Less is more...

Vacation! :)

2010-07-20T12:12:00.002+03:00

Hi there, dear ladies (and gents?)! :)

I was away from blogging for quite a while, but I managed to read your blogs from time to time.:) I had some major changes in my life (ok, there are no any drastic i.e. bad changes, but still). :) And now we're going to a 2-3 week trip.

On Thursday we are heading to my home country. My best friend has a bridal shower (with a very cool theme!!! I'll probably tell you later) and a week later - THE wedding! Oh my, I struggled so much with my dress, but finally found a perfect one for me - one-shoulder dark electric blue dress. And... did I mention that I dyed my hair?.. It had to be "Chestnut", but appeared... ahem... dark but still vivid ginger!!! lol I must admit, I like the shade, although it's quite bright for my liking. Paradox? lol Later we're planning to visit Latvia.

I decided to put a couple of "preview" pictures for you, so that you know that I'll be blogging when I'm back. :) Stay tuned for reviews! :)

Meow

Haus of Gloi

Ebay

The Organic Body Care Shop

PS Keep in mind that it's just the tiniest part of what I "accumulated" lately. lol

China Glaze Stallion Red. MUST HAVE red! :)

2010-06-24T09:46:00.003+03:00

Here is my second red nail polish. Check the first one here.

Sunshine
Check the "glow from within" effect!

Sunshine

Sparkly? :)

Direct sunshine

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From Rodeo Diva Collection, Fall 2008.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
3 Big free (but contains Formaldehyde resin).

Colour: gorgeous strawberry warm-toned red with fine golden shimmer (it sparkles under the sun!).

Finish: shimmer (metallic effect?).

Application: smooth application, 2 (or even 1 would do!) coats are enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 10 EUR.

Pros: perfect coverage, pretty bottle, MEGA fantastic shade, almost no brush strokes, Big 3 Free.
Cons: strong smell, thin brush, the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Screams summer to me. Juicy strawberry! Totally delicious! :)

China Glaze I'm Not Bitter. I need a DUPE!

2010-06-23T11:03:00.000+03:00

Sorry, I was away from my blog again. Had so many things going on, including "baby sitting" our friends' dog for almost 3 weeks, planning a bridal shower for my best friend, searching for THE dress (currently waiting for several ones to arrive, ordered them online), searching for a new car (this was SO difficult!!!), and some personal stuff. But at least I managed to read some of your blogs! :)

Oh my, time FLIEEES so freaking fast! Don't you agree?

I really hope I'll manage to make more posts this and the following week (at least I finally uploaded pictures! yay!). I shopped (mainly clothes!) so much (for my liking) this month, it's crazy, but I like it. :) And I changed/updated my style a little bit, yay! :)

Ok, onto today's "subject". Some time ago I suddenly realised that red nail polish stopped "irritating" my eye. Yep, you've heard that right! I've NEVER tried/had true red nail polish, and I used to skip/ignore all those red nail polish collections or swatches. All reds just looked the same to me, and I must admit this was the shade I thought I'd never dare to wear. Somehow, bright orange, or green, or electric blue didn't seem so daring to me. lol

I'll repeat myself - all of a sudden (to my great surprise) I started searching for a perfect red. I couldn't even imagine there are so many different shades of red out there. This is just insane! So freaking difficult to choose!!! :) Now I have 6... lol

Lovely Brooke from Getcha Nails Did tried to help me with my first choice back in March (once again: I know I'm "a little bit" slow :) ). Check her post on reds with shimmers (incl. CG I'm Not Bitter!).

Natural light

Warm tone?

Natural light

Cool tone? (still more on the warm side, right?)

Natural light, flash

Check the fabulous "glow from within" effect!

Natural light, flash

Note: Pretend you don't see how I manged to ruin my index nail with my Poshe Fast drying top coat which showed the first "signs of aging" when I wore this many in the beginning of May. :)

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 (not sure) months after opening, made in USA.

From Voodoo That U Do Collection, 2005.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
Old formula (contains DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde resin).

Colour: gorgeous sophisticated cherry red with fine shimmer. It might look warm or cool depending on the lighting.

Finish: shimmer (metallic effect?).

Application: surprisingly smooth application, 2 (or even 1 would do!) coats are enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 10 EUR.

Pros: perfect coverage, pretty bottle, fantastic shade.
Cons: strong smell, old formula (NOT big 3 free!), thin brush, the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Juicy cherry! Bright, sexy and daring! :)

Any dupes (Big 3 free) for this shade? Preferably from CG, OPI, Essie, Misa, or Color Club. Thank you! :)

China Glaze Peachy Keen. Great Disappointment!

2010-06-08T14:31:00.002+03:00

Sunshine, flash

Sunshine
The closest to what you see irl

Sunshine
It might look lighter under the bright light, but it's darker irl!

Note: I added a transparent top coat (so it doesn't affect the shade at all) with very fine shimmer just to make the whole thing look more wearable. :)

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From Up & Away Collection, 2010.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
3 Big free (but contains Formaldehyde resin).

Colour: pastel peachy orange. No hint of pink. And here comes my greatest disappointment - the shade! For some reason I thought it would be a really pretty soft wearable peach. I was wrong! I didn't expect it to be this bright and this orange. It just looks ridiculous on my skin tone. Reminds me of scary dolls. lol FAIL! Btw, it looks lighter in the bottle than on my nails.

Finish: creme, I would call it milky.

Application: a little bit tricky application because the nail polish is on the thick side, 2 coats are enough for a full coverage though. Take your time and work slowly if you don't want to end up with a gloopy mess on your nails. But I made it a gloopy mess with my Poshe fast drying top coat, which suddenly decided to thicken that day. Check that ugly dent on my index finger and imagine how bad it was before I tried to save it with a Maybelline glossy nail color in shade Nr 46 Sugar Crystals. And check what a giant tip wear I've got after only 2-3 days of wear! I mainly blame Poshe for this! Yep, ladies, with all the constant hand washing and house work I usually manage to rock one certain look for around one week! :)

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 10 EUR.

Pros: pretty good coverage, pretty bottle, big 3 free, almost no brush strokes.
Cons: wrong shade! strong smell, the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS I bet it'll look amazing on darker skin tones. Suitable for hot summer days only. :) Not office friendly for sure! IMO though. lol

Share the love: Ducks 2

2010-06-05T10:19:00.000+03:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you ducks! Again! :) Remember me telling you that I "still haven't "met" ducklings, just mom-ducks this spring" in this post Share the love: Ducks? The time has come! I've already "met" lots of cute ducks with tiny ducklings at the end of May!

I adore ducks and ducklings! And their love'n'care for each other is fantastic (at least it appears to be). :)

Ducklings hiding under their mom. How sweet is that? :)

Have you ever seen duckling "kindergarten"?:)

"Sleeping time"

I'm in love with the shade of duck's indigo feathers, and the shade of drake's green head! :) Any suggestions for nail polishes? lol Seriously?

Hope you enjoyed!

To be continued! Stay tuned!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

China Glaze DV8

2010-06-04T15:25:00.002+03:00

Natural light, flash

Sunshine

This picture is blurry, but at least you can see those tiny sparkles. :)

Note: For some reason my cuticles look kind of gross in these pictures (especially the last two), they're not that bad looking irl! :) And, in case you're wondering - nope, I absolutely hate cuticle cutting, cuticle pushing rocks! :)

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From OMG collection, 2009.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
3 Big free (and I don't see Formaldehyde resin in the list of ingredients).

Colour: Aquatic turquoise with holographic rainbow shimmer.

Finish: holographic shimmer. Shimmer is so fine that it's better be described as frost-metallic/foil finish.

Application: a little bit tricky application, especially at the very beginning. The first coat was a nightmare. I had a feeling like I was putting a mercury/quicksilver on my nails, not that I've ever tried doing this. lol "Finally" I understood that weird term "cuticle drag". lol I was so upset, I wanted to remove the nail polish immediately, but then I decided to give it a chance (because I just hate removing nail polish! lol), and the 2nd coat saved my mani and the whole day. lol

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 10 EUR.

Pros: cool effect (rainbow! like a mirror!), good coverage, pretty bottle, big 3 free, almost no brush strokes.
Cons: strong smell, "cuticle drag" thingy, the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS To be honest I don't love this shade that much (greenish blue aka aquatic turquoise is not my thing), and it reminds me of those funky holographic gift wraps. :) What I like is that rainbow effect. :) Btw, hubby said it's one of the best blue shades he had ever seen, and he likes it even more than my favourite China Glaze Eyes Like Sapphires! Everyone has his/her own opinion, right? lol

We Care Icon nail polish in Nr. 21 Magic Sapphire

2010-05-27T10:53:00.001+03:00

I love me some sapphire blue nail polishes! :) Although China Glaze Eyes Like Sapphires is my current number one, I like this one a lot too. Actually it looks almost like OPI DS Fantasy, Icon's being a tiny bit lighter and brighter with no holo effect. I must admit, I prefer Magic Sapphire over Fantasy! :)

We Care Icon is a new Finnish brand of ecological (I am quite skeptical about this claim though) makeup available in Finland only.

Sunshine, flash

Sunshine

5 ml, exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in France.

States "Formaldehyde free" on the sticker. Seems to be 3 Big free. IMO it's strange they didn't mention "toluene and dibutyl phtalate free"... :/ It might be obvious though... if I remember correctly those two are banned in EU. What about Formaldehyde resin then? Hmmm... Never mind. lol

Colour: Oh my, I've just noticed the name. And let me tell you - it's magic sapphire indeed! :) Shimmery dark navy-royal blue.

Finish: frost-shimmer (btw, very smooth shimmer).

Application: smooth application, 2 coats (or even 1 would do!) are enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 5,9 EUR.

Pros: gorgeous dark blue, good coverage (1-2 coats!), pretty bottle, big 3 free, nice brush.
Cons: strong smell, short brush (what am I supposed to do when I'll have less than 2,5 ml? such a waste!), available in Finland only, quite expensive for 5 ml (18 EUR for the size of OPI?! Are you kidding me?)!

PS Vampy version of China Glaze Eyes Like Sapphires. Very mysterious. Magic indeed. lol

China Glaze Eyes Like Sapphires. MUST HAVE! :)

2010-05-25T10:45:00.001+03:00

It's been a while! :) I was away for a week and then was pretty busy with my life (what a saying! lol). But now I'm back! Again! Missed you! :)

Let me present you a MUST HAVE blue! This gem is from my Transdesing order I made in March (yep, I am that slow with updating!). Can't believe I haven't seen this beauty before I accidentally came across it while searching for CG Fairy Dust on Transdesign website. I let my hubby choose between Fairy Dust and Eyes Like Sapphires. You know the outcome, don't you? :)

Sunshine

Direct sunshine

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Note: Because of its finish (and glossy top coat) this nail polish is extremely hard to photograph. It's x times more gorgeous IRL! :)

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

Originally from We Adorn You collection, 2007. As far as I understood from CG brochure this nail polish was reformulated and is now a proud member of CG permanent collection.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
3 Big free (but contains Formaldehyde resin). Note: if from a permanent collection.

Colour: It is sort of a more sophisticated (i.e. darker, more mysterious) version of Wild and Crazy Nail Enamel in Super Dooper Blue with some silver glitter added. Magnificent mysterious magic royal blue! Sapphire indeed! :) Gorgeous! No comments! lol

Finish: pearly creme-frost with silver glitter.

Application: a little bit tricky application because the nail polish is on the thick side and the glitter is a little bit too chunky-gritty, 2 coats (or even 1 would do!) are enough for a full coverage though. Take your time and work slowly, and you won't be disappointed. :)

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 10 EUR.

Pros: gorgeous blue, good coverage (1-2 coats!), pretty bottle, big 3 free.
Cons: strong smell, can be gritty (what's the point of that glitter? huh), the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS For some reason it reminds me one blue Lancome nail polish I saw x times in various magazines over a long period of time, but never remembered its name. :/ Ladies, if you like blue nail polishes, this one is a MUST HAVE!!!

PPS This is how I thought OPI DS Fantasy should look like (minus holo of course)! :)

Share the love: Ducks

2010-05-08T08:00:00.017+03:00

Oh, I have so many drafts with swatches and hauls. I blame Bones and Lost series for taking my free time. lol

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you ducks, or ducklings to be exact! :) Got my inspiration from Brooke's awesome post. :) Btw, I still haven't "met" ducklings, just mom-ducks this spring. I guess it's quite cold here for these little guys. Imagine, we had some snow a couple of days ago. :/

I adore ducks and ducklings! These are my favourite birds. :) I remember I was asking for a cute little duckling as a pet when I was a little girl. lol I just turned 27 on Thursday (oh my, time flies! I remember I just turned 18 "the other day"! lol) and I still smile (and act... lol) like a little kid when I see ducks. :) Aren't they adorable? Fluffy little cuties! :)

Awwww!!! :)

Hope you enjoyed!

To be continued! Stay tuned!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

PS In case you're interested, these pictures were taken in Barcelona and Valencia (Spain) in summer 2007.

BUK nail enamel in Nr. 168 and 169. Cute names, huh? lol

2010-04-29T12:01:00.003+03:00

Finally I manged to put my fingernails on this post which was sitting in my drafts for several months. :)

Remember me taking about this great "no-name" brand of nail polish?

This time I present you 2 pretty much alike nail polishes with very cute names 168 and 169. lol

From L to R: 168, 169

Natural light, flash

Nr. 168 on my left hand

Natural light, flash

Nr. 168 on my left hand

Natural light

The picture is crappy (it's from those winter days with bad lighting and horribly dry hands), but at least it shows the orange "glow"

Nr. 169 on my right hand

Natural light, flash

Nr. 169 on my right hand

Natural light

The picture is crappy (it's from those winter days with bad lighting and horribly dry hands), but at least it shows the pink "glow" with golden glass flecks

Note: I took these pictures after 3-4 days of wear. As you can see the tip wear is not yet that visible. Definitely a plus in my book. And, yes, I wore two different nail polishes on different hands just to check if it's worth it to have two very similar polishes. lol

9 ml, exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in EU for Coop Bergerac NC France.

Colour: Nr. 168 pale milky orange with fine golden glass flecks. Nr. 169 pale milky pink with fine golden glass flecks. These shades are so versatile! Nr. 169 reminds me of my all-time-favourite shade of nail polish Wet'n'Wild Rock Solid Nail lacquer in Pink Sapphire. Unfortunately, 169 doesn't provide the same optical illusion "tip whitening" effect.

Finish: creme-jelly with fine glass flecks.

Application: pretty smooth application , but very sheer. I usually apply 3-4 coats for a full coverage, but as you can see from these pictures - the white nail line is still visible, especially on my right hand with Nr. 169 on.

Retail price: ranges between 0,5-0,7 EUR. How cool is that? :)

Pros: versatile shade, unique finish, nice brush, pretty bottle, comparably long lasting, dirty cheap.
Cons: sheer, smelly (!), no list of ingredients, no info about the brand, limited availability, no names - boring!

PS Wear these shades anywhere and anytime! They also make a perfect base for a French mani!

LaurEss Haul. Swatches.

2010-04-26T12:21:00.000+03:00

I've heard so many good things about LaurEss foundations, so I finally decided to check these out. :)

Here is what I got:

Natural light, flash, contrast added

Natural light, contrast added

I ordered 2 samples of foundations (2 USD each) in Subtle Neutral Minimalist ("light neutral beige") and Gentle Neutral Elemental ("fair neutral beige"), and 2 liquid lip glosses (3 USD each) in Intoxicating ("shimmering warm pink") and Harmony ("creamy and matte, light muted peach"). I got 1 free sample of foundation in Subtle Ivory Minimalist ("light neutral with gold undertones") with my order.

Shipping was 5 USD for International. Quite reasonable, especially if you order more products.

Ordered on 1.3 (Monday), order was shipped on 3.3, received on 15.3 (Monday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already tried all the products. I love everything! My order came in the envelope, products were sealed in a plastic bag over a sheet of carton. Yep, it was that weird. lol Foundation samples come in sealed jars.

I am still not sure which shade is the best match as they do look very similar to each other and it seems they all look very natural on my skin (especially indoors). I think I prefer elemental formula though as it provides more coverage. It looks very natural, I'd even say flawless if I didn't have any breakouts and scars. Unfortunately, this foundation can't cover everything (you know what I mean, don't you?). Have to try Ethereal formula next time. And still... honestly, these three shades are the best match for me in terms of formula and shades! I usually end up with a bunch of completely useless shades with some awful chalky "sitting on the surface" formulas.:/ So this is a big plus in my book.

As for the lip glosses. I like them a lot: wearable shades, smooth application, pretty long lasting, nice smell (toffee), nice consistency (glossy but not sticky)! I am very pleased with my order! And I will definitely come for more one day! :)

Natural light

Natural light, flash

One thing I want to mention is the size of the lip glosses! Remember me talking about the size of the liquid lip gloss of Silk Naturals ("tubes that appear to be smaller than that of Fyrinnae")? Well, prepare for some HUGE AWWWW! lol These are so much smaller! You had to see my face when I saw these tiny beauties! I know for some of you it might be a big "no-no" for 3 USD (for 0.03 oz = 0.9 ml!? when full size of 0.33 oz = 10 ml is 13 USD), but for me it's a PLUS. I wish they'd be a little cheaper though. That being said, I'm in love! :) And they seem to last forever despite being this small. Magic. lol

Here is a comparison for you:

Natural light, flash

Awww! lol

Natural light

From L to R: Fyrinnae Lickable, Silk Naturals Summer Fling, LaurEss Harmony

Have you tried LaurEss? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS LaurEss doesn't repackage!

Share the love: Cat 2

2010-04-10T08:00:00.003+03:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

Last time I showed you some wonderful cats we met during our trips and one teaser picture of my mom's cat. This time I present you the very same mom's cat and my mother-in-law's cat! I found only one picture of MY dear cat. I have to scan it, I'll show it some other day.

Got confused with all those cats? lol "My mom's cat" refers to the cat she brought home 4 years ago, when I wasn't living in my home country anymore. "My cat" refers to the cat we got when I was a little girl. The only reason mom took this little "new" kitty was that my cat was very sick and we all thought she's going to die very soon. BUT! When mom brought Darius (yep, like Darius I of Persia lol), Simona felt she is going to stay with us and will raise Darius as her son. The best thing is that Simona now looks so much better! And younger! She's around 16-17 y.o. now. Quite old for a cat. Simona is one of the most gracious cats I've ever met, and Darius is one of the gentlest and most friendly!

