The stamp, the letter, the gift

About 2 weeks ago I had a little, cute discovery of an online place where I could sample some Asian cosmetics.

I thought that most sample stores were not able to send out internationally, or just mailed out their products in some part of Asia. But hurray, thesamplestore.sg mails out to Europe, and is pretty quick with it as well.

I just love the stamps decorated on the envelope!

The letter contained a couple of masks that I was curious about. The name often draws me in (hehe, remember BeautyDIY, Beautyfriends, etc), so a mask named Love More had a great appeal to me. Who does not want to be love/and be loved, a little bit more?

A gift? Mmm, not really. I still had to pay 10.04 singaporean dollars (approximately 5 euros), however, what a wonderful way to try out something new.

My 'too cool for school'-bag

Hey, have you seen my new bag that I received in a gmarket order some time ago?

It is a dusty red shade that is neutral enough for days I do not want to scream out colour (but still want that bit of red).

It is really versatile: you can wear it in three different ways:

'Too Cool for School' bag: carry by handle or on the schoulder (Pictures courtesy of HAKO 하코)

or as a quirky backpack! (Pictures courtesy of HAKO 하코)

It is not real leather, however, it has that leather look done quite well.

I bought this from seller HAKO 하코, Item no. 195189292. (link)
This is their lovely D18 model. I really like it when the sellers work in numbers. I can figure out a bit of the Korean signs, but with numbers it is far easier :D

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

Last week was a cold one...Somehow I seem to accept the cold better in the midst of winter than I do right now in the eve of Spring.

Still, there were some things that "satified the soul" a bit:

1. Hurray: It was London Fashion Week! (today they shift to Milan)
I have a bit of a ambigious feel with fashion and I would not call myself fashionable. People watching to go to more fashionable lenghts can be inspiring. London, in fashion terms (don't quote me on it, I'm already quoting some Faaahhhshion magazines) is the one that is often most fresh, daring and adventurous.

Alexa Chung, over here, is already sporting a trend that I would gladly take over: see the MINT bag??? Hey, I seem to have a bit of style credits because I blogged about my like for that colour on monday. I don't know the designer of that bag, it will probably be some big and expensive name because that girl probably gets bags offerered by the dozens because if she is seen with one of the bag: it becomes IT instantly. But, I can do with a cheaper alternative or a fantastic vintage one.

2. Commuting on trains:
It can be less boring when the trains are decorated with a bold graffiti mark. Often, graffiti has some kind of deeper message, or is anarchistic or just wants to declare the authors pseudonymic name.

I wonder why this artist had the urge to put down 'harig', which plainly means 'hairy' in Dutch. Who knows?

3. Getting my health on.
Berries = antioxidants = bit of beauty treatment on the inside

4. TLC for the hands
The cute Disney print makes lotioning hand a bit more fun.

Do you like the fashion weeks? and if you do, do you like to watch the makeup creations, the clothes or something else?

Minty

I have a strong like for the colour mint...

I like it in my nailpolish...

MAC Haze Nailpolish (older bottle-but still a fabulous formula)

In my accessories...

COS 2010 spring collection

I like how the orange even makes the mint look fresher...

On my cheap t-shirts:

Primark t-shirt for € 3

When sending out packages:

Kawaii tape for packages and other decoration..

And on the street:

Dutch streetstyle: you cannot miss the plenitude of bikes

Some Dutch bikes can be really inventive and colourfully decorated!

And what is your favourite colour?

Skin & Care talk - Cosmetex Roland Shapy Cleansing Oil & Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray

Skincare is sometimes seen as the more dependable and  less colourful variety of cosmetics. You really want it to work and not to irritate your skin, but it is not the most fun experience, compared to buying new colours that you can purchase when buying makeup.

The two products I will do a mini review on today are actually quite colourful to look at in their bottle.

The first bottle is one that I am quite happy about. I ventured on Genie in a Bottle skincare because it looked like a clean and effective skincare line.

Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray

I also liked the first song that Christina Aguillera sang...tadaa, for the people that are still quite young, that was 'Genie in a Bottle'. Yeh, I was that sweet, innocent (and dare I say naive) girl that liked her whole first CD.

Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle

So I have not been a fan of her later work, although I think she has been quite inventive in creating new looks and making herself interesting towards the public.

So, does my skin become as dewy and youthful as it was in my 'Genie in a Bottle' era?

Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Spray: typical spray bottle

Ha ha, my skin was a lot worse during that time, so I have not intentions to have similar skin. I had acne scars that have cleared up in a certain extend (thanks to religious skincare).

