Current Addiction- première partie

Caused by falsies. I never thought i'd say that.

My lashes haven't grown at all during the past month...it looks like they're actually receding. I am incredibly disappointed and angry...not at the products i've been using but at their natural growth rhythm. Hopefully it will break soon enough and get back on track again.

On a slightly different spin, i have recently fallen in love again with the Ardell 116 falsies. They're the most beautiful and natural looking lashes i have ever tried and the only model i've been constantly repurchasing. Couldn't help it after seeing how gorgeous they look and what  tremendous difference they make.

 Depending from the makeup style (uppercases explanatory), the effect can be dramatic, a bit over the top, really natural, etc, whatever you want it to be. If i go out i will obviously pack on the mascara and then apply them...otherwise, for a daytime glam look, i'll only use neutrals/golds, a bit of brown eye pencil and a tad of mascara (L'Oreal Lash Architect is perfect- doesn't clump if applied in one layer only) and the effect is still gorgeous. 

I always use a pair several times, quite a lot, between ten and thirteen from what i can recall. The natural hair they're made of makes all the difference- they're easy to clean (no thick, tacky band), easy to re-curl, easy to wear even after being technically worn off. If anything else fails- cut them in two and trim the edges accordingly. The effect is i might add probably even more charming than wearing the entire strip- Angelina Jolie-esque cat eyes all the way. It also looks a bit more natural yet dramatic at the same time, without giving exaggerated length (as it usually happens with full strip lashes).Here are the half-falsies from Ardell:

And about this 'technique' of cutting strip lashes in half...i'm doing it to all the other lashes i'm wearing. It's weird and probably not too budget-friendly but it surely pays off...i like how naturally elongated and almond-shaped my eyes look without giving the impression that i'm trying to hard. 

Case in point- some cheap Swedish eyelashes ( Depend is the brand) that looked gorgeous in the box but were an utter failure once applied. 

The band was thick and rigid, hard to stick to my lashline, and the design didn't do much for my eye shape.- the thick rubber line emphasized the 'eyeliner' - hello tired, droopy eyes. I ended up taking them off and resenting them...until seeing how easy cutting in half and attaching them on the outer sides of the lids was- pree-tee!

So now i've learned my lesson- if i ever come across some unwearable, trashy or plasticky pair of lashes, i know what to do- welcome scissors! 

One surely important, if not vital, aspect i've learned the hard way is that the adhesive is everything when it comes to wearing false lashes. I used pretty much everything from the original crappy glue lashes come with to unknown brands and never thought about investing in a good adhesive because i deemed it unnecessarily expensive. Wrong. My love for wearing false eyelashes and my actual ability of practically putting them on is due to the Duo Adhesive (in black...i wish i'd purchased the transparent one. when the black one dries, it looks like too much eyeliner so it's kinda fussy and tricky to apply it). If it wasn't for this one i would have never discovered how fun and gorgeous wearing false eyelashes is....*blushing*. Been living under a rock, i know, i know...

Failure of the Day- Ardell 105 lashes

This isn't the fault of the lashes, i suspect, but mine, since i am utterly incapable of making falsies look at least decent on me. I don't know why, to be honest. I apply them (it takes me 15 minutes per eye) with the maximum concentration and attention possible, i measure them, i do everything possible yet i never wore normally-looking lashes; neither can i remember one single day, just one, when i felt really good about my Goldie Hawn-esque false lashes. They just don't work on me. I am going to find someone more lash-savvy than me and have them apply the falsies, see what happens. I've watched all the videos out there and read all blogposts...nada. Sigh *very sad face*

Today i put on the Ardell 105 falsies and i thought *quote* MOTHER&¤"*#¤@!!!!!!*
 Ardell 116 are my favorite lashes ever because the little clusters look natural. I can somehow manage with those and pull a decent eyelash look. But with today's 105 it was a complete and total disaster.

