Late night randomness

I'm back with a ramble of insignificant matters on cosmetics and such...
Do prepare yourself for photos via google search- sorry girls, I'm feeling a little lazy today ;)

First off, I recently saw a vid of Enkore where he pretty much said that if you have oily skin, it's almost impossible for your foundation not to oxidize -especially if you're using a powder-, which means that if you're going to shop for a foundation/powder, you should always match the colour after it has oxidized on your skin.

Man, I wish I'd read it sooner! I had a hunch that this was the case with my liquid foundation...



...or my setting powder...



...they both look darker on me after 5-10 minutes of application!
I'm not wasting them, though; as soon as I (kind of) hit pan on both, they'll be replaced ;)

Secondly:
I'm sick and tired of Elf!



What puts me off is that there's no way the products you want are all going to be in stock at the same time! You've got to make some compromises and choose between the available products, it's just that I have a hard time doing so...

The blush&bronzer duo is out of stock- and I'm not willing to make an order without it! So it's going to be postponed.
Damn it :(

I'm also on the lookout for a fun, vibrant lipstick by Mac!



After a lot of search online, I've narrowed down a list of the following:
Show Orchid
Pink Nouveau
Lustering
Lickable

Anyone tried these before, which one would you recommend?
Let me know, loves ;)

Oh, and one more thing: remember my review on Mac's Prep+Prime Eye?

Well, the product still doesn't work for me but it's excellent for mature/very dry skin!
I tried it once on my mum- it covered her red veins and made the eyeshadow glide on the lids. I should have figured this out before I published my review- I mean, it's silicone based, it obviously provides some kind of "slip" on the lids, so it must be good for dry skin.
Pure common sense!

That's it for today...
Hopefully I'll publish another post tomorrow, I've neglected this little blog during past week and I feel so baaad!

Mwah :* :* :*

CBSG5861

A make-up look; attempt #1

God, I hate my camera...

During past weekend, I thought of playing with my eyeshadows and see how they photograph with my digital Pentax.

I did a brown smokey eye (really dark and dimensional in real life) and all my camera picks up is this:

    Shimmer, shimmer, shimmer!

It's like I'm wearing a cream eyeshadow!
Which I'm not :(

On the other hand, the blue liner I put on the bottom lashline pops up...

    It looks way more vibrant in real life, though... 

    Oh, and excuse my shiny dace. Didn't put any foundation/powder!

    And a shaky pic because I love them!

These are the products I used, all from the Body Shop:

   The second swatch is the Shimmer eyeshadow in #07 on top of the

   shimmering blue pencil

It was a great lesson of how my beautiful make-up can look like "blah" in photos...

[But, I see all those girls with gorgeous, stunning make-up and I wonder; what is it that they do and it photographs so well?]

 

Oh, and please leave me a comment saying you like my eye, lol!

I'm very, very self-conscious about how I look on pictures (because the digital cameras alter the actual proportions of the face), let alone publishing them on blogger!

P.S.: The day before I saw "There will be Blood" with Daniel Day-Lewis. It's been a long time since an American film blew my mind, this one definitely did. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance was a masterpiece- he didn't just play an oilman, he was the oilman! Excellent direction, screenplay with few dialogues signifying a lot, rough scenery that added to the plot... Great, great film that made me think a lot. I recommend it to anyone ;)

CBSG5861

Current Skincare

Hi lovelies,

During past month I've switched my skincare routine because I can't stop feeling some kind of bitterness towards some products I previously used-

I'm looking at you, Korres Materia Herba moisturizer:
you've been a great match but I don't fell like scooping out 35 euros just for your sake >:(

So these are the products I'm currently testing out:

