Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

Well, what is up for this week's quirkologies?

1. Uncommon Love on the streets
I have to admit that I find enamorated species (often  humans) to be incredibly endearing. But you do not often see a mini pig on the street. Actually, I have never seen such a cuddly pig in real life. And when you see it getting close to such a wonderfully cute bulldog, it just make you turn around twice, get your camera, make a picture....Oh, and makes your heart melt a bit too, because friendliness can cross species and that is a hopeful lesson for the humans as well ;D when looking for a other human partner.

2. Liking Alexandra Zsigmond drawings...
I had to laugh out loud when seeing this nanny letting out the toddlers on leashes. They do exist, for children! Actually, I was one of those children who needed one (but only at the airport otherwise my mum would loose me in my curiosity). Actually, not so much changed after all these years, ha ha, I can still get distracted and lost easily when seeing something that tickles my curiosity.

3. Looking if those Gorgeous coloured shoes are still available
For example, these gorgeous shoes can make me go to the shop-window with an open mouth and I just stare for a minute. Actually, this week there were not in the shop window, but they were probably in the shop. I already restrained myself a lot when I did not buy these when I saw them a couple of weeks ago. I sTiLl WaNt ThEm...

4. Playing around with a new Iphone app for editing pictures
This one is Lo-Fi and I got the recommendation from worshipblues.com. This was my first pic with this app. Oh, you have to check out worshipblues for a frequent fix of gorgeous photography, she and her husband are such experts in making highly interesting pictures, and a dose of beauty, and everything that makes life tick.

So, have you encountered anything noteworthy this week?

Newbies tries...

Nothing much has been going on, beautywise!

But I still like to share some new things I accumulated lately...

Yey, one of my ol' Korean loves...Lotree!

I bought a set, which included this dainty lipbalm with the fantastic Korenglish name "Kissing the Lipbalm Macademia".

Right, I only want to kiss the lipbalm and not the lips behind them ;-)

I know it looks so cute and girly, but I would not recommend this for the inside. It is a plain vaseline like lipbalm with some weird substance included that makes your lips burn a bit.

Another cute and girly item I bought in the local drugstore is this floraly blush from Catrice.

Au contraire the lipbalm, this is actually really good and gorgeous product for a cheap blush...

To continue on the girly path...Look at this adorable cover from Dainty sheetmasks!

This is their Lotus mask, and it is quite good! It smells lightly soapy but tolerable. The sheet is thin, but the essence is in abundance and sooo soothing. (bought it here)

Unlike the Coffee mask of Dainty I tried...

No allergies, fortunately :D, only a weird smell of coffee breath mixed with soap...bleerg. (bought it here)

I also have been wearing Ruffled Bottoms....

Just the nailpolish version of Jessica.

If I would post my ruffled bottoms in a blog, I would have created a different kind of blog, right?

So, have you been trying some new cosmetica lately? And, did you like it?

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

The last 7 days were somewhat about...

1. Receiving the highly anticipated Puff de blush from Majolica Majorca.
I really liked their new release of the Sugary Trap edition, and after seeing this pretty one on various blogs, I knew I had to had it. So I have now :P

2. We had this extraordinary large moon, aka the supermoon, this weekend.
And yes, there have been some gorgeous pictures popping up of the real deal, but I liked this cartoon a lot for different reasons. He he, I do not dislike bananas, neither that I am allergic to them, but I like how this character gets quite mad at the moon for thinking it is a banana.
 Yeh, I have a weird sense of humor...

3. Also, indulging in some sweets...Mmm, a small chocolate cake.

4. SPRING. That means florals!
Btw, this is a shot of my cute Liberty suitcase....♥ it so much...

Winner 400 followers giveaway

Wow, the participants of the giveaway I gave had a big chance of winning. I only counted 16 valid entries, so that should have given you a large chance into winning.

However, we can have only one winner, which is.....

Number 14: Mimsy

Congratulations Mimsy. I will mail you asap!

To the rest, Happy Spring!

400 followers! Giveaway

I was planning to do another giveaway soon...

However, I was thinking of a Hurray-it's spring giveway on the 21th of March (sorry for the Southern Hemisphere people, who are now going to have autumn, but you could still join in).

Anyway, I am quite suprised my little blog reached 400 followers. And I am glad about that as well, so the giveway occasion is connected to the gratitude I have towards having such lovely readers.

Well oh well, what will I be giving away?

First, a medium-sized wallet from etsy seller Thienthanh.

Elephants have a wonderful significant in various cultures. In Buddism they are a symbol of strength and nobility. And some stories they have connected elephant to creating clouds. And well, everybody knows about the stories about elephants having an incredible memory.

