Things I love this summer (part 1)

Just a few things, most of them old 're-finds'. And the Nivea chapstick!

Make Up Store Microshadow in Ghetto 

The best eye/brow shadow ever, pigmented and LARGE. It comes at a fraction of the price you'd normally pay for a MAC one. Too bad I expect the brand to be available in Sweden only...

It's very soft and natural, the color is fantastic for brows, as eyeliner (i don't use black...) or as a plain matte eyeshadow. I'd compare it to MAC's Espresso, only with fewer 'red' undertones (from the chocolate tint that one has). It's perfect! 

Make Up Store 'Ghetto' microshadow

I got this amount of product by only touching the pan- it's really pigmented and a little goes a very, very long way. Very soft, yet not silky- it doesn't pick up too much on the brush or gets dusty once you swirl the brush in the pan.

This is MAC Espresso:

Stars'n Rockets blog 

Looks lighter in the pan but the orange undertones are far stronger. Espresso on the brows:

You either must have a light hand, light eyebrows (mousy blonde) or mix it with something ashy...I can't see how otherwise. Anyways, the product is very popular so I can't say it isn't good at what it does, it's just that sometimes one can find 'better dupes' at lower prices. That's my opinion. 

Helena Rubinstein Illumination Loose Powder

The best powder, loose or pressed, I have ever used (notice how little I have left :( ).  Did my friend's makeup on her wedding day and she looked spectacular. The powder illuminates the skin, sets the makeup and doesn't make your skin look cracked...which is a first. It's translucent but it has some tonality, available in 5 shades (I think). On the website it says it's enriched with 'optical pearlisers' for a glowy and healthy effect. It really works wonders, I suggest everyone to try and get their hands on a sample..I use it in nr 05 Light, and had it in 02 as well but gave that one away since it was too rosy for my skintone. 

Nivea Fruity Shine chapstick in Strawberry

The effect after wiping the lips

Very hard to find (Cherry, Honey and Classic are always on the shelves, not this baby). I adore the tint it gives the lips, very natural yet 'blushed', just like a strawberry. It's very hard to find a lipstick/lipgloss that would mimic the color of strawberries since they are all either cold-toned (fuchsia pinks) or orange/scarlet..which isn't bad, but I wanted something strawberry-ish! 

Been cruising makeup stores and supermarket aisles for ever until I saw this baby right by the cashier's...hello lover! I absolutely love the texture, the color, the scent (it has a pleasant taste as well, no plastic-bad blueberry juice like every other 'fruity' lipgloss/chapstick has), the smoothness and the hydrating effect. Comes with an SPF of 10 as well.

It's not extremely cheap, but not expensive either, so if you just want gorgeous lips without all the fuss, I suggest this product, combined with a lipliner (currently using Rimmel's East End Snob and Lancome's Caramel). It's going to be gorgeous and very Lolita-esque (kissed lips!), and it's REALLY pigmented for a chapstick (more pigmented than a lipgloss, obviously less color than with a lipstick). 

Maybelline Super Stay 24h Concealer

I use it as an eyelid primer and it works wonders, my makeup doesn't budge. I got the wrong shade (03, the darkest beige) which is too yellow for me so I can't really use it under the eyes. It's also a bit drying, which makes it a perfect tool to hide some blemishes. I probably shouldn't be using it on the eyelids, but they tend to get oily so I guess the dry effect cancels itself during the day...great eyeshadow primer! 

Veet Warm Wax

This is great for summer. I'll tell you why:

-I always wax my upper lip. The tiniest hair will get stuck in foundation and the more, the merrier- you end up looking like you have a mustache. If you're a brunette, even worse. I think every woman should wax their upper lip...the hair will not grow stronger or darker, but weaker and slower since you're yanking it out from its root and not only cutting off its surface. But that's just my take on the issue. However, girls with bleached facial hair look horrifying..so I personally suggest what my beautician said, just wax it...in two years maximum it won't grow back at all. 