Here is Darius at the "age" of 2-3 months:

Here is my mother-in-law's kitty:

Isn't she cute? :)

I love these cats!!! One day I'll have my own little friend! Aren't cats adorable? :)

Hope you enjoyed!

To be continued! Stay tuned!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Green Beauty&Inconvenient Truth

2010-04-08T13:52:00.018+03:00

Oh... I was supposed to post this yesterday on 7th of April World Health Day, but oh well... :)

Have you ever heard of parabens, phthalates, carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, petrochemical derivatives, allergens, etc? Have you ever paid attention to the list of ingredients on your skin care products? Have you ever understood what all those long and unpronounceable words really mean?

I must admit, my reply would be a huge NO to all these questions till the autumn 2009, when I found my way into the kingdom of the mineral makeup. :) This is the time when I started to notice all those "funny sounded" names. And still, sometimes I would just skip the "screen for all these nasty things" step, because I was very NAIVE and trusted the companies and governmental institutions I thought are here to protect us.

Around a month ago, I was browsing one famous online bookstore for more books about makeup (I already had Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual, which I loved), when suddenly one book caught my attention. It was The Green Beauty guide by Julie Gabriel. And it wasn't the book cover (honestly, I think it could be better) what caught my attention, it was the combination of two words "Green Beauty". I quickly took a look into the description and immediately got intrigued. For 12 EUR with a free shipping I couldn't go wrong.

One week later I was a happy owner of this 400-pages book. I read it in 3 evenings only. And, oh my, I'm IMPRESSED! This book is one of the most interesting and "mind-blowing" readings I have ever read in my life. Well, may be it's just my taste, as I also enjoy reading Shape magazine from cover to cover (at least Lithuanian and Russian editions). :)

This week I became a happy owner of two more books: Not Just A Pretty Face. The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan (I'm almost done reading it) and Toxic Beauty. How hidden chemicals in cosmetics harm you by Dawn Mellowship (just read a couple of pages randomly).

Julie Gabriel said in her 12th (out of 12) lesson: SPREAD THE WORD. I won't tell you everything what is discussed in this book (you can read it for yourself if you're interested), I will just quickly summarise what did I learn. I really hope I can open eyes of some of you. Even one person counts!

Now before we start, tell me:

How many of you bought an overhyped product from a "conventional brand"? *raises hand*
How many of you bought a product just because it said "organic", "natural" on the package? *raises hand*
How many of you bought a product which promised you "all the treasures in the world"? *raises hand*
How many of you ever thought skin care products can be dangerous for you?.. and your future generations?

What I learnt:

Harmful toxic chemicals: paraben (methyl/butyl/ethyl/isobutyl/propylparabens) and formaldehyde-based preservatives, sulfate-based detergents (lauryl and laureth), synthetic penetration enhancers, petrochemicals (including mineral oil), propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, PEGs, cocamide DEA/MEA, disodium EDTA, synthetic dyes and artificial fragrances.
All this nasty stuff can be replaced by much healthier alternatives.
There is no such a thing as skin type, because everyone's skin is very different, it is unique. Choose cosmetics based solely on your skin's needs. You know how strange it can be: dry skin with acne (but isn't it "supposed to be" oily?)... Skin type is a generalisation, one of the marketing tricks.
Less is indeed more! The less products you use - the better. And I was wondering why my mom's skin looks so fresh (and she doesn't even use a foundation!). The answer is she just "neglected" all those cleansers, toners, creams most of the time. Soap and cream (once in two days) - that's what she uses. Why am I not this lucky, huh? :/

What shocked me:

"Organic", "green", "natural", "hypoallergenic" (or "dermatologist-tested), "cruelty-free"... these words don't guarantee you get a good product. "According to the FDA, there are currently no federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term 'hyppoallergenic'. In fact, beauty product manufacturers are not required to provide evidence if their products produce fewer allergic reactions. <...> it is quite common for manufacturers who bear "cruelty-free" (no animal testing) labels to commission outside laboratories to conduct test on animals to prove that they themselves do not conduct animal tests." SHOCK?
Products marked as natural often contain just a couple of natural ingredients in a catastrophically smaller proportion relatively to all those toxic ingredients. "Nothing in the definition of "natural" prohibits a company from combining the natural ingredient with the most toxic chemicals". "One organic ingredient DOES NOT make the beauty product safe and pure".
Even "Certified organics" sometimes can't guarantee your products are safe! Ecocert seems to be a little bit more suspicious than BDIH. :/ Check this source for more information Peeling Back the Label: A Who's Who of Organic Certification
No GM (genetically modified) labels are required on cosmetics. And the risks are still unknown in a long-term, because it's a relatively new "practice".
Greenwashing technique - "using a drop of organic essential oil to justify the word 'organic' on the label".
Semigreen: Caudalie and Avena. Seminatural: REN, Boscia and Korres (oh my!!!). Many brands that publicly support green movements (cruelty-free and fair trade) are not really green! The Body Shop is among them! Surprised? I would also add LUSH, as I've just checked my shampoo bottle, and all those sulfates, parabens are there! And L'Occitane! I've just checked my hand cream! Oh my! Didn't we all think these are the perfect examples of healthy cosmetics? I guess Avon could also be included. In her book Stacy Malkan opened my eyes on "pinkwashing" (breast cancer awareness) for products that contain ... guess what?.. carcinogens!
Chemical sunscreens can be even more dangerous than no sunscreen at all! Some of the ingredients when exposed to the sun can cause a serious damage. Paradox? Here is an interesting article about this issue. Click here.
There were no studies that confirmed the safety of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) - one of the most popular ingredient in self-tanners. Hence, self-tanning can be even more dangerous than spending safe 15-30 minutes under the sun. Shock!
Talc may be contaminated with asbestos. Better keep away from it!
If the company was reputable and indeed green, it still is in business to be profitable, so it may change (without even disclosing) some quality ingredients with cheaper alternatives, that might not be very user-friendly. On Julie's website she mentioned that this has recently happened to Jurlique.
Hair dyes, hair styling products, nail polishes and fragrances are the most toxic products in the whole industry!
Package material can also harm us. Chemicals from plastic bottles can leach into the product. Have you ever noticed a weird plastic smell from your water bottle in a hot, sunny day? And where do you keep your products? Bathroom? Bad idea!
Bismuth oxychloride, nanoparticle sized minerals used in mineral makeup and "rock" (mineral) deodorants are still under the fire.

Some things that shocked me from Not Just a Pretty Face:

Research results showed that newborn babies had a huge amount of toxins in their blood. The further investigation showed that there might be a clear link with chemicals used in cosmetics. OMG!
Cosmetics and chemicals industry are closely connected to each other. These two are among the most powerful industries in the world. No wonder, manufacturers don't want to loose huge amounts of money because of us, naive customers.
Did you know that the concern about possible harm of certain ingredients (starting with phthalates) was raised by the group of activists only in 2000? And the first actions were taken in 2006-2007 only! Do you recall the story with tobacco producers? Everyone now knows that smoking is dangerous, but still there are millions of people who smoke and don't pay attention to people they harm with second-hand smoke. It seems the fragrance story might be quite the same. Ever wondered why some fragrances make you feel dizzy?
Studies showed that many companies have some unlabeled ingredients in their products, often toxic ingredients... Surprised?
Some chemicals are relatively new and there is not much research (because it's not funded!) on how safe they are.
"Only 11% of 10 500 chemicals in your cosmetics have been screened for safety". How freaking scary is this?
"In reality, cosmetics are the least regulated products at the FDA. <...> The agency does not require manufacturers to demonstrate cosmetic products are safe." It should be a company's good will. And we should trust them. Are they kidding?
"There is a huge loophole exempting fragrance ingredient". Because it's considered as a trade secret. You might never know if these are natural essential oils, or toxic chemicals. :/
Sunscreen can cause Vitamin D deficiency if used all the time. Shock!
I was very surprised to see some well-known brands among the ones against 'the consumers right to know what's inside all these products' campaigns that are asking to mark/label the warning signs on dangerous products. :/
Here is an excerpt (this would be a short summary of everything said above) from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: "Every day, we use as many as 25 personal care products on our bodies. Some of the chemicals in these products are linked to cancer, infertility and birth defects - and most have never been evaluated for their health effects." Wanna take the risk and see what will happen in 10-20 years?
We, as consumers, are guinea pigs for the majority of those big companies.

Overall, I'm really glad I found this book (and those other two I'll end up reading in a couple of days)! It opened my eyes on lots of things. Julie perfectly managed to explain all the scientific stuff in an understandable way. She has plenty of useful information and tips on how to make our lives healthier. Plus, she definitely has a sense of humor! Kohl liner and Jack Sparrow made me laugh! :)

Surely, it's not about the skin care products only, it's also about food and pollution in general. But still why not trying to make your life a tiny bit better? Remember, every speck of sand counts! And, didn't you know that our skin is our biggest (and probably most vulnerable) organ?

Sometimes even completely natural products can cause allergies, so use everything with caution! Stay healthy and safe! I am not encouraging any of you to toss away all your products, I encourage you to decide everything for yourself!

As for me, I am currently searching for healthier products. I've already tossed away all mineral oil containing lip products, I also switched from sulfate+fluoride toothpaste and sulfate+parabens shower gel and shampoo. And I also stopped using my face cream for acne-prone skin with guess what?... parabens, PEG and parfum! And you know what? I see an improvement after only one week! :)

Here is a good (it's not perfect yet, because lots of info is still missing) source about safety of ingredients:
Skin Deep cosmetic safety database

Let me know what you think!

PS An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Better safe than sorry. :)

Here is a great Russian proverb (direct translation): A spoon(ful) of tar spoils a barrel of honey. English version: A fly in the ointment; The rotten apple spoils the barrel. Can you guess, why I chose these proverbs? :)

Fyrinnae Haul Vol. 3. I heart lip lustres! :) Swatches&comparison

2010-04-06T12:41:00.002+03:00

I did it again! I went for more! Lip lustres this time! :) Here are my previous Fyrinnae hauls: 1st and 2nd (incl. lip lustre swatches).
Here is what I got this time:

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Ordered on 17.2 (Wednesday), they sent me PayPal invoice on 10.3, order was shipped on 19.3 (Friday), I received my order on 25.3 (Thursday). Check their website for more details on their shipping schedules. They're quite busy and it takes time to CREATE product not just pack.

Shipping is free worldwide for orders > 20 USD. How cool is that? :)

I had some difficulties AGAIN when I tried to pay with PayPal. The payment just didn't go through. And this time I got an invoice almost one month later. I sent 3 letters until I "finally" got a reply. As you might have heard the shop was closed for around 1-2 weeks, and guys were very busy with orders, updating the website and launching new products. I fully understand that, so no complain here. And they again "discounted a bit for the trouble". :)

Here is some odd and great thing about the company: I ordered 10 lip lustres, 10*2,5=25 USD. Because of the "trouble" I paid only 21 USD, plus I also got a free sample eyeshadow! Add the wrapping material (I honestly think there is no need to pack like that, with less material you can save so much more time&resources!), add the shipping on the package 5,64 USD. Now do the math! :) This is probably the greatest company in terms of price&quality ratio! And they deserve even more!

The only "negative thing" about the company is the time. If only they could ship a little bit faster! Ohhh... Please note, I'm not complaining! I admit, I'm impatient! lol Who isn't when it comes to lip lustres!? lol And still their products are worth the wait! :)

My initial thoughts:

I got a free sample eyeshadow in Mephisto (it's from Halloween 2009 collection). Now tell me it's a coincidence! lol About a month ago I wrote a post about buying products just because of their names, a couple of weeks later I got a free eyeshadow from Silk Naturals in shade Twilight. Plus, I also mentioned that I'm a little bit superstitious, and here it comes - Mephisto eyeshadow! lol I must admit I find it pretty. :)

I've already tried all the products. And, OMG, I heart lip lustres! The best thing about them is that every one of them is unique (not only the shade, but also the texture). You will be able to recognise each of these from a mile. :) See what I mean:

Natural light, flash

Natural light

And a "family picture" (all my lip lustres together):

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Do you see what I mean now? :)

My absolute favourites: Flavor Of The Day ("semi-sheer light peach-pink with gold shimmer") and Lickable ("soft, shimmery beige-peach").

My favourites from the new ones: Lace Gloves ("sheer beige-peach (? not sure, as the word is missing on the website) with pink and red highlights"), Pink Guitar ("rich medium pink"), Ryo-Pinko ("medium mauve-hued pink") and Type A ("shimmery, rich garnet red"). The first 3 are pretty wearable shades, Type A is just GORGEOUS! My pictures just don't do this shade any justice. I'm in love with this shade, but I doubt I'll ever dare to wear it in public. :/

Did I mention they all are pigmented and opaque? Seriously, Fyrinnae lip lustres are one of the best lip products out there. And for 2,5 USD, you just can't go wrong! And, they smell yummy! And, ingredients are much more health-friendly!

The moment I saw Meloncholy ("medium coral-melon shade") I immediately thought of my all time favourite lip gloss Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia. I also grabbed Flavor Of The Day for a comparison. Meloncholy looks very close to Orange Raffia when in the bottle, but it's much more orange and opaque irl. I'd say that Orange Raffia is in between Flavor Of The Day and Meloncholy.

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Natural light, flash

From L to R: Flavor Of The Day, Orange Raffia, Meloncholy

Natural light

From L to R: Flavor Of The Day, Orange Raffia, Meloncholy

I had the same "I saw it somewhere" feeling when I first saw Kitty Ears. Remember me "complaining" about BMG gloss in Tainted being tan/brown/bronze instead of pink? I'd say Kitty Ears (btw, it's being discontinued, it's not on Fyrinnae website anymore) is more orangey bronze than just plain tan/brown/bronze Tainted. It's my least favourite from the bunch, but it's still better than Tainted. There, I said it! lol

Check these two out:

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Have you tried Fyrinnae lip lustres? Any favourites? Any lemmings? :)

PS I just want to point out that all these colours look a little bit more pigmented and opaque IRL. My camera washes them out for some reason (makes them kind of "see through"?). The above "tube pictures" look more realistic.

April Fool's randomness. Tag: Show me your fridge! and NOTD

2010-04-01T15:38:00.001+03:00

We all need to cheer up a little bit, don't we? I was thinking of posting my recent Fyrinnae haul, but then I found this random stuff in my Drafts and decided to give it a go. And it's more appropriate for April Fool's day. Honestly, I don't get the whole idea of this whole thing, but whatever. lol

Remember this funny tag going around a couple of months ago? I thought it was quite interesting&entertaining. Here is what's on my fridge:

Note: Magnet from Thailand was a present from our friends. I wish we could go there one day!

We began collecting magnets-souvenirs just recently. I really enjoy the process of finding "the most unique". :) Unfortunately, sometimes it's just impossible to find any shops selling souvenirs. Hence, several places are not represented here. :/

Sweet Corn, Mickey Mouse, Henry&Gord (from Thomas the Tank Engine), butterfly - cute stuff with their own stories&memories. :) We change cards from time to time. But the one with cute tiny mice and the one with animals (btw, these two are from the same author) are our all time fovourites, so they are not going anywhere! :)

Our fridge is perhaps the most colourful place in our apartment. :)

NOTD - my first attempt at konading!

Natural light

As you might have guessed it was my NOTD for Alice in Wonderland. :)

I used OPI Done Out in Deco as a base, Color Club Wild At Heart for the bow.

Overall I liked how it came out, but I wish I could place the bow closer to the tip. Oh well, next time I'll be more careful.I really like the combo of these two! And, I even got several complements! Yay! :)

I'm terribly sorry for my awful cuticles (now I think it could be the residue from the base coat... hmmm). The picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when my hands still were suffering from the cold weather. They're much better at the moment.

And, the most important thing, this picture is a perfect illustration of OPI nail polish (at least this one for sure) being long-lasting. It's my 4th day of wear. Not bad considering I constantly washed my hands and did some house cleaning.

Have a nice Easter!

Do you celebrate Easter? What do you think about April Fool? :)

Aromaleigh Haul. Vol. 2&3. Lipsticks (samples). And extra.

2010-03-31T14:28:00.004+03:00

I had these hauls "documented" for quite a while. I just didn't have time to organise them all this time. That being said, here is what I got with my 2nd order:

Natural light, flash

Natural light, contrast added

Noreservation rocks! sonic lips sample was a freebie.

Not pictured: sample baggies of Silk Powder (2 USD), Pure Cover mineral concealer in shade Nr. 9 (vert/green) (2 USD), Nocturne Overnight mineral treatment (2,25 USD), "Smoothy" Premium Flocked Sponge for Mineral Makeup (4,5 USD).

International shipping was 5 USD. Ordered on 5.2 (Friday), order was shipped on 8.2 (Monday), arrived 15.2 (Monday). Impressive! One of the fastest companies! Yay!

My initial thoughts:

Have yet to try Silk Powder and Pure Cover concealer in action. Yep, I have them for almost 1,5 month and haven't worn yet! I just "swatched" this green concealer on my face once. I have to figure out how to work with colour correctors. I still don't get how to cover them with foundation when they're on. And, overall, why on Earth concealers can cover everything, foundation can cover concealer, BUT not everything!? Do you get my point? lol

I read so many good things about Nocturne Overnight mineral treatment, so I decided to give it a go. I've been using it for more than one month. I'm not sure if it works, or if it's just my imagination again, but I can definitely see some slight favourable changes in my skin condition (less breakouts! yay!). Some minor negative things: you have to literally stop breathing when applying it as you surely don't want it to get into your nose. It's an extremely unpleasant feeling, believe me! :) The scent (i.e. how it naturally smells) is quite annoying too... Remember, I'm quite sensitive to some scents! :) The sample baggie lasted only for about two weeks (had to skip several nights before the full size jar arrived). I had to order at least 2, or 3 samples to see if it really works. I learned my lesson! :) And last but not least, it's quite expensive (28 USD at the time of ordering). Oh well, if it works, who cares, right? :) And, the jar is huge (14 g)! Let's wait how it'll go!

Sponge is ok, nothing special though.

