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 ;)

Lipstick Wardrobe's SUMMER wishlist!

Gah, I can't believe spring is gone already!
Predictions say it's going to be a scorching summer this year- excited much?

In all honesty, I'm not a summer kind of girl, though I'm determined to do my best and be 100% prepared for when showing (plenty of) skin is ultimately inevitable. If only breaking free from such insecurities was an easy task...

But that's another story ;)

So, here are a few of the things I have my eye on at the moment!

1. The Body Shop Spa Fit body scrub: one simply needs a good quality body scrub, come summer. This one is supposed to make skin look and feel firmer, plus it smells of citrus (score!). Although, being aware of a few reviews claiming it's not that exfoliating, I'll try my luck at asking for a sample...

2. A neon yellow nail polish: look at this picture of a french manicure with neon yellow tips- gorgeous! Surely there are dirt-cheap neon nail polishes out there, but I'd love to try the ones by China Glaze. Anyone know of a store that stocks China Glaze?

3. Maybelline Color Show nail polish, Go Go Green: if its promo pic is true to life
- green chartreuse - then I gotta have it!

Onto my lipstick lust list:

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...

A rant on MAC & its practices that ruin all the fun...

Do excuse my bitterness today;
I needed to get this short and informal post published as soon as possible!

After a week's delay from its official release date, the Mac Archie's girls collection finally arrived at our stores. Which technically is more than a month past its release in the UK.

Now, I may have managed to locate and ultimately purchase the one thing I really wanted from this collection (Veronica's Ronnie Red lipstick), and yet something has turned me off from this whole limited-edition business.

12 for 2012: LIPSTICK WARDROBE's favourites!

It's probably late to blog about last year's favourite products, my apologies!
Twas so hard to narrow them down to just 12- hence the delay...

2012 was pretty hectic, and I'm glad it's finally over. Despite all that, one of past year's positive aspects was that I managed to discover some great beauty products which have already gained a "staple" value in my collection. Here they are!

Surprisingly, 9 out of 12 are makeup related-
gee, someone needs to experiment more with skincare, body and hair stuff!

Citrus colognes will always have a special place in my heart. I've now come to use one every single time after the shower for a quick pick-me-up; 4711 cologne has been my favourite. Since its scent dissipates within 20 minutes, it means I'm the only one who can enjoy it while people around me don't notice I smell like a 80-year-old grandma! lol

I've also discovered one of the very best city sunscreens in the market, the -wait for it- Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection. Brilliant for oily skin, non-greasy, and packed with antioxidants. If only it was a bit cheaper... The Body Shop Vineyard Peach body butter* is one of my recent addictions. There, I sait it! Seriously, I'll cry when TBS decides to discontinue the Vineyard Peach range, it smells exactly like the real thing!

Now for the makeup bits! Maybelline Fit Me foundation and concealer* were the absolute winners of 2012 and I'll definitely repurchase both. The foundation's finish is fresh and dewy, and the concealer has that peach undertone that suits my complexion to a T. The brush that I apply my foundation with is the Art Deco duo fibre brush; I've had it for more than 3 years now and it looks as good as new, so it deserves its place in this list ;)

As for the blush in the photo above, it's none other than The Body Shop blush in Toast, a versatile matte peach/tan colour that can be paired with any lipstick/eyeshadow combo. But whad'ya know, it's been discontinued! *sob sob*

MAC Patisserie lipstick: a love/hate thing

I didn't know how to call this little review-

it's not a rave, and then it's not quite a rant. So let's call it a hot and cold testimony!

I've been using Patisserie lipstick by Mac for more than six months; I'm still not getting it. Tanya Burr made me want it so bad, that's mainly the only reason I bought it. It's got some lovable qualities for sure, and yet it doesn't feel "right" when I wear it...

Do you ever get that feeling with a makeup product?

