AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2013 - FAVORITE LOOKS

Yesterday the American Music Awards 2013 found place at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. The most popular albums and artists of the year are recognized and rewarded with awards at this event. I didn't get a chance to watch the awards myself, however I did see all the celebs and their outfits the morning after. I listed some of my favorite looks! 

Taylor Swift

This blonde beauty went home with four awards. Which made her, along with Justin Timberlake, the big winner of the night. But the singer gone heartbreaker didn't only win awards, she also mastered the red carpet as she always does! Taylor opted for a head to toe golden outfit that showed of her perfect long legs. 

Lady Gaga
This might be the first time Lady Gaga is featured in a favorite looks list of mine, but this time she certainly deserves it! Showing off two dresses, Lady Gaga looked very mermaid-esque with her super long blonde hair. as she entered the event on a horse in a purple Versace gown, she changed for the rest of the night into a sparkly silver dress that showed off her shoulders and revealed some leg.

Kylie Jenner
Those bangs!! I'm in love with these bangs, it even makes me want to get them myself (or maybe clip on bangs to test drive first...). The ombre hair color matches perfectly with her brown eyes.
I also think Kylie opted for a very age friendly oufit that's cute and classy at the same time. 

Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie decided to play out the sexy mommy card for this years' AMAS. This white cutout dress shows off her slender back and badass tattoos. I do wonder if that dress stayed in place the whole night, or if she had a little buttocks cleavage slip...

Christina Aguilera
And Nicole Richie wasn't the only white cutout beauty on the red carpet. Christina is looking fitter than ever and has been showing off her slender body at every occasion she can. The "Genie in a bottle" singer paired her dress with retro curls and her signature red lips and a simple eye makeup. 

Rihanna
Only Rihanna or Carrie Bradshaw can look so naked but still like fashion icons... Damn you Rihanna and your perfect figure and shiny skin! 

Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera looks very seductive in this black bodycon maxi dress. Extra sexiness is added by the well placed cutout around the cleavage and the side swept long bangs. 

Did you watch the AMA's 2013 last night? 

x x x

BIRTHDAY WISHLIST 2013

Well hello everybody! Today I'm sharing my Birthday Wishlist of the year. Maybe you'll even find some things you want to receive yourself. Or if you're birthday isn't coming up anytime soon, you can get some inspiration for Christmas presents! 

So next week I'm turning 24! Woohoooow, so excited!! I'm going to celebrate the entire week, go out for dinner, party, drink, eat,... but, wait a minute... I'm getting old!! I can't believe I'm already turning 24... On the inside I still feel like a sixteen year old goofy childish girl, that laughs at dirty words and friends who fall down on their drunken a**es ! I also still love Spongebob Squarepants, all things glitter, Britney Spears and pink stuff. I bet you're dyyyying to see what's on my wishlist after knowing this, so let's take a look!

1. Bellami Hair Extensions - 160 grams, 20 inches in chestnut brown: I have heard and read so many great things about these hair extensions. All the beauty gurus are talking about Bellami and they're all very excited about them. It makes me really want to try these out myself! The chestnut brown ones look very rich and warm in color, which always compliments my skin tone. I know there are also 22 inch ones, but I think they're a bit too long for my taste. I love long hair, but it has to be manageable for me, otherwise I feel like the hair drags me down and makes me look short!
2. Perfume - Diesel Fuel for Life and Diamonds Armani: These fragrances are pictured above in the list, but I also love Miss Dior and Light Blue D&G. A fragrance is always a great gift for a girl, who doesn't love to smell nice, right?
3. Wallet - Mango: My current wallet is two years old and it looks like that as well! I currently have a white shiny leather one, but it does not look that white or shiny anymore. I found the wallets above at Mango and love how they look. I'm a fan of long wallets and these leopard and metallic ones look very trendy and totally my style!
4. Headphones In Ear - JVC HA-EBX86-W White: I really need new headphones since my current pair of Apple don't work properly anymore. I also want headphones that go around your ears, so they stay put during workouts.
5. Black Bag River Island - ASOS: This bag from River Island looks so stylish and sophisticated. I came across it on ASOS and fell in love instantly. A new black bag would be very welcome for winter season since it goes with, almost, anything.
6. Real Techniques Core Collection Makeup Brushes: These brushes are used very often in beauty YouTube videos. I looked into them and read many good reviews. They are animal friendly, good quality and aren't even that expensive. This Core Collection consists out of four brushes and would be a perfect basic starters kit.
7. Lorac Pro Palette: Stephanie (smlx0) talked about this palette in her latest videos and was very fond of it. The shades are very pigmented and consist out of a row matte and a row shimmery colors. It's a perfect basic palette with neutral, earthy tones. Since I love wearing my eye makeup natural, this is definitely a "we wants it, we needs it" kind of gift! The only downside is that I haven't found a website that ships these to Belgium... Does anyone has a suggestion?
8. Medicine Ball & Weights - Decathlon: The fitness freak in me doesn't pass up the chance to get some new gym gear. I want to expand my home gym collection so I can work out at home on the days my gym is closed. This medicine ball and these weights from Decathlon are ideal for toning up my arms and for using during squats.
9. iPhone Case: I've had my current iPhone case exactly one year now, I got a transparent one with white and pink rhinestones from my sister for my 23th birthday. This year I want to stay in the girly pink trend, but I want it to stand out a bit more! This flashy fuchsia pink will do the trick!