But the lack of beginning lines and the ability to look fresh in the morning (even after a short night) is something that I could use.

Lots of people forget that a large amount of beginning lines are often due to a lack of moisture in the skin. Actually, most people have dehydrated skin, even if they have oily skin.

That is what this spray helps you with. With the added amount of Hyaluronic Acids it is a quick way of adding moisture.

Ok, this is what Sasa has to say about this spray:

description
Genie in a Bottle Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray enables a precious reservoir for your skin, creating hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced skin.
 

Benefits:

• Capture: replenishes skin from inside out.
• Bind: prevents moisture loss.
• replenish: vitalize skin.

My opinion:

I do feel that it is more than a tonic or water-based spray. Also, when you spray it on, you can get a bit of a lustrous glow on your face. Sometimes, I use makeup that feels a bit drying, and with this bit of spray it equals out the dryness. For the month I have been using it, I believe my skin is rather hydrated. However, I use a lot of skincare that tries to cancel out dehydration, so I cannot really say that is it 's only due to Genie in a Bottle.

People with combination skin or oily t-zones, just as myself, probably have to watch out when spraying this spray over their nose, because it can leave your nose a bit too shiny. Or you have to blot out the shine afterwards.

The colour of this spray is a neutral, water-type colour. And for the sensitive ones out there: it is scentless too!

Overall, two thumbs up for me! I love this stuff and I will repurchase this when finished. The price is right and it does what the description claims it should do. ( It is  $ 6.70 on Sasa).

Towards my second colourful bottle:

I tried another cleansing oil: This time from Cosmetex Roland. With their message 'for your future skin' and their zesty red bottle I thought I could try this one.

Cosmetex Roland Shapy Cleansing Oil

The bottle has a retangular shape and the usual pump application.

Cosmetex Roland Shapy Cleansing Oil

The cleansing 'oil' that comes out is not similar to the usual variety of Japanese cleansing oils. It smells a bit berry-ish, which is a good thing. However, it is quite sticky!

Cosmetex Roland Shapy Cleansing Oil

I don't mind a new type of texture when cleansing my face, although I have become quite used to the more common variety of Japanese cleansing oils. But it should work and cleanse my face of all makeup. This one does not remove any eye-makeup at all. Or, just a smidge and I have to result to other cleansers to do the rest.

Thumbs down for me on this colourful bottle... 

I purchased it on sasa, but they took it out of their collection They do have a new, mix type of oil-cleanser listed, and that one might work a bit better. 

Battle of the Bottles: Blue wins for today!

Kanebo Lunasol spring 2011 Shading Cheeks 01 Natural Beige

 When Lunasol released the promotion images of the spring 2011 line, I was quite sure I wanted one of their adorable palettes. Well, you know I already bought the super-gorgeous 05 Colorful ocean. So I decided to go for something in their Base Makeup line.

I have been on the lookout for a really suitable shader/bronzer for a while. There are plenty of products available in the standard/Western cosmetic lines, for example Illamasqua and Mac, but I often find myself overdoing these products and looking a bit too 80s sculped instead of optically enhanced. Also, paler skintones have more difficulty finding a believable shader/bronzer that is not too dark or pigmented

After seeing pictures of Lunasol's older version of the Modelling version EX 1 in modeling Bronze, I was quite convinced that Lunasol could offer the right dose of pigment and colour. Still, when I saw that Lunasol released a new version of a shading powder in their spring 2011 line, I know I had to try that one.

I had been looking for swatch-pictures before I bought it. Yuki's lazy channel had most swatch pictures up of the Lunasol 2011 line, however, she had not swatched the bronzing powder (neither the two highlighting powders). I liked it even without seeing the swatch pictures, because the colours looked suitable enough for N 15/20/25 type of skin-colour. Plus, I saw a tiny shimmer in the pan that I liked. I believe a bronzer should neither be too matte (because healthy skin does not look flat and matte either) nor to shimmery.

I was absolutely delighted when it arrived. The colours looked suitable and has that tiny shimmer that makes the skin look healthy and slightly glowing. Click on the picture for a close up, and you will see the shimmer.

Lunasol spring 2011 Shading Cheeks 01 Natural Beige (natural light)

I was cheapskate enough to buy the bronzer only (without the palette). I just put it in another Lunasol palette that I had around.

