They only want me for my body, they say...

What are you thinking about, you naughties? ;)
I was only sent a little box full of Anatomicals goodies to try and review, from the lovely Paul. I couldn't imagine they would have been so generous!
Here is what I was sent:From the top row, clockwise:
Farewell the scarlet pimplehell - deep cleansing mud mask - x2
That's when I fell for the leader of the (hair) pack - deep conditioning hair pack - x2
Eye cream, you scream, we all scream for eye cream - regenerating eye cream -
Stop cracking up - lip balm -
No old bags allowed - eye gel -
Supercalfree licktasticexit halitosis - sour apple mints -
None of your foul moth - cinnamon mints - (really, do I give the impression of someone with bad oral hygiene?! LOL)
Help the paw - hand cream -
Not another rough day, please - body moisturizer -

Isn't that a hell of a nice amount? Of course, as these items arrived this morning I can't do a full review now, however, I did try some products because...well, my screen name says it all: I'm an Alice in a new wonderland, therefore "curiouser and curiouser".
The products I tried were the Not another rough day, please body moisturizer (the package came in right after I took a shower...what a coincidence!) and I liked it a lot. I have very dry legs, and I still can feel them very smooth...and it's been hours since I've applied it!
I also tried the Help the pow hand cream, and I am still undecided whether I like its smell or not. One second I do, the following second I don't. Regardless, it does its job...My hands felt pretty smooth!
The Stop cracking up lip balm...I loved the strawberry smell, but it does not stands out as an exceptional product to me. I still think my Labello lasts way longer.

Want to know what stood out as exceptional?: the eye cream and the eye gel are unbelievable! I'm not that much of a "bag" person, however my eyes were a little tired this morning and I had dark circles (not bad ones, but still...) I tried Eye cream, you scream, we all scream for eye cream and it worked straightaway! I was so impressed with it...suddenly it was like I had never watched tv, never spent hours in front of a computer screen, or read for the past 5 years.

Well, I cannot give you full reviews now, because I think I have to give the products a few more rounds (and also try the other ones I have been sent), but I wanted to share some "spoilers".

Overall, I think you should at least visit their site: www.anatomicals.net, to get a hint of the brand and the products and "come prepared" for when I'll be fully reviewing them.
You'll probably think a couple of things do not make sense at all when you read them...those guys are just too funny (in a smart way, I must say...)! Even the products have this "retrò" packaging, quirky names and explanations...I love it! I think it's genious!

Stay tuned for the full reviews, and have fun reading the site!

xoxo,
Lyd

You've got mail... from Lumiere again!

Being back from my two days' romantic escapade, today I felt a little sad.
Hot weather, and the impossibility of going to the beach made me irritated, the fact that I am still at my parents' house and I won't be able to go back to my own place until Sept, 3rd made me downright aggravated.

Until, on my way to the farmacy, I passed by the mailbox, and spotted that "lovely" American stamp on a yellow envelope....
Well, that little parcel made my day! Lumiere Cosmetics sent me some other samples for me to try and review (thank you, lovely Sarah, for making my day...again!)
Here is what I've got - with flash and without flash:
From top to bottom:
Veena Foundation in Medium Deep Golden
Mineral Blus in Terra Cotta (love it!)
Blushing Bronzer in Firebrick (love it, again!)
Silk Powder (a finishing powder) in Sheer
Shimmer Eye pigment in Light Plum
and another eye pigment in Foliage

plus a lipgloss in Crushed Velvet, which I love!

I'm gonna review the new products and take fotd's soon.
xoxo,
Lyd

Barry M giveaway

Good morning Angels,
another giveaway suggestion today: Obsessions of a 19 year old is hosting a Barry M giveaway, click here to know more about it. If you want to participate, just subscribe to her blog and follow the rules. It's oh-so-easy, and if you win you get to chose the shades for your prize.

Check that out, and good luck!

xoxo,
Lyd

MAC giveaway!!!

Hello everyone,
SweetShuGahon is hosting a MAC giveaway! Wonderful, isn't it? You can check it out here.
Follow the rules, and good luck!

xoxo,
Lyd

a creative giveaway

If you had a make-up line, what would be its slogan?
Lauren, at Lauren Loves... only requires you to get creative and answer this question on a comment to her post, to earn your chance to win the prizes she has for her 100 followers' giveaway.
(of course you need to be a follower and have a valid blog)
Neat one, I think!

So be creative and innovative, and good luck!

xoxo,
Lydia

Thank you!

Hello my lovelies,
I've just noticed I've reached 90 followers! Thank you all so much!
I hope you keep on reading my blog, I think I'm gonna have another giveaway when I reach 150 or 200 followers (if I still have money by then ahahah).

