My summer BEAUTY favourites! #2

Be patient with me guys,
this is the last "summery" post until next year- promise!

The following are some pretty amazing budget-friendly products that I discovered the past few months and been meaning to share them with you, so here they are!

I have to admit, the (already popular) micellar lotion by L'Oreal excited me the most. If anything, it's a clear example of a good marketing strategy; if companies like L'Oreal can produce good-quality formulas that were otherwise only sold in pharmacies, while offering them at a dirt-cheap price, I think this is something to write home about.

Needless to say, this micellar lotion is fantastic at removing makeup and works like a charm at removing all mascara bits too- I'm already hooked on it and I've also turned sis into a convert! Hence the back-ups you see in the above pic ;)

My face sunscreen lotion of choice was the Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50, which has a

dry touch formula and is suitable to oily/combination skin that needs products with a matte finish. It's a brilliant sunscreen, although it gives the inevitable white cast to the face (nothing that a tinted moisturiser or a lightweight foundation can't cover).

The non-spf moisturiser I've been loving to use during summer was the Garnier Hydra Match for dull complexions; it has a gorgeous texture that almost feels like high-end moisturisers do (in fact, it reminds me a lot of the Biotherm Aquasource that was once my holy-grail face cream).

Now, technically my hair can't count as a "favourite" per se, but do allow me to show you the ombre job I did a couple of months ago- which if may I say so, it looks fabulous:

My everyday FOTD!

Hello beautiful people!
Here's a short post on what I slap on my face every day ;)

Above all, I'm a creature of habit. There's nothing I hate more than standing each morning in front of a mirror with a bag full of makeup products, trying to make a decision on what to put on my mug to disguise the "I don't wanna wake up!" look...

Of course, I enjoy experimenting with makeup- though nowadays I only do it on evenings when I have time to spare and indulge into each step.

Since I'm a renown lazy **s, I've been following a quick&easy routine that translates to a natural face with a certain piece de resistance. That means: a light coverage foundation worn with a bit of bronzer, eyes bare from eyeshadow, and a kick-ass red lipstick...

Giveaway: Garnier MIRACULOUS OIL x3!

Yep, you read that right:
it's yet another giveaway on the much-talked-about Garnier hair oil!

I know that you've already seen many of such giveaways popping up on beauty blogs- but believe me, you don't wanna miss a chance to win the new and fabulous Miraculous oil! I truly believe in this product (click for my review), so I'm thrilled that 3 of you will win Garnier's Miraculous oil ;)

Here's all you have to do to enter this giveaway:

1. You have to be a public follower of this blog through GFC (Google Friend Connect). This giveaway is targeted to my readers only; if you want to follow my blog, it's easy and it's free! Just click the "Join this site" blue button on the top right column.
2. Leave a comment on this post with your GFC name (the name with which you're following my blog) AND your email address, so I can contact you in case you win. Simple as that!

If you'd like to earn some extra entries, you can follow the next steps (optional):

1. Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post, and state your Twitter username in your comment. +1 entry

2. Publish a link of this giveaway on Facebook, and state your Facebook username in your comment. +1 entry

The giveaway is open to residents in Greece (apologies to my international readers!) until the 27th of April. Then I'll pick a random winner through Randomizer.org.

Good luck to all that take part in this giveaway!

Evi   xx

Edit: the 3 winners are: ΧΑΡΙΚΛΕΙΑ, dimitra and Marilena Kat

A little GARNIER lovin'!

When was the last time you've fallen in love with a beauty brand?
That's me now, falling head over heels with yet another L'Oreal sister company...

It's no news that Garnier is quickly evolving into the #1 best-selling brand of the mass market; their products are affordable, innovative and deliver their claims, all while the name tag "Garnier" echoes vibes of sunshine, happiness and lots of smiles!

Personally, I'll go as far as to say that Garnier has grown into one of my most loved beauty brands- not only for the reasons mentioned above, but also because their products keep up with the latest customer demands that call for more natural ingredients and less controversial substances like parabens.
[In case you haven't noticed, all new Garnier products contain no parabens.]

But enough with the blab, here are my current Garnier favourites!

First things first, the Garnier Miraculous Oil* has been my go-to hair treatment to use right before blow drying. Up until now I didn't have much faith in hair oils to be honest; but then I met this guy, we "clicked", and since then me and him go together like peas and carrots! Seriously though, give it a try and you'll love it as much as I do: it's rich in pure Argan oil that nouriches and protects the hair with a weightless, non-oily veil of moisture. You get shiny, smooth hair in a matter of seconds, what's not to love about it?

