I have a cold for a good few days now. Runny nose, itchy throat, headache every night ... A dreamy week. I am slowly getting better but my face was looking crap and I had the worse dark circles ever. However when I just get a little cold, even if it is unconvenient, life doesn't stop and I still go out and meet friends or family which means that I have to slap on a bit of make up and try to look alive. When I am sick there are a few steps that I do not miss in my routine which help me to go from zombie to pretty.

1 - Hydrate hard - When you're sick your skin basically looks dull and might be really dry. Hydrating your skin is a key step in your daily routine but even more when you're sick. Go for a full on skin care routine, cleanse, apply your moisturizer, eye cream, lip balm, rehydrate as much as you can to bring back some glow to your face.

2 - Apply concealer on your undereyes and nose corners - Concealer is a girl best friend definetly especially in her sick days (or after a long night out). I usually go for a lighter shade than my complexion to really bring light to this area usually quite dark. I will also apply some concealer around my nose which is itchy and red because of excessive snuffing.

3 - Highlight your cheek bones and the inner corners of your eyes - Bring light back to your face. Highlighter is my lifesaver when I'm sick. Cheekbones, cupids bow, tip of the nose to cancel out the dullness of sick days. Also, when doing your eye make up, apply your favourite highlighter or a champagne eye shadow in the inner corners of your eyes. It will make your eyes appear much bigger and awake.

I hope those few tips will help you, share yours in the comments and I talk to you on monday, I will share with you all my March favourites! 

SEPHORA CREAM LIPSTAIN - PINK SOUFFLE

This one was an impulse buy. I got it at the same time that my NARS foundation a week ago. My best friend was searching for a good yet affordable liquid liptick, and these Sephora Cream lip stains are such a trend in the beauty community recently (aka dozen of beauty gurus raving about it). I recommended her to swatch a few of these and we ended up with our hands all covered of colorful swatches. I was just supposed to help her pick one or two. But as soon as I swatched Pink Soufflé I knew I had to get it. You know, a kind of super me color, that I would wear everyday until it is completely empty an repurchase forever? 

 

NARS SHEER GLOW - DOES IT WORTH THE HYPE?

Hi, my name is Charlotte and I am always the last person to try amazing products. On a more serious note, the private "black card" sales (I think it correspond to the VIP sales in the USA) started this week at Sephora, and since I needed to repurchase some body lotions for Japan I went there to use my 25% off coupon. I have been wanting the NARS Sheer Glow foundation for so long, I think since I heard Tanya Burr raved about it ages ago. I also thought that it was much wiser to get it here in France since I guess it might be less expensive that in Japan and you know, 25% off can't go wrong with such a discount. Anyway, I got mine in the shade Deauville which is such a great match for my skin tone!

I tried it for the first time the other day. I met my best friend on that day, we had coffee outside, it was quite sunny and even with no powder, I wasn't oily at all! This foundation is seriously amazing. The coverage is great, it is not sheer at all, it has a good medium coverage (I have bad skin, scaring and frequent breakouts so I need a foundation that will cover that up!). It leaves your skin with a very lovely and natural finish. It is not that dewy but it's fine, add a good highlighter on the top of you cheecks and you will be good to go! Also, it is super blendable which is a huge plus. However I have a massive con. The packaging. Don't get me wrong, the bottle is really lovely. But no pump? Like for real NARS? I mean when you get a 40 euros foundation you expect it to come with a pump. I did purchased one however since they're really cheap in France (2,50 euros) but once you've put the pump on the foundation, you just can't use the lid anymore which is really annoying in my opinion. Anyway let me know what are your thoughts on this foundation, do you have dupes for it? Any more affordable foundation you prefer ?

THE ASOS WISHLIST - GOING INTO SPRING

Asos is to me the best online store ever. Reason? The choice! No matter your style, you will find something. The pice range is also pretty wide so even if you are on a budget you might find something great to add to your wardrobe. Not talking about their coupon codes and special deals. As spring is coming, I have some crazy shopping envy, and well Asos is always the place I like to spend hours dreaming about my future wardrobe. Here are a few items I've selected to transition easily from winter to spring weather.

1. River Island monochromatic leopard skirt - I really like this skirt, I love anything leopard printed, but I don't own anything black and white leopard. I guess that's making it a good reason to get that skirt huh? 

2. Asos nude high neck jumper - It was love at first sight with this jumper. I think with a basic blue jeans, some nice heels and a classy bag you definetly have a great everyday outfit! The color is perfect for spring but its thickness will keep you warm during those tricky months.

