Spring & Summer Nail Polishes

Hello and happy Easter, here is a pretty picture (lol!)

These are my spring/summer nail polishes, most of them old with a couple new entries!

Peach/coral

Mac Play Day (LE), Erre Due 215, L'Oreal 208

Pink

Erre Due 236, OPI Pink Friday, Erre Due 05, L'Oreal 210

Green/blue/teal

Erre Due 69, OPI Can't Find my Czechbook, MAC Ocean Dip (LE), Korres 92, Erre Due 120.

Here's my recent mani (feeling playful obviously!)

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

Χριστός Ανέστη, εύχομαι ό,τι καλύτερο για εσάς και τους αγαπημένους σας!

What's in my shower tag!

Dear Tina from all the vanity tagged me, so, here it is!

Hair:

I'm currently trying a few products from the Macadamia line:

• Rejuvenating Shampoo, great for dry or damaged hair. 
• Deep Repair Masque, 7 minutes after shampoo mask 
• Healing Oil Spray, just started using this one, fingers crossed it turns out good!

I recently took a turn to more natural hair products and this is the second brand I try. Sulfates and paraben free, color safe, so far so good, my hair feels soft, lightweight and well hydrated.

Body products:

I'm a huge fan of Korres body products, from the main brand and Kings & Queens as well.

They smell heavenly, feel nourishing and moisturising, are very affordable, natural and greek! What more can I ask?

My favorite fall/winter scent is cinnamon and these Vanilla Cinnamon shower gel and body milk are just divine, I stock up every time I see them on buy one get one free.

For a special occasion or night out, I love these Tom Ford Black Orchid shower gel and body milk because they smell sexy, seductive and luxurious (if that makes sense!) with some dark, vampy vibes. 

I do have them for over a year (I got them at my first ever visit to the Estee Lauder bazaar)  because i forget to use them (lol) but they're in top condition so far and hope they stay this way!

Tools of the trade:

First time ever I purchased a pair of The Body Shop scrub gloves must have been in high school. I got them just for the novelty, I had no idea if I would like them, but they were pink (what else?) and looked so cute and out of the ordinary.

Since then I 've purchased a lot of pairs, in every color available, because it's the only thing I use in my shower, every day.

I am gentle while at it and I do moisture well after use and my skin is baby soft, resulting in many compliments and I have converted quite a few friends and female colleagues into using them.

As for exfoliating, I can't stand grainy products on my body, so, once a week (during spring/summer) or twice a month (during fall/winter) I take an extra step and I exfoliate with a body brush.
This one was actually a gift to my brother who never used it, so I claimed it mine, it also comes with a long handle to reach the back.

It comes with out saying that I follow up with generous quantities of moisturiser and my skin stays silky smooth for days.

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

July favorites!

Most of my favorites for July can be seen in the June favorites post, but here are a few more things that I really enjoyed using this month!

Garnier new BB cream: I was contemplating whether I should buy a darker foundation, being a little tanned and all, but i couldn't justify the expense for a product I will use for a month or so. Meanwhile, I had seen online swatches of the Garnier BB cream and I thought it had a decent opacity, so when I saw it at the supermarket, with a price tag of €7, I decided to buy this instead of a foundation.

At first try I got scared because of the slight orange tint and I also did't like the fact that it oxidized on me. So I buried it in a drawer but after a few days I thought to mix it with my Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. I'm happy to say that the combination is perfect colorwise and it lasts a long time without oxidizing.

Inglot 4SS brush: some time ago I purchased its little sister, the 6SS and it has become my favorite brush for applying highlights and sheer wash of color on my lids. So, I thought to get the bigger one solely for applying highlight on the cheekbones etc and it works like a dream.

Inglot blotting paper: I had never tried blotting papers before because my skin is not oily but in the summer I sweat on the face, so I though that blotting paper would be the answer and it is because it does the job without affecting my makeup. Now I never leave the house without this little packet in my purse!