Lunasol spring 2011 Shading Cheeks 01 Natural Beige

Now I understand why Yuki did not make any swatch pictures, because it is terribly difficult to make pictures of the colour differences. Well, my photo making qualities are not too impressive either ;) but the only colour really visible is the one that is on the right.

You can see them a bit better on a piece of white paper.

Lunasol Shading Cheeks 01 Natural Beige- swatch

Although they are not that visible on the skin, that actually makes it quite believable as a shader/bronzer. When you blend the three of them together, you get that tiny bit of warm shader colour that makes it suitable for shading or bronzing purposes.

It is wonderfully suitable for people who are not trained makeup-artists or quite skilled with makeup. The pigmentation is light enough to apply without overdoing it. And, as I said before, it is visible (although subtily) on N 15/20/25 skin. I am not sure how it would look on darker skintones, though. It will probably be too light.

The colours are on the warmer side, so skintones that are really cool might opt for a cooler tone with a more taupe-like colour.

(oh, bought mine @ adambeauty again, but unfortunately they are out of stock. Other options are gooddealer.com  , bobodave.com or ichibankao.com)  

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

We're in another middle of the week...

Because, most people find the wednesday to be the 'blah'-est moment of the week, so let's celebrate the quirky and fun things you have been up to. And me, ofcourse...hehe, that explains this post.

1. This week I have tried to Be Somebody.
Well, with a bit of lather and a bit of commercial help of purchasing Philosophy showergel. It smells wonderfully springlike with a bunch of waterlilies.

2. Watching some of the gorgeous outfits at the Grammy's.
Florence Welch looks gorgeous in that dress. And that reminded me to browse the vintage shops more often, because her dress is vintage Givenchy. It is not that I could probably afford vintage Givenchy...haha, but I might might might stumble upon a precious find just like she did (or her stylist...)

3. Wearing happy, springlike colours.
Ohh, my highly coveted gmarket blouse arrived a couple of weeks ago. This week finally has a temperature that made it possible to wear it, without suffering (freezing).

4. Keeping moisture-levels high with Genie in a Bottle.
Nothing to do with Christina Aguilera. Gosh, especially after that national Anthem disaster I would gladly dodge anything Aguilera related (just kidding). Genie in a Bottle is one of the brands on sasa.com that I have discovered lately. I have to do a more elaborate review on their Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Spray soon. (remind me of that one).

Hurray, my second reliable post on a fixed day of the week. So, what kind of quirky things have made your week a bit reasonable?

Valentttt (noo, not another post about it)

Right now some of you will be quite sick of all the valentine related messages, commercials and ideas that have been going around, so I just post something related to increase that feeling.

Just kidding, LOL.

I just want to show you some wonderfully pampering goodies, albeit Valentine related, but with some more realistic titles behind them.

Thus, who needs love?

I do...and I am always advocating the right of a woman to pamper herself.

Box of Love

I ordered some deliciously sounding new concoctions from Haus of Gloi, and I was truely glad I received them before valentine (within 1.5 week). I am familiar with etailer and homemade businesses, and if they become really popular the turnaround time can be somewhat longer, however, often it is really worth the wait.

Fun thing is that Haus of Gloi keeps their customers/fans informed on facebook, so if their base products have not been delivered, or have just been delivered, you can find out by their frequent posts.

They also tapped in on a gloomier mood around valentine, with names such as 'Who needs love', 'Something hopeful' and the bit more luring 'Come Hither'.

Who Needs Love?

Gloi's products are Cruely Free, unlike some forms of 'love' sometimes

You might think I picked this scent because I have become a cynic towards valentine and love.  Oh, it's not that bad, I can still a bit romantic at times. I also mentioned (jokingly) in my Valentine's giveaway contest that there are many ways to celebrate love (and/or passion).


I ordered this scent for the scent description

Gloi's description:

A mahogany box filled with chocolaty orbs, coated in crystallized coffee - filled with a pomegranate and raspberry filling. Who needs love when you have something this decadent?

My description:
This is chocolate therapy without the calories! I love the biscuity scent that mingles with a warm and milky chocolate, and the raspberry makes it fresh and fruity.

I ordered a whipped soap, and the blend is with a swirl of pink in it. Even the sceptics can use a bit of pink...

soapy time

I also ordered a couple of samples, one having the 'Come Hither' scent in it:

Sampling

Because, you know, timing and love do not always go hand in hand, so you might not find your perfect scenario up this valentine...soo,

That is why you need Something Hopeful.

Gloi's description:

Perhaps the first stirrings of the spring to come. Warm sakura blossom green tea with the tiniest droplet of plum juice, red mandarin and crystallized jasmine essence.