I appreciate your love, especially when you leave comments and stuff.
This weekend's been hectic on so many aspects, but I am definately going to post more fotd's soon...I have some pretty "shades-games" in mind!

Thank you all again,
xoxo,
Lyd

Tag - the list

So I've been tagged by Daisy at Cupcakes and Cherries to draw a list of 5 celebrities who I am allowed to "cheat" with.
I'm not that much into celebrities really, so I don't know where to start and won't place them in a particular order:

1. Josh Holloway

Hot, hot, hot, smoking hot! Plus I love his character on Lost,
and I've become addicted to his redneck accent and name calling

2. Chase Crawford

Needless to say, he's just hot. No other particular talents or peculiarities...he's just awesome looking.
I prefer Chuck's character on the show, but hey...we're talking about looks here...

3. Mekhi Phifer

When he was in shape. I love his smile and cute eyes, and let's be honest, I loved his body!

4. Giampaolo Morelli

Italian actor who is the main character of the super funny tv series "L'ispettore Coliandro".
He's not really hot, but he has something that I find attractive.

5. Hunter Parrish

If you've watched that sex scene in the 4th season of Weeds, you understand.
Guy's just smoking hot...has a terrible voice though...

OK, so this is it...I tag everyone who wants to do this, because I don't know who's into celebrities and who's not. It took me 10 mins to come up with names of hotties ahahaha...I'm into movies, but not into actors ehehe...

xoxo,
Lyd

I'm currently using...

I am jumping on the bandwagon, ehehe...

Shampoo - Garnier Ultra Dolce alla Vaniglia (repurchased after my bad experience with Herbal Essences...I hate it!)

Conditioner - Garnier Ultra Dolce alla Vaniglia

Styling products - None. I give my hair a break in summer.

Shower gel - Dove Armonia dei Sensi..I don't know how it is called abroad, I think it smells of jasmine and white musk

Body moisturiser - Nivea classic for dry skin

Deodorant - Lady Speed Stick in Raspberry Burst (what will I do when I run out? guess I'll be forced to go to Canada again!)

Fake tan - I have a real tan!

Cleanser - L'Oréal for combination skin.

Toner - none

Exfoliator - L'Erbolario Gommage al Bois de Panama

Primer - We don't get primers here :( L'Orèal studio range is coming soon weee

Foundation brush - I normally use my fingers

Concealer - none at the moment, it's summer and I give my skin a break

Powder - none

Blusher - None at the moment, it's summer...my cheeks are naturally blushed by the tan ehehe Sometimes I used the Lumiere one in Indian Red though. Love it

Bronzer - when I use it, it is Pupa

Highlighter - none

Eyeshadows - all sorts...(although I'm only wearing make up at night time)...Sleek, Clarins, Pupa.

Eyeliner - Shiseido gel liner in black

Curler - none

Mascara - Rimmel Sexy Curves

Lipstick - None at the moment

Lipgloss - Pupa...but I can't remember how it is called

Nail colour - Rimmel 60 seconds in Rose Libertine


I tag everyone who hasn't done it yet!

Too much blush's fantabulous giveaway with JK products!

This giveaway is simply AMAZING! Go check Em's page if you don't believe it. Click here.
Follow the rules, and regardless of her giveaway follow her blog, it is definately worth it!
She takes the cutest FOTD and I personally find her style wonderful!

Good luck everyone!

xoxo,
Lyd

Memories...

Can you see those "reddish" finger prints near my mouth? That was my mom's blush, and in this picture I wasn't even 3 years old!

I have to ask my dad where the other albums are, because I really want to post a picture of me wearing red lipstick when I was just a little baby girl.

I have another funny one, which does not fit with make-up, it's just too funny:Drool anyone? LOL - I wasn't even 1 here, I learnt not to do this anymore in time, ahahah!!!

xoxo,
Lyd

tag! you're it!

A tag that requires to write six random facts about myself. Michelle tagged everyone who hadn't done this yet, so here it goes:

1) I have 2 younger brothers
2) My boyfriend is 3 years younger than me (sounds bad, it really isn't. I look his age and act younger than him anyway LOL)
3) I've always been a sucker for eye make-up
4) I have language skills: apart from my mothertongue, which is Italian, I can speak English, French, Spanish, I can easily understand Romanian and Portuguese, and I'm currently obsessed with learning Deutsch (German, LOL)
5) I love travelling, but I don't know if I'd ever backpack - I'm a bathroom chick!
6) I am writing a post-grad thesis on the translation for dubbing of...WEEDS! Yes, I'll have to translate lots of swear words, and I'll be free to be as creative as I want uaahhahaha (evil laughter)

I tag anyone who hasn't done this yet!