Some new entries: skincare, accessories, and a concert ticket ;)

Hola, beautiful people!

Ahhh, I'm in such a bloody good mood these last few days, so much so that the excitement is killing me! Why, you might ask? Well, you'll see what I'm talking about at the end of this post. But before that, here's my most recent haul ;)

Starting with the skincare bits; are you ready for a bold statement?
Here goes:

I think I've finally found my HG skin saviour.

I'm dead serious, the Avene Cleanance K cream made my skin look practically flawless! Expect to see a whole 'nother post dedicated to this bad boy- I'll give you a little teaser info: it's a gentle chemical exfoliating treatment. I love it to bits!

I was also in need of a new everyday face wash with exfoliating micro-granules, so I opted for the Garnier Pure Active Daily Energising face scrub. This stuff has a fantastic fresh/zingy smell that wakes me up every morning! And then there's a couple of essentials from the Body Shop, namely the Vitamin E cream cleanser + Vitamin E eye cream,

both of which are repurchases. Hey, old habits die hard!

This is a Zara necklace which I bought yesterday, and I really need your help:
is it a keeper, or not?

See, I'm currently loving the "chiffon shirt, skinny jeans and a statement necklace" look, and Zara is the only place with eye-catching necklaces that don't cost the world. Yet, I'm not so sure about this purchase... I'm loving the looks of it, but how many times will I get to wear this mofo? What do you guys think?

October '12 favourites.

Whoosh...
There goes October. One month closer to Christmas. Eeeek!

Judging from last month's favourites, my love for makeup has been officially revived; I've reached the point where BB cream+blush was simply not enough! Hence, the following good lot of makeup products. There's also a couple of hair treatments thrown in the mix, to go with my new ombre hair!

*** Don't ask: it was a fine experience overall-
still, the final outcome came out so natural that it barely looks any different =( ***

Alright, let's start with the makeup!

My lipstick of choice was the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Boy (click for review), its rosy colour is so appropriate for autumn days! But the ultimate stand-out was the new Maybelline Fit Me concealer*. Good coverage without being cakey, blends easily under the eyes and covers dark circles thanks to its slight orange undertones. I'm filing this under "products I would repurchase"!

I've also had a good use of the Mac Lingering brow pencil and I'm loving it to bits; brilliant waxy texture that helps to hold brow hairs into place! For my eyeshadows, I mostly used these few matte shades from the Body Shop in Vanilla Cream, Pink and Granite (click for review). Shimmer on the lids during dark and cloudy days can sometimes look a bit "off"! I'd much rather give some life to my face with a bright lip instead.

Which brings me to my quick fix...

Choosing an eye cream: I need your help!

Time for some serious talk on Lipstick Wardrobe.
No, really.

After what seemed like forever, I finally used up my Elderflower eye gel. So this time, instead of settling for yet another eye cream from the Body Shop, I spent the last couple of days browsing online for a nicer alternative. And whad'ya know, there's so many good ones to choose from!

That's why I need your help:
I've narrowed below a few eye creams that sound promising- and because I value your feedback, I'd love us to have a little chat on what to look for in an eye treatment.

To make things easier, I've divided them in 4 groups:

1. The first ones that came to mind were the usual suspects: Kiehl's Avocado eye treatment, Clinique All About Eyes and Origins GinZing. With the exception of the latter which promises to brighten and depuff eyes, the rest couple of eye creams are pretty humble in their claims, talking only about providing enough moisture for the under-eye area. Which I don't count as a con; in fact, the less the claims, the more likely it is for the product to do what it's supposed to!

My favourite body lotions for summer!

I admit I'm not a sophisticated buyer when it comes to bodycare products: anything that claims to do the job on the cheap while smelling nice, that's all it takes- I'm sold!

As far as body lotions go, I like to have different ones for each season according to their scent; because in my mind, I can only use a rose body lotion during spring or one that smells of spices in winter.

These are my picks for summer months:

See?
Mass-marketed, easily accessible body lotions that don't break the bank ;)
Each of them offers lightweight moisture to the skin, while having a crisp, green scent.