-Bikini lines, especially if you're going to the seaside: salted water, chlorine and all those substances are known to irritate the hell out of the delicate skin or the upper thighs/bikini lines/inner thighs. If you're going on holiday and you're planning on shaving, think about the fact that if you're going straight into the water, you'll come out full of red dots; if you wait for a day (I tried waiting for 8 hours, didn't work), the hair is going to start growing back though it's (yet) unnoticeable. By this stage you can feel it already so no silk smooth legs. So you have to do it over and over again. Not nice. 

I strongly suggest girls, especially brunettes, to wax, since it's a healthy and perfect method of getting rid of body/face hair without paying a ton of $ if you can't afford laser/pulsed light/whatever else there is out there. I never shave on my upper legs/inner thighs/bikini, for fear of ingrown hairs (that always pop up when you go on holiday..especially when you swim/sweat) which look horrible in that area.

This wax is great because:

-it's not real bees wax. It's a combination of sugars and other substances that make it not that sticky as bees wax, easier to handle, with a higher boiling point (so you don't get burned as easily if you're a novice). 

-it does a great job at removing unwanted hair, from the thickest to peach fuzz. Really good for sensitive skin (me and some of my friends have been using this on the face as well with no problems whatsoever).

-it's hydrosoluble, which means it dissolves in water. Any drops/spots/traces can be cleaned really easily and fast.

-comes with a set of reusable strips (since it's hydrosoluble, you just let the used strips in water and in 20 mins they're ready to be dried and used again). 

-comes with a cute thermo sensitive applicator that 'tells' you when it's too hot or good to use

- if you're handy enough, you can apply it in a thicker layer (it doesn't crack no matter for how long you leave it on the skin, unlike bees wax that starts chipping if left for more than 2-3 mins) and then yank it with your fingers if you wanna save the product (of course, if you're waxing fuzz). 

-you can warm in it in the microwave. Super fast and easy!

Summer foundations

Nivea Beauty Lift, Vichy Normaderm and Estee Lauder Double Wear. Because they're so resistant and don't budge in heat/water/sweat etc. Will review the Normaderm very soon! 

Today's makeup and rambling

Obviously, in absence of anything really interesting to do today, after i finished all i had to do i went shopping for clothes...and got makeup as well. Nothing fancy, just drugstore products i am a bit excited about.

First off, i renewed my L'Oreal Lash Architect supply (the old one was getting a bit tired) and i also got the Million Lashes one, just to see what's the rave about. 

Another item i got is an Olay cleanser that i most certainly will like- i've already tried their eye makeup remover and all their products are so nicely scented. Next- a Nivea foundation and a bright coral lipstick. Finally found!

The foundation story is as follows: two days ago when i went shopping for the Rimmel goodies, i wasn't wearing any makeup and felt a bit embarrassed inside the store because people were 'staring' at me (they weren't, it's just my paranoia). I picked up the first foundation tester (Nivea Beauty Lift) and slammed it on, then a bit of mascara and that was it, i instantly felt better. When i got home my skin looked surprisingly well- i don't know if it was the humidity in the air, since it was raining, or the fact that i had no primer on (though it's supposed to be otherwise), or that i just slapped it on, no careful stippling/blending (though again, isn't THAT the correct way of dealing with foundation?), i have no idea, but it looked so nice. No pores, no blotches, my skin was positively glowing. 

Checked out some Makeupalley reviews and they all mentioned this effect; the foundation has quite a high score for a Nivea product (most people dislike their products, i don't understand why, but well...) and two or three reviewers actually compare it to Make Up For Ever's HD foundation. I haven't tried that and i would have certainly not purchased this foundation if i hadn't worn it for several hours and loved the effect. Picking up a shade was quite a trip because i hate wearing foundations that are as light as my skin (i know...i shouldn't) because they're just too pale and i like to 'cheat' a shade or two. I picked 060 Amber which isn't the darkest but neither the lightest. I'm really curious/anxious to see what this foundation will behave like on the long(er) run.

The lipstick is exactly what i was looking for. The pictures i uploaded as the depiction of my HG coral lips are obviously retouched and the lighting is way different than the one in my house; it doesn't look as pale as the photos but anything in that family probably wouldn't have complemented my skintone. The lipstick is from a brand named BeYu that produce their cosmetics in Germany (i don't know if it's German); it borders on drugstore/higher end (they have some more expensive items as well). This product is Star Lipstick in nr. 05. 

