My Life in Photos #7

Christmas in Rome, a delicious biscuit & ice cream dessert, going to a theater near Fountain of Trevi to see 'The importance of being Earnest' - something I'd never thought I would do in Rome!

The first issue of Porter magazine, a joyful bunch of flowers, a shameless selfie

Another addition to my very tiny Yankee Candles collection, another shameless selfie, what my mum made me find when I came back home after a long time

What I wore on a special event, a little stationery/book/skincare haul, some pretty flowers on my balcony

I can't believe I haven't posted an Instagram round-up post since November! If you want, you can follow me on Instagram here. Also, I'd love if you linked your Instagram profiles in the comments below so that I can check them out :)

Forever Repurchased Products

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

It's my favourite lipstick ever, and I have mentioned it countless times in blog posts. I love it so much that I dread the day I'm going to run out of it! However, that doesn't stop me from wearing it most days. As the name suggests, it's a lovely berry shade that is just a tiny bit darker than my own lips. With its sheer texture and slight glossy finish, it manages to liven up my complexion and make my lips look more plump. It looks so natural and pretty, and it basically goes with every eye make-up and outfit. Definitely try it out if you are into berry shades! 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

This is the best cleanser I have ever tried - ok, I haven't tried a whole lot, but I honestly don't feel the need to: this Liz Earle one suits my needs perfectly. First off, such classy packaging - it almost makes you feel like you're in a spa or something like that. Secondly, it's got a gorgeous scent, that's refreshing and calming at the same time. But most importantly, it does its job wonderfully: it removes every trace of make-up -even stubborn mascara- without irritating my skin or eye area, and if that comes from someone who's taking Roaccutane, you can be sure that's true. 

I wear a lot of face make-up, and it amazes me every time how much make-up this cleanser can get off my skin. The only downside is that you always have to have clean towelettes available, but it's something I can definitely deal with.

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua

Funnily enough, this is my very first foundation, and my favourite out of all the ones I have tried too. I wasn't even aware of what the beauty blogging world was when I bought it, and I surely didn't knew how much this product was hyped! It definitely is a cult foundation, and I can see why: it has a very natural skin-like finish, it's extremely lightweight and it gives the face the prettiest glow. It's quite buildable as well, and although it's not full coverage it evens out the skin tone brilliantly; but my favourite thing about it is that it makes my pores disappear, and that makes my face look completely different! 

I loved this foundation back when I had oily, acneic skin and I still love it now that I have super dry skin and (fingers crossed) no more acne. I heartily recommend it to everyone!

Today I want... #21

♡ Crabtree & Evelyn Wisteria Bath & Shower Gel

O. M. G. (Best way to start a blog post, isn't it?). Like. Is it a new launch? Has this line existed for years and I didn't know it? Because I NEED IT ALL. Wisteria is one of my favourite flowers and I love its scent! The packaging looks gorgeous as well! I definitely have to get my hands on this shower gel, at least!

♡ L'Occitane Lavender Organic Relaxing Roll-On

I have been having trouble falling asleep lately, I don't know why. I love the scent of lavender, it's so calming! I really want to try this little roll-on from L'Occitane and see if it solves all my sleeping issues and helps me unwind :)

♡ NYX Powder Blush in Red

This blush looks real scary in the pan, doesn't it. However, I think that if applied very lightly and properly blended out, it would give a nice fresh effect to the face! Viola from Killer Colours often uses red blushes and they look amazing on her.. She definitely inspired me to try one!

♡ Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish Kate Moss Jazz Funk 701

I'm going through this coral pink phase right now and I feel like this nail polish is exactly the shade I am looking for. I swatched it in store and it's a lovely toned down fuschia, without any blue undertones. I absolutely love it and I honestly don't know why I didn't pick this up.. It only costs €3,90, too! You can't beat that!

How to fade dark spots naturally

Acne, sun exposure and aging can all cause the appearing of dark spots on the skin. Although they may seem impossible to get rid of, lots of people have succeeded by using both natural and chemical remedies. You can easily find skin brightening lotions nowadays, even in your local drugstore, and dermatologists offer plenty of different laser treatments. But why not venture on a more natural and safe route instead? To make your dark spots fade more easily, you should...