Garnier Intensive 7 days with Aloe Vera: Garnier was lacking in the body lotion department for many years, so this new range filled the gap nicely. What's remarkable is that they cater for 4 different skintypes; I chose the one for normal skin with Aloe Vera extract. Now, I haven't tested the 7 days claims- who could spend a whole week with just one application? Apart from that, it has a luuuvely cream-to-gel texture and a fresh scent, albeit a tad floral.

Dove Go Fresh Nourishing body lotion: I had to get this body lotion if only for its smell, the Dove Go Fresh cream bar is one of my most loved soaps! It's a lightweight green-tinted cream that offers adequate moisture to normal skin, with some extra menthol for that cool, tingly feeling. Smells distinctly of cucumber and green tea. Love it.

Vaseline Aloe Fresh light feeling lotion: this is probably my favourite body lotion of the bunch! In my opinion, Vaseline makes excellent body moisturisers for their price tag. This Aloe body lotion screams summer, period. It's such a pleasure to apply, the aloe scent is easily classified under "omg" category- I even adore its cheap packaging! In contrast, the Vaseline Aloe Gel was a let-down: while it felt oh-so cooling on the skin, I found it offered very little moisture.

Without a doubt, I would repurchase all three body lotions, despite the fact I love trying out new products. Goes to show you how much I love them! However, if I was somehow forced (?) to pick just one, I would definitely favour the Vaseline Aloe body lotion over the rest.

Have you tried any of the above products? Were you satisfied like I was?
If you favour another body lotion for summer, by all means let me know!

Evi   xx

June '12 favourites.

I hope you're not sick of these monthly favourites posts yet;
as much as I'd love to prepare a "products I've used up" kind of thing, I don't seem to finish anything! Well, anything apart from deodorant, toothpaste and soaps- but that's not fun talking about in a beauty blog, now is it?

For the most part, June was a month of no-makeup days: once again, I felt the need to go as "natural" as possible and wear less makeup products. That, and the fact I didn't have the time or the energy to do more elaborate looks...

That's why this attitude is reflected to the products I used the most during past month:
it all came down to the ones that were quick and easy to apply, while looking effortless.

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1: my go-to lip balm during June; I had purchased it during my
Kiehl's skin consultation appointment, as the one I was using in the tube form is prone to melting under summer heat. You wouldn't believe how little I paid for this: €8 for 17gr of product, that's insane considering the Korres Jasmine lip butters are priced at around €6 for only 6gr! I've already documented my love affair with this lip balm, you can read the full review here

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick in Baby Lips: as you can see, it's on its last legs... This is pretty much a clear lip gloss that feels minty-tingly on the lips and is a pleasure to apply because of its foam applicator. I'm actually surprised this lipgloss by Elf made it to my favourites list with no Mac lipstick on the side! Read my full review on this product here

Garnier BB Cream, dark: this has saved me from looking somewhat ghostly whenever I mixed Strobe Cream with my foundation! A tiny blob of this baby and, tada- skintone went back to normal. I really love mixing the dark BB cream or the light version with my foundation, it makes me feel like a little makeup connoisseur that does things other than the norm... *

Max Factor Liquid Effect pencil: this is hands-down the best eye pencil I've tried so far. It's so creamy, so pigmented, sooo easy to smudge, and when it sets it acts as waterproof! This was part of the Max Factor makeup bag that Yiannis Marketakis personalised for each blogger over at Makeup Lab, and the one that impressed me the most. *
Note: Please let me know if you'd like me to make a post on the rest Max Factor makeup products I was given; I gotta admit, I always feel a bit "guilty" when I show off products that were given to me for free... But if any of you would be interested in these Max Factor goodies, leave me a comment and I'll make a separate post for you ;)

Radiant Blush Colour #102 Apple Brown: it seems odd I've been enjoying wearing this autumnal shade of blush during June- however, on days when the only products I had on my face were foundation and mascara, this blush colour made my cheeks look warmer, without looking fake like the rest of my bronzers do whenever I have no eye makeup on. Such a pleasant surprise by a product made in Greece, it definitely deserves its own post!

Mac Prep+Prime Highlighter, Radiant Rose: I tried layering it on the high points of my face over foundation, and I loved it! On retrospeck, the yellow version would suit me best- I blame all the Youtube gurus that went on and on about how "brightening" pink-toned concealers look under the eyes, and I got screwed... Nevertheless, it's a handy tool to give some dimension to the face without messing with contouring.