It's quite similar to Rimmel's Coral in Gold sans the golden frosty finish which i don't like that much, thus a plus. It's also lighter and has that Old Hollywood, late 1940's romantic touch; whenever i see a bright coral lipstick i can't help to think of Katharine Hepburn, Chinese silk and geishas.

Now about the face of the day- especially the Lumene mascara. 

The lashes look a bit spidery because i applied too much, however i am beginning to think this mascara is a real find.

First off, i have half a coat of Max Factor Masterpiece underneath the Lumene one, i couldn't imagine not wearing that one, ever (it's a sort of a 'primer' to me). The Lumene one is thinner than your usual drugstore mascaras (Maybelline, L'Oreal i mean) and creamier. It looks quite thin at a superficial glance and i was a bit worried it might clump the lashes together as Volume Collagen from L'Oreal did- it didn't. 

The brush is huge but it works- it's very soft or at least softer than anything else with that type of brush (even Diorshow..) therefore you can press as hard as you like if you feel like you need it-to prevent clumps from forming. It just glides, setting itself on the lashes and coating the tips with a fine, creamy layer of mascara. It looks a bit 'wet' until it dries, which is quite fast so no worries about that.

It leaves the lashes soft and most important of all, if you're not satisfied with the volume, or you want a true false lash effect, you can apply a thicker mascara on top of this one because it won't clump. The Lumene is similar to Isadora's in this respect- it 'softens' any previous mascara layers and does give a dramatic effect if you insist (uppercase example), but there's no spider effect as it would be with other mascaras.

Project Ten Pan...

That's what happened- i finished these products so i figured, well, why not consider it a 'Pan project', right. I definitely need it...to cut back on my unused makeup/cosmetics in general.

Nivea Soft moisturizer- one of my all-time favorites, an old-school product i pair up with Nivea creme for perfectly hydrated skin. Never broke me out, in fact i always used it after some product went all bad on me and caused problems, such as Nuxe's Aromaperfection moisturizing& controlling lotion...'nuff said. This is a staple for me but since the Swedish weather is quite harsh right now i'm going to keep my A-Derma and Nivea creme regime for the time being and come back to this one in summer time.

Isadora Active Moist Makeup-i blogged about this here. It's a very good foundation that protects and moisturizes. Doesn't last as long as Estee Lauder Double Wear (whoa!), but it's a great budget find. You can't beat the SPF 30 either. Will come back to this as soon as i get over my Double Wear addiction.

L'Oreal Elnett hairspray- that's probably the only thing i will repurchase very soon since i can't live without it. Tried everything, and some stuff did come close to this one, but well, you definitely can't beat old' Elnett. Definitely tempted to try the Satin finish (or something like that), the new hairspray in a pink tube that Eva Longoria is currently on TV promoting.

Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher- blogged about it here. I already threw the tube away so no picture of the little fellow.

Nivea Ideal Finish foundation- another good drugstore dupe for Revlon's Colorstay. Thick, great coverage, a tad oily maybe. Going through it very fast cause i've got my mind set on several foundations i definitely want to try (discontinued stuff found online).

Max Factor Lasting Performance- a blah foundation. Nothing spectacular. I didn't like it because i have the Double Wear to compare everything with. Nice color range but well, no staying power. Anyways, glad to finish with this one. I wanted to throw it away at first. Maybe someone will want it, who knows.

Lumene Beauty Base Matifying Primer- i love their products wholeheartedly but this stuff is a huge flop. Didn't do anything for my skin. I mixed it with some other foundations i didn't like to create a tinted moisturizer...and get rid of it asap. Bleh.

L'Oreal Infallible foundation- a good product but way too dark for my skintone (purchased during my tanorexic phase). I mainly use it for contouring but the yellow undertones really put me off. I've got a stick foundation from Isadora in a darker color that i use for contouring purposes so this guy is not needed at all.

