midi skirt (Link) on Topshop for ages!

You see..you see what I am like? Very.easily.distracted. So I thought maybe if I put it out here I will feel more guilty once I find myself browsing the racks in Zara or clicking through ASOS on my lunch break. But if there is one thing I really love doing its outfit posts and those are the ones seriously lacking lately. As you seem to be liking my Instagram #ootd pics I thought we could make a deal of at least one outfit post a week possibly two. This in turn means I will do some serious shopping in my own wardrobe and things I wear wount be the latest season but I will do my best to find similar stuff and link it up.


This top is a bargain from Nordstrom Rack and bought while I was in New York. Its Kaci top by Walter Baker (Link). Its basic but makes everything look put together so easily.

Jeans are old and on their last leg. I mean the belt loop has broken and they are really washed out but I cant seem to find anything that fits me as well as these trusty Topshop Kristen high-waists. Why oh why did Topshop have to discontinue them? The only other ones I have liked are by JBrand but you know.. no new clothes for a month! (I am already regretting this a tiny bit)

Shoes are Vince Camuto and they are my most worn heels at the moment. A grey/pink neutral color and sensible heel- so easy to wear. I suggest these Topshop ones (Link) if you are looking for a similar pair. Let me alert you that the Topshop are on sale and I have the same cut in 2 different colors and they are perfect mid heel classics. So act fast!

Bag is Max Mara JBag and sunglasses Gucci Cat Eye Sunglasses.

So let me know if this kind of outfit post arrangement would work for you? Its all pretty basic stuff, things I wear to work daily but thats kind of what I like to see in other blogs.

I do have a little NARS related post ready for you as well so lets talk soon shall we.

Because banana pancakes

This is going to be another short and sweet post.

And maybe.. just maybe you can already enjoy these today!
As I will be at the office starting my work week all of you lovely people not living in Middle East will have the joy of a Sunday lie-in and pancake breakfast is the only way to go really.

I know everyone has their own favorite pancake recipes. In our house they change constantly and the latest favorite are these thick, gooey ones full of banana goodness. 

I like them so much I felt the need to share. You need:

125g of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of agava syrup or honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Cinnamon (I add lots.. you can be more modest)
sliced almonds

1 egg
240ml milk
3 crushed ripe bananas

You just need to mix the wet and the dry ingredients separately and then mix the dry into the wet slowly. Let is rise for 15min and get the pan hot.

However you do need a bit of patience (which I lack) as if you try to turn them around too early you will be left with a mush. Just wait til the cakes firm up a bit before flipping.

I would love to hear your favorite pancake recipes so please let me know.

Also have the most perfect Sunday x

Get In My Closet Slogan Tees

Get In My Closet Slogan Tees by thelauracarlson featuring white tops

Let me tell you a little story.

When I was 13years old my friend and I went to a t-shirt store to have slogans printed on our chosen styles. Mine was a skin tight cream white sleeveless turtleneck and I chose to have "Talk to the hand cause the face isn't listening" printed on the chest. Badass right! I sure as hell thought so and wore it everyday until the printing peeled off. You see things like slogans tees weren't all that accessible in Estonia and the choice was rather limited to colorful tops saying Love or Friendship on it. And that is just not cool enough for a 13year old Laura apparently! 

Anywaaaaay..

My love for slogan tees is still there only that nowadays I prefer to wear them under a blazer or tucked into a midi skirt if out of house. I have a few favorites to show you.

1. Cat hair is the new black- I mean this is my life summed up on a lovely grey tee. And if you dont agree with the statement you better not come visit our house. You can find it here.

2. Feline Meow-  I have been lusting over this one for years. There is numerous cheaper copies of it online but the original can be found here. I think this one would be a super versatile piece that doesnt only have to be worn while dog walking.

3. Don't Worry Be Yonce- yes well I have talked about the subject of Queen B before and the fact that I LOVE HER. I have loved her for many years and I would totally like to Be Yonce.

4. -5. Sweatshirts- Do I ever wear these out of home? Nope. But they are cute and I want one! Find the I Woke Up Like This here and the classic Shopping is My Cardio here.