Anyhoo, this is my first Mac lustre lipstick and I can't say I'm impressed with the lustre formula at all. I know it's everyone's favourite, but in my opinion there are so many brands that do sheer and glossy lipsticks so much better than Mac! Unless, of course, Patisserie was a bad example of a lustre. In which case, I'd like your suggestions on the nicest, prettiest Mac lustre ever ;)

On to the swatches...

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...

Collective haul: La Roche-Posay, Mac, Erre Due, etc.

Well well well, it's been four months since my last haul post;
that's quite an achievement!

If you know me, you'll be surprised by how little I've been shopping lately, cosmetics-wise. To be honest, I kinda enjoy it: it feels as if I've tamed my addiction and turned into a "normal" consumer. Seriously, this is EVERYTHING I bought during the last couple of months!

It's a mixture of some essentials, a couple of toiletries-
and a little makeup to sweeten the pot ;)

La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes: to everyone that commented on my eye cream post, thank you for making me come to my senses! I admit I was inclined towards Retinoids and eye roll-ons at first, though after reading your comments I realised that a good-quality moisturising eye cream was the best bet. I chose this one purely because of its ingredients: Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid fractions? Swell, count me in! Paid: €18,10

Syoss Anti-Grease Dry Shampoo: isn't it a shame there's only three or four dry shampoos available in our stores? Booo... Rather than saving my hair from washing, I bought it in order to infuse some volume at the roots of the hair. By the way, if you happen to know any tips&tricks on the application of dry shampoo, do share! Paid: €4,80

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

Mac Strobe cream, a review

You asked for it, so here it is!

Without a doubt, Mac Strobe Cream has grown into a makeup favourite of mine. I can finally achieve that "dewy" skin that everyone speaks of, without having to change my normal foundation!

But this is definitely not the only virtue of Strobe Cream.
Let me explain:

First of all, Mac categorizes this product under skincare, since it offers some moisturising action while carrying lots of antioxidants. Now, its moisture is not adequate for Strobe Cream to be worn on its own with no other face cream underneath- however, it doesn't make the skin look drier than it is, which some highlighters do.

There are many ways to use Strobe Cream; I've tried wearing it under/over foundation, though my favourite way to use it is by mixing it with my foundation. The finish it gives to the skin is like an opalescent glow, nothing like a shiny/sweaty layer: it has a sheen rather than shimmer (let alone frost or glitter), and because its glowing particles are pink/purple based, Strobe Cream does wonders to dull complexions, making them look brighter and healthier.

Below I've taken photos of some swatches, so you can see how it translates on the skin:

You may fear that since Strobe Cream is fairly cool-toned, it won't be appropriate on warm-toned complexions. I don't think that's the case: once it's mixed with foundation, it ceases to look "pinky". I would also assume its fine glowing particles don't make the pores on the skin look larger, but as we're dealing with a moisturising highlighter, it probably isn't the best match for oily skin.

Other things to mention: it looks amazing when worn in photos, as it gives that needed dimension to the face without looking greasy or shiny. And a word of notice: mixing Strobe Cream with your foundation may slightly lighten its tone, so you may have to consider mixing in a tiny blob of a darker foundation to bring it back to normal.

I should finally stress out that if you want to give Strobe Cream a go, skip the full-size 50ml version: it's made of a hard plastic that makes it difficult for the product to come out of the nozzle! Instead, opt for the squeezable 30ml travel size, and save yourselves those extra €€€.

So, have you tried Strobe Cream?
Feel free to share your favourite liquid highlighters in the comments below!

Evi   xx

May '12 favourites.

Surprise, surprise! Hear this:

There will be no makeup products featured in this monthly favourites post- purely because I don't want to bore you with how much I enjoy using Bronze Universel, the Shimmer Cubes or my Mac lipsticks.

For a change, this post contains only bodycare products with a bit of skincare.
Enjoy!

