Best of 2013

When I decided to write this post, I went to my (pretty little) make-up collection and at first I thought I had just a couple of things that I were worth mentioning, but after further consideration I realized that I definitely had enough! I'll just briefly go through each one in no particular order. 

1. I have been using my Avéne Antirougeurs Dermo-Cleansing Fluid for almost 6 months now and I'm still completely in love with it. It's the most gentle face cleanser that you will ever find; it perfectly cleanses my skin without completely stripping it of all the moisture and making it feel tight - on the opposite, it soothes the skin and, as the name suggests, diminishes the redness. It has a lovely fresh scent, which I love; and after using it every day for 6 months I have only used half of it! 

2. I haven't reviewed it yet, but you can expect it a post about the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation soon. My acne-scarring situation has gotten worse over the last three or four months and the light coverage foundation-full coverage concealer combo wasn't working anymore. So, I decided to get this foundation and it was a very good choice! Although it kinda clings to dry patches, it covers 80% of the red spots and it has made getting out of the house possible for me. Which is very sad to hear, indeed, but what's a girl got to do? 

3. On the same 'acne scarring' note - I have started using a green liquid concealer in combination with the MUFE foundation, and I noticed it makes a huge difference in the way my skin appears! You definitely need to be careful when applying it -you don't want to leave the house with green dots all over your face, do you?- but I highly recommend adding this little step to your make-up routine if you have troubled skin. The green concealer I've been using recently is the KIKO Natural Concealer in the shade 04.

4. As for lips, I have been still loving my Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, which is the perfect 'my lips but better' shade. I always turn to it when I don't know what lipstick to wear or when I'm in a rush! The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sao Paulo is basically the same colour, but it's way more intense and it's been my product of choice when I wanted to go for a 'statement lips' kind of look all throughout the year. The third lip product I want to mention is my beloved L'Oréal Color Riche Balm in Caring Coral. It gives my lips a hint of colour, and it makes them look more full with its lovely glossy finish.

5. I have used the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish every single time I took my make-up off this year, without fail. I ran out of it about a month ago and started using a different product - worst mistake ever! I shortly realized I couldn't live without my Cleanse and Polish, it's seriously the most cleansing product ever. It manages to remove every trace of make-up from my skin - I will absolutely continue to use it!

6. The infamous Bioderma Sensibio H2O has quickly become my favourite micellar water, after trying it for the first time a couple of months ago. I use it after removing my make-up and I must admit it's my favourite step of my night-time skincare routine!

7. My favourite face brush this year has been the Real Techniques Powder brush. It's just so soft and dense, and I love how it can stand up on its own! Real Techniques brushes are incredibly high quality for their price, and I definitely am going to try more from their range :)

Honourable mentions: my MAC Era and All That Glitters eyeshadows, my all time favourite nail-polish Essie Sand Tropez and the gold nail polish from the Dior Golden Jungle duo!

I wish you all an amazing 2014. ♥

A little update

Hi everyone! I haven't written a post in more than a month and it feels so good to be blogging again :) I had exams these past two weeks and I knew I wasn't going to have time for my blog, so I scheduled a month's worth of posts when I still had a bit of free time. 

My first two Uni exams went great and I couldn't be happier! I'm proud of the good results that I got, because I put so much effort in it. I am now back home for the holidays and I will stay here until the end of January, so you can expect a lot more posts coming your way! 

On that note - is there any specific post that you would like to see? I wish I could have done Blogmas, but I have been extremely busy for the past three weeks. I am also planning to redesign the blog layout; I'll see what I can do. I was so good with HTML and coding just a few years ago and now I can't remember almost anything about it! 

I think that's it for now - I hope you're having a great time and you are enjoying Christmas time as much as I am! x

Bioderma Sensibio H2O

I know you're looking at this post's title and thinking "Seriously? We don't need another post on Bioderma H20!". I know Bioderma is probably the most popular micellar water on the planet and thousands of bloggers have sang its praises, but if you want to know what I think about it, then keep reading!

Bioderma Sensibio H20, which everybody refers as just 'Bioderma', is a micellar solution - in other words, water that you can use to remove your make-up. Bioderma is a famous French pharmacy brand and their Sensibio range is specifically targeted towards sensitive skin. This product can be used on face and eyes, and it's fragrance free; it honestly feels and looks just like water. 

