Elf review: Natural Radiance Blusher

After a couple of orders at Elf's website, I came to agree with the rest of the reviewers that claim the Elf products are a "hit or miss" thing. Nevertheless, they still appeal to me as there are sooo many products to choose from and in such amazing prices!

This time I'm reviewing a product from the "Essentials" range, the Natural Radiance Blusher in Shy.

     Pros:
* the shade I got is matte- and you know how hard it is to find an affordable matte blush...
* the colour I got is fantastic, it's a pretty baby pink shade that guys love! And it compliments olive skin like no other, from now on it's officially my top favourite blush colour. Ever!
[FIY, it is said to be a dupe for Mac Wel Dressed blush]
* costs only 1,70 €, a bargain by definition.

  

    swatched                                     blended

     Cons:
*  the joke of a packaging! I almost cried when I first tried to open it, really tested my patience there... FIY, the top part slides over the pan :/
* the size- too small for my brushes to pick up some product!
* only 2 gr. in it, although I can't really complain for the given price...
* medium staying power
* medium pigmentation (which may not be a bad thing for makeup beginners)
* and if the above weren't enough, it's a little chalky when applied...

    Look at the back... Cheap-o!!!

     Size-by-size comparison with my pressed powder compact...

But all in all, I do recommend the shade I got- it's only 1,70 € and the colour is so pretty, I'm more than contempt with my purchase! Although I can't speak for the rest of the shades as they're shimmery- with the exception of Innocence which must be too light to show up on the average Mediterranean skintone.

Would you try out a blush in this colour family?
Which is your favourite blush- ever?

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A skincare experiment; the results

Remember this?
It's been 6 months since the skincare experiment I did in an effort to make my skin a tad closer to flawless, so now I'm here to share with you my experience:

What I did was cleansing my face with the Vitamin E soap and massaging my skin with the sponge disc, both twice a day.

Week 1: the results were just amazing! My skin was blemish-free and as smooth as a baby's bottom, I thought I had hit Holy Grail material in a dirt cheap price tag!

Week 2,3: my skintone was getting brighter. I noticed my cheeks looked healthy- flushed but in a natural way.

Week 4: this is when things started to go bad...
In short, I was over-exfoliating my skin and let me tell you, it's a very thin line between gentle and rough exfoliation... I was left with a horribly dry layer of skin that left me no choice but to borrow my sister's 8-hour cream, close my nose to endure its dreadful scent and slap it all over my face. Eventually, this top film of dry skin peeled off- bless you, Elizabeth Arden!

So after my skin disaster, my advice is this:

never go too hard on your skin. It's always better to start with a mild exfoliant and gradually progress to a more thorough cleanser. Always listen to your skin and act accordingly.

But enough with the patronising talk...
Do you use any tools to exfoliate your skin?

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Mac Gently Off Eye and Lip Makeup Remover

When it comes to eye makeup cleansers, I'm the last person to appreciate the virtues of oil based bi-phase liquids; they claim to take off all traces of eye makeup fast and easy, but you can't avoid the oily residue afterwards. So naturally, I was expecting to loathe this product.

As a matter of fact, I wasn't impressed when I first used it, as it didn't do much at leaving my lashes mascara-free. Well, it turns out that it wasn't the cleanser the one to blame but the mascara itself- the formula was almost waterproof and as such, it was a pain in the **s to properly remove it! Now that I've switched mascaras, I can write up my honest thoughts on this Mac cleanser:

I love this product. Since it's oil based, it takes off all eyeshadow traces with a single swipe! Regular mascara, no problem- easily removed with a few strokes. Excellent performance, I'll tell you that...

You may now add that hey, all bi-phase removers work exactly the same, both drugstore and high-end ones! But let me explain what it is that most cheap eye makeup cleansers fall short of:

When you shake the Mac eye makeup remover, water and oil mix to produce a semi-white liquid. The X factor lies on the fact that it actually takes some time for the two formulas to separate, and that I think is what sets apart a drugstore and a pricier eye makeup cleanser. Cause if oil and water separate within two seconds, you end up with traces of water here and some oil there on your cotton pad... Oh no, the liquid has to be unified until it reaches the cotton pad!

To conclude, would I repurchase this product?
Very likely so, although I'm more keen on my trusty Yves Rocher cleanser that takes everything off without leaving an oily film.

So, what's your favourite eye makeup remover?
What are your experiences with oil-based products?

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My new haircut

I hate negleting my blog...

Lately, it seems I've been busy with all kinds of stuff that left me feeling like a wreck, unwilling to make a little post of happy-happy subjects like lipsticks and blushes!

Things are pretty hectic this time of year... And I hate that.
%X&#Q$@&!!!  --------> yeah, this is cursing... Heavy cursing, indeed! lol

So among other errands that occupied my time, last week I had an appointment at a hair salon. Cause it must have been about 2 years (!!!) since I last had my hair cut by a professional. And I've been feeling like I couldn't step out of the house with my ever-so-messy cut, so it was about time my hair had a major fix.

