The Body Shop summer makeup haul

In the midst of Greece's football team losing to Germany *sob sob*, I needed an outlet to disperse my extra energy...

So, blogging it is!

Time for yet another haulage by yours truly :P
These are a few of the Body Shop goodies I've accumulated over the past month. Enjoy the photos and let me know your thoughts on the products!

     A bronzer, a new Shimmer Cubes palette (just because), some eye pencils and an
     eyeshadow brush- probably my last TBS purchases... until September, that is ;)

     Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in #03. This is much darker than my beloved
     #02 shade, just what I need for my summer holidays.

     Four eye pencils- Eye Definers, to be exact. Standard quality, a bit on the hard side
     I should say. On the other hand, this means they won't smudge or come off quickly.

     Left to right: Rich Brown, Taupe, White, French Navy
     Taupe is my fave: it's a cool-toned brown that works with my eye colour, score! 

     A new Smudger brush; this thing gets ruined so easily, though it works pretty darn
     good with shimmery eyeshadows.

     And of course, the green Shimmer Cubes #22 which deserve a post on their own!

I hope you enjoyed my little haul ;)
P.S.: I'd love to read your thoughts on tonight's game, comment away!!!

Evi   xx

My TOP 11 for 2011!

I've been tagged by my girl Irene and fellow greek bloggers Argyrousa, ladyD and beautyincrisis to come up with my favourite products for 2011.

Narrowing them down to just 11 was the hardest part!
But, I digress ;)

Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base: my precious!!! This is absolutely worth all the hype, I tell you that... It gives a gorgeous caramel glow that I haven't come across in any other bronzer. However, I don't think it's appropriate as a contour shade- but that's just me.
Elf Studio Blush&Bronzer compact: I don't care much about the blush, but I know I can rely on its bronzer side for when I want contour my cheeks. A staple!

Mac Hue lipstick: my most worn lipstick during 2011. Whenever I was in a hurry or wasn't sure of what colour to wear on my lips, Hue came to the rescue. Highly recommended!
Mac Pink Nouveau lipstick: it's fun, youthful, optimistic and I love it. Pink Nouveau introduced me to the world of bright lipsticks and it still remains my favourite for a quick&easy striking makeup look.
Elf Luscious Liquid lipstick: more like lipgloss, actually... I love its sponge applicator and the tiny hint of minty tingle you get on your lips! I only use it on top of lipstick though, as it's almost clear :(

Elf palette with TBS eyeshadows: another staple. I'm sure you've seen this palette many times on my blog; I've now switched the previous top right shade with a satin pink- another makeup revelation for 2011:
pink eyeshadow can look so good!
TBS Moonstone baked eye colour: the sparkly vanilla shade has become my everyday inner corner highlight. The glittery grey will be a perfect match with Mac's Violetta- which I'm soo getting once I return from my holidays!
Mac Painterly Paintpot: HG HG HG!!! Ok, either this one- or Soft Ochre (its yellow undertones might suit me better). Paintpots are so lovely for crease-proof eye makeup, nothing more to add here...

Mac 130 brush: used solely with the Chanel Bronzing makeup base; I love the precision of this brush! The only problem I'm experiencing with it is that it leaks some black dye on the white hair after I've washed it-
if you happen to know a remedy about this issue, do let me know ;)
Elf Studio Powder brush: seriously, everyone should own this brush! For its price, it's a very-very well made handy tool and a great multitasker. Get. It. ASAP.
Eyelash curlers: I was so late on discovering the virtues of eyelash curlers... These ones didn't cost me much but they do the trick- though once their white spongey things fall apart, I'm gonna invest in some Shus!

My fellow beauty bloggers, you're all tagged!

Even if you don't have a blog, I'd love to read your favourite products for 2011! Just include them in the comments section below so that we can have a little chat ;)

CBSG5861

October 2011 favourites

Well, well...
How did 3 Mac products make it to this month's favourites post?!?
It's not like I'm a Mac hoarder or anything...



So during past month I rediscovered my favourite eyeshadow palette, had an utter makeup revelation and came one step closer to fully worship my first ever Chanel acquisition! Read on...