Removing the thick layer of concealer and full coverage foundation that is usually on my skin every day using just the Bioderma would be time-consuming and a waste of product too: I'd have to use 100 cotton rounds. So, I like to remove my make-up first with a more 'potent' cleanser and then use the Bioderma. I just pour some drops on a cotton round and swipe it on my skin: every time I use it I am shocked at the amount of foundation that it manages to remove even after I cleansed my skin one time. It's seriously amazing! It makes me think of how many times I thought I'd perfectly removed my make-up and happily went to bed, not suspecting anything.. sigh! 

It takes off every trace of face make-up that's still left on my face, making it feel fresh and deeply cleansed. Needless to say, it doesn't irritate or make my skin feel tight: it's absolutely fantastic for troubled skintypes that need soothing, like mine.  

The Bioderma Sensibio H20 may work great for taking off face make-up, however it's not as good as an eye make-up remover, and I don't even use waterproof mascara; so I usually take it off using a different product.

Bioderma is definitely not hard to find here in Italy - it's sold in lots of pharmacies for less than 15 euros. I am definitely going to repurchase it in a bigger size when I run out, as it's quickly become a must-do in my nighttime skincare routine.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

Aveeno isn't a very glamorous skincare brand, I know, but I have always wanted to try something from them. What best way to introduce myself to the brand than trying a body lotion? 

The Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion comes in a tube packaging; I believe that it's sold with a pump in the US.. so much more handy. However, the product is exactly the same. As all Aveeno products, it contains Colloidal Oatmeal, which is supposed to protect the skin while moisturizing it. It's also fragrance free, which makes it perfect for sensitive skin types, but I have heard that they do a scented version as well. In fact, I would have preferred to get that one, but I couldn't find it in the store! Anyway, the product itself has a quite thick consistency: not as liquidy as a lotion, not as thick as a body butter. It doesn't feel sticky or greasy at all and it absorbs quite quickly. The driest part of my body during this time of the year are my legs, and the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is moisturizing enough to make them feel smooth and nourished. 

Would I repurchase this body lotion again? Yes, probably, but in the scented version. I like my body lotions to smell nice - it's amazing how good a nice scent can make to your mood :) 

Have you ever tried anything from Aveeno?

Today I want... #20

The less money I have to spend on unnecessary things, the more I crave them. My number 1 craving of the moment also is the most expensive one: it's the NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita, a dusty rose shade which I think could be my next favourite "my lips but better" lipstick.. too bad it costs €26, and I simply can't justify spending that much on a lipstick *sigh* 

One of my favourite type of nail polish to wear is metallic gold shades. Essie Penny Talk is a beautiful rose gold-coppery shade that I think would be perfect for this time of the year. It was part of last year's Mirror Metallic collection, so I'm probably going to hunt it down and purchase it online!

I was browsing the Bioderma website yesterday and got lost in the Sébium section. The range is targeted towards people with oily, acneic skin. They were probably thinking about me when they created it! Just kidding - anyway, I really want to try some products from the line. There are so many, it's actually hard to understand which one works for what! 

Much raved about in the beauty blogging world, the NYX Butter Glosses are supposed to feel as moisturizing and smooth as -you guessed it- butter. All the shades look super pretty, but I have my eyes set on Vanilla Cream Pie!

It's full-on Winter here and my lips are in need of more hydration: I really want to try the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm, because everybody says it's the best lip balm ever! The only thing that's putting me off buying it is the fact that it's in a pot, and it's not the most hygienical thing ever. :(

Have you tried any of these products? What are you craving right now?

Sheerskin review

The stars of today's post will be three products that Cosmetic Love kindly sent me, all from SheerSkin: the Good Bye Trouble Brightening Bubbles Cleanser, the Good Bye Trouble Soothing Mist and Good Bye Trouble Soothing Fluid. 

SheerSkin, as all brands sold on Cosmetic Love, is a Korean brand. You know how much I love trying new stuff from Asian brands! Their website is only written in Korean, but from what I understand they try and use only natural and safe ingredients that even children can use. That's always good :)

The three products come in very simple yet pretty packaging. I especially love the Good Bye Trouble Soothing Fluid, which is made out of glass and feels more expensive than it actually is ;) again, I wish I could read what's written on the products, because it's all in Korean characters. They definitely need to work on this!

