Nails 2013 / Q1

I know many people enjoy nails posts so I collected some looks from the past few months...

Revlon Top Speed in 607 Hazy

I've been wanting this colour for a long time... until it was no more available on the high street.

I recently picked up a bottle on ebay - lookes great as a Spring pastel!

Rimmel I Heart Lasting Finish in 700 Block Your Green

Recent acquisition - Haul here - Purple is a match made in heaven!

teamed with Zoya in Neeka

I'm obsessed with the L'Oreal Confetti Top Coat!

I love it with pastels but looks great with bright colours too.

Base: Revlon ColorStay Longwear Nail Enamel in 180 Indigo Night

... and finally more nail stamping experimenting ;)

Maybelline MNY in 749, 665

What's your favourite look? :)

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Just In / L'Occitane - La Collection de Grasse

L'Occitane always surprises us with gorgeous new products every season and the latest exquisite offering comes in the shape of an eau de toilette line - Le Collection de Grasse!

The name pays homage to the city of Grasse, in the south of France, which is considered the world capital of perfumery.

I've actually been to Grasse (probably a good 15 years ago) and I also visited a fragrance factory; I remember a luscious and green countryside with many discreet villas, home to the most prestigious laboratories and greatest perfumers.

Karine Dubreuil is the nose behind this collection and took inspiration from this town, where herself grew up and trained as a perfumer.

Every composition is based around two main accords - Contrasting yet complementary elements that captures people's imagination. Bold choices to create an unforgettable olfactive memory but also simplicity and authenticity associated with L'Occitane brand.

In The Vert & Bigarade* the key raw ingredients are green tea from Japan and  bitter orange essential oils from the Mediterranean.

They marry beautifully in a refreshing fragrance which is ideal both for men and women; the sweetness of the green tea emerges first and then develops into a sensual aromatic essence.

It's an incredibly charming and energizing perfume - also encased in a stunning slick and square bottle... look how gorgeous it looks next to L'Occitane Eau Universelle Citrus Cologne, another glorious scent and favourite of mine.

Every fragrance is available as an eau de toilette, body milk, shower gel and trademark soap nationwide and on uk.loccitane.com

Immaginaria by Neve Cosmetics

Immaginaria is the latest colour collection by Neve Cosmetics.
The collection includes 4 mineral eyeshadows, 2 mineral blushes and 2 eye pencils.
The theme of the collection revolves around oniric and psychedelic visions, with colours that tranport you away from reality and in a magical world; I got to say  that the blues and greens remind me of the Oz realm which has been really popular this year.
As always, all products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, cruelty-free, parabens and silicons free.

I love the pretty and retro design on the Pastello eyeliners.

These pencils are extremely soft and versatile: they can be used as a kajal to line the eye and the lashline but also as a base, blended on the lid. They are also eco-friendly and the wood is sourced from a sustainable Californian forest.

Petrolio* was love a first sight - I mean, I don't think I even need to express what I like about it - it's simply a beautiful shade!

A gorgeous deep blue with light blue and green sparkle, perfect for brown eye in my opinion.

Insalata* is also very pretty and unusual; I noticed many brands came out with green eyeliners this season so It's bang on trend, too. 

This is a pretty bright green with gold shimmer and will look amazing with tanned skin or (in case of lack of sun) a bit of bronzer.

The loose eyeshadows and blushes come in the same cute pink and green pot.

Magic Potion* is the most beautifying and flattering blush! It's a pink with a hint of orange undertone so gives you a subtle flush. It has a beautiful sheen, giving a radiant glow but still keeping the cheeks matte and not greasy.

Dormouse Dreams* - love the name!!! - is a soft brown with purple and lilac sparkle. It's nearly a duo-chrome and looks pretty purple when applied, but with the warmth of the brown tone.
 I got to say I always get a bit worried with loose powders but the pigment sticks to the eyelid and I experienced minimum fall out - very impressed on the performance!

Liquid Mirror* is another stunning shade!
 It's a bright gold, extremely luminous and perfect to use as an inner corner highlighter. It has got a nearly metallic finish and both powder and shimmer are so fine that is effortless to apply and blend.
I actually like to wear a tiny dot in the centre of my eyelid, really makes my eye colour pop!

Neve Cosmetics products are available nevecosmetics.it and cutecosmetics.co.uk

Review / Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask

It's no secret that I love Dirty Works skincare! Their Wake Up Call Face Wash, in particular, is one of my all time favourite cleanser and I'm already on my third bottle.
When I heard about Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask*, I knew it was going to be another great product, bound to be added to my must-have list.

This is a purifying mask, thanks to the green clay that detoxes the skin drawing out impurities but with added benefits of superfood berries!
I'm  quite the connoisseur when it comes to clay/charcoal masks: I've been using them since I was a teenager and tried many brands. They are very effective but can also be pretty aggressive and leave the skin feeling tight.
The Dirty Works Power Berry Detox Mask is a totally different experience!
It feels really fresh on the skin, like a splash of water thanks to the blueberry extracts which are rich in antioxidant that protect and nourish the skin, too.