As always eyeshadows are gorgeous! Pretty shades and great pigmentation! Tapestry is a very interesting shade of black. It's silky metallic-looking black with smooth holographic (it reflects different lights, but it only could be my imagination lol) shimmer. Oh my, does my explanation make any sense? lol Other shades are green, so no comments here! :)

Noreservation looks very bright in the baggie. And you probably know that I'm not a fan of bright lip colours. So you can only imagine how surprised I was when I tried it on. It is very sheer and looks very natural and pretty. Feels like a balm, smells great too (chocolate). It was at that time I "suddenly" decided to look for perfect'n'healthy lip products, especially lipsticks. So, I decided to place my 3rd order:

Sunlight, flash (yep, it was on the same day I took pictures of my Silk Naturals Haul. Hence, it was a great combo of sunshine & flash. lol)

Sunlight, contrast added (tiny-tiny contrast! :) )

Sunlight, flash

Nocturne Overnight mineral treatment (28 USD), Rocks! eyeshadow in Moonagedaydream (4,23 USD, but got it for free as my order was >40 USD), aromatherapy lip balm in Gingersnap (4,85 USD)

International shipping was 5 USD. Ordered on 25.2 (Friday), order was shipped the same day (how great is that?), arrived 9.3 (Tuesday). Impressive!

My initial thoughts:

Check my short initial review on Nocturne Overnight mineral treatment above.

Eyeshadow are, once again, pretty! I'm totally in love with Italian Ice!

Lipbalm in Gingersnap. I got a baggie sample of it with my first order. I really liked the scent (kind of vanilla with mint/spice/ginger), but wasn't very much impressed with the texture, but decided to give this lip balm a chance and ordered a full size. Ironically, it seems the opposite now. I really like the texture and how it feels on my lips, but the scent appears different. It's not that sweet as I remember it was back then, it is much spicier and more sour. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. My hubby liked the scent of the sample I got, but says this full size version is indeed kind of spicy and sour with a tiny hint of a ginger cookie sweet scent. I guess it's a natural variation in scents due to the handmade nature of the product. Oh well, at least I don't have any problems with my lips now! :) I don't even need to apply it in the morning, my lips feel so good!

Onto the lipsticks:

Sunlight, flash

Sunlight

Not pictured: freebie - Wallflower lipstick. Baggie samples cost 1 USD.

Lipsticks. I really like the texture of these lipsticks. They feel balm-like: light, creamy and moisturising. All of them except Wallflower are sheer. Due to their creamy texture it's quite difficult to build the colour (i.e. making it more opaque), as it starts to feel a little bit too greasy. You know the feeling, don't you? :) Oh! The scents are fantastic! Orange and chocolate! Yummy!

These are all pretty and wearable shades. They give a slight tint to your lips. Gossamer looks similar to Coquette, Rosebud to Darling. I was debating whether I should go for Rosebud or Darling. But then my Silk Naturals order came, and I decided I don't need any more sheer colours right now. Besides, as you might know, natural handmade lip products have shorter shelf life (6-12 months), and I don't want to end up with a bunch of spoiled lip stuff. I hate not using products. I'd better give them away "to a better home" and be sure that they'll bring some joy to another person. :)

Yep, I ordered a sample of Wallflower and got it as a freebie. Ironically (again), this colour is my least favourite of the bunch (btw, it's the most opaque of them!). I just don't like how this shade looks on me. It looks pretty in the baggie though. :)

And I am not complaining, I just wish that they added another shade for me to try. I'd have more choice options then, right? :) Btw, I placed my order just a few days before Aromaleight announced their sad news about discontinuing lip products. How lucky am I with this discontinuation "trend" when I am almost one step from finding my HG?.. :/ :)

What are you thoughts? Have you tried Aromaleigh lip products?

PS I really like Aromaleigh's product pictures, they're very true to what you see irl! :)

DRAMA

Now onto some nasty stuff. I couldn't even imagine everything could turn that way! But I just have to share, as this shocked me so much yesterday. Jen from Jennifae's Beauty Blog posted her awesome recent Aromaleigh lipsticks haul with a statement that got my attention: "However, with the changes in sales/promos, rewards points, and the attitude (not the best customer service in my opinion), I highly doubt I will order from Aromaleigh again." I commented about my experience with lipstick samples telling her that "I really like the scent (orange) and consistency (soft, silky, like a lip balm), I won't buy them because they're too sheer and too similar to each other. And the main reason - I already have too many lippies. Plus Aromaleigh ones are "supposed" to go bad in 6-12 months. :/" and asked about the bad attitude.

Jen replied that "The customer service is not bad, but it could be better. <...> I like Aromaleigh's products, but I'd rather order from those who have equally great products (if not better) AND doesn't make me feel like answering my questions and concerns is a complete waste of time, y'know?" This is the main point! She didn't mean the service was bad (not bad and bad are different things, don't you think?), all she meant that attitude was hmmm... a bit rough in her opinion? It's not fun when a seller or, what's most frustrating, the person who you admire, eventhough trying to be polite, makes you feel you're wasting his/her time, right? Moreover, everyone has his/her own opinions and standards on what the good or bad, or not bad customer service is, right? Please, take a look at the comments section.

Miss K is very nice in her copy-pasted letters, making it feel that Jen is "seeing things". Here is what Jen says: "What Kristen failed to mention/post is the email response I was referring to. The one that made me feel like answering my emails were a waste of time." Check it out! Now you clearly can understand why Jen became frustrated. Check also my comment. It's not perfect, but it can clear up some things about some certain things. E.g., everyone's time is precious! Service is not just about giving discounts, it's about the attitude too. Making a customer feel he/she is not worth spending a precious time is not a good tone, for sure.

Now, tell me where is "slamming" (i.e. attacking)? Why calling dishonest, unappreciative, greedy and nasty? Why calling names? Why wishing "may karma treat you well"? It's SO sad, I can't even express what I felt the moment I read it! Why am I taking it so personally you might ask? Because I feel it was my fault to some extent, as I became that "fuel for the fire". Plus, I feel that Miss K misunderstood the whole thing and took it all wrong. I really admire Aromaleigh and Miss K, but this "accident" just seem so unreal! It kind of reminds me 2 dramas over Coastal Scents and Lime Crime. SAD, very sad! :(

Jen, I really hope everything will be ok! Take care! *hugs*

Do you see what I see? What are your thoughts, girls?

Silk Naturals Haul. Swatches.

2010-03-30T17:29:00.001+03:00

So my quest to find perfect'n'healthy lip products continues! :)

I've heard so many good things about Silk Naturals, so I finally decided to give it a go one day. :)

Here is what I got:

Sunshine, flash (yep, you've heard that right! It wasn't a good idea to take pictures under such a bright sunlight! But flash saved the day! Who would have guessed? lol)

I ordered 3 solid lip glosses (4,5 USD each) in Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious, and 1 liquid lip gloss (4,95 USD) in Summer Fling. I got 2 free eyeshadows: full size in IDK (I guess there was a campaign) and a sample baggy in Twilight (oh my, it follows me everywhere?! lol).

Shipping was 4,2 USD for International. Quite reasonable, isn't it? There is also a discount for first time buyers. Check the website for more info.

Ordered on 25.2 (Friday), order was shipped on 3.3, received on 11.3 (Friday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already swatched all the products. I love my new lippies! Wearable shades, smooth application, pretty long lasting, nice smell (kind of toffee with spice?)! And they feel like lip balms on my lips! :) Surprisingly (as I didn't expect to get any eyeshadows) I really love these shades, and the pigmentation is as usual for mineral eyeshadows - decent. I am very pleased with my order!

One thing I want to mention is the size! Solid lip glosses come in sleek tubes, liquid - in tubes that appear (read further for more info) to be smaller than that of Fyrinnae. Baggie sample is considerably smaller than that of Aromaleigh's for instance. That being said, I'm in love! You had to see my face when I saw these tiny beauties! :) The tube of Summer Fling is such a cutie! Aww! :)

Sunshine, flash

Fyrinnae Lickable on the left, Silk Naturals Summer Fling on the right

As you can see from these 2 pictures, Summer Fling although appearing to be smaller due to the "optical illusion" contains more product than Lickable. I can't say the exact amount though. My guess would be 4-5 ml. I'm not sure if I saw the info on the website. :/

I was a bit skeptical when I first saw Summer Fling in person. It looked so dark in the tube, but when I tried it on I instantly fell in love with it. It's such a gorgeous wearable shade! Take a look:

Natural light, flash

Here are the swatches of all 4 plus a little extra:

Natural light

From L to R: Everyday Minerals lipstick in Icing the Cake, Summer Fling, Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious

Natural light, flash

From L to R: Everyday Minerals lipstick in Icing the Cake, Summer Fling, Berry Crush, Foreplay, Precious

I organised Silk Natural products from the sheerest to the most opaque from R to L. These are all buildable though.

Description from the website:

Precious- light pink with gold pearl- Hunny Bunny Clone

Foreplay- shimmery golden pink Climax gloss

Berry Crush- Golden Berry Gloss- MAC Viva Glam V Clone

Summer Fling- Warmish Rosey Pink

Why did I include the EDM Icing The Cake (btw, I got it for free with my last order) I hear you asking? Just because I wanted to show you how it compares to Summer Fling (in shade) and Berry Crush (in consistency). I really love the shade of Icing The Cake, but the lipstick itself (especially its smell) is awful! If you've ever tried lippies from EDM I bet you can understand me. :)

Have you tried Silk Naturals? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS Silk Naturals doesn't repackage!

Share the love: Cat

2010-03-27T09:58:00.006+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you cats! Sounds a little bit banal, doesn't it? I don't think so though. :) I really enjoy reading stories and watching pictures of animals/pets. And I noticed that many of bloggers have pets. So why not to share one of my greatest loves, i.e. CATS! I can go on forever speaking about their beauty, grace, intelligence, personality, and... attitude! :) But I won't! You know it yourself, right? :)

I had only fishes, hamsters and cats as pets. I was "babysitting" a dog several times though. My parents got a first cat when I was 2, naturally I don't remember much of that cat... I only remember how we got our second cat when I was almost 6 y.o. Ever since my heart belongs to cats. :)

Ok, enough writing. I'll do two parts post anyway, because I can't find pictures of my cats (who live with my family in my home country) on my laptop.

Did I mention that apart from my little passion to take pictures of wild flowers and nature, I also snap pictures of animals (if I get a chance of course)? :)

Canterbury castle (UK)

Windsor castle (UK)

Could he/she be Her Majesty's kitty? :)

Castell de Montjuic/Barcelona Fortress (Spain)

Alicante (Spain)

This kitty was huge!

He/she spent a little time with us. Cute and friendly cat! :)

A little teaser for you (before I find other pictures): my cat when he was just 2-3 months! :) Oh my, he was so tiny! Now he is huge and heavy! :)

Do you love cats? :)

Hope you enjoyed!

To be continued! Stay tuned!

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Beautiful Girl Minerals (BMG) haul. Swatches.

2010-03-25T16:25:00.003+02:00

Have you already heard of me getting rid of all (well, not all actually, my HG from Dior and Avon stay with me until the end, or until I find their perfect dupes! :) ) my lip products that contain mineral oil and other nasty stuff? Be prepared for my massive (in my opinion, obviously) attempts to find perfect'n'healthy lip products. :) On a side note, I'm SOO behind writing about my hauls, gotta hurry up before I got lost in all those packages... and pictures... lol

I didn't want to order a lot as I don't like to waste products (I mean, who wants to have a bunch of spoiled lip stuff? lol) and, most importantly, because BMG's pictures and colour descriptions (if any) were not that good.

I ordered 2 All natural lip glosses (small wand 3,5 ml, the same tube as of Fyrinnae's lip lustres, 3 USD) in Cosmo (it's called Cosmo Kiss on the website) and Tainted, and 1 (1/8 tsp, 0,5 USD) Multi purpose powder sample in Impatient.

I got 2 free Multi purpose powder samples in Irresistible and Innocent.

Natural light, contrast added

Natural light, flash

Note: Impatient is a little bit greener irl, it's a shimmery bright chartreuse described as "a stunning yellow/green shade!" on the website.

Shipping was 3 USD for International. Quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 1.3 (Monday), order was shipped on 7.3, received on 18.3 (Thursday). I guess it's ok.

My initial thoughts:

I've already swatched all the products - the pigmentation is as usual for mineral eyeshadows - decent. Although keep in mind that I haven't tested these eyeshadows "in action" yet. The only product that got my full attention is Cosmo lip gloss.

Now here comes a "weird" story of me trying to figure out what shades to choose. The first thing that caught my eye was the inconsistency in description of lip glosses. Some have lip swatches, some have bottle pictures, some have a "swirl of colour", some have colour description, some not, some have it all wrong... :/

Let's take a look at 2 lip glosses I got.

Cosmo is defined as a "gorgeous pink with gold". I would add that it's pink with a hint of blue (cool toned), but the fine golden shimmer makes it appear warmer. I was a little bit skeptical of wearing a cool toned lip gloss (I prefer warm tones), but, man, it is MEGA gorgeous!!! And, it's pigmented! Surprisingly, I like the mild scent (in fact the lip gloss is not scented, or flavoured, but my guess would be that it's castor seed oil's "fault"). :)

Here comes a sad story. Tainted is described as "gorgeous pink with shimmer". Now, don't be mad at me, but can you, please, tell me if I'm seeing things? lol It's plain shimmery brown/tan to my eyes. I can spot some tiny tiny shimmery pink bits on the picture with flash, but I honestly think it's just my camera's "wonderful" ability to see things; and then it still should be pink with shimmer, not something with pink shimmer, right? :) The "best" thing, BGM sent me 5 ml bottle (although it says 5,9 ml on their website) instead of the small size I ordered. I guess they ran out of small bottles, or put it by accident, or just wanted to please me as a first time customer, but all I felt is a frustration and shame. :/

On one hand, I probably have to inform them that I got a wrong size bottle and pay the difference (1,5 USD), on the other hand - I absolutely don't like this colour! It's not what I expected it to be (gorgeous pink? with shimmer? NO?!). And it doesn't suit me. At all! I tried to make it work by mixing it with some other shades, but it's too dark and intense to do something wearable for my taste. And the bottle is huge (I much more prefer those tiny bottles)! And I hate wasting (aka not using) products. I wish it'd be in a mini size, I wouldn't feel so bad. :/

The worst thing is that I tried it straight from the tube at first (when I didn't yet realise how different the shade is), meaning that I can't give it to anyone else, as it now "belongs to me". lol I know I might be weird sometimes. :)

Take a look:

Natural light

Cosmo on the left, Tainted on the right

Natural light, flash

Cosmo on the left, Tainted on the right

Natural light

Cosmo (after about 4 hours of wear!)

Note: Have yet to figure out why my lip swatches look so washed out and "see through" even without a flash. :/ Swatch pictures look more colour accurate.

As for the Multi purpose powders... I really admire their universality as they're said to be suitable for eyes, lips and nails. But, why couldn't they arrange these colours (although they have not that many) in some certain order (by colour, or by name at least?). It would be so much easier to find (and compare!) shades you like. But no! You'd better play "spot your favourite", or "what catches your eye?". lol

I laughed so hard when I got my order. Let me explain. I ordered a green shade, right? That is Impatient. When I opened my order, I thought why on Earth is word "impatient" doing here, did they mean I'm impatient? lol Then I realised it was my choice. I was so much into colour, I didn't even pay attention to its name. :) Remember me speaking about "buying products because of their names" thingy? And they "called" me Innocent and Irresistible! lol To be honest, I don't like these (I mean freebies) shades simply because I wouldn't wear them as I already know that some certain colours just don't look good on me. Maybe I have to mix Innocent with that Tainted lip gloss? Hmmm...

Overall, I will buy other (as Cosmo became one of my favourites!) lip glosses from BMG again, when (and if) they will improve their colour descriptions. :)

I saw Phyrra mentioned that BMG offers 20% discount till the end of March. Be careful with those descriptions before ordering.

Have you tried BMG? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

PS BMG doesn't repackage!

40 Beauty Questions

2010-03-23T08:00:00.004+02:00

I tagged myself, again. :)

1. How many times do you wash your face daily?
Usually twice - in the morning and before going to bed. Sometimes I take my foundation/makeup off right after I come home (when I am sure I don't need to go anywhere else).

2. What skin type do you have?
Horrible! Combination. And I sometimes get those dry patches-flakes on my oily skin! Weird!

3. What is your current facial wash?
Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Soap & Fragrance Free cleanser for almost 3 months! The range promises to clear skin in 3 weeks! I don't see any improvements really... :/

4. Do you exfoliate?
Yes, lately 2 times per week.

5. What brand do you use?
Korres scrub and mask from pomegranate range.

6. What moisturiser do you use?
Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Oil Free moisturising cream-gel. The same story as with Eucerine's cleanser. Hate this cream even more!

7. Do you have freckles?
No.

8. Do you use eye cream?
Eucerin Q10 Active Fragrance-free Anti-wrinkle cream. It's ok. Nothing special though.

9. Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I had occasional breakouts since I was a teenager, but it wasn't this bad as I have now. Don't play with those hormonal contraceptives, ladies! They promise a perfect skin as a "bonus", but none (not even your doctor, or cosmetologist!) can tell you what you'll get once you stop taking them! :/

10. Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No.

11. What foundation do you use?
Still trying to find a perfect match from the bunch of samples I got from different mineral makeup companies. Trying not to mix them. Don't want to trouble my skin even more.

12. How about concealer?
Sometimes I use Everyday Minerals Intensive Fair concealer on my blemishes when I'm not very lazy. :)

13. Do you know your undertone color?
Still trying to find it out. I guess I'm more fair to medium neutral.

14. What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I have several from Ardell, but haven't tried them yet. Can you imagine? :) I like how they look on others. Once I'll try them on, I'll tell you. :)

15. Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, even though it usually says 6 months. Unfortunately, many of my mascaras don't even pass 2 months mark. :/

16. What brand of mascara do you use?
Currently, Lumene True Natural Volume Mascara with conditioning Arctic cornflower. Nothing special! My HG mascara was Maybelline Lash Stylist. It's been discontinued for quite a while now. :(

17. Sephora or MAC?
Neither. I've never been to Sephora. Although we have MAC counter here, I shopped there only once (and for skin care only!). MAC is too expensive here.

18. Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.

19. What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Lash curler, brushes, fingers. :)

20. Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
UDPP. It's ok, but it kind of cakes (i.e. leaves dry patches) lately.:/

21. For the face?
Fyrinnae Powder Primer. Must Have! :)

22. What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
I love greens! :) Aromaleigh's Aloe and Loden is my favourite combo so far.

23. Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Pencil.

24. How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never! But I poke my eyes with a mascara quite often! :(

25. What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
I use only loose eyeshadows at the moment. Gave all those pressed ones to my wonderful friend. :)

26. Do you use mineral makeup?
Yes, a lot lately. :)

27.What is your favorite lipstick?
Avon Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach, closely followed by Fyrinnae lip lustres in Lickable and Flavor Of The Day.

28. How about lipgloss?
Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia, closely followed by Silk Naturals lip gloss in Summer Fling and Beautiful Girl Minerals lip gloss in Cosmo.