The product I enjoyed the most was the Good Bye Trouble Soothing Mist. As you probably already know, I have acne and I'm always on the lookout for refreshing mists that will help my skin feel a little better. The SheerSkin Good Bye Trouble Soothing Mist is supposed to control sebum and extra moisture, control acne spots, hydrate and brighten the skin. It contains five different Korean herbs such as Taraxacum and peony, which are especially good for sensitive skin types like mine. Moreover, it also contains fig, aloe, licorice, and centella asiatica: it's jam packed of natural ingredients! It feels so refreshing and soothing when sprayed on the skin, especially when it itches or looks particularly red. It also has a nice floral scent which I find so nice!

I also found the Good Bye Trouble Brightening Bubbleless Cleanser a good product. It's supposed to eliminate dead skincells and blackheads, brighten the skin and deeply cleanse the pores. Like all SheerSkin products, it has lots of natural ingredients in it such as papaya, white willow tree and sunflower seed oil. I found this product cleansed my skin well and brightened it, but it didn't remove impurities like I expected! It's a nice cleanser nonetheless, but nothing to write home about!

The third product from SheerSkin I tried out was the Good Bye Trouble Soothing Fluid, a mix between a serum and a moisturizer. As the other two products, it has a very pleasant fresh floral scent, which makes applying it so nice and luxurious :) It has a liquidy consistency and it sinks easily into the skin. Like the other two products from the 'Good Bye Trouble' range, it's targeted towards sensitive skintypes and it's meant to soothe and brighten the skin - which I found it did, especially right after applying it. The effect starts to disappear a few hours later, so I think I need to use this product a bit more to start seeing the difference :)

You can check out the ingredients of these SheerSkin products all on this page, where you can also find more products from the brand. Let me know what you think about SheerSkin if you decide to try anything from it! :)

Avène Eau Thermale VS Bionike Defence Tolerance Soothing Droplets

A few weeks ago I went back home from uni for a few days, and when I opened my travel make-up bag I realized I had forgotten to bring my beloved Avène Eau Thermale! I went shopping later in the day, so I decided to pick up the only similar product that I could find - the  Bionike Defence Tolerance Soothing Droplets. I'm not sure whether Bionike is available in other countries other than Italy; anyway, it's an Italian high quality pharmacy brand. I've been using their deodorant for years and their Defence Sun sunscreen (review here) this past summer, so I decided to try their soothing water out. Did I like it better than the Avène? Let's find out.

Both products claim to soothe the skin and provide freshness and relief; also, they can be used after shaving or waxing, on sunburns, etc. I mainly use thermal waters after glycolic acid peelings that my dermatologist does on my face, and when my skin feels itchy (which happens very often). I tested the Avène Eau Thermale and the Bionike Defence Tolerance Soothing Droplets in both situations and they acted in similar ways.

But, there's a but. I much prefer the Avène Eau Thermale for different reasons: it feels slightly more refreshing and it definitely perks my skin up more. Also, I find the nozzle gives a much finer mist than the Bionike's, which is pretty difficult to press down as well. But the thing I dislike the most about the Bionike Defence Tolerance Soothing Droplets must be the scent and taste: it smells like some solution a dentist would use (which brings back many unpleasant memories to my mind), and it has a weird taste too, while the Avene doesn't have one. All in all, I trust the Avène Eau Thermale more as it's just water, while the Bionike product is made in a laboratory made. Simple is better :) 

Have you ever tried any of the two products? Are you a thermal water kinda person? ;)

Favourite everyday lipsticks

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Having to go to Uni pretty much every day of the week, during the past month I have found five lip products that work with virtually any outfit and eye make-up. I can apply all of these even when I'm in a rush and I don't even have the time to look in the mirror. Some of them are my all-time favourite lip products, so let's find them out!

