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*

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

What's in my summer makeup bag?

As I will soon be leaving for my summer vacations,

I had to sort out my makeup and pick out "the besties" to take with me while I'm away...

I don't know about you girls, but this little "project" took me like a week

to put together!

So here's what I collected for my summer makeup bag:

    Far from packing light, eh? lol

    Wrinkly skarf: H&M

    Detailed info:

    TBS Moisture foundation, TBS pressed powder, Mac Painterly Paintpot,

    Art Deco Perfect Teint illuminator- love this stuff!, TBS concealer pen

    TBS Bronze shimmer waves, Erre Due blush #410, Elf Warm bronzer,

    TBS blush #04, TBS Honey matte bronzer #02

    Eye products: Elf quad with TBS eyeshadows, TBS shimmer cubes warm,

    TBS Baked eyeshadow #07, TBS Eye shimmer #08,

    TBS brow set #02, Biotherm liquid eyeshadow,

    Art Deco mineral kajal liner #98, TBS shimmer pencil #10,

    Art Deco liquid eyeliner, TBS Carbon black pencil, TBS mascara,

    TBS brow gel, Elf Coffee cream eyeliner, TBS single eyeshadow #07,

    Elf cream eyeshadow duo in black licorice

    Elf Luscious Liquid lipstick in Baby lips- cause it's minty and cooling!,

    Mac Suntint from Surf Baby LE collection, Elf lipstick in Runway pink,

    Mac lipsticks in Hue and Impassioned

    Make-up brushes and tools: Elf powder brush, TBS blush brush,

    TBS blending brush, TBS brow/lash comb, Art Deco duo fibre brush,

    TBS travel blush brush, TBS tweezers, sharpeners by Kum and TBS,

    lash curlers by Elegant Touch (aka Eylure)

A notable absence from Chanel Bronze Universel&Mac 130 brush-

too bulky, still haven't got the hang of it, too complicated to mess with...

Wishing you the best summer holidays ever, girls!

Lots of hugs and kisses xx

CBSG5861

January favourites!

Hi lovelies,
this is a post on past month's most used and loved make-up products!

I always enjoy reading this kind of posts-
so if you have done a similar post on January's favourites,
please share your link below so I can read it ;)

   Onto the products:

TBS Brow/Liner Kit: an excellent product with 2 powders that can work beautifully for brows, as well as for lining the eyes or as crease colours. I'm sure it will last me for years, too! Honestly, I couldn't fault this product; but if I really wanted to be picky, I'd say that the "made in Thailand" tag puts me off a little, as well as the fact that there's only one shade group available in my country (I've seen 3 shades on the UK site).

TBS Brow/Lash Comb: a handy little tool that distributes brow powders more evenly. Love it ;)

TBS Brow/Lash Gel: I simply love this product, it has become a staple in my everyday make-up routine! Brow powders are fine but they can make brows too flat-looking; a little brow gel on top gives them some texture and holds the hair in place.

Eyelash curlers: they're from a brand called Elegant Touch, apparently it's the UK company with the Paris Hilton eyelashes... I got them because they were dirt cheap, something like 4-5 euros. They do the trick though, so no complaints ;)

Manhattan Mousse blush: I love the simplicity behind this type of product; you simply take some with your fingers and spread it on your cheeks- no brush, no fuss. This one gives a "warmer" look than my beloved lip/cheek stain from the Body Shop, which sometimes can look too cool-toned.
TBS Brush on Bronze: I simply can't get over how much I love this product, every single time I use it. Its shimmer particles are so tiny that make it a dependable bronzer/highlighter for daytime, even on faces with visible pores like myself! Be warned though, it falls under the orange-toned bronzing powders...

TBS Tea Tree oil: another brilliant little product by the Body Shop that has helped my acne spots; more about this product on an upcoming post ;)
TBS Concealer Pencil: I have used and loved this concealer for more than a year and I've never given it some blog love! It provides great coverage and is so handy to throw in my handbag for touch-ups during the day. I only use it on acne scars though, it can look too thick if applied under the eyes.

What products have you been loving during January?

CBSG5861

The Body Shop 20% sales!

That's right, my fellow Greek readers:

If you're thinking of popping into the Body Shop for some make-up or bodycare goodies, hurry up and do your shopping this week...

They're currently having the most anticipated (by me at least!) 20% sales tag on all items!
Ummm... Did I ever say about a 25% percentage? Apparently, I was wrong...

For the record, the sales have been going on since past week but I only found out about it last Saturday :(
Provided that they usually last for 2 weeks, the sales should probably end on Saturday 22/1.

And what do you know?
While I was there, I did some shopping!
Wow, that is so unlike me...

Here's my little loot:

Bronzing Powder in shade #03
Brow/Lash comb
Brow/Lash gel
Eye Definer in Vibrant Emerald

And these are some products worth looking into:

Watermelon lip balm: the Body Shop makes great lip balms but if I had to choose only one from the brand, this would have to be it. It has a soft, gel formula and it gives a pretty pale pink effect on the lips. And it tastes like watermelon, yum!

