The Body Shop Bloggers' Event

Last Wednesday TBS invited me and other fellow beauty bloggers to the revamped Pulse store in Kolonaki. Before I go into details, allow me to tell you a little story about me and TBS!

As a young teen, I was intimidated to go into the big and crowded cosmetics stores: too many brands, too many products, too many decisions.

So, when I decided that it was time to start pampering myself, I entered my local TBS store in Kallithea and it was love at first sight! I was awed by the colors, the fragrances, the nifty little things, the helpful SA, it seemed the right place to start my fun journey towards looking like a polished young woman. Can you guess what was my first purchase? Strawberry shower gel and body lotion!

I had also in mind that the things I got not only made me look good but made me feel good as well. Not only because no animals were hurt in the making process but also because the brand provided work and prosperity to people all over the globe through the Community Fair Trade program.

Making a long story short, choosing this brand was something that made me feel good inside out and we journeyed together for a few years. Then, as I grew older, the sirens' calling became loud and distracting and other brands gained my attention. But there was always a soft spot in my heart for my little local TBS shop.

So, when I was invited to the relaunching and entered the Kolonaki Pulse store, even if it was a different one, I almost felt like the first time! The colors, the fragrances, the warmth of the people, it was like a shinier, more colorful déjà vu.

There, we were informed of the new approach, Beauty With Heart, that is perfectly illustrated through the moto Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good.

• Look Good is about using nature's high quality ingredients in an effective way
• Feel Good is about being pampered with products that are made with respect to the planet
• Do Good is about helping people all over the globe to gain their income in a respectable way

In compliance to the above mentioned values, TBS also reduced their electricity consumption in store (and elsewhere), uses wood that is approved by the FCS, recycles and also plant trees to balance the ones that are used for bags etc. Also, in store, there is a community and values wall that houses announcements and information about worldwide and local campaigns and actions.

The store itself is very well lit and although it's not big, it feels spacious and clutter free. The colorful packages, bottles etc line the walls and in the middle there are two long tables that house the newest products.

The revamp didn't stop there but also affected my favorite product, the body butters, that come in a new packaging with a QR code that can be scanned via a smartphone and show the ingredients and other information.

I also had a chance to see in action the new limited edition makeup line named after the brand advocate, Lily Cole and was mostly impressed by the Lip and Cheek Dome because it gives a nice, fresh flush to the cheeks. I would buy in a heartbeat especially because it is limited edition if I didn't already have more blushes that I will use in a lifetime, lol!

The product I was mostly curious about was the new Beautifying Oils and I had the chance to enjoy a really luxurious and pampering hand massage by a lovely SA, and I was sold on the spot! It feels soothing and moisturizing and smells lovely (it comes in ten scents) and more importantly it is a multitasker since it can be used on face, hair and body! I think this one will be my staple product in my beach/vacation bag.

I also heard that they'll be launching limited edition body mists in all our favorite scents, so, that's something to wait for!

As for the social aspect of the event, although I was up from 5:30 in the morning and didn't feel (or look, lol!) very posh, it was a very refreshing and invigorating experience, not only because of the very warm welcome of the TBS people but also because I had a chance to meet for the first time with fellow lovely beauty bloggers and a little wine and more than little chat and laughter, it was an upbeat ending to a very stressful day.

To make it even better, we were given a TBS goodies bag with:

• the Chocomania body butter (mine is almost empty so it's good to have a refill!),
• Moringa Shower Gel,
• Vitamin E Face Mist (I can never have too many face mists, I love them!) and...
• Satsuma Beautigying Oil! It goes without saying that I've used it already (I gave my hands, nails and cuticles a moisturizing massage) and this one smells amazing! Very citrusy, invigorating and fresh!
  

 

I also did a little shopping and got myself:

• Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil, it smells drop dead gorgeous and leaves a slightly tinted, lightly shimmery finish. It can be used alone or mixed with a body moisturizer for a more subtle result. If I wasn't sick I would already be sporting this on my legs!
• Moonstone baked eyeshadow (I saw it in a blogpost by Evi and loved it!)
• Out of pure curiosity I got a Facial Flannel, it is a sort of rubbery like fabric that is used instead of cotton balls etc, in order to remove the makeup in conjunction with a makeup remover/cleanser. I've tried it once so far and I like it because it feels very soft and smooth.

Here's a wet swatch of the Moonstone, I love the taupe/cool champaign color combo!

