Thursday's Beauty Post: Trésor by Lancôme

The beauty posts won’t be only about fragrances but I have been given the opportunity to try and review an iconic fragrance by Lancôme, Trésor, so today’s post is all about it.

Obviously I was familiar with the beautiful advertising spots featuring Penélope Cruz or Kate Winslet but I had never tried it before until a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, when I first sprayed it on my wrists I didn’t like the top notes at all, it was an explosion of rose, iris and something else metallic smelling which was simply too strong (and dare I say, even headache inducing) for me. But still, even in the beginning there was something very fine and elegant to this composition, which became better and better in time. The drydown was creamy with hints of apricot and vanilla that linger a long time and that is when this scent becomes loveable to me. It smells so feminine and romantic and is even there the next day! I really wanted to love this one, and probably would have, if the opening had been more appealing to me. Every now and then I spray it on, try to ignore it for the first half hour and then enjoy the beautiful smell that it develops.

Maybe I’ll appreciate this sophisticated scent more some day, and until then I will treasure this beautiful flacon dearly...

click here to see all Lancôme Trésor products available at Marionnaud

Where do we go from here?

I know it seems like ages since I posted an outfit but here’s finally one. The truth is, I’ve been postponing all the ideas I have for the blog but I hope to bring a little more structure and consistency to it in the next weeks so stay tuned... Feel free to share in the comments section what you would like to see more of on Styleseeking Zurich!

I got this wind coat a while back from Wholesale Dress and especially like the collar, which can be worn open like this or also overlapped. It comes in a variety of colors so have a look at the site if you're interested.

Coat: c/o Wholesale Dress
Boots: Globus
Bag: Liebeskind

Seoul -3° C & Naketano

After handing in my last term paper I flew directly to Seoul to spend my semester break! And guess what, it's so much colder here than in Zurich! Fortunately I packed my winter parka from Naketano for the trip. The inner surface of the jacket is so fluffy and it keeps me really warm! The smart casual look makes it possible to wear it also with chic pieces!

Check out the Naketano Online Shop HERE!

Parka TILO Model: Courtesy of Naketano

♥

Eyewear Culture

Here's a quick post about the lovely ETNIA glasses, which we got some time ago. Nesli went for these sunglasses. You can see my choice below..

Glasses: Courtesy of ETNIA BARCELONA

♥

Better late than never

I've been meaning to post about the winner of our last MNY giveaway earlier but also wanted to share something new with you, so here's a 2-in-1 post of today's outfit and the announcement of the lucky winner.

Today started pretty decadent with a breakfast at Tiffany & Co. where I was more than happy to accompany my friend Pascal. Sipping our champagne we had a look at their new yellow diamonds collection which probably will be out of my reach forever, but it was nevertheless fun. When you start your day like this it's hard to top it afterwards, so I'll spare you the rest of my day which consisted only of work anyways. There'll be more interesting stuff to tell you guys once I go to Istanbul, which is still 9 days away... ^^

Bag: Zara
Bracelet: Massimo Dutti

Blazer: Joseph Alain Scherrer Creationen
Silk top & Belt: secondhand
Shorts: H&M

Sunglasses: courtesy of ETNIA BARCELONA

Last but not least, the winner of the MNY giveaway is...

Izyan S. from Malaysia!

Please check your inbox and give us your address so we can send the package to you. Thanks everybody for entering!

♥

MNY Giveaway: Beautiful, imaginative, daring

Some time ago a package was sent my way including some products of the fairly new young line by Maybelline called MNY. This line makes every girls heart beat faster who likes to experiment with lots of colors for a low price. In fact there are 143 products in seven color palettes, all for under 4 Swiss francs (3 euros). Let’s have a closer look at the nail polishes, blushes, kajals, eyeshadows, lip balms and glosses…

You all know by now my thing for colorful nails. MNY has 39 polishes to choose from, some of them with or without glitter. I prefer polishes without glitter so from the ones I tried so far the bright yellow (No.749, in the picture above) has to be my favorite. It’s perfect for bronzed skin in summer!

Giveaway package:
I made a little package with some products for you to try out as well. It includes a shimmery green nail polish (no. 753), peachy blush (No 301), a glittery pink lip gloss flacon (no. 577), a blue lip gloss tube (No. 690) and a golden eyeshadow (No 713).

Here's a better picture of the nail polish that I'm giving away, it's lighter than in the first picture with a yellowy shimmer.

Everyone has a chance to win the package (worldwide!), just leave your name and email address in the comments section and the winner will be chosen in a week, Tuesday August 3. Good luck!

Some shots of the MNY counter at Manor, Bahnhofstrasse/ Zurich. There's almost an infinite amount of colors to choose from!

Studio Secrets Professional

Yesterday I was invited to a departement store in Zurich where the new L'Oréal line Studio Secrets Professional was launched. It is the first professional line from L'Oréal aimed to make the products professionals use available for consumers at an affordable price.

The secret of a professional makeup is without doubt a flawless complexion to begin with. But how can we achieve that airbrushed, glowy look at home on our own? Let's have a look at the new products of the line:

The High Definition Smoothing Foundation comes together with a really soft precision brush, which is very practical. It blends the smooth foundation into the skin, resulting in perfectly even coverage. I like the easy application of this product: once shaked well, you can load the brush with foundation and dab it onto the face and then work in with the brush or your fingers. In my opinion it is better suited for normal and dry skin but for those like me who want a matter overall look, there are some other products to use along.

