Exploring Greek brands: Erre Due Wet&Dry sparkler for cheeks

Hi lovelies!

This post is going to be first in a series on Greek high street make-up products.

The reason behind this?

It's simple:
I've come to a decision to explore those well known affordable brands like Seventeen, Erre Due and Radiant- because, as of now, I'm only familiarised with their nail varnishes...

I'm really hoping that their products can compete the likes of drugstore brands like Maybelline, Bourjois, etc.- but I can promise you this, I'm not going to be all "soft" on them, just because my mind set is in their favour.

I have high hopes for this project, so I hope I'll discover some great
make-up products from Greek brands-
because after all, there's nothing better than supporting your country's companies!
And here's my little complaint: other than Greek companies doing well at their sales statistics,
it would be so nice to see a "made in Greece" tag on a Greek make-up product...
For the record, the majority of Korres make-up products are made in Italy! Why?!?

This time, I headed to the Erre Due stand.
I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected variety of product formulas and colours!

Now, Erre Due makes baked (or, dare I say mineral?) blushes and eyeshadows that they claim they can be used both wet and dry-
which I won't argue, but (and do correct me if I'm wrong) water ruins all powder compacts, so I'm not willing to waste my blushes or eyeshadows with water in any case...

As you can figure out by the post's title, I opted for a baked blush.

Although I was immediately hit by this particular colour,
I admit I had a hard time choosing between the available 12 shades...

So after a significant amount of time, I settled to this:

    #410, a beautiful orange baked blush with a hint of gold shimmer

   Pros:
* the clean-cut transparent packaging
* contains 2 gr of baked product
   which is fairly decent, considering that the Bourjois pot blushes (which seem to never end!) contain 2,5 gr
* very pigmented!
* easy to blend on the skin
* its golden shimmer is very subtle,
   so it works perfectly fine even on skin with visible pores
* fairly long lasting
* 12 shades to choose from
* it's made in Italy
   obviously, it's not made in Greece- but come on, it could be a lot worse!
    The common "made in EU" tag always alarms me about the product's backround...

   Cons:
* hmm, its price? I paid around 13 euros for it and I must say,
   for a greek "affordable" brand like Erre Due, it feels a lot...
   The similar Bourjois blush pots are definitely cheaper than that!

Let's see how it compares to other orangey blushes from my collection:

    Clockwise from top left: Seventeen blush, Elf blush&bronzer compact,
    Erre Due blush, the Body Shop Peach Shimmer Waves 

   Left to right: Seventeen blush, Elf blush&bronzer compact,
   Erre Due blush, the Body Shop Peach Shimmer Waves

As you can see (left to right),
the Seventeen swatch is weak in pigmentation.
The Elf swatch is light and matte looking,
the Erre Due blush is the most pigmented of all,
and the Peach Shimmer Waves compact is the most shimmery of all.

So, would I recommend this product, or any other shade from the range?

Yes. And no.

The Erre Due baked blushes are very well made and they definitely
deserve a peek.
They have passed my quality standards for a blush, but I think they're a
tad overpriced.

I truly believe that, with the economic austerity we're faced nowadays, the Greek companies should lower their prices for competitiveness reasons.
Why would I pay 13 euros for a blush by an "affordable" Greek brand, when I can have a Mac blush for around 16-17 euros?
(provided the 25% sale Mac offers frequently)

So there you go, these are my thoughts on this product.

Have you tried any of the Erre Due Wet&Dry sparklers for cheeks?
What are your ultimate faves from Greek make-up brands?

CBSG5861

Tea tree oil to combat acne!

Hola, chicas!
Sorry for being MIA during past week :(

I'm back with a product rave,
this time about the Body Shop's Tea tree oil!

But first, some trivia about tea tree oil:

It is is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia.

Tea tree oil contains a substantial element called terpinen-4-ol, which is thought to be responsible for most of tea tree oil's antimicrobial activity.