The Vaseline Aloe Fresh body lotion was my favourite rediscovery during May: this has got be my most "bought over again" body lotion! I love everything about it: its fresh scent, the light-feeling hydration it offers, plus its price-to-quality ratio is unbeatable. I'll probably do a post on summer body lotions and show you some of my favourites ;)

I also tried the Bioten Cellufight Drainage gel* and lemme tell you this: it works! Sure, it won't help if you don't exfoliate the areas with cellulite, or you don't eat healthily/ drink enough water, but it does help that little extra. Everything counts at taming the cellulite beast! If you're interested in the Bioten Cellufight range, I've done a full review on this article at Beautytalk.gr.

If you're Greek, you'll recognise the last item in the above pic: that's right, one of past month's favourites was the cult Myrto Lemon cologne! I wasn't planning on featuring this product at all, until ladyd made a post about it so I thought "screw pretences, I like it and I'm gonna give it some blog love"! Now, don't get me wrong- as much as I love citrus colognes, I don't go out and about wearing this thing; I only put it on after shower and the scent quickly evaporates.

You might remember that I desperately wanted a nice city sunscreen; that's why I picked out this Clarins Day Screen. I must write a full review on this; it definitely made me feel safer to step out in the sunlight with this potion on my face! Mac Strobe cream was a permanent fixture in my makeup routine during May, I think it deserves its own post as well! Let me know which review would you like to see tomorrow- the Clarins sunscreen or the Strobe cream?

On another note...

...I decided to sell my Mac 130 brush.
As much as I tried to love it, I simply can't. It would be a shame to keep it in my collection and let it collect dust, when someone else might find it usable. So, before this baby finds its way to ebay, I'm presenting it here: if anyone is interested in buying this, please contact me at lipstickwardrobe@gmail.com ;)

So, which review should be up next? Clarins or Mac?
Are there any Myrto cologne fans out there?

* The Bioten Cellufight gel was provided by the company for free. I'm not affiliated with Bioten and I wasn't compensated for mentioning it on this blog. The only reason I'm showing it is because I like it! Sharing my honest opinions, as always. My loyalty is to my readers ;)

Evi   xx

Beauty Bazaar; a small haul and my thoughts

Yep- I've been there too...
Amidst all the craziness that was going on and the long waiting hours, me and my sister managed to make a decent little haul at the Beauty Bazaar that is currently being held at the Estee Lauder central offices at Halandri (click! for more info).

All in all, it was a pretty tiresome experience; you couldn't get in if you didn't have that "special ticket" that you could only get between 8:00-11:00 am. So naturally, me and my sister as "newbies" had to wait outside for more that 2 hours, until the guys at the front door pitied the ticket-less ladies and let us all in at the end...

     Estee Lauder nail polish- €6. Mac Circa Plum pigment- €7. Pupa lipgloss- €6

So, what did we find there? First of all, lots and lots of Carroten, Str8 and B.U. eau de toilettes and gift sets at ridiculously cheap prices. But we were hungry for the Mac and Estee Lauder counters, so we headed further on to the good stuff!

Now, I should probably have guessed beforehand that there would only be old-ish/ discontinued/ gift sets/ limited-edition products available at the bazaar, but silly old me thought I could get any Mac product my heart wished in a fraction of the retail price... Nope, not in this case. Besides that, all the good ones were gone by the time we went in, so we had to make do with whatever was still in stock.

     Clinique mini 3-Step system with a free lipgloss- €5

Notes on the products we got:
the Estee Lauder nail polish is THE most perfect colour for a french manicure. About the Mac Circa Plum pigment- boy we were lucky to find it, must have been a leftover from Daphne Guiness collection! The Pupa lipgloss was my sister's all-time favourite lipgloss, so happy she finally found a back-up! And of course, the mini Clinique 3-Step system was hard to pass by... I'll let you know how I get on with it ;)

Would I suggest you going at the Estee Lauder Beauty Bazaar? Well, if you can endure a little discomfort for some bargains - namely: long waiting hours outside the venue, having to encounter women in "shop-to-survive" mode and then waiting again at the cashier line for an hour- then yes, by all means go for it! As for me, I'm not entirely sure if I'll make it again next year...

