Review: Cargo High Intensity lipgloss, The Reverse lipliner, and One Base

Excuse me for being so absent lately, but my graduation is (hopefully) getting very close, so I really don't have that much time for blogging.

Anyway, here comes another review of Cargo products, which I remind you will be part of my 1st anniversary contest prizes, starting by July, 4th.

CARGO ONE BASE:
One Base is described as a product that is "specially designed for women who prefer to use foundation only in certain parts of the face, such as nose, chin, and forhead". It also claims to eliminate imperfections, redness, or darkness.

I have been using this ever since I got it, as summer here is really hot, and wearing full face foundation is not that pleasant after all. Plus, this is supposed to be a foundation+concealer in one product!
I mainly use this under my eyes to try and conceal (or reduce) dark circles, and on my chin, because it has red spots here and there from time to time. Sometimes I would use it near the apples of my cheeks too, just because all my discoloration (red patches) focuses there, because of past acne history.
Overall, it does a good job in hiding the circles, red patches, and little spots. However, if your spots are big, this product won't really do much to them. It is, in fact, a very light formula with essential oils. It is suitable for every skin type really!
I do recommend this product to people who live in places that can get very hot, and want to look naturally polished, without the fuss of wearing foundation all over your face!

Price: $26; or €24 for European people who can purchase it in Sephora stores!
(One base comes in 6 different shades; two of them are mid-tones)

CARGO THE REVERSE LIP LINER:

This is a skin coloured lip pencil you can use to line your lips in a "reverse" way. Basically, you have to line your lips on the outside, and blend. This will create fullness very softly (or an illusion of fullness ;) ) and it will help you cleaning the lip line. After that, any lipgloss or bright lipstick will stay in place for hours and hours ;) Nice, huh?
Pluse, the pencil is so soft you can also use it on the inner corners of your eyes, or on the waterlines, to brighten your look a bit!
I highly recommend this product, for any lipgloss lover or people who - like me - don't have very full upper lips ;)

The Reverse lipliner costs $16, or €14
(The Reverse Lipliner comes in 2 shades: light, and medium/dark - so you can adapt it to your skintone)

CARGO HIGH INTENSITY LIPGLOSS:

Glossiness and pigmentation in one product! Not a super shiny lipgloss, but it is more of a glossy pigmented lipstick. I like its non-sticky formulation, the very light smell, the matte shades!
The one I've been sent is Indonesia, which is described by CARGO as a muted natural rose, and I think it's the closest description this colour can get.
It is so unusual, yet it conveys elegance and grace. Well, at least in my opinion.
The packaging of this product is once again minimal, but very functional. It is one of those dial-up pens with a built-in brush. I'm usually not a fan of those brushes, but this one has long bristles, and it is dense enough to do a good job, so you can take it anywhere with you, without having to worry about your purse becoming a pinky mess!

High Intensity Lipgloss comes in 4 shades, and retails for $22.


Here are two pictures (not my best ones, I know) were you can see the products in action:

The Reverse Lipliner + High Intensity Lipgloss in Indonesia

One Base under eyes, and on chin, The Reverse Lipliner, High Intensity Lipgloss in Indonesia

(I am also wearing the CARGO Lash Activator Mascara, and an NYC blush in this picture)

I once again remind you that all these products will be part of the prizes for my 1st blog anniversary contest, so watch this space, if you want an opportunity to win top quality makeup that even celebrities wear!!!

Again, thanks Megan and CARGO for sending me these products to review, and for sponsoring my contest.

Have you tried these products yet? Let me know your experience with them!

Preview: new KIKO Luxurious Lashes mascara

Luxurious Lashes è il nuovo mascara di KIKO, descritto dall'ormai nota casa cosmetica come come creato sull'ideale delle ciglia perfette: "fitte, definite e dal volume sontuoso".
KIKO afferma che questo mascara è frutto di una combinazione vincente tra formula e applicatore, cioè una texture "cremosa e scorrevole" ed un "maxi scovolo ad aggrappo totale". L'applicatore, com'è possibile vedere dalla foto, ha delle setole molto grandi e questo dovrebbe permettere di acchiappare tutte le ciglia, pettinarle e "rimodellarle". Le setole hanno, infatti, una struttura ad elica (forse questo dalla foto non si vede benissimo) e questa forma dovrebbe poter permettere di creare dei ciuffetti di ciglia voluminosi e definiti.
Per quanto riguarda la formulazione, è a base di Collagene Marino ed Acido Ialuronico, in modo da poter modellare le ciglia facendole, però, restare morbide. Inoltre, la formula è ricca di un mix di cere vegetali, che associati ai polimeri filmanti dovrebbero creare un sottile strato elastico su ogni ciglia, così da non far seccare troppo il mascara o creare grumi.

