Getting ready for summer: Mac Vegas Volt lipstick

This is part 2 of my hunt for bright summery lipsticks ;)

You see, I had no choice...
My dear Pink Nouveau couldn't hang out with Creme d'Nude and was beginning to feel depressed from resting alone in my lipstick drawer- cultural differences, both say...

All jokes aside, I must confess that my plans were different:
I desperately wanted to try out the amplified creme finish, so I headed to Mac with the intention of getting Impassioned- as it looks so "now" and modern.

But when I looked at Mac's lipstick stand, the coral-ness of Vegas Volt caught my eye...

    Can you blame me?

Look at that gorgeous shade!
I can't think of another lip colour that encapsulates the essence of summer better than pure coral...

   

I can see myself wearing it day after day during summer; it must look so stunning on tanned skin along with clumped lashes and bronzed, illuminating cheeks...

Just perfect!

*In the end, seeing all those recent posts on Impassioned lipstick (like Bubblegarm's and Mouldyfruit's), I'll probably be snatching that as well ;)

**Tell me, how many times have you been out on a shopping spree, only to end up with completely different items from what you have planned to purchase?

***3rd and last sidenote: I bought this lipstick at 13,50E from the Mac corner at Hondos Center. There's no point paying the full price (18E), since the store's 25% sale periods occur pretty frequently. More on that matter here ;)

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Elf review: Brightening Eye Color

Disclaimer: the title isn't wrong, that's exactly how "color" is spelled in every Elf product containing that word.
Am I the only one who thinks it's wrong? Or is it ok to spell it like that in the US?

Elf sells this eyeshadow quad as a part of their 1$ line, which comes in 18 different combinations.

     Elf Brightening Eye Color in Brownstone

I have mixed feelings about this product.
This is why:

   Pros:
* the price, obviously... At first glance, you get 4 complimentary colours for 1,70 euros. Sweet ;)
* since it's so cheap, you can buy multiple quads and experiment with so many colours, without spending much.
* I found the darkest shade (a flattering, very dark cool brown- almost black) to be an excellent colour to smudge over my black pencils, as sometimes a black eyeshadow smudged on top can be too harsh for daytime.

   Cons:
* the compact is very small! At 5.5x4.5 cm, you can barely put an eyeshadow brush to pick some colour...
* ... but once you do, be prepared for some major fallout- as the powder is not firmly pressed...
* ... which also means that the eyeshadow won't last on the skin! That's funny, you need an industrial-strength primer to wear under a 1,70E eyeshadow!
* texture aside, the shades I got were very... blah. They all seem to have some bits of shimmer, which completely disappear once applied on eyelids, leaving an unattractive matte finish- with the exception of the darkest shade.

    Swatches of the colours, after a lot of swipes...

In the end, would I recommend this product?

Honestly speaking, I don't want to sound like a tightwad by discouraging everyone from buying this quad- after all, we're talking of a 1,70E value here...

I'm just saying that, despite that it has the worst quality for an eyeshadow I've fallen across, I discovered a shade of brown which I absolutely love and will continue to use.

In other words, this eyeshadow palette by Elf is a nice and cheap way to experiment with colours and for ex. figure out which shades of brown eyeshadow compliments your eyes best- because there could be hundreds of variations on brown eyeshadows in the market, but you're bound to look good in only a handful...

As a sidenote: after this purchase and my previous H&M palette, I've come to realise that eyeshadow is a field you have to spend money on, if you really want your money's worth...

So, do you own any of these Elf quads?
Which make-up products you spend money on?

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2 unconventional (but amazing) make-up tips

One thing I enjoy the most about blogging is coming across brilliant little make-up tips that are simple enough to incorporate on my everyday routine.

However, here I'm not referring to the common tips the web is abundant with (like "use a primer to make your foundation last throughout the day"- duh, thanks Sherock Holmes!), but to those that push the boundaries of applying make-up...