Korres 3 in 1 Cleansing Water: love this, wrote about it in my previous post.
The Body Shop Nutriganics face wash & toner: hmm, both average- not harsh but they seem to do nothing on my skin. Won't repurchase those...
Apivita Aloe mask: what can I say, I'm amazed by Apivita's little sachets- I've yet to find one that doesn't live up to my standards!
Apivita Aqua Vita eye cream: a nice moisturiser for under the eyes, although I'll definitely buy a different product once I'm through with this one.
The Body Shop Tea Tree oil & blemish gel: I'll probably write another post about these two treatments when I've tested them long enough to see if they work... or not.
The Body Shop Aloe day cream: I like this moisturiser a lot, much like the whole Aloe range by the Body Shop- all products are high in aloe juice (it always comes first in the ingredients list) and they contain the least amount of preservatives (so they have a shorter shelf life). Mild formulas, excellent for my combination and sensitive skin. Thumbs up for aloe! 
Apivita face scrub with Lavender and Olive: another favourite, this is probably one of the best face scrubs I've tried so far! It contains crushed olive stones, salicylic acid and menthol- hence the cooling effect when you wash it off ;)

So, any of you tried these products? What's your skincare routine?

P.S.: Today was a marvellous day which called for celebration: we had snowflakes in Athens, yay!!! During past week, the weather was awfully hot for December standards; so at last, winter is officially here and I'm over the moon about it! If you read my blog long enough, you'll probably know I'm more into chilly days than the hot and humid summer season. Too bad there was no wine and biscuits in the cupboard for a proper little fiest :(

CBSG5861

New! Korres 3 in 1 Cleansing Water and some guests

If you're anxious about who's the guests, scroll down the bottom of this post and you'll be amazed!

I hope ;)

 

If you've read my previous post, then you already know that I've been loving this product during last month.

 

It's the new little sister of the best-selling White Tea fluid gel, it falls under the "cleanser" category and it claims to take away all grime, face make-up (including the eyes!), while toning the skin in one step.

Let's break it down:

Packaging: the standard semi-transparent Korres bottle, feels so soft to the touch! The typewriting has changed, though- the big letters describing the product in English, French and Greek serve as an adornment, too. The lid has also changed- much better than the regular screw-on cap. The bottle is packaged in the typical cardboard box that I fancy a lot. Good job, Korres team!

The product: it's a liquid with the same fluidity as water, so it's probably low in glycerine. Contains organic white tea extract and hamamelis. Free of soap, alcohol and a bunch of other synthetic ingredients, as you can see below:

Scent: same as the White Tea fluid gel, I dare say it's a fresh masculine scent. No problems with that- I'm all for it!

Effectiveness: Korres says that "...the use of natural cleansing agents ensures excellent compatibility with the eyes and skin", and I have to agree! I don't know what's in it that makes it perform so well, but it does! My face make-up and eyeshadows, all gone with a single swipe of a cotton pad. As for mascara, it took a small effort to be completely removed, but to Korres defence I've yet to find a liquid eye make-up remover that easily takes away all mascara traces.

Any negatives? Well, it goes through very fast- considering how frequently I use it, it's going to last me for 3 months tops.

Would I repurchase it? Probably yes! It's a pleasure to use, takes shorter time to cleanse my face than using 3 different products (milk cleanser, eye make-up remover, toner) and it smells fantastic! Let alone the fact that it's perfect for travel, when I'm in need of multi-tasking products.

Oh, and it cost me around 10-11 euros ;)

Now it's time for the post's guests... Are you ready?

It's about Korres' second take on fragrances!

Once again, spices, fruits, flowers and aromatic woods come together in unique scents that capture the Korres identity.

Sadly, the old Rosewood scent is discontinued (sniff!) but the two best-sellers with Saffron/Cardamon and Pepper/Jasmine are still on the market, albeit in a 50ml bottle.

The 6 new formulations are:

* Heliotrope/ Ylang Ylang/ Citron

* Vetiver root/ Green Tea/ Cedarwood

* White Tea/ Bergamot/ Freesia

* Iris/ Lily of the Valley/ Cotton

* Vanilla/ Freesia/ Lyche

* Paeonia/ Vanilla/ Amber Pear

All formulas are phthalates, polycyclic-musk compounds (PCM) and nitro-musks free, while containing Rosmarinus Officinalis as a natural preservative.