La promessa è di ciglia che "appaiono moltiplicate, ridefinite con precisione in tutte le loro curve".
Questo mascara manterrà le promesse, diventando una sorta di nuovo Bad Gal Lash italiano? Vedremo! Io, personalmente, preferisco gli scovolini in silicone, perché sono generalmente più fini e separano meglio le ciglia, ma tentar non nuoce, giusto? D'altronde, da appassionata di mascara quale sono, mi piace sperimentare e cambiare, oppure perché no, anche usare due mascara per ottenere un mix di effetti.

Una cosa che va a favore di questo mascara è che non è stato pubblicizzato (almeno per ora) con una modella con ciglia finte, ma solo facendo vedere il mascara!

Luxurious Lashes è già disponibile sul sito www.kikocosmetics.com al prezzo di € 7,20 - mentre sarà nei negozi di tutto il paese da lunedì.
Se lo provate prima di me, fatemi sapere.


Nota: la fonte delle citazioni e dell'immagine è la cartella stampa inviatami da KIKO.

The illusion of thicker, longer, more separate lashes

Let me start this post by defining the word illusion

As stated by the Oxford AEL dictionary, illusion is
"1 - a false idea or belief, especially about sb or about a situation.
2 - something that seems to exist but in fact does not, or seems to be sth that it is not"

So what do mascara commercials gives milions of customers all over the world? - Nothing but illusions!
You see the pictures in their magazines and TV ads, and think "Oh my goodness, I need this stuff in my life! I want to have those luscious lashes".
Those commercials promise the lashes each woman has ever dreamt for: defined, separated, extra-long, thick! And each of them seem to be the Holy Grail of your beauty must-haves.
Do they follow through with their promises? - Of course not, because their commercials are DECEIVING!
The uber sexy lashes you see there are FAKE! Yep, they are, so don't you expect your €40 mascara to transform your 1 mm long lashes into 2 cm long lashes, " cos that ain't gonna happen!"

There are some wonderful products out there, but none of them can give you volume+separation, volume+lenght, etc. They can only do one thing at a time, so whenever you see super duper volume and separation...THAT'S FALSE EYELASHES!
There is no mascara that can give you the same effect false lashes do (although there are some lash growth product that will help you a lot with lenght)!

I wish cosmetic companies stopped fooling customers around with their deciving and illusory ads, and gimmicky names (False Lash Effect? Lash Extension?...although those are wonderful products, they are far from what their name suggests).
We are paying you a huge amount of money each year, so the least you could do is be honest to us!

I will leave you with some striking example of what I am talking about. Enjoy those FAKES!

*image source: google.com - opinions expressed in this post are based on personal experience, they do not intend to offend cosmetic companies, but just giving them a suggestion for further improvements*

wow, that's so POSSIBLE, and with just one coat of mascara! LOL

This is less extreme than the others, but still...she's wearing individual lashes.
Ask any make-up artist, and they'd confirm!

Fatemi iniziare questo post con la definizione di illusione:

Il dizionario Devoto-Oli da le seguenti accezioni:
" 1 - Proiezione in ambito immaginario di elementi che non troveranno corrispondenza nella realtà contingente;
2 - Percezione o opinione falsata da un errore dei sensi o della mente;
3 - errore nella valutazione della forma o delle dimensioni di un oggetto, a cui si è indotti da particolari caratteristiche geometriche di questo, che suggeriscono confronti ingannevoli con le sue parti".

