My summer BEAUTY favourites! #1

Better late than never, right?

Alright, time to roll up my sleeves and get down to (blogging) business: these are all the beauty products I've been loving to use during past summer!

Starting with the makeup bits:

The only bronzer I've been reaching for was (surprise!) the Soleil Tan de Chanel- aka Bronze Universel. Honestly, I can't fault it- it has a lovely texture and its colour matches my tanned skintone to the T. For my eye makeup, I've been solely relying on Groundwork Paintpot by Mac, a new entry in my makeup bag. It swatches one shade darker than my skin and achieves that off-the-runway soft haze around the eyes... So pretty!

As for my go-to lipsticks, my most used bright lippie was Maybelline's Vivid lipstick in 902-Fuchsia Flash*. For all you bright lipstick lovers out there, you must! check out Maybelline's Vivids range; some of them are actually brighter than what Mac has to offer! As for my nude lip of choice, it was Altered Beige by Mac which was part of the summer Temperature Rising collection. It's a no-fuss, easy to wear nude that gives some dimension to the lips thanks to its subtle sheen.

Another new product that I (over)used during summer was the #79 neon red nail polish by Marel. Lemme tell you this, it's the brightest -and prettiest- neon red nail polish you'll ever come across with a €3 price tag! I would urge you all to go buy it but alas, we're already past the beginning of autumn... The one I've been wearing on my toes is the Max Factor mini nail polish in 49-Fuchsia Salsa*. Although purples and violets aren't normally my thing, this little guy would definitely fit in my top 10 nail polish list!

Quite an achievement for a purple nail polish, if you ask me ;)

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!

A (much needed) Project-10-Pan

I can feel it, this is going to be a year full of changes ;)
Following my decision to turn to pharmaceutical brands for my skincare,
here's a second commitment:

As the title of this post suggests, I'm starting a Project-10-Pan. I'm sick of my ever-growing makeup collection, it's ridiculous and it has to stop! So, along with a few tossing of some old and forgotten makeup products, I've put aside 10 that I must go through asap.

Now, some of you may cringe on the type of products I've chosen for this makeup ban-
but mind you, I've deliberately switched the "rules", in order to make it a pleasant experience overall and help me be 100% committed to it!

     Someone's cheating BIG TIME!

I know, I know- lip balms and tiny foundation samples shouldn't be part of a proper P10Pan... Believe it or not, I tend to wear less makeup nowadays, so much so that finishing all these products will actually take me quite a while! Here's another "twist" I've imposed on this project:

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

Getting my skin sorted at Kiehl's

Time for a cruel assessment of my knowledge on skincare:
...
...
...

Basically, I have none! From now on, I'm considering myself a skincare noob. It only took 10'' for me to realise my utter incopetence on skincare issues and that instead, I should leave it to the experts...

I'm referring to the skin consultation that Kiehl's offers at its clients. Granted, I was invited because of my "beauty blogger" identity and yes, it did make me feel extra special and spoilt, but please note that this is not a bloggers' exclusive thing: anyone can have a skin consultation at Kiehl's- free of charge, no shopping obligations.

So, what is this skin consultation?
It's a quick & easy, 10'' business that calculates your accurate skintype. The Kiehl's sales assistant takes two specific pieces of paper and places one in your forehead (the area where skin gets oily) and the other on the cheeks (which are usually drier than the T-zone). You hold these little cards on your face for 10'' so that they can collect data, so to speak, and then you compare the results with a little diagram that shows the amount of nutrients that are evident in all skintypes: Oily, Normal to Oily, Normal, Normal to Dry, and Dry.

Why is it important to take this test?
I'll speak from my experience: imagine a skin that's dehydrated, flaky and uneven in texture. How would you describe it? Dry? Normal to Dry, I hear you say? Yep, that's what I thought too... However, as the consultation test proved, my skin falls under the Normal category. *making a (mental) happy-dance 'cause Kiehl's tells me I have the best skin possible!!!* That means: no more heavy moisturisers that can clog up my pores, yes to mild exfoliators to heal the flaky areas on my cheeks.