 

All in all, it was a great evening, and most importantly, it was good to see that TBS still follows and enhances the values that Anita Roddick set, in the present timeframe, without loosing the perspective.

Well done TBS, keep up the good work!

Estée Lauder bazaar!

Every year about this time I planned on going to the annual Estée Lauder bazaar but I never actually did because I always got dishearten after reading how panicky situation it was, with hordes of crazed women, looooooong waiting hours in order to get in, etc etc. I mean, I love my makeup but I wouldn't go to extremes to get it.

This year I decided to give it a try nevertheless and the plan was just to get on location and if it was like rumored, I would turn around and leave. I was not expecting to get anything, it was like a tourist excursion on a very popular monument, lol!

The day before I went I also read that a lot of good things were sold out, but, although I was dying to get my hands on some Jo Malone fragrances, I was ok with it, I wasn't expecting to made it in anyway.

So, at five thirty, on a rainy Friday afternoon I disembarked the metro on Holargos station and while walking towards the venue, I spotted women (and men) of all ages carrying blue bags, so I ventured to ask one if she had shopped in the bazaar. She confirmed my suspicion and also informed me that I would be waiting a lot in order to get in.

Arriving there I spotted a crowd but I felt my hopes surging because the crowd at that time was not that big (I 've survived through worst situations, in public services etc) so I decided to take a plunge into it and made my way to the security guard that gave me the precious ticket!

After 30 minutes or so, I was allowed to enter and at first I got dissapointed because all I could see were carroten sunblocks and various other drugstore products (including trash bags and toilet disinfectants, lol!) and I started to question myself "what the heck am I doing here?"

I also saw a ton of Clinique skincare stuff, not my cup of tea either.

Then, I saw the true light on the deep end of the aisle where I spotted the Mac counter. But, if you believe my dumbness, I was so overwhelmed by the very low prices that I didn't know what to buy! So I just stood there, gazing, and although I did get a couple of items, they were kind of random purchases. My friend got an eyeshadow palette from this Christmas collection, the one with the six plummy colors for, if you believe it, €15!

Moving on I saw the Estée Lauder counter, it was a big one, but, I'm not really into Estée Lauder so I was clueless what to get. I was slapping myself because I couldn't remember a gorgeous lipstick I had seen in a blogpost by Kerasia, so I swatched in random some stuff and that's it.

Moving on I saw they had a lot of Tom Ford's Voile de Fleur EDT, so I gave it a sniff out of pure curiosity and BAM! I was hooked for good!

I 'm not a flowery sort of person when it comes to fragrances, with one or two exceptions (Lovestruck by Vera Wang is one) but when I smelled the Voile de Fleur it was love at first sniffing. I immediately grabbed one and then I continued with exploring my surroundings.

Moving on, I saw from far away a Jo Malone bottle on a shelf and I sprinted towards it. And behold, there was a Jo Malone counter stocked with products! I was soooo happy to see them, but more so, to smell them! There were four fragrances from a limited edition collection (if I knew that they were limited edition I would also get a couple of backups) and out of the four, two stood out to me, in a very impressive way, meaning that it was love at first sniffing too! It is very rare to me to find in such a short amount of time three perfumes that are so appealing and unique to me!

After that, I was like a happy kid after having smeared chocolate icecream all over my face! I was more that happy, I was, I don't know, very happy!!!

I browsed some more, I saw La Prairie skincare (not my cup of tea either) I also sniffed a few other fragrances from Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfigher, Cavalli, etc, nothing impressed me.

I decide to go to the cashier and while waiting there I sniffed again at the wrist where I had sampled the Tom Ford perfume and I was so impressed by the scent and the way it evolved in a more earthen, still flowery but more solid form that I rushed over and also got the body shower gel and the body moisturizer. Thinking back, maybe I should just get a backup of the EDT, but, that was the choice of the moment. I 'm still happy I got them but I'm seriously thinking of going back just for it, I'm head over heels for it!

Bottom line: if you can handle a little (or more) discomfort, go by all means, stop reading and just go! There's something for everyone and most importantly, you simply can't beat the prices.

If you're still reading (lol!) here's what I got.

My jewel of the crown is the Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur EDT (50ml). I got it for €19 while in store the price was €62 (yep, 62 euros!)

I accompanied it by the matching shower gel and body moisturizer, €9 and €12 respectively (or the other way around, I'm not sure) while in store they were priced €32 each. Insane, I know!

My next precious purchases are these Jo Malone EDT: Sweet Milk and Sweet Lemon (30 ml), €15 each while the actual price was €45 (at least that's what the sales assistant said, there were no price stickers on them like there were on the Tom Ford boxes).