I have a winner for my giveaway!

...and that winner is...
which corresponds to: LOUISE!

I am very happy about this, as Louise is a constant reader, she always takes time to comment and all. Congrats, Lou!!!
I'll contact you on twitter!


Thank you to everyone else who entered! Don't worry, you'll have a chance when I do another giveaway, which will be when I hit 150 followers, I think.
Some of the profile were private, some others were non-existant, some erased their comments, and so on, so I had 32 but I ended up with 25 valid entries.

Thank you again for entering, spreading the word ect. Keep on reading my blog, cos when I hit more followers I'm gonna do another giveaway :)

Congrats, again Louise...

xoxo everyone,

Lyd

My entry for The Yummy Mummy Beaty Blog's British Icon contest

My take on the makeup Kate Moss wore on the Vogue cover...of course, hers is a professional picture and I look nothing like her...ehehe...But I had fun doing this. It's a great look, if you're blonde!

Holly said to post many pictures, well I guess this is enough :)
There's one more look I want to do, and it's coming soon.
You can check out the rules for the contest here


Here's my inspiration:

Products used:

Face: Lumiere Cashemere Foundation in Medium Deep Golden
Pupa bronzer to contour

Eyes: Grey and Black eyeshadows from the Sleek Acid Palette
White eyeshadow from the Pupa Precious Gold palette
Shiseido black gel eyeliner
Rimmel London Sexy Curves mascara

Lips: Abbracci e Baci (some random old lipstick I found in my mom's stash) glossy lipstick in Albicocca (peach)

I tried to edit some of the pics to give them a magazine finish, but I failed, ehehe...and I don't know why blogger is underlining my post now...

Hope you like it, and I hope I win, of course - I loved the theme, by the way, and it's been fun!

xoxo,
Lydia

Monday poll, done on wednesday

Taken from Vex in the City. Great blog by the way!

Mood: Bored. My boyfriend is out of town, and my friends are not going out.

How many times have you been in love?: Twice. This time is stronger then ever though...<3

Do you prefer cream or powder blush?: Powder.

Were you a good student?: I still am a student. I'm in univ. And I'm an excellent student, that's the only thing I'm sure of.

Eyes / Lips / Cheeks: Not wearing make up today. I'm home!

How do you feel about camping?: Mhm, not for me I guess. No bathroom? Nooo nooo...But I love spending the night in a tent on the beach :) isn't that romantic?

Are you happy?: Ever since he came into my life, I am. Sugarcoated, but it's the truth!

Do long distance relationships work?: mhm yes and no. I've been with a Canadian for 4 years, but of course it's different than relationships you have locally. I loved it, and it improved me a lot, but if people don't get to local soon it gets frustrating.

Now I'm on a local one, and it works better.

Outfit: ahaha velour shorts and a sleeveless top. Pj's!

Weekly goals: start studying for my exams in Sept!!!

just one day and the giveaway will be closed!

tomorrow at midnight Italian time (which is one hour ahead of GMT) my giveaway will be closed.
Hurry up and spread the word, or enter, if you wanna win beautiful prizes.

I will personally check every entry. All of the private profiles, non followers, and people who posted on other social networks, or didn't satisfy all of the required conditions will not be taken into account during the draw.

Good luck everyone!

Vichy's Normaderm

I ran out of moisturizer today, so I went to a pharmacy because I decided to try Normaderm by Vichy. It is supposed to reduce redness, level all imperfections, and unclog and minimize pores.
I tried it, and it left my skin smooth and nice. It also has a nice smell. My skin should be fine in 2 weeks and perfect in 4.

Has anybody else tried this product?

Sea and Sardinia

Here are some pictures of my homeland. A place that sometimes I come to hate, but when the summer arrives, reminds me that there are so many beautiful things in life.

My love and me!

Just to show you how clear the water is.
Do you think we have something to envy the Carribeans for?

The little beach my and my boyfriend always go to. It's a tiny beach, far from the crowded ones.
At least we can enjoy the sea without all the noisy tourists :)

Small cliffs that delimit the beach, where we get sea urchins, limpets and some other fresh seafood.

Thought this lille "cave" for the fishes was cute...

My love, cleaning and eating that poor sea urchin ehehe

Don't you just love the shade of red of sea anemones?

If you look close enough at the center of the picture, there is a tiny little crab. Cute!