Now, raise hands: who has been (or is planning to go) at the Beauty Bazzar?
The next post is going to be on a mini giveaway, so keep an eye for it ;)

Evi   xx

Shopping my stash...

If you're a long time reader of beauty blogs, you might remember Lollipop26 (or Laura from buy now, blog later) making a few videos entitled "Shopping my stash", aka running through your old and forgotten makeup products to see what you can find that looks wearable today!

So, these are my picks:

All items are long discontinued, though they fit with what I'd like to wear during this spring/summer season.

***Not gonna talk about companies discontinuing their products, but I'm really tempted to! Ok, just one word: ugh...***

First item: my Mac Suntint in Pink Tinge from "Surf Baby" collection. I purposedly abandoned it last November when the weather got trully wintery, so as to use it up again when the weather got hotter. I have to say, it's not the most moisturising lip balm you'll come across, but it feels nice on the lips and has an SPF 20. The packaging alone gets me into summer mood!

As for this old lipstick by Biotherm, it falls under the "scary bright bullet that melts into a glossy sheer wash of colour" theme that is all the rage at the moment. The thing with such sheer lipsticks is that, in cases they've got the colour right, they're so-so wearable compared to the terribly bright lipsticks by Mac such as Impassioned. I almost feel like, the only place you can wear Impassioned is at THE most über posh/hip bars in the city, where my lipstick can contribute to some quality people-watching... And let's face it, I seldom get invited in such places! :(((

These eyeshadows are from the discontinued mineral range by the Body Shop. I wasn't accustomed to loose eyeshadows at the time when I first got them, so naturally, these got chucked away in an "out of sight, out of mind" manner... However, after my more-than-positive experience with Elf's Celebrity mineral eyeshadow (see swatch here), I thought of giving these another go and whad'ya know, now I freakin' love them!

   Aaand here's the unnecessary swatches, since you can't buy these products anymore :P

Final thoughts of this "Shopping my stash" session?

Well, I did start feeling guilts of owning too much makeup for one person! But in a way it was also therapeutic, as I rediscovered some great products I can use during summer season, instead of creating new lemmings. I'm happy, wallet's more than happy: it's a win-win situation!

Do you go through your stash regularly or you don't bother with old makeup products?

Evi   xx

A little Mac haul

It's been a long time since I last shopped at Mac and I kinda missed that feeling! So it was the perfect timing for me to drive my butt round to Attica and head to the Mac counter to stock on a couple of "necessities", as I like to call my Mac purchases. It doesn't strike you that bad as such!

FYI, this was a very calculated haul I've been planning to do months ago.
Impulse purchases at Mac? Dear Lord, nooo!!!

First stop, a Mac lipstick. You all know how much I love 'em! Having tried all lipstick finishes except those from the Lustre family, I had a close look on every Lustre and went for Patisserie! What a beautiful and classy MLBB shade; now I can see why Tanya Burr raves about this one for her bridal looks! Next, as I was out of my under-eye concealer, I thought of giving the the new Prep + Prime Highlighter a go. Surprisingly, both the yellow and apricot shades didn't seem to match my skintone, so I went for the pink version. I'll keep you posted on how I get along with it, goes without saying!

However, what excited me the most were these cute foundation samples- aww!!! I'm a sucker for anything that comes in mini packaging, so naturally I was smitten by these two little things ;)

So, tell me:
have you shopped anything from Mac recently?

Evi   xx

MAC Technique seminar!

@%F&;#!@%!!!
I've been trying to compose this post for three days now and not a single word comes out right! Goes to show you that writing about a Mac seminar is not as exciting as to actually participate in one... Nevertheless, if you're interested in finding out more info about the Mac Technique seminars, then read on!

The photos below are the face charts from the booklet we took home as loot ;)
Click to enlarge!

