Vacation! :)

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

Share the love: Ducks 2

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! :)

Share the love: Ducks

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.

Share the love: Cat 2

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

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? :)

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

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? :)

Share the love: Cat

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! :)

40 Beauty Questions

 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?

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?

Share the love: Ground

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?

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.

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

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! :)

Jewelry and bijouterie

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?