3. Weekday off shoulders top - I have a thing for off shoulders top, and I have been searching for a black one since I saw Jessica from tuulavintage pulling off the perfect all black outfit with a similar one. If you are not a dress kind of girl, this top is your best friend, paired with a black skinny jeans and a killer pair of heels and you're good to go!

4. Asos white embossed clutch - Totally love those kind of clutches to go out with girl friends for drinks. Big enough to pack all of your essentials and super stylish! Really love how the two colors matches on this one.

5. Asos basic grey jumper - This kind of jumper is a must have. It is so easy to pair with any kind of jeans, skirts or shorts. It is comfy yet stylish and feminine since it is quite form fitting.

6. Asos Striped Playsuit - Spring is the perfect season to bring the playsuits out of your wardrobe. The weather starts to get warmer and you can wear them with a nice leather jacket for exemple. I love this one because as you might know I am kina obsessed with stripes and I think this one would be a great statement for a daytime chic look.

ZARA BLUE LACE UP HEELS - THE PERFECT POP OF COLOUR

Can we take a moment to contemplate this amazingly gorgeous shoes? I am a high heel lover, even if they are often killing my feet, I just can't stop buying these. I felt in love with these shoes as soon I as saw them on the Zara website (I am the only one visiting Zara and Asos website daily? Like for real). I waited a bit to order them, just to think about how I would style them. I can totally picture them with basic jeans, a black blazer and any kind of shirt or blouse underneath. However, this shoes have a down side, as every lace up shoes they are a freakin pain to get in, and among all of my lace up collection (I think I have five pair of lace up sandals), these are the worse. In fact on the back there has no zip, but a kind of bra like attach and it is such a pain to open and close all the time. 

#CHACHATS - ANNOUNCEMENT AND HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

We all have dreams, and goals in life. Setting goals, achieving them, it is making you feel complete. Today, I have a big announcement. I achieved this year main goal, I got an internship in Tokyo. For the new readers here, I am currently a university student, and I am on my final year of master degree in international management. Long story short, I love Tokyo since the first time I went there five years ago, but I do not speak japanese (at least not enough to work using japanese) and it was extremely hard to get an internship in Japan for that reason. But I've made it and it made me realize how important it is to dream big and never stop working till you get what you really wish for. It's gonna be a major change in my life, since I will be living in Japan for one year. From April, I will be blogging from Tokyo. I will be working as a marketing assistant. I won't say much about the company or projects I will be working on here but I am quite happy and excited. Now, I want to share with you some of my tips and recommendations on how to achieve your goals.  

1. Set your own goals - Be clear with yourself, set your own goals, because you are the one who decide for your dreams. Don't let people chose for you whether it is your parents, boyfriend, girlfriend, or friends. It is your own path and you're the master of your life. Of course, there are things that won't work, you cannot expect to be the next Beyonce if you just can't sing, but if you know that you have the skills and the passion, then set your goals, and go for it. 

2. Don't listen to them - You will always face people who will tell you that you can't do it. That no matter how hard you try, it is going to be very complicated. And yes it is complicated, but if you give up because someone tell you to do so, you won't be able to feel like you did your best to pursue your dream. I received tones of pre-made emails saying, sorry you don't speak japanese you can't make it or some friends told me to just forget about it. In the end, I didn't listen to them because I didn't felt like giving up yet, and here I am.

3. Surround yourself with positive and supporting people - There are people who will say that you can't do it. But a few people will support you and help you to chase your dreams. Don't stay with toxic people. In my case, I got so much support from two very good friends. They encouraged me when I was feeling like giving up and gave me so many good advices. And a special mention to one of them, english boss who helped me write the best cover letter ever. 

4. Work, work, and work - I am a huge believer in hard work. I am not a lazy girl (I mean except on sundays). I can't stand when lazy people say I am a lucky person, I am not a lucky person, I work hard and get what I want. I know that nothing that's worth having comes easy. You have to work for it. And by that I don't mean getting A at school. If you want to travel the world, get a part time job, save money and leave, if you want to have a good blog, then spend time on it, work on your content and pictures. It's important to be combative, you have to make it happen. Also, never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it, because time will pass anyway. There is no waste of time if you do something you love.

5. Build a strong network - Having connections and a good network is really important and I realized it during this research (especially in the professional world). Once again I don't feel like revealing too much here, but when I was about to give up, someone in Tokyo really helped me and I could get that internship offer. My dad told me when I was in highschool that I will soon realise that life is half hard work, half good connections. Couldn't be more real.

