L’oreal Super Liner Gel Intenza (review)

By now everyone should know that my make-up is basically just eyeliner. It took me years and years to perfect my eyeliner drawing skills, and I want to share the experience with the gel eyeliner from L’oreal with you. I have tried plenty of different gel eyeliners over the years, from the regular drugstore brands to the luxury brand products to the most hyped in Japan. I know exactly how to draw my eyeliner, and what I look for in an eyeliner. It must be creamy but should not smudge. For black eyeliner, the blacker the better. It’s a no-go for me if it fades or smudges over time.

Super Liner Gel Intenza. Whoever came up with the name for this  L’oreal gel eyeliner definitely does not use this eyeliner, and does know how to combine appealing words. I decided to give this drugstore eyeliner a try, because besides Maybelline and Essence it is the only low-budget gel eyeliner on the German market (i think), because the L’oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim pen liner is really good and because the packaging looked so promising. While the pen liner kept all the expectations I have for an eyeliner, the gel one left me disappointed and with unnecessary extra minutes applying it. It is not super in my opinion, yes it is a gel liner, and regarding the intenza, if they were trying to refer to an intensive black or intensive opacity, it’s not the case with this gel eyeliner.

The black is not intense enough, it easily smudges while applying and the drawing process itself just doesn’t go as smooth and well covering as I would like it to be. Even with several layers I don’t get a deep black finish. It looks a little faded from the beginning. And it doesn’t stay smudge proof even after drying down. 

If I compare to the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner, the L’oreal Super Liner Gel Intenza is less dramatic and less black. They are in the same price range, between 7 and 10€ I think, but the Maybelline is longer lasting and more intense on my lids, even though not all too smudge proof as well. I probably wouldn’t buy from L’oreal again, because there are many better eyeliners out there, and since gel eyeliner is the essential product in my make-up routine I don’t mind investing in pricier products from luxury brands or Japan.

Do you see how it rubbed off on the top of my lid ? No go ! I don’t even have oily skin or lids, and didn’t do anything special all day. If I had gone clubbing or if I were in Vietnam, I don’t want to know how I would look like after these 10 hours.

Or is it just me ? Do you have any experience with this eyeliner ? Has anyone tried the gel eyeliner from Essence ? Iam looking for the best drugstore option when it comes to gel eyeliner.

Eastern Europe Travel Diary

wearing Balenciaga tee( first photo) / Christopher Kane tee, Zara pants/jeans, Wang boots and Python Proenza !

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably have known that i recently travelled to Eastern Europe for the first time. Touched down in London after 2 months in Vietnam left me awfully jetlagged but it did not affect my excitement at all for this wandaphul trip. My family hired a van and we drove from Paris to Stuggart then to Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Munich and back to Paris. I love roadtrippin’ ever since i was a little child over any other mean of transportation, only because i could fully enjoy the gorgeous scenery that nature got to offer each and every country…in its very own way. Prague was stunning and brilliant like an amusement park while Budapest, i could feel that there are so so much charm and energy in every single corner of the city, not only during their National holidays. Vienna completely stole my heart….enough said, hope you enjoy the photos. Stay in tuned ! With love, N ❤

Picnic in the park

dress; bag – Zara // shoes – Vans

That mini chocolate croissant and chelsea bun from Käfer are so good !

Mushroom and noodle salad from Käfer. Yummy, but oh so overpriced. Photos by Phan Nhat Minh

Photos from last week, a day after coming back from Venice. Whenever my boyfriend is in town I really want to show him the best of the city, but because I usually wake up really late, we never get to fully seize the day. Which I really hate and try to change. That day i woke up early for once, and decided to show him the “English Garden” one of the biggest parks in the world. Munich’s English Garden is even bigger than NYC’s Central Park btw. What I really regret sometimes is that I don’t spend as much time outdoors as I used to. Nowadays, even if I go out, it’s just to go shopping or for a dinner date. I don’t spend any time relaxing and enjoying nature anymore. That’s why that day day with my boyfriend was such a relief. No macbook, no ipad, just really yummy snacks and a beautiful park. Iam sure not all of you can relate to this feeling, because iam sure most of you have made full use of this summer, going swimming, spending time outdoors in the sun drinking beer with your mates surrounded by greens at least once a week. I guess iam too much of an internet geek these days, staying home being online, that’s why I consider one day in the park as so precious, even though it’s such a small matter actually. How about you ? When is the last time you did activities surrounded by nature ? If not anytime recently, maybe you should give it a try, before summer ends.

