Tag: "summer besties"

I was tagged by the lovely Bethany from the blog ...OBSESSIONS to LIVE FOR..., check her out if you haven't. I found that tag quite amusing since summer is here so here I am, sharing with you my summer....(Warning: quite picture heavy)

1. Lip product- It's the time of the year to pull off bright colours, this year i chose MAC vegas volt to give me a fresh and fun lip colour. It's an amazing orange-coral that also acts as a lip stain when I don't want to look OTT. I don't use a lip liner with that one, to give it a more youthfull, street look.

2. Blush- I don't really wear blush often and during the summer time i prefer a bronzer or a blush that ressembles a bronzer:p It creates definition and a sun-kissed glow which I love. I always pair a highlighter with it to make me look more fresh. MAC refined golden and MAC CCB in hush are a must have for me during summer. A combination i recommend.

3. Nail polish- During the winter i ONLY wear dark shades. In summer, it looks quite ridiculous so pastels, turquoises and bright pinks are my best friend.

4. Liquid face product- In Greece the weather is way too hot to wear a liquid face product, unless it's sunscreen of course. That one is a given and common sense, so i rather show what i use to cover any problem areas on my face. I spot conceal or cover redness with a concealer or with a stick foundation that will give me coverage and not melt away after 2 minutes.

5. Powder face Product- It's futile to use powder in such heat, but sometimes if i really need to set my makeup I will use a Clinique face powder to keep oils at bay.

6. Hair product- Since i wash my hair so often during summer, after the beach etc...i am a bit lazy to use conditionner so i put on a leave-in conditionner that i also use at the beach to protect my hair. Lazyness being key here, i also tend to wear my hair at it's natural curlyness so a mousse is essential to stop the frizz. At 40 degrees, i doubt anyone wants to sit blowdrying their hair and straightening it.

7. Eye product- I want something easy, fast and that lasts. That's why i chose a paintpot, or any waterproof cream eyeshadow for that matter. No need for 5 eyeshadows and 10 liners.

8. Self tanner- I admit, i was never a self tanning addict. I don't mind being as pale as Dita Von Teese, and i don't mind being tan either, but only leading to long hours at the beach. I just don't like the smell and the mentality of self-tanning. I must be the only person in the world:p However, what i use religiously every summer is the Nuxe huile prodigieuse with shimmer. It makes me look shimmery and smells divine. I use that all over my body and in my hair. Also, for the first time in my life i wanted to tan a tiny bit my legs but without being orange, just golden and since i have sensitive skin, i ventured into Avene. It's okay but i loathe the smell of self tan. At least im not an oompa loompa.

9- Fashion accessory- Ray bans, vintage sunglasses and huge earrings is what i prefer. Maybe that will change as soon as i get a Chan Luu wrap bracelet.

10- Clothing piece- Nothing fashionable, but more like a necessity. Tank top and swimming suit. The top of the swimming suit can double up as a bra so it's quite versatile too.

I tag whoever wants to do this fun tag!

Shoes!

Trying on the Christian Louboutin leopard print pair of gorgeous killer heels belonging to my friend...who can walk in these? We sure can't haha!

Italian brand "sweet ballerinas" makes the cutest flats ever, they really remind me of some miu miu or prada but they are a bit less stiff and uncomfortable (I tried some prada ones that were so pretty but they didn't hold my feet too well)...and who doesn't love bows on their flats ? I can never find flats that are comfortable for me, they are either too big, too small, they slip away but these are just fine. This reminds me i need a new pair of Repetto's...

Have a great week!

I have been Shellac-ed!

