Archive for February 2011

EOTD: Green with Evil Shades

This EOTD was made with these products:

 Evil Shades eyeshadow:
Acolyte, Willow Star, Elf Star and Steele Green.
And Gosh velvet touch eyeliner:
Green Grass and Woody Green

 This is my first EOTD with Evil Shades eyeshadow. I don't really know why I waited so long, before I used them. But I'm definately going to use them a lot from now on!

I used Gosh eyeshadowbase, because it's sticky, and these are all loose powders.
 I used Willow Star on my inner eyecorner, which is a gorgeous light green with amazing shimmer/tiny glitter in it. Then I applied Acolyte in the outer V and towards the middle of the eye. Acolyte is a very dark green, and it has a holographic glitter. I haven't really seen that effect yet, but  I might have to use a different base.

Then I applied some Steele Green, to blend the two greens into eachother. Steele green is a pretty in-your-face-green, so I only used it to blend, otherwise it would be to bold next to the others.
Then I used Elf star, above the crease to create some extra colour.
Elf Star is a light blue base with tiny green en blue glitters in it.

Below my eyes I used the two eyeliners by Gosh and a little more Willow Star.

I just read that Elf Star and Willow Star are being discontinued, so If you want those, you should be quick! They can also be used on your lips or just on op of other colours for the glitter effect. I didn't remember that, but I'm definately going to try that out!
And since I had some money left on the prepaid creditcard, I ordered some more of The Stars collection. Can't wait to try those out!

Perfume Family

perfume family
Did you know that perfume can be categorized according to their fragrance family? Understanding fragrance families can help your perfume shopping much easier and the most important is you are not disappointed with wrong picks. It may help you to identify the perfume suitable for your friends, spouse and/or family. Let say your spouse love the smell after rain where it smells like the fresh grass, then green perfume family is suitable for him/her, while if he/she loves to smell fresh like in the jungle, then woody is suitable. Some perfumes scent may mixed with one or more family.
Spend a litlle bit time to read this article, you will find it valuable for your perfume buying experience...

FLORAL
floral perfume
This fragrance group is associated with essences of white flowers and fresh linens. This is one of the first perfume categories. It also remains extremely popular especially for womens perfume. They tend to have a distinctive feminine quality. Although a number of fragrances of floral are appearing in mens cologne. Perfumers tend to do a alot of experimentation with florals. They really do combine wonderfully with water or fresh green categories. Since the mid 90's its been the trend to make the fragrance sweeter with hints of fruit. Ideal for young and not-so-young alike. Anyone who wants to feel pretty and feminine without being overpowering should choose a floral perfume. Likewise, they're great as a safe perfume that's suitable for all ages and all occasions.

Some perfumes under this family : Burberry London by Burberry | J'Adore By Christian Dior | Ralph by Ralph Lauren | Incanto Charms by Salvatore Ferragamo | Chanel No 19 By Chanel | CKIN2U by Calvin Klein | Parfum D'Ete By Kenzo | Sunflowers By Elizabeth Arden | Anais Anais by Cacharel | L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci | Charlie by Revlon | Eternity by Calvin Klein

*Subcategories of this perfume family :  fruity floral (ie. Escape by Calvin Klein) | fresh floral (ie. Eau D'Issey by Issey Miyake)  | green floral (ie. Fidji by Guy Laroche) | woody floral (ie. White Linen by Estee Lauder) | sweet floral (ie. Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden).

ORIENTAL
oriental perfume
These are exotic, sensual, and extremely "heavy" fragrances. Also sometimes referred as "Amber'. Think of these as containing exotic flowers, foreign resins, vanilla, spicy amber, and musk. Often mixed with fruit fragrances and additional "fresh" scents from the green group. They have a heavy sweetnes from sandlewood, musk and vanilla. Most oriental perfumes have a wonderful crossing over of qualities from all the other categories from the spicy fruit tones to warm woody tones and this makes them a superb choice for corporate environments, evening events and special occasions, regardless of age.

