a little update on life.

Hello lovelies,
hope you're all doing fine.
This month has been kind of aweful for me. Struggling with the last exams, trying to start my thesis, and then a sad news arrived.
Some weeks ago my aunt had a cerebral haemorrhage and went into a coma for some days.
She has now awaken from her coma, but she has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and we are still waiting for the results of the biopsy, to know if it can be removed or in the worst case scenario it is a deadly one (I don't want to sound cynical, I just have the "bad habit" to call things what they are - I am actually very worried about this situation).

If I haven't posted anything last week, it is because I went to Cagliari, to the hospital where she is (in the neuro-surgery department now) to visit her, and talk to her.
I won't deny that it took me 10 minutes to get near her without feeling like bursting into tears. It's not a happy sight, but at least she was awake and she spoke to me (not more than 4 words in a row, but she understood everything I said) and she recognized everyone.
Sure, she does mistake one word for another, or she does not remember some things, but it takes time, and she's surely better than when she was in the intensive care department.
It won't be a nice Christmas this year, without her and her family at my grandmother's house, and I am sure my grandparents will think about her all the time and be worried...I wish I could help any way.

That being said, I have decided I will sell some shoes and clothes on ebay, and some unloved makeup here on my blog, to help me buy the FREAKING EXPENSIVE rare books I need to write my final thesis (geez, my aunt even remembered that...crap! Now I feel guilty if I don't live up to the expectations LOL), because I don't want to ask my family for money.
I think they'd rather spend the money to solve this situation which is way more important then me.
I don't know when my scholarship will be paid, probably not soon, but I need to buy my books now to start working on my project. Either way, it's really a small amount (Italian scholarships are very poor, but at least we have them!).
So I will be selling things, for small prices, because even 5 euros help right now. So if you see soemthing you'd like and want to help, buy...or simply spread the word about the sale so that someone will eventually buy something.

No, I'm not asking you for donations (LOL...we all know what I think about it. Vex in the City's post about that epitomizes my thought). I just thought this was a nice idea to finance my research, because I have way too much stuff anyway, and I don't want to waste it.
I really don't want to ask my mother for money, because of this situation (the auntie is her sister!), because she has my brothers still at home and in school to take care of, and because we're not exactly rich anyway.

I will do a post soon...when the time comes, please help me spread the word about it (the sale, not my aunt's situation LOL). That's all I ask.
Thank you.

Sarah's Christmas giveaway

The lovely and super-informative Sarah @ I Heart Cosmetics is hosting a Christmas giveaway.
There are two prizes for this competition, and winners will be selected via random.com.

If you want to know more about this, and enter, click here.

As usual, good luck everyone! ;)

L'Orèal lash serum, week 1

Since I don't want to be seeing things with this, I want to ask you:
Do you see any change?
Am I crazy of my lashes seem sparser?

on skincare.

If you have dry to combination skin like me, you're probably always in search for the right products to stop those sudden breakouts, or hide those visible pores, and at the same time not to make the rest of your face flacky.

I have been trying out things for years, believe me. Nothing worked amazingly for me.
Now, I think I found the right product!

I have been testing out the Clinique's 3-steps routine for a while now, and I have decided that I hate their moisturizer. That Dramatically Different Lotion ruins everything the first two products do! It's way too oily, and makes my pores visible again, or even break me out!

The cleanser, however, is excellent.
The toner is a very good product too. My only problem with it, it's the smell: too alcohol-like.

The key product for my skincare routine, though, is moisturizer: Vichy's Normaderm.
This is the best moisturizer ever, and I will keep on repurchasing it! It does not makes my skin flacky, but it helps minimizing those pores from first application (believe me!), and it helps you get rid of those little imperfections that you hate. I had tiny hard pimples on my chin that I couldn't fight with any product...and Normaderm took them off completely!
Also, it evens out your skin color, so if you have red spots on your cheeks or anywhere else, you'd notice the change when you apply the moisturizer.

It is great!!! I'd say that any other product can change, and that I can also use a minimal routine composed of a cleanser (it can also be the cheap Nivea Oxygen one!) and Normaderm, and you still get the results!

There is also a version of this moisturizer for oily skins, and a serum that helps you fight spots if you have acne, so you can make it suitable for your skin needs.

I definitely recommend you try Vichy's Normaderm if you have my same type of skin.
It is also an excellent base for your makeup, as it turns your face into a smooth canvas to work on, and I also love its soft smell.

Of course, this may not work on you as well as it worked on me, because skins respond to ingredients in different ways, but if your skin is exactly like mine, I'm convinced it will work.

Have a nice day, beauties!

Lyd

on love.

It's official. I am in love with him. Yes, I do love my boyfriend. He is the most intriguing, intelligent, romantic, and handsome man I have ever met. Oooh, and he's highly educated (I'm a sucker for mind challange) and a talented poet and songwriter.

Did I praise him enough?

I know I sound like a stupid teenager with this post, but I thought I wanted to share my love with the whole world.

I.LOVE.HIM.
LOVE.HIM.LIKE.I.HAVE.NEVER.LOVED.ANYBODY.ELSE!

Sorry everyone, I had to say this!!!

Good girl gone bad

I did it again. I entered a beauty store to get my moisturizer and my labello (or nivea, however you call it in your country) lip balm.
I got out with a Rimmel lipstick in Coral Chic, its lipliner, my new Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara in intense black this time, and the L'Orèal lash serum. Will this work?
Let's start the challange.
I will post an update picture each week. It is supposed to work in 4 weeks.