My life in photos #6

The Coliseum, the Fountain of Trevi, the Tiber, a delicious cupcake, Piazza del Popolo, a little Sephora splurge, the main street in my neighbourhood, my first Yankee Candle, a super yummy ice-cream ♥

Follow me on Instagram: @francivusk

Il Colosseo, la Fontana di Trevi, il Tevere, un cupcake delizioso, Piazza del Popolo, un po' di shopping da Sephora, la via principale del mio quartiere, la mia prima Yankee Candle, un gelato buonissimo  ♥

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

About a month ago I got my hands on the infamous Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. It was my first Laura Mercier product ever, so I was very excited to finally test it out! 

My skin is not in the best of conditions at the moment, so I usually go for medium or full coverage foundations on a day-to-day basis; anyway I really wanted to try a lightweight foundation to use on those days when I'm not feeling like wearing a ton of make-up. This product turned out to be a great choice. My shade is Nude, which is a perfect match for my very light skintone. The consistency of this product is light and creamy, and it blends effortlessly into the skin, giving it a nice even look. The coverage is very sheer and would be great for those who have good skin to begin with, but it can be built up on areas where you need more of it. The staying power is not the best -I usually have to powder about 4 hours in-, but I have oily skin so it's understandable. Maybe I should have tried the oil-free version!  

The main reasons why I like the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is that it evens out my skintone and covers up my pores while brightening up my complexion. I still need to use concealer over my acne scars, but at least I can let my skin breathe a little more than if I used a proper foundation; also, I find that it works great as a base for my two go-to foundations, Chanel Vitalumière Aqua and Make Up For Ever HD. 

Have you ever tried the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer? Let me know what you think about it!

Gipsy Dharma

Avène Gentle Purifying Scrub

About a month and a half ago, my skin was in much needed help. It didn't have the best of textures and it felt basically gross all the time, so I decided to try the Avène Gentle Purifying Scrub - after trying the Thermal Water and Antirougeurs Anti-Redness Dermo-Cleansing Fluid from the same brand, I knew for a fact that my skin loved Avène products! 

Let me just say that when I got it out of its box, I saw that the little tube was like 70% full! Don't you just hate when that happens? I feel robbed! Anyway, on to the review. The Avène Gentle Purifying Scrub is supposed to eliminate surface impurities and unclog pores while being non-abrasive and gentle to the skin. Obviously it contains Avène water, which is known to soothe and brighten the skin. This scrub has a light gel formula with tiny exfoliating beads in it. It also is perfume-free, so it's completely suitable for sensitive skin. It can be applied on dry skin, but I usually use it on wet skin for a less harsh exfoliation. My skin definitely feels smoother and cleaner after using this, but I haven't seen any improvement in terms of unclogging my pores, which I'm afraid are too clogged for this mild scrub. 

So, I would definitely recommend the Avène Gentle Purifying Scrub if you are prone to rosacea or have in general sensitive skin but you're not looking any deep cleansing effects from a scrub. If, like me, you struggle with very oily and acne-prone skin, I suggest you try something more "potent", although this scrub could perfectly work as a weekly cleanser.

Urban Decay NAKED 3?!

I don't usually write about news in the beauty world, but this was too exciting to pass up. I read a few days ago on Twitter that Urban Decay was going to release a Naked 3, but it turned out to be a fake: the one you see in the photo, though, might be not. French blogger Babillages (the credit for the photo goes to her) has apparently managed to get one from Sephora - it might have been sold by mistake. Same thing happened to another French girl, Natacha Birds. It's really hard not to believe to several high-quality photos of the palette! By the way, it looks absolutely gorgeous and I'm already thinking of selling my Naked 2 -which I have barely used- to get my hands on the Naked 3! I really do hope it's not a fake, because it just looks gorgeous!

What are your opinions? Do you think it's a fake? 

Update - 18 November 2013

It's definitely not a fake! A few days after I published this post, Urban Decay released official photos and info about the Naked 3 palette. It's going to have 12 new pinky neutral shades (Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart). They are all shimmery and glittery except for three. It will retail for $52, but the release date has not been announced yet. I have already sold my almost unused Naked 2 to make space for this new addition to the Naked palette family!  ♥

Update - 27th November

The Urban Decay Naked 3 palette is launching in the UK on December 16th!