Which ones do you like best? Do you ever wear statement tees? I'm really tempted between 1 and 2. 

Obsessed

That is actually the name of the nailpolish we are talking about today. 

Sephora Formula X in Obsessed (Link).

The name is ever so fitting as that is the exact feeling I have towards this dark dark moody merlot shade. You know I try to keep my nail polish excitement for my monthly Polished post but sometimes I just cant. Sometimes the need to share my love for trivial things like a perfect shade of polish is stronger than me. Do you know what I mean?

 I think I have ever done only one post dedicated to one nail polish and that was the Barry M Raspberry. But if any shade deserves a review on its own it has to be Obsessed.

It is a rich oxblood aka the most perfect autumn color. I picked it up randomly about 3 weeks ago and it has been pretty much the only polish I use. To my own surprise I didn't actually have anything similar in my stash so great feeling of accomplishment in addition joy from new polish- what more can a nail polish addicted girl as for?

Formula wise this is as great as the other Formula X polishes I have tried. Goes on smooth and two coats is enough. Stays chip free for good 4-5 days and well yes you know about the color selection if you have been to Sephora. Its insane!

To be totally honest I have no desire to reach for any of my pastels or brights! I just want to have short dark nails forever (or until I change my mind but whatever).

Next I have been eyeing Essie Bahama Mama and Sole Mate and Skating On Thin Ice-Land from O.P.I newest fall collection. Whats your favorite autumn shades?

September Favorites

I have never done a favorites post before.

I love reading those posts in other blogs but never started one here. At first I was under the impression I should try to find all new things every month that I love and lets be honest I invent enough reasons to buy new things so adding another "I need it for the blog" category to purchases didnt seem like a smart move. Well I have finally realized there are no rules about favorites post and I need to stop being a sissy and just write about whatever I have loved this month.

I will ease myself into it with makeup related items mainly so lets have a look shall we..

I have based this by standing in front of my dressing table thinking..which things made me feel really good this month or what did I reach for almost every day. NARS Sheer Glow foundation (Link) was the first pick because it has fast become one of my favorite foundations (still doesn't top Clarins Extra-Comfort but comes close second). The glow part and the sheer part are in perfect balance and it still has plenty of coverage even if not having a fantastic skin day. Pujab shade works perfect for me and it blends like a dream.

The choice of bronzer for a while now is The UNE Sun Minerals Matt Bronzer (Link). I'm definitely more into matt bronzers and there is no shimmer in this UNE one. Easy swipe all over my face to add warmth is all I need and that brings me to the Real Technique Blush Brush (Link). My absolute favorite brush for bronzer/powder/blush whatever else. Soo enjoy using this!

Two products I had read about for a while but purchased rather recently have both become firm favorites. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer (Link) formula is spot on- brightens enough but also has good coverage to really hide. But I would like to say the inventor of the packaging should not get a prize for it cause it sucks! Gets so dirty and ugly looking in a few weeks and doesn't do anything special in matters of applying make up. Bad bad idea Maybelline! Ohh but not a bad word can be said about the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Link). In fact I think I have found my all time favorite eye pencil formula! Super soft to apply and smudge but once it sets its there for the long run. So many pretty shades available also. I'm loving the metallic taupe shade Underground at the moment.

Lipgloss of the choice has been Nyx Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel (Link) and I have not used any other perfume this month but my Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede (Link). I am absolute rubbish trying to describe a perfume. Seriously you dont want me to put you through this! I can only say I love smelling like blush suede. Who would have thought? Instead if you are wondering how Peony & Blush Suede smells I suggest you go read Lauras post about it. She is the queen of perfume reviews if you as me.

We are almost done. Only thing left to mention is one of my jewelery favorites this month and that these dainty K.I.S.S bracelets (Link) from NVbyK. I have a few rose quartz ones, an amethyst one and some black lava stone options. Love throwing them on in the morning for an understated look or mixing them with other bigger arm candy.

Whats your favorites in September? Makeup, books, food anything, I would love to know?