Hello my lovelies!
A couple of days ago I went to this Body Shop store to pick an eyeshadow I've been eyeing for a while- in fact, I wanted to -once more- take advantage of the 20% sale tag that has been going on for the last two or three weeks.
Mind you, this particular store is located in one of the most central shopping areas/streets of Athens (if not the most central...). I have been a regular customer of that shop and up until now, I had not experienced any unpleasant customer service.
I stepped into the store with the intention of purchasing this specific eyeshadow. A sales assistant greeted me and asked me if I wanted any help. I thanked her and replied that I had already planned what I was going to purchase. Saying so, I picked up my product of choice - for the record, it was a matte pink eyeshadow from the Body Shop's permanent make-up collection.
[Note: The Body Shop has a permanent make-up collection and releases four Limited-Edition collections, each one during Autumn, Christmas, Spring and Summer seasons. It is no news that one of the brand's policies is to push the sales of the Limited-Edition products.]
At that moment, the sales assistant noted in a gentle manner that there was a Limited-Edition Christmas palette which contained a similar shade of eyeshadow, and that it would be a bargain to get because, provided the 20% sale, I would be spending 19.2 euros for a palette with four eyeshadows and a blush, rather than spending 7.6 euros for a single eyeshadow. Again, I kindly thanked her and persisted on my initial decision.
I then went to the cashier to pay. The lady behind the counter looked at the eyeshadow I had picked, then paused and stared at me for a couple of seconds, and then said in a strict voice: "Weren't you informed about the Christmas palette?"- I said I was. "Then why did you pick this one?"- I was in a position of justifying myself as if I did something wrong, while there were people waiting in the queue behind me. I felt as if I was being bullied, in a way. I paid and made a promise to myself not to step into this store again.
Now, I don't blame solely the cashier girl for this unpleasant incident. In fact, I could argue that the sales manager/owner of the store must be interpreting the company's policy of pushing LE products to the extreme and forcing the girls at the shop to sell, sell, sell all the LE stock. Whatever the case, I shall be doing my Body Shop shopping at another store, where the girls are much more friendly and discreet.
Have you ever experienced any bad customer service? If so, do share! Maybe it's time we started reporting such unacceptable behaviours until they become a thing of the past.
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
Over the last couple of days my left eye was puffy and sore, so yesterday I went to see my ophthalmologist. The good news: it is a minor eye infection that can be cured in a period of two weeks with some eye drops and a topical ointment. The bad news: I guess I must avoid eye make-up until my eye is completely cured (damn!), and maybe I should start taking some extra effort disinfecting my brushes and eyeshadows...
Before I left, I asked him about those oil-based lotions for removing eye make-up. Should I be using them, are they nice and gentle to my eyes? His answer was a clear "no". To make things worse, he mercilessly continued by saying I should avoid lining my water-line with pencils, because this is the most common case of causing eye infections. WHAT?!? No sir, I'm sorry but me can't do that...
Anyway, I've decided not to purchase oil-based eye make-up removers ever again- I'm a bit dissapointed because those tough guys remove eye make-up so easily! Oh well, what can you do... Now I'll have to switch back to my Yves Rocher cleanser. As for lining my waterline, I will continue to do so. I can't help it. My eyes are demanding that kind of definition. The best thing to do is sharpening my pencils before each use.
So, this is my take on eye make-up removers: water or gel-based formulas from now on.
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
Disclaimer: This post wasn't meant to be "boring"...
I sat in front of my computer with the intention of writing about some eyeshadows that I've been collecting, but I didn't have the appropriate state-of-mind. I'm in a really bad mood today so I couldn't write about something that concerns my vanity or consumerism issues, it just wouldn't feel right.
Instead, I'd like to introduce you to Kandee.
To those of you unfamiliar with her, Kandee is a celebrity make-up artist based in Los Angeles. Two years ago she started uploading make-up tutorials on Youtube that made her popular and successful on Youtube community- today she has approximately 200,000 subscribers! She's gorgeous, has a bubbly personality- plus she's extremely talented, she can accomplish an everyday make-up look, a dramatic smokey eye or a theatrical make-over, all of the above in an equally perfect manner.
