Tuesday 29 May 2012

Avon Super Shock...



 Avon Super Shock Max Mascara in Black
&
Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner in Black






Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner has been talked about in the beauty world a lot... And now I understand why everyone is raving about it! It's a must have when it comes to eyeliners... It's perfect for lining the waterline and also for a smoky eye - it's literally the best I have come across sofar! I don't remember the last time I have gone without black or dark chocolate in my waterline... The Super Shock Gel Eyeliner is super intense and glides so smoothly, just like butter over warm toast, yum! And also for a smoky eye it smudges out beautifully and then stays put until you take it off! It's incredibly easy to work with it! Absolutely loving it! 

But the other Avon Super Shock item I haven't heard much about, but happen to quite like - is the Max Mascara! As you can see on the picture it's got a plastic kind of wand that has plenty of fine and short bristles... This helps to spread your lashes and then wing them out... So if you hate clumpy lashes [like I do!] this one is for you!


LOVE

bareMinerals 9-Piece Get Stareted Kit...

wearing on the face: 
bareMinerals 9-Piece Get Started Kit 
bareMinerals Ready The Aphrodisiac Blush



I did not apply any highlighters, as you can see
 bareMinerals foundation leaves you with a glowy and dewy finish...



...the heatwave in London is still going strong, 
loving wearing the colours at the moment...

nails: Deborah Lippmann On The Beach...



bareMinerals 9-Piece Get Started Kit in the shade Light...



Leslie Blodget is the lady who created bareMinerals...



here it comes!!



and this is what you get in the box:
[clockwise from the top]
  • Get Started DVD
  • Flawless Face Brush
  • Full Flawless Face Brush
  • Max Coverage Concealer Brush
  • Original Foundation SPF 15 in Light W15
  • Original Foundation SPF 15 in Fairly Light N10
  • Original Mineral Veil [finishing powder]
  • Warmth [bronzer/contour powder]
  • Prime Time [foundation primer]


...the new 'Click, Lock, Go' sifter,
to prevent you precious minerals going all over the place...



from the top:
Full Flawless Face
Max Coverage Concealer
Flawless Face


BareMinerals 9-Piece Get Started Kit has been a fun experience! As I opened the box it felt like Christmas again... To start off I made a nice cup of tea and sat down to watch the DVD which takes you step by step through the process and teaches you a simple and quick way of applying bareMinerals foundation... It actually is quite fun to have a bit of 'me' time... And then finally you get to play! The two foundations that come in this Light box are Fairly Light and Light [which I used on me in the pic]... I am a medium skin tone and thought I should have gone for the Medium box but luckily I was advised by the bareMinerals pros that I'm  definitely the Light box... 

As of now the Fairly Light is too light for me, and the Light is the perfect match! The Get Started Kit comes in four different shades: Light, Medium, Tan and Dark... Each of the boxes have two shades of foundation, one being lighter and the other darker - perfect for when we are more pale in the winter and then get a little tanned during summer... But also having two shades in each box means you will definitly have a perfect shade for you... If you find one is too light and the other too dark, mix them et voilà(!) a perfect shade created in the premises of your vanity table!

It comes with a foundation primer, which is a transparent gel looking primer... You can apply it over your moisturiser or on its own, it helps to create a smooth surface to which you then can apply the foundation... Not only will your finished make-up look more flawless but also stay longer as primers tend to control the oil in the skin, whichever skin type you have you will contribute from the primer... Then the trick with the foundation is to buff plenty!! The foundation is very buildable... When I started applying it I thought no way will I get enough coverage for my acne scars... But taking my time and really working it into the skin by buffing it it gave me a great coverage... You can use the same foundation as a concealer too, just take the Max Coverage Concealer Brush that enables you to pick up enough of the powder and place it onto the places that need more coverage... I also used it under my eyes with the Concealer Brush...

Talking of brushes, these are great quality brushes!! The Full Flawless Face Brush is great for buffing, it kind of feels like a Kabuki brush, nice and dense and very soft! And the Flawless Face Brush is great for applying the Warmth, lightly all over the face gently touching to create a healthy natural look... This brush is also great for contouring,  the result of which you can see on the second pic... And then to finish gently dust a tiny amout of Original Mineral Veil over the face to set the make up... And Ta Da! 