"This land does not resemble any other place. Sardinia is another thing: enchanting space around and distance to travel, nothing finished, nothing definitive. It’s like freedom itself".
D. H. Lawrence, "Sea and Sardinia"

ootn

And, here is why I chose to wear that purple glittery liner over the cute golden-green Lumiere eye pigments:Excuse the mess on my desk. I was in a rush, eheh...and I also forgot to crop the picture. :)
The cute dress, I got it in a random store in Oxford Street, London. In fact, I call it my London dress.
The white pointed ballerina shoes are Italian. They're by a pricey brand called Status. My auntie got them for me, I would have never bought them. Not that they aren't hell of nice, but they're made of real leather, and I'm not really down with killing animals. I still wear them though, cos you know...they're a gift, eheheh! I wore the outfit to go see a temporary Impressionist painters exhibition at the local museum, with my boyfriend and some of his friends.
I love paintings!

Next is my last purchase, from a tiny little "ethnic" store near my parents' house. The store owner made it herself:

Lovely, isn't it?

well, as usual, I'm off to get ready to go to the beach!

xoxo,

Lyd

Lumiere Cosmetics: review

Hello everyone,

as some of you may already know, lovely Sarah at Lumiere Cosmetics sent me some samples of foundations, blush, and eyeshadows, along with a mini lipgloss (I love the name, it's called "Oh baby!").

The following picture displays my take on these pretty little things (sorry, it's the only good close shot I could get with my camera. Again, with 45°C I'm only wearing makeup at night time, and the lights in my house clash with the flash of my camera):

Products used:
Lumiere Eye pigments in Foliage and Champagne
Deborah Glitter Liner in Purple with golden glitters
Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara
Lumiere Cashmere Foundation in Medium Deep Golden
Lumiere Blushing Bronzer in Indian Red
Lumiere lipgloss in Oh Baby!



Lumiere Eye Pigments:

what they say:
Lumiere eye pigments come in a wonderful variety of shades and textures to complement any eye color and/or preference.

Wear each shade alone or mix and match to create a custom color. They can be applied dry for a subtle look or wet/foiled

to make a more dramatic appearance - this will also give you longer wear. Can be worn with or without an eye primer.

what I think of them:

The pigments are finely milled and it is easy to blend. The colors I've been sent are very very cute and suitable for my eyes. Champagne is a very light beige shade, and foliage appears to be like a dark green with golden pigments in the pot, but it is really light and more on the golden side. It is true, that when you wear them wet they create a more dramatic effect. Overall, I find them very cute (especially when they have so many colors), but the only downside is, that if you don't wear a good eye primer, they crease in a short span of time. That's a pity, because the colors are very cute, and all wearable, and they're very rich in pigmentation.


Lumiere Cashmere Foundation:

what they say:

Skin type = all skin types

Coverage - buildable light to medium

Finish = mostly matte, has a soft silkiness

Ingredients = real silk powder, serecite (colorless mica), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, boron nitride, iron oxides

What I think of it:

Aaah, little did I know about mineral make-up....I am very impressed with the Cashmere foundation. The shade is perfect for my skin. The finish is indeed matt, but it does not give you that "mask look", as it has a very buildable coverage. I didn't think a loose powder foundation could be such a good product, especially because I have normal to combination skin. I definitely recommend this product.

I'm sorry if you can't really see that in the picture, but I had a little sun burnt that day.

Lumiere Blushing Bronzer:

what they say:

Indian Red is a stunning deeper pigmented red with a muted brown undertone. I would compare it to our hibiscus but deeper with a slight sheen.
Ideal for Light Medium to Deep skin.

What I think of it:
The color is indeed stunning! I love it. It is buildable, easily blendable, and great for contouring.
So far, the foundation and the blushing bronzer is what I love the most.

Lumiere Lipgloss:

The shade I've been sent is called "Oh baby!" and it is a delicate pink with a gold sheen and shimmer. I'm impressed with the color pay off. You only need very little to have a full color on your lips. It is soft, leaves your lips hydrated, and what I love the most is that it is not sticky at all!


You should all visit their site, here. Order your samples for a very little price, and test them yourself: you won't be disappointed!
The prices are very affordable; all the ingredients of the products are listed, so that that you can be sure of what you are purchasing (very fair policy!); cruelty free, as they're all mineral cosmetics, and they ship all over the world!

giveaway curiousities.

OK now, just to clear the air about my giveaway, because I don't want anyone to complain:

1) I will not accept posts on other social networks - only blogger posts are accepted. No hi5, no Facebook, no Twitter...this is my special dedication to my lovely followers on blogger/blogspot.

2) If your profile is private and I can't access and verify the post about my giveaway, your entry will be not accepted. I will personally verify every entry before the draw.
It is not fair to me, that I can't check if all conditions are satisfied, nor it is fair to other people who followed every rule. You should have thought about it beforehand!


Fair enough,
have a nice day everyone!

xoxo,
Lyd

Question of the day: how do you treat your combination skin?