Elf custom palette with TBS eyeshadows: my go-to everyday eyeshadow palette during September. May I just say for-the-zillionth-time that the matte brown shade is my absolute favourite eyeshadow? And that it's discontinued? Hate it when TBS discontinues all the good stuff!!! Aaanyways, moving on...

Mac Paintpot in Painterly: amazing product. A staple! Although it turns out I was using it completely wrong, so one of these days I'll write a review explaining how to take advantage of its full potential ;)

Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base: aka Bronze Universel ;) Ok, so I'm
half-way there on the Bronze Universel how-to... So far, I'm only using it on its own but I'll soon be exploring its versatility to the fullest! The glow it gives on my face is beyond gorgeous!

Mac 130 brush: using it solely to apply my Bronze Universel; I wasn't wowed at first with this brush, but now I'm totally head over heels for it!

Mac Pink Nouveau lipstick: been loving bright lips for my evening makeup cause it takes the least amount of effort to make a striking look! And I'm actually considering wearing bright lips on daytime too-
as I get instantly that feeling of uber confidence/ looking everyone down, tehehe... It's for sure the makeup revelation for 2011. Fact.

Aaaand...

Last weekend, my sweetheart surprised me with a totally unexpected present...

     This Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne perfume set!!!

And to think that I actually wanted to buy this perfume but never told him about it! How on earth did he read my mind and went out and got me this particular fragrance, I'll never know...
I love you, Κωστή μου!

So, what were your most loved products during September?
Have you tried any of the products pictured above?

CBSG5861

Oops! Yet another Elf haul

    Sometimes I just can't help myself...

    My third Elf loot!

    What I got this time:

    Plumping lip glaze in Peach Passion
    Studio matte lip color in Natural
    Waterproof eyeliner pen in Midnight
    Shimmering facial whip in Lilac Petal
    Studio blush in Gotta Glow
    Mineral eyeshadow in Celebrity

I also got another empty eyeshadow palette, as my previous depotting experience was pretty successful, and 2 Studio eyeshadow brushes- the angled to use with my brow powder and the contour brush as an extra blending tool.

And in case you want to see some more Elf haulin',
here's my first and second orders at eyeslipsface.co.uk!

Have you shopped recently any Elf products?

CBSG5861

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

I finally got them! Mac Impassioned lipstick & 130 brush

As I swore to myself, there would be no summer without these two products in my makeup bag!

So now, my Mac shopping list is finally complete;

I can be a good girl, enjoy my summer vacations and stay sober from Mac...

until September, that is ;)

Impassioned lipstick: I was nagging and nagging about how much I wanted Impassioned- it was "the" lipstick to own this summer- boyfriend approves, too! Well, now that I got it, I'm having second thoughts.

Oh dear wallet, please don't start calling me names!

You see, Impassioned falls under the "in-ya-face" bright lipsticks category- and a bright lipstick requires a flawless base. And let's face it, my skin is far from it at the moment! I could cover up my acne scars with my trusty concealer, but currently I'm really bored to spend and extra 5-10' on my makeup routine! A mere 2' will do for now.

130 brush: initially, I went to the store with the intention of purchasing the famous for contouring 109 brush, to use with the Soleil Tan de Chanel.

[Get this: its turns out that this product collects tiny hair and fluff like crazy! I soon got disillusioned as I won't avoid hair collecting in the pan anyway, so I thought- what the hell, the shedful 109 it is!]

There was this guy with a hot haircut and a flawless makeup on who helped me out; he said I should go for the 130 if I wanted a brush to use with a cream bronzer, and to prove his point he showed me his brushbelt- out of all the duo-fibre brushes Mac makes, the 130 was the dirtiest while the 187, 188 were all clean and shiny! I figured that's shows something, so I caved in and got it. We shall see how it performs!

My next haul will take place in a Body Shop store;

they're currently having the much-awaited 20%+ sales, yay!!!

Any Mac shopping you did lately?

CBSG5861

Best of 2010!

Hi lovelies!
This is a list of my most loved & used make-up products of 2010.

    Family pic! Click to enlarge

Onto the products...