Are you excited? I know I am!

Can't wait for the new perfumes to hit the market and sniff them all!

CBSG5861

Elf recommendations, pretty please ;)

Hey girls,

so I was thinking of making an order on Elf!

See, Elf products are all around the beauty blogging community and... I got jealous, couldn't help it!  =D

After browsing around the website, certain products cought my attention:

Blush and Bronzer Compact

Complexion Perfection

Cream Eyeliner

 

Single Eyeshadow

Mineral Lipstick

Mineral Lipgloss

Minty Lipgloss

I'd love to know if any of you have tried these products and your opinion about them-
I hear that shopping Elf cosmetics is a hit&miss thing.

Or if you have some favourites from Elf, post them below too!

It's going to be my first online purchase and I really, really want it to be a nice experience ;)
Yay!!!

CBSG5861

November favourites!

Hi lovelies!

Once again, it's the time of the month for some favourite products!

    Family pic

I hope you'll enjoy ;)

The Body Shop Glow Enhancer: the foundation I currently use is a tad too dark for my skintone and looks quite matte. I mix a drop of this stuff et voila, problem solved! I think it's now reformulated and available with the name "Radiant Highlighter".
H&M 36-colour eyeshadow palette: ok, so the quality sucks... But, I got to experiment with so many colours that I'd never thought they suited me! I would recommend this kind of palette to all beginners in make-up like myself ;)
Art Deco liquid liner: it's waterproof, glossy and super black. I've been using it day&night!

Art Deco lipstick in #40: I love this colour so much! I apply a sheer wash and it gives me a natural finish. A couple more layers and I get a pale nude pink- very friendly for my skintone, no freaky concealer lips! I'm mostly pairing it with Jasmine lip butter by Korres.

Korres secret new product: full review coming up asap!
The Body Shop Aloe face cream: Last month I switched my skincare routine; this is the stand-out of all the new products I got! My skin is combination to oily and although this cream is meant to be used to sensitive skin, I find that it helps to soothe my acne spots.

Apivita Aloe face mask: another winner, this is a moisturising mask that smells fantastic and feels cooling on the skin. The Apivita mask sachets never cease to amaze me!

Korres Plum lip butter: Another addition to my lip balm stash... This one gives a very flattering red wine tint on the lips. And it smells so sweet! When I'm at home, I apply a light wash on my lips (and perhaps a touch of cheek stain by the Body Shop, but don't tell anyone!) and I instantly feel more glamorous ;)

What were your favourites for November? Anyone tried the above products?

P.S.: Last night I couldn't sleep because of a freaking mosquito buzzing around my head! I mean, come on!!! Mosquitos during December? When are we going to get some winter days in Greece? Christmas is coming, for God's sake!

CBSG5861

A secret revealed...

My fellow Greek bloggers/readers, I have news for you ;)

I'm going to reveal a big, big secret that I hope you'll like!

It would be preferable if it stayed between us, you know...
Spread the word, if you wish, but with caution and secrecy!

Here goes:

 

You have probably noticed that the greek cosmetic stores (Hondos Center, Sephora, Beauty Shop, Galerie de Beaute, etc.) hold a 25% discount period of 1 week (and in some cases, 2 weeks) at random times of the year. Word gets around mainly through tv ads, then one person tells the other, etc.

It may have occured to you that you missed a sale- or you bought a fancy and expensive perfume, only to find out that if you postponed the purchase for a week, you would pay 25% off.

It could have also happened that you asked a sales assistant for the next sale period, to get a reply similar to "don't know, come to the store next week and see for yourself".

Well, let me tell you: those sales periods are NEVER random...

During the last 2 years, I've noticed a pattern; though I can't be 100% sure, I'm presenting it to you:

The aforementioned stores do the 25% discount on the week during which there's a change of the month. Yes, they carry a 25% discount period every month!

