Midsummer Newbies

Summer is still blooming around...perhaps it is more drying to skin than you anticipated. Or, when going city-tripping you can find your pores going congested like nothing else.

• For the occasional bout of dryness I gotten myself this cute Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin pill mask. I've been sheetmasking before K-beauty gotten mainstream and it's fun they have gotten easier available. 
• I've already gotten the Boscia Detoxing Black Cleanser in a sample size, and absolutely loved the warming effect on the skin. I love this liquid form of charcoal cleansing and I noticed it really helped getting to those pesky blackheads. Something not many products are effective off with my skin.

I also went on the bandwagon with Son & Park's Beauty water...

Ohh, I really love how the air in the water is looking in the bottle.

I had to decorate it with my Luxdivine (etsy) armband and the scarf is D&G summer collection.

I rediscovered cheeks with NARS Nars-issist Dual intensity blush palette.

 It is certainly a fantastic blending blush texture...I'm smitten. My cheeks glowwwww...

I have been upping up my foundation game with an oldie and a newbie:

• Mac Face & Body is and oldie but still high in the ranks of makeupartists. I've picked a darker colour for my body as I have some white spots that I need to even out.
• Nars Velvet Matte Skin tint is new on the market. I was not enterely sure as the colours tend to look a bit too yellow for my colouring, but they look velvety and real on (self-)tan skin. I still think the gap between Cusco and Annapurna is too large in colour dept.

One of the Sephora Beauty reward boxes contained Alterna. I love their Caviar Protein line but feel (and can see) that my hair might be healthy enough to alternate with moisture. So bring on the moisture with the CaviarAnti Ageing Replenishing Moisture line.

Ok, I say I'm team Alterna but I also have team Christophe Robin and I've been enjoying some other shampoos lately as well. But in the end Alterna would be my desert island brand!

Last but not least, nails. Since everybody and their grandma have been into nailart, gellnails everything etc, I have been neglecting my mani with a simple coat of strenghtener. Very sheer, kinda blah.

• I thought some Chanel could bring back my colour game: Turban looks bright enough for summer and classic enough for always.

• Another pretty one is the Damask Rose from & Other Stories. It looks so foiled on nails, incredible.

These have been some of my midsummer hauls. I'm already eyeing up some of the Autumn lines. Kose Addiction by Ayako has released these amazing new eyeshadows with names like Dancer in the Dark, Hazy Night, Volcano & Modern Nostalgia. The colours are as awesome to boot with their names and instagram is not holding too many secrets when recently renewed (just browse on the Japanese names). 

As for skincare, I think I will hold on on some new finds that I will review soon for it. I'm kinda behind my reviews: being stuck into the instagram picturing mode makes me kind of lazy on the writing front...It does make me attempt to make prettier photos : )

Surratt Lipslique in Perfectioniste

Everything lipstick is always permitted in love & war

Or for my 2nd Surratt I picked a lipstick with the quintessential name Perfectioniste:

It has been described as a 'Pinky Rose' which is an easy 'me'-colour. Or, it has been for a couple of years. Lately I venture i
on newer lipshades that are different from the inoffensiveness of rosy nude. For oldtime sake, and the heck of comparing it with my other rosy ones, I took this one:

I cannot think of any product-hoarding, newbie-curious beautyblogger who is not slightly a perfectionist at heart. A beautiful Dior lipstick: so nice, but that latest edition of Chanel might be better for that specific occasion.

My lastest precious lipstick falls into the thin & portable form.

We've seen a black tube before, but a closer look shows a graduation between a matte and a slightly glimmery surface. It twists up at the bottom.


The colour of my new lipstick did not dissapoint.

Though it looks like your average peachy pink, it has a vividy blue-pink dimension that shows in the swatches.

The formula feels a bit waxy. Now I'm spoiled to bits with cushiony lipsticks. In this case, comparing will do too:

I'll keep it a bit more specific and bring in the names & numbers (& repeat swatches later):

1. Christian Dior Serum De Rouge - No. 740 Rosewood Serum
2.  Mac Slimshine Lipstick Intimidate
3. Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge RS 2
4. Shiseido Maquillage moisture rouge rs305

5.  Marc Jacobs Beauty 110 Role Play

6. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine 52 Fetiche

7. Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge PK 6

8. Benefit lipstick Um Um Uh

9. Giorgio Armani sheer transparant lipstick 10

 

 So let's do the swatches again:

1. Dior 740 is a different hue (brownish rose) but I put it in to show a different opacity compared to Surratt: Dior feels creamier instead of waxy and covers the lip better.
2. MAC Intimate is a hint cooler than Surrat, also with a dewier look.
3. Lavshuca rs 2 is rosier and is my favourite formula of all lipsticks featured.
4. Maquillage has a more nude/rosy tone.
5. Marc Jacobs RolePlay is the sheerest one and feels light but not too moisturizing.