Real Techniques Powder brush

After trying the Expert Face brush from the same range, last month I finally caved in and bought the Real Techniques Powder brush. It was much needed after using a BH Cosmetics dual-fiber stippling brush for a whole year! There are lots of reasons why I love Real Techniques brushes - they are so soft and dense, they don't shed or lose shape at all; basically, they are high quality products with very low prices. I got mine on Amazon for about €14, which is nothing considering I will be using the death out of this brush! Another reason why I love my Real Techniques Powder brush is that it is, like all the brushes from the range, the epitome of multi-tasking - in fact, I have been using this brush fror powder, bronzer and blusher. And last but not least, the base of the brush is flat so it can stand up on its own. How cool is that? It's much more hygienic than having your brush lay down flat when you're doing your make-up. 

Really, I can see no faults in this brush, except the fact that I would love it to be sold in stores here in Italy, but hey - as long as I can get more Real Techniques products online, it's fine. Have you tried any from the range? What do you think about them?

Oasap Giveaway

Today's post will be a giveaway! I'm happy when I'm able to do things like these for you - it's a nice way to say thanks for reading my blog ♥ 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

OASAP, one of the most popular online shopping websites, has kindly offered to gift one of my readers with one of the jumpers that you can see in the photo. All you need to do to enter the contest is to fill the Rafflecopter form below, it's super easy! I hope you enjoy this giveaway ♥

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow OASAP on:

http://pinterest.com/oasap/

http://facebook.com/oasap

https://twitter.com/Oasap

http://instagram.com/oasap_official

http://oasap.polyvore.com/

& Other Stories wishlist

♥ Fig Fiction Body Soufflé

♥ Sugar Crush Hand Soap

♥ Couture Carnival Body Scrub

♥ Nail Colour in Mousseline Apricot

♥ Eye Colour Palette in Plush Earth

♥ Lip Gloss Applicator in Tartarin Orange

50 facts about me

1. I did rhythmic gymnastics for almost 10 years.

2. I could embroider my life away - if I ever fail at university, I want to work as an embroideress. Seriously!

3. My favourite author of all times is Jane Austen, I know her books by heart :)

4. I could never be a vegetarian. Meat is definitely my favourite food! Also, it's one of the few things I eat. I have very difficult taste in food :(

5. My favourite make-up products are lipsticks. I own way too many!

6. I have iced lemon tea every morning for breakfast.

7. I'm Italian, but pasta makes me sick. Weird, I know!

8. Flowers make me genuinely happy. My favourites are peonies :)

9. I'm a bit OCD about my room - I need everything to always be in place!

10. I absolutely love fashion and I would love to work in the industry. Working for a fashion magazine would be a dream come true (why am I studing Law though? Nobody knows)

11. I have always loved reading. I read my first book without pictures at the age of five and I still have it in my library :)

12. I have an iPhone 4s and it's my favourite thing ever, haha!

13. I have been to Switzerland, Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Croatia, UK and Ireland so far.

14. I never, ever wear brown. I think it's the most unflattering colour ever!

15. I love learning new languages.

16. I moved to Rome, Italy in mid-September to attend university.

17. I have a younger brother called Giorgio. People say we have the same voice!

18. My favourite singer is Florence Welch. I love her music and her sense of style too.

19. My favourite poet at the moment is Eugenio Montale. He's Italian of course.

20. I'm completely arachnophobic. I could cry if I saw a spider on tv.. imagine what I would do if I saw it in my room!

21. I love animals with all my heart, especially dogs. But as I said before, I could never be a vegetarian! :(

22. I don't eat shellfish. I don't eat much fish at all actually, but I love smoked salmon!

23. I am a morning person. I get sleepy after 8pm, haha!

24. I hate rain with all my heart and I don't see how people can like it!

25. I'm very bad at small talk - I never know what to say.

26. I think I look much younger than I actually am.

27. On that note - I don't ever want to become old!

28. I hate horror movies. Why do people like to be scared??

29. I have often been told that I look like someone from the 18th/17th/16th century. Basically it seems like I'm not from this century!

30. My favourite movies are Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, Atonement, John Wright's Pride and Prejudice and The Virgin Suicides.

31. I don't watch much tv at all.

32. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check my Instagram and Twitter!