… Prevent: if you don't want those marks to become permanent, you should stay away from the sun in the first place. Always use a broad-spectrum SPF every day if you know you are going to be outside, and concentrate it especially on the problematic areas on your face. Your skin will thank you for that!

… Exfoliate: doing a scrub at least once a week will help to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and reveal new ones. There is no need to use store-bought products to do so – a simple honey and sugar face scrub will do just as well, if not better. Just mix three spoonfuls of raw honey and three tablespoons of sugar in a bowl, then gently massage the scrub you just created on your face in circular motions. Honey is probably one of the best ingredients in the recipe for a good complexion!

… Use lemon juice: Lemon probably is the best natural remedy to make dark spots disappear. The vitamin C in lemons can help in fading skin discolourations; this fruit also has mild natural bleaching properties which help remove the top layers of the skin. The best way to use it is to squeeze a lemon to get all the juice out of it and simply apply it on your face with a cotton round at least once a day, preferably at nighttime; if your skin is particularly sensitive, you should dilute the juice lemon with some water.

… Use Aloe Vera: this plant has so many good uses, especially skin-related ones. It helps in healing burns, it moisturizes and -of course- it helps renew the skin, speeding the dark spots fading process. The best way to take advantage of Aloe Vera would be by taking the juice directly from the plant and applying it on your skin, but you can easily purchase 100% Aloe Vera gels in stores

... Use apple cider vinegar: the acetic acid contained in apple cider vinegar will help the renovation in the top layers of your skin, therefore making your dark spots disappear more easily. Substitute it to your regular toner and apply it all over the face every day for a glowing complexion!

Don't be discouraged if you don't see any results straight after the first application: if you want to get rid of your dark spots, it's very important that you are consistent, whatever natural remedy you choose. Our skin can take months to respond to a treatment, so just be patient ;)

photo credit: henrik adamsen

My Current Favourite Lip Products

Today I'd like to share with you the four lip products I'm currently obsessing over. Most of them are new purchases, so I decided to gather them all in one post :)

Max Factor Color Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Subtle Coral 02

I have been all about coral lately: coral clothes, coral nails and -of course- coral lips. After swatching just about every coral lip product in my beauty store, I found that the Max Factor Color Elixir Giant Pen Stick in Subtle Coral 02 was my favourite: it's the perfect orange-y coral shade for Spring time and I find it suits my skintone and hair colour perfectly. The texture is very smooth and balmy, and it has a nice glossy finish which makes the lips look more plump. The only downside to this product is that you have to sharpen it! But I like the fact that the bottom of the pencil matches the actual colour of the lipstick - that's always nice if you have tons of lip products like yours truly.

Essence XXL Longlasting Lipgloss in Coral Delight

I absolutely love pairing this lipgloss to the Max Factor lip crayon! They match perfectly and this Essence lipgloss makes the other product even more pigmented and shiny. I like it also on its own for quick, fresh-looking make-up looks. It's definitely pigmented for a €2,50 product and I definitely want to try more from this line. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie
You know I love my Revlon Lip Butters - I have ever since they came out and I just can't stop using them. The one in Raspberry Pie was one of my less used ones because I found it was just too pigmented for day-to-day wear and it also made my teeth look a bit yellow. I tried it again on a whim a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it! Despite it having a very creamy and soft texture, I like applying it over lipbalm so that it has a more sheer and glossy finish. I love the dark berry shade, but most of all I love how perfectly it wears, because it leaves the prettiest stain on the lips after the gloss is gone. 

KIKO Precision Lip Pencil #311
My other favourite everyday lip product of the moment, together with the first two I mentioned, is the KIKO Precision Lip Pencil #311. It's a great 'my lips but better' shade, which is just a tiny bit darker than my own lips. I have been enjoying defining my lips a bit more recently, and I definitely want to branch out more in the lip pencil department. I'm trying to add more lip pencils to my collection because they make your lipstick stay on so much longer (and I definitely need that, especially when I have long days at Uni) and they look pretty even on their own, as this one does, especially topped off with some clear lipgloss. I find the KIKO Precision Lip Pencils are great: they are pigmented but not drying on the lips. I have a red Essence one as well that I love even more, but unfortunately the colour range is so poor!

What lip products are you enjoying so far? Which ones do you like to wear in the Spring time? :)

Max Factor // Essence // Revlon // Kiko