Because tea tree oil can kill bacteria, applying it topically to acne lesions has been thought to kill Propionibacterium acnes, the skin-dwelling bacteria that is involved in causing acne. Source

Now, tea tree oil shouldn't be used as is, and this is really important. Undiluted tea tree oil can cause serious skin irritations! The best recommended solution is 5-15% tea tree oil diluted in water, grapeseed oil or even alcohol.

The Body Shop's Tea Tree oil is not 100% undiluted oil; it's a ready-to-use solution of 15% pure tea tree oil mixed with water and alcohol.

So, did this product work for me?
Yes!

Since I've used it, I've noticed major improvement in my skin's appearance. I'll explain myself:

• If applied after picking an acne spot (yes, you shouldn't pick your zits but let's face it, sometimes you can't go out the door with a white pimple on your forehead, ewww!!!), this product helps to disinfect the spot and keep the infectious bacteria from spreading around my face.
• It definititely helps to dry out pimples, thus aiding in their faster healing.
• You know how some acne treatments sit uncomfortably on your face, "tightening" the skin on the areas you've applied it and making it dry and flaky? It won't happen with this product, as it contains tea tree oil- but it doesn't feel greasy either. It's quite pleasant to use, if you can tolerate its strong tea tree smell.

The best way to use it is to soak a cotton bud with this solution and apply it on spots after your night skincare routine.

I'm still unsure about the alcohol factor (does it help to dry out spots? does it makes skin more sensitive? I can't make up my mind about it...)- nevertheless I find this product a keeper, since all other products I've tried which are aimed to treat acne made my skin much more worse than it was at the first place...
I'm referring to Garnier's anti-spot roll-on, Korres cinammon&thyme gel, even homemade remedies with lemon... The list is endless!

So, do you have any holy-grail products for treating acne?
Let me know, as I'm always looking for the next best thing out there ;)

CBSG5861

And the winner is...

Hi loves!

Quick-quick post for today to announce the winner of my little giveaway ;)

The lucky girl is...


Drumroll, please...

Blushingloves!!!!!

Congratulations, sweetie!
Please send me an email during the weekend with your full address, so I can send you the package ;)

The lucky number (19th out of 38 participants) was generated with randomizer.org, sadly my computer couldn't capture the evidence :(

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this giveaway!
Have a nice weekend, girlies ;)

CBSG5861

Talking about chocolate...

A totally random post for today, cause I feel like it ;)

Now come on, admit it:
you're a chocolate w**re and you're lovin' it!

I won't lie for myself; if chocolate was a man, I would marry him right away!
Me, who feels kind of iffy about the whole concept of marriage...
But that's another subject- K. if you're reading this, I still love you baby!

I think of chocolate as one of God's most exceptionally soul-pleasing flavours, and sometimes I wonder how those ancient civilizations like the Greeks or the Romans lived their lives without ever having tasted any of chocolate's goodness!

     Nope, chocolate didn't have a part in Julius Ceasar's diet...

Facts about me and my relationship with the aforementioned God's food:

1. As much as I enjoy eating chocolate truffles, I don't usually opt for chocolatey desserts. If I had to choose between a moist and gooey chocolate brownie deep-dish and a good old-fashioned lemon cheesecake, I would go for the latter.

2. Same goes for bars of chocolate- I don't loathe them per se, it's just that I'm more fond of small chocolate treats rather than a whole bar of chocolate that makes me feel full just by the look of it...