Hello lovelies,

it's Wednesday again, and it's time for a question of the day post.

Today, I'm interested in your opinions on a very delicate matter: how do you treat your combination skin (if you've been cursed with it)?

My skin is weird. I get very little but aggravating pimples on my forhead, chin, and occasional breakouts on my cheeks. I've been having those occasional breakouts ever since my horrible acne experience (which dates back to 2005, and thank God I stopped it before it was bad!) that I could only treat with birth control pills. On my cheeks I get visible pores (I guess they are clogged) that only go away when I am exposed to seawater.
My skin is not oily at all, I just have this problems with breakouts and sometimes clogged pores (which are not as bad as some people's), the rest of my face is very very normal and uniform.
I've tried everything, every product, from drugstore's L'Oréal and Garnier, to Collistar, and even some pharmacy products such as Avène.
None of them significantly changed my face. The only effective treatments for me are pills and seawater. And since seawater is erasing all the crap from my face, I highly doubt is a hormones matter anymore.

So far, the only products that made me say "wow, this really works" are:
Witch Stick by Witch, and Witch Hazel and Tea Tree Spot Wand by Boots, which I bought in London some months ago. None of them are available in Italy, and we have no similar product.
(I ran out of Witch Stick, but I still use the Boots Spot Wand when I have breakouts, hoping to go back to London before I run out of it). If you suffer from "pimples hell", I highly recomand those products, other than that...my question remains: how do you treat your combination skin?

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions and experiences,
xoxo,
Lyd


PS: I forgot to mention it, but I've also tried ProActive when I was in Canada, and it didn't work for me. Eventhough I hadn't started birthcontrol back then.

All things Girly's 100 followers giveaway

Lovely blog, amazing prizes.
Wanna know more? Click here and follow the rules!
Good luck!

xoxo

Lyd

Lumiere Cosmetics: sneak peek

Hello lovelies,

a little parcel I found in my mailbox this morning really made my day (a day that was otherwise bad!). Why? Because it contained some little cute samples of Lumiere Cosmetics products the lovely Sarah sent me from America!
I am going to review the products soon, but for now, enjoy the pictures and the swatches!

The first picture was taken with flash, the second one without it.

On the first row there are three samples of mineral Cashmere Foundation in Medium Deep Beige, Medium Deep Warm, and Medium Deep Golden ...I guess I have one sample to test every season now...for when my tan peels off, I will have to wear the warm and the beige.

On the center there's a Blushing Bronzer sample in Indian Red, which is LOVELY, and a mini-mini-lipgloss in Oh Baby! (nice name!).

Now, at the bottom there are two samples of Eye Pigments Champagne and Foliage.

and here are the swatches of the eye pigments and the blushing bronzer:



I still have to try them on my face, but so far I can tell that the eye pigments and the blush are lovely!!!

Can't wait to play with them :D

xoxo for now,
Lyd

did you miss my giveaway posts?!

Hannah, at hannababeyxo is having her 25 followers giveaway. She has 2 prizes and they're both awesome.
Check her out!

20 questions tag

I love these things!

1. What is your favorite item of clothing?

Definitely dresses! All sorts, all colors...

2. What are your biggest obsessions?

In terms of makeup is eyeshadows. I'm a sucker for eyes thingies...

3. Who inspires you?

Many people/things inspire me: music, paintings, my boyfriend, Sam and Nicola Chapman..LOL...

4. Who is your favorite designer and why?

Max&Co. Elengant, chic, effortlessly glamourous!

5. What is your favorite song ever?

I guess it's Eleonor Rigby by the Beatles, but I have too many fave songs actually.

6. What is your favorite song right now?

Life on Mars, by David Bowie. It's been stuck in my head for a week now.

7. If you were a sweetie, what would you be?

Black liquorice, or Nutella!

8. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet - what words would you use to describe your rainbow?

Definitely purple: it's kind of a gloomy color, but some shades can be also perceived as warm. And it sort of states "there's more to me that meets the eye!"

9. What's your favorite film?

OOOh I have too many. Into the wild has become one of my faves ever, though!

10. Who's your favorite actor?

This is a hard one. I have many! Robert DeNiro, Matt Demon, Leonardo Di Caprio, Henry Ian Cusick (although he's more of a theather actor, but he's not the awesome Scottish character Desmond on Lost)... I'm not judging their beauty ehehe...

11. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?

London

12. What are your 3 favorite smells?

fresh (paradox, cos it's scorching hot) baked bread, fresh baked quiches, and the smell of romance of my boyfriend's room in Sassari.

13. What are your 3 favorite tastes?

Nutella, Quiches, and those vegetables when I cook them :D - my bf agrees -

14. What is your most treasured possession?

My computer!