Long and messy, which was cool but I couldn't maintain it properly...

I wanted a low-cut voluminous bob with a fringe, something sophisticated like Alexa Chung's hair. Yeah, Alexa's hairdo was what i had in mind...

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Instead, I got Jessie J.

I don't know what went wrong- probably I was over-confident with my directions and the hairdresser took it to a whole new level! It will take some time till I get used to it, sob sob...

So, do you have any hairdresser's disasters to share?

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The Wonder Water!

Teaser:
what do Napoleon, Goethe and Richard Wagner have in common?

Your blog friend is here to tell you why:
all three were avid fans of the 4711 cologne!

Now, hopefully I've got your attention for this old fashioned fragrance-
because that's what this lengthy post is all about!

History of the perfume: during 1792 in the German town of Cologne, a Carthusian monk gave Wilhelm Muelhens the secret recipe for an aqua mirabilis, a wonder water to be used both internally and externally. The name "4711" came from the building's address number where the perfume was produced during the French occupation.

What initially got me interested in the 4711 cologne is this:

It is said that Napoleon, requiring 5 gallons of this cologne monthly, wanted to own the recipe- so during the French occupation, he ordered all internal medicine formulas in Cologne to be made public. Muelhens, cleverly enough, decided to stop market the product as a health supplement and proclaimed it to only be used externally as a perfume.

Then rumors got around that 4711 cologne was Napoleon's favourite, and the fragrance quickly became a hit during the 19th century. The exact recipe of Muelhens' Wonder Water is still in production today!

The fragrance: head notes are bergamot, lemon and orange, while heart notes consist of lavender and rosemary- all in a neroli base, which is produced from the blossoms of bitter orange tree. Altogether, they make for a clean, bittersweet citrus scent that is instantly recognisable!

The bottle: in 1820, the Molanus bottle was invented; its six-sized design enabled for easier storage and transport. The cult blue and gold ornamental label is not only an artwork masterpiece, but it also protects the cologne from being exposed to sunlight.

What I think of it: the 4711 cologne has got to be among my favourite purchases of 2011. I like the fact that such a historic piece is so widely available, in the most affordable price- I paid something round 13 euros... Yeah, clearly it has lost some of its old prestige!

My mother tells me stories of her being a kid, my grandmother bringing her gifts of this cologne back from Germany, when she and my grandfather used to work there to feed the family back in Greece. Can you imagine how much of a novelty this beautiful glass bottle was considered back in those days? Besides that, my adolescent years were marked not only by this fragrance but all kinds of citrus colognes, so common to Mediterranean countries. In fact, I can't think of another fragrance composition that encapsulates the essence of Mediterranean summers!

This old-fashioned perfume is not for everyone, and I can see why people refer to it as an old lady's cologne. But still, it's a nice addition to any perfume collection, just for the history behind it.

And big hugs if you made it thus far! lol

What do you think about the 4711 cologne? Have you tested it?
Do you fancy the type of aqua mirabilis perfumes?

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1/9/2011 haul; and I found a new hobby!

It was a hot and humid day, today.
And what better way to keep my spirits high than beauty hauling!

Seriously now, I don't need any excuses to shop on beauty products...
Just thought that ANY introduction than the meaningless "hey, look what I got" is always nicer!
No? Didn't work? Eh well, I'm still working on my English writing skills :P

Garnier 7-days body lotion with Aloe Vera: I'm so glad Garnier improved their bodycare line and came up with this! Anything with aloe vera "hits a nerve" on me, so naturally I was sold the minute I saw it on the shelves...

TBS Elderflower eye gel: back in my teens, I would dream of becoming older so as to be eligible to use this particular product! That's right, the Body Shop got me hooked in their skincare so early in age... I've read mixed reviews about it though :/

Apivita Bee Princess bio-eco lip care: tres, tres cute! I finally spotted it on my closest Hondos Center, as it was sold out in all pharmacies near my place. Specially packaged for little princesses, like myself! lol

Korres Mandarin lip butter in Pink: a repurchase! Mentioned it before and I'll say it once again: I simply adore the new revamped packaging of the Korres lip butters in the stick form. I'd also love to see a similar pattern on Jasmine lip butter...

TBS Seaweed face scrub: hmmm... Not that it's crap, but it seems that it has the same liquid base as the regular Seaweed cleanser with the sole addition of Jojoba stones... Not very thoughtful, if you ask me!

Apivita face mask sachets with Prickly Pear: what can I say, I'm hooked to Apivita's express masks! No further explanations here...

And to justify the latter half of this post's title:

Ta-daaa!!!

It's a pocket-size sketchers' box filled with 12 water colours.
Yep, I'm gonna start playin' all smart and sophisticated, strolling around the city and capturing the moment with my charming drawings...
*pukes from excessive cheesiness*

Ok, it's not as exciting as bungee-jumping but suits me fine!
I'm the extreme opposite of a thrill-seeker at heart ;)

What are your hobbies, old and new ones?
I'd love to know!

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