Palace of Versailles

Some of you might remember that I went to Paris with my boyfriend in April or May it was, because he had a shooting job there. While he was out shooting during the days, I could sleep in at Nga’s apartment, go shopping and just enjoy the beauty of Paris. One thing I never want to miss when in Paris are the macaroons from Ladurée. When it comes to food, i usually stick to habits. There are flavours of which i simply know that I like them, so I just stick to them. So every time i buy macaroons, i choose vanilla, pistachio and citron. I have never tried any other flavor but I don’t feel the urge to either. This little box was actually bought at a Ladurée branch in the Palace of Versailles. The couple my boyfriend was to shoot wanted to get photos taken in the palace as well. Unfortunately it was prohibited. They wouldn’t even let her in with her wedding gown. So remember, don’t go to Versailles in your wedding gown ! We visited the garden first, because when we arrived, the queue for the palace was really really really really long. We managed to sneak in with the gown and took photos for the couple there. All the children were like, “Mommy is she a princess?”. So cute i swear. So many people wanted to take pictures with the bride in fact. After the gardens it was shortly before closing time. We were all exhausted but I really did want to see the palace from inside. Why going all the way to Versailles (it’s really not very far from Paris), and not even see the palace from inside, right ? So when we realized that the queue was gone and the entrance is free for EU citizens, the bride and me snapped at that chance. Our boyfriends couldn’t join because they have Vietnamese nationality, and didn’t want to spend money for 15 minutes in the palace. They missed out on some beauty ! Here the impressions:

One with and one without the typo : ) Photos by me.

Beautiful beyond words. If you are in Paris and manage to spare half a day, go to the Palace of Versailles, really. It is so impressive. Expect to queue for a very long time or go shortly before the closing times. But be aware, they really do close at the closing time. No matter whether you just got in or are close to the end of the tour, they will shoo you out. And like all palaces, Versailles is no exception, it all will be a lot smaller than you would have imagined : )

Reminiscing

Pic 1 – wearing Kenzo top, Ricks Owen Skirt and Alexander Wang shoes The rest – Lanvin Dress, Louboutin Shoes and Givenchy 17 watch. Photo by Thai Pham

A series of old photos taken at the beginning of summer by my crazy brother Thai. From Francois 1er to my own balcony, Paris, i will miss every single corner of yours. Don’t expect me to be away for too long. Next month, i will move back permanently to London to complete the final year of my Bachelor but before that NYC is calling along with a busy fashion month. What do you think about the phresh layout installed by my girl Julia? Stay in tuned for my Eastern Europe travel diary !

Have a productive Monday everyone, 

Keep loving, keep creating, 

With love, N 

Short Trip to Venice

Photos by Phan Nhat Minh

My first time to Italy in a very very long time, even though it is almost around the corner. From Munich you just have to pass through Austria for three hours and you are in Italy. Make it five hours and you are in Venice, if there is not traffic. It’s about the same as going to Berlin. And I go to Berlin all the time, so why have I never bothered to go South for once instead. It’s not that far actually. It’s perfect for a weekend trip. I didn’t visit Venice purely for fun though.

My boyfriend got a job, and that couple wanted to get their wedding photos taken in Venice. They were from Munich as well, so they took us with them. The first day was really fun, because we arrived in the afternoon and it was too late for shooting already, so we had enough time to discover the city. Venice is a really really small city. There are no cars. You either walk, get around with the boat bus on the grand canal or take a really expensive taxi boat ride. Not even a bike makes sense because somehow it seems like you have to cross the canal and a bridge all the time. Roughly 60000 people actually living in the city, and about 15 millions of tourist coming to Venice every year. Crazy ! Don’t even expect to hear Italian. It’s a super touristy place. But a beautiful one. Fascinating architecture, lots of history and definitely not for the water-fearing kind. You can see the wealth of the past everywhere.

My boyfriend had to work, means shoot, on the second and last day, so I couldn’t take any pictures with his camera. But I might show some of the wedding pictures sometime, they turned out beautifully. Easy, in a city like this.

From my instagram, outside Piazza San Marco.

Btw, in case you want to comment, due to the new layout you have to click on that square above the post ! How do you like the new layout anyway ?

21

wearing Jonathan Saunders, Gucci shoes and clutch, Celine bangles and Valentino bracelet.

   
Some of you must have been wondering or maybe getting used to my regular absence on the blog sphere these days. Guess what, i am back. Still vacationing my way in Asia, feeling utterly lazy and unproductive while my other half Julia is constantly working and uploading our blog. Love her. My bad. These are the few shots at my early 21st birthday in London last month when i still dared to bare my abs. Loved this Jonathan Saunders combo ever since i saw it on the runway, so comfy for a night out. Please stay in tuned for more as we are breathing a whole makeover to this space next month.

photos by Kevin Donnelly

With love, N

Spotted in Berlin // Vogue Espana

On the day of shooting with Jules i got spotted by Olga Sicilia from “Che Cosa?” for her Blog and the website of the Spanish Vogue. I look so innocent, don’t I haha. I guess it is kind of cool to appear on someone else’s website, no matter whether it’s Vogue or just another blog. There was another girl featured with a floral print dress looking pretty vintage, i loved that look ! Unfortunately iam not very good with patterns. If you want to check out the features go here :

Vogue Espana

Che Cosa?