Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Favourite Body Scrubs

   As this blog is not focused entirely on make-up, I wanted to share two of my favourite bodycare products. I love body scrubs in general, they give a feeling of rebirth or so :P My first favourite is this shower gel with body scrub function, by Bourjois, with jojoba oil and lily. The scent is fantastic, it has a thick and creamy consistence, with tiny grains to do the peeling part. It hydrates the skin, removes dead skin cells, and leaves the skin truly soft and silky, and firm. I will need to purchase some other 'flavors' as well, from this line!
   My other favourite scrub is Tropics by AVON Senses. Also lovely scent, I adore it, especially during summer. The grains are a bit bigger than in the previous product, it has a lighter consisence though. I don't use this one daily since it is a bit more radical, usually just once a week, sometimes more often. I am about to run out of the second tube I bought already, and will surely keep on buying it.

Which are your favourite bodycare products?


Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

NAKED GIVEAWAY

   A Beauty Tale is holding a tempting giveaway, the prize being Naked palette by Urban Decay! Deadline is on the 15th of december, so hurry if you wish to have the chance of winning this!
   To fill out the form and join, go HERE!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Review: Stay Matte Powder by RIMMEL

   Today I have decided to review a product I have been most faithful to in the past years. As I usually have difficulty finding the perfect face products, I stick to them for a long time once they've conquered me. Stay Matte Pressed Powder by RIMMEL London is one of these few products. I have discovered it quite a few years ago, when I was aiming for a combination between matching, fair color for my skin (as in case of most lines, even the lightest shade is dark and/ or too orange) and something that will really keep the skin matte, oily areas being one of my biggest problems. Then the lady from the drugstore recommended me this one. And damn I am glad she did! I chose the lightest one, 001 and been using that ever since. 

   I recently bought 2 or 3 darker shades of the same powder, to be able to adapt them to different occasions, looks, and for contouring of course. I also have a tip for playing around with different shades, when it comes to powder: I tend to use a good amount of blush, especially when I go out in the evenings, and having a pretty rounded face, I don't like it to be too shimmery, otherwise the effect is the opposite of what I want (blush on round faces usually has the goal of giving the impression of a slimmer face). So after putting on cream blush as a base + blush, I blend in a thin layer of darker powder on that area, so that it will mattify it a bit, keeping the colorful shadowy look.


   But I will share a separate post about my face routine, this one is focused on this particular powder, so finally, here is the breakdown:


Pros:
  • good coverage, even the transparent shade does a good job
  • blends out well, doesn't look like you've put flour on your face
  • nice natural looking colors, even fair ones which are usually hard to find
  • keeps the face matte for a long time
Cons:
  • I find that the lid can slip off too easily, so it is risky to just throw it in your bag and let it wonder
  • eventhough it keeps the face matte for quite long, it can start getting shiny again in a few hours (for example in school I used to apply it in the morning, at home, and at about 12-1 p.m. I had oily skin again), but I guess reapplying it a few times solves the problem!
Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Review: Fraulein38 - 66 Lip Palette

   I finally bought this lip palette about 2 months ago, and have just decided to do a review on it. 66 Colours Kisses In The Wonderland Lip Gloss Palette by Fraulein38 is nothing many of you haven't heard of, I guess. I like the range of colors, a large number of them, in lots of different shades. So no matter what kind of make-up you do, you will surely find a matching lip color on this palette, and even better, you can bring out endless combinations. It contains 66 little pots with lipstick/ lipgloss, as the name itself says.
   I have not tried each one yet, but so far I can say that they are highly pigmented, they stay put for a long time. My personal favourite color is the one I have marked with an X in the picture. It is a dark, slightly purple-ish cherry color. I use it in a thin layer usually, just as a lip tint, not applied in a thick layer since it is well-pigmented and I like that slight drop of dark color on the lips, especially when I go to parties & co. In this palette, you can find great variety and lipcolor, regardless of the event or your personal style.

Official description: " 66 colours kisses in the wonderland lip gloss palette

100% Brand new! 

Glossy color with ingredients together to care your lip! 

Can last for all day long 

Perfect for casual makeup, wedding makeup, party makeup, etc 

This lip gloss palette designed for professional cosmetician and the amateur"


   This is basically true, the only thing I have to add is that it's not THAT glossy, but that might also be because I don't really apply thick layers. Here is a little swatch of some of the colors, added additionally, so you can see how well-pigmented they really are.


Pros:
  • the color stays on for a long time
  • high pigmentation
  • wide variety in one single palette
  • handy package, can fit in bags easily
Cons:
  • due to the fact that it's a palette, it is troublesome to refresh the color during a night out or traveling, so you need a lipstick/ gloss in addition, that is easier to handle 
  • the pots being very small, but the considerable number of colors makes up for that :)
Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

Laetitia Casta make-up

   I thought of sharing some make-up experiments on this blog, among other things. As much as I would like to give life to my own ideas, sometimes I am tempted to recreate different looks I see somewhere. Last summer I tried to recreate one of Laetitia Casta's looks.


The original:

My version:

   I tried to capture the intensity of the eye make-up, kinda' dry looking lips, and wet hairstyle. I will do more of these when I have time. Feel free to tell me what you think.

p.s. I miss my lip ring :(

Review: Dream Matte Mousse Foundation by Maybelline

   I know this product is not a new one either, but I just got the opportunity to try it this year. I must admit I was curious since it appeared and I was only a teenage brat back then, but everytime I went shopping for a foundation and saw it on the shelves, I thought it might not be great, too dark, the package also seemed too small. Then I got it from my aunt, she doesn't use foundation and so she let me have it.
   To be honest, I fell in love with it. I have nr. 040 Fawn, which is a bit dark for me (I almost always need the first or second lightest color when it comes to foundations), but surprisingly that is not a problem in this case. Dream Matte Mousse spreads very easily, leaving the skin soft and silky, and really matte, which is a big plus for me. 