E cos'è che le pubblicità dei mascara suggeriscono a milioni di acquirenti in tutto il mondo? - Niente di più che delle illusioni!
Vediamo le immagini delle loro pubblicità sulle riviste o in TV, e pensiamo "Oh mio dio, devo averlo! Voglio avere anche io quelle ciglia stupende!"
Quelle pubblicità promettono le ciglia che ogni donna sogna: definite, separate, extra-lunghe, e voluminose. E ognuno di quei mascara pare dover essere il prodotto miracoloso tra tutti i vostri must-have.
Ma mantengono davvero le loro promesse? - Certo che no, perché quelle pubblicità sono ingannevoli!
Le ciglia super sexy che vedete in quelle immagini sono ciglia finte! Perciò non aspettatevi che il vostro mascara da 40 euro trasformi le vostre ciglia millimetriche in ciglia da 2 cm, perché tanto non succederà mai!

Esistono dei buonissimi prodotti, ma nessuno di loro vi da sia volume che definizione, o volume e lunghezza...fanno solo una di queste cose per volta, quindi quando vedete un concentrato di volume, lunghezza, definizione....sappiate che sono CIGLIA FINTE!
Non esistono mascara che possano avere lo stesso effetto delle ciglia finte (anche se esistono dei prodotti meravigliosi che aiutano le ciglia a crescere)!

Vorrei solo che le case cosmetiche smettessero di prendere in giro i loro clienti con pubblicità illusorie e ingannevoli, o con le trovate dei loro nomi tipo False Lash Effect, Lash Extention Effect (anche se sono prodotti di alta qualità, sono lungi dal dare l'effetto che i loro nomi suggeriscono).
Vi paghiamo milioni di euro ogni anno, il minimo che possiate fare è non prenderci in giro!

E voi, cosa ne pensate?


*fonte delle immagini: google.com - questo post non intende essere un attacco per le case cosmetiche, ma solo un modo per suggerire miglioramenti che vadano al vantaggio dell'azienda e del consumatore. Le opinioni espresse sono frutto di esperienze personali*

Review: CARGO Color Palette and Blush (EN - IT)

Some weeks ago, I received some products from the lovely Megan over Cargo Cosmetics to try out and review.
I think everybody knows this Canadian brand, as it is a multi-award winning cosmetic company, and it is also much diffused among Hollywood celebrities. However, in case you have no familiarity with the brand, I suggest you visit their site: www.cargocosmetics.com

Cargo has also offered to sponsor my 1st blog anniversary contest, which will be held in July (when my blog will "turn 1"), so this means that the gorgeous prizes for the winners will be from Cargo Cosmetics! Isn't that wonderful?
Make sure you watch this space for reviews on these products, because all of them will be up for grabs as contest prizes!

First thing I am going to review is the Color Palette in Baja.
Containing four vibrant eyeshadows, this palette has the perfect design to be your "on-the-go" palette of choice. In fact, the ingenous people at Cargo thought that inserting gimmicky brushes or sponge applicators was a waste, and saved some space (and customers' money!) for more product, skipping on the illusion of a spacious package! Two thumbs up for that! Plus, as you can see from the pictures, the drawings on the he quad are really nice and modern!

CARGO Color Palette in Baja
-packaging-

Color Palette in Baja
-eyeshadows, photo taken with flash-

As regards to the actual products, this quad (which is available in 8 different combinations, all named after cities around the world) contains four powder eyeshadows whose texture is particular. It is not buttery soft, or velvet to the touch, but not even chalky or hard. However, when pat or blended on the eyes these colours are incredibly pigmented, easy to work with, and blendable! Also, I'd like to poing out that they do actually last long even without a primer underneath.
Baja is a mixture of taupe (shimmery, with some small glitters, but it is not packed with glitters, so that you don't experience the annoying fall-out!), bronze (sheen), light pink (sheen), and peach (which is described as a matte on the site, although I'd say it is a semi-matte).

I love this combination for it is suitable for every season, but especially spring and summer. In fact, you can create a very soft look with the pink and the peach e/s, a sultry bronze smokey eye with the taupe and the bronze e/s, or even a more elaborate look, with all four of them! You have all the essentials for day & night make-up. I told you this is perfect for being your "on-the-go" palette!