I wanted a Shellac manicure since ages, actually since i saw Lisa Eldrige's video on it! For those of you who don't know what a Shellac manicure (or pedicure) is, it's a new type of nail polish that adheres to your nails for 15 days or more without chipping and without causing the nail damage. You can read more about it here. The price is 30 euros, so not so much more expensive than your standart manicure which would last much less.
When i booked my apointment i had a dark brown shade in mind, but since the weather has been so hot and sunny, it would look quite ridiculous so I opted for the coral shade called tropix which turned out coraly/pink on me and i love it!
I wanted to film the whole process and take pictures step by step, but the lady there didn't let me, and told me to call the PR company...pfff :-( (Which I may do when i get my second Shellac or my shellac pedicure for all of you to see).
The whole process took about 35 minutes, it just consists of alot of layering and placing your hand in the UV light activator, and the amazing thing is after you are done, your nails are hard as rock and you don't have to wait for them to dry!
I will take a picture each week, or once my nail chips so you all can see if this is long lasting. Also, my nails are TERRIBLE and nothing lasts more than 2 or 3 days on me, even with a top quality basecoat.

(Excuse my nasty nails, i have the worse cuticles ever despise all the hand creams, solar oil and Sally Hansen cuticle remover...sadly only a good manicure fixes that :-( )

Let me know if you have tried Shellac, and how long it lasted for you!

My thoughts on some products

Lately i have been loving purples, so i wanted to experiment with a new purple eyeshadow (I am loving pastels lately) and a new purple mascara. I went out and got YSL faux cils in vibrant violet and MAC beautiful iris eyeshadow, and after using them for about a week here are my thoughts.

• MAC beautiful iris eyeshadow: Extremely disapointed in it, the pigmentation is lacking and the staying power is beyond ridiculous. Now knowing it's a veluxe pearl, one of the best eyeshadow formulas from MAC I had high expectations. The colour is lovely in the pan but on the eyes as you can see, even with a base and packing it on 3 times it has no colour payoff. Mac purples seem pretty weak, and I regret not getting a Bobbi Brown or Laura Mercier purple. Mine fell on the floor as it slipped from my hands and broke, but honestly I am not too fussed.

• YSL faux cils in vibrant violet #4: My all time favourite mascara failed to impress me this time. I was looking for a purple mascara that has a playfull purple payoff on the lashes for spring, not too extreme and 90's looking either but not as subtle as this one.After reading all the positive reviews on makeupalley I knew I had to get this one. On the picture, taken in daylight and zoomed in, you can notice the colour is gorgeous on my lashes. However in real life it's not noticable at all and it almost looks like a grey/black. My lashes are quite dark but a bit lighter at the ends, which should have made the result way more vibrant but it didn't, and I don't want to use a primer underneath either because it doesn't work on my eyelashes with this mascara (clumpy and spidery looking). I would recommend this for daytime use, if you want a very subtle hint of purple not even noticable (or if you have blonde lashes) but if you want dramatic beautiful purple colourful lashes that make an impact for nightime, don't bother and skip it.

• Korres bright pink #12: Loving the Korres nail polishes even more, they last a whole week on my nails without chipping (usually chipping occurs within 2 days with other polishes on my nails), they are a dream to apply and extremely glossy. Yay for Korres once again.

Also, whilst at the YSL counter, I swatched the new pink celebration higlighter powder spring edition 2011, and i skipped it. It was glittery, and way too frosty for my taste although the pigmentation was good, the consistency felt really smoothe and almost buttery. (One more reason to get Dior Amber Diamond)

That's it!

Shiny!

I have a slight obsession with skulls and pyramids lately. I couldn't resist this ring i saw on net-a-porter by Kenneth Jay Lane, and the fact that it is an adjustable ring made me purchase it right away. I am hesitant when it comes to buying rings online, because i never know my size. I love my new ring, but the downside is that it's a bit heavy. I think it can be quite unisex as well.

(Wearing Illamasqua caress here)

On another note, i am loving lillac and purple on my eyes this week. I think i want MAC's beautiful iris. Last night i wore the MUFE aqua cream in #18 mauve and im not impressed with the staying power at all...I used it without a base and it was almost gone 5 hours later, and i packed it on and set it with an eyeshadow. I may try Laura mercier or bobbi brown...

I wish you all a great week !