These are 2 of them:

1. White pencil under concealer:
the principle behind this tip is that white is the only pigment that provides coverage- the combination of yellow and pink pigments which are mixed with white to make the foundation/concealer shades, they do just that- shaping a foundation shade, not offering coverage.

So in this tip, you're making use of the pencil's white pigment before the application of concealer on the eye area for extreme coverage and luminosity. I've learned that tip through an article from Catanya's blog- if you haven't checked it out yet, you HAVE to! She has a series of step-by-step photos on how to perfect this technique ;)

2. Sleeping with eye make-up on?
Yep, the famous Australian make-up artist Rae Morris herself suggests just that! But not any kind of eye make-up...

You know when you've been out at night wearing a heavy smokey eye that you remove before going to bed, but then you wake up the next day with smudged liner/mascara under your eyes? Well for once, don't listen to the little Mr Monk inside you and just clean up the residue around the eyes, not the lashline. What you'll be left with is those tiny dots of eyeliner smudged on the lashes, which are a pain to remove in the first place, but they define the eyes in the most natural and undetectable way!

Watch out at 7.06'-7.36' when Rae Morris shares that particular technique:



So, do you have any other "unconventional" make-up tips to share?
If you do, please post them below- I'd love to read them!

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A skincare experiment

This post is on a little experimental switch to my skincare routine-
and if it succeeds, then my views on treating skin are going to change forever.
p.s.: please excuse the dramatic tones of the above statement... It's true, though!

Just for reference, my skin is combination to sensitive, with the occasional break-outs and the red scarring they eventually leave behind.

So, after the Clarisonic craze and the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser ongoing trend, it seems like it's not the cleansing product (foam or cream, it doesn't matter) that actually cleanses the skin, but the exfoliating tool that you use in conjuction with it, twice a day.

As for the cleansing product itself, it might as well be that it doesn't have to be fancy, with strong but potentially irritant ingredients and harsh exfoliating grains.

For these reasons, I bought the following products as the "beginner" and pocket-friendly option:

The Body Shop Vitamin E facial cleansing bar: it's marketed for normal to dry skin; I chose it because of its few ingredients (=less chance for the product to irritate my skin, maybe?), and it smells so great! It costs around 4 euros.
Natural sponge disk: it came in a pack of 4 at about 3 euros. When wet, it exfoliates the skin ever so gently-which is what I want for an everyday use.
Korres Guarana exfoliating glycerine soap for the body: so I bought this because I'm starting to realise that, just as anti-wrinkle creams won't save you from wrinkles, an anti-cellulite cream won't remove the orange peel just by the use of it. It costs 4 euros, too.

After a good amount of trial on these products, I'll be back with the results on my skin and my verdict ;)

What are your thoughts on using exfoliating tools on your everyday skincare routine?
Anyone having tried the Clarisonic or the Liz Earle cleanser?

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Elf review: Hypershine Gloss

This is the first review on the Elf products from the first batch I got some time ago.

Before I go on with the product, I'd like to point out that since Elf is sold only online, all those bloggers' reviews on the Elf products can help heaps a potential buyer/customer to decide on which products to order. The more blog posts on Elf products, the better- me thinks!

So girls, if you've made any reviews on Elf products, do let me know by sharing their link in the comments section below ;)

Enough with the small talk,

I'm going straight to the point of this review:

    Elf Hypershine Gloss in Bubblegum

I like this gloss.

But please read why:

    Pros:

* first and foremost, its price! It costs 1,70 euros, or 1,50 pounds in the UK, or 1$ in the US (!)

* the packaging is pretty decent for the price

* the twisting mechanism ensures that you don't waste a single drop of the product

* it has a light-feeling texture, no "sticky feeling" on the lips whatsoever.

    Cons:

* it contains mineral oil- so if you're staying away from petroleum-based ingredients, stay away from this product!

* it has a strong, sweet scent. It doesn't bother me much though, but some may find it sickening...