But most importantly, she is a single mother with three kids, she has been through a lot of difficulties in her life but she is a fighter and won't let anyone or anything stand in her way and she just keeps going. Through her blog, she posts daily words of loveliness and encouragement. I'm quoting these:
...the most amazing people have been through the most heartbreaking situations... like I always say, "it's the broken and shattered mirrors, that give off the most sparkle and light"...
...if your heart is hurting or sad... just know that you are wonderful, everything you've done in the past can be washed clean, and everyday is a fresh start to enjoy and change your life...
...you are more beautiful than you know, more talented than you think, and more loved than you can imagine...
At first, all these posts of hopes and dreams seemed to me a bit "cheesy". I thought, what's the point of writing the same stuff every day?
Now that I'm not feeling so well due to some "special" circumstances, Kandee's words spoke to my heart. It's funny how the words of a total stranger made me feel better... I trully respect and thank her for that.
In case you haven's done so already, please check out her youtube channel and her blog.
By the way, this is a photo from her latest avatar-inspired make-up tutorial, isn't that inspiring?
Anyway, enough with the ramble... I hope you're all well!
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
This was my first attempt to make a custom bracelet with beads and red thread.
Well, let's just say that "beginner's luck" didn't apply on this case...
Man, until I could get the hang of it I used 3 needles, some loooong pieces of thread, my teeth, oh....
It could be perfect, but I think it's cute as it is. Maybe I'll wear it along with this "meow" necklace that my mom got me ;)
So, what do you guys think?
Is it worth it experimenting on do-it-yourself projects?
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
As most of greek girls out there, I'm a huge fan of Korres. Yep, what a surprise... I love everything about the brand- the eco-friendly packaging, the natural approach on formulas, the effectiveness of some products, the list is endless! And I'm always in search of their new products to come. So, here I'm sharing with you what I found from my last web research:
1) Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick
The best-selling Korres lip butters, now in a stick form! Ooooh, I'm so so excited to try them out... I find sticks more hydrating and hygienic to use than the lip butters in a pot. The range consists of 4 sticks with SPF 15 and a hint of colour [shown above: Peach, Pink, Purple, Rose], and 2 colourless sticks- one with SPF 15 and the other SPF-free.
2) Korres Myrrh and Oligo-elements Nail Colour
Available in 16 shades [shown above: 05- baby pink, 06- pastel peach, 23- cyclamen, 27- purple, 53- pure red, 69- dark brown], I reckon it's going to be a best-seller, too. The colours look gorgeous, the packaging is perfect, the formula is long-lasting... I can't wait to get my hands on them!
3) Korres Make-up Brushes
When it comes to make-up brushes, I'm a little sceptical. Sure, the Korres ones look nice, plus each carton packaging of these has an inspiring design (I couldn't fing a picture big enough to show you)- but for me, make-up brushes are meant to be tested in-store before purchasing. These are not available in stores yet, so I'll have to wait for them to arrive before jumping to conclusions [shown above: powder brush, blush brush, eyeshadow brush, angled eyeshadow brush, lip brush]
4) Korres Herb Gloss Colorant
Ammonia, paraben, silicone, mineral oil, resorcinol and heavy metals FREE permanent hair colourant, covers grey hair, provides a glossy finish, works in 20 minutes, available in 32 shades... If only I dyed my hair, this would be the way to go! [shade shown above: 5.34 Light Chestnut Chocolate]
5) Korres Compound Creams
[shown above: Arnica For Bruises & Pain, Hypericum for Skin Irritations, Hamamelis for Varicose Veins, Ruta for Soothing] With these 12 miracle tubes, it feels that Korres has returned to its homeopathic pharmacy roots! Each compound cream contains natural ingredients that can aid to a specific skin issue. My eyes are on the Echinacea Compound Cream for Acne-Prone Skin that can be used locally to eliminate pimples.
So, what are your thoughts on these new products? Would you consider buying any of the above? I will definitely be trying some of them out, and I'll keep you informed of how they performed.