Art Deco magnetic eyeshadow palette: As I'm organizing-obsessed, I love anything that gives me the option of neatly storing my make-up. This palette can hold up to 12 single Art Deco eyeshadows, can't wait to fill this baby up with some neutrals, sigh! (I hope the colours I'm after are going to be available to purchase. Soon enough.)

Art Deco duo fibre brush: this was my take on last year's trend of Mac's 187 lookalikes. It wasn't as cheap as I thought a brush from Art Deco would cost (I paid aprox. 18 euros), but I don't regret a single cent I spent on it! It gives a flawless finish and works for everything- foundation, powder, blush or bronzer. And I love the short handle! Anything that can fit into a small travel make-up bag makes me happy ;)

The Body Shop blending brush: Since I tried this brush, my eyeshadow blending skills have been improved! Now I'm looking forward to get Mac's 217...

Kum sharpener: need I mention this again? It's probably the best cosmetic sharpener you'll ever come across, for a decent price!

Mac Angel lipstick: I got into Mac during 2010; this lippie has to be my favourite! I think I've had it with nudes like Hue or Creme d' Nude, a nice girly pink lipstick can do so much more to brighten up my smile ;)

Art Deco longlasting lipstick in #40: a layer of this combined with some Jasmine lip butter, it's been my favourite daytime combo for lips. Pretty pale pink lips are foolproof, right?

Korres Jasmine lip butter: this product is the exception to my rule "no lip balms in a pot". Dipping my fingers into the pot to get some product isn't my favourite, but its colour and texture compensates for it! It has rightly become a favourite among Youtube beauty gurus and bloggers.

The Body Shop lip&cheek stain: I'll never, ever get bored of this stuff. It gives the most natural flush on the cheeks and it stays on all day! If you have combination/oily skin and cream blushes don't really suit you, try this one instead and you'll be hooked with it for a lifetime!

Seventeen #79 nail polish: quite a dark colour, it's not for everyone's taste but personally, I feel more comfortable when wearing this shade on my nails! I hope Seventeen never discontinues it, as it must have been brought out a long, long time ago...

The Body Shop #04-Granite eyeshadow: this colour has been my trusty friend during days I'm in a hurry/ don't know what eyeshadow to pick. Every make-up bag should have at least one dependable eyeshadow which you're 100% sure it matches your eye colour. This is my top choice, followed by...

The Body Shop taupe eyeshadow from Shimmer Cubes #06: it's the most perfect shimmering taupe, ever! I'll probably never run out of it (as this little cube weighs 4 gr. of product!)- but if I do in the future, I won't have any problems purchasing the whole palette again (despite the fact I'm not really using the rest of the shades).

Art Deco eyeshadow base: it's not included in the photos because I'm out of it :(
Still, it's a decent eyeshadow primer and it's worth a try if you can get hold of it.

Have you tried any of the above products?
Let me know which were your 2010 favourites ;)

CBSG5861

October favourites!

Hello my lovelies!

How was your October?
Me, I got sick and was stuck indoors for almost a week :(

Anyways, this is my October favourites post- hope you enjoy!

Korres Body Butter in Quince: As I've posted a month ago, my skin was so horribly dry; funnily enough, the Korres body milk actually worsened the situation... I was ready to give up on Korres until I decided to give the brand another try with this body butter, and I'm so happy I did! This stuff is magic: all flakiness is gone and my skin is back to normal again. Oh, and the fruity smell lingers on the skin for a long time, too ;)

Atrix hand cream: a staple since my childhood; there's always a tin with Atrix hand cream around the house. It's probably one of the best affordable hand creams on the market!

The Body Shop Bronzing Powder in shade #1: I wish I could describe its colour... Think of a light milk chocolate colour- no orange hues whatsoever, and it's matte! It's so hard finding a matte bronzer in the high street, don't you think? I apply it on the hollows of my cheeks with the...

Art Deco Duo fibre brush: Up until now, I only used this brush for foundation. After seeing Pixi2woo's videos where she applied bronzer with the Mac 187 brush for a softer effect, I did the same with this Art Deco brush and now I'm a convert!