CARGO Blush in Rome
-packaging-

CARGO Blush in Rome
- product, picture taken with flash -

Packed in a fairly big tin, so that you can dip your favourite big brush (I either use a powder brush, or a kabuki) and pick the right amount of product in one move, this CARGO blush was love at first sight.
If you haven't guessed why yet, you will see from the swatches. It is the most lovely shade, great texture, lasting power; it shows up and blends well on the cheeks even when you don't wear foundation underneath (not many blushers do, in case you haven't noticed), and although it has a slight sheen, it will NOT turn you into a discoball.

Don't worry if this shade is not suitable for your skintone: there are other 8 shades to choose from!

Now for some swatches, both taken in natural light:

I hope you like these two products, because, like I said, they will be part of the prizes for my contest in July!

The palette retails for $ 28, or € 26 for all of you who are in the EU
The blush retails for $ 26, or € 24 again, for Europe residents.

CARGO can be purchased at some Sephora stores, Ulta, and some Indipendent retailers in the USA; Sears, Murale, and some other stores around Canada (what about Sephoras? I don't know, but please let me know, Canadian followers); and Sephora and Boots stores in Europe. For more information on where to buy, please take a look at their site!


Piccolo riassunto in Italiano (scusate, ragazze, ma sapete che in questo periodo non ho tantissimo tempo, e credetemi, tradurre tutto nuovamente richiede tempo):

Color Palette in Baja:
Contiene quattro ombretti, dalle cialde abbastanza grandi, perché gli ingegnosi signori della CARGO hanno capito che non vale la pena di sprecare spazio con pennelli o applicatori di spugna. Il packaging è molto pratico infatti, e può essere la palette che potete portare sempre con voi, sia per le sue dimensioni che per la sua praticità. Inoltre si presta per il trucco da giorno e da sera, e per tutte le stagioni (ma in particolar modo per la primavera e l'estate).
Gli ombretti, che come dicevo sono quattro, hanno una consistenza che non posso che definire particolare: al tocco non sono vellutati, o cremosi, ma non sono nemmeno duri. Sull'occhio tuttavia sono pigmentatissimi, altamente sfumabili ed è facile lavorarli e piegarli alle proprie esigenze. Hanno una buona durata anche senza una base sotto!
I colori di questa versione sono praticissimi e versatili, visto che contiene un rosa, un color pesca, un color bronzo ed un color tortora (più tendente al marrone) con dei brillantini. Non troppi però, così non avrete la faccia cosparsa. Gli altri colori sono perlati o semi-opachi.

Troverete questa palette, e le altre 7 combinazioni di colori da Sephora, per 26 euro.

Blush in Rome:

Con questo fard è stato amore a prima vista! La confezione è molto scarna, a forma circolare e di latta. E' abbastanza larga, e quindi pratica per i vostri pennelloni da terra, fard o kabuki.
La consistenza è altamente sfumabile, è pigmentatissimo e si sfuma benissimo anche senza il fondotinta sotto (non molti fard si vedono e si sfumano bene senza fondotinta). E' un fard un po' perlato, ma non vi darà l'effetto "discoball", bensì solo luminosità e colore!

Questo fard, e le altre 8 declinazioni si possono trovare da Sephora, al costo di 24 euro.


Spero che vi piacciano questi prodotti, perché la Cargo si è offerta di sponsorizzare il concorso per il "compleanno" del mio blog, che terrò a Luglio, e questi due prodotti faranno parte dei premi in palio!

A presto, per altre recensioni CARGO ;)



Disclaimer: these products were sent by CARGO's PR for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was earned, and I am not affiliate of this company.

Creative makeup (impromptu)

It wasn't easy to photograph this look!
A little explanation on why I did this look: it was super hot, I had around 30°C in my room, air conditioning won't be working til at least monday, and I couldn't really stay on the computer, cos it was burning.
I couldn't think of anything but heat, and the sea. This is why I used orange and blues (and teals). This wasn't really planned in any way, and I know it is not wearable, but believe me, it was fun!