Clarins Instant Light blush in Coral Tonic: love it. It spent all month in my purse for touch ups on the go because it doesn't require a brush, just my fingertips!

Mac blush in Flower Fantasy: I used quite a bit this one not only because of the lovely color but also because it has a coordinating highlight in the pan. The only downside, as with a few other Mac powders, is that it is so fine that it can acquire a film on top that makes the product useless. I tried sweeping it with a paper towel and I even scraped the surface a bit but nothing worked out until one day that I thought to use a Korres face brush that is a little coarse and it worked!

Mac blush in Sunbasque: this blush scream summer to me! I had neglected it for a while but it was well loved all month.

Clarins Coral Tonic, Mac Flower Fantasy, Mac Sunbasque

Maybelline Color Tatoo in On and On Bronze: a swipe on each eyelid, blending out the edges, ready and bronze-y in a minute!

Wet 'n Wild Shadow Pencil in Pixie: lovely color with poor durability but it's a perfect shimmering and brightening base for the lids, under powder eyeshadow.

Mac Prunella eye kohl: I used this one a lot on my tightline because it's not harsh like black but it's a bit more intense than brown.

Inglot brow pencil: again in the hunt for the perfect brow product, I decided to try this one by Inglot. I've used it all month and I really like it because the color is light so the result is natural and it also comes with a handy little brush.

On and On Bronze, Pixie, Prunella, Inglot brow pencil

Inglot #181 nail polish: I hadn't worn metallics in a long while and I really enjoyed this coppery-pink, bronze shade by Inglot.

Orly Rage: love it! It's pink and cool golden and a little beige, precious in a word!

L'Oreal #208 So Chic Pink: it's a bold and beautiful, vibrant coral red. It lived on my toes almost all month!

These are my favorites but there are a couple of things that disappointed me.

Bourjois 2step Volumizer mascara: so far I don't remember having a mascara that flacked, but this one is like I've worked in a coal mine! At midday, my under eye area and the tops of my cheeks become "adorned" with itsy tiny little bits of mascara. I really like the color though...

While preparing the shoot I discovered that the bigger wand broke and got stuck inside the tube, that's a first too...lol!

Givenchy Phenomen' Eyes in #5, Vintage Bronze: this one was another experiment in the quest for the perfect brown mascara. I saw it in a local outlet, I had read all the raves about the brush and the name of the shade "Vintage Bronze" was very alluring. Now, the wand is not bad at all, it's just that it takes a looot of time to coat my lashes because it's small, think of an eternity and a day, lol!

The main problem is that the color is not bronze, at all. In fact it is a charcoal grey/black. Well, as a color description maybe it doesn't sound that bad but on the eyes, it's like I've applied a grey eyeshadow while the mascara is still wet and it catches the fallout on the lashes. It 's so weird that I'm really considering to toss it in the garbage.

So, these are my July favorites spiced up with a couple of misses.

I hope you're all well and thriving!

Δημοσιεύτηκε με το Blogsy

June favorites!

Almost mid July but here are my June favorites!

Coconut was the fragrance of the month and in particular:

• Coconut shower gel TBS
• Coconut shimmering (ooohhh!) body butter TBS
  
• Sweet Milk cologne by Jo Malone (sooo unhappy that it was a limited edition!)

The Annemarrie Borlind self tanning lotion is not a June favorite because I got it on the first of July, so let's say it's a July favorites preview!

It has become a favorite item because it gives me a natural tan, check here for more info.

For the face, I religiously used:

• La Roche Posay Anthelios 50spf sunblock (not pictured here because I'm sure you've seen it a million times by now!
• Mac Fix+ (surprise!), I'm sure you're sick to death to see it every month, so no pic today!
• Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, I really like this one because it's lightweight and evens out any discolorations. I would say it offers medium coverage but it can be used lightly or in layers.
• Bourjois Healthy Mix concealer because it is full coverage and it takes just a tiny tiny bit.
• Mac Lush-Light Bronze powder (from last year's Surf Baby collection). I use this lightly all over my face and neck because the foundation is in my winter shade and the bronzer gives me a lightly sun kissed look.
• Elf blush brush. I rediscovered this brush in my stash and I use it with a little powder to set under eye concealer and a little bit on the T-zone. It's perfect because I can deposit powder exactly where I want it.