I was on the hunt for new fragrances because the one I was using is almost empty and with these purchases I'm good until next spring: Sweet Lemon is perfect for now, Sweet Milk will be my summer scent (I get images of palm trees, hammocks and secluded beaches when I smell it, lol!) and Voile de Fleur will be my fall/winter perfume.

The last two things I got are from Mac. I grabbed the Unconditionally Fabulous nail polish as soon as I laid my eyes on it! I wanted to buy it last Christmas but €15 seemed too expensive for a glittery nail polish (and instead of it I got Snow Globe from China Glaze, it was quite similar). But when I saw it on the counter at €4 I just couldn't leave it there, I had to have it!

I also got a suntint from last summer collection, also at €4, I didn't have any suntints and was curious about them and at €4 it was very affordable.

I 'm seriously contemplating of going back and get a backup of the fragrances and maybe take a closer look to the rest of the stuff now that I know where and what to look for because, again, the prices are unheard of. Even stocking for presents for family and friends seems a good idea.

Last thing I wanted to mention is the service I received. The staff, although the mayhem, was kind, helpfull and demonstrated loads of patience and good will. Well done ladies (and gents)!

 

More spring hauling (collective)

The following items are separate purchases that I made the last couple of months and for the first time I decided to be a little bold and move outside of my comfort zone.

Ramble follows, if you prefer go straight to the photos!

Before I show you what I got, allow me to tell you about my new general philosophy about buying clothes etc.

I used to go shopping on a precise plan (for example, to find an A line white skirt). The problem is that a lot of the times I got frustrated because I couldn't actually find what I was looking for and that's when shopping isn't fun anymore!

So, this spring, instead of going shopping with a predefined plan I decided to follow a general idea of the styles that would accommodate my lifestyle (as well my wallet and my body type, obviously!).

I also decided to actually try clothes that in the past I wouldn't think of (well, I'll probably skip the leopard cat suit, lol!) and I'm soooo glad I did! The reason is that, although I'm more or less ok with my general appearance and know what looks good on me and what does not, I used to shop in a more conservative and nondescript way. I would inspect a cloth on the hanger and decide that it wasn't for me. Just like that.

When I started trying stuff that I normally wouldn't I was surprised to discover that I still looked presentable (well, there were also some unavoidable fails but I contained them within the fitting room, lol!) but in a different, more distinct and personal way.

So, my point is (I always have one, don't I?) that life is full of prejudices and misconceptions and we shouldn't impose these on ourselves, and even simple (?) things like a different garment or accessory or style can eventually change the way we see ourselves and liberate us (I'm soooo deep, I know!).

End of ramble!

Zara shirt, fine illustration of my new shopping tactic! It looks very posh with white pants and minimal accessories.

Both Zara pants, the left one is mint green

I seriously love this one, it's literally a breath of spring! I pair it with a simple white top and a pendant.

H&M dress from the Conscious collection, with an ivory top underneath. Very ladylike but in a contemporary way. I wear it with a pair of tan wedges if I want to tone it down but it also looks good with nude pumps.

Asos cropped jacket. It has a light dusty, creamy pink color and although it's not made of leather it feels buttery soft.

Oysho Kimmidoll top with matching cropped pants. Lovely for lounging!

Cute detail.

H&M tops, very handy under see through or lace blouses.

H&M scarf and ivory bangle, Oysho colored bangles set.

Accessorize bow ring, love it!

Zara belts, the left one is white with a distressed look, the right one is tan with rose gold details, it was also available in beige with yellow gold details.

So, that's my collective spring haul, I hope you're all well and thriving!

Spring/summer nail polish!

Nail polish is (another) addiction, so here are my spring/summer choices!

This is a cute mini case that I got last year from sephora, in order to store my nail polish collection. Since then, it has overgrown the little case so I currently keep my summer/spring ones in it. When fall comes, I'll switch them over and put my fall/winter ones in it, and so on.

As for brands, I was not favoring one over another but lately I'm starting to love Opi nail polishes. The sad thing is that here, Sephora sells them at twice the price they're sold in the USA. Even online stores, like beautybay etc sell them a bit on the pricey side, so I buy mine (as well as China Glaze) on eBay.

The reason I like them is the wide brush, the color selection and the consistency that's (usually) very nice.

But, enough talking, let's see some nail candy!

Names from left to right order on all photos.