Other than making you look flawless without a make-up feel bareMinerals are actually great for your skin! They are natural without the harsh chemicals, and according to statistic "90% of women saw improvements in their skin's appearance with continued use"! So in a way it's like make-up with treatment! Another point that was great to learn from the DVD is that a lot of women with dry skin hesitate to use bareMinerals foundation because they think it will make them look powdery... The bareMinerals looks like powder but blends like foundation, leaving you with a smooth, soft, and younger looking skin! Beautiful!


LOVE

Monday 28 May 2012

Madonna Truth or Dare...



nails: 
Deborah Lippmann On The Beach...


I was in the hunt for a new fragrance for the summer... Last year I wore two fragrances throughout the entire summer I was hooked on John Galliano Parlez-Moi d'Amour for daytime and Gucci Flora for the evening... Both are very sexy and summery... Parlez-Moi d'Amour is a fruity raspberry refreshing scent... And Flora is more deep floral scent... This spring I have been into Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne... It's a very springy, sweet yet fresh peachy scent... Although I do find that it's not worth the money, it really does not stay long on me at all, it's more of a body spray after shower that I then need to top up with a proper fragrance before I leave... Generally I like very sexy and deep fragrances, few of my all time favourites are: Prada L'Eau Ambree, Chanel Coco, Tom Ford Noir de Noir... 

This was just to explain my fragrance palette, as it is quite hard to describe fragrances, but if you like those I assume you will like Madonna's Truth or Dare [watch Madonna TorD Commercial...]... I have been to the fragrance counter quite a few times in the past few weeks... Prada Candy I thought would be great when it first came out but actually it smells cheap to me, another perfume that I was surprisingly disliking is Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb... I try to use it up but it just smells to me like those very strong floral alcohol deodorants from the 90s... The one I quite liked from the new fragrances is Fun di Fendi... Yesterday I had some time and asked the fragrance lady to show me some sexy summer fragrances... Few I was completely indifferent towards, didn't smell like anything new or special... Then boom(!) out of nowhere I smelled something that slapped me across the face and then dragged me into some sort of erotic underworld... Instantly I asked her 'omg(!) this is good, WHAT is it??' - She said it's the new Madonna fragrance Truth or Dare... 

When I got home I spritzed it all over, it's quite powerful, I almost felt dizzy... The level of sexyness reminded me on my Tom Ford fragrances... I could pick up on lily, jasmine, some other white flowers, vanilla, and musk... I was very intrigued about the notes and started googleing this fragrance... Tuberose and gardenia where those other white flowers... But here is the thing, I kept on reading the reviews and most of them were very negative, which I was kind of not getting... Like I said above I had no idea what fragrance I was smelling until I hit me and I fell in love with it there and then... And also my taste in fragrances is quite expensive and pretty damn sexy, so the awful criticism I can only explain in two scenarios... One - it was written by haters and people who have no idea about fragrances in general... Two - perhaps they were not daring enough and felt the fragrance is too provoking, too offensive, and reminds them of what they haven't had since stone-age and will not be having in the foreseeable future either - it's called SEX! 

Personally I love it, it's Madonna in the bottle! I also quite adore the design of the bottle it's kind of modern yet timeless, and the shape allows you to put it either way and throw it in your handbag bcs of it's flat shape which is super convenient! Well done Madonna! For those who love the daring queen of pop as much as I do here is an Alek Keshishian's documentary about Madonna on her ground-braking Blond Ambition Tour in 1990, I came across  this when researching her fragrance... I can hear Amazon calling! 



LOVE

Deborah Lippmann On The Beach...

Deborah Lippmann On The Beach all over...


Deborah Lippmann Glitter In The Air on the accent finger...



Left to Right...

Deborah Lippmann On The Beach
&
Deborah Lippmann Glitter In The Air

...exclusive to House of Fraser...



This was my first experience with Deborah Lippmann nail polishes! Having had a bit of an application problem with the previous nail polish [Nars Amchoor...] - On The Beach felt like heaven! Colour-wise On The Beach is a pretty teal colour, which I'm having a serious craving for this summer... Glitter In The Air is a milky pale blue with blue and pink glitter particles that are very light as you can see on the pic [it's two coats]... I haven't tried it on it's own yet as I am more into bright nails right now, but I think Glitter In The Air is great for adding a little more fun to any nail polish, either all over the nails, or just on the accent finger as I have done... 