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and concealer, Mac Lush-Light Bronze

For the eyes, I did some naked eye but usually I didn't stray from my favorite teal/brown combos, with a little peach in between:

• Mac Expensive Pink, Steamy, Club, Carbonized
• Inglot pearl in # 393 and #413

Inglot #413 and Mac Steamy look similar but Steamy leans green and #413 is more blue.

As for lips, although I haven't been unfaithful to my beloved YSL Glossy Stains, I took advantage of a promo in my local Inglot store and while purchasing a few things for presents, I got two lipglosses for free!

• Inglot Sleeks Cream #107 - a vibrant coral/pink, it's perfect to spice up a minimal face look
  
• Inglot Sleeks VLC #73, my first nude lip product, pink/beige with a little shimmer, I used it mostly when I wanted to keep the focus on the eyes.

Last but not least, nails!

• Mac Play Day, I can't have enough of this color!
• Korres Vert Amande, lovely light green/aqua

These were my June favorites, I wish you're all well and thriving!

Δημοσιεύτηκε με το Blogsy

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?

November Favorites: Part 2

Roc night cream with Retin-Ox. 

The truth is that I wanted to try a cream with retinol because I've heard a lot about the beneficiary characteristics of retinol (it improves the skin by removing the dead cells at a faster pace), and I was determined to buy the Avene Retrinal but I discovered that it's not available here, so I got the Roc one instead. 

I started using this every other night for the first week because I didn't know how my skin would respond to it and after that I use it every night. It became my favorite because it really helped my skin to become brighter, it improved discolorations, sun spots, etc. I can't tell about the "wrinkle correction" part because I don't have real wrinkles as yet but I think that it faded a bit the minor expression lines I have on the sides of my mouth. 

If you want a more drastic approach, you could ask your dermatologist for a Retin-A cream, it's a medicine you can only get with a doctor's prescription and I heard it does wonder to the skin (retinol creams on the other hand contain a minor dose of retin-a and can be purchased at a cosmetics store). 

Embryolisse moisturiser - 75ml - €34 on ebay (shipping included).

It has been patiently waiting for two months in my drawer because I first wanted to finish the Korres Thyme Honey cream (smells wonderfully but too heavy and thick for me). The Embryolisse is a really great moisturising cream because it really does what it's supposed to but at the same time it is light and when it gets absorbed into the skin I can feel it supple and baby soft without being sticky to the touch. It also takes only a half pea size of it to cover my face and neck, so the tube will probably last me for ever!

I use it in the morning and also at night, after the Roc cream.

Korres and Eos lip balms

I love Korres lip butters, this is the Purple one. I also prefer them in the tube than in the pot, the idea of sticking my finger in it seems not very appealing to me, or sanitary. As for the color, it's not really purple on the lips, but it does give a little color, like a deep muted raspberry tint.

The Eos one is the Strawberry Sorbet, I got it out of pure curiosity. I can't say that I understand all the craze, but it's a nice lip balm nevertheless, it really smells like strawberry, it is cute to look at (it stands on my bed stand). I don't think that I would repurchase though.

Moroccanoil Light - 100ml - €30 on ebay (shipping included).

This product was a revelation for my dry, light and thin hair! 

I've never used an oil hair treatment before, so I can't really say if it is this specific product or this kind of product in general, but my hair is soooo happy! I use it on wet hair because it untangles like a breeze but I also use it on dry hair when I feel like I need a little more moisture. It also gives my hair a nice shine. 

I chose the Light version because I think it suits better my type of hair, but there is also the standard one, I imagine it will be a little heavier and more dense.

After I finish this, I might try the Kerastase Elixir Ultime, I've heard so many good things about this one as well.