My description:

It is the scent of spring indeed. I am not nose-trained enough to distinguish the Warm Sakura Blossoms from it, but some of my Japanese readers would probably be more familiar with the delightful Sakura Blossom scent. To me, it smells like a grass blend with a hint of floral. 

And yes, that combination smells a lot like spring, and spring is a hopeful season, so it is true to its name...

I ordered a scrub. I just love how they are incredibly dense and economic in use, and create a fantastically fun lather when in contact with water:

Overal, I'm a happy camper (I like this expression, because I actually do not like camping at all..haha). I just hope they do not become too popular, so the turnaround time will always be this short.
Although I always think that someone or a company that delivers quality should be rewarded for that.

Lavshuca Star Glow Rouge in RD-2

It seems I am making up for my lack of post of the last couple of months. Haven't I been making 6 posts in a week? Mmm, well done.

So today I am doing a quick review on a wonderful lipstick I purchases. Yeh, a short one, because I have been blogging and 'talking' too much this week. However, I promised a review in my last post, so here it goes.

I already have plenty of lipsticks, so I kept a low buy strategy on the lipstick front. However, after seeing the various swatches on Yuki's blog and Lotuspalace complete thumbs up, I decided I wanted one of those.

I absolutely love the way most Japanese companies make the most flattering natural lipsticks, without compromising on the beauty aspect. In other words: they make you look polished, more beautiful, without that makeup-armour feeling. How much I like the look of Christian Dior, Lancome, YSL and other Western brands, they sometimes have colours that absolutely are too bright for my liking.

Ok, so I checked out Yuki and Lotuspalace for the perfect colour. I noticed that they had not swatched RD-2...ha ha, guess to which one I was most drawn: ?? (still no clue?)

Yeh, I wanted to see that one for myself. I also liked the kind of shade between RD-1 and RD-3, duh, that is RD-2. It looked like the perfect blend of mauvy pink and beige.

Lavshuca amped up a bit on the luxury factor with a sort of plastic gemstone in pink on top. I do like the look of the soft metal pink (and matte) cast. The lipstick looks cute and is in a better and sturdier (and prettier) cast than the previous Lavshuca editions. I might say it is even sturdier than its expensive sibling from Shiseido Maquillage: that one is almost $30 and still has that plastic-like packaging that goes murky after a couple of uses.

So I like the packaging around the lipstick. Was I right about the colour?

Ohhh, I love the colour! It is the perfect mauve/pink/beige blend that makes my lips glow and look a bit more pouty.

The next photo shows the lipstick in a different light, so you can see the shimmers that are embedded in the base. These shimmers are not obtrusive in any way, and result in a glowy, more voluptious (but still mature and office appropriate) colour.

As for the texture and moisturizing properties? I love it. I just have to agree with lotuspalace on this one: it gets my full thumbs up as well.

The price was quite affordable, I purchased it for $13 on Adambeauty. The dollar rate was really low at that time being, so that would make a 10 euros. L'oreal is more expensive over here, and I have never found a L'oreal lipstick I enjoyed half as much as this one.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

First I would like to thank my readers for noticing my new banner (hurray) and making sweet comments for me showing my blogface on the blogosphere again. I know my blog does not really stand out for its originality, but it is wonderful to know that people might follow me and read all these blah-blahs that I put online.

I was considering making a fixed weekly section of the things I have been up to. I know, it is something that other bloggers do, and I might have 'borrowed' this concept a bit from them...

Well, in Dutch we have a proverb called "beter goed gestolen dan slecht bedacht", which translates to "better to steal something efficiently than to think up of something poorly". Oops, I think google translater might to a better job. I normally do not agree at all with this idea, because I do not like borrowing other people's idea, but in this world with a 6 billion citizens I might end up having a similar idea than someone else, so why not looking at something that works for others and do it for my blog too.

Another reason...a bit of frequency in the posts I make is both good for you (readers) as me.

So this is my first 'Mid Weekly Quirkology' post. I might go on with this if I can be frequent and reliable enough, ha ha...

1. My lovely Sigificant other pointed at this picture and said "Weed"...hahaha. And for your information, my lovely significant other is not a 19 year old stoner who thinks he knows what that 'spirit'-altering-herb stuff looks like. Well, most Dutch people know what it looks like, although the stereotype that all Dutch people smoke all the time is not true. I think the rate of users is as high or low as other countries.

