Back from England

I came back home from England last Saturday and I was really happy to. My trip to London was nice, but didn't really turn up as I expected. It was great to finally visit the National Gallery and the Tate Modern, but for the rest it was all a bit "meh". We were hosted in families and me and my best friend ended up in a disgusting, filthy house. We tried to stay there for the first two days, but it was impossible so we decided to change our accommodation. They put us in a house that was 40 minutes far from the school, but the host lady was very nice and her home as well! We had little to no time to do shopping (or anything else, really) because we had classes in the morning and group activities in the afternoon, so I wasn't able to get all the things that were in my wishlist :( believe it or not, I went to only one Topshop store (but it was the Oxford street one) and no Primark. However, I'm really happy with what I got. I managed to get a few things from Boots and Superdrug and I also went to the New Bond street Victoria's Secret shop! That was definitely amazing. Stay tuned for reviews of almost everything you see in the photo above ;)

I ♥ the Oscars

For me, the best part about the Oscars (or any glamorous event, really) is the red carpet. Since most of them take place in the US, I love waking up the morning after and discovering which actress chose which gown, which jewels and accessories. Most of all, I love imagining what I would have worn if I had the chance! We all need a bit of day dreaming now and then. This year, my favourite looks from the Academy Awards red carpet were those of Jessica Chastain, Zooey Deschanel and Anne Hathaway. Predictably, the general trend I can spot in my three favourite is: pale pink/nude dress, natural make-up and impeccable elegance.

Jessica Chastain, nominated for the Best Actress award for Zero Dark Thirty, totally embraced the Old Hollywood glamour with her stunning Armani Prive dress, Christian Louboutin heels, and Harry Winston jewels. I think her best feature is her hair: yesterday night her Forties waves looked simply amazing.

Another all time girl crush of mine is Zooey Deschanel. I've loved her ever since I saw her in 500 Days of Summer years ago; pair her with my all time favourite designer Valentino and one of the maison's best, most recent creations, and you'll have me crying all over the place. Her hair was gorgeous, too.

Anne Hathaway won the award for Best supporting actress for Les Miserables while looking perfect in a minimalist pale pink Prada dress and a Tiffany necklace. That she looked unbelievably classy is all I can say about her, and that cutting her hair was the best idea she could possibly have.

Who was the best dressed at the Oscars in your opinion? 

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder

I don't really like to contour, but I do sometimes, especially if I have a special occasion or I'm going on a night out with my friends. Since I don't do it often (boring life) I usually tend to go for less expensive products, such as the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny. This product is raved about by bloggers and youtubers, so I decided to pick it up a few months ago. At only €3,99, I think it's quite a steal! Although looking pretty, the packaging doesn't feel like it has a good quality to it. It comes with a big mirror and a sponge (which I consider pretty useless). The product itself, however, is really nice. The powder comes in a medium light brown shade and it's completely matte. It definitely has a warm undertone to it, but doesn't show extremely orange on my skin. The fact that it doesn't have a crazy pigmentation is a pro to me, because I have a really light complexion and I would look like a clown if I used something too pigmented to contour. What I like about this bronzer is that despite being so unexpensive, it has almost a buttery consistence! It doesn't feel as stiff and chalky as some other cheap powder products I've tried int the past.

I think the NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder is a really good product for its price. There are definitely better contour powders out there, but if you, like me, are not very demanding with your bronzer, you'll enjoy this product.

Have you ever tried this bronzer? What do you think about it?

Today I want... #11

For those of who don't know already, I'm leaving for London in a few days! I'm going there with school to do an intensive English course, and I just can't wait. We'll be there for a week and I can't even imagine all the fun (& shopping) I'll have with my friends! I have an endless wishlist of things I want to get there, but for this post, I've only chosen a few. I'm really looking forward to trying Barry M Hi-Shine nail polishes, I think they look so pretty! Nail polish-wise, I also have my eyes on Models Own Utopia and Butter London Disco Biscuit.

One of the products I won't go back home without having bought is Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I don't even know the exact number of the bloggers I've heard praising this products because they're so many! 

I think I'll also get my hands on a few (euphemism) Soap & Glory products. I'm in love with their packaging and I've recently been trying some of their stuff, which I'm really enjoying.

And last but not least, the best of the British brands in my opinion: Topshop! I can't even believe I'm able to visit their Oxford street store after two years. Three floors of pure heaven. 

I'm definitely going to tell you everything when I come back so stay tuned! :)

L'Erbolario Mandorla bodywash

Pics overload! I was really inspired today, haha! Anyway, on to the review. Last month I picked up this L'Erbolario Almond body shower because I could get a free calendar with purchase, and I love their calendars! I've been using these for the last two years and I just couldn't skip 2013! 

L'Erbolario is an Italian natural skincare & bodycare brand, but they also have a little cosmetic line. I love them because they don't test on animals, they use recycled paper and most of all, their products are amazing. I've loved everything I've tried from them over the years and this body wash was no exception! As you can see from the photos, the packaging looks gorgeous. There are also some Pablo Neruda words on it! 

This product contains fluid sweet almond extract, proteic almond hydrolized and almond oil surfactants, so it's supposed to be super gentle and nourishing. It's great for sensitive and dry skin types, and even though I don't have particularly dry skin on my body I find that during the colder times of the year this body wash has given my skin some extra moisture. It has a good, thick consistency (I hate runny body washes), it smells great and ladders up nicely! 

I'll admit it's a bit pricey at €9,50, but really, what you're paying for is a high quality product.

Have you ever tried anything from L'Erbolario? What do you think about them?

Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting primer

Last month I purchased a Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting primer in Adjust on a whim. You know that feeling when you're making a mistake buying something expensive but you're in front of the cashier and you just can't turn around and run away? That's what I felt when I purchased this. I knew it was a mistake since the beginning, and I wasn't wrong. After I gifted the beauty store with €47, I went back home and looked for reviews of the product on Makeupalley.com.. 90% of them were negative. Still kinda hoping the primer would work on me, I applied it on my face and... it did not do anything. The consistency, though, was super silky and it glided on my skin extremely easily; but the thought of having pure silicone (that's what made it so silky soft) on my already problematic skin made me feel claustrophobic. I gave it another few tries (by itself, with a water-based foundation, with an oil-based foundation) but truthfully, I just wasn't enjoying it. I have acne-prone skin and I often have spots, but at the moment my biggest problem is acne scarring. This Smashbox primer did absolutely anything to help with that. I don't know about the other primers from the Smashbox range, but I think this one is no good.

Have you ever tried it? Do you have any suggestions for a good primer?

M.A.C Red

I love MAC lipsticks. I love their simple yet luxurious feeling packaging, I love the little 'click' sound the cap maskes when I put it back on, I adore their smell, love the names, the formulas and the shades (The only thing I hate about them is the price, now that I think about it). Last month I was happy to be able to include the most classic red to my collection, M.A.C Red. It's a true red with blue undertones, the type of red you'd see on Marilyn Monroe's lips if she lived in this era. Colour-wise, lots of people on the internet have compared it to Russian Red or Ruby Woo. I don't have any of those, but I guess that since M.A.C Red is a Satin finish, it glides on smoother and it's not as drying. It's very opaque and pigmented, but still it has a tiny bit of shine. As all MAC lipsticks I've tried, it's creamy and gorgeous and perfect and I LOVE IT SO MUCH! It's just the most perfect classic red lipstick. I'm sure it'll suit all of you, go try it!