Kings & Queens Cinnamon Orange set

I always saw them everywhere (supermarket, cosmetics stores, etc) but I was never intrigued by them, until, one day I saw an offer (buy one - get one free). So, I started smelling these and this one instantly caught my attention (I think that November was the cinnamon month to me, you'll see why). I LOVE this scent, I even wash my hand with this, I was never that crazy about a body product. 

I also got the body cream on the same deal, it smells awesome too, the only drawback is that the cream is a (very) shimmering one. I use it but not on my arms because I still wear a lot of short sleeved clothes and I don't want to look like the disco queen of winter (LOL!).

Humanity Leather Bracelet Wrap - Serenity Prayer - Grey - €17 on ebay

I came accross this type of bracelets on Youtube, I saw Michele1218 (I really like her videos) wearing one of these and after some online search I got this one. It's in antique grey color, with studs and the Serenity Prayer line has in silver letters the "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference." I don't know where it's from but I really like the meaning of it. I love this bracelet soo much that I wear it every day since I got it, I will definitely get another one, there are all sorts of colors and messages. I've actually seen a tan one that will be mine at some point!

Bath & Body Works - Scentportable - ebay

I wanted to try Bath & Body Works products for ages because everybody is raving about their scents, but, most of them (especially candles) are very heavy and the shipping cost is prohibiting for me. I was also looking for a car scent for ages, because I was dissapointed by the majority of the scented products sold here.

So, when I saw that B&BW had:

• portable devices (that you can put in the car, closet, drawer, shoe rack, etc)
• in great variety of colors, shapes, etc
• working in combination with scented inserts (refills)
• which scented refills also come in a great variety
• they require no heat or electricity
• the scent lasts a long time but it's not overwhelming 

I was thrilled! The only disadvantage is that you can't smell them prior to purchase, but, I think that the scent descriptions on the B&BW site are quite accurate. I just wish that someday there will be a B&BW store in Athens!

So, I got two devices, the cutyyyy little Frosted Cupcake (for my closet) and the cutyyyy little Pink Penguin (it's in my car) and a few refills (they come in two per package) in Cinnamon Clove Buds and Leaves. Each device had one insert inside as well, Carribean Escape and Frosted Cupcake.

I think that with 6 refills I'm good until February/March (they're supposed to last 4-6 weeks each).

The best part ? I LOVE the scents! I now have the Cinnamon Clove Buds in my car and in my closet, I'm talking about complete cinnamon takeover! The other scents are really yummy as well.

Now, how pretty is this???

 

Yankee Candle in Christmas Cookie - €22 - Omonoia square (only) Hondos Center

In my search for a home scent (I don't know what possesed me - LOL - this month, it's the first time I got intersted in home fragrances) and given the impossibility to order them from abroad because of the too high shipping costs, I heard that the Hondos Center at Omonoia square had Yankee candles.

So, one day that I was close by I decided to take a look and I found that they do have - a few -and after sniffing each and every one of them (the sales assistant was giving me weird looks) I decided to get this one. It certainly smells like sweetend dough, kind of bisquit, very heart warming and sweet (not overly sweet, I can't stand too sweet scents). It's not cheap but it will last me probably until Christmas (I don't burn it for many hours).

Do I love it? You bet! (How many cups of coffee did I drink today????)

What were your November favorites?

November Favorites: Part 1

November is gone (what happened to 2011? It vanished in thin air!) and here are my favorites.

Sigma F84 Angled Top Kabuki Brush: It's been a while since I got this excited over a brush, but I just love this one:

• Excellent quality: exremely soft but at the same time firm and dense, no shedding, sturdy construction.
• It applies my foundation (Mac Face & Body) flawlessly and quickly. I just stipple it on my face and because of the size and the density of the brush the result is lovely in no time!
• The shape makes it also perfect for small nooks, for example arround my nose etc.
• It applies my foundation a little heavier than my Mac 187, but, F&B is quite sheer, so I actually prefer it this way. 
• Sooo affordable (at least compared to a Mac face brush)! 
• The only disadvantage is that it requires two times washing to get clean and it takes almost 2 days to dry.