THE MONTHLY NEED LIST - MARCH

There is two things I am obsessed with recently. White, and pencil skirts. White is to me the perfect color for spring and warmer weather, it is really refreshing, and catch the light so nicely. I can already think about many outfits wearing a white pencil skirt and I think I might order one from Missguided really soon. I also plan to got a camel or nude one since I can totally picture to wear it with a lovely white blouse, or thin knit and my Topshop heels. More than pencil skirts, I will certainly get myself a new leather jacket. I know big buy, but there is one in Zara that I really like and my leather jacket is 5 years old so the leather is not as pretty as before. I also plan to get some kaki cargo or utility pants. Last one, a bomber jacket, I felt in love with a kaki one in Topshop. A bit expensive but I dream about it at night. I love the casual yet very feminine vibe you can get with that kind of piece if you style them with high heels and more tight clothes.

Makeup wise, you know that I recently got the NARS creamy concealer. And I am so pleased with this product that I am obsessed with the idea of getting a NARS foundation. I obviously want to try the well known and well loved NARS Sheer Glow. I swatched it at Sephora last time and the coverage seems to be really great and I would love to get a nice glowy foundation for spring and summer. Also, going with that luminous and glowy trend, I would love to get some shimmery blusher such as the Milani baked blush or ELF baked blush. I think that kind of blush work very well and can allow you to skip the highlight step in your face routine.

THE NARS CREAMY CONCEALER (VANILLA, REVIEW AND SWATCH)

You know in a way, I wanted to not like this product. I am a NARS lover, especially when it comes to face products but ... 27 euros for a concealer? Like really? I think that is what make me not buy this for so long. I was also very pleased with my Revlon Colorstay concealer which is my favourite drugstore concealer. Good coverage, last long. Everything I needed. Until I tried this. I wish this concealer wasn't perfection. But it is. And I will have to spend 27 euros everytime I run out of it forever now. 

I picked the shade Vanilla and it is perfect for my skin tone! It is really pale with a tiny pink undertone, and it is such a good highlight for my under eyes area. It is really creamy and easy to apply. I usually do my concealer in a triangle shade under my eyes and then blend with a medium sized brush (like the contour brush from Real Techniques). That thing blends perfectly! In less that 15 seconds the concealer is applied and blend perfectly and give such a lovely highlight under the eyes (and anywhere else you want to apply it). I think you got it but, I totally recommend this product, by far my favourite concealer EVER, you won't waste your money on this one!

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES (MAKEUP, SKINCARE AND NEW SHOES)

Hey guys! Can you believe it is March already? February has been a really exciting yet stressful month and the stress part is sadly not over yet. I am really sorry for the lack of updates here but I really have to get stuff done for an important project that I will talk about here very soon. Anyway, let's get into my favourite for this month. 

For my beauty related favourites, I have been wearing red lips the whole month. My favourite is the Bourjois Velvet Edition in the shade Hot Pepper. It is a nice warm red, perfect pop of colour, super opaque and easy to use. I've also try to improve slowly my skin, long way to go but that cleanser from First Aid Beauty clearly helped a lot! Also I don't know if it is because of Valentines, but I have been playing with the lovely pink shades of my Naked 3 a lot! The Naked 3 is in my opinion the perfect palette to create girly and natural eye looks.

Fashion favourite, my new nude heels from Topshop! Comfy, classy, perfect for any white on white outfit, since I think that black stiletto can be a bit clashing with a white dress or skirt. Perfect to elongate the legs I think these might become my new best friends! To go outfit for spring? My striped dress, Zara leather jacket and these pretty things on the feet. 

Let's talk about our beloved social medias, I have been obsessed with Barbara from the Persian Babe, she is such a style inspiration and I can watch her lookbooks and hauls a hundred time a day. And she is always making me buy new stuff. Talking style inspiration Stylebyindia is my favourite instagram fashion account recently. Very Kim K inspired. Make you wanna buy anything neutral, my wishlist is much longer since I am following that lady!

Finally, music and movie. Ok so I have been watching japanese stuff all month long. If you are a bit into japanese culture, love Geisha and stuff, watch the movie Hanaikusa. In love with it! Music wise, I totally recommend  Meghan Trainor album, on repeat all month! My favourites songs are Walkashame and Selfish Heart! I have also been loving Go Hard or Go Home, Wiz and Iggy voices match perfectly in my opinion! and ... ok I have to admit I have loved a french song so much. I usually don't like french music that much but recently we had a few cool songs. It is a reaggae inspired kind of songs, and it is The King's Son - I am not Rich, I know, sounds english but there is french part in. Give it a try, the lyric are really cool.