    Swatches of the Max Factor eye pencil, Radiant blush, Mac Prep+Prime Highlighter

That's pretty much everything I loved wearing during June! I know, they might not be as exciting as colourful eyeshadows or bright lipsticks- let's hope July will be all about coral lips and turquoise eyes ;)

Now, share your favourites with me: what have you been loving lately?
Do you have any experience with the Radiant makeup brand? Let me know!

* Products marked with a * were given to me for free. I'd rather mention it every single time I feature a free product- mind you, this is not a given these days... Sharing my honest and truthful thoughts on these products, I woudn't let it be any other way.

Evi   xx

Sunbathing with Garnier Ambre Solaire Golden Protect!

My darlings!!! How you've been?
After a short hiatus, I'm finally back to my everyday routine and internet service- for the life of me, I couldn't stand being offline for any longer!

But enough with the nagging:

As you may have guessed from the title, last weekend I went for my very first sunbath of the season! Guess who was my pal for making my pale skin look a little bit more presentable? The new and amazing Garnier Ambre Solaire Golden Protect sunscreen!

I'm gonna say it straight from the beginning: this was given to me for free, since Garnier values the bloggers' feedback on their products- however, I'm pretty positive once I run out of it, I'll purchase it myself!

So, what's the beauty behind this sunscreen?
I'll sum it up in five points:

1. The broad spectrum SPF: as you may already know, Garnier sometimes benefits from the L'Oreal laboratory patents; one of their latest innovations is the Meroxyl SX, the first and only sun filter that protects from short UVA rays. This is very important (and I only found out about it a couple of weeks ago in this article Tina wrote for Beautytalk.gr), because UVAs are the ones that cause wrinkles, skin aging and cancer- all that good stuff...

2. It's tinted! See the following photo? Granted, it won't give your skin a bronzed tint like a self tan does, but it helps to balance out the natural sun protecting ingredients that leave a white cast on the skin, making it look paler than it is. One word of notice: because of its slight tint, this sunscreen might temporarily stain your towels.

3. It's glowing! Which means that the skin looks prettier and a bit more golden and overall healthier. Below I've taken a photo of my legs after a generous coat of Garnier Golden Protect, scroll down to see it ;)

      Left: Golden Protect sunscreen and a blob of (white) face cream, for comparison
      Right: heavy layer of the sunscreen. It glows, alright!

4. The smell: O-M-G. To me, the scent is its big selling point. Think of a floral monoi scent, mixed with a bit of exotic coconut and a dash of that sunscreen smell that gets you going, come summer? I don't have to wear a separate perfume when I'm wearing this on my body; I urge you to give it a sniff next time you're in front of the Garnier sunscreen racks!

5. Its price. Officially, the SPF30 version costs €14.49- although I've spotted it in my nearest super-market for only €10. Using an affordable body sunscreen means that you don't run the risk of sparing it and applying too little product, thus not offering your skin the adequate sun protection it needs.

     See? Ma legs glow under the sun!

To sum it up, the Garnier Golden Protect sunscreen has got to be one of the most pleasurable products I've come across lately. If you're looking for an affordable body sunscreen that offers reliable sun protection while making your skin look prettier, this is the one for you!

So, tell me: what's your experience over the years with the Ambre Solaire sunscreens?
Are you in favour of affordable or expensive body sunscreens?

* Product was provided by Garnier. That doesn't affect my opinions: I'm staying true to my lovely readers, as always!*

Evi   xx

April '12 favourites.

Alright, I don't think I can make a new intro for this month's favourites post- so, straight to the products it is!

The Garnier Ultra Lift Cream+Serum* served me well as my go-to moisturiser during April. You might ask, do I need an anti-wrinkle/lifting face cream? Obviousy not, but I tested it out anyway and I'm happy to report that the Ultra Lift range has been improved a lot over the years (guess who used all the available magazine samples when she was 20!). This one needed a good massage to get fully absorbed, but when it did, my skin was softer and visibly smoother in texture. Now, would I recommend this product to a friend? Hmm, only if you're looking for an affordable moisturiser for mature skin. My views on skincare have started to change, so personally I think I would be willing to pay a little extra to get maximum results from a lifting cream- when I'll get at that age group! *brrr, shivers*