29. What is your favorite blush to use?
Avon Colour face pearls in pink still is my favourite. I really like Alima Pure matte blush in Apricot lately.

30. Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
I bought only Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara once. Sometimes I also buy nail polish on ebay.

31. Do you like drugstore makeup?
I used to. Now I'm into mineral makeup. :)

32. Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
No, I don't think we even have one here in Finland.

33. Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Yes. And I wanted to be a manicurist when I was in high school! :)

34. Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
When it comes to dark eyeshadows then yes, I am, a little bit. :) Plus, I ALWAYS get some mascara on my eyelids, doesn't matter how careful I am! Thankfully, it only takes 10 seconds to clean everything. :)

35. Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Too dark pencil or tattoo (permanent makeup) defined eyebrows (especially thin overplucked eyebrows!), visible mascara marks/stains (the ones I clean in 10 sec :) ) on the eyelid or on the lower lashline.

36. Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Neutral ones. Green can be neutral too. :)

37. Which celebrity always has great make up?
Hmmm... Angelina Jolie looks very good most of the time. :)

38. If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
Eyebrow pencil.

39. Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes. I wouldn't feel confident on my bad skin days though.

40. Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
When my skin is in its better condition than it is now, the answer is positive. I look as a completely different person. But I quite like this person. lol Imagine, one with VERY light eyebrows and eyelashes. Now imagine the same person with much darker eyebrows and black eyelashes. :) I prefer the second person though. :)

41. In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I really don't know. :/

42. What do you think of Makeup?
It is SO MUCH fun! Too bad that men (at least my man) don't understand the POINT! lol

If you read this post and haven't done this tag yet, I tag YOU! Let me know in the comments, I'd like to read your answers as well! :)

Eyelashes. HG mascara?

2010-03-22T10:23:00.004+02:00

Do you remember my question "To curl, or not to curl?" I asked you in February? So, I finally "gave up" a month ago. I brought home these 3 products:

Eyelash curler from Cailap (with two refill pads). It looks like Shu Uemura curler, doesn't it?
It definitely makes a difference. My eyelashes don't look flat anymore. The only negative thing (or I'd better say - concern) is that it somehow curls the base in a "sharp-angled" shape, not in a "naturally round" shape. Do you get my point? Is it normal like that? :/ This weirdness is not visible when mascara is on though.

Special THANK YOU (for helping me to decide) goes to PowerLifterChick, Thess, Sagu and Bebo! :)

L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum
I've been testing this "miracle product" for one month only, so can't say anything about its power yet. Strangely enough it was sold out almost everywhere (except for the grocery shop, where I was lucky to find it) in the Helsinki city center and in large shops around the metropolitan area. The only thing I can say so far, that, thankfully, it doesn't irritate my eyes. I'll keep you updated on the progress (if I'll see any). :)

Lumene True Natural Volume Mascara with conditioning Arctic cornflower
"90% natural ingredients" coupling with "voluminising" effect sounded like a perfect promise. Plus it was comparably cheap (around 9 EUR), it is made in Finland, and, the most important thing, it was sealed (only with a duct tape-like label though)! On a side note - it indeed is a serious problem here in Finland. Why do those sellers (Rimmel, Maybelline, Max Factor, I'm speaking to you in particular!) sell us unsealed (aka open) mascaras? :/ Nea, I'm totally with you on this issue. :)

I really wanted to like this mascara, but here comes the huge BUT. It worked fine for about one week only. Afterward it became just an ordinary "almost 3 months old" mascara. I mean, it becomes drier and flakier each time. And, I know how to keep mascaras safe and fresh! Where are my promised 6 (I'd be fine with 3) months after opening?! Weird, huh? :/

One more thing, I noticed a comparably high loss of eyelashes over this month. Can't say the exact number, but earlier I didn't even pay attention to it as I saw one "dead" eyelash per month at most, now I see several per week. :/ Have no idea what might be the problem. Or, it might be, that it's my imagination only? I hope it is. :)

Now I'm on a quest to find a new mascara! Again! REQUIREMENTS: it should volumise, lengthen, look natural (no flakes, no clumps) and stay fresh for around 3 months or more. Is it too much to ask for? :) Help is much appreciated! :) What's your HG mascara?

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts?

China Glaze Side-Saddle vs Sinful Colors Rich In Heart

2010-03-17T14:58:00.002+02:00

Natural light

Check the golden shimmer in the bottle!

Natural light

Now tell me it's not black? lol

Natural light, flash

I do sparkle!.. in sunshine (or flash) only. lol

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

Rodeo Diva Collection, fall 2008.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
3 Big free (but contains Formaldehyde resin).

Colour: this colour is strange but still quite pretty. By "strange" I mean that it appears to be dark chocolate with golden shimmer in the bottle, appears deep shimmery burgundy on my nails, and appears (well, actually disappears would be the right word in this case) violet (!) on the cotton ball (during the removal process, obviously)! Strange, isn't it? :) Do you remember my rant from yesterday's post about those "almost black" nail polishes? Here are two of my fails! lol

Finish: shimmer.

Application: pretty average application, because the nail polish is on the thick side, but at least only 2 coats (or even 1 would do!) are enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 11 EUR.

Pros: good coverage (1-2 coats!), pretty bottle, big 3 free.
Cons: difference between what you see in the bottle and what is actually on your nails, brush is too sharp-edged and small (meaning that you have to be extremely careful, or master "clean up" strategy), the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Don't want to wear plain shimmery black? Check this out! :)

On to the comparison... I was wearing Side-Saddle the other day, when I realised this polish looks very similar to Sinful Colors Rich In Heart, which I bought to "ease my pain" of not getting CG Branding Iron (shimmery dark burgundy).

Natural light, flash

See? I told you, they're almost black, if they seem so dark even with a flash! :)

They look different in the bottles, don't they?

Natural light

Don't they look similar now?

Note: In case you haven't noticed, I'm still wearing CG here, just holding SC bottle. :)

Artificial light (energy-saving lamp), flash

Sinful Colors Rich In Heart - I took this picture long looong time ago. Hence, the bad quality is here again. :)

Sinful Colors Rich In Heart

15 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in USA.

3 Big and Camphor free.

Colour: deep burgundy shimmer in the black base. Appears almost black most of the time.

Finish: shimmer.

Application: pretty average application, because the nail polish is on the thick side, but at least only 2 coats (or even 1 would do!) are enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 3,5 EUR.

Pros: good coverage (1-2 coats!), big 3 free.

Cons: pretty strong smell, brush is too sharp-edged and small (meaning that you have to be extremely careful, or master "clean up" strategy), ingredients text colour - black on almost black - are they kidding? lol

PS Don't want to wear plain shimmery black? Check this out! :)
PPS These two look almost completely identical when on the nails. If only I knew they're THIS similar before!!! :) Gotta give it to my friend, who is into heavy metal music. :)

Depend nail polish in Nr. 115 (deep violet)

2010-03-16T12:21:00.004+02:00

Natural light

Looks a little bit lighter here than irl

Natural light, flash

Power of bright light! :)

Note: I'm terribly sorry for my dry hands! I only noticed all these "beauties" when I uploaded my pictures. :/And it's a 3rd day of wear. Hence, "scratchy surface" look is becoming more obvious. :)

5 ml, exp. date: no info, made in Sweden (not sure though).

Have no idea if it's 3 Big free. Any thoughts?

Colour: deep violet. It looks much lighter in the bottle than on the nails. Under the "no light" (when it's cloudy for instance) it looks very dark deep violet, in worst cases it looks completely black. I like it best under the bright light, when it looks close to what you see in the bottle. Honestly, I'm a little bit tired of all those "showing under the bright light only" shades (OPI DS Fantasy, I'm talking to you in particular! China Glaze Side Saddle, take a note too! lol). It's funny when I have to explain that I'm not wearing the same black nail polish over and over again. :) "Check this out, it's not that black actually! And it's another nail polish...actually!" lol

Finish: creme.

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats (or even 1 would do!) is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 3,5 EUR.

Pros: perfect coverage (1-2 coats!), easy application, quite nice brush (not tiny as you would expected from this tiny bottle), pretty tiny bottle.
Cons: no ingredients (even on Depend website!) and no exp.date info!? no name, just a number (boring!!!)? darker than in the bottle, brush is too sharp-edged (meaning that you have to be extremely careful, or master "clean up" strategy :) ).

PS Don't want to wear plain creme black? Check this out! :)

What do you think about all those "almost black" nail polishes? :)

Share the love: Ground

2010-03-13T08:00:00.002+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you the ground! Sounds weird, huh? :) Ever paid attention what's under your feet? Sometimes there might be really interesting (although quite simple and usual) things. Take a moment and look what's "underneath". :)

Helsinki, Finland

Dover, UK

Vitrupe, Latvia

Can you see corals and shells?
Egypt

London, UK

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Alima Pure Haul. Have you ever (not)bought a product just because of its name?

2010-03-11T15:14:00.007+02:00

One not very sunny day, I was searching for the info about mineral foundations. I've already tried Everyday Minerals, Sassy Minerals and Aromaleigh, but still wanted to try something new. You know that feeling, don't you? :) Then, I came across wonderful Sagu's post about Alima Pure and decided to give it a go. I'm very glad I did! Thank you, girl! :)

Here is what I got this time from Alima:

Natural light, contrast added

Note: Maya is golden olive, whereas Cedar is dusty green+gold.

Natural light, flash

Note: Maya is golden olive, whereas Cedar is dusty green+gold

Natural light

Free samples

Natural light, flash

Free samples

Not pictured: Foundation samples of Beige 2, Cool 2 and Neutral 2; Shimmer Bronze in Belize, Color Balancing Powder in Buttercup.

Shipping was 6 USD for International (check their new policy regarding orders from the EU). Quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 5.2 (Friday), order was shipped on 9.2, received on 15.2 (Monday). IMO it's quite fast!

My initial thoughts:

All samples come in clear little jars (tiny bit smaller than samples of Fyrinnae, or Sassy Minerals, and exactly the same size with aforementioned for foundation) with a cute birdy on the lid! Great pigmentation! Generous samples! Eye shadow, blush, balancing powder and shimmer bronze samples cost 1 USD, foundation samples (these are packed FULL) 1,5 USD.

All the wrapping is made of recycled paper (wanna mention the labels on free samples too). It's a big PLUS in my book. Honestly, I don't like all those bubble wraps, colourful paper, vinyl duct tape (!!! hate!!!), cellophane, etc. Such a waste!

I've already swatched all the products. I love them all! Such a wonderful shades! 12 points (Eurovision, anyone?) for me for making a perfect choice! lol

Here comes a "weird" story and a question from the title. I never pay attention to names of the makeup products, unless it contains "taboo words" for my liking, such as *evil (first letter D), *ell (*=H). One might find it weird, but I do find it completely normal. :) I'm a little bit superstitious with this kind of things (you know?), and I was raised in a pretty religious country. So, bear with me please! :) That's the reason I would never buy *evil Horns lip lustre from Fyrinnae. :/ In any other case, I care about the shade, not the name.

That being said, I was really surprised I decided to buy an eyeshadow of an unusual colour (for my taste obviously) with a name Twilight (yep, I am a fun, I admit it lol). The weird thing is that I really liked how the colour looked on the "enlarge picture". But it was all about the name at first. I wouldn't notice this eyeshadow otherwise. Then I decided to get a complimenting colour for Twilight, i.e. Milan. And let me tell you - I wasn't disappointed! I LOVE the combo of these two. My picture just doesn't give them a justice. Check the website for colour description and don't forget to press "enlarge picture" there.

Note: I saw a huge amount of products with Twilight name before, but they just didn't appeal to me.

I wore Twilight on the lead and Milan on the crease and outer V. It wasn't just my first time buying because of the name, but also my first time wearing what I call "true dramatic smokey eyes". That dusty violet undertone of Twilight really complements my eye colour. Too bad, we don't go partying very often. I wouldn't dare to wear this look during the day.

Pigmentation is pretty good. Colours look a little sheerer and lighter than in the jar.

Apricot blush (matte) and Belize Shimmer Bronze coordinate really well together. Especially when I wear my favourite Dior lip gloss in Orange Raffia and Fyrinnae lip lustre in Flavor Of The Day.

I bought Blond eyeshadow (matte) for eyebrows. Alima recommends this shade for blondes. Well, I'm blonde (not blonde-blonde, but wheat blonde), and I'd say this shade is too yellow and pale for me. It works as a blending shade with my Lumene pencil in Gray Brown though. I'll try darker colour next time.

I tried foundations several times. Worked pretty well. I should have ordered darker shade though (3 maybe?). Number 2 is a little bit too light. The coverage is medium, but buildable. I even managed to cover my blemishes. Yay! The only thing I don't like is that it kind of "sits on the surface of the skin". Gotta keep trying further. :/

Have yet to try Color Balancing Powder in Buttercup.

I want to try their lip glosses next time too. Any experience, thoughts?

Have you tried Alima? What are your thoughts? Any favourites?

Have you ever (not)bought a product just because of its name? Was it worth getting?

PS Alima Pure doesn't repackage!

BUK nail polishes. International Women's Day.

2010-03-08T11:12:00.002+02:00

I had this post waiting for me in the draft section since January. The time has come! Finally. :)

BUK was the first brand of nail polish I tried back to 1994! And it is still on the market! At least on the Lithuanian market. The only visible difference I noticed over all these years - bottle shape. It has changed only once as far as I remember. The first bottles used to be "rounded squares", the latest (since around 2000) are as pictured below. Since 2008 (?) BUK changed its logo. Check Nr 16 (old version) and the rest (new appearance).

Nr 16 is the only nail polish I had ever repurchased! Two times! This is my third bottle, and as you can see it's a little bit neglected. Can you guess why? lol

I honestly have no idea what's the origin of this brand. It says "Made in EU. Coop Bergerac NC France". Strangely enough it doesn't have any website. I used to think it's a Lithuanian brand because of the name. BUK (Būk) means "Be" in Lithuanian, but now I don't know what to think.

What's still the same:

The good:

HUGE range of colours and finishes (cremes, glitters, shimmers, glass flecks, etc). And it seems BUK constantly releases new collections (these collections are not specified though). I was very surprised to see holographic polishes back to 2008 when I wasn't yet that much into nail polishes.
Price. These polishes are freaking cheap! They retail for around 0,5 - 0,7 EUR for 9 ml. Can you beat that? :)
Pretty bottle, nice brush.
Decent application. Some require more than 2 coats, some are opaque in just 1.

The bad:

No list of ingredients. I guess these nail polishes are not Big 3 Free.
They have a pretty strong nail polish scent. I really hope it's not highly toxic and dangerous. But for less than 1 euro, who knows?!
No names, just numbers! Why on Earth a brand with such a long history and such a huge variety of colours couldn't come up with names? Mystery! :)

So, here is my little collection of BUK. I bought 8 of these colours in summer 2009. Quite trendy colours for "no name" brand, what do you think?

From L to R: 112, 168, 169, 4C, 16

Natural light, flash

From L to R: 112, 168, 169, 4C, 16

Natural light

From L to R: 101, 189, 188, 191, 145

Natural light, flash

From L to R: 101, 189, 188, 191, 145

Natural light

Have you ever heard of this brand? The bottle shape looks like S-he nail polish from the first sight, but you can see the clear difference when you look closer. So, nope, it's not the same polish just under the different name.

PS I have NOTD pictures with some of these polishes. Will post some day. :)

Today is the International Women's Day. :)

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY! WISH YOU OCEAN OF LOVE, SMILES AND FLOWERS! *hugs*

A present from my friend. Thank you! :) I LOVE these flowers SO MUCH! :) *dreaming of an ocean of these flowers*

Share the love: Green

2010-03-06T08:00:00.000+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you green. I especially love warm green! Green grass, green leaves, bright sun and blue sky - what could be better? :)

Green beauty!

Can you see a green guy? :) I was really surprised to meet this little guy in London!

Green on green. :) A little guy from Barcelona. :)

Simply beautiful! :)

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Fyrinnae Haul. Vol. 2. Lip lustres swatches.

2010-03-05T08:00:00.005+02:00

Here is my 2nd haul from Fyrinnae. Check my first haul and swatches if you haven't already. WARNING! This is going to be a picture-heavy post with lip lustres swatches on my lips. Yep, you've heard that right! :) I managed to take pictures of my lips somehow. lol I really hope I won't freak anyone out. :) And again, please bear in mind it is my first time "lip swatching". :)

Natural "light"

From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

Natural "light", contrast added

From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

Natural "light", flash

From L to R: Nonsense!, Naughty Elves (free sample), Snow White

Not pictured: Powder Primer (7 g for 5,5 USD) and Fluff sample (1,5 USD).

Ordered on 28.1 (Thursday), they sent me PayPal invoice on 30.1, I received my order on 15.2 (Monday). IMO it's quite fast! Check their website for more details on their shipping schedules. They're quite busy and it takes time to CREATE product not just pack.

I had some difficulties AGAIN when I tried to pay with PayPal. The payment just didn't "want" to go through. And they again "discounted a bit for the trouble". :)

My initial thoughts:

I'm in love with Powder Primer! It works really well! I already did a quick review in my previous post (check the link above).

Have yet to try Fluff.

I ordered two matte eyeshadows this time and got one semi-matte/semi-shimmer eyeshadow for free. I really like these colours (can you call black a colour? lol). If you read my last post (link above) you might recall that I "complained" about my fail in blending Fyrinnae eyeshadows. Any help and tips are warmly welcome! I don't have this kind of problem with other brands. Strange. I must be some kind of a "blending nerd". lol

The time has come! Lustres! OMG! These are awesome! How many times have you heard that? :) 2,5 USD (sample size - cute little tube with doe-foot applicator) for THIS amazing product? How freaking cool is that? I got 4. The quality is really impressive! Can you tell I'm excited? :) I love the scents (quite rare thing for me!) and the feel of these lipsticks-lip glosses "hybrids", they glide so smoothly and feel so nice on the lips! The most interesting thing is that they feel a little bit differently depending on their finish. Deceptive Innocence feels very creamy, whereas Romantique feels kind of "metallic" (sounds weird, but I just can't find the words to express this feeling), Flavor Of They Day feels very soft and moisturising (pretty much like a lip gloss) and Lickable feels somewhat in between Romantique and Flavor Of The Day. Did you understand my point? lol

I'm absolutely in love with Lickable and Flavor Of The Day! The best thing - they look very much like my two absolutely favourite shades. I'll show you in a minute. I did a comparison pictures for you. :) Romantique is too frosty and pale for me... It's a beautiful colour though. Deceptive Innocence is also a bit too pale, it kind of washes me out. But! I found a perfect pair for it! I pair it with Everyday Minerals lip "balm" in "Icing on the cake" (I got it for free with my last order, have to make a post about it), which has the worst ever lipstick "scent", but very beautiful and flattering shade. Together with Deceptive Innocence they make a perfect couple! "Goodbye" to that yucky plastic scent , "Hello" sweet coconut. lol

I just want to point out that all these colours look a little bit more pigmented&opaque IRL. My camera washes them out for some reason (makes them "see through"?). The above "tube pictures" look more realistic.