5. Marc Jacobs Roleplay, as before with a sidenote of it looking less pink and more mauvy/nude.
6. Chanel Fetiche has more of a mauve/rosy undertone.
7. Lavshuca PK6 is a rosy nude with no real pink notes
8. Benefit is another mauvy/rosy MLLB
9. Armani 10 is a brownish rosy with a sheer untertone.

What makes Surratt Perfectioniste so cool is the way it lights up pink in certain light, and looks like the demure MLBB in other light:

Airplane view!

Conclusion: Sweet & different enough with that cheeky pink glow.
 

Talking about lipstick & war (more here):

I just love these glossy posters

Juli's Used Ups

Let me start with a lippy I consequently used until I reached bottom (or tube): 

Really, this one is from MAC's 2008 collection (see Temptalia). I have a special storeage for MAC's LE's (some never used) in a dark, cool place and sometimes I revisit Zeeee Box-e and I find myself something useful or fun. Ofcourse, I'm aware of expiry dates so I use my sniffer, and some good ol' logic to see if it is still fresh. 

MAC slimshines are lovely & creamy moisturizing hints of colour for the lips. Funshine is a coraly pink that is lighter than my natural lip colour. I get a wonderful nod to lighter lips with colours like these.

The rest:

July has been somewhat unproductive, but I used up some things:

1. Fairy Drops Mascara  Platinum Mascara film type

Ok, not quite used up but logic and knowledge of mascaras told me it is time to let this one go. I know lots of women love Fairydrops but somehow most of their mascara do not really work for my type of lashes. They do not hold curl that stubbornly as the likes of Majolica Mallorca or Fasio and that is mostly what I need. It's still a good mascara, though, but only with a base.

2. Nude Nailpolish: Nails Inc Basil Street, Essie Barefoot & OPI Let Them Eat Rice Cake

With nailpolish the logic of throwing away is a lot easier, because they are often dried out or separated. I've also finished a bottle of Seche Vite Thinner which can bring some dying nailpolishes alive again. Then again, I have so many nailpolishes that I screen the ones that I really want to thin up again. Or, I need some space and will use some other nudes before possible repurchase.

3. Tatcha Restoring Eye cream (right corner- small sample)

Lovely, but also a bit too pasty/thick for summer time.

4.  Saniflore Aqua Magnifiqua toner (review here)

Absolutely delicious for congested [summer] skin. I can feel it doing something extra when my skin is congested, but without having that stripping feeling those generic anti-acne potions have. It smells so herbally fresh too: repurchase!

5. Rene Furtherer Naturalia Dry Shampoo

I gotten into this one thanks to MostlySunny's rave. AGREED!  It's so delightfully thin and mops up the right amount of grease. And, hardly no white residue! For the supermajority that doesn't have blonde roots it is so wonderful to have a spray that doesn't make you look like you have grey hairs. Even blondes will get a slightly greyish look with about most dry shampoos so I have no idea why companies don't make them better like this one.

6. Vichy Cellu-destock Serum Flash

6%! 

-> 

for the ones that read my neverending stories of battling the ghost of cellulite (albeit very alive) know that I have a serious Caffeine habit. This serum has 6% Caffeine in it. I liked it but it also felt like my 1st tube of Cellulite-busting potions from 1993: perhaps the scent or the texture. I didn't feel it was too effective but I've been slightly inconsequent with it. It's also quite expensive per ml so I think I'll try something else next time.

7. French Girl Organics Rose Noir Cleansing Oil

I featured this baby as a part of my Organic black bottle collection (here). It's a dense cleansing oil that does not foam: I always expect a foam as I'm used to Asian cleansing oils, but Organics seldom do. It cleanses up heavy duty makeup and/or sunscreen but I do need a sudsy cleanser afterwards for rinsing off the oily feeling. It smells lovely like a soft rose.