For my daily eye makeup, I rekindled my love affair with The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes #06- such an  oldie, but goodie! The bottom two shades are my favourites, although I've started to experiment with the rest copper-bronzey shades (worn with a silver base underneath to counteract with the shadows' orange hues). This is most likely going to be my quad of choice for this summer! As for my going-out makeup, I've been loving the Baked-Eye-Colour in #04-Quartz; I'm telling you, this duo is THE BOMB!!! Take it from a person who loathes pink eyeshadow: this combo is a must-have, burgundy combined with pink make for one of the prettiest eyeshadow looks I've ever seen. For real!
I've already swatched it for an upcoming post on all baked eyeshadows from TBS, watch out for that if you're interested ;)

Lastly, I finally found out the best way to use the Elf Studio Warm bronzer: wearing each colour separately, rather than swirling a brush onto every colour. Oh, can you see I scratched the surface? Yeah, no product would come out if I didn't... The Elf expiry dates must be pretty accurate, so use your Elf products while they're new!

Now tell me, what have you been loving during April?

*Product was provided by Garnier. I'm not affiliated with the brand and I wasn't compensated in any way- heck, I wasn't asked to publish a review on it! Sharing my honest opinions, as always; my loyalty is to my readers.

Evi   xx

Winners of Garnier BB cream giveaway!

Hi lovelies!
Apologies for the delay of uploading this post-
though better late than ever, right?

Soooo without further ado,
the lucky ladies that will receive a Garnier BB cream are...

Ντινάκι
SophiaPeaches
MenI
Stavrolino
mariza

Congratulations girls, I'm so happy for you!!!

   There were 48 valid entries out of 53; I used randomizer.org to draw
   five random numbers. The latter represent the 1st, 19th, etc.
   valid entries, starting count from the top.

Thank you all for taking the time to enter this giveaway!
There's gonna be lots more in the near future- so if you didn't win anything this time, you'll have another chance really soon ;)

Evi   xx

Garnier BB cream giveaway!

I have some exciting news for you today:

Garnier has kindly sent me 5 BB creams in shade 02-Light,
which are all up for grabs!!!




   You can read my review on the Garnier BB cream here-
   in a nutshell, I love it.

As always, I'm keeping the "rules" quite simple.

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is:

- be a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect-
  just click the button "Join this site" at the top right of this page!
- in the comments section below, write ENTER ME with your GFC name
- please include your email address as well, so I can contact you
   in case you win ;)

Giveaway is open internationally until 26-1-2012;
then I'll pick a random winner through randomizer.org.

Disclaimer: if you're under 18, please take your parents' permission for entering this giveaway.
Also, all invalid entries will be disqualified, so make sure you follow the rules correctly ;)

Good luck to all!!!

Evi   xx

December 2011 favourites!

December was a month of rediscovering some long forgotten makeup products that I'd left unused for quite some time- or rather "shopping my stash", to quote Lollipop26 ;)

Guilts (of owning too much makeup) aside, I very much enjoyed this whole process of going through my collection, swatching this and that, and picking up a few products to add them to my everyday makeup basket! It almost felt as if I was in a cosmetics store shopping for new makeup acquisitions... But I digress.

Having a pink kick lately, no doubt!
This is the 4th customised Elf palette that I've filled with eyeshadows from the Body Shop- can't stress enough how much I love these! Wearing pink eyeshadow still feels a bit uncomfortable (wouldn't want to look like "girly girl" any time soon) but I'm getting there! Another rediscovery during past month was the pink Shimmer Waves compact by TBS; I've been loving to wear it as a highlighter or on its own, its shimmer is so fine and non obtrusive. Yet another underestimated product by the Body Shop!

I also got one step closer to the perfect lip combo for smokey eyes:
Mac Creme d' Nude lipstick topped with Au Naturale mineral lipgloss by Elf. To me, Creme d' Nude screams to be worn with lipgloss on top; this lipglass clone by Elf warms it up and gives it some dimension. Now I need a coordinating lip liner for some definition, recommendations are welcome ;)

Skincare wise, I've been wearing the Garnier BB cream* almost daily- given that it provides very low coverage and my skin is far from being flawless, I'm surprised that I've been opting for this one instead of my usual liquid foundation. Hmm, that's clearly an indicator to get a new one! The Aloe night cream by TBS healed my skin from some dry patches- finally, thank God! Now I'm thinking of purchasing the Aloe moisturiser with SPF to wear during the day.

I'll end this post with my boyfriend's gift for Christmas- a white gold necklace that can be worn in two ways. I like it, I'll wear it, I'm so grateful for Kostis who's spoiling me like this, but... I wish it was something I had chosen myself. Is it lame to ask him for a specific jewelry piece on my birthday in March? Answer me with a "no", please!