In my previous post about these lashes i mentioned i found them natural and tasteful, and they were among the shortest there, so i thought 'these are lovely. full stop. i'm in love'.

Well...it seems that they hate me. I applied a thin coat of Max Factor Masterpiece mascara (everybody applies a coat of mascara first, right?) and then put on the lashes. I thought i was going to die. They looked HORRIBLE. Porn-star at best.

Too long, too curled, and the little 'dome' they form when you look the eyes straightforwardly was waaaaayyy to accentuated. I looked like Dame Edna :( i suspect it's my eye size combined with my arch and eye shape...and my natural eyelash curl. Though my natural lashes aren't amazingly curly or thick, i feel they somehow don't let the falsies lay properly on my lashline and that's how i always end up looking like a drag queen.

This is what my natural eyelashes look like with two coats of mascara (Max Factor & L'Oreal):

Quite unnatural contacts...

Now this is what the Ardell lashes looked like on:

Up front: i'm scared already. Are my eyes too small for these?

Way too porn-star-ish for my taste. I can't believe it! :( I liked them a lot when i saw them in the little case...they looked natural and nice, perfect for daytime, when i'm not in the mood for mascara. The way they looked in the box v. on me it's so different...they appear to be thick and natural, whereas when i put them on, i got tackly, long and uber thin lashes that were clearly not mine *gulp* i feel really disappointed. 

At least i still have my 116...and those i have worn before. With a bit of issues, a little clipping here and there, but i managed. The 105 were just...wrong.

Most Wanted Products (of the day)

Today i gave in and spent rather a bit more than usual for some things that i've been meaning to purchase for a while now but never did, always postponed, etc.



A good highlighter:

It has been a matter of utmost interest to purchase THE highlighter/illuminator, a good product that would become a staple and replace my old sheen stick (unknown brand, i suspect an old Lancome, but i'm not sure). Funnily enough, i've been using this for several years (after i got it in a swap from one of my best friends) and so far absolutely no signs of decay, plasticine smell or changes in consistency or color. It still works great; although there's just a tiny bit of the stick left and all the info has rubbed off, the bar code appears intact :)




This stuff is great- basically a frosted bar of shimmer- though a bit old, quite a little left and gray-pearly toned.



The sheen it gives is fantastic only if applied on made up complexion/eyes; on my bare skin it kind of shows its original silvery tint, which tends to look a sort of cheap-ish sometimes, pretty much faux.



I don't mind it, not at all, i absolutely love it. Nevertheless, given the aforementioned considerations, i figured it was time i got a new one....and the quest began. I started looking for highlighters in all their forms- loose/pressed powder, illuminating stylo (concealer included), creme, stick, etc. I didn't find anything. After a couple of failures (the Clarins Cotton Flower being discontinued in Sweden and the utter failure of YSL Touche Eclat) i entered the Face Stockholm store...and there IT was!

The tiny wonder is a small black lacquer compact with the brand name embossed on the lid, very chic and simple. I love the mirror inside every compact they sell, whether it's a tiny highlighter, a bronzer or face powder. Apparently this is a rather new or Europe-only design of the case since on Makeupalley the product is pictured in a similar packaging with MAC concealers and solid foundations- the ugly, plastic case with transparent lid. Bleh. This is so much better!
I have mine in Dignity, which according to the sales assistant, is their most sold highlighter. The product comes in a variety of 7-9 shades as far as i can remember.

This tiny fellow is so cute and classy i instantly fell in love with the miniature. The creme inside is WONDERFUL. It's a very pale champagne/pearly white with yellow-ish undertones. I absolutely loved it the first moment i saw it. with flash-



-without flash (lamp light)



It's simply stunning. I've been looking for THIS for many many months. Initially i assumed the YSL was going to do the trick simply because everybody raved about it. It just didn't work on my skin (upcoming post).