8. REN Radiance Perfection Serum

This serum is actually meant for younger skins in need of a radiance boost. However, I often serum up twice a day so I really liked this one in the morning: it has some antioxidants (eg: Bitter Orange, Lingonberry) that combat the oxidant effect of sunrays during the day.

That has been my round-up of July's Used Ups. It has been wonderful to take a step away from my normal lipstick routine by taking up a paler hue like MAC Funshine: it does take some more work with the rest of the face (more eyemakeup, etc).  For this month I'm thinking to step out of the box again with lipcolour: perhaps a good berry hue for Indian Summer? We'll see ; )

Last Week's Cosmetics

Let me share some of last week purchases, samples and re-finds:

Clockwise:

 *

The Essence nailpolish is one those sparkly multicoloured glitters in purple hues: perhaps that's why it is called "Only Purple Matters".

 *

Mac Dainty Mineralize blush has been last week's rediscovery.

*

I bought Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick 'In Love with Ginger' after testing various orangy reds, ranging from Givenchy Le Rouge Carmin Escarpin, L'Oreal Perfect red and Chanel Rouge Coco. My actual favourite has been the Givenchy but pricewise I think I'd rather save on a colour that is not a staple of mine.

*

The Kanebo Sensai Cleansing Essence has been a free sample: I haven't used Kanebo for a while and I hope that my organically infused skin is up to the more chemical concoctions of Kanebo.

"Black is the new black": eyepencils ft Pixi Endless EyePen

Black eyepencils have a simpler reputation than they actually deserve. They are the working-horses of eyepencil-dom: most people can get away with it, and 'people' implies the rocker dude as well.

But I will refer again to my Orwelian "all black eyepencils are created equal, but some are more equal than others". Also, some are better for tightligning, others between the upper lashes (need some waterproof-ness) and others are the perfect alternative to the liquid eyeliner.

I bought another not so standard black after Drivellerkates claim that they are the closest thing to perfection, only brand Three to be a tad better. Also, there was this amazing Pixi set on Asos.com for €13:

Normally, the Endless eyeliner pencil is €13 alone, so I got a bargain with the Pixi Nailpolish and Tinted brilliance pencil in Rosy Red. (not available anymore)

So Drivellerkate adores her Pixi Endless collection: how would I like mine compared to my black faves?

I talked about purpose of the eyepencil. I use my pure blacks predominantly for tightlining between the upper lashes. That means I need something close to waterproof to keep put.

Swatches: (I have to work on my *symmetry* when doing these)

1. Topshop Waterproof Liner in Ebony
A real kohl formula looking slightly like that charcoal matte formula. I love this for tightlining as it is truly waterproof. Compared to Pixi, next to it, it looks slightly brown.
2. Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in BlackNoir
True black colour that has incredible pigmentation over the skin. Velvety exterior. I consider it bleeding a bit when applying as a tightliner along upper eyelashes.
3. Majolica Majorca Sugary Trap (LE)- Cream Pencil Liner in BK999 Bitter Black
*mine dried up a little*. The most powdery formula: it stays put as a tightliner
4. Mac Kohl Power eye pencil in Feline
Wow, look how glossy it looks? I got this from my *unexplored stash* lately and it looks really glossy and black. As a tightliner it bleeds slightly as well, but it never claims it is waterproof in the first place.
5. Pupa True Eyes eyepencil in 01 Extrablack
Marketed as "extra soft for eyes". Similar texture and colour as Majolica Majorca, this slightly powdery. Does an excellent job in staying put as an eyeliner.

Distance swatch photo:

 

I think the difference in my stash is between colour (true blackness or slightly brownish) and finish (powdery or glazed/glossy). The 'wetter' formulas are often less waterproof and I skip them for tightlining: instead, they function as eyeliner/undereye colour. The dryer formulas feel better in the tightline.

Verdict:

I can really see why DrivellerKate likes these pencils. However, I think they are not superwaterproof as a tightliner. So, the finish is gorgeous and I imagine them even more stunning in the coloured versions as the visible part of eyepencil, eg the traced above the upper lashes or framing the bottom lashes (pure black is a tad too stark for my paler complexion/hair/etc for doing that).

Availability:

Pixibeauty.co.uk has all gorgeous shades, but shipping is a bit steep. Asos.com only has 3 colours, but with free shipping.