*Edit: forgot to mention the Garnier BB cream was sent to me for free. Oops!

So, what have you been loving during December?
It could be anything, be random!

Evi   xx

Garnier BB cream: 10 FAQ

As you may have already noticed, Garnier is offering greek beauty bloggers with prereleases of their new and anticipated BB cream, so here's my take on it***. I decided to compose my review in a 10 FAQ format, so you can skip the parts you're already familiar with ;)

1. What is a BB cream?
BB cream stands for Blemish Balm; it was first formulated by German dermatologist Dr Christine Schrammek during the '60s and was first marketed as a post laser surgery treatment to protect and soothe the patients' skin, while offering light coverage on acne and surgery scars. In recent years, BB cream gained popularity in the Asian markets, after it was renamed as the Korean actresses' secret to flawless skin. Western markets are now following the trend, with high-end brands like Mac, Lancome and Clinique releasing their versions of BB cream.

2. What are the Garnier BB cream claims?
"Miracle Skin Perfector. Daily all-in-one BB cream.
Immediately perfected skin:
* Evens tone + boosts glow
* Blurs imperfections
* Smoothes fine lines
* 24hr hydration
* SPF 15 UV protection"

3. What it really offers for my skin?
These two thick-looking, intimidately dark blob of creams spread out incredibly easy, leaving skin plumped and moisturised. Its mineral pigments cling on the skin, providing a natural tint that brightens and evens out any shallow areas. The finish is quite dewy, which makes it an excellent dry/dull skin enhancer. The fruity-floral Garnier scent is there, but in a more subdued way.
In short: your skin, but better.

4. How much coverage it provides?
Coverage is very sheer- it won't hide blemishes and acne scars as the photo on the cardboard box suggests. However, it does an excellent job at evening out the skintone, thus aiding in a healthier appearance.

5. I have oily skin. Is this product for me?
It depends. Bear in mind that this product can't replace your everyday foundation, in the sense that you can't rely on the Garnier BB cream to wear it for 10-hours straight at work while still looking nice and neat; you'll end up with a greasy, blotchy mess. However, it is lovely for a natural and low-key makeup look.

6. Which shade should I go for?
If you're fair-skinned, opt for shade 02-Light. For deeper skintones or tanned skin, shade 03-Medium is best. Don't be alarmed by my heavy swatches, I can assure you both shades are extremely blendable; compared to my olive skin, my mum has an almost porcelain skintone and yet the 02-Light shade is a perfect match for both of us. Although sometimes I cheat a bit and wear the 03-Medium shade for a warmer caramel glow (along with a scarf worn tight on my pale neck, ha!)

7. How is it meant to be used?
As it's sufficiently moisturising, it's best to be used on its own rather than on top of a face cream. You can apply a little powder on top, if you want to take away some of the shine. You can apply more layers if you wish, or you can blend it with your foundation to sheer it out- the list is endless.

8. Is the Garnier BB crean comparable to Korean BB creams?
Well I can't answer this issue with certainty, as I haven't tried a proper Korean BB cream. The main difference between the two is that the latter offer a higher SPF and skin-brightening pigments the Asian customers are after. Coverage varies among Korean BB creams, though I've seen some beauty gurus replacing their medium-to-full coverage foundations with BB creams. To me, the Garnier BB cream looks more like the new-generation "5in1" tinted moisturiser rather than a western blemish balm replica.

9. Where can I get it?
The Garnier BB cream is currently available in Hondos Center stores located at Ermou str., Omonoia square, Maroussi and Piraeus. But don't you worry, it will soon be available in all HC stores across Greece ;)

10. How much does it cost?
Retailing price is 9,99E in the aforementioned greek cosmetic stores.

To conclude my review, I 100% recommend you to try out the new Garnier BB cream. I appreciate more than anything the fact that it's
so affordable and easily accessible- saves us european girls from shopping online for those premium Asian brands!

As long as you keep in mind that you're dealing with a "5in1" tinted moisturiser that will improve the appearance of your skin but it won't make for a flawless blemish-free face, you won't be dissapointed by this product.

Back to you: have you tried any Korean Blemish Balms?
Are you intrigued to get the Garnier version of BB cream?

***Products were provided by Garnier for review purposes. I'm not affiliated with the brand and I wasn't compensated for this review. These are my honest opinions; my loyalty is to my lovely readers!

CBSG5861

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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