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
May I present to you yet-another-dupe-of-the-infamous-Mac-187-brush...
To those of you who are not familiar with Art Deco, it is a german cosmetics brand which pertains to the affordable ones. Among their best-sellers are:
* the Art Deco Eyeshadow Base, which I'm using at the moment and I'm liking a lot,
* the petite refillable eyeshadows that come in a variety of finishes and can be stored in...
* the so-called "beauty boxes" which are sold separately- these are plain, empty magnet pans in black that can hold up to 12 eyeshadows or 9 eyeshadows with 1 blush, or 6 eyeshadows and 2 blushes, etc etc (you get the point, right?)- but lo and behold, the limited edition ones are embellished with some beautiful patterns!
Back to the 187 dupe...
The site mentions it as "Brush for Illuminating Powder Finish", but that didn't stop me to use it with my liquid foundation, which for the time being is the Biotherm Aquaradiance SPF 15.
Flawless, I tell you... Actually, I don't own the Mac duo-fibre equivalent to make a decent comparison, but I don't feel I'll be spending any time soon 40 euros on a brush when the Art Deco cost me about 15! (To be honest, I'm most definitely to splurge on the 187, but I'm guessing that it will take me a loooooong, long time until then! I'm really satisfied with this Art Deco brush)
I know, I should probably have some pictures of the application...
In my defence, my veins on my hands looked so puffy and all swelled-up today that they resemble the arms of Madonna > _ <
Anyway... Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
That's right, layering your hair products will actually help building up volume.
Obviously, I'm not talking about layering shampoos, conditioners- that would be silly, but I had to clear this out :)
What I've found out from experimenting is that if you put some mousse on wet hair, then blow-drying it as usual, and then styling and spraying it with some hairspray, the volume achieved is so much more than using plain hairspray, and it's more likely for the hair to stay "big" for hours.
What probably happens is that the hairspray, after the mousse application, has some kind of a base to stick to, rather than clinging on fresh and crisp hair.
Currently I'm using a cheap Palette hairspray and a Got2B mousse- nothing special, except from the fact that the mousse smells of orange- hence the orange bottle ;) By the way, every Got2B product has a scent+packaging colour match- the red mousse has a strawberry scent, the pink hairspray smells of watermelon and the yellow maximum hold hairspray is matched with a citrus scent. Cute...
So, yeah... Layering does not always address on clothes!
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
If you've read my "best of 2009" list, then you already know that my personal favourite product that eliminates ALL traces of eye make-up is (so far) the Yves Rocher Bio-specifique Active Sensitive, which has a gel-based formula. But, due to my compulsive-buyer syndrom, I'm constantly switching products- whether I like them or not. Yeah, that's me...
Currently I'm using the Immortelle Eye Make-up Remover from l'Occitane (by the way, if anyone knows how to pronounce "Occitane" correctly, please let me know!), which works o.k., I guess... It is a dual-phase liquid, meaning that one part is water-based and the other oil-based, and the principle behind this is to shake them together, thus removing any kind of eye make-up.
Well, the impressive thing about it is that it takes quite some time for the liquid to separate, which is good if you don't like shaking the bottle every now and then- me, I like ;)
But... that's about it, I wasn't impressed with it.
Now comes the "fun" part; a couple of days ago, I came accross this post by BritishBeautyBlogger, where it stated that "...oils cause the lash bond to deteriorate".
And then it hit me, bam! (instant beauty alert)
That must be why I've been losing so many eyelashes lately.
As a matter of fact, I've previously had a small research on the web for the appropriateness of oils used in the eye area, and the opinions I read were ambiguous, to say the least.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting to stay away from oil-based eye make-up removers, since there isn't any scientific evidence on the subject. Personally, I will probably skip the l'Occitane cleanser and try a water-based one. I was thinking of Kiehl's, we'll see...
Recommendations are always welcome :))
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CBSG5861
Hello my lovelies!
Yep, this is my "Best-of" list for 2009.
Enjoy!