15. What did you always want to do/be when you grew up?

So many things...a singer, an actress, a fashion designer, a teacher, an aeroplane pilot, a teacher, a teacher, a teacher....

16. If you were an ice-cream, what flavor would you be?
Bacio!

17. If someone made a short film of your life, who would play you?
mhm I don't really know....

18. What would your perfect afternoon consist of?

it's too romantic to say it here :)

19. If you were a flower, what would you be?

A cherry blossom

20. Tell me a random thing - a quote, a line from a song, book, movie...
"Happiness is only real when shared" from Into the Wild

I tag Louise, and Daisy.

A Poison Tree

"I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I water'd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with my smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree".

William Blake, from Songs of Experience.

if you want to know more about this poem, here's a little analysis

My first blog award! yay!

Good evening ladies,
the lovely Michelle aka Lipstick Rules nominated me for an award. It's my first award, and it feels oh-so-good!
I bet most of you follow her awesome blog already, but if you don't I encourage you to. She's a lovely Canadian blogger, and she also tickles your brain with her "question of the day", which I find very stimulating and interactive!


Since I am supposed to nominate 12 blogs I like to read for this nomination, I'll draw my list. Just click on their names to go directly to their blogs:

1. Cupcakes and Cherries : the beautiful Daisy's blog, well organized, and full of thorough reviews!;
2. The Virtues of Beauty: Patience's thoughts on life as she knows it! Her blog is lovely and fun, and she's also having a giveaway now;
3. Too Much Blush: if you love fotd, you must follow Em! She does great jobs with her lovely eyes!;
4. Lipgloss86: lovely layout, lovely reviews, lovely blogger!;
5. The Yummy Mummy's Beauty Blog: One of the most stunning moms of the beauty bloggers world, Holly does great fotd, and reviews! She is also the person who runs the fantabulous Makeup Merchant, which follows;
6. Makeup Merchant: a great idea that allows non-UK residents to have all of those pretty little things from British brands we all love, and can't buy in our countries!
7. Hele Says... : Hele is an awesome looking girl, and a great blogger. She runs the Nail Buff with Holly - they're really lovely!
8. Lou Lou Land!: Louise is a lovely girl, and she does great reviews and swatches. She's also very interactive, which I love!!!
9. Love Lipstick and Lime: another Canadian hot mommy, Nadia does GREAT fotd;
10. The Makeup Snob: one of the most popular blogs ever...no need for catchy phrases here, we all know the wonderful job Sarah does for the beauty addicts!
11. TiffanyD: I'm sure we all know who that is. Inspirational. I love her vids!
12. Pixiwoo : my biggest inspiration as far as makeup is concerned: I L-O-V-E SAMANTHA AND NICOLA CHAPMAN!!!


Thanks again for the nomination, Michelle!!!

Off to watch Life on Mars (the British version) now,
read you guys later :)

Lyd

fotn: smokey, smudgy black (yes, I was in a bad mood)

Good morning everyone,
here is another face of the night post. I am only wearing makeup at night, so you will have to excuse if the pictures are aweful...again, my camera has a very bad flash - it's so bad for close ups.

You can't even see the sparkles I tossed all over the eyeshadow. I had never worn a total black smokey eye look before, and when I did last night (be it because I was aggravated) I found it cute.
However, what you see here is not even half that cute.Products used:
Face: Rimmel bronzer to contour
Pupa Lumiante hightlight on my cheek bones and nose

Eyes: Matt black in the Sleek Acid palette
the sparkling black in the Pupa Precious palette
Loose sparkles from the Polvere di Luce duo by Pupa
black eyeliner pencil on my lower lashline and on my waterline
Pupa Diva's Lashes mascara
Mini Bourjois Reflects Vibrants in Blue on the lower lashline

Lips: L'Orèal Colour Riche in Stone sparkle
Deborah clear lipgloss

Off to the beach as usual, now....
xoxo
Lyd

few pics of places I've been on my road trip

Cala Gonone - sight of the village

Flier of the exhibition we went to at the Contemporary Art Museum of Nuoro. Of course, we weren't allowed to take pics of the exhibit. It was awesome!

Two pictures from the lovely Natural Springs of "Su Gologone".
You can drink this water, it is like it comes fresh from the mountains.
This place was wonderful, if you're in Sardinia, go visit it!

off to the beach now,
xoxo

Lyd

I need some advice on Barry M products

Good morning angels,
today I want to ask you questions about some Barry M products that I would like to order. Since the Pound Sterling - Euro exchange is not that convenient to me, I want your opinions on the products I will be listing, for me not to waste money on things that are not worth it.