Glitter/metallics etc, just four of them:

• OPI Pirouette my Whistle (NYC Ballet collection, LE). My latest and more precious aquisition, I just love the silver glitter, it's in various sizes and especially over light shades of nail polish the result is simply gorgeous, like fairy/princess/mermaid nails, just unreal. It is also work appropriate because it's monochromatic and (almost) subtle. Every time I wear this I got many compliments!
• Erre Due exclusive #80. It has a very fine, light peachy/pink shimmer, very subtle and discreet.
• Mac Immortal Gold (Posh Paradise collection, LE). This was purchased on the fly, on a Saturday morning that I was preparing to go to a wedding and realized that i didn't have a gold nail polish to match my outfit (well, this is a crisis that only a woman understands, lol!). I remembered having seen this shade in my local Mac store, so I gave them a call, it was still available and rushed over to get it). It's a pretty true gold color, it doesn't lean green nor warm, it's in the middle.
• China Glaze Snow Globe (Let it Snow collection, LE). This one has very pretty multicolored glitter in various sizes and I got it in lieu of another LE nail polish, from Mac, the Unconditionally Fabulous. It was my first glitter nail polish and I wasn't sure I was going to actually wear it, so the €15 price point of the Mac one seemed too steep to me.

Blues:

Opi I Have a Herring Problem (Holland collection, LE). It is a muted midtone blue with a green hint and very fine gold and silver shimmer, very pretty and complex.

Erre Due last minute #69. Well, I doesn't get any bluer than this, lol! Very summery medium sky blue, it has a fun and happy vibe!

Greens:

• Erre Due exclusive #120. A milky, pale yellow, lovely shade but it takes 3 layers to have a uniform result.
• Erre Due exclusive #154. It's a frosty light green, very fresh and spring appropriate.
• Korres Vert Amande #201. I love this color, it's a gorgeous milky mint. I don't love the consistency though, but it's still managble.
• Opi Thanks a Windmillion (Holland collection, LE). This one is on the edges of the current mint trend but in a more milky, mutted way. One of my top favorites!
• Mac Ocean Dip (Surf Baby collection, LE). Oh yeah baby, teal all the way! I hardly wore anything else last summer!

Coral/peach etc:

• Opi Gouda Gouda Two Shoes (Holland collection, LE). I never though I would buy such a color, but I was drawn by it's salmon/pink/brown shade with fine gold shimmer! It's very lady like but with a twist and can be worn no matter the season.
• Elf Mango Madness. I got this along with 2-3 other shades from Elf, last year, and I hated all of them except this one. It's like the perfect coral red, I love it!
• Mac Play Day (Vera collection, LE). Ever since I first read about the Vera collection I knew I had to have this color. It's milky, pale peach shade is adorable, although it takes 3 layers to achieve maximum opacity.
• Erre Due exclusive #10. Very light cream/peach, kind of mannequin nails.

Pinks/reds:

• Seventeen Super Fast #35. Oldie but goodie, a mutted, dusty pink, lovely!
• Opi Pink Friday (Nicki Minaj collection, LE). I hate this one. It's a light, bright, almost bubblegum pink and although it should look ok on my skin tone, the result is totally fake, I call it "the bimbo effect", lol! Application wise, it is a nightmare! Thick, goopy, and it still takes 3 layers to (not) achieve opacity! I keep trying, to make it work, but the result is like a used pink bubblegum stuck on my nails! Gross!
• Opi My Address is Hollywood (Touring America collection, LE). I cal this one the grown up pink, it's dusty and has fine golden shimmer. It's a no brainiac desicion, it goes with everything!
• Opi You Callin' Me A Lyre (NYC Ballet collection, LE). It's a semi transparent, light pink, "my nails but better" and I love it as a base for French manicure. It is spectacular with the Pirrouette My Whistle glitter polish on top, so elegant and girly and out of this world!
• Erre Due last minute #08. My only red! It's a cool toned bright fuschia/red that spices up any outfit.

If you're still reading, I feel the need to congratulate you of surviving this looong post!

And talking of nail polishes, here's my current mani!

P.S. Any suggestions for a red nail polish?

My first Inglot haul!

Last Monday an Inglot store opened in the Athens Metro Mall!

On Tuesday, I had my little list ready and I entered the store pretty confident that I wouldn't get lost between the various colors, finishes etc. Well, it didn't go quite as planned, mainly because I misplaced my list and couldn't find it (...) as well as due to fatigue I was a bit spaced out.