   The coverage is also amazing and you only need a bit of product to achieve it, maybe use 2 thin layers when you need to have a flawless dolly kind of look, let's say for some event. Since I have pretty oily skin, I use powder over it, but it is not necessary, since it won't leave the skin damp, like liquid foundations. Since it kind of keeps the skin dry and also gives good coverage, I use it as a base, and highlight the T and undereye zone with a lighter concealer/ foundation. 
Official description: 

"WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

  • Revolutionary air-soft mousse provides perfecting coverage for 100% velvet-matte perfection
  • Ideal for normal to oily skin
  • Fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic – won’t clog pores, safe for sensitive skin

FOR BEST RESULTS Apply smoothly and evenly to your face and blend with your fingertips.

AWARDS #1 foundation in the world"

Have nothing to argue.

Pros: 
  • quite everything... easy appliaction, light texture
  • great coverage
  • matte finish
  • the package, that has a positive and negative side; bright side is that the little jar is actually pretty cute! It also allows you to use every bit of product
  • you can take just as much as you need, no risk of spilling too much like with liquid foundations (+ and staining your clothes if you are having an unlucky day)
Cons: 
  • as I said, the packaging is not as hygienic as a pump bottle or tube, so you need to make sure your hands are clean if you prefer to apply them with fingertips, like me.
  • it can dry your skin a bit too much sometimes, in cold weather especially, so don't forget to peel and moisturize your skin regularly.
Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

Review: Color Sensational Gloss by Maybelline

   I want to review another lip product, one of my favourites ever since I first tried it. I actually got it from mom, because this one is a darker shade and she doesn't really wear dark colors, when my make-up is in dark shades 99 % of the time. Anyway, we are talking about Color Sensational Gloss by Maybelline New York. I have nr. 560 Red Love.

-swatch-

Official description:
"Fall in love with color, all over again:

• Sophisticated color and shine from pure pigments

• Luxurious feel from nourishing honey nectar"
   Be-a-utiful! I love the consistence, it slides on easily, lips gain elasticity, and eventhough this is the only color I have SO FAR, I can say it looks delicious. Not too bright, but really pigmented and elegant, looks glossy and watery, but not in the exaggerated, plastic, gross way.

Pros:
  • the easy formula, it is not at all sticky, feels super comfortable
  • fades away gradually, lasts for quite a while
  • the pigmentation and gloss are perfect, it doesn't make your lips look plastic, and also doesn't look like you've smeared your lips with fat, like some thick glosses do
Cons:
  • to be perfectly honest, I have not found one thing that would bother me; I guess I would like it to last longer on the lips. But then again, I guess no transfer resistant product would feel this awesome.

Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

Review: Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumper

   My first review will be on a product that I bought last year and obviously I have not forgotten about it! It is a lip plumper I have stumbled upon in a Sensiblu store, and the combination of an unusual name and quite original, retro packaging caught my eye immediately. It is the Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumper by Soap & Glory!
   As you can see, the package is very attractive, their soft, feminine pale pink color base decorated with beautiful vintage girls in contrast with their flirty, powerful names and descriptions makes their image quite unique.


This lip plumper gloss is available in 5 shades, I have the Clear one:
I like the fact that it delivers what it promised in the official description, which is:
"Fasten your seatbelts! It's Super-Colour Sexy Mother Pucker with SUPERFILL™ Lip Plumping Spheres and LIPSWELL™ Volume Boost Technology. As ALL OUT Pout-Plumping as our 'Original Formula', in a fabulous chocolate orange flavour."
 Indeed, it gives you the slight tingling feeling that lasts for about 20 minutes more or less, it gives the lips fullness, without exaggerating though, I personally like that. It has a very sweet flavor...and taste, for that matter :P Since you get it's full effect once it gets in touch with water, for example if you lick your lips.


Pros: 
  • it gives the lips extra fullness
  • delicious taste
  • once it fades away, it doesn't leave ugly trails on the outer corner of the lips.
Cons:
  • it seems quite sticky to me; so, once applied, you might want to keep your hair out of the way.
I like this product all in all, I apply it almost every time in the make-up process, with lipstick/ balm, or on it's own (applying other lip products over it like a balm, for example, will make it less sticky).

Note! Reviews contain my personal opinion about the product.

What was your impression about this product? What is your favourite lip plumper? Don't be shy, leave a comment!

Intro

Hello there, fellow make-up addicts!
My name is Laura, 22 years old, born and raised in Transylvania. I have always been fascinated by make-up, ever since I was a little girl. I used to borrow mom's products, even without her permission sometimes. People that ever said I will grow out of it were very wrong, on the contrary, it turned into one of my main passions, and sources of income.
I have finished make-up and cosmetology classes last year, and I have my own company, working as a make-up artist for different events, or just experiments.
This blog was initiated 2 years ago or so, but then I deleted it shortly after, because of lack of time. Now it is back and willing to dig into the depths of make-up art and body care, through reviews, advice and any other interesting related topic.

I will not go on babbling any further right now, just want to give you a warm welcome on my beauty blog, enjoy your read, and I am open to any ideas, opinion, potential collaboration. You can contact me in comments or e-mail me at s_laura2812@yahoo.com .

Cheers!