Products used:

FACE
Cargo One Base*
Clinique Superbalanced foundation (was a sample, and I liked it)
KIKO Essential Bronzer + Sunproof Powder foundation for contouring*

TEMPLES
Superbright orange e/s from the Sleek Makeup Sunset palette

EYES
UDPP
UD Jinx e/s
UD Flipside e/s
Some blues and teals from the Sleek Makeup Curious palette to accentuate the UD colours
Very light aqua shade from the Sleek Makeup Jewels palette
KIKO Matte Coloursphere in 211* (teal matte colour on the crease to add depht + glitters on the browbone, although you can't really see them)
Some black e/s on the outer part of my crease to add definition on the flick
Sleek Makeup Ink Pot in Dominatrix (black)
Bourjois Effet Metallique eye pencil on the lower lashline (the blue line)
Cargo Lash Activator mascara*
NYX falsies in Elite

Lips
Cargo The Reverse Lip Liner*
KIKO Red Emotion satin lipstick in Cheerful Orange*
Lancome Juicy Tube in Mangue dotted on the centre of my lips.


Hope you like it, I'm really curious to get your feedback


disclaimer: items marked with an * were sent to me for reviewing purposes. No monetary compensation was earned, and I am not affiliated with any of the brands providing the products.

the other products were either bought with my own money or got in swaps or contests.

KIKO Sun Essentials review - part III bronzers (cream and powder) EN - IT

L-R: Essential Bronzer (03 Sand Mélange), Hyaluronic Bronzer (01 Beige, 02 Tan), Sunproof Powder Foundation (02 Medium)

Hello girlies, another post I should have done earlier, but as I am busy, and the weather has been unpredictable these weeks, I hadn't had time to give the products proper tests.
The picture above shows 3 products (the two in the middle are just different shades of the same product), but I will be only reviewing 2 of them now: the Essential Bronzer, and the Sunproof Hyaluronic Bronzers.

Ciao ragazze, un altro post che avrei dovuto scrivere da tanto, ma siccome sono impegnata e il tempo si è dimostrato abbastanza imprevedibile in queste settimane, non avevo la possibilità testare al meglio i prodotti.
La foto qui sopra mostra 3 prodotti (i due al centro sono solo tonalità diverse dello stesso prodotto), ma io ne recensirò solo 2 oggi: l'Essential Bronzer, e i Sunproof Hyaluronic Bronzer.

As they are part of KIKO's Sun Essentials collection, they have the same packaging of the blushers I have reviewed in a previous post, that is lovely and classy. Even the boxes look so nice and summery, I can't throw them away :)
What are the products like?
Let me start this review by telling you that I am not a fan of bronzers generally. I hardly ever wear them, and if anything I'd do that in the summer only. I have prominent cheek bones, so I don't need to contour all that much. However, I find bronzers useful in the summer to enhance natural tan. I also like a bit of shimmers when I have to go clubbing :)

Visto che sono parte della collezione Sun Esssentials di KIKO, hanno la stessa confezione dei fard che ho recensito in un post precedente, cioè adorabile e di classe. Perfino le scatole sono così carine che mi da pena buttarle, non ce la faccio :)
Come sono i prodotti?
Fatemi aprire questa recensione col dirvi che non sono una grande fan delle terre abbronzanti. Raramente le uso, e quando lo faccio, è solo d'estate. Ho gli zigomi alti e prominenti, quindi non ho granché bisogno del contouring. Tuttavia, trovo che i bronzer siano utili d'estate, per accentuare l'abbronzatura naturale. Mi piace anche un po' di "sbrilluccichìo" quando vado a ballare :)
This is the Essential Bronzer's swatch: on the left you can see it when it's blended (it's a little more visible on the face, especially when I wear a liquid or a cream foundtion underneath), and you can see just a swipe on the right. These two are very light, I know, but unfortunately the box opened when I was going to do try it for the first time; the bronzer dropped, and smashed into pieces, so I now have to be super careful with it.
As you can see, this shade (Sand Mélange) it's shimmery: the bronzer itself it's a satin, but it contains veins with golden shimmers in it. I love it, especially for a night out. Of course you'd need to tap off the excess, and build it in very lightly if you don't want to appear like a discoball, but it looks lovely on the face. You can also use it on your decolletage.
If you are like me, though, you wouldn't use this bronzer on a daytime. Instead, you would use the super versatile Hyaluronic bronzer, which I will show you in a minute.