Besides that, they look adoringly cute on this wallet, don't you think?

The inside has handy compartments for cards and the back has a part for coins.

Cute detail and little label from their seller:

That is the main price, but I will be including this sheet mask from Love More as well. It is their Scotland Rose Crystal and Tourmaline Peptide Moisturizing Duo lifting mask:

It is such a pretty packaging.

Last, from the German brand Essence I will be adding their 02 Cream Canvas (powder!) Eyeshadow:

Yeh, it is somewhat look-a-like from the MAC collection. But still, I really like the cartoon print on it, and the eyeshadow is such a pretty, neutral basic.

I will go for my normal rules-and-regulation bit, which is...I do not have that many rules and regulations, LOL.

The ones I have are these:

1. Make a comment or say something small.

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 Monday, 21th of March 2011, 13.00 hrs European standard time, GMT +1). So yeh, it is a kind of a beginning of spring giveaway as well.

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 the weekend to join in, and monday I will draw a lucky winner...So,try your luck :D

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

It has been a special week: (see image one)

1. Hurray, the blog has reached 400 followers. That means giveaway time! Watch this space this week...

2. I have also been admiring my limited Edition Chanel Nailpolish in LA Sunset.
I purchased this one in 2008 when Chanel released their Robertson Boulevard Nail Colour Collection. Honestly, it is absolutely not a unique colour, especially considering Chanel. However, I like the peachy orangy colour and the fact I took some lenghts to purchase it right then. :D

3. Receiving some Gmarket...(blogged about it here)

4. Tropical dreaming with this cute, vintage book on Hula.
I've made the picture more modest, because that girl on the cover is typically retro-Hawaiian sans bikini. Personally, I'm not that shocked about a illustration like that, but I covered her up a bit for the blog ;P

I am sorry I have not included the terrible events with the earthquake in Japan. Without refering to cliches, I am incredibly shocked and hope that all my readers and their loved ones are safe.

Take care for this week....and check out the blog of that promised giveaway...

G-market haul, again

Meet the box in the forest!

No, our post office is not among the leprechauns and forest bunnies...Still, that would be funny, especially when I do not have to pay additional taxes (sight)

First, I purchases two blushers from an unknown brand called Diana. Actually, they are from Prorance, who is somewhat known in the Korean cosmetic branch.

I bought them for pure curiosity and the need to add a zillionth blush to my collection...make that two:




These two were under $10. They are not that pigmented, but I like the beige one for highlighting.

Where to find:
I found these here or http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=173208738. The pink one is colour no. 2 and the Beige one is no. 3.

Clothes time: I wanted to have a lighter sweater for the transition towards spring. I saw this sweater modelled over here:

Cute, a sweater-dress!

I only wanted another colour, so I went for a mintgreen (what else?) and cream colour:

The sweater looks good in real life. Quality-wise, it is not top quality but still quite ok. It is roomy enough for my Western bone-structure, LOL.

 

I only find it to be a bit less vivid in colour than I expected it to be...

Where to find:

http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=192648537 or link here  

Just pick sweater 선택 : 로망스더블톤니트 and colour option 진베이지민트 (￦10,000)-

The original price is ￦7,900 ($ 7.24) but for most of the articles they charge an extra. Still, an original sweater for appoximately $17 is still a good deal.

Last, but not least...a cute purple bag to tote around...

So wonderful, they have these on sale for $5.91! And no extra fees for this particular number.

Look how it looks on the promotion pictures

And it looks pretty much the same in real life! Bonus!

No, it is not real leather, but it is a well-made faux version.

Where to find:
http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=172603594 or here

This is no. 222 and they have made it a bit easier for the non-Korean readers, so they put the colours in English at the end!

Such a wonderful haul.

No wonder I like gmarket: cheap, you can find original stuff, vivid promotion pictures, and they often deliver quite fast.

Skin & Care talk: Evolve Single cream & Nude Advanced Cellular Renewing Serum

Natural and organic products have gotten better over the years. They evolved, which is also the name of one of the products I will talk about today.

First, I'd like to say that I am not planning to review these two products elaborately. I already think that giving out a review on skincare is quite difficult, as there are so many skintypes, and my type could be completely opposite than yours.

But it never hurts to give out my two cents about these products.

The first one: Evolve Multi Action Single Cream: was a daycream I purchases this summer. Oh, delightful summer! And how bleak the winter was after that...

Anyway, there is a Single version and a thicker version. I picked Single, well, because I was single at the time being, LOL. Yeh, and the lighter constency seemed to be the best bet for summer skin-needs.

