Paris Haul #2: It’s in the Eyes
It's time for the second part of my "Paris Haul" series, and this time I've dedicated my post to my favorite product: eyeshadows and the likes of it. Because of my situation I'm not much of a fan of swatching products in-store - testers are always placed out of reach for me, and I don't wanna start disassembling displays to be able to swatch them - but I did actually swatch most of the items I purchased in Paris, instead of buying blindly.
Since I'm very aware of having readers who couldn't care less about makeup and shopping, those of you who are interested will have to click "continue reading" for the juicy details, including pictures. I'll have the last part of my haul up in a few days, so please hang in there a little longer! ![]()
Revisiting Champs-Elysees
I'm a little sad when I realize we're headed back home in only four days, but I'm really missing our little fuzzballs now. Like a lot. We spent our day on Champs-Elysées, walking around, having Paris' worst cup of Starbucks, and shopping at the ginormous Sephora. Can you tell how much I love Sephora? This time I wasn't half as stressed out as I was last time, so I actually managed to have a look at things, and buying some goodies there as well. I think this must be my fourth trip to Sephora while here, and this is really starting to get expensive! I stopped by the following counters: Dior, Make Up For Ever, M·A·C, Urban Decay. The man at the Dior counter was very nice, and helped me find what I wanted and match me to the correct shade. At the M·A·C counter I asked the MUA to line my eyes, and she made me look so beautiful by using only the Technakohl Liner in "Graphblack" and some setting powder. I need to get the hang of this liner business, I really want to look like this every day!
We've been stopping by Starbucks a lot while here, but the one on Champs-Elysées, oh man.. it's the worst coffee I've ever had. Apparently they had a new recipe for their wonderful Frappuccino®, or at least that's what they told us, making it taste like crap. Ugh. So disappointed. Apart from Sephora and Starbucks we didn't really do anything but walk around, Øyvind wanted to stop by a few car exhibitions as we walked past, and we shared another nice day in Paris.
Oh, and the buses of Paris deserve their own paragraph in this post. All our experiences with them has been wonderful, no trouble at all. Most of them have automatic ramps and a nice space reserved for people in wheelchairs, and when you signalize for the bus to stop, the driver stop where it's easiest to enter. If people are being asses (apparently they are found here as well), refusing to move from the reserved space, the bus driver will demand them to move away. Awesome! Pleasant drivers, helpful and nice, making it a breeze to get from A to B by bus. It's so good to know that buses are indeed a possibility, so two thumbs up from me!
I wrote this post when we arrived back at the hotel after a nice day in the city, only to understand from Twitter that something horrible had happened at home. I quickly learned that there had been a terrible explosion in Oslo, killing seven people, and there was also a massacre on Utøya, killing a lot of innocent youths. I feel bad for posting about our vacation when something awful like this has just happened, but I choose to keep updating my blog for my friends and family. My heart and thoughts are indeed with everyone involved, both in Oslo and at Utøya.
Shopping with Amira!
On Friday I finally got to meet my darling friend Amira for the very first time, and it was so nice finally seeing her! We've been chatting online for several years, but never had the chance to meet until now. We met outside Jardin du Luxembourg, and sat down on a bench in the park just talking until she had to catch her bus home. It's hard to explain, but it's so awesome when you meet someone in real life, who you've only known online, and you just click. I'm so lucky to have friends like her in my life.. just as I have Pinchy, Fieran and Ingrid, who always manage to magically brighten my days.
We decided to meet up again on Saturday to go shopping. Poor Øyvind, leaving with two makeup and shopping crazy girls, but at least he was able to bring his iPad to avoid death by boredom, or even makeup overkill. I have to say that I'm amazed by the bus system here in Paris, it's so easily accessible! We just have to point at my wheelchair and the driver stops, ejects the ramp, and I'm all set. Since we all needed some food we decided to start off at KFC, which I've never been to. Yes, I am a fast-food lover, so naturally it had to be checked out like everything else! It was crowded by doves, making my heart ache for them with all their injuries (some lacked feathers, others lacked claws and feet), but we managed to have a nice meal without any dove-crashing-into-any-heads-incidents while sitting there.