Some perfumes under this family :  Obsession by Calvin Klein | Dior Addict by Christion Dior | Classic by Burberry | Sensi by Giorgio Armani | Joop Femme by Joop! | Tresor by Lancome

*Subcategories of this perfume family : Florientals (ie. Panthere by Cartier) | Spicy Orientals (ie. Angel by Thiery Mugler) | Fruity Florientals (ie. Poison by Christian Dior) | Fruity Orientals (ie. Moshino by Moschino)

WOODY
woody
Best mixed with other fragrances. Oriental woody is a combination of oriental smells mixed with something like a sandalwood to give it a woody hint.Drier, vetiver, cedar, oakmoss, leather, tobacco, burnt wood etc. Mixes well with citrus and fresh aromatic notes. Woody perfumes are versatile and easy to wear, and are better suited to the mature woman who wants to smell fresh but retain an air of sophistication. This type of perfume works well for any season.


Some perfumes under this family :  212 by Carolina Herrera | Organza by Givenchy | Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker | Burberry Touch by Burberry | CK Be by Calvin Klein | Versace Women by Versace | Gucci Rush by Gucci


FRUITY
fruity perfume
Fruity fragrances are generally spicy and fresh. They are quite youthful in their scent, and suitable for warm and cool weather alike. In winter, they invoke a sense of warm desserts and cider. In summer, they give an air of crispness. They are an excellent choice for women who like classic fragrances, but also want to add a little flair. If you're the type to be outside with friends on summer evenings, this is the perfume type for you.

Some perfumes under this family : Lauren by Ralph Lauren | Liz Claiborn by Liz Claiborn | Be Delicious by DKNY | Chic by Moschino | Bvlgari Pour Homme by Bvlgari

CITRUS
citrus perfume
This type of scent works well on both men and women. Citrus fragrances for men are often blended with wood and spices. For the ladies, it is blended with florals or fruits. This type of fragrance is often sporty, fresh, and perfect for work.

Some perfumes under this family : Azzaro Chrome by Loris Azzaro | CK One by Calvin Klein | Armani by Giorgio Armani | Lacoste Pour Homme by Lacoste

GREEN
green perfume
Where woody perfumes capture the essence of forests and woodland, green perfumes have tones more reminiscent of cut grass and crisp spring growth. They possess some of the same scents as oriental perfumes, but are far lighter and suitable for casual wear as well as evening and business wear. They are generally funky and contemporary perfumes that are most suitable for younger and sportier people and can be worn on all occasions. Their neutral tones make them excellent for gifts.

Some perfumes under this family : Charlie by Revlon | True Star by Tommy Hilfiger | Hugo Boss by Hugo Boss | Euphoria Men by Calvin Klein | Fleur Du Male by Jean Paul Gaultier | Burberry London by Burberry | CK Truth by Calvin Klein | Style in Play by Lacoste | Diorissimo by Christian Dior.

AQUA / MARINE
Aqua perfume
Both men and women can enjoy this light, refreshing water scent perfect for wearing during warm weather. Contains fragrances such as sea air, fresh water plants, and of course water.  It may be blended with notes of citrus and greens for an energetic and youthful scent to wear by day.

Some perfumes under this family : Charlie by Revlon | True Star by Tommy Hilfiger | Hugo Boss by Hugo Boss | Euphoria Men by Calvin Klein

[Source: jueperfume.com]

View the original article here


My Precious..... Chanel Rouge Noir lipstick

After I first bought a red Chanel lipstick, I was blown away. I have really annoying lips that don't like lipsticks or stains, and I really wanted a nice red lipstick that I could wear without worrying too much about it.
I'll write a review about that first one soon, but after that one, I decided I really wanted Chanel Rouge Noir aswell. So after a week of getting excited (after putting money aside for it ofcourse), I went to Ici Paris....and found out it was sold out. It was sold out EVERYWHERE. *sigh* Just my luck..I hould get used to it, but I always get my hopes up.
Anyway, Ici Paris ordered it for me, and about a week later I could pick it up. Ici Paris gave me a 10% discount, and I also had a 5 euro gifcard for anything that was above 25 euro. Which resulted in me paying 'only' 21,10 euros. I know that is a lot of money, but for a special colour and a lipstick that just feels a lot better on my lips without drying them out....sometimes it's just worth it.