Contouring is one of the oldest practices in the makeup industry yet one of the most frequently left-out steps in makeup applications. It creates a sense of balance, adding definition to your makeup with color. Contrary to belief, contouring is always done with some shade of brown, as the makeup artist explained to me. There are two different Sculpting Blush duos (above in the left side corner) to make it easier to find coordinated shades to highlight your cheekbones and contour your face.

This is the Anti-Shine Mattifying primer of the line and also one of the products I got myself. It acts like a second skin and feels weightless on your face. You apply it in little dabs onto shiny areas such as your forehead, nose and chin and smooth it towards the outside of the face. Since I have a mixed/oily skin I really look forward to using this product before my foundation.

The Smoothing resurfacing primer has a beautifully pleasant, creamy texture and it felt so velvety when applied to the skin. It's designed to make wrinkles and pores less visible so it also totally won me over.

In the background you can see another product from the line, the Anti-redness primer. I haven't tried this one but it uses the logic to obey the laws of complementary colors: to neutralise a shade simply apply its complementary shade. For example this green tinted primer reduces the appearance of red, giving the skin a more even tone.

I have never been shy to try out unexpected colors but many makeup artists agree that dark blue eyeshadow goes great with my dark brown eyes. Nevertheless I have tried different shades on the back of my hand and was surprised how some colors look totally different than in the pan. So I suggest you try them out too because what might scare you off at first might look totally great on you!

This is me with my makeup artist Yves, who did a great job!

Overall I really had a great time testing the new products and since I'm always curious to find out about new makeup techniques this line has some great products! What about you, do you use a primer/base before your foundation?

Test Review Part 1

HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam 2

After testing the latest special edition by Hewlett-Packard, I want to point out some advantages that accrued while doing the Style-Check.

The first thing you'll notice about this netbook is that it's less than 1" thin and as light as 2.69Ibs. It fits so easily into purses and you start to wonder if this tiny device is really going to work. Well, yes it does. ^^

As soon as you turn on the Netbook you'll become aware of the butterfly theme, which is not only to see on the cover. The desktop includes three butterflies as well. And that's not all, there a two little ones more. The common Windows start button has been replaced by a butterfly. It begins to flutter its wings the moment you put the cursor on the start menu. When you click the menu, another butterfly flies for a few seconds. It leaves the initial position by flying away and repositioning itself in the background. The flush glass display is greatly glossy by the way ^^

The design by Vivienne Tam reflects a Chinese love story called "Butterfly Lovers" - a fairy tale of freedom, romance and inspiration.

The Netbook represents these three key claims in a beautiful way. At first sight the butterfly details seem to be rather an optional accessory than a clear benefit, but the design and the girly elements are something you'd be delighted at in any situation.

The photo above was taken while enjoying coffee and sweets with Nesli. We both brought the Netbook along since it's so uncomplicated to carry it around. We could go online very quickly and it felt really nice to be free. As students you don't have to care about the full computer rooms at the university anymore!

Not only as a student but also as a blogger, there are several helpful set ups. As a blogger you scroll around a page or image a lot, but the scrolling, zooming and rotating can be done by using two fingers. You hardly need to move them since the TouchPad is so sleek and smooth.

Another set up, which I appreciate is the Digital Media Slot (no. 17 in the photo above). You can place your memory card into the slot and you don't need a separate card reader. There were many times when I couldn't find my card reader and it is so annoying especially if you want to transfer and check out the photos you took...

The integrated keyboard is neary a full size keyboard - 92% of the standard size. The typing is comfortable and its backdrop color is the same warm champagne gold like on the cover.

The HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam 2 offers on the one hand beauty on the outside and on the other hand many qualities on the inside. It is possible to work productively and even get creative while you're on the go.

"I wanted to give life and color to a computer. Even if you're in the office, you should feel like you're in a garden," Vivienne Tam said about her first design back in 2008.

It's very nice to see that this philosphy is still valid for her work.

The Netbook embodies for me some kind of a small first aid kit. The mini laptop is something you shouldn't leave at home when you're a busy person. It allows you in any situation to go online very quickly and to get important things done.

The Netbook isn't only about technology, it's also about fashion and lifestyle. HP and Tam created a new genre.

Thanks to Hewlett-Packard and Richterich und Partner, who appointed us to be their "style scouts" for the Tam special edition 2, we were able to get an idea about this new approach.

Therefore we can't thank you enough for this opportunity!

Does anyone of you own this lovely digital clutch as well? It would be nice to hear about your impressions...

(Part 2: Nesli's Review)

HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam 2

HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam 2

This is the latest special edition by Hewlett-Packard. They collaborated with the renowned designer Vivienne Tam for the second time and created this lovely Mini Netbook. The butterfly design is inspired by "Butterfly Lovers" - a classic Chinese love story.

The HP Mini Netbook embodies a digital clutch, which was seen on the runway at NY Fashion Week. It is a part of Tam's spring 2010 collection.

As everyone can see, the Netbook looks beautiful with the champagne gold backdrop -but what about the functions and capacity? What are the key benefits?

To answer these questions, HP sent us a package last week ^^

Our opinions will follow soon!