Mauve-ing into 2013

I have reached for a whole spectrum of mauves lately: holographic mauves, sparkly, matte, red-toned, pinkish and purplish...

Bottom exposure: (how cheeky)

Opi My Big Break | Opi Merryberry Mauve | MAC Violet Femme | Orly Minds Eye | Colour Club Uptown Girl

So have you been reaching for a particular nailpolish in the first week of 2013? Or were your nails on a break after high Nail-tenance Holiday season?

Wonder-find

I am in the mid-summer beauty blahs: I got this craving to buy something from any newer collection but the ones that are available now do not really appeal to me (NARS) or appealed to me until I read what they were like according to my sweet commenters (Jill Stuart blushes).

Thus, a rediscovery:

I have quite the stash of MAC I collected for a while. However, I hardly buy them anymore because I don't reach for MAC enough. Beautiful colours and recommended textures (by MUA etc), but somehow I found brands that suited me better.

I Ilike the Wonder Woman Amazonian Princess for it's girlpower box and name.

Most of all, I have fallen for the cooler pink colour. And there must be better versions of this colour out there but I still have it in my stash and it's fun to use that little red box.

Glorious Giveaway: Mac, Emma Hardie, My Beauty Diary

I thought it was time to give out a giveaway to my faithful readers on the blog.

I decided to keep it small but full of quality items. Somehow I wanted to keep everything for myself again, because I like the things I will be giving away, but I can use some more space in my closet and I like to treat my readers a bit.

 

What can you win?

1. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm:

  I reviewed this one yesterday and shortly I liked this one for the luxurious vibe. I received an extra travel size, which is the one I will be giving away. I also include their high-quality dual sided cleansing cloth. I featured pictures of that cloth over here. 

2. Mac Eye shadow mineralize duo in Fresh Green Mix.

Brand new...this will look stunning on all kinds of eyecolours, but especially brown hues.

3. My Beauty Diary Chocolate truffle Sheet Masks: 3 pieces.

A true staple in my cosmetic wardrobe, the My Beauty Diary Masks. These with Chocolate truffle really smell a bit chocolately. Perfect for infusing some moisture and pampering into winter-dry skins.

4. Kawaii Doll & MP3 player earplugs...

Also new, ofcourse...for the cuteness factor.

How do you make a chance to win it all?

1. Make a comment or say something small in the comment section

2. I should be able to contact you, so either leave your email behind, or, if you have it listed in your profile, I can contact you that way.

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.

4. Contest ends on Thursday, 1st of December 2011, 15.00 hrs European standard time, GMT +1)

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

6. Winner will be announced in a new post after randomly being selected by random.org

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

 

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

 

 

 So, good luck!

Becca Illuminate Wash in Moonlit

Another member in my Becca family: a illuminator, or highlighter this time.

This one was the promised freebie from Zuneta if you decided to purchase the Lost Weekend Palette I blogged about a couple of days ago. I am familiar with Becca's powdered highlighters/colour embellishers and I also have a liquid bronzer in my collection (that one I review later).

As for this one, I consider most of Becca's highlighters that I already have to be incredibly natural looking, so I was curious how this one would live up to the liquid highlighters I already have.

The first thing that I saw is that the size was not the biggest one. I sized the tube (middle) up against the quintessential MAC lipstick (left) and the Dior Serumdrape lipstick:

Ok, it is a freebie so I shouldn't complain, and I often find Becca products to be really economic in usage.

 Opening the tube displays a brush-like wand. You can use it like that, but for hygienic reasons I suggest a tiny drop from the tube itself, because you do not want to affect the highlighter with germs that come from your skin.

Sorry for the quality of the photos: my newer camera is not living up to its expectations right now.

The ingredients: feel free to click on the image for a gigantic photo:

I decided to compare the Becca Illuminator with my other liquid highlighters. I picked the most familiar ones, and skipped the Body Shop, for instance.

I left out my powder highlighters in this comparing post, because the idea behind a liquid highlighter is different from a powdered highlighter. Also, I want to keep it focused on one type of product.

So, from left to right is the Becca one, the MAC lustre drops in Pink Rebel, and the Benefit High Beam freebie I received with the British Glamour some time ago:

Same order: unblended: (again, click on the picture for a closer view)

The photos are still not brilliant, but they really represent the lustre or metallicness of the products really well.