* although you don't waste product with the twisting mechanism, it only contains 1,5 ml of gloss!

* it's so sheer on the lips that it looks almost clear... Personally, I don't have a problem with this, as I can make it work aplying it over my nude lipsticks. See the swatch below...

And I particularly chose this shade (bubblegum) because, after all the blog posts I've seen on the Elf Hypershine Glosses, this one seemed the most pigmented of all. So you can imagine the pigment pay-off from the rest of the shades...

In the end, would I recommend this product?

Yes- but only if you're looking for a sheer gloss to add some shine on top of lipsticks. With it being so dirt-cheap, you can easily throw it in your handbag and not worry in case you lose it; let alone the fact that sometimes, you just don't want to ruin an expensive gloss by wearing it to the local open market, lol!

But if you're looking for a well-made and pigmented lipgloss that can be worn on its own, skip this product.

Also, please bear in mind that the Elf products are made in China, hence their low prices- so the compromises you get from them are a matter of course and well justified.

So, what do you girls think of the Hypershine Gloss?
Do you have any favourites by Elf? Let me know ;)

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February favourites!

So, past month was pretty busy-
make-up wise, I couldn't bother with eyeshadows on my morning errands,
and as you can see...

    ...the focus was on cheeks and lips!

Erre Due Wet&Dry Sparkler for cheeks in #410: I've blogged about this lovely product here. In case I was misunderstood, I'm not bashing it; it's the price tag that keeps me from jumping around the house from excitement, lol!

Seventeen Waterproof lipliner in #14-Pure Red: I was pleasantly impressed by this product, it's definitely among the best lipliners I've ever used! More about that on an upcoming post. I like to combine it with a reddish balm, much like the next one...

Korres Mandarin lip butter stick SPF 15 in Rose: you already know I'm a huge fan of this Korres line of lip balms in the stick form; but now I've fallen in love all over again thanks to their revamped packaging! Every balm has its own pattern on the cap, and the typewriting on the twisting mechanism is just lovely. Korres, you did an excellent job at redesigning these cuties ;)

Elf Hypershine Gloss in Bubblegum: I really enjoyed wearing it during past month, and I suspect its low price has a lot to answer for that... Is it the little "bargain lover" inside me who takes great delight in the Elf products? I hope I'm not the only one experiencing that!
Korres Wild Rose concealer: it took me a while to figure out the best way to apply it (always using new product by twisting the wand, blending it quickly on the skin), but finally I've come to realise that I love it. It provides high coverage for both under-eye circles and the occasional spots.

Now, I've kept the best item of the bunch for the end...

You're looking at Pink Nouveau by Mac,
swatched as a... cream blush!

I wonder why I didn't think of this sooner... Those bright lipsticks with a drier texture look absolutely beautiful when worn lightly as a blush! I'm making a mental image of how Morange or Impassioned would look on the cheeks- and I'm lusting after them even more! Now that spring is on its way, I'm going to make a lot of use from this old-school trick ;)

So, what were your most loved products during February?
Have you ever used your lipsticks as cream blushes?

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Twas the night on my B-day...

...when I had to do a crapload of stupid projects for Uni...

I did a small break to celebrate with the family-
we had a nice meal at home, topping it off with a mouth-watering
Oreo cheesecake...

And then, back to studying. Boo hoo...

So yeah, my birthday was pretty hectic this year...
Thanks Uni for keeping me busy with these ridiculous chores!
Best gift, ever...

On another note, look at those hot studs who celebrate their birthday same day as me!


Yeah, baby... Jon Bon Jovi at his best ;)

Daniel Craig with a beard! OMG!


Chris Martin looking cute...

Last month I was out of my usual routine,
always on the move and neglecting my little blog...

Hopefully I'll make up for it during March,
next post is for February's favourites!
Oh, and expect reviews on my first Elf batch ;)

Kisses to all   :* :*
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