For example, if my calculations are indeed correct, there should be a sale right now, as we speak.
This morning, I went for a stroll at Ermou str. (for the sake of this post, of course!), and what do you know? Both Hondos Center and Sephora have a 25% sale on cosmetics!

That's it, the big secret revealed...
To those of you who knew it already or didn't think it's interesting enough, I apologise for my somewhat "dramatic" tone at the beginning of the post.

In any case, I'm hoping these news stays between faithful ears- we wouldn't want this "sale pattern" to get through to people that plan the sales in the first place!

I wish you all a happy December ;)

CBSG5861

Probably the best cosmetic sharpener, ever!

Hello my lovelies!

Yes, this post is about cosmetic sharpeners. Not the most thrilling subject you'll ever find on beauty blogging community but still, I find it as important as quality make-up brushes.

I won't go through details explaining why you need a cosmetic sharpener of good quality in your make-up bag; instead, I'll present to you my latest (and probably last!) find in the quest of acquiring the best sharpener on the market (yeah, sometimes I fancy some drama-talk like that XD )

Meet the Kum double sharpener!

Kum is a German brand that produces office supplies and is specialising in sharpeners- apart from the cosmetic ones, Kum carries a sharpener for every single pencil/crayon out there, all in so many fancy styles, as well as sharpeners for the left-handed.

I'm positive that the Kum cosmetic sharpeners are probably the best you can find in the cosmetic industry, for a reasonable price; to give you an idea of how much the company is well respected, Kum has been supplying with their sharpeners brands ranging from the Body Shop and Bourjois to Estee Lauder and Benefit (if I'm correct). But why pay those extra cents credited to those luxury brand tags, when you can have the exact product for a lot less?

It also comes with a protecting plastic cap. Extremely handy when travelling!

Here's what was written on the packaging of the sharpener:

This is the finest quality cosmetic pencil sharpener available today. Designed to suit all brands and sizes of eye, lip and facial pencils.

• First blade enures a precise clean cut.
• The second blade shapes even the softest tip to a fine rounded finish.

If you got puzzled with the aforementioned "second blade", here's the little drawing that explains Kum's Double Blade System:

Damn you, sticky-and-hard-to-remove stickers...

 

I got mine at the greek Hondos Center dep. store for about 3,50 euros. It comes in black, white and transparent pink, along with the plastic cap.

So for me, this product gets 10/10. It's been so long since I was that excited over a cosmetic product!!!

My advice: if you ever come across a Kum sharpener, snatch it with no second thoughts ;)

P.S.: The other night I stayed up until 4 a.m. watching a french documentary on Mark Jacobs. Now, I'm not a huge fashion enthusiast and most of the times, I keep a sceptical approach on fashion designers- but this documentary made me love the man! He was so down to earth, always nice with his staff, a perfectionist in his work, an avid art collector... But what struck me the most is that he would find a way to make a point and ridicule all the irrational craziness and exclusivity of fashion. At least that's how I perceived it ;)

CBSG5861

The Body Shop bronzers

Hello my lovelies!

Long time, no see :(

I've been meaning to make a post on the Body Shop's matte bronzers for quite some time but I've been postponing it; see, the products don't photograph very well and to see a matte bronzing powder is not that exciting...

However, I think they deserve a mention- so here's my review ;)

The Body Shop's compact powder comes in 4 different shades: #1 and #2 are the mattes, while #3 and #4 contain shimmer. This post is focusing on the matte bronzers- I don't own the shimmery versions... yet!

Shade #1 pictured on the left, #2 on the right

As you can see, the shade #1 looks like the colour the milk gets after you mix some chocolate powder in it, if it makes any sense... I can't describe it better! No orange hues whatsoever, it's suitable to light and medium skintones. Works as an all-over bronzer, as well as a contour colour. It also photographs nicely :)

On the other hand, shade #2 is more darker and looks suitable to darker skintones; think of a warm medium brown with almost red undertones. I must add that it can't be used for contouring, as the flash somehow picks all the orange hues in it- not pretty! See for yourself:

Shade #1 on the left, #2 on the right. No flash

Shade #1 on the left, #2 on the right. With flash

I can't imagine this dirt under my cheekbones... Either that, or I'm not using it correctly?