See?
Had I not taken this test, I would have carried on loading my skin with oily treatments and skipping exfoliators altogether- because you know, dry skin doesn't do well with exfoliators... Or, so I thought!

After my skintype profile, I was presented with the Kiehl's products that my skin currently needs to look its best; the highlights being the Overnight Biological Peel, which looks like a transparent mask that you're supposed to sleep on and then wake up with glowing skin, and the intriguing Midnight Recover Concentrate that is all ages/ skintypes appropriate that also works over-night to repair skin from within.

And of course, I got to test the uber popular among beauty blogs, the Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment- all I can say is, now I see why this eye cream is being raved about over and over again! Think of a luxuriously rich, but easily absorbed formula that helps to brighten the area under the eyes due to the green tint... This one, I have to make it mine!

Most of all, this experience made me realise the significance of knowing your skin and treating it with the proper skincare rut it needs. It's such a simple, almost cliche statement, but of the utmost importance!

I was also given a goodie bag at the end of my appointment with a few Kiehl's samples to try out- and I did a little shopping myself! So, expect to see more of the brand in my following posts ;)

If you do get a skin consultation at Kiehl's, which in fact I urge you to do, let me know about your experience as well!

Evi   xx

Kiehl's LIP BALM #1: everything you need to know

My fellow lip balms lovers, this post is dedicated to you!
Ever wondered if the oh-so-famous Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is actually worth the hype? Well, you can stop wondering because I'm here to give you the ultimate 101 guide on one of the world's most popular lip balms ever made!

Hmmm, that came out too cheesy...
Take 2:

Because the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is so hyped among beauty bloggers, it's only natural to expect nothing but grandeur and perfection once you try it out, and in concequence be easily disappointed by the product. That's why I've collected all the facts and trivia about this lip balm, so you know what to expect beforehand.

Here we go:

1. The Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 has been around since 1969- keep that date in mind.

2. Without doubt, it's one of the brand's best-sellers; I've read claims of one lip balm sold every minute- or every 15 seconds, even one in 9 seconds! Whatever the case, this baby is selling like hot cakes for sure.

3. The 15ml tube packaging is the most popular format, but it comes in a 17gr jar as well. According to the website, we also have the option of the Scented Lip Balm #1 with fragrances like Coconut, Vanilla, Mango and Mint.

4. The packaging: it's a sqeezy tube with a screw-on cap. Some people are disappointed because there's no slanted applicator in the opening, which means that you have to sqeeze some product on your finger and rub it on your lips. To me, that's not all bad; I think it adds to the whole "retro" feel of owning and wearing this particular lip balm, so I don't mind.

5. The formula: the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is based on petroleum jelly; this is where the "glorified Vaseline" attributes begin. I personally find that statement quite harsh, and here's why: first of all, this lip balm doesn't pretend to be anything else- it reads "Petrolatum Skin Protectant" on the front. Secondly- remember the date when it was first produced? You can't expect a modern day formula from an old-fashioned lip balm. Lastly, the petroleum jelly enables the product to stick on the lips for the rest of the ingredients to act upon- namely Squalane, Lanolin, Almond Oil and Vitamins A and E.

6. Consistency: it's a transparent jelly with a yellow tint that melts on body temperature. I imagine that during summer heat, it's going to turn to liquid. It's also odourless and has no taste.

7. On the lips: it doesn't penetrate the lips (is there a lip balm that really does so?), it rather sits on top as a protective film. It offers a pretty shiny finish- not as glossy as a clear lip gloss, but a more muted shine that looks appropriate for that "no makeup" makeup look.

8. Much like the Elizabeth Arden 8-hour cream, the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 can also be used to heal cracked skin, treat dry cuticles, etc.

9. Now for the most important part of this post: some reviewers have mentioned that their lips got chapped after using this lip balm. I'm here to tell you that my lips got chapped, too. Does this mean that the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is a bad/faulty product? Absolutely not! You see, what happens is that it takes some time for your lips to get accustomed to petroleum jelly lip balms, if you've been using wax-based lip balms for a long time. Once your lips "acknowledge" the new protectant, the petroleum jelly lip balm will keep your lips healthy and moisturised. So if you experience some chapping, don't let it discourage you because it's only the transitional stage!