Questo è lo swatch dell'Essential Bronzer: sulla sinistra lo potete vedere sfumato (è un po' più visibile sul viso, specialmente sopra un fondotinta liquido o in crema), e sulla destra una passata col dito. Questi swatch sono molto chiari, lo so, ma sfortunatamente la scatola si è aperta quando stavo per provarlo per la prima volta; il bronzer è caduto e si è rotto in tanti pezzetti, quindi ora devo stare molto attenta.
Come potete vedere questa tonalità (Sand Mélange) è perlata, quasi luccicante, direi: il bronzer di per sé è satinato, ma contiene delle venature di dorate. A me piace tantissimo, specialmente per le serate. Chiaramente, dovrete scuotere via l'eccesso, e sfumarlo molto leggermente se non volete l'effetto "discoball", ma secondo me è molto carino sul viso. Lo potete usare anche nel décolleté.
Se siete come me, però, non lo portereste di giorno. Invece, di giorno optereste per il super versatile Hyaluronic bronzer, che vi mostrerò tra poco.


This is the Sunproof Hyaluronic bronzer, with its SPF 25, in shades Tan (left) and Beige (right) - and that is my wrist/inner part of the lower arm so my skin there is much lighter than other places. Shades are not that "hoompa-loompa-ish").
Sunproof Hyaluronic bronzer is a cream bronzer, shaped like a spyral, which comes with a hayluronic acid cream - an anti-age serum - and collagen spheres. It is waterproof, and it supposedly makes your skin appear firm. Now, I haven't noticed this last effect, as I don't have fine lines, and my skin is pretty firm, however I love this products because it's great for the Scott Barnes' method (cream bronzer and concealer underneath foundation, see my review of his book), and it can be used with its sponge or a brush and both results will appear natural (well, if you choose the right shade). Since it's a cream, it can also be used as a foundation on your entire face when you are naturally tanned! Two thumbs up for this one.
Oh, this bronzer is completely matte! It's a big 5/5 in my books!

Questo è il Sunproof Hyaluronic Bronzer, con il suo SPF 25, nelle tonalità Tan (sinistra) e Beige (destra) (e quella è la parte posteriore del mio avanbraccio/polso quindi la pelle è molto più chiara che dalle altre parti. le tonalità non sono così tanto aranciate).
Si tratta di un bronzer in crema, dalla forma a spirale, che contiene infatti una crema di acido ialuronico - un siero anti-età - e sfere di collagene. E' resistente all'acqua e dovrebbe tonificare la pelle. Ora, io non ho notato quest'ultimo effetto, perché non ho rughe e la mia pelle è ancora molto tonica, però adoro questo prodotto perché è perfetto per la tecnica Scott Barnes (bronzer in crema e correttore sotto il fondotinta, leggete la mia recensione del suo libro) e può essere usato con la spugnetta o con un pennello ed entrambi i risultati saranno naturali (beh, se si sceglie la giusta tonalità - io ne ho due perché vivendo in Sardegna la mia abbronzatura cambierà spesso fino a diventare molto scura). Visto che è una crema può essere usata come fondotinta su tutto il viso quando si è raggiunta un'abbronzatura naturale! Due pollici alti per questo prodotto!
Oh, e questo bronzer è completamente opaco! Io gli darei un 10!



Tenetevi aggiornate su questa pagina, perché dovrò pubblicare anche le recensioni dello Shimmering Oil e del fondotinta in polvere per completare l'intera collezione.


xoxo,
Lyd

Bliss Vanilla and Bergamot Body Buff and Body Butter review

Hello everyone, this post was loooong due. Sorry, but as you know I am writing my thesis, so I don't really have much time.

Some weeks ago I was sent a lovely package from Jo, PR for both Soap & Glory and Bliss (did you know Soap & Glory was founded by the same brilliant mind behind the Bliss spa chain?...check out the Soap&Glory's site at the "About Us" section) with two lovely products from Bliss and the new S&G's Sit Tight firming cream.
Now, as Sit Tight may take a month or more to be completely effective, I will review it later. Therefore, this will be a review of the Bliss products only.

