A while ago (okay, a long while ago.. this article has been a long time coming) I was invited to check out the Brussels Fashion Days together with Katrin, one of my besties. We had a little M.A.C makeup session learning a few tips and tricks and afterwards checked out the backstage makeup madness at the venue. Even though the show ran late and we didn't actually see it happening (the last train home sadly isn't that late), I did discover some new products and tricks I hadn't heard of before and finally got to see whether that infamous MAC Cranberry eyeshadow would work miracles on my green eyes as well.


No better place to learn more about makeup then a MUA's kit. I've discovered quite a few awesome makeup products this way and have also picked up a few makeup tricks along the way. Now that YouTube is bigger than ever with the best makeup artists sharing their knowledge through videos and tutorials it's even easier to learn and discover all there is to know about makeup - this is any amateur makeup lover's dream! Before I was all about videos & blogs and before I even blogged about makeup myself, I booked frequent makeup sessions at the M.A.C Cosmetics counter to soak up knowledge and expand my own personal use makeup kit. In the beginning of my makeup days, I only wore M.A.C. I know a lot of you can probably identify! So this little makeup sesh at M.A.C was a major throwback for me; I haven't done one of these in at least five years. I asked questions and carefully took notes on my iPhone. If only I hadn't lost the note file containing them, I could share the correct names of all the products pictured.. Sigh. The star of the show is definitely Cranberry Eye Shadow - although I still haven't purchased it (I'm debating whether to add more M.A.C shadows to my palette or try out a few by Makeup Geek first so I can report back on those), it should definitely make its way to my eyeshadow palette one day!


I discovered the new Matchmaster Concealer and definitely need to purchase this one when I finally run out of some of the concealers I currently own and use. It has a medium coverage and a beautiful satin finish, I loved the natural effect and it also kept all night. Good stuff! On my cheeks the MUA used a Mineralize Blush in the new packaging - am I the only one that liked the old packaging way better? On my eyes you see the stunning effect of Cranberry Eye Shadow along with a few other beautiful shades (either Sketch or Blackberry and an orangey shade I can't really pinpoint) on top of Rubenesque Paint Pot. Finally I also need to dish out some special love for the Bordeauxline Powerpoint Eye Pencil, it's seriously pretty on green eyes. In the second picture you can see the look after at least six hours of wear and taken in the artificial white light of our bathroom. I love how great the concealer still looks at this point! In the collage just above you can see how the coppery/bordeaux shades make my green eyes pop. My friend Katrin was really amazed at how these types of shades bring out my eyes - on her blue eyes it takes a whole different set of colours. She also loves rocking plum lipsticks (and they suit her beautifully!) - check out the result of that selfie she took here. And please also excuse the bad phone picture quality..

In the kits at the fashion show I mostly saw a lot of very colourful palettes. I have often doubted to buy one of the concealer & corrector palettes for example, but in the end I never do as there's always at least one shade that I just wouldn't use on myself. And as I only do my own makeup.. That'd be a bit of a waste. Another big hit that I always see in every makeup kit is Boiron Homeoplasmine Cream. It has a thick and creamy formula that soothes dry and irritated skin immediately, prepping it for makeup application. And of course no MUA kit is complete without a good old bottle of micellar water.. My personal skin aid heroes are Avène Cicalfate as it calms down my skin instantly and repairs any little acne wounds I might have, Chanel's Le Blanc because it deals with any dry flaky skin I have going on & Garnier's micellar water as it's at least as good as Bioderma. Makeup-wise I discovered the Mineralize Concealer when watching a MUA do makeup on a friend and discovered the Chanel Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer in shade 31 Beige Rosé in MUA Nanja Massy's kit as the perfect creamy correcting concealer. And then there are the endless tips and tricks I learned watching YouTube tutorials.. They're absolutely priceless!