33. I love blogging. I opened my first blog when I was only 11 and it was like a diary for me.

34. I hate going to the beach - I hate the sand, I hate being half naked in front of strangers, I hate the dirty water.. :S

35. I am so romantic I think it might be an issue.

36. I have never smoked and I never will. I just don't see the point in it.

37. I don't drink alcohol, partly because I don't like the taste of it and partly because I don't see the point in getting drunk. I like to be in control of myself!

38. My favourite painting of all times is Primavera by Botticelli. I saw it in real life twice and I could have spent the whole day looking at it!

39. I can't do my nails for the life of me. I think they look awful, but I can't do anything about it!

40. I've been reading Vogue magazine since 2005.

41. I always try and watch movies in their original language.

42. I once won a Marc Jacobs bag on a Twitter contest!

43. Two of best friends I've known since I was 3 years old, the other two since I was 11.

44. My mum wanted to call me Rossella.

45. I have recently caved in and switched from an old Acer laptop to a MacBook Pro, and I couldn't love it more.

46. Sometimes I wish I was a man just so I could wear beautiful sartorial blazers. 

47. I own a sewing machine, but I like hand-sewing better.

48. I wore braces for most of my life. I finally removed them earlier in June and now I have great looking teeth, haha!

49. My dream in life is to have a brilliant career and to be known as a well-read woman.

50. I think that the only type of jeans that fit me are second-skin ones. Other ones just make me look fat!

Rimmel Moisture Renew in Notting Hill Nude

There are a few reasons why I got this Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in 720 Notting Hill Nude: #1, because I needed a good nude lipstick to pair with intense eye make-up looks; #2, because Lily Pebbles blogged about it; #3, because I had seen the movie 'Notting Hill' just a few days before discovering this lipstick, so I totally wanted to get it just for the name. LOL

Anyway, the main reason why I got it was because I was looking for a pretty nude lipstick that wouldn't wash me out. It's quite hard to find one, as I have a very light complexion; this one, though, works just fine. The Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Notting Hill Nude is a browny light pink that is just one or two shades lighter than my lips. As its name claims, it has a creamy, moisturizing formula which makes it glide smoothly onto the lips. It's not glossy, but it's not matte either - it has more of a glitter-free satin finish. 

As for staying power, it's pretty average - it will stay on the lips for about three hours, and after that it will start fading out evenly. I think this lipstick is perfect if you are looking for a natural nude pink that won't make your lips look like you've put concealer on them! It would also make a great 'highlight' lipstick to put on the center of the lip over a darker one. 

You can get your Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Notting Hill Nude off LoveCosmetics for just £1,95! What do you think about it? Have you ever tried any other lipsticks from the same line? 

Remington Pearl Pro Curl

It's been a few months since my hair has looked pretty au naturel, and I reckon it might be because I stopped using the Avon Advanced Techniques Argan Oil products. I ordered them again so hopefully my hair will get back to how it was, but anyway! I have always wanted to try a curling iron of some sort and after browsing the internet for days in search of a good unexpensive one, I found it: the Remington Pearl Pro Curl 33mm curling wand. I got it off Amazon for €40, which is not too much for a good quality hair styling tool. It has a 32mm diameter, so it's perfect to create loose waves on my very long hair.

The Remington Pearl Pro Curl comes with a very nice golden pouch and a handy protection glove inside. This curling iron is supposed to have a ceramic and real pearls coating. It definitely looks professional and sturdy, and it has a little digital display which shows the heat temperature. It heats up very quickly and it goes up to 210°, but I find that 190° work best on my hair to create perfect waves. The first time I tried it I almost cried - I swear my hair had never looked prettier, even when I had it styled at a salon! I was jumping around everywhere and asking my family if they liked it or not, and too bad it was late at night otherwise I would have gone out and asked strangers too!

I absolutely love my Remington Pearl Pro Curl - I find I have to restrain myself from using it too often! I think it's super easy to use even for a curling iron-newbie like me. It takes about 20 minutes to do my whole head and I'm always happy with how it turns out!

Before / after

Excuse my pjs and my stupid naked face. In the first photo you can see my freshly washed without any product in it - it looks awful. It's neither straight not curly, it's frizzy and it looks dull even though it's silky soft at the touch. Look how shiny it looks after curling! I love it! 