After having eaten a little we decided to venture on, and stopped by the huge Apple Store on Opéra because of it's nice architecture. I wanted to take a look at their accessories, and I ended up buying a Griffin A-Frame Stand for my iPad - I did tell you that I bought an iPad, no? Anyway. I'm loving the stand, it's the perfect height and everything. Makes nerding so much more convenient. We then moved on to the enormous department store called Galeries Lafayette, heaven for a shopping geek like myself! OK, so I was a bit overwhelmed when we entered, there was people everywhere not really minding me, but I still managed to navigate in between everyone (without injuring any toes). And the ceiling? So incredible! I'll go back and take some pictures during the week, I promise. Inside I found a gorgeous bright coral pashmina I had to get, now regretting that I didn't get one in another color as well, before hitting all the makeup counters. Honestly I can't really remember what we saw when, but the first counter we stopped at was M·A·C. Of course. Amira wanted to take a closer look at the new mineralize eye shadows from Semi-Precious, and I wanted the 234 brush which I didn't find at the local M·A·C. I scored! I don't remember if I said so already, but in addition to the two MES I got on the first day here I also got two more: "Dark Indulgence" and "Blue Sheen". They all look so gorgeous in the pan, and applied wet they are indeed to die for. I also purchased a bottle of Dior Rock Coat, a top coat meant to "smoke up" any regular nail polish. Quite cool actually! I might get a few other Dior nail polishes, we'll see what happens. There's a color called Nirvana, which keeps calling my name.
After a quick break at a Starbucks - I cannot understand why we don't have Starbucks back home, their Frappuccino® Chocolate Chip or even Java Chip is the most amazing beverage on Earth - the next stop on our plan was the other ginormous department store called Printemps. Another heaven! I immediately saw the Giorgio Armani counter, and wanted to take a look at their Eyes to Kill eye shadows. My God. It's something in-between a cream and a powder, without actually being a cream. So smooth, so nice, and the "02 Lust Red" is such an amazing color! I kinda wish I could get more, but with their steep price I refuse to dish out for more than maybe two. I'm lemming "04 Pulp Fiction" as well, but I'm leaning towards skipping it.
After seeing these amazing department stores it was time to head back to the hotel, and in the meantime it had started to rain. Like a lot. Like seriously. Stupid as I am I was wearing a white shirt, white linen pants and a white and silver scarf, so when we arrived back at "our" bus stop and had to walk to the hotel - without an umbrella - I suddenly realized that my clothes had indeed gone see-thru. I was soaking wet from head to toe! Oh well. Just a little everyday action there, I guess? Anyway, I had such an amazing day with Amira that no rain could ruin the day for me.
Interested in knowing what I've shopped so far?
Feel free to "continue reading".
Le Quartier Latin, Paris
I'm sitting in our hotel room in Paris as we speak, trying to muster up a post to update you all on how we're doing down here. It was so strange coming back, we both immediately felt at home when we drove into the city, it's like we belong here. The weather has been so-so, overcast and a bit chilly, but I'm not complaining. So far we haven't done anything special really, we've just been walking around, visiting brasseries and cafes, having a good time enjoying our vacation. So far we don't have much planned, but exploring more of the city by foot or bus. I'm in love with Paris, and I hope we've made an annual thing out of our Paris escapades.
I haven't been shopping much yet, I'm sure I will once we hit Champs-Élysées and I can go nuts at the ginormous Sephora there, but I did shop a little in the duty-free on-board the boat and I went to M·A·C Pro and the smaller Sephora yesterday. At the duty-free I bought one Chanel Les 4 Ombres in "93 Smoky Eyes", a Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in "Sari d'Eau" and a gift set from Dior consisting of a Crayon Eyeliner in black, Diorshow Extase mascara and an adorable mini Quint in "004 Mystic Smokys". I wasn't really planning on buying anything from M·A·C, but since they just launched their Semi-Precious collection from which I wanted two of the mineralized eyeshadows, I popped in to pick them up before they sell out. I ended up with "Smoked Ruby" and "Golden Gaze", in addition to two of the new brushes: 235 (split fibre all over eye) and 128 (split fibre cheek). I also wanted the 234 (split fibre eye blending), but apparently this M·A·C hadn't stocked it? Oh well. I'll look for it in another store later. Lastly I went to Sephora to look around, where I bought the smallest bottle of the new Dior Miss Dior Cherie (eau de perfume) as I've been lemming it for a while now.