I received two products from the Vanilla+Bergamot range: Body Buff (scrub), and Body Butter.
I am not a big vanilla fan, but darn, this mix with bergamot makes the perfect balance! In fact, the scent can't be described without an oxymoron: it's sweet and fresh. Bergamot helps reduce the overwhelming vanilla scent, and what you get is an irresistible smell. So...fresh, clean, and...flirty, is that possible? Well, I guess it is.

Now, before trying the Bliss Body Buff, the only other body scrub I've ever tried was the Body Shop strawberry one, which is not even comparable.
The Bliss Body Buff is so effective that you don't need much to cover your body. It is helping me with some very dry, weird, and scratchy patches I have on my arms; helping me smooth my elbows and knees (I was a little of a tomboy when I was a kid, always playing soccer, hide and seek, running, jumping and riding my bike. You can imagine how my elbows and knees are: full of scars, and bumps from constanly falling or well...just playing)...and leaves my skin super soft.
So soft my boyfriend has noticed it without me mentioning anything about it! When a man notice these kinds of changes, it means the stuff you're using is INCREDIBLY effective! LOL
Plus, the refreshing smell of bergamot under the shower is so relaxing!

The Body Butter is so lovely, the perfect complement for this Body Buff...and its smell lasts long even in the Sardinian heat! I have very dry skin on my body, so this is the perfect consistency for me...what is more relaxing than feeling your body smooth and soft? Oh right, a massage with this vanilla+bergamot Body Butter :P *hint hint, in case my boyfriend reads this*
Oh, in fact, this reminds me that this butter was, in fact, Bliss's #1 body cream for over a decade, and was actually formulated for professional massages. I can see why. Or I can FEEL why :)
It contains coconut oil, sodium hyaluronate (to lock in moisture), and the super nourishing vitamin E! AND VERY IMPORTANT: IT IS PARABEN FREE!!!

The only downside to these products is their price, which makes it hard for students or people with no stable job position to purchase: Body Buff costs $38 for the 12 oz version, and $56 for the 19 oz one. Body Butter is $28, or $49 for the set of 2. Although, I must point out that Body Buff costs £28, and Body Butter costs £23 if you buy them in the UK. There is also a set of both Vanilla+Bergamot Body Buff and Butter available on the Bliss UK site, now on offer for £46!


Well, if you can afford buying them, or you have to make/receive a gift, I highly suggest Bliss products because they will make a perfect gift or staple in your skincare routine.


You can purchase Bliss from their US and UK sites if you live there:
www.blissworld.com
www.blisslondon.co.uk

Alternatively, you can purchase Bliss in Sephora stores (this goes out to you, Italian fellow bloggers!)...although Sephora sells them for a higher price (retail price in Italy is €29 and €30!!!)


Have you ever tried anything from Bliss? Was your experience as good as mine?

Give it away, give it away, give it away now!

It's giveaway time over my friend's blog, Confessions of a Makeupholic.

If you want to take a look at the massive prize, and enter the giveaway, click here, and follow the rules!

Good luck!

Playing with liners

I guess this would look a lot better with a tan.

Products used:

e.l.f. studio primer (it creases, it's nothing like their normal eyelid primer)
UD Misdemeanor e/s blended with a 224 all over the lid
Bobbi Brown Champagne wash as a highlighter
KIKO Shimmering eyeliner in 01 and 02 (shimmery black and gold)
N°7 Extreme lashes mascara
NYX Elite lashes
Pupa eyebrow pencil

The Edie Sedwick look (it's just the first attempt)

I was bored after a day of writing my thesis...and what does a make-up junkie do when bored?
Creative make-up, that is!

I have tried the Edie Sedwick look, although my first attempt was a bit of a failure.
It didn't really suck, but could have been a lot better if: 1. I used a liquid foundation, 2. I used matte e/s (used the Sleek Graphite tonight, but I'd rather used the Bohemian palette the next time), 3. put a lot less blusher.

AND OBVIOUSLY CAMERA FLASH SUCKS! I will take pics with my usual natural light the next time!

I will try again...in the meantime, enjoy this


nighty night lovelies.

PS: expect lots of reviews from me in the next days!