* I'll start by stating the most important bit: anyone can attend these seminars, free of charge! If you're a Mac lover, you'll feel "at home" with the Mac language spoken by the makeup artists; I consider myself a Mac newbie, so I faked some nodding action with every confusing term mentioned...

* The seminars take place on days the stores close at 5 pm; they start around 6 pm (coffee and little snacks included), and they last around 30'-45'.

*The spaces are very limited (I recall there were 10 of us there- tops!), so make sure you sign up early!

* You can select one of the 6-7 available seminars' scenarios. I went for the one with the latest makeup trends; we were explained by two lovely Mac makeup artists about the 4 big trends for this summer (shown in the pics). Each of them executed one face chart on attendants that modeled for this purpose.

* At the end of the seminar, all makeup artists were at our service to ask any silly little question that rose our mind- though according to them, we were one of the most quiet, non-demanding crowd they've come across... Oh well, we knew better than the rest!

* Last but not least, all attendants were able to shop with a 15% sale!!! Imagine that: an almost empty Mac store, browsing around with no supervision on your back, all makeup artists free to accommodate you personally- AND to spoil you even more, you're offered a 15% off purchase? In my book, that's a deal not to be missed- who doesn't want to be spoilt every now and then?

If there's anything to conclude to, it's encompassed in this statement: go sign up for a Mac Technique seminar asap!!! Even if you're not that accustomed to Mac, it's a great opportunity to see how makeup is professionally applied, plus it will definitely insipe you to experiment with what you already have.

Have you ever been to a Mac Technique, or any other beauty-related seminar?
Do share your experience!

Evi   xx

March '12 favourites.

Lately, I've been trying to incorporate more bronzey tones in my makeup- must be the sunny weather that pushes me to warm up my face! So last month, I dug up a couple of some forgotten bronze makeup products and put them to the test.

This is everything that I loved using during March. Enjoy!

TBS Brush on Bronze: I've been using these beads a lot during past month; to me, they're way too orange to be classified as a bronzer- however, it looks so pretty when worn as a blush for that warm, coppery glow. FYI, this thing holds 28 gr, there's no way one will ever go through it! Is it a good or a bad thing, I wonder...
Elf palette with TBS bronze eyeshadows: This is the last custom palette featured on my blog, I promise! To be honest, bronze eyeshadows don't really flatter brown eyes (especially when combined with pale winter skin!), but I made them work with the following product:
Elf Duo Eyeshadow Cream in Black Licorice: if you have a brown eyeshadow that falls under "Team Woodwinked" -aka too orange when applied on the lids-, try layering it over a black or silver cream eyeshadow; that way, the orange hues subside and you're left with a more cool-toned shade. Obviously, you won't need this little tip if you have blue or green eyes- did I mention how lucky you are when shopping brown eyeshadows?
Mac Strobe cream: I recently attended a Mac seminar, where we were told that glowy/healthy skin is the #1 trend for this season- old news probably, but it was nice to be reminded of it. Anyway, I've been trying out Strobe cream mixed with my foundation and it works great! This "glow from within" is visible even after powdering. Brilliant!

Copy-cat perfume: this is a legit copy-cat, it smells pretty close to the original Cool Water cologne and it cost me less than a fiver! It's a nice alternative to your €€€ perfumes when you don't want to waste them on unimportant errands. I HIGHLY recommend you to check out the copy-cat cologne corner at Hondos Center, you'll be amazed by the available scents they sell!
Apivita hand cream with olive & cocoa butter: smells nice and does help to heal dry hands- though as soon as I use it up, I'm going for the new Korres hand cream with Almond oil! I'm trying my best to use greek products whenever I can ;)

Now, do share:
What have you been loving during March?

Evi   xx

Violetta!!!

Yep, that's right-
yet another Mac lipstick I've been longing for the longest time ever!