Anyways, shade #2 is currently unavailable or discontinued (if I'm correct), so you're probably not missing much- but #1 is absolutely fantastic! I use it every single day with my Art Deco brush for a softer contoured look.

FIY, the Body Shop makes a variety of different bronzing powders; other than the you can choose between a baked domed marbelized compact...

...a brush with built-in bronzing powder...

...the best-selling Shimmer Waves (which I've reviewed here)...

...a loose mineral powder...

...a deodorant-like bronzing stick for the body...

...and the popular Bronzing Beads, which I own and loooove!

My next purchase is going to be the rest two brozing compacts with the shimmer... And the two baked marbelized powders, they look so pretty!

I guess I can never have enough bronzers... Can you?

P.S.: The reason behind my lack of posts is, well... an online multi-player game called Farmerama. I'm so hooked I cannot believe it! For the past week, 100% of the time I spend in front of my computer screen is dedicated in watching my plants grow, selling my crops at the open market, building stables, etc. It's so crazy but I don't seem to get bored of it... By the way, if you're playing Farmerama too, feel free to add me as your neighbour- my nickname is no other than cbsg5861.

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Another Art Deco haul

Hello my lovelies!

Don't mind the quirky picture introduction; I was browsing a fancy book about Beauty and well, this is beautiful to me ;)

You like?

Last week I popped into Hondos Center (legendary cosmetics shop! you gotta love it) for a quick shopping "fix".

The Art Deco counter caught my eye -again!- and I ended up with one lipstick and a liquid eyeliner.

 The lipstick: it's the Longlasting Lip Stylo in shade #46, which the website describes as a "nude rose cream". The way I see it, it's more like a shade close to the lips' natural colour, probably around the same family as Mac's Viva Glam V that everyone seems to rave about. I used it a couple of times and I can already admit that I don't feel comfortable when wearing it! I'll try layering it with a pinky lipgloss. Hopefully it works.

 

The liquid eyeliner: it's the Liquid Star Eyeliner in black. The reason I chose this one over the Bourjois liner is because it resembles a lot to Mac's Superslick Liquid Eye Liner that was launched with Fabulous Felines.

Everything about the two (except the typewriting) looks identical: the packaging, the same ml contents, the water resistant formula, the jet black shade, the shape of the sponge tip applicator... If anyone owns Mac's version, please let me know where it's made- the Art Deco one is made in Germany. I'll die of curiosity, whether the two are made in the same factory!

Have you bought anything from Art Deco recently? Share it below ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

Afraid of green nail polish? Go with shimmer ;)

Hello my lovelies!

This post is about my favourite nail colour of the moment ;)

See, I was on the look-out for a dark green nail polish but I wasn't sure if that colour would suit my skintone, so I chose a shimmering version of it.

I'm talking about the gorgeous green nail polish from Erre Due's Fall Winter collection 2010-2011 (#246).

It has a forest green base with lots of gold shimmer!

I find it so pretty that I can't stop admiring my nails, lol!

Has it ever happened to you, looking at your nails with awe?

2 coats were enough for a decent coverage, maybe a 3rd coat would darken up the colour? I still love it as it is!

with flash

 

no flash

I took the above pictures right after I painted my nails last night; the green base looked dark and vampy, which made a beautiful contrast with the gold shimmer shining through where the flash of the camera hit my nails.

Although when I woke up today, the colour seemed much different- a less shiny lighter green, probably because of the different light reflection during daytime.

So, this is my advice: if you want to follow the latest trends in nail colours but are not sure if they look good on you, opt for the shimmering version- it's more likely to look pretty on you. That simple!

Have you bought any other nail polishes from Erre Due's collection? I've spotted a creamy petrol shade, a metallic dark blue and a shimmering brown, let's see which ones I'm going to pick for Christmas ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861