1. Becca is in my opinion the most natural looking one. It has a dash of shimmer, but doesn't really veer to the metallic side. I use this one when I want a really true highlighter that will look natural and not made-up in full sunlight.

2. MAC Pink Rebel has been my favourite highlighter from last year. It is rather gold compared with the others. It is actually a rose gold, and has more metallicness in it than Becca. still, it is not that silvery/metallic as the Benefit High Beam.
You can see it is makeup if you take a mirror in front of you and see yourself in direct sunlight, so others close to you with a sharp view will see it as well. I love this one for an evening glow, and to bring out highlights when on photos, because then it just looks natural.

3. Benefit High Beam: I understand that this was a revolutonary product when launched in the 90s (??) and it probably looks delightful in nightlight and photos, but I honestly wouldn't purchase a whole bottle for myself with the better and natural looking hightlighters available these days. It plainly looks quite white, metallic and somewhat silver. I think it only limits itself to a small amount of skintones, being the cooler, lighter types or the ones for a dramatic sculpting effect (for pictures or night-life).

To justify my point I show you the products sheered out:

 

1. Becca: The side on the left isn't the most focused one, true. However, I think the Becca has the ability to give out a glow instead of a sort of metallic sheen. So it renders itself perfectly for daylight, sunlight and closer enounters when still want to look as a non-madeup girl (or boy). 

2. MAC Pink Rebel: That one is already more visible as being makeup and has that slight gold sheen on the light complexion of my arm. I still think it is lovely when I want to look glowy and slightly made-up, because it does give out a bit more shimmer/glow than Becca's Illuminator

3. Benefit High Beam: I already made my point clear why I am not a fan of High Beam and this picture justifies my point. I have a neutral to slightly cool (NW 20-ish) skintone and even then it looks quite silver and slightly glittery on my skin. I don't think it flatters me.

 Conclusion:

I am really delighted with my new Becca Illuminator freebie. It might be small but it spreads out easily and gives out that incredibly natural dew that can stand the test of direct sunlight. I think this one will be a repurchase when finished, but although small, I think I can get quite some use out of it because it is an economic product.
 I also think that it is an incredibly universal glow that can be applied to almost every skintone/deepness without looking fake. It simply gives out a glow
My MAC lustre drops are still my favourite for a tad more shimmer/definition, but for a natural look I would absolutely veer to the Becca Illuminator.

You can buy this one from Zuneta or the Becca site for $23, and probably some more places :D. If you buy from Zuneta, it might be handy to visit the beautybible site first for 10% discount, or the code is ZBEAUTYBIBLE

trial and error: Mac Pro Blush in Cantaloupe

Isn't it funny how sometimes the slightest difference of colour makes the difference between looking good or looking off...?

Most us my readers will know this, because we are trained in seeing that little bit of difference between a mauvy nude or a nudish mauve colour.

For me, I had a new quest on the field of looking good. I often make the combination of a really subtle bronzer, and top up the cheeks with a bit of blush. I also noticed that a corally blush brings out the spark in my eyes.

So, logically I sought for a colour that would be

1. matte, or at least without shimmer sparkles

Oh, that has to do with the fact that some 'sisters' (aka other girls or sometimes gay men) are so wonderfully nice (ahum) to comment me on my face when there is a sparkle on it....you all know these girls, they are the smug times who always want to let you know that they are able to see you wearing makeup. Well, keep it for you, because I can see your makeup (or lack of it) as well.

Ok, so I know they might see my matte blush/bronzer hybrid as well, but at least I will not get that "owww, there is a sparkle on your cheek/lip/whatever" remark so fast

    2. A combination between a neutral brown and a coral colour.

I thought I would hit the jackpot with MAC blush in Cantaloupe.

It is a PRO blush, so I had to go the extra mile and go to the pro-shop in  Amsterdam (the city of doom...ha ha, well it is a boring city, people, especially when you are sober like me).

After being served by a subtly mean way by a male SA, * ehm...giving you so-called compliments that are actually meant as an insult * ("at least you have beautiful eyes" - hinting that the rest is total shit, "well, thank you, mr or ms Sales Assistant"), I sauntered off with my new blush/bronzer.

At least, I hoped that the trip to our 'city of boringness' Amsterdam would satisfy my craving for that hybrid product I described earlier.

Ehm...NO

I tried it on, and...oh dear....

I reminded myself of the colour my mum used to wear in the eighties.