One of the main ingredients of this mixture is Argan oil. Argan oil is a terrific anti-aging oil. It has more benefits, which you can read over here or here.

And you can read some of the information on the back of the bottle I pictured beneath:

There is no ingredient list listed on the bottle, but I got one from their website:

Aqua (water), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil , Parfum , Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil , Cocos nucifera , Sesamium indicum , Candellila/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters  , Glyceryl Stearate , Cetearyl Alcohol , Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil , Butyrospermum parkii butter , Dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline , Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate , Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Protein , Magnesium Aluminium Silicate , Mannitol , Lactic Acid , Dehydroacetic acid ,

Pros:

• The bottle comes with a hygienic pump applicator
• cute colour
• relatively good bargain
• almost unscented
• organic and eco friendly(no nasties, according to them)
• fairtrade

Cons:

• It does not absorb well into the skin, and leaves a bit of a film on it
• So, it hardly moisturizes

Yeh, this is one of the products that would be Perfect, IF ONLY...

Well, actually the thing it is supposed to do is the thing it does not do: the basic stuff - Penetrate into the skin and adding a bit of moisture (at least).

Mmm...(that is a not so positive "mmmm") It absolutely lacks 'multi action'.


From that perspective, I have found a better product that actually does what it says.

Nude Advanced Cellular Renewing Serum:

Ingredients: (from their website)

 water (aqua), bifida ferment lysate (milk), glycerine (plant sources), propanediol (corn sugar), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, oryza sativa (rice) hull powder, xanthan gum (fermented sugar), sodium hyaluronate (lactic acid and wheat), chondrus crispus (Irish moss), undaria pinnatifida extract (Japanese sea kelp), lactose (milk), alpha-glucan oligosaccharide (corn and beet), whey protein (lactis proteinum), arginine (plant sources), galactaric acid (apple pectin), tocopherol (vitamin E), lactic acid (sugar and beet), helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, natural fragrance (parfum), phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, sodium dehydroacetate, sodium benzoate, linalool (essential oil), limonene (essential oil).

Pros:

• absorbs easily into the skin (after a minute)
• as good as scentless
• REDUCES SENSITIVITY
• lots of celebrity praise (yeh, and they have lots of cash so it must do something if they opt for this one), especially from one of my fave 90s models and contemporary business/creative maven Helena Christenson
• Peptides, not sure if they work yet, but I finished a whole bottle and I haven't aged that much yet ;P 
• Antioxidant Japanese Sea Kelp (I like marine-type of anti-agers)
• 'biocompatable' skincare- mmm, a new term to lure in the consumers. Not sure what it is about, but it sounds healthy
• Natural skincare

Cons:

• expensive
• glass bottle...although sturdy (I dropped it once and it was unharmed)
• One of those dropper bottles...I prefer a pump for hygienic reasons and I believe the potion stays fresh and the ingredients work longer when the product stays inside for as long as possible.

Overal, Naturally based skincare has involved indeed, but I haven't found it in Evolve, but in the Nude Serum instead.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

This week I have been

1. Drinking some yuckie health stuff booster from Fushi, a health brand from the UK.
(Doesn't work: I have been emptying the whole box and I still look and feel below the weather)

2. Receiving a new blush: It is from a brand named Diana and I received it in a gmarket order. It's Peeeeeeenk!

3. liking cute Angel cards I received for free.
Well, not entirely free. Lovelula.com always adds them when you order from them. I received a whole lot of Joy from them in the orders I made in the past.

4. Dressing up my Pupee.
I am probably too old to play dress up doll, but millions of women around the world seem to have a pupee they love to dress up, so I feel ok about this little indulgence of mine. This is one of my more boring outfits.

New, succesful discovery: My beauty Diary Blooming of beauty Orange Blossom Sheet Mask

A couple of days ago I blogged about my experiences with the Love More Brazilian sheet masks. It was not really successful, and that is a euphemism. It made me a blotchy mess and I was not even flawless to begin with.

You win some, you loose some when you try out new things. You can stick to the old and trustful, but I am a beauty blogger so I like to try out things that can make me prettier or more radiant. Sometimes you find out that something that works perfectly for another can be a total fiasco for you.

Fortunately, I received a set of sheet masks that have been able to limit the damage in my face, and have that bit of quality.

It was by eki (little bit of Eki) that I stumbled upon a new set of My Beauty Diary masks. I was not a fan of these masks, until old cow from WorshipofBlues mentioned that the Vienna Black Tulip masks seemed to work for her. I ordered them as well, and they are brilliant. So yeh, that rekindled my interest in MyBeautyDiary masks.