With Flash:
This is absolutely NOTHING like the colour it is in real life. The cushion is, which is weird, haha.
I think it's because of the really tiny red shimmer that's in the lipstick, that it might reflect this bold.

Without Flash:

This is without flash and with shadow, which results in a much more realistic colour of the lipstick.

I made some pics on my lips, the closeups are a bit sloppy, but I was just trying to search for the right lighting...and failed miserably..









On pictures of my whole face it shows uo a lot darker, much more like the real thing:




Without flash again, can't get a lot of detail this way, but it really is this dark:


Sid totally loves it, it is now his favourite lipstick for me :)


Review & Swatches: Aidor eyebrow makeup kit

I've found this at Kruidvat for about 3 euros orso, I don't remember correctly, sorry.
I took the darkest colour they had, but I don't know if there are even darker colours in the collection.

 This kit includes a Dark Brown (no.10005) eyebrow powder, a soft brush and 3 eyebrowshapes.
The eyebrowshapes are different from most kits that I've seen, they almost fit my eyebrow shape, which has never happened before. But I haven't used them, because I don't like using such plastic things.


 The brush isn't sturdy enough to shape your eyebrows, and it didn't take up a lot of product, which annoyed me. So I used my own slanted eyeshadowbrush, that I always sue for my brows.

 The eyebrowpowder is easy to use, and doesn't smudge when you go over it with your finger.


Unfortunately, this colour is still wayyyyy too light and a bit to red for me. But if you can find the right colour for your brows, I think this is a great budgetproduct for your eyebrows.

Catrice and Essence products, getting discontinued!

Some of you might know that Kruidvat is getting a new brand called NYC. But Catrice and Essence are also getting new products in their collection. This means that other products are getting discontinued to make space for the new products.
Yesterday, I found out that some of them are products that are quite liked among the beautybloggers, so I decided to make a post about it. That way, everyone might still have a chance to stock up on them.

One of the things I'm not happy with dissapearing is the Catrice Mineral Soft Powder Rouge. This is my favourite everyday blush, and it's now a discon. I'm hoping that they will come with a new blush that is just as great, but you never know, do you? So I bought some backups for myself:


Another product that is well loved among beautybloggers is the Catrice Absolute Moisture lipsticks. These are now discons aswell. The other lipsticks that Catrice has, is -also- a discon, but I like the Aboslute Moisture ones best. I bought 2 more, that I didn't have in my stash yet:


There were a lot of other things being discontinued:
-certain nailpolish colours
-some lipliners
-some eyeliners
-some mineral powders
and so on...

So if you have some favourites in there, I suggest you check it out. A lot has already been sold out, and the products will be gone as of March this year, which is pretty soon.
The only good thing about it, is that they are now all with a 50% discount. So stocking up, if they are still avialable, is doable.

Hopefully, new products will be just as good or even better.

Essence is also discontinueing several products, even more then Catrice.
I've picked up these eyeliners (Metal Glam), because I've had 2 shades in the past and I really liked them. They were only a little bit over 1 euro a piece now, so I bought them all:


I'm really glad I did!. I've loved the brown and purple one I already owned. But the dark blue and aquablue are just gorgeous! The pink one will be fun to use in freaky looks :)

Other products getting discontinued:
-several nailpolishes
-a lot of the Sunclub items
-lots of nail art products
-double eyepencils
-lipglosses
-lipliners
and so on...

So grab your favourites as soon as you can, because they will be gone once March starts!





NOTD: Black Out number 2 (Golden Rose Scale Effect)

This week, Enchantra has a sale on the Golden Rose cale effect polishes, they are only 2,50 euros now!
So in honour of that, I pulled out one of my own bottles and made this NOTD.