I love it so much that I've already ordered the Round Top Synthetic Kabuki - F82 and the Precision Tapered - P86 (using the Black Friday free shipping, it took me quite a while to manage to make that order, the site was up, then down, then up, then down, LOL!), as soon as I receive them I'll let you know what I think of them!

Mac Prep+Prime highlighter in Radiant Rose (€22, I got it €15,40, at 30% off, with the Glamour card).

I got frustrated with the Erase Paste by Benefit because of its texture, I felt that it added ages to my eyes because it is quite thick and dense, although soft and creamy. I tried it on top of a silicone primer and it was better this way, more manageable, but too much work for everyday application. So when I visited my local Mac, I decided to try this, although my prior experience with a similar (?) product a few years ago (YSL's Touche Eclat) wasn't very satisfactory (maybe I didn't know how to use it back then?). 

So I just got this one out of pure curiosity, without expecting too much. Imagine my surprise when this little thing actually worked! Of course I have to clarify that I don't have really dark circles, but my under eye area is darker than the rest of my face, and after using this product I realized that I didn't need cover that much as I needed a highlighter.

I love it because:

• it does light up the under eye area
• it has a pinkish shade so the result is very natural (I don't really like white stripes under my eyes, LOL!) 
• it can also be used on the bridge of the nose or anywhere else I want to highlight in a discreet way (without using a shimmering product etc)
• a little goes a long way
• it lasts all day without a setting powder.
• The only con is that it is a bit on the dry side, but nothing that I can't handle (with a little more moisturizer underneath it).

Wet 'n Wild Idol Eyes shadow pencil in Pixie: it's a smooth champagne eyeshadow, no great lasting power though, so I mainly use it under a powder eyeshadow, especially when I want to make the eyeshadow color less vibrant, more muted. If I want to use it alone, I just add a tiny bit of translucent setting powder on top.

Korres #5 Olive Green eyeliner pencil: I got it mainly because I love the color and thought I could use it as an eyeshadow, but it is a little hard to apply it since it's not very soft. What I do is that I rub it on my hand, so as to warm it a little bit. I also wear it on top of the Wet 'n Wild Pixie pencil, because it is easier to apply it this way and it also turns into a gorgeous grey-silverish-frost light green color!

Swatches: Wet 'n Wild Pixie, Korres #5 Olive Green, Olive Green on top of Pixie.

Mac Smolder Eye Khol: I love this pencil for the upper waterline because it is dark and buttery soft. I wouldn's use it anywhere else though because it smudges a bit (I prefer gel eyeliners, Mac's Avenue is my favorite).

Mac Sheertone Blush in Breath Of Plum: I got this blush a while back because I didn't have anything in the plum family, but I didn't use it that much, until November, when it became my (almost) everyday blush. I use my Mac 187 with it because it gives my cheeks the subtle, a little muted and sophisticated result I'm looking for when I'm going a little heavier on the eyes, especially with smokey looks.

Mac matte lipstick in Ruby Woo and Love Alert Dazzleglass: Ruby Woo is my first (and only one so far) red lipstick and I chose this shade because it has a retro appeal, especially if used light handed over a lip balm, it's sooo pretty that I don't need anything else (apart from mascara, defined brows and a smidgen of blush, to be accurate, LOL!). If I want to spice it up, I use a tiny bit of the Love Alert dazzleglass on top. There is one major default though, it is verrrry dry, but I never wear full red lips, I always layer this on top of a bit of lip balm, so I don't mind. Although, if used without the lip balm, it would probably stay on my lips ALL day long!

Swatches: Ruby Woo (blended out on the right), Love Alert, Love Alert on top of a little of Ruby Woo.

I have a few more favorites but since I don't want this post to go on for ever, a part 2 will follow!