Dignity is similar to my old shimmer stick with several differences. First off, it doesn't contain glitter. The particles are indeed true light reflecting particles and a lot of shimmer. It's not the rather bulky grained shimmer from the classic drugstore highlighter but a creamy one. It doesn't settle into the fine lines or pores and doesn't look like 'glitter' or 'frosting' at all. I love it.


Biosilk Silk Therapy serum:

This was also another product i wanted to try for a while and i just decided to pick it up, once and for all :) The glorious reviews on Makeupalley and an aficionado friend convinced me. I haven't used it yet but i've applied a little on my skin to feel the scent...and i absolutely love it. I'm surprised by the negative reviews which bashed the scent, on the contrary, i think it's a fantastic, Nivea creme and roses scent that i really really like. It smells like clean, plump rose petals and i can't wait to try it on and see what happens.....


Face Stockholm Liquid Foundation:

After i decided to take a break from my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation (nice stuff but not so cool shade...upcoming post 2) a new foundation was a must; something non-drugstore, liquid, sheer coverage, very light, that would come as close as possible to my real complexion tone and help it glow...in a healthy way. The Face Stockholm SA claimed this would be the best choice since the Picture Perfect Foundation tends to be quite heavy and more difficult to work with.
The foundation comes in a beautiful, square shaped glass bottle with a black plastic cap and the simple design reminds me of Erno Laszlo's Regular Normalizer.



It retails for 275 swedish crowns (30 € or 24 GBP)and contains 1 fl. oz (29 ml). Rather pricy, but worth it. I haven't applied any of the foundation from this bottle but i've worn it before and i absolutely love it.



One little downside is the absence of a pump and the 'stick system' Revlon foundations used to be marketed with...which i don't really like, but i don't hate either. Compared to Estee Lauder's Double Wear, which comes with nothing, not even a stick to give the feeling you're picking up the product in some sort of way, this is more than ok.
However, as i am going to commit to this foundation for several weeks at least, i am expecting final results and a verdict to take a while...so far i love it, but we'll see how it goes from now on.

Ardell 105 and 116 Lashes:






I never got the '100% human hair' thing about the Ardell lashes and i honestly don't want to give it too much thought. I'm not one of those who would easily wear human hair extensions, for example, but (apparently) i see no problem wearing human hair false eyelashes. These two models are by far my absolute favorites from the entire false lash model plethora i've ever tried (and seen). The 116 are a tad more dramatic due to the more prominent clusters of hairs, which give them an anime sort of look, and are slightly longer at the ends- Sherilyn Fenn eyes guaranteed.



The 105 are natural yet sophisticated because the model keeps it simple (i absolutely hate wacky lashes with sequins, feathers and other stories) and natural with a hint of glamour (the romantic length of the lashes). I don't really like the glue they come with but i have a no-name eyelash glue that dries navy-black so no worries there either. 

The 105- a real disappointment :(

Body America Organics Body Butter in Southern Belle- Peach and Mango



Courtesy of my lovely friend who got this as a gift but is allergic to strong scents...and the perfume of this body butter is more on the stronger side.
I'm really excited to be trying this because the Body America products are 72% based on organic fruit oils. The Southern Belle body butter contains no parabens and is based on organic Aloe juice, mango kernel butter, organic extra virgin coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, shea butter, peach juice extract, cocoa seed butter and glycerin. It's supposed to be a luxurious, deliciously scenting butter that locks in moisture from head to toe, leaving the skin plump and freshly moisturized 24/7.

The packaging- this butter usually comes in a jar but i got the pump version, which is safer, germ and travel-wise. The pump dispenser pushes the bottom upwards so no matter the color of the bottle you always know how much you have left.

While i can't say apricot scent is my favorite, i do like this product because it gradually fades away and leaves the skin gently perfumed with something very similar to one of my childhood's shampoo. Whenever i sniff my wrist i remember my hair scent during my fourth grade summer holidays, and it's a great feeling <3 !!!