I cannot describe to you my excitement when Ι opened the little Mac goodie bag my sister got for my birthday, to find out a small Strobe Cream and a lipstick box that read "Amplified" on the front: I knew it, I knew it was Violetta!
https://twitter.com/#!/cbsg5861/status/175894826108207104/photo/1

Violetta has actually a strange consistency for an Amplified lipstick: there's a significant amount of violet shimmer running through it, which makes for a shinier 3-d swatch than say, Vegas Volt or Impassioned. Colour-wise, it's not that scary as it shows in the bullet; in my best description, Violetta swatches as a violet purple with some fucshia undertones:

Yet again, my camera picked out all the blueness in Violetta! @%#$&!!!
However, the true beauty of this lipstick lies in its versatility: when dabbed lightly on the lips, you get a fuchsia/violet stain- and then with a heavier application, there's your purple goodness! Also, due to the shimmer that flashes back on flash photography, applying some lipgloss on top makes everything more even:

FIY, one of the reasons I desperately wanted to get Violetta was to start wearing this dark purple lipgloss! It was a YSL gift around Christmas; I tried wearing it alone or on top of Creme d'Nude- nothing worked...

    Swatch of the YSL lipgloss on the left

So, what do you think of Violetta?
Would you wear a purple lipstick?

Evi   xx

My very first FOTD!!!

The reason behind this impromptu post:

As I went through the photos I took last month, I noticed a sequence of my mug/ evidence of how my makeup looked when photographed- because yes, I always take pictures of my makeup in the rarities I've spent close to an hour to do my full face.
What, you don't? You totally should, gurl! *strickly points a finger*

Anyways, as I was admiring my makeup of that day, it occured to me that in these photos I look quite... human! See, my camera is a b**ch and always pictures me like an alien with big nostrils, spotty skin and a sardonic smile. How cute...

But enough with the ramble: here's my first FOTD:

* I'm resisting the stronge urge to point out my flaws here...
** I tried to smile, make faces- apparently this b**chy pose suits me best?
*** Backround is from my boyfriend's flat. He chose the wallpaper himself!

Notable mentions of this look:

All four shades of TBS Shimmer Cubes #20 on my eyes. It was way more dramatic in real life, though you can still see the fine texture of its shimmer. Nothing but TBS pink Shimmer Waves on my cheeks- notice the gorgeous shine in the first pic? On my lips: Mac Creme d'Nude lipstick topped with Elf Mineral lipgloss in Au Naturale.

That's it, girls!
Uploading this kind of post was something new to me,
I hope you liked it ;)

Evi   xx

January '12 favourites.

Could I ever start this post with the common "once again, this past month flew by so quickly" without repeating myself?
Probably not, but it's true!

Nevertheless, I'm not really complaining: the weather got so chilly and wintery, which meant I was finally able to wear a bright red lip without feeling out-of-place ;)

During January, I got reunited with one of my favourite blushes ever-
the Body Shop's lip&cheek stain! This is a repurchase, so that goes to show you how much I love it... It's my #1 choice for that "no makeup" makeup, looks so great on Mediterranean/olive skin, gahhh I could rave about this beauty non-stop! I also made good use of Russian Red by Mac, which I wore as a stain both on lips and cheeks.

As I've grown tired of wearing the usual suspects on my eyes -black pencil, black liquid liner-, it was about time I switched it up a bit with these 2 brown liners from the Body Shop. The Liquid Eyeliner, I love- it swatches as dark as I want it and goes on matte. The Carbon Eye Definer, I'm not so crazy about- there's something about its formula that just doesn't cut it for me, though I can't define it yet :/

   Swatches, with sunlight

   With flash

Aaand let us not forget these cute H&M nail polishes! I wore both two colours in alternation, with Rust being my absolute favourite. Now I must confess, I never expected to admit it as I'm not that drawn to nail polish in general but, damn: 7 ml is too little for a colour you simply adore...

So, that's it for me!
What have you been loving during January?

Evi   xx