Deborah Lippmann nail polishes really do feel luxurious... It applies very smoothly, it goes perfectly opaque with second coat, it's nice and shiny... This type of nail polishes make painting your nails a joy, it's fast, effortless and the result is fantastic! They are free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, and Dibutyl Phthalate... And no animal testing! And they have lots of good stuff in them - Aucoumea, Biotin and Green Tea, which are all beneficial ingredients for your nails!

LOVE

Sunday 27 May 2012

Nars Amchoor...

Nars Amchoor nail polish
from the new Thakoon for Nars Nail Collection Summer 2012... 
[with flash]




[in natural light]






Yellow is a colour I never thought I'd go for... But after seeing it on a few ladies including Lisa Eldridge I slowly begun to see yellow nail polish in a different light... There are all sorts of yellows out there - this is a true, warm, banana yellow! This is actually my first Nars nail polish, and I found Amchoor quite difficult to apply neatly, either the brush or the consistency of the nail polish which is quite thick made painting my nails a pretty hard job! The other thing is it only looked good after three coats, and it chipped right next morning... So it's not the greatest nail polish but I do love the colour!


LOVE

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub...

 nails: Nars Amchoor...





Here is another great scrub I came across! Having already quiet a few Soap & Glory products lined up in my bathroom - I wasn't surprised I liked this one too! It basically does smell like breakfast with new maple fragrance, but to me it smells of coffee, caramel, and brown sugar, which is lovely! Texture-wise it does the job very well without scratching your skin... It's got oat, shea butter, sugar, organic cupuacu bio scrubs, bananas, almond and honey extracts, so it does leave your skin pretty moisturised! It's a delicious jar of scrub! But do not eat!

LOVE

Saturday 26 May 2012

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask...


 for more Bliss products:






I'm incredibly excited about this one! When it comes to skincare I am very cautious about every product I choose... I have established a skin care routine that I have been following now for about a year and it works for me...  Sometimes I add something new and watch how my skin reacts... Having a combinational/oily skin type prone to acne, I have to be careful... Especially when it comes to facial masks I have been struggling to find one that would make my skin look great yet wouldn't break me out... Most facials that are not specifically designed for oily skin are highly moisturising, leaving you look like a grease ball next morning... Not this one!

Friday night, we still are enjoying the heatwave in London, I decided to have a little spa evening to myself... It was still hot and so I decided a lukewarm bath with rosemary, chamomile, and rose natural oils would be relaxing yet refreshing at the same time... And so I decided to treat myself with this facial mask, which promises to lift up a dull or tiered looking skin in no time with it's oxygen molecules that are released into your skin, energising and detoxify it! Sound great I thought! The texture of this mask was a complete new technology which I previously never came across... It is engineered as a stand-in for their spa's world famous facial - as it says on the bottle! 

It starts of as a gel, which btw smells divine of fresh citrus and sweet orange blossom... Then you need to massage it into your skin until it starts to froth up [as you can see on the pics] - as soon as the texture becomes lightly foamy you leave it on for five minutes and then wash it off and use toner/moisturiser as you would after any facial... It left my skin feeling as if I had a mini face lift... My skin felt more firm and kind of refreshed... Absolutely no skin oil increase whatsoever... I highly recommend this Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask for any skin type! Amazing product, I have a strong feeling I will be repurchasing this one!

LOVE

Friday 25 May 2012

Lush Turkish Delight...






Lately I have been absolutely adoring Lush products... I love their concept, the fragrances, and the textures... This shower smoothie has a texture of a soft soap, creamy yet thick... It smells so beautifully of roses with jasmine and neroli... They advice you can also use this smoothie in the bath... I haven't tried that but I did something else instead I put a scoop to go with the sea-salt for my feet bath, and it made my feet incredibly smooth and feeling luscious... And of course as a shower gel it's divine... And if you bring back five clean full-size Lush pots or tubes you will get one fresh mask for free! That's a definite bonus!


LOVE

Lush Flying Fox...




I've been loving this shower gel for the past week! Flying Fox is famous for its sexy scent... I was actually surprised that it's packed with honey as I generally do not like that sickly sweet honey scent that gets you at the back of your throat... This one just smells really nice, strong, and sexy - it also has Jasmine Flower Infusion [which I love], Ylang Ylang oil and a few other ingredients! So do not be scared if you are not a honey fan... I quite like the How To Use advise on the bottle: "If you really don't know how, then we suggest you find someone you really like and invite them into the shower with you to demonstrate." Ha!