Well, in the eighties that was a brilliant colour. She always wore the cream blush from Max Factor in an orangy colour. I think they still have that one!

And on her, it looked quite ok. She was that bottle blond (but a convincing bottle blonde that looked like a real one, my mum knew what she was doing!) look with that sunbed complexion. I know, sunbeds are EVIL, but those were the eighties and my mum thought there was nothing wrong with sunbeds. So, that bit of orangy bronzer cheek look looked good for her time, and her personality.

Anyway, that colour never looked good on me, and in its MAC pro powder blush, it still doesn't.

Let's compare with one of the most flattering coral blushes in my assortiment: My Jemma Kidd cream blush in Paw Paw (top of the picture)...The MAC Cantaloupe in beneath that...

top: Jemma Kidd Cheek Colour Paw Paw; Bottom: Mac Cantaloupe

You can even see the difference on my arm! It is that little bit of colour difference that makes me look
a. glowy and healthy (and a couple of years younger)
b. overtanned and aged, made up and unnatural.

Moral of the story:

I shouldnt' have strayed from you, Jemma Kidd Paw Paw!

My little Seahorse...and more beach

Last weekend I was acting like the total haul-a-holic running around limited editions and special releases.

I am normally not so influenced by the words 'limited edition' and 'special release' but the H&M Against Aids had my heart racing (dress I bought in this post) and I was lusting over MAC's To The Beach line. To The Beach was released this saturday, so I has to get THAT seahorse!

I am an ex-diver, and I have spotted a real life seahorse once. Since then, and before that as well, I am totally enamorated with sea life. And although I do not dive anymore (due to its costs, and the most beautiful diving spots are far far away from my little country), it still has a little place in my heart.

The boyfriend probably thought I was bonkers chasing 'special editions'. I actually had a white lie that it was not about makeup but a piece of clothing. Ehm, he thinks I have enough makeup (he is right, but it's my cash so "hush it, darling").

Now the pretties...you probably have seen them on several blogs before, but not with the cute background editorial I picked for showing them! (ha ha, lame excuse, but the background ís so beautiful and I am so enamorated by my goodies)

It took me some effort to get that seahorse. I went to city no. 1, and it was already sold out!

Boohoo!

I told the makeup-artist I was bummed about this, and he told me to go to city no. 2 to get it.

"Well, is it really there" I said "because I chased my limited editions before, and it really s*cks when it is not there at all, after all the effort"

He assured me that it would be there, only I had to go the same day.

So off I went!

And there she was...in the store: the beautiful seahorse!

I also bought a rather bright lucky green. I normally am not about bright colours on the eyes, but this has some golden sheen that is rather sultry.

And lipstick: Thrills is gorgeous...Golden, beachy goodness.

So, I told you that I am all over the soft and flowy fashion of this Spring/Summer, and was really over the 'tough-as-nails' autumn/winter of 2009...

I lied a bit, because sometimes I like my clothes to have that little bit of attitude.

Because the post is beach, I have this gorgeous tree-trunk modelling my bikini of Autumn 2009 (it's from New Look)

The trunk has less cleavage than I do, but I prefer the trunk to model it, because this blog is NOT about me or a friend of mine modelling bikinis. There are millions of blogs like that, and this blog is not like that at all.

I could use a big banana leaf instead, like the girl in this editorial, as a bikini.

I love that skirt of hers...It matches my lucky green eyeshadow.

Now I am crazy enough to hunt for a skirt that matches my eyeshadow.

Does that happen to any of you a lot? That you do the opposite than normally done? Buying clothes to match your makeup or nailpolish (instead of the other way around)?

Enough funny talk for today...the beach gave me a bit of a sunstroke...

(I will keep it more serious in the next post ;p)

Early Spring-Birdy giveaway

Although spring has not sprung in its full form, I think it is time to give a spring-y giveaway.

I will be giving away a couple of new and untouched products, and two of them have been tested twice, but are still in fantastic condition. My prices are from a variety of brands and range from hairstyling to facial care to eyeshadow.

So, what can you win when you are lucky?


1. Shu Uemura Tasai Cream:
I was not sure if I should list a product I gave a negative review for (post over here). I still do, as, also mentioned in my review, I think this product can still be HG material and the 'best-thing-ever' for other people's hair and hairstyle. And honestly, I am one of the few who gave it heads down, so it might be a true gem for the happy winner. Also, I find it too expensive to toss it away like that ($30), so that will be up for the happy winner.