10. What you also need to know is that Kiehl's in Greece has lowered the prices for many of their products, including this lip balm! I got mine for around €10, which isn't as scary as I thought it would be.

     [Not to mention the loads of samples you're given at Kiehl's! It's their policy to be generous with samples in every single purchase,
     be it big or small like mine.]

To conclude, this is my verdict:

If you love collecting lip balms like me, the Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 is a must-have. The "cult" value of this product is hard to pass by! Simply put, you just have to be aware of its formulation and take it for what it is.

And kudos to YOU if you've made it this far ;)
Have you tried this lip balm by Kiehl's?

Evi   xx

A spring-ish kind of haul!

Thank goodness, the weather got finally warmer! Just the perfect excuse to start making excessive spring and summer shopping lists, am I right? I know, shopping won't buy you happiness, but it sure does help to put a smile in your face! Non?

This is my first batch of spring essentials!

   Here's the break-down:

H&M eyelashes: I think I came one step closer to rock the Louis Vuitton makeup trend for this spring! Now I need to put these to the test- someone ask me out somewhere fancy so I can wear ma falsies!!!
TBS Tea Tree concealer: despite feeling 100% satisfied with my old concealer, it was time to try something new. My girl Athina raves about this one, so I have a feeling I'm gonna love it ;)
Kiehl's Lip Balm #1: one of the most popular lip balms ever! Full review to come.
TBS Baked-to-Last eyeshadow in #04-Quartz: for the record, I only bought it for the gorgeous burgundy shade on the right... Expect a detailed post on all baked eyeshadows from TBS within the month!

Korres Pomegranate tonic lotion: you might have noticed that Korres has recently revamped all of their skincare range. I'm glad to see they've expanded the Pomegranate range to cater for combination to oily skintypes! My only gripe- this tonic lotion contains alcohol.
H&M makeup bag: I purposedly wanted to buy a teensy-tiny makeup bag so as to motivate myself to pack less makeup when I'm traveling. Thought it would be nice to feel like a "normal" person every once in a while ;)

Also, now that I grew accustomed to tinted moisturisers thanks to the Garnier BB cream, I've been thinking of getting a new one- any recommendations? Oh, and if your local TBS  has in stock their gorgeous Baked-to-Last blush, please do let me know! I've been dying to get my hands on it way before Christmas and I can't find it anywhere!!!

Anything you've shopped recently?
Do share!

Evi   xx

Kiehl's: some product reviews and an extra announcement...

For today's post, I thought of putting together some short reviews on the samples I got from Kiehl's two months ago ;)

Starting from my least favourite product and going up to my favourite...



Yerba Mate Tea lotion: please don't get me wrong, it's a lovely moisturiser for oily skin- it didn't break me out and it provided just as much moisture without my skin feeling greasy or tight. However, I can't find it on Kiehl's website so it might be discontinued, hence it's getting the first place of this countdown :(

Over-Night Biological Peel: I remember Lisa Eldridge mentioned in her skincare video that she loathes face exfoliants with scrubbing beads and that she herself uses an over-night exofiant with lactic acid from Dermalogica. This Biological Peel by Kiehl's is on the same line. It's meant to be used before bedtime and you're supposed to sleep with this on your face- but I guarantee you won't feel any itching or tugging or any kind of discomfort. This 5ml sachet lasted me for 10 generous applications and when I was through with it, my skin was a lot calmer and even in tone- plus I noticed a significant difference on my pores' size!

Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped body butter: omg, that's pure lush... I can't think of a better way to describe it! Its texture is really whipped, you can see the air bubbles in the jar! It applies so rich and silky on the skin- and its scent, oh goodness... Just addicting! The 226 g jar may be pretty expensive for a body moisturiser, though the "you get what you pay for" quote couldn't be more appropriate: this body butter feels expensive and smells expensive. In a good way, obviously ;)

Now for a special announcement:

I've been informed that Kiehl's is going to host a Christmas party at Hondos Center Kolonaki where all proceeds from sales will be going to charity! Yes, all proceeds; in this case, Kiehl's will be donating the raised sales' fund to the "Eliza" Society for the prevention of cruelty to children. AND the sales assistants of this event will be no other than hip personas like Giorgos Karamichos, Dimitris Skarmoutsos, Eleni Psychouli and my fave- Alex Kavvadias!!! AND if this wasn't enough, there's even going to be a choco-fountain!!! *drools and searches kitchen cupboard for leftover chocolate*

          Click to enlarge for more info!

I'm so gutted I won't be able to make it as I'm taking an early Christmas vacation (hehe), I'm depending on your feedback from this event! And if you do get to see Alex Kavvadias, please take some extra pictures for my behalf ;)

So, who's planning on going to Kiehl's Christmas party?
Are there any products from Kiehl's you'd recommend? Do share!

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"Save the Donkeys" with Kiehl's

Yesterday evening, Kiehl's hosted a fun event at their corner in Hondos Center Glifada, in order to raise awareness for equine welfare in Greece. Anyone could attend it so I thought, why not?

And it was a double joy as I also got to meet two fellow greek beauty bloggers- Tina from All the Vanity and Arietta from Stripes and Scarlets!!!

    Tina, Arietta and me! photo courtesy of Arietta

As I'm so unfamiliar with these kind of events, at first I thought
"yeah yeah, we're gonna stroll around for like 5' and then go off for some chatting and shopping". Wrong! There was so much going on, so many lovely people to talk to, so in the end we stayed there for over an hour ;)

This is what we did:

We had a taste of "donkita" coctail -a mix of carrot juice and lime syrup with a shot of vodka and a celery straw- accompanied with these cute cupcakes...

We got to stroll around the Kiehl's stand and look at all the products with no sales-assistant-supervision on our back! A shopper's dream!!!

Then Giota came to our call and kindly informed us about the new products by Kiehl's and offered us samples specified for each of our skin types. I normally keep such samples for when I'm travelling but with these ones, hell no!

We were also informed from the people at ΕΣΠΙ (Hellenic Society for Equine Welfare) about the donkeys' abuse that seems to be the fixed state in Greece. Now I'm not the kind of person to shove animal rights activism on anyone's throat, but the stories we heard of maltreated donkeys really touched my heart. It would mean a lot if you took a look at their website: www.greekhorseprotection.gr

It was also exciting to see some celebrities as well- we spotted the fashion designers Orsalia Parthenis and Deux Hommes, Vicky Kagia, Alexandros Parthenis and many more- but, the highlight of my day was...

...when I got to meet and talk to Alex Kavvadias!!! *faints*



    photo courtesy of Arietta

Alex needs no further introduction; for my international readers, he is the former leader of rock band Matisse and now he's going solo; you can listen to his latest single here. He was so down to earth and willing to take a pic; I was giggling like a little girl and thinking to myself
"omg! omg! omg!!!" lol
I'm officially an Alex groopie from now on!

And here's a little Alex eye candy, back with the band Matisse:



All in all, I had a great time thanks to Kiehl's and Hondos Center! There are going to be two t-shirts sold for 15 E at the Kiehl's counters which are specially designed by Orsalia Parthenis and Deux Hommes for the Kiehl's "Save the Donkeys" campaign; all profits will be donated to ΕΣΠΙ for the protection of donkeys and horses from abuse.

Oh! and in case you want to see a really akward photo of me and the girls posing like pre-celebrities in front of the "Kiehl's Kiehl's Kiehl's" wall, click here...

I told you it was akward! tehehe

P.S.: I know this post contains some pics with my mug, apologies for that... I'm not pretending to be a massive socialite or anything, but these photos were kindly taken by my friend Arietta and I look much more presentable in these pics than any photo I could take with my own camera, so there you go... Spare me some vanity please! xx


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