Do you use curling irons? What's your favourite hair styling tool? :)

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

For today's post, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Karadium, a new Korean cosmetic brand that is about to launch on Cosmetic Love. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you will know that I absolutely love Asian make-up and I'm always excited to try new brands!

The Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes have the prettiest, most girly packaging ever. They come inside a little silver cardboard box with a cat design on it - the same that you can find on the actual blush compact. Inside of it you can find a little brush with very soft and thick bristles. It doesn't feel cheap at all like some other brushes that often come with powders. The compact also has a mirror, which can always come in handy, and a little plastic separator. I find that's much more convenient than the usual plastic sheet separators!    

I wish I could read Korean - unfortunately, there's no English on the packaging nor I can find any good info about these blushes online. I'm sure we will find out more about Karadium once it will launch on Cosmetic Love!

Something that you notice straight away when opening the blushes is a faint rose scent which I personally don't like (I prefer my make-up unscented or vanilla-scented), but I know lots of people will appreciate it.

California dream

I remember one afternoon -I was about five or six- when my mum and I counted my Barbie dolls: they were almost 100. Quite spoiled, I know! I used to absolutely love Barbie's, so when I saw this sweater on Chicnova I knew I had to have it. Statement sweaters have been a trend for months now, but I had never seen anything like this one before! I got mine in a size M and it fits me perfectly - it's slightly oversized but not too baggy, and it comes down right to my hips. I think it will be the perfect sweater to wear on lazy days at university paired with skinny jeans and a pair of Converse, or just to lounge around in the house. 

Did you use to play with Barbie dolls when you were little, too? :)

Today I want.. #19

Now that Summer is gone (sigh!), what best way than to bring it back with a lovely smelling body butter? I've been lusting over this Korres Fig Body Butter - I bet it smells amazing! I actually am not keen on the taste of figs, but I love their warm, sugary scent. I've never tried anything from Korres either, so I'm very interested in discovering more about the brand.

I've always wanted to try an Annick Goutal perfume. There is something about their names -the one I put in the collage is called 'Ce Soir Ou Jamais'!- and their packaging which is so intriguing! The perfumes from her range are so expensive, so I think I might go for a set of minis like the Annick Goutal Collection Perfume for women, which includes some of her best selling scents like Eau d'Hadrien, Eau du Sud and Petite Cherie. I feel like getting such expensive fragrances in full size can be tricky sometimes, so why not get a collection of miniatures to try out first?

Being a job-less student, candles are not the first thing I can spend my money on, but if I had to treat myself I'd get this Lollia Wish Petite Perfumed Luminary candle. It's descripted as a blend of 'warm Vanilla Bean and Rice Flower delicately frosted with sugared pastille', with notes of Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Amber woods.. sounds pretty much like the perfect candle to me!

I just realized I have already included the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in one of my recent wishlist posts... this must say something about how much I want this product! I'm debating whether to get the minis for £15 or commit to the full sized bottle.. help! My skin is looking terrible at the moment - sometimes I feel like putting on a 100% full coverage foundation, sometimes I'd like to go out with nothing but a BB cream on and let the universe see my flawed skin. I don't know what to do!

On this subject, I kinda want to try the Glamglow. It's a mud mask that is supposed to be a miracle worker, I've seen tons of positive reviews about it but I'm scared my skin will react badly to it. Have you tried this? What do you think about it? 

Make-up storage tips

My make-up collection is not big at all comparing to some you can find on Youtube videos, where girls show their make-up room, but it's not as small that I can fit it all in a make-up bag. I think I have found a pretty inexpensive way to keep my make-up in place and I wanted to share it with you! 

My favourite way to store my make-up is using acrylic tea bags organizers like this one: I just remove the lid so that I'm left with a nice 'open' box with different compartments. There are plenty of wooden tea bag organizers, but I find that clear acrylic ones are better because you find the product that you are looking for more easily. Eyeliners, mascaras, lipsticks and even foundations and tiny palettes fit perfectly in this type of boxes! I managed to store 10 lip products in just one compartment, which  makes this kind of solution much more convenient than using a lipstick holder in my opinion. 