2. MAC mineralize eyeshadow in Two To Glow
(from their Electro Flash collection, swatches here)
Brand new and never used. I am sure I would only use it once or twice, because the colours are not really me. However, the colours are absolutely stunning on brown eyes to lighter eyes.

3. VOV Daily Fresh Volcanic Ash mask.
Bloggers and readers of beauty blogs that post lots about Asian (Korean) products probably know the hype. This is a fabulous version of the VOV Daily Fresh collection, and I am only listing one of these (because I am too greedy to give away more ;D)

4. Pop Nailpolish in Manderin
Brand New. This colour is too bright for me, period. I think it will rock on a person who likes the bold look.

5. Mandom Beauty Sheet Mask: Barrier Repair Mask
The VOV mask is for cleansing the skin, and this sheet can be applied afterwards for moisture and repair.

6. Lakme Eyeshadow in Moondust.
I know, I had been raving about this quad over here. I still want to give it away, as I absolutely do not reach for this quad. (Used twice)

7. Lavshuca Dual Eyes in GN-1
Absolutely brand new. Really gorgeous.

The rules:

I will be keeping the same old rules as I did in my last giveaway, only to keep things simple. You are welcome to join even when you are not following my blog, just leave your email in the post OR contact me when I have listed you as a winner.

1. Make a comment or say something small. 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. I do not want followers just for the giveaway, so you can join even if you do not follow my blog. I just want to contact the right winner when the winner has been drawn.

2. Contest ends on Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 3 PM European standard time, GMT +1)

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

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

5. 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!

Good Luck and have fun joining the giveaway.

In the land of the spoiled...

Now I have been the procastinating blogger: I haven't blogged for a full week. Ok ok, I was in Liverpool for a couple of days, and celebrated my birthday afterwards...But I could of have blogged a bit in the weekend. Oh well...

I received my second Illamasqua haul. I ordered it the 23th of July and received it exactly a week later. Nice...I ordered the medium pencil in Exert and Obscene, nail polis in Hectic, Powder Eye Shadow in Fatal, 4-Colour Lip Palette in Test, Scandal, Brink, Tramp. Also the sheer Lipgloss in Enchant and the powder foundation in PF210.

Shiny and sleek black boxes....


Those pencils are Exert (steely grey) and Obscene.


The sheer lipgloss in Enchant

Nail polish in Hectic: I love the moody, murky colour of Hectic...It will be a wonderful colour for fall!

The lip palette in Test, Scandal, Brink, Tramp (not in the right order). Mmm, I have been testing these, but I am not that enthousiastic....they are definitely MATTE. I am probably too spoiled with smooth and dewy Japanese lipsticks to appreciate these fully. The colours are wonderful, though.

I also made my second order at Unearthed, which is an Etsy store that specialised on cuffs with special skins (animal skins). My first order from them had been in 2007. I went to visit their shop again, and fell in love with this bright, pink fishskin cuff....how original and summery.

There is nothing fishy about this cuff (except that it is made from fishskin), he he.

Hello my pink fishy!!

Everything arrived meticulously packed and in a beautiful shape.

My last act of self-spoiling was...buying some products from Betsy's blogshop (Autumnmasquerade.blogspot.com).


I bought three eyepencils, one mac and two of Giorgio Armani. Sweet Betsy included a pencil sharpener ánd a gorgeous, glowy Armani eyeshadow as well!!!

Ohhh, I like all of those pencils. ♥ ♥ ♥ THANK YOU BETSY!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

Continuing the pencil-mania: I also picked up the September edition of the InStyle Uk edition: it came with 2 free Body Shop pencils in black and another colour. I picked the Silver grey colour, but you could also pick the teal or purple.

I do not buy InStyle that often, because it is often crammed with Celeb-mania. I prefer beauty-mania and fashion-mania over the celeb-obsessed. However, the content of InStyle Uk september is pretty good as well: they have some wonderful previews of Autumn fashion and some refreshing beauty tips...

Do the Japanese magazines publish lots of previews of autumn during this period (mid summer) as well? I should visit my Japanese bookstore soon to find out myself ;P

Alright, a healthy dose of self-spoiling! My reviews on the Illamasqua will be posted this week. I also want to review the Jill Stuart Lip jelly in 15 as well, but I am not sure it that will be this week.