So, instead of buying stuff in random, I decided to keep it sweet and short and with no further ado, here it is!

First thing I wanted to try was a brush and since I lacked of a large fluffy eyeshadow brush, I decided to get the 6SS, the hair is squirrel substitute. It's very soft and fluffy and so far I really like it.

Here you can see it in comparison to a Mac 226 (on the left) and a Mac 217 (on the right).

My main reason for visiting Inglot was the eyeshadows and I knew I wanted a Freedom System palette, so no guessing here.

When I started swatching the eyeshadows though, well, it was kind of overwhelming. I tried to remember if I had anything similar in my stash, how I would combine it, I tried to find shades that looked "unique" blah blah blah. It was not working.

So, I decided to get the three shades that at the moment stood out to me and that next time I entered Inglot I had better have the list with me ( lol!)

Pearl 399 on top left, Pearl 420 on top right, AMC Shine 17 on bottom left

Here I added the Mac Swimming eyeshadow on the far right, for comparison.

Here's the back of the palette, I adhered the labels from the boxes for future reference.

The bottom line: does it worth it?

Well, the answer is probably yes and I'll tell you why (surprise!):

• Price: €6 per eyeshadow and €9 for the palette. I think it's certainly a winning point but not by itself
• Ease of use: once you put them in the palette, there's nooo way back! Unless you find a heavy duty magnet, you can't reposition them in the palette. I asked the MUA if they provided one, no they didn't. Bummer..Should I try "Εγέρθητω!" ? (Current greek joke)
• Color selection (in store): large but not vast, I think Mac has a wider range
• Longevity: I didn't test them to extremes (lol!) but I got a decent work day, they'll certainly last longer over a primer
• Pigmentation: oh baby, you're sooo good
• Application: like a dream, just don't overblend, you'll have to reapply
• Consistency: butterrrr, for your lids, not your breakfast (jeezzzz, I'm sooo funny!)
• Finishes: Pearl ( <3 For Ever). There are a few more, and I hear that the mattes are very good too
• Will I purchase more? Rhetorical question

The fun part is that when I got home and found the list I discovered that two of the three eyeshadows I actually purchased were included in my list!

So that's my first visit to an Inglot store (thank god I didn't start browsing lip products, nail polishes etc or I would still be there!)

Makeup Storage: Pretty in Pink Updated!

Some time ago I posted about my everyday makeup organization configuration, you can see it here , but since there are some new products that I incorporated in my daily routine, I thought it would be interesting to do an update!

First of all, here's my cute caddy.

I had purchased it for my niece from Jumbo, but when she opened it I thought it would be a funny, practical and economic way to keep my stash together and portable (in house of course!).

It has two shallow tiers and a deep "bucket" and it stores my everyday items perfectly!

So let's take a look!

First tier (from left to right):

• Mac paints in Bare Canvas and Stilife,
• a lip butter,
• Clarins Instant Light liquid blush in #01 Vitamin Pink and
• YSL Glossy stains in #15 Rose Vinyl and #17 Encre Rose
  
• Erase Paste concealer by Benefit
• Powderflage by Benefit (I put some in a little container because the original pot didn't fit in here)
• Painterly paintpot by Mac
• Equilibrium blush by Mac that I use for contouring.

As you can see, my glossy stains and the liquid blush fit perfectly and I also grouped them by color, so this is my "pink" set.

I also keep my pencils in here and an Elf mascara brush that I washed and kept to comb my brows, as well as a Mac sample of the mineral foundation.

Second tier:

• Rol on concealer by Garnier
• Shadow Insurance primer by Too Faced
• Prep and Prime pink highlighter by Mac
• Retractable lip brush by Mac
• Prep and Prime for lips by Mac
• 2000 Calories mascara in black-brown by Max Factor
• Clarins Instant Light liquid blush in #02 Coral Tonic
• YSL Glossy Stains in #07 Corail Aquatique and #12 Corail Fauve
• Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow by Maybelline in #55 Immortal Charcoal
• Mac Fix+ in a little spritz bottle
• Mac fluidlines in Blacktrack, Avenue and Added Goodness

Bucket:

• Three Mac palettes (two with eyeshadows and one with blushes)
• Sunday Afternoon and Flower Fantasy blushes by Mac
• Laura Geller Balance 'n Brighten face powder in Porcelain
• Color Tatto eyeshadows in #35 On and On Bronze, #40 Permanent Taupe and #45 Infinite White

Here's an overview once more!

That's it for now, I hope you're all well and thriving!