Spare blush brushes: Have a crappy brush that comes with the blush compact? Don't throw it away!You can use it do dust off the eyeshadow fallout, as such a job requires a stiff brush.

Apivita face mask with orange: I got this sachet after a recommendation from a lovely reader of my blog- it contains some orange beads that dissolve when you rub the mask on your face... It's so fun to use! Very refreshing, and smells of orange. Perfect for me ;)

Mac lipstick in Hue: Oh, how I love this lipstick... I've worn it continuously during day&night! In my opinion, this should be Mac's all-time best seller lipstick, on top of Creme d' Nude and Angel.

Old-Biotherm-jumbo-lip-pen-in-a-raspberry-colour: I've come to realise that blue-toned lipsticks are friendly to olive/mediterranean skin, so I started to use up the old ones from my collection.

The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes: I simply adore this palette, not only because it contains one of my favourite eyeshadows (the taupe shade at the bottom right) but because it's so easy to travel with! It's quite pricey but you're getting 4x4 gr of baked product. I won't ever run out of it, ever!

Bourjois concealer/ highlighter pen: I used this product as an under eye concealer, but during October I tried it as a highlighter on any dark areas on my face or to highlight my cheekbones. The difference is noticeable but this product is undetectable!

What are your October favourites? Share them below ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861

September favourites!

Hello my lovelies!

This is my first "monthly favourites" post, hope you enjoy!

...Family pic  =D

First off, during September I started layering my blushes and I love it! I found that the end result is more interesting than a swipe of one colour on the cheeks.

Favourite combination:

a matte coral as a base (Biotherm blush, left),

with a topping of a coral/gold shimmer (Seventeen blush in Coral, center- see my review here),

or a pinky/icy shimmer powder (The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in 02- Blush, right- see my review here).

My favourite makeup look that I wore during September was the easiest and quickest to do:

A little foundation and concealer,

eye primer and mascara,

a rosey cream blush (Manhattan Mousse Rouge in Apricot, left),

and a darker pink lipstick (Biotherm lipstick, discontinued).

I look pretty and polished in 5 minutes' time!

 

I also discovered a way to do the perfect smokey eye with brown eyeshadow!

You see, if you have brown eyes like me, you soon find out two things:

One, that you have to stay away from warm-toned eyeshadows, and

Two, that a smokey eye with brown eyeshadows doesn't really make brown eyes pop :(

But with a little experiment, I dished both of the above rules.

So, this is my improved version for a brown smokey eye:

a dark base on the lid (smudged black pencil, cream eyeliner, anything),

a cool-toned brown on top (The Body Shop eyeshadow in Chocolate, left),

a warm-toned medium brown in the crease (The Body Shop mineral eyeshadow in Bronzed Amber, right)

black eyeliner, mascara... and you're done!

See, I made a ridiculous demonstration on the back of my hand...

Seriously, it looks like a prehistoric creature living in the deep seas, lol!

Anyways, moving on:

During September I bought the Body Shop's blender brush (see my review here),

and Carbon eye pencil- the softest I've found, although not the blackest...

Nevertheless, love them both!

I also found a new use for my Korres lip butter stick:

wearing it on top the Erre Due Silky lip pencil in #61.

See? A nice sheer brown-nude shade, perfect for daytime.

Skincare-wise, my favourite product of the month has to be the Apivita exfoliating cream with olive and lavender. Its granules are from crushed olive stones and give a deep exfoliation, just how I like a proper face scrub to be!

It also contains Menthol -which gives a "cooling" feel on the skin- and Salicylic Acid -a big surprise, thumbs up Apivita!

Last but not least, the lovely fellow greek blogger Stella sent me this beautiful ring by Mark Jacobs from an older giveaway that I won. Thank you so much, girl!!!

 

Needless to say, I wear it every-single-day since I got it!

 

On the diameter of the ring it's inscribed the Latin phrase "Veritas Inlustrat", which probably means "Shining Truth". I'm not sure though, I've never had a Latin class!

I'd love to read you favourites of the month,
please share them below or post a link to your September favourites post ;)

Happy blogging and reading and commenting to everyone!

CBSG5861