LOVE

Thursday 24 May 2012

Maybelline 24Hr Color Tattoo Gel-Cream Eyeshadow...

wearing on eyes: 
Maybelline 24Hr Color Tattoo Gel-Cream Eyeshadow in On and on Bronze...
Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Noir...
Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara in So Black!...

on cheeks:
Guerlain Terracotta Sheer Bronzing Blush in Sun Kissed...

on lips:
Urban Decay Lipstick in Lovechild...


Maybelline 24Hr Color Tattoo in On and on Bronze...


nails: China Glaze Flirty Tankini
[from the new Neons Summer 2012 Collection]


I feel like I'm the last one to rave about these fantastic gel cream eyeshadows! But I cannot not mention them... They literally last you the whole day... I don't know about 24 hours as frankly I would not last myself that long... But applying it on your lids in the morning will most definitely last you till the very late evening... So they are perfect if you are planing a little drinky-drink after work hours... If you are into smokey eye regardless whether it's day or night [which I am] you are set for the day with your eye make-up... However if you are not so daring, just throw a black liner - [Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer is perfect for that as it has a smudger on the other end, great when on-the-go!] - in your handback and do a quick smudging and smoking out and you are good-to-go! The texture is great, nice and creamy, easy to apply, and I quite love this bronzy colour - fab for a summer bronzed-goddess kind of look!

LOVE

Wednesday 23 May 2012

China Glaze Neons Summer 2012 Collection!!

China Glaze Flirty Tankini...


same as before...


China Glaze Under The Boardwalk...


same as before...


12 awesome neon colours! 

you can purchase them at:


China Glaze Neons Summer 2012 Collection...


Woo-hoo! China Glaze Neons Summer 2012 Collection is now available in UK!! Good things certainly do come to those who wait... I was super excited when I first heard about this neon collection... Every one of the 12 colours are so juicy and vibrant that you wish you could have all of them! The two colours I have from the collection are the Flirty Tankini [a hot shimmery pink] and Under The Broadwalk [a deep magenta, cream finish]... I absolutely adore the Flirty Tankini it's a hot pink that is incredibly flattering! It hits the nail on the head for current neon trends!! Surprisingly in the bottle it doesn't look like much, but once you paint it on omg!!! The other three colours I am totally drooling about are Sun-Kissed, Orange You Hot?, Surfin' For Boys... Thank you China Glaze for bring out this awesome  collection, we - the nail polish addicts worship you, [ha!] or very least love you!


LOVE



Lush Massage Bars...

Lush Massage Bar in Each Peach (L) and Therapy (R)

nails: China Glaze Flirty Tankini 
[from the new Neons Summer 2012 Collection]



If you, like me, like to be slathered in oil - this is for you! After I exfoliate [see previous blog post] I then love to apply lots of either thick body lotions or if I'm in the mood for some slippery oil [this sounds dirty] I grab one of these Lush massage bars... Each Peach I got first - it's very uplifting with it's citrus fresh scent for those grim days where you need a bit of sunshine! Therapy is more calming, the scent is very herbal and makes you feel like you are at a spa... It's got lavender and neroli oil which relaxes you and makes you happy at the same time... 

Therapy is their most popular massage bar... It's also meant to be great for yummy mummies - lavender and neroli together help to increase skin's elasticity and smooth the appearance of stretch marks! These are definitely for the night time as they would be way too greasy as a day moisturiser... The way you use them is warming up in your palms and then as they start to gently melt you massage them into your skin, either directly of from the palm... Next morning you wake up to silky smooth skin!


LOVE

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Lush You Snap The Whip...

Lush You Snap The Whip Body Scrub Bar...

nails: China Glaze Flirty Tankini
[from the new Neons Summer 2012 Collection]


I like to prep my skin for a nice sun tan... The more exfoliated and smooth your skin is the prettier and long lasting the tan will be... I tried a few different scrubs, but this one is hands down my favourite one... I try to exfoliate at least once a week through out the year except during summer when my skin is naturally a little more sensitive from being exposed to the sun... The reason I love You Snap The Whip, and have repurchased it already second time, is because it really is hardcore! Do not attempt to place it directly onto your skin, unless you have a very thick or bulletproof skin... It works best when you just froth it up in your palms and then massage it onto your bits and pieces that need some smoothing... 