Let's get started! :)

Natural "light"

Deceptive Innocence

Natural "light", flash

Deceptive Innocence

Natural "light"

Romantique

Natural "light", flash

Romantique

Natural "light"

Flavor Of The Day

Natural "light", flash

Flavor Of The Day

Natural "light"

Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

Natural "light", flash

Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

Natural "light", flash

Your L: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade 347 Orange Raffia (my all time favourite lip gloss!)

Your R: Flavor Of The Day

Verdict: Dior is more orangey and more sparkly, but these two still look pretty much alike.

Natural "light"

Lickable

Natural "light"

Your L: Avon Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach (my all time favourite lipstick!)

Your R: Lickable

Verdict: Avon is peachier and more matte looking, but these two still look pretty much alike.

Natural "light", flash

Your L: Avon Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach (my all time favourite lipstick!)

Your R: Lickable

Verdict: Avon is peachier and more matte looking, but these two still look pretty much alike.
Note: Have no idea what's that scary deep scar-looking thing on my lip (on your left). Hmm... :/ Probably some "mimic wrinkle" (could there be any on the lips?). lol

THE END! :)

Have you tried Fyrinnae primers? What about lip lustres? Any favourites? :)

PS Waiting for PayPal invoice again! ;)

Fyrinnae swatches (eyeshadows)

2010-03-04T09:45:00.006+02:00

I finally managed to edit and upload the swatches from my Fyrinnae haul. I made these together with the swatches from my Pure Minerals Source Haul at the end of January. So please, bear in mind that it's my first attempt to make decent swatches. :) Btw, I tried to take photos of "lip swatches" on my lips (!!!) the other day, and OMG it was freaking difficult! lol

Natural "light" (It was January in Finland! lol), flash

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

Bottom row: on its own

Natural "light", contrast added

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

Bottom row: on its own

Natural "light"

Note: Boytoy, Dokkalfar, Biker Chic and Dressed To Kill are much more sparkly than my pictures show.

I'm not sure if you can tell from my pictures, but Pixie Epoxy indeed makes the colour more vibrant and intense. These eyeshadows are very pigmented on their own though. But I have a little problem with blending. I'm very gentle with my brush while trying to blend the shades, but while the colours look vibrant when I've just put them on, they begin to fade when I try to blend all the edges. What could be the problem? Any ideas?

Jewelry and bijouterie

2010-03-01T09:57:00.005+02:00

I am such a minimalist! Especially when it comes to jewelry or accessories. The maximum I can wear at once - bracelet, earrings and scarf/pendant/necklace - one (pair) of each. The only ring I ALWAYS wear nowadays is my wedding ring. I used to wear 2-3 rings when I was in high school, but not anymore.

I have a very modest collection; and my relatives know that it's usually pointless to give me jewelry as a present. Though my dad likes to bring me some stuff from his trips. Thankfully, he knows my notaste. lol Another thing worth mentioning is that if I like the certain item, I will constantly wear it. :) Oh, did I mention that it should have some story behind it? :)

Here are my most favourite (and most worn) "beauty pieces":

Paua Shell bracelet. It was dirty cheap, but I love it anyway! Green-blue "rainbow" effect is gorgeous! Got it in Benidorm (Spain) in 2007. Memories! :)

Necklace (btw, it's really long!) from Accessorize. Bought a last one with 50% discount! Bargain! :)

I am especially in love with the tiny key, cupcake and pearl flowers! Seriously thinking to separate the tiny key from the rest... :/ :)

Snowflake (mother of pearl). It's quite big (around 4 cm in diameter). This is a perfect example of what I call "simply beautiful". Got it several years ago in... a grocery store!!! :)

Tiny silver Celtic Cross. I don't wear it nowadays, but it's very precious to me.

This silver butterfly (with 2 dark blue semi-precious stones) is probably my oldest jewelry. If I remember correctly, I was around 10 years when my mom gave it to me as a birthday present. I still love it! And it has a special place in my heart. :)

PS I completely forgot the name of this semi-precious stone. Let me know if you happen to hear about it somewhere. :)

Lucky clover and horseshoe silver earrings. The ones on the left are from Accessorize. Bought this set with 50 % discount for around 5 EUR (how freaking cool is that?!) (there is actually one additional pair - tiny crystal hearts, but I've never worn those). The pair on the right is my "bargain treasure" from jewelry shop a couple of years ago. These are comparably huge (2 cm in diameter)! One of my absolute favourites!

Another silver "treasure" from Accessorize (they used to have some really pretty stuff for ridiculous prices!). Didn't I mention I have "a thing" for butterflies... and lucky clovers? :)

Hand painted tiny (2x2 cm) jewelry box. Design by Leena Kostiander. We bought several souvenirs (for our friends) from her range several years ago. And then one day my hubby gave me this cute little thing as a present. :) I store my golden jewelry there.

This is something I would not normally buy'n'wear, but my mom thought it would be perfect for me. Btw, my mom likes to buy stuff for me too (mainly, clothes and jewelry! unbelievable, isn't it? She knows my size and taste). And I buy her makeup. Barter! :) I must say I love this set! Reserved for special occasions. :) Silver with rose quartz, size - 1,5x1 cm.

What are your favourite jewelry pieces?

Share the love: Flowers

2010-02-27T09:35:00.001+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you flowers. Sounds banal, isn't it? I disagree! :) Roses, tulips, lilies and orchids are very popular, and I do find them beautiful, but "strange" unique flowers attract me more, especially when they are "in the wild". :)

Simply beautiful

Orchid-lily hybrid?

These flowers are everywhere in hot countries, but I do find them unique and beautiful. :)

Hybiscus/Hawaiian flower. Pretty! :)

What are your favourite flowers?

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

2010-02-26T10:22:00.001+02:00

Yay! I'm back! I missed you! And a special hello to my new followers! Thank you! :) On to the topic. I got this idea several weeks ago. However, a couple of days ago I decided to do a major change in my lip products collection. I'll tell you at the end of this post. :)

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

Have you ever regretted you bought a lip product that appeared to be a total fail? I experienced it 4 times! And what did I do? I decided to pair those losers! lol Guess what? These two pairs are one (well, it makes 2) of my favourite "everyday shades" (I counted, I have 5 faves at the moment)!

So, here they are!

Combo Nr. 1: "Peachy Juicy Fruit"

Loser 1: L'Oreal lip pencil in Nr. 655 Rose Beige - too freaking drying and the colour is kind of dirty (if it makes any sense). Is absolutely pointless with other shades.

Loser 2: Gosh On stage Cool lip jam in Nr. 102 (cool name, isn't it? lol)- quite sticky (one of the stickiest lip glosses I've tried), quite sheer (it's much more sheer than on this generous swatch), tingles at the beginning (because it's "cooling"). I quite like the pale shimmery peachy shade though. If only it would be MORE opaque (it's not buildable, unless you want to end up with greasy lips)! And the scent is very yummy - Wrigley's Juicy Fruit, anyone? :)

Winner: Opaque shimmery peachy shade. Less sticky and no tingling, plus it's long lasting!
Note: I apply L'Oreal pencil all over my lips.

Natural "light", flash

From L to R: L'Oreal l/p, Combo, Gosh l/g

Natural "light"

Combo Nr. 2: "Indian Peachy Pink"

Loser 1: NYX round lipstick in shade Indian Pink - too freaking drying, frosty and orange (it's more orange IRL than picture shows)!

Loser 2: NYX lip gloss with Mega shine in Sweet Heart - very pale "ghosty like" shade, nauseously sweet cherry scent, quite sticky.

Winner: Gorgeous peachy pink shade. Somehow the smell doesn't bother me that much when I wear these two together. Strange. :)

Natural "light", flash

From L to R: Indian Pink l/s, Combo, Sweet Heart l/g

Natural "light"

Hopefully, I inspired one of you to rediscover some pearls in your stashes! :)

Tell me your story of unwanted lip products that when paired became your heroes! :)

PS The big change - I decided to get rid of all my lip products that contain mineral oil. Unfortunately, all 4 of the mentioned above favourites have to be disqualified. But fear not, the replacements are coming! Stay tuned! :)

Taking a short break

2010-02-04T14:00:00.000+02:00

Hello, dear ladies!

I've planned so many posts (have a bunch of drafts and tons of unedited pictures), but unfortunately I have to take a short break (being very busy lately and will be even busier during these 3 weeks). I'll be back to the normal "blogcasting" at the end of February. :)

I will try to read your blogs once in a while.

Have a nice February! :)

*hugs*

Konad Haul

2010-02-03T08:00:00.002+02:00

I did it! I finally ordered some Konad stuff from OC Nail Art! Yay! It's February already, and I'm still struggling to stick to my New Year's Resolution, but let's see how it'll work :)

Stamper and scraper (4,99 USD, it seems they now carry a new 2 sided version of stamper only), and 10 ml Special Stamping Polish in Metallic Gold (6,99 USD)

Two "Full nails" plates M73 and M64, and one "French tips" M56 (6,99 USD each)

Shipping is free on orders above 20 USD for USA and Canada, and on orders above 40 USD for International (before shipping and taxes!). If your order is below 40 USD, shipping is 10 USD.

Note: I ordered before 15.1.2010, when the shipping was free on orders above 20 USD.

I also used 30% discount code GETCHA (of lovely Brooke from Getcha Nails Did). Now "OC Nail Art will donate 30% of your order (before taxes and shipping) to the American Red Cross for Haitian relief efforts! Use coupon code HAITI when you order online."

Ordered on 12.1 (Tuesday), received my order on week 3 (sometime between 18-20.1). Super fast shipping!

My initial thoughts:

I love my plates. All the patterns seem so interesting! I understand they might be quite difficult to use for a beginner, but anyway! I love challenges! lol And I have tons of ideas! Gotta find time for them. Stay tuned! :)

I tried "konading" one nail with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Metallic Gold. Hmmm, is it just me, or is it indeed a little bit watery and "not so pigmented"? :/ Have yet to investigate this issue...

I guess there is no need asking "Have you tried Konad". Am I right? :)

PS My 2 absolutely favourite posts about Konad:

Tips&Tricks: How to stamp Konad images from Emerald Sparkled

Konad Q&A from Do Not Refreeze

Check them out! :)

QOTD: To curl, or not to curl?

2010-02-02T14:16:00.001+02:00

To curl, or not to curl eyelashes - that is the question of the day (QOTD). :)

Recently I noticed that mascaras just don't work for me (Maybelline Colossal and Barry M 3 in 1 mascara, I'm talking to you! :/ ) , i.e. they don't volumize or lengthen enough and, most importantly, they tend to uncurl my lashes! Yep, you've heard that right! :)

To make a long story short - I've never used an eyelash curler and have never experienced "flat lashes effect" until 2009, when I began to test different mascaras in order to replace my HG Maybelline Lash stylist which is being discontinued for quite a while. Btw, I managed to get my last Lash stylist from Fragrancedirect several weeks ago, but it's almost empty. Hence, I have to do something ASAP!

What could be the problem? Am I getting older, or is eyelash curler a useful tool after all? Or maybe those mascaras indeed don't work? What do you think? Should I invest into an eyelash curler? Which one do you recommend? I've heard of Shu Uemura, but have no idea where can I purchase their stuff. What about drugstore brands? And finally, the most important question - are those "torture devices" that scary as they look? lol

Enlighten me, please! And tell me your story! :)

Wet'n'Wild Rock Solid Nail lacquer in Pretty In Pink Diamonds

2010-02-02T08:40:00.001+02:00

Natural "light", flash

Natural "light"

Note: Sorry for a "slightly used" look. I blame intensive hand washing and cold weather for this! :)

10 ml (0,33 oz), exp. date: 18 month after opening, "made in PRC" (i.e. The People's Republic of China)

I guess it's Toluen and Phthalate Free (contains Formaldehyde Resin!) like it's "sister" Pink Sapphire from the same collection. For some reason the list of ingredients is missing on this one, so I can't be sure. :/

Claims: "Infused with micro fine diamond flecks for rock solid strength and platinum performance."

Colour: pale orange with very fine golden shimmer-flecks. Have no idea how Wet'n'Wild guys came up with Pink Diamonds name! :) It's not pink at all!

Finish: shimmer.

Application: pretty smooth application , but quite sheer. I usually apply 3 coats for a full coverage.

Retail price: 3,95 EUR (quite often Wet'n'Wild products are on "Buy 3 pay for 2" offer).

Pros: wearable shade, nice brush, pretty bottle (with a "diamond" on top!), good application.
Cons: sheer, list of ingredients is missing, smelly (!).

PS Can't wait for spring/summer? Put this shade on and pretend spring/summer is here! :)
PPS This polish is one of hubby's faves! :) Does that ring a bell? lol

What's your favourite orange nail polish?

Best Blog Award

2010-02-01T11:10:00.001+02:00

Thank you, Sanna from Sannan Salonki, for tagging me! I really appreciate it! :) *hugs*

The rules for the award are as follows:

1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.

2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered and think are great!

3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I've recently discovered these great blogs:

Bebo from Bebo... wearing eyeshadow, baking, making... and whatnot
Gildedangel from Naive Nails
Glittermillie from Glittermillie's Nails and Sparkle
Heather from Eyeconic
Helen from Make It Colorful (note: rediscovered! I'm so glad you are back! :) )
Kelsealaurel from kelsealaurel
Kim from Dottie K
Leanne from Do Not Refreeze
MeganChair from Little Music Boxes
Nea from Fashioned in Finland

You are all fabulous!

Note: if I haven't mentioned your blog, it probably means that:

A. I'm your old follower/fan.
B. You've already got this tag a while ago.
C. You're not following me, and I'm too shy to tag you. lol
D. I accidentally missed your blog. :)

Orly Country Club Khaki (plus comparison with OPI)

2010-02-01T08:00:00.007+02:00

Sunlight (!), flash

Sunlight

Natural "light", flash (might look a little bit cooler under the certain lighting)

Natural "light"

Note: I managed to get a dent on my Index finger somehow... And my hands are super dry again... :/ Just a little confession! lol

18 ml (0,6 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From Prepster collection, spring 2009.

3 Big free.

Claims: "A fast drying, long lasting, high gloss nail lacquer." (Can't comment on these, because I used a fast drying top coat.)

Colour: pale dusty "mushroomy" taupe-brown with a tiny-tiny hint of lilac (it's still on the warm side though). At first, when I saw the bottle, I was very skeptical (read: that is why it was sitting in my nail polish box for almost 6 months!), because I thought it looked like hmmm... plain light dirt? lol Now I think this colour is very interesting and unique. I bet it looks stunning on darker skin tones! I'm a little bit tanned now and I really like how it enhances my tan.

Finish: creme. I would call it milky! Definitely! VERY light "milky-chocolate-y". :)

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: ranges between 3 USD - 12 EUR.

Pros: versatile flattering shade, perfect coverage, easy application, nice brush, pretty bottle, very comfortable rubber handle, big 3 free.
Cons: the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Suitable for school, office, beach, party, etc.:)

Comparison with OPI Tickle My Francey

Natural "light", flash

Orly CCK (left) vs OPI TMF (right)

Natural "light", flash

OPI TMF (left) vs Orly CCK (right)

It looks that they're almost dupes, but IRL they're absolutely different (well, not drastically, but still the difference is obvious). OPI TMF is more gray than brown, and is with a rose-mauve-lilac hint.

PS OPI's can make your hands look dead, whereas Orly's will make them look alive. lol

Share the love: Sunset&Dusk

2010-01-30T08:00:00.003+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you one of my favourite things to watch (after the blue sky!) - sunset/dusk! :) I enjoy watching the mysterious play of different colours. Isn't it gorgeous? It amuses me how different it might look depending on the weather and time of the year! :)

Autumn, Finland

Summer (when the nights are almost "white"), Finland

Autumn, Cyprus

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Pure Minerals Source Haul and swatches (plus comparison with Aromaleigh)

2010-01-29T08:00:00.008+02:00

Even more mineral eyeshadows... and even more greens! :)

Natural "light", flash, contrast added

Natural "light", flash

Natural "light"

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion)

Bottom row: on its own

Natural "light"

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP

Bottom row: on its own

Natural "light", flash

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP

Bottom row: on its own

Update/Note: Pixie Epoxy indeed makes the colour more vibrant and intense. It's magical! :)

Shipping for 10 samples (7 USD for 10 samples, 4 USD for 5 g jar) was 3 USD for International (1 USD for US). Quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 28.12 (Monday), seller contacted me on 5.1 (Tuesday, a week later), received my order on 25.1 (this Monday).

The seller/formulator contacted me on 5.1 regarding supposedly my mistake in ordering (it turned out I "didn't" specify the colours I want). I replied right away stating I did everything right (copy pasted my list of eyeshadows from the receipt). I got a sweet note (on 25.1) that it was some sort of confusion and it was some other buyer who had problems. I am glad everything turned out fine. :) Btw, I blame cold weather for slow shipping! :)

My initial thoughts:

I've already tried Divinity and Dragonfly (btw, they're my faves from the bunch! Surprised? lol) the other day, and also have already swatched all the products, as you can see from my pictures. :)

The first thing I noticed was the obvious difference in shades from what I see in PMS (what a name abbreviation! lol) Etsy shop (they have pictures only, no colour descriptions). Lets take a look at their Mojito, Magi and Dr. Cara's Rx. To my eyes Mojito appears much golden IRL than olive green gold, Magi is sparkly light orange and very close to Havana Heat - it doesn't look shimmery beige, Dr. Cara's Rx is a total mystery! Light shimmery brown? Nope! It's somewhere in between dark shimmery mauve and violet. Weird, right? I guess it's some kind of colour changing shade... And I wish Gun Smoke to be more of a matte black rather than dark gray...:/

The other negative thing is the fact that these eyeshadows don't blend very well. When I try to blend them they just fade/disappear! Haven't experienced this weirdness before. I have yet to investigate this problem. Pigmentation is pretty decent (before I tried to blend!). Overall, I'm ok with this order (cheap nice shades), but not totally impressed (troubles with blending, shade difference, shipping time)...:/

Have you tried Pure Minerals Source? What are your thoughts?