Eki blogged about the cute My Little Kitty editions that are coming out soon. I haven't found them on internet yet, but she blogged about the two latest editions of the MyBeautyDiary Blooming of Beauty in Pink RockRose and Orange Blossom.

I love anything Meditteranean based and I like orange blossoms, so I picked the Orange Blossom version first.

So, I told you I like this mask a lot. Why is that?

• Most importantly: reduces sensitivity
• texture of sheet mask is soothing
• the right amount of moisture for the skin
• the scent is absolutely lovely (Orange blossom)
• Affordable price
• Cute design of the packaging

I have only been using this mask twice, and I have not been able to use it on healthy skin yet. So, I cannot say that much about the brightening or anti-aging properties. However, I really like the soothing quality of this mask for the time being. Any mask that is able to be tolerated on a highly sensitive and slightly damaged skin is a blessing.

I bought mine on ebay from ciaotaurus over here.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies...

Last week has been a busy one...

Still, I believe that unwinding is a good thing when you have a lot of obligations...thus:

1. Spring flowers
Ohhhw, I am strongly hoping for spring to finally pop up its head on the scene. I am looking for the simpliest signs, such as this flower with its cute dewdrop. However, these are stubborn flowers and will show themselves even when it is still as awfully winteresque as it is now.

2. Milan Fashion Week
I haven't been looking that much to blogs this week, but I was struck by the gorgeousness of Margherita Missoni. She is everything I admire in the (ok, a bit stereotype image) of the Italian woman. Radiant, confident in her sensuality, wearing exquisite clothes and an impeccable style and the flowy, brunette locks that are always into place. Oh, let's  not forget her ambition and the ability to create fantastic clothes. She seems to have so much fun in this picture and the way she deliberately mixed up her clothes in a unmatchy manner is just fantastic and it works for her.

3. Crafting a bit
I wish I had Missioni's clothes creating skills, but I have been keeping it a bit simplier by making this cute necklace with a cutesy theme. Actually, I am thinking of giving it away, because I am not really into the cutesy look, or, actually I sometimes am, but I would not wear it in public like that. Still, I loved the creative activity between my busy schedule and perhaps I can  make another girl happy with it.

So, do you think I should give away that necklace in box no 3? If yes, would you like to win it?

Love More Brazil White Crystal & Platinum sheetmask - quick review

Yesterday I blogged about my little package that arrived from Singapore: the one with the gorgeous stamps.

This weekend I was able to try one of their sheetmasks. I had been reading about them on several blogs, and they looked really interesting to me.

I tried the Brazil White Crystal & Platinum mask. Well, because of the mint packaging and because of the Brazilian theme.

Ha ha, no I'm not that superficial (although it works). I wondered what the Crystal and Platinum elements would do for my skin.

As you can see on the right bottom of the mask: It is one of those tie-on masks that stays secured because you can put them over the ears.

I once used the Simply masks some time ago, but I did not really like that tied-on feeling. However, the masks were relatively cheap so I would not pass up because of the form. I could always skip on the 'fasten-behind-the-ears' technique.

Instructions are quite clearly given in English and Manderine Chinese (I believe?). And the pictures always makes it easier to see what exactly is the deal with the mask and how to apply it.

Ingredients:

I don't know what I would have to think of the Fish Collagen Peptide ingredient. I have never heard of it before.

I love that is has a 'Kiss' theme:

However, to give away a bit of my review...I was absolutely not kissable afterwards...

The form:

The bee-hive pattern is supposed to make the penetration element a bit more effective, according to various reviews.

Before I will give my 2 cents, I have to say that I was absolutely not enthousiastic about this mask:

• It hardly covered my chin (I have a Western Facial structure, however, I did not have this problem with the Simply masks and other cheet masks)
• The mask is too tight around my face when tied behind my ears.
• The scent is too soapy, and I do not like a soapy scent.

But overall: It completely irritated my skin like mad. I have a tendency to have ezcematic skin, and oh boy...this made my skin like a red and irritated mess for the weekend.

Thanks to another sheet mask (that I review soon) I was able to recover a bit from this drama. However, it is still not really balanced and a few new spots have appeared that are really difficult to get rid of. (people with eczema will probably recognize the easiness that takes the skin to be irritated and the difficulty to let those same spots to dissapear).

Remember, these are my 2 cents: I have read raving reviews on other blogs (here and here and here and here), so feel free to venture on this cute mask if you like. However, with my sensitive skin: it was an utter fiasco.