So, dazzle dusts will surely be fine...I am attracted to the colors gold, pink gold, tan, and mint green...are they as pretty as in the site's images?

now....Lip Paints: is Muldberry a pretty nude color? I want a wonderful nude color, cos nude is not so popular in Italy yet, and I can't seem to find a good one here. So, what is the perfect Barry M nude lip paint in your experience?

Nail paints: the perfect nude (comparable to Rimmel Nail Pro "Nude", I mean) nail paint?? is it Muldberry Pink??

Finally, what do you think of the Translucent Loose Powder?


Thank you girls in advance!

xoxo,
Lydia

PS: just as a reminder: I'm having a giveaway, click on the light below my header to get to know more about it.

PPS: thanks for all the pretty comments on my last fotn post. There's more to come ;)

fotn

Hello lovelies,
just a quick post before I go on my little road trip.

I wish my camera had a better flash so that I didn't have to edit my pics to capture colors on my eyes.... :S



last picture is not so pretty, but at least you can see what it is like a bit. Kind of 60's style with Urban Decay inspired colors.
I hate my camera. it's so hard to get good self-pictures with it.......

Products used:
Face: Pupa bronzer
Eyes: Pupa Lumynis in Beige-gold
Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner pencil in Emerald Sparkle on my crease and lower lashline
Clarins teal eyeshadow on the Nature Temptation palette
Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara
Lips: Pupa sheer strawberry pink lipgloss

xoxo,
gotta run

And, yes, another fabulous giveaway

Hello lovelies,
just wanted to tell you that Vanessa, at Designs by Vanessa is having a giveaway with prizes from the Body Shop Tea Tree Oil range....it's an amazing one!!!
Check her beautiful blog out here, and good luck!

xoxo,
Lyd

Question of the day

I am curious to know more about my followers, and to share opinions with you on certain topics.
Hence this post, and many other posts to follow on regular basis.

Today's question is:
When did you start wearing makeup, why, what do you feel when you were make up?

I know, that's three questions in one...eheh...

As for me, I started wearing makeup when I was 14 (you know, occasional eyeshadows, or an eyeliner pencil kind of things), although I have always been fascinated by blending those pretty colors (my father used to be a very good painter, I guess it's in my DNA). I will post pictures that testimony my love for makeup at the age of 3, sooner or later :)

I mainly started for two reasons: I was fascinated by the world of beauty products, and I was very unconfident with my physical aspect.

Now I feel more confident about it, but I still adore wearing colors on my face, not to change my features, but to enhance my "beauty" (or whatever that is), and to express the way I feel inside. The last reason must be dictated by the "failed painter" in me. :)

So, I really want to know about your experiences...
xoxo,
Lyd

PS: you can now follow me on twitter too!

My three favorite nail polishes ever

In order to participate to the Nail Buff giveaway, I have decided to do a post on my three nail polishes ever.
Two of them are drugstore products, the last one is a department store nail polish. I think you don't really need to pay big €€€ to get good products. You just go with what colors you like, and if you know they last long, have the consistency you like, and everything, you can be fine even with a 3-euros-nail varnish.

So here are my faves:

1. Rimmel London Nail Lycra Pro in Fuchsia (it's actually a little bit darker than what the picture displays). Why do I like it? Well it has a perfect coverage with just one coat, and it has the brush I have long waited for. It is flat, and BIG, perfect for those who have big nails like me.

2. Collistar Perfect Nails limited edition in Glitter Purple. Lasts long and it is so, so, so pretty. It's a dark purple with lots of wonderful glitters. Perfect for nights out. It also contains a nail strenghtener, which really does its job. The picture doesn't really do it justice, it looks weird when photographed with flash.

3. Rimmel London 60 seconds in Rose Libertine. Not that I really love the consistency of the polish (it has nothing to do with Nail Lycra Pro, unfortunately), but the color is just so pretty for both summer and winter! I love it!



OK, hope you enjoyed this, and I hope I can try OPI, Zoya, Chinaglaze and Ciaté soon...I can't find those here in Italy...for now, I'll stick to the polishes you see above.

xoxo,
Lydia

eotn with Sleek and Shiseido, and ootn

Last night I went out with my boyfriend, and I opted for a green and black checked Primark puffball dress and green ballerina shoes, so I decided do a green eye look for the night.
I really didn't put a lot of effort in it, due to the lack of time.
Anyway, the products I used are photographed above:
From the Sleek Acid palette I used the colors that are indicated by the little arrows;
I used the Shiseido cream liner (with its cute little brush);
Black eyeliner on the waterline;
Pupa Diva's Lashes mascara;
and this is not photographed, I forgot, but I used a Lancaster blush.