PS Pure Minerals Source don't repackage. "Chemical free, no animal testing, vegan."

Pure Minerals Source and Aromaleigh greens comparison

When I first saw Divinity and Dragonfly I immediately thought of Aromaleigh Aloe and Loden (which are two of my 4 favourite shades from this brand). I decided to swatch all my favourite colours together just for fun (note: I added Glow just in order to show that it's not that similar to Divinity as it looks, it's more yellow).

Natural "light"

Top row: over Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

Middle row: UDPP

Bottom row: on its own

These two indeed look quite similar to Aloe and Loden, Dragonfly and Aloe appear to be lighter, and Divinity is slightly more yellow in tone. It looks to me as if the combination of Aloe and Loden resulted in Dragonfly, Glow + Dragonfly = Divinity, Drama Queen Topaz + Amarante = Loden. Oh my! I guess I just like similar colour tones. :)

PS Strange thing - if you compare PMS greens picture with the last "comparison picture", you can notice that these 2 pairs look very similar (both pictures were taken under the "natural light"). Weird, isn't it? Oh well, I guess the problem is in my camera and lighting. Bear in mind that it's my first attempt to make (what I call) decent swatches. :) IMO they turned to be quite colour accurate.

Hi-Fi Haul

2010-01-28T08:00:00.001+02:00

More mineral eyeshadows... and more greens!:)

Natural "light", contrast added

Natural "light", flash

Boom Shaka Laka and Deck The Halls - both freebies! Greens! Wow!:)

Natural "light"

Natural "light", flash

These two were freebies (oh my! Hot Rod looks a little bit too bright for me)!:)

"Let it not snow!" lol Pengi is cute though!

Shipping for 10 samples (8,99 USD for 10 samples, 4,99 USD for 5 g jar) was 1,5 USD worldwide. The best part - I got 4 free samples! How cool is that? :)

Ordered on 28.12 (Monday), received my order on week 3 (our vacation time). 2,5 weeks - not bad.

My initial thoughts:

I've already tried The Sultan (gorgeous!!!), The Cyanide You Drank (what a name! lol) and Wicked the other day, and also have already swatched all the products (gotta take pictures some other day). The pigmentation is wonderful! And they blend really well. Can't comment on the "longevity", because I wore it for a couple of hours only.

Greens are all fantastic and vibrant! I'm so glad they gave me Boom Shaka Laka for free. This one, Cyanide You Drank and The Sultan (perfect for highlighting the inner corner!) are my absolutely faves from the bunch. :) All the colours are gorgeous though! :) Shimmery, pigmented, rich and vibrant! Did I mention that the baggies are huge? AND! They sent a pocket calendar! :)

Have you tried Hi-Fi? What are your thoughts?

PS Hi-Fi don't repackage.

What I am currently using... Vol. 2

2010-01-27T08:00:00.010+02:00

I am back to blogging! Yay! So many things to say and so little time... as usual! :) I will try to catch up! :)

This topic was one of my first posts back to February 2009. Almost a year has passed, and not much has changed. Only the quantities though... lol

Hair

Shampoo: LUSH Godiva solid shampoo. Makes my hair super soft and silky.

Conditioner: From time to time (read: when I am not lazy :) ) - LUSH American Cream hair conditioner. "Smells of honey, vanilla, strawberries and oranges." I wish! It smells disgusting! Can't even explain all this weirdness! It's nauseatingly sweet... if it makes sense. :/

Styling products: Currently I don’t use any, but I have few products “just in case”. :) I just wash my hair and let it "air dry", that's all I do. :)

Hair mask: none. My poor hair! Am I a bad "owner"? lol

Body

Shower gel: Rexona Activshower 2 in 1 “Freshness & care”. "LOVE! My 20+ something bottle!:)" I said in February (!!!). Can you imagine how many bottles I used ever since? :)

Body moisturiser: Natusan (Johnson&Johsnon in some other countries) Baby Oil with Aloe Vera. A little goes a LOOONG way! It's almost gone... after one year of almost daily use! I use it mainly for my legs though.

Deodorant: I have 4 at the moment, but use only Nivea Double Effect Violet Senses on a daily basis. Btw, other 3 from LUSH (reviewed those a while back).

Fake tan: I have two, but use them occasionally - Garnier Ambre Solaire “No trace Bronzer” and St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse (pretty messy application ! It's better to apply it wearing gloves, or be EXTREMELY quick, otherwise you'll end up with brownish hands!)

Hand cream: Recently ran out of L'Occitane Cherry Blossom hand cream (too sweet and not very moisturising), now using Avene Cold Cream hypoallergenic hand cream "Care and protection of dry, chapped and irritated hands"... hmmm... what can I say? My hands condition is really bad during winter (when we were on vacation the whole situation improved 100 times!), but even this thick/rich cream can't help me. My hands skin is still dry/tight. :/ Gotta try hand masks!

Face

Makeup remover: Boots Eye makeup remover (almost gone! have to find an alternative, because we don't have Boots in Finland), L’Oreal Demaq’ expert Foaming gel cream intensive make-up remover (don't like it much, because it "tingles" my skin sometimes! Cashmere milk was SO MUCH better!)

Cleanser: Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Soap & Fragrance Free cleanser (the range promises to clear skin in 3 weeks... still hoping it will work. :) )

Cream: Eucerin Dermo Purifyer Oil Free moisturising cream-gel (it absorbs quickly leaving my face DRY! paradox!)

Eye cream: Eucerin Q10 Active Fragrance-free Anti-wrinkle cream.

Lip balm: Palmer's Moisturizing Lip Balm in the morning (creamy texture), The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter is my "good night balm". It smells differently from Coconut Body Butter (which smell I adore)! It smells more of a sweet milky porridge. Reminds me of LUSH Porridge soap but not coconut! It's very soft'n'light on the lips, but not very moisturising. I'd recommend Carmex if you have dry lips.

Exfoliator: Sometimes I use St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub. I think I got a spoiled one (it's mini/travel size). It doesn't smell fresh and sweet, and doesn't do anything to my skin. :/

Mask: I was constantly buying LUSH Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh mask, but it didn't work for me in a long run, so I stopped using it. I still have a bunch of Soap & Glory Fab Pore Mask left, but again - it doesn't work for me either (messy removal, weird residue afterward). I'm *on a quest* again!

Makeup

Primer: Gave GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer to my friend. Smooth application but isn’t long-lasting... at all! And it cost 16 EUR! Have just run out of Fyrinnae Powder Primer (sample). It worked wonders! Very smooth application and long-lasting! The only negative thing - it's extremely finely melted powder and it's very easy to inhale some "leftovers".:/ Thinking of ordering it in full size (worked better than Sassy Minerals IMO)! Still have to test Fyrinnae Velvet-gel Silica primer.

Foundation: Have a bunch of samples from Everyday Minerals, Sassy Minerals, Aromaleigh and a full-size Revlon ColorStay foundation (not my thing... dries too freaking fast before I can fix the whole thing). Still trying to find my ideal shade and formula. Currently it became even more complicated, because I returned from my vacation 1 or even 2 shades darker! Bummer! If earlier I was more of a Cool Light or Fair, now I'm somewhere in between Neutral and Cool Medium. Weird! :/

Finishing powder: Tried Everyday Minerals, Aromaleigh, Sassy Minerals... I guess this thing just doesn't work for me (it greases and ruins the whole thing!). I'd better choose just primer instead! :)

Foundation brush: Everyday Minerals Long Handled Kabuki brush. I definitely will order more brushes in the near future! :)

Concealer: I use Revlon ColorStay foundation instead.:)

Blusher: Avon Colour face pearls in pink for every day use and a bunch of other "mineral" companies when I feel "I can do it!" :) Fyrinnae Hypnotize is one of my favourites.

Bronzer: Don’t use… Currently I look like I have some bronzer on. lol

Highlighter: Don’t use…

Eyebrow products: Lumene eyebrow Eyebrow Graphics pencil in Grey Brown 2. My HG! Without it I'm almost albino. lol I also have GOSH long lasting eyebrow pencil in Greybrown. It's not bad, I quite like it, but Lumene's brush/comb and shade are slightly better.

Eyeshadow base: UDPP.

Eyeshadows: a BUNCH of mineral eyeshadows from mineral companies. My favourites so far (all greens!!! :) ): Aromaleigh Aloe, Loden, Amarante, Drama Queen Topaz; Fyrinnae We're All Mad Here, Dragonskin; Sassy Minerals Trust Me, Bad Attitude.

Eyeliner: Fyrinnae Tyr eyeshadow, Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes in Nr. 01 Black Diamond (super creamy and glossy formula! MUST HAVE!)

Eyelash curler: Don’t have… Thinking of buying one though, because some mascaras just don't work for me (make my eyelashes flat'n'straight)!

Eyelash base: Don’t have…

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Stylist - my HG! And Maybelline Colossal... Huge brush, strong tulip (!) scent and "zero volume" effect. :/

Lipstick: Avon Pro-To-Go Nude Peach - my all time favourite shade (hate the packaging)! Have a bunch of Avon bullet like testers and some random lipsticks. Another favourite combination of mine (result is a peachy pink shade) - NYX round lipstick in Nr. 550 Indian Pink (too orange, frosty and drying on its own) and Lip Gloss with Mega shine in Nr. 104 Sweet Heart (too pale for my liking, don't like the super sweet and strong cherry scent). Planning to make swatches of these two plus combo. :)

Natural "light", flash

Lipgloss: Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in 347/Raffia orange. LOVE! Almost gone and it seems that it's being discontinued! How lucky I am?:/

Nail colour: This one has changed a lot since the last year. I answered it before my "renewed obsession", when I had just around 10 polishes.:) My favourite shades so far: China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, Essie Eternal Optimist, OPI Catherine The Grape, OPI Your Royal Shyness, OPI My Daddy's The King, Color Club Wild At Heart and Wet'n'Wild Rock Solid Nail Lacquer in Pink Sapphire.

What are you using right now? :)

Vacation

2010-01-14T08:00:00.003+02:00

I'm on vacation till the end of the next week.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful following week! :) *hugs*

Credit for this picture goes to my lovely friends

Happy 101 Tag and How I failed my first EOTD lol

2010-01-13T08:00:00.009+02:00

Thank you, Heather from Eyeconic for tagging me! :)

Rules:

Put the picture of the tag in your blog
List 10 things that make you happy, try and do one of them today and pass it on to ten people.

Here we go, in no particular order, I skipped my loved ones (hubby, family and friends) and makeup though, because these "things" are SO obvious :):

Sun, blue sky, white clouds and warm weather!
Animals, especially babies/cubs!
Delicious food! Japanese, Italian, Spanish, French, Russian, Cypriot and Lithuanian cuisines are my faves! A box (or two) of Rafaello will do also. lol
The moment I get a parcel! Don't you agree? :)
Good movie with a happy end.
Sleeping and dreaming.
When I find something that works for me (whether it's a makeup product, or clothes, or anything else).
Traveling! I try to get maximum experience when I'm abroad.
Home, sweet home! The moment when the plane lands is magical! :)
Sense of accomplishment I get when I accomplish something (whether it's just a book, or some kind of project, or even a makeup product!).

It is really difficult to track those bloggers who haven't done this tag yet! If you read this post and haven't done this tag yet, I tag YOU! Let me know in the comments, I'd like to read yours as well! :)

On to the FAIL! :) My first EOTD (aka Eye/s Of The Day) attempt. That was something really difficult! I admire you, if you are capable of making gorgeous EOTDs/FOTDs! You are my heroes!!! :) All the colours look so washed out (no wonder why though... crappy lighting and selfportrait feature! Couldn't use macro on my eye, because I was afraid of the flash! lol), I wanted to add a contrast but it just looked so unreal, that I gave up. :/ Anyway here it is, so called "neutral/barely there green look":

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Aromaleigh Aloe (Pure Eyes Frost) (lid)
Aromaleigh Loden (Pure Eyes Frost) (crease, lower lashline)
Maybelline Colossal mascara (it doesn't work for me, unfortunatelly! Colossal fail! lol)
Lumene eyebrow Eyebrow Graphics pencil in Grey Brown 2. My HG! Without it I'm almost albino. lol

All the colours (eyebrow included) are much more vibrant IRL! This picture is a demonstration of my fail only! lol Gotta try taking decent pictures again! :)

Avon Haul

2010-01-12T08:00:00.004+02:00

Normally I am not keen on Avon products. I think they're overpriced (lipstick for 10 EUR, foundation for 16 EUR? Body Wash for 5 EUR? No, thanx!) and not of the best quality. You can get a better product for a better price.

The only thing that "made" me order again was Avon Pro-To-Go lipstick in shade Nude Peach. I stocked up with a bunch of bullet-like testers last spring, but was running out already. Why didn't I buy the full size of my all time favourite shade before (I hear you asking)? The answer is simple: I hate the packaging! And you get much less product for your 12 EUR compared to their Avon Ultra Color Rich lipstick for instance. I'd rather have a bunch of testers than this ugly bulky tube! lol

Thankfully I decided to check Avon website in December. Imagine my "joy" when I discovered it would be my last chance to buy this lipstick as they decided to discontinue it! Man, I'm lucky with this "phenomenon". lol There was also a campaign "Buy Avon Ultra Color Rich lipstick in LE silver packaging for only 3,9 EUR (normal price 8 EUR) with any other item". I chose Pout shade from 5 shades available. Pout is among my favourites (had several testers as well). And I also got Marimekko (Finnish textile and clothing design house) for Avon All-over face palette for 5,9 EUR (it cost around 15 EUR when it was on sale, it's LE). I actually wouldn't buy it (because I have too many blushes already!), but I couldn't resist the discount and a pretty-looking poppy design! :) The pigmentation is really poor (you have to literally pack the colour on!). All you get is glittery/shimmery face, or glittery/shimmery rosy cheeks if you worked hard. lol

Last but not least, I got more bullet-like testers (got only 7 this time, because I already have my faves in full size! :) ).

Natural "light"

Ultra Color Rich in Pout (nude pink)

Pro-To-Go in Nude Peach (nude peach indeed!). Ironically, shades seem opposite in this picture. lol

Natural "light", flash

Face powder/blush consists of 4 shades (the main poppy is pink with golden shimmer, other colours look close to what you see from this picture) divided by black plastic dividers. Pretty design, but crappy quality!

Natural "light"

Overall, I'm quite pleased with my order, but very frustrated that my favourite shade is discontinued! I really hope that Avon heard my rants about ugly packaging and will repromote this gorgeous shade someday! :)

Have you tried Avon? What are your thoughts?

Essie Eternal Optimist

2010-01-11T08:00:00.004+02:00

Natural "light", flash (this picture is the closest to the reality)

Natural "light", flash

Natural "light"

15 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 30 months after opening, made in USA.

From Spring collection 2009.

Contains Formaldehyde Resin.

Colour: peachy pink beige. Reminds me of the Indian red tea with milk. :)

Finish: creme. I would call it milky! :)

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: ranges between 5 -8 USD.

Pros: perfect coverage, easy application, nice brush, pretty bottle, nice shade, list of ingredients.
Cons: the fact that it's not widely available here!

PS Pretty neutral nude shade suitable for office. Can give "mannequin hands" effect if your hands (like mine nowadays) are a little bit on the red side. :)

Share the love: Blue Sky

2010-01-09T08:00:00.002+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

This time I present you one of my favourite things to watch - blue sky! :) I enjoy watching the white clouds or just a simple blueness of the sky. Isn't it gorgeous? And it doesn't matter in which part of the world you are! :)

Sky in Lithuania

Sky in Helsinki (Watching Tower, Helsinki Zoo)

Sky in Cyprus

So true! Blue sky makes me smile! :)

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

Fyrinnae Haul

2010-01-08T12:08:00.003+02:00

I have so many things to write about. A bunch of pictures is waiting when I finally will be able to sort them out. And I still keep on getting my orders... from the previous year. :)

Here is what I got this time from Fyrinnae.

Natural "light"

Top row (from L to R): We're All Mad Here, Dragonskin, Dressed To Kill, Tyr, Dokkalfar

Middle Row (L to R): Boytoy, Polar Bear, Lucky Charmed, Hypercool, Biker Chic

Bottom Row (L to R): Hypnotize, Powder Primer, Velvet-Gel Silica Primer, Pixie Epoxy

Natural "light"

Top row (from L to R): We're All Mad Here, Dragonskin, Dressed To Kill, Tyr, Dokkalfar

Middle Row (L to R): Boytoy, Polar Bear, Lucky Charmed, Hypercool, Biker Chic

Bottom Row (L to R): Hypnotize, Powder Primer, Velvet-Gel Silica Primer, Pixie Epoxy

Natural "light", flash, contrast added (to show the depth)

Shipping is max. 3 USD for US and 3,5 USD for International. Quite reasonable, isn't it? The best part - shipping is free on all orders over 20 USD WORLDWIDE! How cool is that?

Ordered on 17.12 (Thursday), order was shipped on 24.12, received on 4.1 (this Monday). IMO it's quite fast! Check their website for more details on their shipping schedules. They're quite busy and it takes time to CREATE product not just pack.

I had some difficulties when I tried to pay with PayPal. The payment just didn't "want" to go through. I contacted the customer service on 17.12 (Thursday evening). They replied that it's a common problem with PayPal and offered to send me an invoice. They also "discounted a bit for the trouble", i.e. I got one eyeshadow for free. Excellent customer service! :)

My initial thoughts:

I like the creativity of the brand: lots of different gorgeous shades with cool (dark mysterious gothic "tolkienistic") names. Great! All samples come in clear jars (blushes, eye shadows and face powders) or in "funny-looking cute tiny" jars (liquid products)! Great pigmentation! Generous samples! Eye shadow sample costs 1,75 USD, blush and primers - 1,5 USD.

I've already swatched all the products. Have no idea why Boytoy is so much less in quantity (it spilled only a little bit) compared to the rest. Polar Bear looks much more golden on the eye (I thought it would be more light beige pink gold), and so does Lucky Charmed (I thought it would be more olive in tone). My faves are on the first row, especially We're All Mad Here, Dragonskin and Dressed To Kill. I am definitely a green lover! :)

Pixie Epoxy does make a HUGE difference! Colours become several times deeper! The only bad thing I've noticed so far is that it's too sticky (so be quick to apply eye shadow ASAP, otherwise you might end up with a glued lid lol) and it's very difficult to blend the colour when Pixie Epoxy is on! I guess it's better to use it after you've blended all the edges and just want to deepen the colour. Can't comment on the longevity yet, because I only tested it for one hour.