I go to say that this product has been my saviour, recently.
As mentioned in my Monday's post, I've been having some skin trouble, due to the Konjac sponge. It's been pretty upsetting and worrying since I don't usually have skin issues - blemishwise. 

My skin felt very congested and unclean - I wasn't really sure what to do to get rid of impurities without being too aggressive.
This mask just came at the right time and is doing wonders to restore the balance in my 'tender' skin, calming it down and banishing spots.
I really can't recommend it enough and for £4.99 you're getting a great bargain, too. Available in Sainsbury's nationwide now.

Zara Basic Messenger Bag

I found another awesome bag, once again from Zara - I friggggggin' love Zara bags!!! 

Love the pink & red combo and that you need to roll it up like a paper bag to close it - it's pretty cool!

It has some magnets so it won't roll open and it's deceivingly roomy inside too. 

The shoulder strap is also one side red and one side pink, like the bag and it has cute bows.

It also comes in black, brown and green and for £19.99 you can't really go wrong, if you're on the look for a pretty spring bag!

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FOTD / Purple Eyes

Face: Me me me Seventh Heaven primer / Benefit Hello Flawless foundation in honey / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in medium / Maybelline Bouncy Dream Bouncy blush in 60 coffee cake

Eyes: Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in 40 permanent taupe / L'Oreal Chrome Intensity eyeshadow in 180 purple obsession / Pur Minerals Big Blink mascara / Bourjois Intuitive Liner

Lip: Lancome L'Absolu Nu lipstick in 101

Update / Konjac Sponge

Bad news - the Konjac Sponge has been playing havoc with my skin and I have now stopped using it completely.

As mentioned in my haul post, I have been using it exclusively as my daily detergent as directed, but around the 4/5 days mark I started noticing some bumps on my cheeks and clogged pores around my nose; the bumps then turned into spots and I never get spots on my cheeks so it was really unusual and upsetting for me.
Although I liked how it left my face straight after use (apparently clean), I  definitely noticed an increase in oiliness throughout the day, that I wouldn't normally get  using other routines.
And mind you, I still kept up my weekly mask sessions as usual - and thank God - but I have come to realised that it's simply not enough on its own and a pretty superficial performer.
I don't even think it was some purging incident since my skin is quite resilient and 'open to new products', in fact I didn't even get any purging when I started using the Clarisonic, which is more invasive.

I would normally give a product another go - after few months - but I don't fancy leaving it around to gather more germs and then placing it on my face again, you know what I mean?!

...so time for the bin, me think. :(

Have you ever used the Konjac Sponge? What's your experience?
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Introducing / Sabon

A bit of holiday shopping!

You can notice the Sabon boutiques all over Amsterdam; actually, the brand started out in 1997 in Tel Aviv and it's now available worldwide - not in UK, unfortunately.

I was attracted by the pretty window's displays and beautiful scents coming through the door.

Inside you'll find beauty products for face and body - everything comes in retro and quaint packaging.  

There's also a fountain tap where you can try the products - an oasis of relax and enjoyable atmosphere. 

It was really hard to decide on a wee something to take home but in the end I chose the Mineral Powder for the bath in Honey Peach... as you can imagine, it smells divine!!!

The glass jar is a pretty addition to my bath product collection and looks stunning in my bathroom.

The powder is really fine and it's a combination of sea salt, magnesium, calcium and essential oils that help lower blood pressure and relax tired muscles. This powder doesn't foam but fills the bath with nourishing and moisturizing oils and can also provide relief for eczema and rheumatism.

It's a shame that you can't get this brand in the UK, yet - and the website www.sabon.nl is not available in english - because it would make a great place to buy gifts; definitely, a place to treat yourself or others because it's not cheap - the mineral powder is 19.95euros but it will last a long time.
I'm so glad it survived the flight back home, hehe... and thank you to my husband for buying me this fab treat! ;)
xxx

Nails of the Week / Kiko Ready-To-Go Art Patch Nail Lacquer

Kiko Ready-To-Go Art Patch Nail Lacquer in 02 Black Leopard*

Nail wraps have definitely come a long way! I had a disastrous attempt ages ago (here) and haven't tried them again ever since.

This week, I'm sporting these badass Kiko with a cool and fashionable design indeed... but most importantly, they work like a dream!!!

These 3-in-1 strips consist of a base coat, colour coat and top coat into a single layer; because of this special formula, they come into a airtight packaging and they will dry once opened - so make sure to open them when you are ready to wear them. You get 16 wraps so Kiko also provides a specific silver tape to re-seal the spare ones - I will use them as accent nails. :)

They have a top clear film to keep them 'moist' and - once removed - they become really malleable and flexible, making the application extremely easy.

These are so beautifully glossy that I have been straggling to take a picture which does them justice; they look stunning and give you a perfect manicure - a friend actually commented that they look like gel polish.

Finally, you simply removed them with some regular polish remover. 

Test of time? I've got them on for 6 days now and they look as good as new, wouldn't be surprised to see them last 2 weeks... soooo, all round thumbs up from me!!! :)

They come in a variety of colours and designs (Hello Taupe Lace... you're next!) and available at www.kikocosmetics.co.uk now.

*** Kiko is currently running a promotion until 17th May:
£8 discount with your first order
Code: MAY8 ***

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