L'Oreal Star Secrets lipstick- one of my favorites of all time :( it's slowly dying and diminishing with each use, Will scoop out even the last drop but i can't lie and say i'm not feeling a bit of an urge to go shopping for a new one now...that my fave lipstick is over! Really, right? :D

Max Factor Creme Puff in Translucent- B.D.W., i.e. before Double Wear in makeup ages, i used to love this powder deeply. It was the only thing that felt good on the skin and looked extremely natural. Now that i don't need a powder to set my makeup with, i'm stuck with another backup of this. Definitely going to use it with other foundations (Face Stockholm, Nivea, etc) and on top of concealers-it's the only thing that doesn't make my makeup 'crack'. As you can see by the condition of the top lid this has seen better days when it was frantically used.

Guess it's time for new makeup purchases now...

Skincare Love

Okay so a quickie. The stuff i've been using for the past month (+the newcoming Neutrogena Facial Bar) and i'm feeling great:

-Neutrogena Facial Cleansing Bar

-Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel- three times a week maybe. I tend to forget about it, but it's a great product that works without drying out the skin. It really helped with my blemishes and other stories (shiny nose, enlarged pores etc). As i always said, i will NEVER use peroxyde on my face (Proactiv for example, or Clearasil).

-Neutrogena 2-in-1 Face Wash-Mask- another great product. I want to kick Neutrogena's butt because they only sell a fraction of their products in Europe...no makeup, no nada :( this stuff is great because it's the only thing that opens my pores really thoroughly until i can see the clogs coming out and popping at the surface of the skin (i know, gross) and i can easily remove them with my magic wand (the blackhead extractor, that is).
-Pharmacy makeup remover- the best of all times. Maybe if i found the Elizabeth Arden (potentially discontinued) one on the market (a special one, i forgot the name, in a big bottle) i could give it a try. Otherwise this baby is great at removing tenacious foundation (even Double Wear), waterproof mascara and doesn't absolutely irritate my eyes. Never experienced eyelash fall either.

-La Roche Posay Fluide Extreme Anthelios AC SPF 30 (sunscreen)- the best i have ever tried. It's very lightweight, gets absorbed quickly and can even constitute a great base for the makeup. Doesn't leave a white cast but a rather illuminated complexion (call me crazy but i compare it with Le Blanc De Chanel Illuminating Base haha)

-Lancome Genifique Youth Activator- Lancome's response to Estee Lauder's repair serum; costs an arm and a leg but i think it does work. However, since i don't have fine lines or wrinkles i can't comment on its basic aim, but it does make my skin feel rested and more luminous. Very lightweight and not oily at all.

-A-derma Exomega emollient cream by the Ducray Laboratoires- a moisturizer designed for atopic, irritated and dry skins, based on Omega 6 and vitamin B3. It is very expensive, almost 25 euros, but the tube is huge (200ml) and it works wonders especially during the Swedish winter. I was going crazy last December, buying the greasiest moisturizers i could find, rummaging the pharmacy shelves in my quest for the perfect cream- my fear of wrinkles combined with -30 C temperatures isn't a good combo for a mellow state of mind. This moisturizer protects, nourishes, hydrates and leaves my skin supple. I used to alternate between this and Nivea Creme as a makeup base as well and also carry it in my bag (huge tube, but really handy).

-Body America Organics Southern Belle Peach and Mango Body Butter- this stuff is great because 1) it smells divinely,2) it's 72% organic, 3) contains precious organic oils and extracts, such as aloe, mango kernel, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, shea butter and cocoa seed butter, 4) leaves my skin incredibly soft. I sometimes cheat and use it on the hands and face as well. Is it ok to use it on the face? Have no idea but i love how it feels.

-Nivea Creme- love of my life without which i cannot live. Laugh if you will but i adore the strong rose scent and the creamy feeling. It clogs my pores a bit faster than usual but i never experienced any breakouts or shiny face from it. I love it as a makeup base as well when i'm using the Double Wear foundation- it's the only moisturizer that can keep up with the dryness of that stuff. 'Nuff said.

Finally found- my HG concealer

Two days ago i wanted to decide about which concealer that i already own would actually become the HG. I really floated around and couldn't put my finger on it...because yesterday i went shopping, and i did find it.

It's the Nivea Coverstick in 09 Beige. *breaths in* Ladies, this is IT. It is ONE of them actually. Excuse the impetuousness.....*rolls eyes*...my bad. I do it all the time!