I'm excited and *hopeful* to receive some of the items on my list. If not I'm sure my family and friends will come up with great gifts themselves. The most important part of the day will be the eating, drinking and partying side! 

x x x

MENU MONDAYS

Hi guys! Today I'm showing you again what was on my Monday menu! 

As you might have read previously on my blog, I have started a water challenge. I am drinking three liters of water a day during a whole month. And I must say so far, so good. I have been at it for a week and I haven't found it difficult to drink this amount of water. On the other hand, the toilet trips every 20 minutes can be quite annoying... 

Besides drinking more water I promised not to change anything else in my diet to guarantee the most honest results, so I've been following the same eating pattern as I did before. Briefly this means three meals a day and one snack (around 1300 - 1500 calories a day), two cheat meals a week and one day a week alcohol is allowed. 

Let's take a look at what I ate this Monday!

Breakfast

Omelette of two eggs with smoked salmon and a salad with cherry tomatoes on the side.

Lunch

A bowl of vegetable soup (minestrone inspired except no meat or beans) with some whole wheat bread and peanut butter.

Dinner

A couscous salad with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, dried tomatoes, spring onions, red peppers, olive oil, mustard vinegar and feta cheese.

Snack

One banana with peanut butter, some oats and some mixed nuts.

I think I did pretty well this Monday. The Holiday season, and of course Holiday dresses, definitely motivate me this time of year. I like to make an extra effort in the gym and kitchen so I can indulge a bit more during the Holidays without feeling guilty! 

Have you started off your week healthy? 

x x x

KATE MIDDLETON'S TATTOO

Apparently Prince Harry isn't the only one in Buckingham Palace with a Rock'n Roll edge to him. Over the weekend news got out Princess Kate Middleton has been hiding a secret.. she has a tattoo! It isn't as drastic as Rihanna's chest eagle or a bum full of flowers like Cheryl Cole, the princess has opted for something smaller and more subtle. Some people might not even consider it a tattoo. However permanent ink and a needle have been used, so technically it is a tattoo. 

The Duchess of Cambridge has a cosmetic tattoo on the eyes, also known as permanent makeup. Thanks to two thin black lines Kate looks awake and  put together at all times. In the pictures below you can see the results pretty well. 

You can see the permanent eyeliner right below the waterline, it goes perfectly through the bottom lashes. 

So what exactly is this permanent makeup Kate has on? And how permanent is it? 

"Permanent makeup is a cosmetic technique which employs tattoos (permanent pigmentation of the dermis) as a means of producing designs that resemble makeup, such as eyelining and other permanent enhancing colors to the skin of the face, lips and eyelids." "Most commonly called permanent cosmetics, other names include dermapigmentation, micropigmentation and cosmetic tattooing, the latter being most appropriate since permanent makeup is, in fact, tattooing." 

What are the results when you opt for permanent makeup? 

There are immediate results and long term results. At first the permanent makeup may look darker. This is due to color remaining in the outermost epidermal layers of skin at the start. In the next days the colors will soften because of the healing process as the upper layers of epidermis slough and are replaced by new epidermal cells. How long your makeup will last depends from person to person and will be influenced by different factors. For example sun exposure will fade the colors faster. 

What if you don't like the results?

It is possible to remove the permanent makeup, like you can remove any other tattoo. BUT its is difficult and expensive. Common techniques used to do this are laser resurfacing, dermabrasion (physical or chemical exfoliation) and surgical removal. Do take in mind that the removal is often more painful than the tattooing itself! 

Permanent makeup - eyeliner and eyebrows

Although I like the look on Kate and understand why she has opted for permanent eyeliner, as she gets photographed everyday and everywhere, I would never consider permanent makeup myself, certainly not on my face. Even in the best beauty salon, the procedure could still go wrong or you could end up not liking the results. Just imagine getting your eyebrows filled in and the color turning out too dark or the wrong shade.. Then you will be stuck with them for the next 10 years. Also trends and personal preferences change. Black eyeliner has been a pretty steady makeup trend over the last couple of years, but will it still be in by 2020? What if white or blue is the "in" color by then? Or what if you go from blonde to black hair, would your permanent eyebrows still match? 