3. I've also come to realise that I don't fancy those mass produced (and world-wide advertised) chocolate candies like Mars, M&Ms, Kinder chocolates, etc. I'm sorry to spoil it to their fans, but this stuff isn't the real thing... It's pure sugar with a hint of chocolate essence :(

4. Nevertheless, I don't say no to the old-fashioned Ion Noisetta or Paulidis Tzokonda chocolate sweets, as I have grown up with those cult flavours; a bite of these brings me back to my innocent childhood years, when my grandparents used to treat me with these ;)

5. The best (in my opinion) widely available chocolate candy is Baci truffles. They have the perfect balance of bitter cocoa, sweetness and praline flavour. Oh, and the little sheets wrapped inside the candy which read famous sayings about love can't be overlooked, either! I'm always in the hunt of Oscar Wilde's paradoxal quotes ;)

Now, I'm not gonna hide any longer;
the reason behind this euphemistic post on chocolate is this:

These are little treats that my sister brought from her trip to Belgium!
The cute little box with the red rose on the lid is aaaaall mine!!!
Ain't gonna share it, sorry mum...

She also brought some mouth-watering Godiva truffles but there was no evidence left to photograph it, we ate it all!

Now tell me your chocolate favourites, I'd love to know!
I hope I didn't make you crave for something sweet in the middle of the night, I hate that feeling...
Especially when there's nothing sweet in my cupboards :(

CBSG5861

January favourites!

Hi lovelies,
this is a post on past month's most used and loved make-up products!

I always enjoy reading this kind of posts-
so if you have done a similar post on January's favourites,
please share your link below so I can read it ;)

   Onto the products:

TBS Brow/Liner Kit: an excellent product with 2 powders that can work beautifully for brows, as well as for lining the eyes or as crease colours. I'm sure it will last me for years, too! Honestly, I couldn't fault this product; but if I really wanted to be picky, I'd say that the "made in Thailand" tag puts me off a little, as well as the fact that there's only one shade group available in my country (I've seen 3 shades on the UK site).

TBS Brow/Lash Comb: a handy little tool that distributes brow powders more evenly. Love it ;)

TBS Brow/Lash Gel: I simply love this product, it has become a staple in my everyday make-up routine! Brow powders are fine but they can make brows too flat-looking; a little brow gel on top gives them some texture and holds the hair in place.

Eyelash curlers: they're from a brand called Elegant Touch, apparently it's the UK company with the Paris Hilton eyelashes... I got them because they were dirt cheap, something like 4-5 euros. They do the trick though, so no complaints ;)

Manhattan Mousse blush: I love the simplicity behind this type of product; you simply take some with your fingers and spread it on your cheeks- no brush, no fuss. This one gives a "warmer" look than my beloved lip/cheek stain from the Body Shop, which sometimes can look too cool-toned.
TBS Brush on Bronze: I simply can't get over how much I love this product, every single time I use it. Its shimmer particles are so tiny that make it a dependable bronzer/highlighter for daytime, even on faces with visible pores like myself! Be warned though, it falls under the orange-toned bronzing powders...

TBS Tea Tree oil: another brilliant little product by the Body Shop that has helped my acne spots; more about this product on an upcoming post ;)
TBS Concealer Pencil: I have used and loved this concealer for more than a year and I've never given it some blog love! It provides great coverage and is so handy to throw in my handbag for touch-ups during the day. I only use it on acne scars though, it can look too thick if applied under the eyes.

What products have you been loving during January?

CBSG5861

Quick update and a shout-out, please check it out!

I'm terribly sorry for being absent from Blogger these past few days;
I had planned to write so many posts but, alas, I got sick...

I'm feeling a lot better now, so I thought of getting back to you ;)

Please excuse this quick and random post for today;
tomorrow I'll be back with a proper post, photos by me and everything!

One quick shout-out before I go:

If you're greek, chances are you already know about the freakin' amazing Vasilis Theotokis, aka Glamournessmygod.

In case you haven't heard of him before, he's a greek make-up artist who did some hilarious make-up "tutorials" on his Youtube channel. I strongly urge you to check him out, his English cracks me up everytime I watch his videos!



He has recently made his own website, Glamourness.gr, where he also does some funny "celebrity makeovers" and some new make-up videos in Greek.

So that's it for today, more posts to come- starting tomorrow!
Mwah :*

CBSG5861