Shimmer cubes eyeshadow palette: apart from the beautiful shades of this quad, it's of great value too: you get 16 gr of eyeshadow, which is huge! They are a little pricey though, so now is the perfect time to buy them ;)

Bronzing beads: as with the above, it's great value (28 gr!!!) but a little pricey. As for another illuminating bronzing powder, you can look for the best-selling Shimmer Waves.

Concealer/highlighter wand: excellent product and great value! You get 3 ml of product when drugstore brands give you only 1,5 ml for the same price...

Lip/Cheek stain: need I rave about this again? Go get it!!!

Baked duo eyeshadows: I recently found out about these eyeshadows, they have the most beautiful shimmer! Definitely worth checking out ;)

So, if you happen to pick anything from the Body Shop sales, let me know!

CBSG5861

Best of 2009; CBSG5861 edition

Hello my lovelies!
Yep, this is my "Best-of" list for 2009.
Enjoy!


1. Blogging (obviously)


Where was I? I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this blogosphere- but man, I was missing so much all this time! Gone are the days when I was buying heaps of magazines, just to get informed about fashion and make-up. Nah, not for me anymore; what I appreciate the most is that whatever is written in a blog is probably more honest than what is published through magazines (hope I'm not being harsh with magazines, though...). Plus it's free (cheers!) and you get to meet all those lovely people.


2. "Comfort" Make-up


I'm so glad I've finally come up with a small array of products that do the trick of the "natural" make-up (well, as "natural" as my features allow it to get...) that boost my confidence levels to the limit. I'm telling you, there's nothing better than a "safe" look that will untie your hands on days when you don't have time to decide which products to choose from the bunch, or you just think that nothing suits you at the moment. I guess that it's the "make-up equivalent" of the "little black dress" ;)

3. Make-up Revelations; Eyeshadow Base, Brow Colour



Yeah, I was late on these... I have oily lids, and the old method of applying concealer with some loose powder lead to a lot of creasing. After the "Eyeshadow Primer Revelation", my eye make-up stays put for up to 8 hours with no touch-ups.
As for my brows, I never thought that colouring them with an eyeshadow was necessary- that, until I started testing it out. Now I can't leave the front door with my brows bare, it's officially a staple on my make-up routine! Currently I'm using the Art Deco Eyeshadow Base and The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit (both seen above).


4. Gel Eye Make-up Remover


I'm so proud of this beauty-related "discovery"! People, spread the word; the only product that can get rid of every-single-strand-of-any-stubborn-mascara is a gel-based one. So far, I've only tried the Yves Rocher Bio-spécific Active Sensitive (seen above), and currently I'm in search of a different brand manufacturing a product of this kind. Because you know, I don't stick to products, even if they possess a "Holy-Grail" quality- I'm obsessed trying to test every single product out there! But that's another story...


5. Matte Eyeshadows
After watching many "beauty gurus" on youtube who swear by matte eyeshadows, I started to recognise their virtues. Again, it was a revelation to me! The trick of accentuating your best features and correcting your not-so-great can never be achieved with shimmer, and this applies to the eyes, too. The only downfall is that the application requires some practise and brushes of good quality to blend the color evenly on the eyelid. Shimmering eyeshadows can forgive a novice hand!

6. Soaps!



I don't know how I got seriously into this. I mean, I was always using soap to cleanse my hands, but it was until recently that I came to worship it. Sounds freaky, eh... I love this retro feeling about soap; liquid hand soaps, shower gels, for me they don't stand a chance against this "je ne sais quoi" quality of a chunky bar of soap. Whether it is sold at drugstores or the high-street market, it has become one of my favourite everyday rituals. If a kind friend is reading this and is considering to buy me a present for any occasion, I'm begging you dear friend, get me some soap!


7. Candles in a Glass

Big, big fan of those. They hold a nice flame, spread a nice aroma and- most importantly- you don't have to place them on a special surface or having constantly your eye over them for preventing ruining your furniture. My mum went to ikea and bought 4(!) sets of these Tindra candles (shown above)- the white for cinammon, the light brown for caramel and the dark brown one for... well, brownies scent! Although excited at first, now I'm sick of them. Any suggestions?


8. Pull & Bear Scarf


I love wearing scarves, they add sth interesting on your bust area without exposing your chest to the freezing temperatures of winter! This one is my favourite, in my head it matches every single outfit- plus it has a light fabric that wraps around my neck nice and loosely.


9. David Gray


Oh, how I love this man... I was introduced to his music 5-6 years ago with the song "Babylon"- the meaningful lyrics, the calming melody, his unique voice... just divine. I got so excited with his new album release in 2009, called "Draw The Line". He seems to have evolved in a more mature way, both in terms of music and style- by the way, doesn't he look irresistible in that suit and that glance? Or is it just me? Anyway, please check him out on "Fugitive", which I still can't get enough- love it! To those interested, check his interview on Big Think.


10. Tommy Hilfiger watch


This was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend.
Need I say more? Apart from the fact that it instantly took a special place in my heart...
So, that's it with this list. Phew...
Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CGSG5861