And besides, sometimes a natural and bare face is the prettiest look you can wear. Just ask your boyfriend! ;) 

But what do you think? Would you ever consider permanent eyeliner? Or any other permanent makeup procedure? Let me know in the comments, I want to hear about your personal thoughts and experiences! 

x x x 

PAMELA ANDERSON GOES PIXIE CUT

It seems like Pamela Anderson is the latest pixie cut victim! The former Baywatch babe is on trend by chopping it all off for Fall. It's a big, BIG change for her and her fans, since she's had her long blonde locks for over 20 years! Her hair and her two other trademarks have been part of her signature sexy look, until now that is! Miss Anderson has opted for a more age appropriate hairstyle with a very short and sassy pixie cut. 

I personally have to get used to Pamela with hair this length. However, I do think it's an improvement from the long hair. The pixie gives her a more youthful look. After all she is already 46, not many women can pull off super long hair after 45 in my opinion. For Pamela it certainly didn't really do much for her face. But I might would've preferred seeing her experiment a little more before chopping it all off. I can only imagine how boring it would be wearing the same hairstyle for twenty years straight. I think a bob or an asymmetrical shoulder length do would look great on her too. 

Whether you like it or not, one thing is for sure: Pamela looks like a complete renewed person and is showing she has entered a phase of her life where she isn't afraid to take risks. Pam said about her haircut: "I just thought my hair had a life and I kind of wanted to put that behind me and start fresh" 

Now only if she could make those eyebrows look more natural...

Pamela Anderson earlier in 2013

Pamela Anderson now

And just for nostalgic reasons, here's Pamela 20 years ago 

What do you all think of Pamela's new cut, makeover or makeunder?   

x x x

SELF-TAN PART 1 - FACE

This might sound corny and boring but I am someone who is very aware of UV light and it's deadly consequences. Sadly enough I know many people in my close social circles who suffer from melanoma and skin cancer. They always warn me to stay away from the sun and always protect myself with sunblock, sunscreen and clothing. 

Besides severe consequences of sunbathing and tanning beds, UV light will also make your skin age a lot faster and give you wrinkles. This might sound like far-off problems for girls our age, but I try to think about my body when I'm 50 as much as possible. It motivates me to make healthy choices in the present. The only time you will find me laying out is when I'm on vacation, but I will pack on the sunscreen and cover my face in the shade or under cute hats (my hair color is very grateful too!). 

Still... I have to admit, I LOVE a nice tan throughout Summer and during the Holiday season. A slightly darker shade makes your body look more toned and also makes white and neon clothing stand out more!

I'm assuming everyone has tried a self-tanner on their bodies before. There are so many different products on the market it has become hard to resist these "bronzed cheaters in a bottle". I have been a fan of self-tanner and bronzers for years now. I will discuss my favorite self-tanners in part two, but for now I'm going to give you some tips on how to self-tan your face. 

I know it sounds a little tricky. Obviously you don't want to end up like a giraffe with uneven stains all over your face, but with these tips you can't go wrong! 

1. Choose a self-tanner for the face
Never put a self-tanner for your body on your face. I have tried this before and it will inevitably lead to breakouts. Only use self-tanner meant for the face or for face&body. I use the Garnier Ambre Solaire self-tanner for face and body. It has a very nice sweet smell. 

2. Scrub
You will need to exfoliate your skin with a peel or scrub to remove dead skin cells. Do opt for an oil-free one, otherwise the self-tanner might not be absorbed properly. You can find my homemade lemon-sugar scrub here: http://beautiesmoothie.blogspot.be/2013/03/lemon-sugar-scrub.html

3. Moisturize
You have two options. You can choose to mix your moisturizer with some self-tanner and repeat this for a couple of days. This way you will gradually get a tan and are fully in control of how your tan is going to look. Or option two, you can moisturize dry patches on your face, like around your nostrils, and after put on a layer of self-tanner. This will give you a great tan overnight, ideal if you have a last minute date the next day! 

4. Cover all areas
Just like with your foundation, you need to make sure you cover your whole face and neck. Don't forget your ears and below your jawline. 

5. Wash up!
An important step that is too often forgotten. Your hands will stain after using self-tanner. So when you're done putting it on, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. 

One last tip; if you still messed up and notice a darker spot in your face you can put some lemon juice on a cotton pad and rub it on the stain. This will fade out the self tanner. 

Next time I will show you my favorite self-tanners and my self-tan body routine! 

x x x