Beside of all the herb talk, this is TEA. I mighty good one. Spirit altering, perhaps, because it is Champagne Mojito Flavored Green tea...GOODY. You have the taste of champagne and mojitos that drift you away to tropical spheres (with a bit of imagination) and the wholesomeness of green tea. (ps: I found it here )

So it is all about combining pleasure with something beneficial. No pain, still gain!

2. What about this cute little person with her blue, polka dot headbow? I have been dugging inside my stash and found the Pinkey Blackhead Off mask. I purchased this from sasa.com a while ago, but it was one of those products I had not been able to try so for.
I really wanted to review this cute tube, but Sasa is not really reliable in keeping a steady stash of their products. So, no reviews for you, because I cannot tempt you of a product I like (or do not like) when you are not able to buy it anymore.
Ok ok, quick review: I normally have no success with any pore-purching products (strips, peel-off masks, etc) but this was quite ok and gave me somewhat cleaner and tinier pores.

3. RD-2....? Ok, I am going to keep this one a mystery for now. But aficionados already have an idea what this is.

4. I have been thinking about LOVE a lot this week. Well, who couldn't...Valentine next week!
During my Valentine giveaway one of my readers asked the type of gift/giver/valentine-scenario I would expect from the 5 reasons I listed. Well, it is one I forgot to list, but I am sure lots of people will recognize that one:

✓ you and your sigificant other agree NOT to celebrate the commercial fete of Valentine at all, but secretly you would love to get a buckload of presents, so you just pamper the heck out of yourself....

5. Buying expensive labels, and returning them...I bought this delightful Isabel Marant top on sale, which is still rather expensive, too expensive for my liking!

I would have kept it if it were my size. I actually bought it too big! Blimey, Isabel Marant is a french brand and those brands often are really tiny in sizes! I was glad it was too big, but I did not want to reorder it in a smaller size. Somehow, I do not really have that feeling for those high end brands that some people have. Which is good, because I already spend too much for my own liking...he he.

So, that is a bit of the things that 'ticked my boxes' for this midweek...

Have you had some discoveries, rediscoveries, new purchases, or returns this week?

Or thought about LOVE more than normally? Or less, because Valentine and all that commerciality makes you forget about the real thing (luuuuvvv)?

Winner Valentine giveaway...

First I want to thank you for your responses. I had some good laughs of the comments some of you gave me about valentine ♥

But most importantly...the winner:

Number 3 is....MANDY...

Congratulations Mandy, I will contact you for your price!!!

reminder: giveaway

Just one day before the winner will be announced (link link)

Kanebo Lunasol Ocean Scene 05 Colourful Ocean

Today I am going to dedicate my post to one of the pretty jewels I purchased lately.

It starts with the decadent outside of the box: one of the reasons I really like buying something from Lunasol. There is so much detail in the layout, and I almost always want to keep the box with the palette, even though it often takes up lots of precious space.

I ventured on a totally different colour spectrum I usually go for. I am the neutrals girl and I have heaps of varieties of all kind of neutral shades. I really wanted something else, something sweeter and lighter. Possible something pastel.

Gladly Lunasol included my wishes in a palette with a, for Japanese standards, a more unusual colour scheme. Yeh, you do see a lighter blue and yellow in palettes often, but not in this combination.

Further on, I loved loved loved the name Colourful Ocean more than all the others. I believe that the colours in the palette sum up the qualities of the perfect ocean:

♥ a pink for Coral
♥ soft, ocean blue
♥ baby yellow for that perfect sand
♥ brown: for the trees...

I really love Lunasol's interpretation of an Ocean Scene.

 Close up, the eyeshadows have a different shape than the usual Lunasol palette. Normally, the outlook is flat . This palette has that heaved quality that I normally see in baked eyeshadows or pigments...

Lunasol Ocean Scene 05 Colourful Ocean

 Swatches on my skin, primed with Burberry Foundation (no eyeshadow primer, only foundation):

Lunasol Ocean Scene 05 swatches

The colour is quite dense and packed. Especially for Lunasol and for pastel based colours.

The glitter topcoat wears of after a couple of uses. That is a major plus for me, although the glitters in this formula almost are densely packed, and almost flattering on my eyes.

The darkest colour, the brown, is always handy as a neutral or to give that bit of depth that looks flattering, especially when wearing lots of lighter colours.

I think this palette matches the mood of fashion, because trends are going in the direction of brights, florals and sportswear (think: 1970s tennis girl). This makes a pastel based palette like this wonderful for matching the face according the clothes.