I should be stopped.

The serum works overnight. You have to use the point of the applicator to put it carefully on the root of your lashes and then work the way up to the tip.
It appears to be sticky at first, but then it dries out and you won't even feel it.

Hopefully it won't have side effects on my lashes :S

Has anyone tried this product? If so, what are your opinions?

It's all about me tag

Now I haven't been tagged for this, but I wanted to post something else and I couldn't, as my connection today is UTTER CRAP, and does not allow me to use picnik.com to crop pics etc.
So I found this on abbzzw's blog and thought I would give it a go:

Vital Statistics
Me: Lydia (although I am forced to be Lidia on documents, as the registry office clerk was a big ignorant and "Italianized" the name when I was born)
Nicknames: Li' for Italians, Lyd for my foreign friends.
Birthday: January, 10th
Place of Birth: Ozieri, SS - I know you have no idea where that is. I was only born there, and only been there for my brother's birth. Never ever again in my life. It's tiny.
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn, if you believe in such things
Male or Female: What do you think?! -_-
Occupation: post-grad student, free-lance translator, EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher in the summer.
Residence: Sardinia, the island where you can find sun, pristine beaches and wild nature, hella good food, friendly people and the gene of longevity (no kidding, it is scientifically proven!)
Screen Name: Alice in Wonderland on msn

Appearance
Hair Colour: Brunette (not so dark though, I was a blondie as a baby)
Hair Length: Way past my shoulders
Eye colour: Bluish-greysh-green eyes...they are weird, and change every day.
Best Feature: Eyes maybe?
Height: 5'6'' I think...1,74 in meters.
Braces?: Not anymore, but I should wear them again!
Glasses?: Defo! I'm both short sighted and astigmatic (in other words I can even see past my nose) I wear contacts to go out though.
Piercing: regular in ears, and nose.
Tattoos: I do not like tattoos
Righty or Lefty: Righty!

Your 'Firsts'
First best friend: Dario and Alberto. Yes, that's two males. I was a tomboy
First Award: I was 2nd for pole-vault at the youths athletic games in my elementary school
First Sport You Joined: Gymnastics. I was forced by my father as usual. I wanted to dance.
First Real Vacation: I think it was in Corsica (a French island)
First Concert: local band called Tazenda. They were huge over hear and made it to be big in the rest of Italy. I was only a kid
First Love: I erased my past loves when I met my current boyfriend, but I'll mention I thought I was in love with some kid name Marco when I was in elementary school.

Favourites
Movie: I love too many. Most of them are ghetto/mafia stories, or thrillers, or sad things
TV Show: too many again! Lost, Prison Break, Weeds (eventhough the last season really lost its mojo), Gossip Girl, The secret life of the American teenager, Family Guy is awesome, the Simpsons, House, ER, Criminal Minds, The Big Bang Theory is hilarious....as you can see I'm a tv series junkie. so much so I am writing my final thesis on the translation of those
Colours: I love them all!
Song: I have too many! Mostly they're all from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Incubus...but I really have too many!
Candy: not a big candy fan. I love chocolate though.
Restaurant: I do not eat in fast food restaurant, I boycott them.
Store: Max&Co.
School: you mean university, by now, don't you? ahaha
Book: I have three: Se questo è un uomo (if this is a man) by Primo Levi, Il fu Mattia Pascal (the late Mattia Pascal) by Luigi Pirandello and Wait until spring Bandini, by John Fante
Magazine: I don't read magazines. I only read newspapers, and not even everyday.
Shoes: ballerina shoes!

Currently
Feeling: Loved by my boyfriend
Single or Taken: Taken (happily)
Eating: nothing
Typing: what do you think?
Online: again...
Listening To: the silence (or my fingers pressing on the keyboard's buttons)
Thinking About: Domenico ♥
Wanting: to speed up my studies
Watching: nothing really
Wearing: PJ's . I am inside my bed

Future
Want Children?: I think so, eventhough I'm scared
Want to be Married: Eventhough I do not believe in the church, I do believe in it as an institution so yes, marriage for me one day.
Careers in Mind: I won't say it until I come close to it.
Where do you want to live?: I don't know. Sardinia is a good place to live your life, but I can't see myself not travelling often to escape the routiny life.

Have you ever..
Kissed a Stranger: every teenager has kissed a stranger. well everyone who had sense of adventure.
Had Alcohol: ahahhahahahahahahah...far too many times
Smoked: Never ever and I am proud of that
Ran Away From Home: Contemplated it a lot of times, but never really did
Broken a bone: Yes!
Got an X-ray: plenty at the dentist!
Broken Someone's Heart: Love is like that
Broke Up With Someone: I am glad I did!
Cried When Someone Died: Of course.
Cried At School: Not really glad I did.

Do You Believe In..
God: I am an agnostic (going to atheism slowly), however I respect the concept of God more than any church, and I do respect people's beliefs.
Miracles: No. Just in good unexpected news.
Love At First sight: mhm don't know. maybe intense attraction at first sight
Ghosts: No
Aliens: don't know. if they exist they're not the mosters they show on tv
Soul Mates: Yes
Heaven: agnostic, remember? "Above us only sky" (John Lennon)
Hell: "no hell below us" (John Lennon)
Kissing on The First Date: If it feels right, but I think it's worth waiting. My boyfriend had to wait until the tenth date to steal a kiss from me. ahahah it was well worth it though!
Yourself: sometimes