But it also has a soft side to it - it's super moisturising and rich in emollient macadamia oil and cocoa butter...  What I also love about this scrub bar is the scent(!) - blackcurrant being one of my favourite scents it feels like an explosion of sweet berries in your shower... Another warning is that being packed with charcoal to deeply cleanse your skin the scrub bar is as you can see black, and makes a mess so just be aware of that when scrubbing!


LOVE

Estée Lauder Gelée EyeShadow...

 wearing on eyes:
Estée Lauder Gelée EyeShadow in Cyber Copper
 cheeks:
Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 4
lips:
Clarins Rouge Prodige in Nude





Estée Lauder Pure Color Gelée P0wder EyeShadow
 in Cyber Copper

Quite a mighty eyeshadow this one! They are quite unique in terms of technology..."Color so metallic, it's futuristic. A first-ever techno tri-blend formula that's gel, powder and liquid in one." Basically you can use these high shine eyeshadows dry or wet... The texture is incredibly smooth... They feel almost velvety on your eyelids, stay long, and do not crease! These eyeshadows might be pricey but they certainly feel and look luxurious and quite special! And I love the packaging...


 LOVE

Monday 21 May 2012

Wardrobe Spring Clean!

Zara SS2012 shoes...


On Saturday after a long lie-in and a cup of coffee I realised if I don't sort out my wardrobe there and then it will never happen! I was meaning to do it for quite a while... When last week I randomly found two brand new tops which I purchased back in November - they still had labels on - I decided it was time to go through the whole shebang!! It was a painful task, deciding which items I had to finally part with... But in the process I found other couple of pairs of jeans I was looking for for the past three weeks, and a hell lot of other things that I just jammed into my wardrobe in a hurry over the past few month and forgot about... Things literally were falling out when I'd open the wardrobe... 

When and where was I thinking I'd wear a pair of grey lacy leggings when I was purchasing them??? Ebay here they come!! That's gonna be the next painful step - organising the whole ebay thing, taking pics etc etc... Ugh! At the end I was so exhausted from going thorough all of my stuff... My flat transformed into a huge chaos! I had clothes piled up everywhere I possibly could... How on earth did all of that fit into that poor wardrobe!! But at the end as if the air got fresher, it felt so good to get it all organised into sections! Suddenly getting dressed got a lot easier, simply because now I can actually see the pieces... It's so good to give your wardrobe a spring-clean! Let's face it, by letting go of the old you create space for the new...


LOVE

No Mambo Jambo...

H&M Nail Polish in No Mambo Jambo...






Currently I am on a hunt for bright yellow and teal nail polishes... I never liked too crazy colours on my nails, but this year my colour cravings migrated to Puerto Rico - I guess it must be the fact that we almost had no Spring in London this year, and after all those clouds and rain we all are starved for colours to brighten up our days!! 

Last night I dropped by a friends place, thinking I was dressed in rather subtle colours - his first comment was 'wow you are bright!' I was wearing my current favourite pair of blue cropped pants, white tank top, denim shirt, white loose cardi, bright yellow over the body tiny bag, and a scarf that goes from grey to white and then lime/lemon neon... So really not that many colours! Ha! 

Right now I'm totally protesting against black and other dark winter colours for day-wear!! So yes when I saw the No Mambo Jambo nail polish I was wowed! It's a duo-chrome teal with blue shimmer... Uhh!! It's the most amazing and unique teal nail polishes I have ever come across!! All the nail polish lovers have to check this one out, like NOW!!


LOVE

Sunday 20 May 2012

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub...






Actually a friend from US sent me this Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub... I had it for ages, and so mine dried, but I just add a few drops of water and dig the other end of a tea spoon into it and it is still good to go! What I love about this scrub is that it's basically a flavoured pot of sugar, which you can actually eat... When you get it fresh it's moist and all you need to do is just massage the tiniest amount of the Bubblegum scrub on your lips and then you can wash it off or even lick it off! It's great to do a lip scrub treatment while in the shower when the skin gets softer... It's the fastest way to exfoliate your lips and make them feel and look very smooth and ready for a nice lip balm! I think it comes in different flavours, but I love this one, it's such a pick-me up flavour and scent!


LOVE