1. Blogging (obviously)
Where was I? I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this blogosphere- but man, I was missing so much all this time! Gone are the days when I was buying heaps of magazines, just to get informed about fashion and make-up. Nah, not for me anymore; what I appreciate the most is that whatever is written in a blog is probably more honest than what is published through magazines (hope I'm not being harsh with magazines, though...). Plus it's free (cheers!) and you get to meet all those lovely people.
2. "Comfort" Make-up
I'm so glad I've finally come up with a small array of products that do the trick of the "natural" make-up (well, as "natural" as my features allow it to get...) that boost my confidence levels to the limit. I'm telling you, there's nothing better than a "safe" look that will untie your hands on days when you don't have time to decide which products to choose from the bunch, or you just think that nothing suits you at the moment. I guess that it's the "make-up equivalent" of the "little black dress" ;)
3. Make-up Revelations; Eyeshadow Base, Brow Colour
Yeah, I was late on these... I have oily lids, and the old method of applying concealer with some loose powder lead to a lot of creasing. After the "Eyeshadow Primer Revelation", my eye make-up stays put for up to 8 hours with no touch-ups.
As for my brows, I never thought that colouring them with an eyeshadow was necessary- that, until I started testing it out. Now I can't leave the front door with my brows bare, it's officially a staple on my make-up routine! Currently I'm using the Art Deco Eyeshadow Base and The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit (both seen above).
4. Gel Eye Make-up Remover
I'm so proud of this beauty-related "discovery"! People, spread the word; the only product that can get rid of every-single-strand-of-any-stubborn-mascara is a gel-based one. So far, I've only tried the Yves Rocher Bio-spécific Active Sensitive (seen above), and currently I'm in search of a different brand manufacturing a product of this kind. Because you know, I don't stick to products, even if they possess a "Holy-Grail" quality- I'm obsessed trying to test every single product out there! But that's another story...
5. Matte Eyeshadows
After watching many "beauty gurus" on youtube who swear by matte eyeshadows, I started to recognise their virtues. Again, it was a revelation to me! The trick of accentuating your best features and correcting your not-so-great can never be achieved with shimmer, and this applies to the eyes, too. The only downfall is that the application requires some practise and brushes of good quality to blend the color evenly on the eyelid. Shimmering eyeshadows can forgive a novice hand!
6. Soaps!
I don't know how I got seriously into this. I mean, I was always using soap to cleanse my hands, but it was until recently that I came to worship it. Sounds freaky, eh... I love this retro feeling about soap; liquid hand soaps, shower gels, for me they don't stand a chance against this "je ne sais quoi" quality of a chunky bar of soap. Whether it is sold at drugstores or the high-street market, it has become one of my favourite everyday rituals. If a kind friend is reading this and is considering to buy me a present for any occasion, I'm begging you dear friend, get me some soap!
7. Candles in a Glass
Big, big fan of those. They hold a nice flame, spread a nice aroma and- most importantly- you don't have to place them on a special surface or having constantly your eye over them for preventing ruining your furniture. My mum went to ikea and bought 4(!) sets of these Tindra candles (shown above)- the white for cinammon, the light brown for caramel and the dark brown one for... well, brownies scent! Although excited at first, now I'm sick of them. Any suggestions?
8. Pull & Bear Scarf
I love wearing scarves, they add sth interesting on your bust area without exposing your chest to the freezing temperatures of winter! This one is my favourite, in my head it matches every single outfit- plus it has a light fabric that wraps around my neck nice and loosely.
9. David Gray
Oh, how I love this man... I was introduced to his music 5-6 years ago with the song "Babylon"- the meaningful lyrics, the calming melody, his unique voice... just divine. I got so excited with his new album release in 2009, called "Draw The Line". He seems to have evolved in a more mature way, both in terms of music and style- by the way, doesn't he look irresistible in that suit and that glance? Or is it just me? Anyway, please check him out on "Fugitive", which I still can't get enough- love it! To those interested, check his interview on Big Think.
10. Tommy Hilfiger watch
This was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend.
Need I say more? Apart from the fact that it instantly took a special place in my heart...
So, that's it with this list. Phew...
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!
CGSG5861