Close-up of the look. Yes, I couldn't blend the colors, cos my boyfriend was already outside my house waiting...
:( But at least you can see how cute that green is.

I also used this discontinued cream bronzer/highlighting cream from Pupa,
called "Lumiante" on my cheekbones (just above my blush) and on my nose, to get a glowing skin finish.
It's a shame they don't make this anymore, it was so much of a great product.
The last picture in the collage is a close up of the earrings my auntie gave me as a present.
I love how the silver ball has flowers all over it. Cute, aren't them?


Hope you enjoyed this, I wish I'll have more time to do a proper look next time...with proper blending and all...
xoxo,
Lyd

Nani's Nails giveaway

Natalie, at Nani's Nails is having a giveaway for her 50 followers, and you get to choose between a Sephora and an E.l.f. E-giftcard, isn't that brilliant?
If you want to have a possibility to get your e-hands on the prize, click here and follow the rules!

Good luck, again!

Aquaheart's Makeup Obsession's giveaway

Acquaheart is hosting a giveaway with mineral products from Orglamix as a prize!
If you want to earn your chance to win, then click here and follow the rules!

Good luck, as usual!

Need I remind you I'm hosting a giveaway?

Good morning angels,
I know I posted lots of things yesterday, but check my blog. I'm hosting a beautiful little giveaway...

August make-up shopping

How many posts I've posted today? eheh...don't worry, I'm soon off to the beach :)
Just wanted to share some makeup love with you, showing the things I've bought this morning when I shopped for the prizes for my giveaway...
So I got...the Johnson's cleansing wipes 3 in 1. The best wipes ever! I've tried several, but these are the best so far. You don't need to spend big money on wipes, these are wonderful! They clean all the makeup off of your face, but also moisturize it! That's right, you heard it... it is true! They give you this wonderful clean and fresh sensation, leave your skin soft and I think they unclog your pores too! I don't know, I just feel awesome when I use them!

Then I've got a Debby (it's actually a girls' range from Deborah) nail polish in 26, which is a very cute deep red, and a Rimmel 60 seconds nail polish in a lovely rose-nude color called "Rose Libertine" (more appropriate for the summer)...The Debby polish only cost me €2,50 , and it is a pretty good product for that price!

The most expensive thing I've got is the Shiseido cream (or gel if you want) liner. It costs more then 26€, good lord, it better be good! I really wanted to try out a cream liner, they're not so popular in this country.
I'm gonna review it as soon as I get the chance to try it, and maybe also the hang of how to apply it properly. It comes with a very very pretty and awesome mini angled brush, which has a cap - so at least I know the quality of the product is top notch (of course, it's Shiseido). Now it's only up to me to learn how to apply it.

So anyways, I'm off to eat lunch and get ready to go to the beach.
That's enough posting for today, but please comment me, comment my looks, and enter the giveaway, the prizes are amazing!!!

Have a jolly good day you all,
Lyd

Follow me, and win, win, win...Italian makeup! *CLOSED*

Hello lovely followers,
I have decided to have a giveaway, to celebrate my increasing number of followers (and to hopefully have some more).
All you have to do is:
1. Be a follower of my blog (non-followers' comment will be deleted);
2. Comment on this post saying "enter me";
3. Refer to your friends/followers about this giveaway, with a post on your blog. Please include the url for the referal in your entering comment. This way I am sure that you're spreading the word (this is a mandatory condition in order to win)

How simple is that? The winner will be picked using www.random.com
Closing date is August, 20th - so you have more than two weeks to enter and spread the word, and earn a chance to win these beautiful, beautiful prizes I've got for you like...an hour ago!

As I had a limited budget, and I'm not doing a 100 followers giveaway now, there is going to be only one winner - and I grabbed just a few things. However, I guarantee these are premium products, and the total value of this giveaway is around 40 euros (makeup is very expensive here!)

Now, on to the prizes - from left to right:

1. Mini Pupa Diva's Lashes mascara in black
2. A wonderful Pupa smokey eyes palette. As you can see, it has instructions to make that cute look. Those colors are TOP -NOTCH QUALITY, and last long.
3. Deborah Lip liner
4. Deborah coordinating lip plumper (glossy)

This picture has been taken with flash, the following is without flash.

I think this is a wonderful giveaway, personally I love all this stuff.
Pupa is a famous brand here in Italy, they have some stores outside Italy too, but they're in like..New York, Montréal, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo... you know huge cities, so they're very hard to find for a non-Italian. I'm giving you the chance to have a Pupa experience.

Deborah is a less expensive brand, but they sure do their things since...ages...my mom used to use Deborah all the time when I was just a little girl.

So, if you wanna have all this stuff, just follow the rules.

Good luck everyone,
xoxo

Ly