I have to conclude that I am really happy with this purchase. I really wanted to have a lighter colour spectrum, because I have found out that darker colours do not flatter me that much anymore. I love the spectrum of light that these colours give me, and each of them bring out a different dimension in my eyes.

I bought my palette on Adambeauty for $56.50, which is not cheap, but I excused myself that the Euro-dollar currency rate is quite favourable right now. He he, a girl needs some excuses, right?

Roses are Red...("oh, just give me my gift") Valentine giveaway

It is the idea that counts, right?

He he, sometimes we really like to get that perfect gift from our loved ones.

So, I have another giveaway up for graps

perfect when...

♥ You do not have a special someone, and really want to treat yourself, so you WANT to win this giveaway

♥ you actually expect your current loved one to give you a 'it's the idea that counts' kind of gift...sweet, but a bit of craptastic

♥ You actually expect the perfect gift from your loved one, but still want more...so you want to win this giveaway because 'you deserve it'

♥  You have more than one loved ones (either platonic or not) and expect a buckload of gifts for valentine (or else....). Still, you like to have this particular nailpolish, eyeshadow palette and masks...

♥You could not care less about Valentines day, so it makes perfect sense if you win the price...

♥ You have everything you could wish for and you are really happy and satified about that. You actually want to win this price so you can give it to a special friend who needs that bit of extra love...
  
I actually like the last reason the most, but I will give the word to random.org when the winner is chosen, so everyone has an equal shot in winning...

I have three prices for you:

1. The Illamasqua Scarab Nailpolish.

Illamasqua nailpolish in Scarab

Illamasqua nailpolish Scarab

2. Two Simply Sheet Masks

Simply Duo Anti Aging Sheet Masks Q10

3. a Banila Co. eyeshadow palette

Banila Co. The Secret Glam palette

Banila Co. The Secret Glam Palette

The outside is gorgeous, but it is the inside that counts:

Banila Co. The Secret Glam palette

The Banila Palette is not exactly new, sorry about that. I swatched them before (over here). Still, it is a gorgeous palette that should have a new owner...(so, the swatches are the only time I used this one)

My 'rules' are quite uncomplicated:

1. Make a comment or say something small, or post an emoticon if you really do not feel like writing anything.

2. I should be able to contact you, or you should read closely to see if you are the winner after the drawing, so you can contact me.

3. I do not want to oblige you to follow the blog just for the giveaway, so you can join even if you do not wish to follow my blog. I just want to contact the right winner when the winner has been drawn.

4. Contest ends on Tuesday, 8th of February 2011, 18.00 hrs European standard time, GMT +1)

5. You are only able to make one comment, so no cheaters who would like to double (or triple) their chances.

6. Winner will be announced in a new post after random selection by random.org

7. Please contact me with 2 days to claim your prize or another winner will be selected!

Prizes will be shipped by airmail WORLDWIDE within 3 business days after winner contacts me!

You will only have TWO days to join in, so hurry up and try your luck!

Red Red Valentine (nails)

"Valentines Day is almost near...so hide away, my dear..."

This nursery rhyme-attempt is fortunately not to be found elsewhere but my blog...he he, it simply spells out the ambivalence I have towards valentines day.

I really love romance and I am a true girl at heart...so yes, the sloppy things that we see in movies with the roses, candlelights, music, etc etc make me go 'aww' too. And I believe it is good to have a fixed day that romance and love is a bit mandatory, because, ahum, how should some men ever remember to do something for their loved one, right? It is just that I believe love and romance should come a bit more spontaneous and not a calender-date...

Still, when you go for it...you should really go for it!

And I cannot believe of a better colour for valentine than red (well, aside of pink, ofcourse). So I listed a couple of red hot colours with that lustre that are really Valentine (or Love) worthy...

All of these colours are of the same family of deep reds with a shimmery base. Feel free to click on each of them to see a close up...

Never without the names...

They are all different from each other, when looking closely. The only twins to be found are OPI Romeo & Joliet and Illamasqua Scarab. The smidge of a difference is that Illamasqua has a slight purple tint in its shimmery base, whereas OPI stays red/brownish...

Tomorrow I will plan another Giveaway of the Illamasqua Scarab. Beside of this swatch, I have never used it...I love it, but it matches my good ol' Romeo & Joliet just a bit too much.

When you really want to add some shimmer and shine, the Nfu Oh 51 is a supergorgeous polish...

That makes me wonder, what are you planning to do for Valentine?