This is Golden Rose Scale effect no 02 on top of Rimmel's Black Out polish. The flakes are much more vibrant, but I couldn't use my flash, otherwise the colour would change ;)

 This polish looks clear, with some orange and blue flakes. But on a black base, this polish turns into darkorange(/red) and dark blue flakes!

With the right lighting the flakes change colours, the bottom is what they look indoors, the top is what they look like in daylight.





The flakes' colours runs from yellow, gold, orange, red to green and blue.


This Golden Rose polish is mostly orange/red and blue indoors. It almost gives the black a blueish shine to it.
But outdoors with the right daylight, or indoors with bright light, it turns into all the colours of the rainbow.

I already own 4 or 5 bottles of this gorgeous stuff, but I've let my eyes fall on no 14, which is now on my wishlist :)

EOTD: Spellbound Fantasy

This EOTD was made with several purple colours:

 Gosh Velvet Touch eyeliner, Funky Violet
Essence eyeshadow, Mix It, Baby!
Manhattan Multieffect eyeshadow, Light Lilac
Bourjois eyeshadow, Prune Intense
Sleek I-Dust Fantasy & Spellbound


I also used Gosh Velvet touch waterproof eyeshadowsticks Love that Purple and Love that violet, as a base.
In reailty the colours were a bit darker, seomhow the daylight filtered red out of the pictures..


I used Light Lilac on the inner eyecorner, and next to it Prune Intense.
In the outer V, I applied Sleek Fantasy and in the crease I applied Spellbound.


I used the lightest colour of the Essence duo as a highlighter below my eyebrows.
Below my eyes, I applied some Funky Violet. The picture above comes closer to the real colours, keep in mind that Fantasy is the same colour that is shown on the first picture.

I really like mixing purples together, too bad I can never catch it accurately on cam.

REVIEW: Acure Organics, 100% USDA Certified Organic Argan Oil Treatment

Goal: To try Argan Oil.
Brand: Acure Organics
Product: Certified Organic Argan Oil Treatment
Description: Argan Oil is a true skin SUPER FOOD! Incredibly rich in Vitamin E, Essential Fatty Acids, and Proteins, Argan Oil helps fight lines, improve cell regeneration, and minimize scars + stretch marks;all while restoring texture, elasticity and tone. Lightweight and easily absorbed! This oil is often referred to as "liquid gold" so... get yourself some beauty bling! Our Argan Oil is 5 products in 1. Use it as: repairing facial serum, body + decollete massage oil, hair serum, hand + cuticle repair, soothes dry elbows + heels. All skin types. A little about why ours is different: Our Argan Oil is first press, cold processed harvested by the women's UCFA cooperatives. UCFA (Union des Cooperatives des Femmes de l’Arganeraie) is the largest union of cooperatives for argan in Morocco. It comprises twenty-two cooperatives that are found everywhere in the region. These women come together to be better organized and thus guarantee a fair income through cooperatives, allowing them a better living environment and a dynamic local autonomy over their livelihood. Women cooperatives in Morocco work within a biosphere protected by UNESCO which ensures its protection and reforestation. With the growth of Argan's popularity, there are a number of suppliers that offer diluted mixes of cheaper oils (with a little Argan) or second press oils or hexane extracted oils and call them "100% Argan Oil" or even "Organic Argan Oil". The USDA Organic Seal is the only way to ensure 100% purity, cold process extraction, sustainability, and fair practices throughout the supply chain. If it isn't USDA Organic, you can't trust that it is 100% pure.
Ingredients: 100% USDA Certified Organic Argan Oil (argania spinosa).
  • Price: $28.99
  • Size: 1 oz. (30 ml)
  • Texture: Oily.
  • Scent: Ew! I think ALL Argan Oil smells that way though, Lol.
  • Visual Attractiveness: Pretty, frosted-glass bottle. I LOVE ALL of Acure's packaging!
  • How Much I Needed: Just a few drops.
  • How Long I've Used It: For about a month and a half.
  • Where to Find: AcureOrganics.com,  or your local Whole Foods Market (depending on where you live).
  • Sample Sizes: Nope, but they should!
  • Acquired: Sent to me to be reviewed with my honest opinion.
  • Loved: That it's Certified 100% USDA Organic baby!! Woo-Hoo! Who wouldn't like 5 products in 1? And the lovely glass bottle & the flat-bottomed dropper!
  • Hated: The smell (which I CAN get past - think is normal for Argan Oil), and the price is a tad steep (but it's as pure as it gets).
  • The GG's Final Thoughts: Ok, so I realize that I'm a little late to the game... but I've never used Argan Oil before. I know, I know. All I can say is WOW... it really get's a lot accomplished! I use this for everything under the sun, but the way I use it the most- is right after a hot shower or a clay mask... when my skin is still damp, especially at night! Yes, it has taken time, but I have come to terms with the fact that using oil on my face WILL NOT kill me or even make me break out, Lol. It actually has quite the opposite effect. If you do, it usually just means you're detoxing (which is a GOOD THING! Although it may not seem like it). I found out that Argan Oil has sebum-regulating properties on oily skin, so it actually reduces the oiliness and will probably balance out your T-zone! In addition, I have noticed an improvement in the color and smoothness of old scars (from childhood chicken pox) on my face. YAY! This also works wonders on my cuticles for at-home Mani's & Pedi's. Due to the cost though, I personally wouldn't use this on large areas of my body unless there were a specif problem area, like a major scar or something. But every now and then, I add a few drops to my Body Butter as a treat! I also like to put a drop or two in my hair (which is really long, BTW) to smooth, soften and add shine. My FAVE thing yet though... is that seems to get rid of my newly found "crinkly" under-eyes (UGH!!)! Yep. I literally take 1 drop... and that's it! Just make sure not to get it in your eyes though! This product scores "0" on Skin Deep's Cosmetic Safety Database, which is awesome! It's easy to see why this is often referred to as "Liquid Gold"... I would definitely purchase this product again! The only question left to ask is... what CAN'T you use it for??? Ok, maybe I wouldn't use it for perfume, Ha ha. So what are you waiting for Girl?... Go get YOURSELF some Beauty Bling! Xo Acure!!
COUPON CODES: Don't forget to use these Coupon Codes @ Checkout... "GLAM" for 15% OFF"FREESHIPPING" to have your order shipped free when you shop your little ♥ out @ Acure Organics!