Tried Powder Primer with Sassy Minerals foundation and Fyrinnae Hypnotize (Glow Blush) yesterday. Worked really well! I'd even say that I'm impressed! I have yet to figure out was it the foundation or the primer, or the combination of these two "guilty" in the flawlessness of my skin. lol I currently suffer from really bad hormonal breakouts and have those terrible red scars on my chin, so it's usually easy to say I'm wearing a foundation on my face, but this time it looked really like my "second skin", the scars were still visible though, but the overall situation was not that bad. Began to crease very slightly (on my nose) in about 10 hours. And that creasing wasn't the one when you see your foundation sliding off! It was more of a skin oil "sitting on the surface" (sounds kind of gross, but it's not that awful IRL lol). Great! :)

I also wore Polar Bear and Ruthless (Sassy Minerals) yesterday. Lasted pretty good with Urban Decay Primer Potion. Begin to fade in about 9 hours only.

Have yet to try Velvet-Gel Silica Primer "in action".

Have you tried Fyrinnae? What are your thoughts?

PS Fyrinnae don't repackage!

Blog Award: 7 interesting facts

2010-01-07T11:51:00.003+02:00

Hello again! It's been a while! I missed you! Hope you had great holidays and a joyous start of the New Year! :) I have so many things to post about (btw, juts got a package which was shipped on 24.11! :) ), but so little time! I'll try to catch up with everything! :)

Thank you, Kim from Dottie K for my first blog award! Btw, I managed to make those links, yay! lol

Rules:

Thank the blogger who awarded you and link them
Put the picture of the award in your blog
Award 7 bloggers, link them and tell them
Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself

The 7 Bloggers I'm Awarding:

It is really difficult to track those bloggers who haven't done this tag yet! If you read this post and haven't done this tag yet, I tag YOU! Let me know in the comments, I'd like to read your facts as well! :)

My 7 Interesting Facts:

I looove reading! Books, magazines, blogs, random stuff - I always read something when I have free time. My recent love "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. MUST READ!
I'm all about healthy life style!.. especially in theory... lol
I'm a huge fan of Grey's Anatomy, Fringe, Hercule Poirot and... LOST (can't wait for the last season)! I'm also a fan of Sex and the City, Private Practice, Married with Children, Nip/Tuck and Friends. :)
I absolutely hate milk chocolate, coffee (I like the smell though) and plain water. I'm a green tea and dark chocolate (more than 70% cocoa) lover. :)
Traveling, foreign cultures and cuisines are one of my hobbies. I have tons of culture (along with healthy life style!) related literature. I collect it. :)
I’ve never had a "real" haircut. I only visited a hairdresser a couple of times for a party and wedding hairdos, and once for colouring. I’m a "happy" owner of long and straight silky "wheat blonde" hair. They are quite thin for my liking, and I usually wear a plait (can't imagine myself fighting with my a little below waist long hair when it's snowy and windy outside!) which looks a bit childish for a 26 y.o. but I love my hair anyway! :)
I get very tired of a real shopping after the first hour, but can spend the whole evening shopping online! lol

Thank you! :)

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-31T11:06:00.000+02:00

Notes to myself:

Use your poor crosstrainer everyday! Not once a month!..
Drink more water! (Honestly, I hate plain water! And I seem to forget counting those "required" glasses...)
Read magazines you buy, or buy less magazines... which is impossible because you only buy 2 magazines per month. lol
Spend less on makeup. Ask yourself "Do I really need all this stuff?" :)
Start the new skin care regimen.
Try Konad and water marbling!
FOTD! :)

What's yours?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

See you next year! :)

Ins and Outs December

2009-12-30T08:00:00.002+02:00

Ins:

Hauling! No comments! lol
Nail polishes! I used to be a huge fan when I was 14-17, then it stopped for quite awhile (almost 10 years!), and now the whole "obsession" thing started again. :)
Mineral eye shadows! It can never be too much green eye shadows, am I right? lol
Holidays!

Outs:

Dry hands! The condition of my hands in winter is really really bad. They're peeling to blood! GROSS!
Skin issues! My acne-prone skin is a big mess right now.
Barry M mascara. FAIL!
The fact that time FLIEEEES! Sometimes I wish there could be at least 30 hours in a day! lol
Waiting for orders to arrive! :)
Problem in finding a new WEARABLE perfume! Check my Sense of Smell post, you'll get the idea.
Snow! Am I the only person in the universe who hates snow? :/ I understand it's beautiful, but, man, it's dangerous! I almost broke my hand twice ("nice winter tradition") and can't count how many times I "just" slipped! And what about finding your car in the middle of "whiteout"? Winter is not my thing, definitely! lol
Cold weather! -16C, me not happy! lol

What are yours?

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T08:04:00.001+02:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!

See you next week! :)

Sassy Minerals Haul

2009-12-23T11:15:00.003+02:00

My last haul for this week! :) Still waiting for another one! :)

Charming and Tart (Sassy Minerals version of NARS Orgasm) blushes

Natural "light", flash

Charming and Tart (Sassy Minerals version of NARS Orgasm) blushes

Natural "light", no flash

Top row (from Left to Right): Trust Me (gorgeous!), Bad Attitude (super gorgeous!), Crown Jewels

Bottom row (L to R): Ruthless, Lyrical (both freebies)

Natural "light", flash, contrast added (to show the depth)

Top row (from Left to Right): Trust Me (gorgeous!), Bad Attitude (super gorgeous!), Crown Jewels

Bottom row (L to R): Ruthless, Lyrical (both freebies!)

Natural "light", flash

Primers, Foundations and Finishing Powders

Natural "light", flash

Primers, Foundations and Finishing Powders

Natural "light", no flash

Shipping charges depend on the number of samples you order (the more you order the less you pay for shipping, orders exceeding 50 USD are free of charge worldwide!). For my order (10 samples, plus 2 freebies!) it was 4,8 USD. Quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 4.12 (Friday), received on 16.12 (Wednesday, right after my Aromaleigh haul!). Fast enough!

My initial thoughts:

Huge variety of colours! All samples come in clear sealed (!!!) jars! Great pigmentation! And cost 0,75 USD each (doesn't matter if it's an eyeshadow, a blush or a foundation!). How cool is that?

Tried Primer and Finishing powder with my Everyday Minerals foundation a couple of times. Worked really well! Began to crease slightly (on my nose) in about 8 hours. Not bad, considering that my T-zone is getting oily sometimes.

Tested foundations on my jawline. Hmmm... what can I say? I was a little bit naive ordering Medium shades, cause these are definitely too dark for me! Gotta choose Light next time.

The only negative thing about these eyeshadows is the fact that these eyeshadows don't cooperate with Urban Decay PP. I have yet to investigate this problem. They begin to fade in about 4 hours and crease in about 8 hours (beating Aromaleigh by 2 hours!)! Yep, I tried Aromaleigh on my left eye and Sassy Minerals on my right eye twice! lol Not good! Haven't experienced this "non-longevity" with my "88 palette from China". Hmmm... :/

Have yet to try foundations (will stay at home! :) cause Medium is too dark for me!) and blushes.

I was thinking the other day, that I should probably stop using that "88 palette from China" (well, it's from Coastal Scents, but we all know that these palettes are easily accessible on Ebay!). Sadly, you can never be sure if the quality of these eyeshadows is good enough and if they are safe for your eyes. :/ So now I'm thinking of getting more eyeshadows from Sassy Minerals and others "alike" to replace my favourite shades from the palette. :)

Have you tried Sassy Minerals? What are your thoughts?

PS Sassy Minerals don't repackage!

Aromaleigh Haul

2009-12-22T14:55:00.002+02:00

Want some colour? Here it is! :)

My first Aromaleigh products (baggie samples with one exception).

On the left: 3 free eyeshadows (I chose myself) and 1 free lipbalm (they sent).

On the right: my order (so neatly packaged!)

Natural "light", no flash

Blushes: Nectar and Verve (Aromaleigh version of NARS Orgasm) (2 USD each)

Natural "light", flash

Eyeliner sealant (only available in full size) (4 USD), mineral foundation (2 USD),

finishing powder (2 USD) and lipbalm (sent for free).

Natural "light", flash

Green eyeshadows/eyeliners (1 USD, 0,75 USD or

0,5 USD - prices vary depending on the collection)

Natural "light", flash

Golden&dark eyeshadows/eyeliners (1 USD, 0,75 USD or

0,5 USD - prices vary depending on the collection)

Natural "light", flash

Golden&dark eyeshadows/eyeliners (1 USD, 0,75 USD or

0,5 USD - prices vary depending on the collection)

Natural "light", no flash

Blue eyeshadows/eyeliners (1 USD, 0,75 USD or

0,5 USD - prices vary depending on the collection)

Natural "light", flash

Shipping was 5 USD plus 2,4 USD for insurance - quite reasonable, isn't it?

Ordered on 4.12 (Friday), received on 15.12 (Tuesday, right after my Everyday Minerals haul!). Fast enough!

My initial thoughts:

What a great choice of colours they have! I liked the creativity of the brand: lots of different collections with different themes and names. Great!

My favourite collections (in terms of pigmentation) are Bete Noire (Amarante is TO DIE FOR! :) ) and Pure Eyes Frost (Aloe and Loden are so pretty!). The only negative thing is the fact that these eyeshadows don't cooperate with Urban Decay PP. I have yet to investigate this problem. They begin to fade in about 2 hours and crease in about 6 hours! Not good! Haven't experienced this "non-longevity" with my "88 palette from China". Hmmm... :/

Lipbalm "Gingersnap" - I really liked the scent (kind of vanilla with mint?), but the staying power is not that great as is the consistency (it's kind of gritty in the begining), and I had trouble with lipstick application afterwards (didn't glide smoothly).

Eyeliner sealant - a little goes a LOOONG way. You really need the tiniest drop for one application. Tried it once - worked really well.

Have yet to try foundation, blushes and finishing powder.

Have you tried Aromaleigh? What are your thoughts?

PS Btw, check their promo codes (5 USD discount code for new customers available)!

PPS Big THANK YOU to Nea and Heather for making me addicted! lol

PPPS Aromaleigh don't repackage!

PPPPS To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

Everyday Minerals Haul

2009-12-21T10:30:00.002+02:00

Let me introduce you my latest obsession - Mineral Makeup! Prepare yourself for future hauls, reviews and possible FOTDs. lol

I did it! Finally! Ordered some stuff from Everyday Minerals! :) I "waited" for almost a year to try those, and I am now kind of angry at myself that I didn't order earlier. They have changed so much! The 2 major differences being - elimination of choice in "Try me" (now you can choose from several ready made "try me" kits only) and elimination of different "value kits" (e.g., earlier you could "buy any 6 full size products for 32 USD", etc).

Without further ado, here is what I got:

Natural "light", no flash

Long Handled Kabuki brush (10 USD), Baby Flat Top brush (6 USD), "Try Me" Base FAIR (4 different shades in 4 different finishes, Free) and Finishing Dust sample (2,5 USD)

Shipping was 6,05 USD - quite reasonable, isn't it? I remember I paid the same price for the brushes and almost 15 USD for shipping in Coastal Scents. How naive! lol

Ordered on 3.12 (Thursday), received on 14.12 (Monday). Fast enough!

My initial thoughts:

Long Handled Kabuki brush - I am in love with these brushes! Now I see what this hype was (and still is?) about! These brushes are super soft and work really well! They blend perfectly and are capable of building up the coverage! My "old" brushes from Coastal Scents are EVIL scratchy ones, compared to these angels. lol

Baby Flat Top brush - it is SO tiny, yet so effective! :) Even my hubby liked it! He said it's so gentle on the skin (yep, he played with it a little bit, but didn't use any base products! lol)! :)

"Try Me" Base FAIR (samples with sifters!) My closest match (still not perfect though) is Golden Fair Matte base, others are too yellow for me. Coverage and staying power are pretty decent (I have a combination skin). I wore it twice for almost 10 hours long, looked quite ok. Have to test it further. I'll report back how it'll go.

Finishing Dust (sample with sifter!) - transparent. The same story as with Golden Fair Matte base. Will report back some other day.

Overall, I am very pleased with my order! I definitely will order more brushes after holidays! And I highly recommend these brushes over Coastal Scents ones (for instance)! :)

Have you tried EDM? What are your thoughts?

Share the love: Mongoose

2009-12-19T08:00:00.004+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

I love animals! Especially baby animals. All babies are so cute, aren't they? :)

May I present to you... baby mongooses! :)

These little guys were born in the beginning of summer in 2008 in the Helsinki Zoo. They're so fun to watch!

"Where is everyone?"

"What's the deal, man?"

"What? What? What? We're in!"

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

5 guys I used to like

2009-12-18T22:33:00.000+02:00

This tag (I tagged myself though lol) looked like fun! Ready? Ok, here we go! :)

1. Johnny Depp. I first saw him in "Don Juan DeMarco" movie in 1994 (haven't seen it? you HAVE TO!). His best look EVER! IMO! I still like him though. He's one of my favourite actors, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio. :)

"Prepare to be seduced by the greatest lover of all time." So true! :)

Oh my!..

2 and 3. Brad Pitt as Loui and Tom Cruise as Lestat in "Interview with the Vampire". This is when my little obsession with vampires started! lol Btw, Antonio Banderas as Armand looks super cool too! ;)

Can I have two, please? lol

4. Peter Andre. Yep, there was a time I was really into him! :)

The body to die for? :)

5. Ville Valo (HIM, Finnish "love metal" band). I still like HIM music! :)

Those eyes! The only guy who can wear makeup and look stunning! lol

PS Guys with long hair ROCK! :) Ok, ok, I agree, Peter was a mistake! lol

What's your choice? :)

Sense of Smell

2009-12-18T08:00:00.006+02:00

If you read my earlier posts, you might have noticed that I'm very sensitive to smells, to perfumes to be exact. The "normal" scents don't irritate my nose most of the time, but when it comes to skin care, makeup or perfume - I can hardly deal with the product if the smell is offensive (to my nose). The thing is that I don't get headaches, or any other "side effects", but I just can't stand all those scents/perfumes.

This "problem" leads to my long-time journey to finding a suitable perfume. I've been using the same perfume (Naomi Campbell "Mystery") since 2003, when it first hit the stores. Ever since, no matter how hard I try (checking perfume counters all the time), I can't find anything pleasant and wearable. It's a big mystery to me. I guess there is something really mysterious in the wonderful combination of powdery vanilla ("played by" tonka bean and sandalwood) and flowers ("played by" bitter orange, bergamot, plum and hibiscus), that took my heart away. :)

Why do I worry that much I hear you asking? The thing is that Mystery is being discontinued in 2008 and is Sold Out almost everywhere on the web. If only I knew it before! Why is it always so unfair? You seemed to find your HG, and suddenly it's being discontinued! :/ I'm on a constant mission now. I still have time (2 bottles of Mystery), but what if I won't find anything?

I like the smells of fresh strawberries, vanilla, coconut (The Body Shop version is the best so far IMO), oranges, peaches, coffee (even though I don't drink it!). But I can't imagine myself wearing this kind of smell. lol You know what I mean, don't you? :)

I was and still am wondering, how girls can change their perfumes all the time and have more than 3 perfumes in their "wearable collections"... I envy you! lol

I currently have 4 perfumes (Naomi Campbell Mystery, The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom, Burberry Summer and Giorgio Armani She Remix). I don't want to mention the ones I had and didn't like (my mom is a proud owner of those rejected perfumes lol). And even these perfumes I bought after long "investigations"... And guess what? I wear only NC! The other 3 just "sit" and wait when I'll change my mind. lol

The question of the day is:

Am I too picky, or is my sense of smell is so different and weird?! :) Anyone with the same "problem"? :)

PS Funnily enough I like choosing perfume for my hubby! Male perfumes are so much more fun! lol
PPS Nope, I wouldn't wear male perfume myself! lol

Fragrancedirect haul

2009-12-17T08:00:00.004+02:00

Fragrancedirect is one of those e-shops, where you can buy your desired perfume or makeup item (also discontinued!) much cheaper than from you local store! If only I knew about this website prior to spending 40 + something EUR on my Burberry Summer... Thankfully, I discovered it before I was almost ready to spend my other 40 EUR on Sarah Jessica Parker Covet Pure Bloom. Guess what? I bought it for 10 EUR (incl. shipping)! And I didn't feel sorry when I felt it wasn't "my thing". :)

On to the latest "haul" (actually these are two of my latest hauls combined together). Here is what I got:

1. St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Mousse - pretty nice shade, but pretty messy application (it's better to apply it wearing gloves, or be EXTREMELY quick, otherwise you'll end up with brownish hands!)

2. YSL Rouge Pur in Nr. 138 Rose Orchidee. Would I buy it for 31 EUR? Nope. What about 10 EUR? Why not? lol Classic pink shade. looks quite bright for my liking, but let's see. Haven't tried it yet.
Update: Tried it a couple of hours ago. It's too bright for me. Hopefuly, my mom will like it! :)

3. Lancome Color Fever Shine in Nr. 335 Coral Cruise. Sheer shiny baby pink shade. Very natural looking! The only disturbing thing is a pretty strong raspberry scent.

4. Giorgio Armani EDP She Remix. Soft&fresh flowery scent with a spicy note. I'm still thinking should I keep it, or should I give it to my mom instead? huh... :)

5. And last but not least, my all-time favourite Maybelline Lash Stylist in Nr. 602 Brownish Black (see the picture below). It's being discontinued for quite a while. Hopefully, it's still of the same quality!

YSL Rouge Pur in Nr. 138 Rose Orchidee, Lancome Color Fever Shine in Nr. 335 Coral Cruise (Why does it always happen to my beloved lipsticks! How do I always manage to get these ugly dents? :/ I even don't press much, I am always so gentle with my little precious... :) )

Lancome Color Fever Shine in Nr. 335 Coral Cruise, YSL Rouge Pur in Nr. 138 Rose Orchidee

Maybelline Lash Stylist in Nr. 602 Brownish Black

OPI Your Royal Shyness

2009-12-16T08:00:00.004+02:00

Natural light, flash

Natural light

Note: These pictures were taken in autumn. Hence, the bad quality is here again. lol Consider this as a review only. :)

15 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From Princess Charming collection, 2007.

Contains Toluene and Formaldehyde Resin (black label!). You can get the improved version without Toluene but still with Formaldehyde Resin (green label) if you are lucky enough. I got mine in June from 8ty8beauty. In the same order I got OPI My Daddy's the King (from the same collection) with a green label, so you'll never know what to expect! :/

Colour: pale peachy-pink-beige. Nude! :)

Finish: pearly shimmer-frost (quite difficult to describe).