Oh! And we went on a macaroon spree today, picking up assorted ones from three different stores to try them out. I didn't think I would like them at all, but I was wrong and I think they'll be amongst the things I'll miss the most when we leave. We stopped by Dalloyau first, then Maison Georges Larnicol and Gérard Mulot, who had the largest sortiment of the three. Let me just say that the first box of eight macaroons are already long gone, and I'm suspecting the rest of them will have a very short lifespan before devoured.
Apart from everything else I'm just admiring the gorgeous diamond ring I'm now wearing on my right ring finger. My previous post doesn't need my explanation, does it? I must be the luckiest girl in the whole wide world as I'm now engaged to the very best guy out there! He surprised me yesterday when he got down on one knee, pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him.. and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind when I gave him my answer. I don't understand how he managed to keep it a secret, I can usually tell straight away when he's hiding something, but this time he really did it. What can I say? I love my darling fiancé, and there's nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with him.
July 9th 2011 ![]()
Life is good and summery!
The last few days have been wonderful! Nothing special has happened, but the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, and when the weather is nice I automatically feel great both physically and mentally. I wish we could have summer all year around. I really do. I'm not built for Norwegian winters. OK, so.. when I become a millionaire, I'm moving to the Caribbeans.
Speaking of the Caribbeans, or not really, we went to the movies on Sunday to watch the newest "Fast & Furious" movie. Yep, I absolutely love the whole lot of them, and I'm not afraid to admit that Paul Walker has most of the blame. He's the one actor I've had a crush on for as long as I can remember. Remember my post for a Christmas a while back? No? Let me refresh your memory, take a look here. No, I still don't believe in Santa. Imagine that. It's been seven years, and I still have the hots for Paul Walker. I'm quite sure it's healthy to have a Hollywood crush. But let's return to the Caribbeans, if I manage to tear myself away from Mr. Walker for a second. We have tickets to see the new "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" when it premiers on May 18th! This is another movie series I'm a big fan of, and I might have a tiny little crush on Captain Jack Sparrow as well. The character, not Johnny Depp. I was a little bit bummed when I realized it was tickets for the 3D showing, but what the hell.. another thing to look forward to in the near future.
We've been at Trondheim Torg a couple of times this week, and today we walked there for the first time this year. I don't really like going there when I'm broke, I always find something I just have to have, which is a little distressing when I don't have the money for it! Now, since I found a little cash when I went through my wallet yesterday I purchased the new limited edition fragrance by Burberry called "Summer for Women" (notes: pomegranate, orange, green leaf, rose, freesia, lily, cedar wood, sandalwood, white musk) at Cubus. Why there? Because it was 51,- NOK cheaper there than at Esthetique. "Summer" is a light, fresh fragrance which takes be back in time, to a time when I was young, innocent and completely free of care. It makes me happy, and I love having the scent of it around me.
I've never really collected fragrances. I'm kinda picky and tend to stick with the ones I really like, but checking out the testers at Esthetique has become my new hobby. I smelled three different fragrances from Clean, didn't like any of them, hated the new scent from Escada, but ended up trying on the new Dior "Miss Dior Cherie" (notes: italian mandarin, egyptian jasmine, patchouli) just for fun. Oh, the Eau de Perfume, that is. Funny enough I didn't really like it at first. It felt a little too strong and overpowering for my liking, but somehow it grew on me. I accidentally sprayed a little on my scarf when I tested it, and I haven't been able to stop sniffing the spot where "Miss Dior Cherie" still is very much noticeable, several days later. I've decided to splurge on it, but not before I'm at a tax-free store or in Paris.
56 more days! Life is good, and I smell delicious! ![]()
Photo: "Summer for Women" by Burberry


Uncurable shopaholic and makeup addict with an unhealthy love for everything colorful. Medium dark brunette with dark brown eyes. Also known as KinoGodt or Psychedelic Wheels.