NOTD: Cheers to you, Zebra!

This NOTD was done with China Glaze Cheers to You and the Essence stamping polish in black.


Cheers to you is a very shiney silver, that doesn't apply very easy. If you want a thick coat, you can polish away the polish that's already applied, kinda like with holographic polishes.
I advice multiple layers instead if one think coat.

I used a nail art bruh to create the zebra stripes on the ringfinger. I used Essence Stamping polish, which dries very fast, so you have to work fast aswell.

I really like the silver/black combo...

Your Perfume bottle can be worth money!

Perfume bottle can be worth money

Perfumes have been a very important part of culture and religion since ancient times. Not only were the perfumes valuable but so were the bottles that held them. The oldest known perfume bottles came from the Ancient Egyptians. They used containers made of stone and alabaster which kept the perfume cool and did not leak the precious liquids. Many perfume containers have been found in tombs around the globe. Scents and perfume were an important part of the Egyptians preparation of the dead.



Some glass bottles date back to the fifteenth century BC. The glass perfume bottles adorned the homes of the noble and wealthy. While early scents were designed to ward off bad spirits, grace the gods and disguise body odors, the bottles were a true symbol of luxury. In Greek and Roman times, scent bottle designs became increasingly more sophisticated, even imitating the shapes of birds, humans and other animals.


Perfume bottles found in Palestine were made of glass, and had narrow long necks. They were primarily found in tombs. They believed the perfume bottles would cover the smell of the dead bodies.


The Ancient Greeks made beautiful containers for perfume. They hand painted vases which were often shaped as animals. They used lidded bowls for holding less expensive perfumes.


The Roman’s used hollowed-out precious stones to carry their most valuable perfumes before the introduction of glass bottles.