Application: pretty smooth application (a little bit streaky - brush strokes, still manageable though), 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: ranges between 5 USD - 15 EUR.

Pros: versatile shade, perfect coverage, pretty easy application, nice brush.
Cons: not 3 Big Free, a little bit streaky (brush strokes), the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Very wearable and versatile shade! Have to go to the office and party (or wedding?) on the same day? Here is the solution! :)

Nail decoration haul

2009-12-15T08:00:00.002+02:00

One sunny day (September was quite sunny here :) ) I decided to try painting on my nails instead of painting on paper only. :) A couple of weeks ago I finally received my Ebay order. Here is what I got (copy-pasted these weird "names" from Ebay):

"Dappen dish for color mixing nail art palette" (set of 2)

These plastic dishes are very handy when it comes to mixing several shades together, or when painting own nails (so that you don't have to constantly open-close the bottle).

"Round nail art display practice wheel" (set of 10)

I already had the same set of "display practice wheel" prior to this order. It is extremely helpful in organising nail polish collection, in layering different shades and in trying out new designs/styles/ideas before making "the full hand mani".

Once I get my long-waited Essie Matte about you, I'll reorganise my wheels! :)

"Design pen painting brush dotting tool nail art set" (set of 16)

There is pretty good variety of different brushes in this set. It would be nice to have even smaller brushes (for tiny details) though. Bristles are quite dense, but not as good as your usual nail polish brush. I'd say these brushes are more difficult to navigate. I thought it would be much easier to draw something on the nail. I was wrong! It's not the same as just painting on paper! Why are my nails so small? lol

PS You can check my first try under "Christmas nails" title

China Glaze Emerald Sparkle (with a little something :) )

2009-12-14T08:00:00.007+02:00

Remember my Candy Cane Christmas nails? I decided they were too bright for me, so I chose CG Emerald Sparkle to join the company of the tiny mistletoe (I considered it to be quite modest). :)

Artificial light, flash

Let me introduce you my "fully-emerald sparkled" right hand! :)
Natural light, flash

Natural light. Finally, some decent shot without a flash! Yay!:) Check the warmth (well, it's THIS warm under the certain light) and depth of this green!

Note: My hands are super dry (usual problem in winter!). I'm still on a mission to find my HG hand cream!

14 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

Loves You Snow Much collection. Holiday 2008 (original), re-release in 2009.

Nail lacquer with hardeners (Kaolin/China clay).
Seems to be 3 Big free.

Colour: dark rich green jelly base with a bunch of bright green glitter. It is more of a warm tone green. It indeed looks like a gemstone. It kind of glows from within. And it sparkles! :) Stunning!

Finish: glitter.

Application: pretty smooth application (a little bit runny consistency, but nothing serious), 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: 2,5 USD - 11 EUR.

Pros: gorgeous shade, cute bottle (!), perfect coverage, nice brush (could be rounder though), big 3 free.
Cons: pretty strong smell, a little bit runny consistency, time-consuming removal process (hey, it's GLITTER!) - try foil-cotton ball method, the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS GORGEOUS! A MUST-HAVE, especially if you like GREEN! :)

PPS If the starry night were green (for the unknown reason) it'd look like Emerald Sparkle! lol

Share the love: Squirrel 2

2009-12-12T08:05:00.004+02:00

I'm continuing my "tradition" of non-beauty related posts for the weekends.

If you read the previous story about our "adopted" squirrel, you might recall I said I adore squirrels ever since. :)

Here is another little "Show'n'tell" story.

One day (in March, 2009) I was "checking" the weather from our kitchen's window. And what did I see? Yep, right! Crouching squirrel! :) The little fellow was looking for something under the roof of the opposite house. It looks so cute, but I do understand that it was probably looking for food, or making a mess?.. Quite sad, isn't it? At least it looked healthy. I really hope so!

Spidersquirrel? :)

Batsquirrel? :)

Supersquirrel! lol (btw, it's snow on the background! In the middle of March!)

Hope you enjoyed! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND! :)

PS I took these pictures through the window. Hence, they are so blurry.

Get to know each other

2009-12-11T08:00:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone! How are you? :) Thank you for following! I really appreciate it! You are awesome! :)

This tag is walking around the "blogosphere" for quite a while. The rule is "simple" - answer with one word. But everyone seems to break the main rule. :) And, to be honest it's so much more fun to read the full answers.

Note: I answered these questions yesterday evening. This post was "scheduled at". :)

1. Where is your phone? On the table.
2. Your hair? Back to its natural colour, IMO pretty boring medium blonde, planning to change it soon into something brighter.
3. Your Mom? Extremely funny, friendly, simply the best! :)
4. Your Dad? Extremely nice.
5. Your favorite meal? Hmmm... sushi, please? :)
6. Your last dream? Don't remember.
7. What do you like to drink? Green tea with fresh lemon.
8. Your dream? Happy world. Peace and Love! :)
9. In what room are you? Kitchen.
10. Your hobby? Reading! "The Host", anyone? :)
11. What are you afraid of? Death.
12. Last travel? London.
13. Where were you last night? At home.

14. Something you are not? Fool.

15. Muffins? Chocolate.
16. Wishlist? Too long. :)
17. Where did you grow up? Lithuania.
18. Last thing you did? Talked to my mum (Skype is a good thing! :) ).
19. What are you wearing? T-shirt and trousers.
20. Your television? We don't have TV. 3 computers is enough. lol
21. Your pet(s)? Don't have any, but I would be happy to have a dog or a cat, or both. :)
22. Your friends? All over the world.
23. Your life? Normal. :)
24. Your temper? It depends.
25. Do you miss someone? My family!
26. Your car? Ford Mondeo. Thinking of buying a new one!
27. Something you don't bring with you? Where? What? What do you mean? lol
28. Your favorite shop? Citymarket (for food), Sokos (for makeup), Top Shop (for clothes), Selfridges (in my dreams lol).
29. Your favorite color? Black for clothes, green for nails and eyes, sky blue - to enjoy. :)
30. Last time you laughed? Several minutes ago (my mom makes me laugh all the time).
31. Last time you cried? On Saturday. The story was in news. Don't want to write about it, it was too freaking scary and sad. :(
32. Your best friend? Mom and hubby.
33. A place where you can go again and again? Home.
34. Facebook? Yep.
35. Favorite place to eat? Japanese restaurants! And... sometimes... Hesburger (Finnish McDonald's)! :)

What are your answers? Let me know! :)

Christmas nails

2009-12-10T08:00:00.006+02:00

The other day I finally decided to try my nail decoration set (will write about it later) I bought a couple of weeks ago.

Promise not to laugh! :)

All the colours are shimmery. Hence, they look so washed out. :/ Yep, artificial light and flash again. :)

The inspiration: candy cane and mistletoe (obviously :) ).

What I used:

1. Poshe Fast drying base coat.

2. Mavala Nail color cream in Nr. 49 White (2 coats). Honestly, it's the worst polish I own! Brush strokes are everywhere! And the brush is difficult to "navigate"!

3. IsaDora Wonder Nail Extra long lasting Quick Dry in Nr. 620 Sparkling Diamonds as a top coat (check my review if you're interested) (1 coat).

4. Poshe Fast drying top coat.

5. So called "Dappen dish for color mixing" and 2 different brushes from nail design set.

6. China Glaze Emerald Sparkle - for leaves.

7. Rimmel 60 seconds Vinyl stars nail polish in Nr. 627 Movie Star - for stripes and "berries".

PS No Konad, because I don't have one! lol

All the painting was quite time-consuming, because the polish was drying out VERY quickly (if only it would act like that on my nails! lol) on that "dish", so I had to open-close the bottle quite often. I usually don't spend that much time on doing my nails. :) But I just had to finish this!

It looks so sweet and girly, totally "not me". :) Nevertheless I'm quite pleased with my first attempt, especially with a tiny mistletoe. :) *thinking of something else to try!*

Color Club in Nr. 852 Revvvolution

2009-12-09T08:00:00.003+02:00

Check the "rainbow" effect!

All the pictures were taken under the natural "daylight" (pretty dark) with a flash. Still trying to figure out how our camera works in macro mode under the "no light". This time my hubby participated (yep, he was and is quite surprised by all this "taking picture of my nails" thing lol). The major problem is "not enough bright light" (we have energy saving lamps all over our place). I bet you've seen this polish a bunch of times, so consider my NOTD as a review only. :)

15 ml (0,5 oz), exp. date: no info, made in USA.

Femme Fatale Collection. Spring 2009.

Seems to be 3 Big free.

Colour: dark charcoal gray with holographic (rainbow!) shimmer. The rainbow effect is SO cool! We (me and my hubby) kept staring at the "light-play" the whole weekend (exaggerating a little bit lol)! It doesn't seem black to me (even under the worst light) because of all the silvery holographic shimmer.

Finish: shimmer.

Application: smooth application if you'll be quick, because it begins to dry pretty quickly. In case you're not quick enough, you might deal with unevenness. 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: starting from 2,5 USD.

Pros: unique shade, cute bottle (!), perfect coverage, nice brush, big 3 free.
Cons: a little bit tricky application, the fact that it's not available here!

PS The name says it all. :) It's a revvvolution in my pretty modest nail polish stash! :) Go and grab it if you haven't already, because it's OOS pretty much all the time! A MUST-HAVE, especially if you're into heavy music. :)

PPS Can't comment on the lasting power of the polish itself, because I have a Poshe fast drying top coat, but it looks pretty good (with a minimum tip wear) after 4 days of "intensive" wear. By "intensive" I mean: cleaning, washing, bathing. :)

What's in my bag?

2009-12-08T15:15:00.001+02:00

I LOVE watching/reading posts about "What's in my bag", collections of nail polishes or makeup! One day I decided to take a picture of my "precious". lol

Here it is...

Marc O'Polo bag

Shame on me, but I have no idea what's the material. Thick nylon perhaps? All I know it's not leather. :) The zippers, rings and buttons are made of really heavy and cold (!) steel.

Size: medium size - perfect for my minimalism. :) It has 4 pockets (2 big ones and 2 small ones on the sides) on the outside, and 3 medium size pockets on the inside.

Colour: black, obviously. :)

Perfect for autumn, winter... in other words perfect for any day when I wear a coat or a trench (I'm obsessed with coats and trenches...). I prefer a classy style with a little "heavy metal" twist. :)

I just ADORE this bag.

Got bored? lol Ok, so here is what was in my bag the day I took these pictures.

Not much stuff, huh? :)

I told you I am quite a minimalist ("Less is more", blah blah blah :) ). And I like to organise everything. :) On to the details... Starting from the left (purse) and going clockwise.

1. My black faux/patent leather purse (in the left corner). I bought it in 2003, I can still remember the approximate date, because it was the month we started dating with my hubby (mehhh, he is everywhere! lol). It was dirty cheap! I can't remember exactly, but I guess it was something around 5 EUR! It has loads of pockets and 3 big compartments. DREAM! I bought several more purses since that time, but I still come back to this one all the time.

2. Lambi Balsam tissue handkerchifs with Aloe Vera.

3. Glass nail file. It is my first and the only glass nail file. I've been using it since the day I bought it. And believe me, it was a long time ago! If I remember correctly I bought it in 1998! Even though I broke it in 2003 (yep, I remember the date because of my hubby, see "the story about my purse"), it's still perfect! Have no idea what is the brand... :/ I understand it's a little bit ugly but I love it anyway! :)

4. Blue round mirror. I have several purse size mirrors, but still carry the ugliest one with me... I got it in 2002 (yep, I value good things :) ).

5. Lumene eyebrow Eyebrow Graphics pencil in Grey Brown 2. I carry this little one around for emergencies (what if I "remove"/smudge my brow accidentaly? :) I've mentioned already - my eyebrows are really fair!).

6. Labello CareGloss&Shine lip gloss in Natural. My balm "on the go". Moisturises, makes my lips shiny, but I can hardly deal with the flavour/scent (too freaking sweet).

7. Clinique Superbalm moisturizing gloss (mini size - 5 ml) in 09 Currant. The colour is not that scary as it seems, it's very very sheer, but can brighten up the lip colour. I can easily deal with the plastic "non-perfume" "cliniquesh" scent. :)

8. Wrigley's Extra (also known as Orbit in some other countries) Strawberry flavoured sugarfree gum (xylitol). One of my favourites. I don't really like the mint ones, I prefer something "mildly sweet". My favourite gum is Orbit Wild Strawberry White, but we don't have it in Finland. I buy it "in bulk" when I go to the Baltic states. :)

9. Läkerol Licorice Persimon sugarfree pastilles. The second favourite from Läkerol is Pitaya (with strawberry pieces) sugafree pastilles. Yum! :)

10. Unika Mini organiser-notebook. This model has the best page layout IMO. I don't like to use electronic organisers, it's so much easier just to take a pen and write everything down sometimes. :) PS You probably can hardly tell, but there is a tree (on the hill) on the cover. And it's BLACK! Love black! :)

11. Just a simple pen with the best blue ink shade ever. :)

12. Max Factor PanStick in 12 True Beige for covering emergencies "on the go". I usually carry my mineral powder and a brush just in case, but at the time the picture was taken I've just returned from the shopping trip, so it wasn't necessary to be "fully-loaded". :)

13. Tea Tree Facial Oil Blotting Paper - just in case. It's not special though.

14. Hand freshener. I have loads of these stuff from different trips. I usually carry a mini bottle of a hand sanitizer but for the shopping trip one tissue is enough. :)

15. Travelling card. Had to change it last week. Why did they decided to change these travel cards? It was such a nice blue card, and now it's light green with a bus on it!

16. My keys with a silver heart (a present from my best friend) and a LED-light (yep, it's sometimes dark here! lol) keychains. I have several keychains and can't resist buying new ones. :)

17. Wooden hair comb. I usually carry a smaller version of my natural bristle hairbrush but not this time.

And that's it! :)

Holographic glittery gothic Skittles nails

2009-12-07T08:21:00.005+02:00

What a name I came up with! lol

Actually, it's not a NOTD. It's just me playing with my new toys! :) Couldn't wait to try them out. So, here are my reactions after I tried them on (check the initial reactions on my "8ty8beauty haul Nr.2"):

Index - CC Revvvolution is playing the "white skittle" (cause it looks light in my picture): it's a little less holographic (rainbow!) than Wild at Heart, and it's more dark charcoal gray-silver than black! At least to my eyes (energy saving lamps don't help much :) ). It reminded me of OPI Suzi Skis in the Pyrenees Suede version with a top coat. The good thing is I didn't order Suzi, the bad thing is that I want OPI My Private Jet. It seems darker in the pictures. Is it darker and black in a real life? I've heard also that there are two different versions. I'd like to have a holo version. Need to check the retailers... Or maybe I'll just skip it and will enjoy the beauty of this one. :)

Middle - CG Side-Saddle is playing the "red skittle": this colour is strange but still pretty nice! I love it! By "strange" I mean that it appears to be dark chocolate with golden shimmer in a real life, appears deep shimmery burgundy on my ~~crappy~~ pictures (still figuring out how to use that macro thing and artificial light... imagining my hubby's face when I'll ask him how to properly use those functions... for taking pictures of my nails... lol), and finally it appears (well, actually disappears would be the right word in this case) violet (!) on the cotton ball (during the removal process, obviously)!

Ring - CG Emerald Sparkle is playing the "green skittle": now I see the dark green base under all that amount of green glitter in my bottle! This is the most gorgeous green nail polish I've came across (not that I saw loads in a real life...)! I now totally understand Scrangie's "back up" thingy! :) I was thinking of ordering Nubar Greener, but now I can't decide wheather I need 3 deep greens... I already had one deep green Wet'n'Wild Erie (check my review) polish prior to CG...

Pinkie - CC Wild at Heart is playing the "purple skittle": I'm not really a fan of bright purples, but this one is just AWESOME! No comments! :)

Common WOWs: cute bottles, nice brushes, smooth application (CG Side-Saddle has a little bit runny consistency though, but is still manageable). I love all these shades! They're all so different from each other and I love them all equally! Hmmm... Emerald Sparkle a little bit more, but don't tell the others! :)

PS And! These are my first ever China Glaze, Color Club, holographic and intense glitter polishes! Man, I need more! lol

PPS It's our giant lemon tree on the background. She is beautiful. :)

PPPS My hands look SOOO dry because they just hate cold weather! :/

Share the love: Squirrel

2009-12-05T08:32:00.005+02:00

I decided to incorporate non-beauty related posts just for fun. I'm planning to post them ("scheduled at") during the weekends.

Here is my first "Show'n'tell". Hope you'll enjoy! :)

This story takes place in spring 2008.

One early evening I was waiting for my hubby outside our house to come and pick me up for a shopping trip. Then I suddenly saw a little something moving towards me. Imagine my surprise when I saw a little baby squirrel! Before that moment I've never seen a squirrel THIS close. Although we have lots of squirrels near our place and in Finland overall, I was never lucky enough to see them closer than 15 meters.

So this little guy came so close, I could actually touch him! I sat down and wanted to see him closer, but he suddenly ran away. For a moment I couldn't believe my eyes and thought I might have been dreaming. In 2 minutes my hubby came and we tried to search for our new little friend. We were worried that as he is so small he could have lost his mommy (it makes me wanna cry). But he disappeared, and we left.

The next morning (Saturday) I went out on our balcony and guess what? The guy from the restaurant near our place was sitting on the grass and playing with that same baby squirrel! Hubby went to join the guy. The squirrel didn't want to try any nuts he brought. The guy told that he found the squirrel inside one of the storage rooms and offered us to take it to our place and to call to the zoo.

Ok, to make the long story short - the squirrel was about 2-3 weeks old, and his little nose was "covered" with dried blood. Apparently he fell out from the nest and came to people. We were advised to raise it on our own with a kind help of one enthusiast who raised several baby squirrels on her own.

We became the proud parents to this baby squirrel. He ate only the milk for kittens for several days, later began trying out seeds, nuts and berries. He was extremely cuddly and liked to sit in our hands. He was falling asleep on my knees or on my hands (I was putting him into the nest we made for him). Two weeks after the day we found him, we had to set him free (otherwise he wouldn't be able to adapt himself). Btw, he changed SO MUCH during these 2 weeks.

It was a great experience! And we'll always remember him! I really hope he is fine and he found his family!

"I'm so cute and cuddly! Let's play!" :)

"I'm tired." (sleeping on my legs) Check how fluffy he is!

I've always loved squirrels but after this experience I ADORE them with all my heart! :)

To be continued! Stay tuned! :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!:)