In my latest trip to IKEA I have found something similar to a tea bag box - it's called Krus and it's a cookie holder thingy. It comes with two dividers and you can choose whether to use one or both, which is great! For some reason I can only find it in the Italian IKEA website, but I bet it's available in other countries too :)

How do you like to store your make-up?   

My empties #3

Here I am again with another empties post! There's no feeling like finishing up a beauty product - I feel like I have accomplished something! Haha :)

The first empty product is a huge bottle of the Batiste Dry Shampoo in the original scent, which I had bought back in February (!). Thankfully, my hair doesn't get oily easily, so I only use dry shampoo once a week or even less - that's why this bottle lasted me so long. Batiste dry shampoos are considered the best in the field by many beauty bloggers, and for a reason. They come in heaps of different scents, they don't leave a white cast on the hair and they provide instant volume to the roots. I liked it so much that I have already repurchased a bottle of it! Another product I really want to purchase again is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth cleanser, but I can't get it in stores here and it's a bit too expensive for me to order it online at the moment. It's the most gentle and efficient make-up remover ever, I loved it! It has a thick cream consistency which removes even the most waterproof mascara without stinging or hurting the eye in any way. It has a very pleasant herbal scent too, which is always a plus. Is there any place that I can get it for less?

The following two products were so-and-so. I've been using the Garnier Fructis Oleo Repair 3 shampoo and conditioner for the past two months now, and I didn't like them that much. They apparently contain Olive, Avocado and Karité oil and are supposed to help with dry or damaged hair. They definitely left my hair feeling soft and shiny, but it didn't quite look alright. Also, it got in my eyes by mistake twice and it hurt like hell! The first time I couldn't open my eyes for half an hour. Crazy!

The next product is a hair product as well, an heat protecting spray to be exact. The Avon Advance Techniques Protect It! Heat Protector didn't blow me away - the only thing I really liked about it was the smell! It was quite 'professional' and hair salon-like, haha!

I also finished up two nail related products: a Rimmel Nail Polish Remover in the Nourishing formula and an Essence Express Dry Spray. Two "meh" products, again - the first one did its job (without nourishing, though), and the second one kinda did what it claimed to do! I don't think I'll repurchase these, just because there are so many similar products on the market that I want to try.

Lastly, I finished up a packet of L'Oréal Triple Active make-up removing wipes for all skin types. These are definitely some of the best ones I've ever tried! They do a great job at removing 99% of my eye and face make-up without burning like some cleansing wipes can do. The only downside to these is that they are quite expensive compared to others, retailing for about €4. I would definitely repurchase these nonetheless!

In a golden cage

Fine Belt Mesh Dress*

You can't call yourself a fashion blogger if you don't own it - ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about the infamous cage dress! Lots of online shopping websites stock it, but I got mine from Choies. As always with Asian based-websites, you need to be extra careful with sizes because they tend to run small. I got my dress in a size M, but it's still a little too short, so I will probably tuck it into some jeans and wear it as a top. Anyway, I love dresses with interesting upper bits like this one - I think they can make a great evening outfit paired with bold lips and simple accessories. I'm sporting neither of those in the photos, but you get the idea! I have a few events coming up and I think I may wear my cage dress as a top and pair it with a ponytail and a bright fucshia lipstick :) 

What do you think about it? Is it a bit too risqué? ;)

Essie Mint Candy Apple

I know that Summer is long gone now, but I feel like Essie Mint Candy Apple is such a cult nail polish that it's acceptable to blog about it even during Fall! 

Mint Candy Apple is a pastel light blue shade with a green hue, similar to the colour of a Tiffany box but a bit lighter than that. When I bought it, I was originally looking for something way lighter than it (more like & Other Stories Moire Green), but I ended up liking it a lot anyway. As all the Essie nail polishes I have tried so far, Mint Candy Apple has a very nice formula: it's creamy and it applies smoothly without streaks, which I think is due to the fact that the brush is quite wide. It's perfectly opaque in two coats and it doesn't chip easily - you can't notice much tip wear before the 5th or 6th day of wearing it.

The only thing I have to complain about this nail polish is the price - here in Italy Essie nail polishes retail for almost €14, which is insanely expensive! To think that in the US they retail for $8.. I want to move to America!

Do you own Mint Candy Apple? What do you think about Essie nail polishes?