Price and packaging: It's quite cheap, less than the equivalent of 10 euros, and the packaging is very nice. Sometimes the typical lipstick-shaped drugstore concealer bugs me because it's so uncomfortable to use, especially when you use it and the top becomes a little blunt; it's hard to get into all the small creases of the nose or in the inner eye corner. This one is shaped like a thin stick; to get the product out you simply screw the bottom and then screw it back when you're done.

At first i thought this was going to be a Clinque Superfine Liner for Brows-kind-of-job- a terrific product that unfortunately cannot be twisted back...hello drama. I'm really happy with this little aspect because hey, this is supposed to be a cheapster, remember? I can't wait to slam my friend who's rather snobby and solemnly declares she 'loathes' Nivea makeup! Ha!
The color of the packaging is a nice peachy beige, a nice nude that mimics lighter complexions' natural tone. It's not one of those transparent lid disasters that get all slathered with product and look like a mess after three uses.

Shades: I have mine in 09 Beige, which is quite funny (and confusing at the same time) since they only had two shades in the stores (and on the website), namely Nude (i forgot the number, perhaps 05?) and Beige. Errr why would it be 09 if there are only TWO shades available? It's not like it bothers me, but it could be a little confusing (it was for me!), you might end up rummaging through the makeup rack looking for something a tad lighter/darker, namely the expected number 08 or something like that. You won't find it, at least not right now (or maybe it's just a Swedish case, who knows).




When i tried this shade i was a little worried it was going to be a 'mistake', as my Maybelline Coverstick experience turned out to be (light plummy pink concealer anyone?). The color appears as a very light peach, period. No pinks, no nudes, no beige, just peach. Hmmmm. Half of me wanted so badly to take it home (i'll get to the best part in a second), the other one was pulling my sleeve and guiding my eyes to the Maybelline rack...i went back and forth between Nude and Beige, but i finally gave in and purchased Beige. Nude was way too light (think about someone with W15-W20 skintone).

This is THE perfect concealer shade for me, and i own quite a bunch. I always think about Eve Pearl's advice- never get something white, it will make you look like a raccoon, never get something too dark, it's easy to be fooled, and you'll look sick. get something as close as possible to your natural skintone, preferably on the peachy side, two shades lighter (or even one, not more). This is it! I cannot believe i found it!

I usually get overexcited about products, at least more than my favorite beauty bloggers do. But this time, it's so right! The color is perfect for me. Not too light, not too dark, not too pink (i HATE PINK undereye circles!), not too peachy. I just couldn't go wrong with this one! Really!

Consistency: This is one of the best perks- it's CREAMY. The creamiest stick concealer i have ever tried. I remember my old Shiseido cover stick- no way. That one was harsher and harder to blend in, and it costed four times this one. It's just crazy!! This little fellow glides on my skin, leaving a PERFECT amount of product, and for really imperceptible retouches, you can just TOUCH it to your skin and it will leave a bit of product. I am VERY, very pleased and surprised with it.

Staying Power: another positive aspect. It stayed on with absolutely no problem from 4 p.m. when i put it on in the store and it didn't budge till 10 p.m when i took my makeup off. Though i am sure it would have continued doing a great job way past midnight....anyways i am going to test it really soon- clubbing and dancing i mean. Let's see what happens :)!

It doesn't crease, not even remotely close to what other concealers crease like. It just didn't set into my lines which is fantastic! However, i prefer to moisturize my eye area, because well, i always do it, and because i find it even more gliding when i apply the concealer. I think setting it with powder it's optional, i didn't do it because i don't think it's really necessary (combination skin here).

The most pleasant part about it...it is scented :) and i really like it. Smells like Nivea makeup remover, NOT like the Nivea creme or Nivea Visage cream. It's REALLY scented but it doesn't reek. Personally i was getting fed up with stinky, plasticine smelling concealers (Maybelline, L'Oreal, Max Factor, even Clinique and Shiseido) and when i felt the scent i thought i was delirious :)
The smell isn't overbearing at all, it's just there, and you will stop noticing it in a few minutes so no worries there. I LOVE how it smells!!!! Kept sniffing my hands (where i tested it first) on the way home!

For the moment, it's definitely my HG concealer. Waiting and seeing, who knows. But right now, i am seriously in love.