Glass blowing techniques had been developed in Syria. This was a huge advancement in bottle construction industry. Expensive Roman scent bottles created from transparent glass adorned with coloured decorations were widely acclaimed.


Today the trading of unusual, limited editions and ancient perfume bottles has become big business. Their books and material on how, when to be collecting the perfume bottles, conventions, places to sell and buy the perfume bottles. This usually happens at auctions, exhibitions and collectors markets where dealers and appraisers are presents for evaluations of the precious bottles.


[Source: myperfume.com.au]



View the original article here


Review & Swatches: Burt's Bees Lipshimmers

This is a review about the Burt's Bees Lipshimmers. I already had a lipbalm, which I thought was pretty nice, so I really wanted to try out these lipshimmers. These are basically, tinted lipbalms.

What the Burt's Bees site tells us about them:

A kiss of colour and pearlised shine add a hint of glamour to our world famous lip balm. Condition, smooth & highlight your lips with our wonderful selection of seven shimmering shades. Luminescent earth pigments add a hint of colour to our natural beeswax lip balm to give your lips the lift they need. Nourish, moisturise and soothe your lips with natural ingredients like vitamin E and coconut and sunflower oils. It's time to pucker up with shimmery colour.


I own Raisin, Merlot and Fig.
Raisin looks really dark, but when you apply it on your lips, it's  a very pigmented red with a pink? undertone.
Merlot is a pretty vibrant red, and also the one that applies the most diffcult of the three. It seems to be less creamy and tends to show every flake on your lip.
Fig is my favourite, it applies like a dream because it's very creamy. It's a darker orange or mb even a brown tone, it doesn't look too unnatural on the lips.

What I like about these lipshimmers is, that they taste like peppermint when you firt apply and it gives a fresh feeling on your lips. They don't really dry out your lips either, allthough I have to say that Merlot and even Raisin are a bit dryer than Fig. But maybe I just had a bad batch, you never know. The lipshimmers give a very nice shine to your lips and it stays on fairly well. I like to use these at work from time to time. The air is dry there and my lips tend to dry out because I have to talk a lot. So tinted lipbalms are a great help.

With Flash:

 Without Flash:

You can find some of these lipshimmers for example at Boozyshop for 8,49 euros.
I have to admit, that I bought them for only 3 euros a piece from someone else at Marktplaats.nl ;)

Review & Swatches: Burt's Bees lipshimmers

This is a review about the Burt's Bees Lipshimmers. I already had a lipbalm, which I thought was pretty nice, so I really wanted to try out these lipshimmers. These are basically, tinted lipbalms.

What the Burt's Bees site tells us about them:
A kiss of colour and pearlised shine add a hint of glamour to our world famous lip balm. Condition, smooth & highlight your lips with our wonderful selection of seven shimmering shades. Luminescent earth pigments add a hint of colour to our natural beeswax lip balm to give your lips the lift they need. Nourish, moisturise and soothe your lips with natural ingredients like vitamin E and coconut and sunflower oils. It's time to pucker up with shimmery colour.


I own Raisin, Merlot and Fig.
Raisin looks really dark, but when you apply it on your lips, it's  a very pigmented red with a pink? undertone.
Merlot is a pretty vibrant red, and also the one that applies the most diffcult of the three. It seems to be less creamy and tends to show every flake on your lip.
Fig is my favourite, it applies like a dream because it's very creamy. It's a darker orange or mb even a brown tone, it doesn't look too unnatural on the lips.

What I like about these lipshimmers is, that they taste like peppermint when you firt apply and it gives a fresh feeling on your lips. They don't really dry out your lips either, allthough I have to say that Merlot and even Raisin are a bit dryer than Fig. But maybe I just had a bad batch, you never know. The lipshimmers give a very nice shine to your lips and it stays on fairly well. I like to use these at work from time to time. The air is dry there and my lips tend to dry out because I have to talk a lot. So tinted lipbalms are a great help.

With Flash:

 Without Flash:

You can find some of these lipshimmers for example at Boozyshop for 8,49 euros.
I have to admit, that I bought them for only 3 euros a piece from someone else at Marktplaats.nl ;)