Top-Ten Tuesdays ~ Eye Products

Good morning cupcakes ^.^ Today, I'm going to be sharing with you my Top-Ten Eye Products. So, in no particular order, here goes!

10. e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in Stardust ~ the perfect sparkling eyeliner to jazz up your night-time make up or party look!

9. Estee Lauder Eye Defining Pencil in Deep Brown ~ I like using this during the day and sometimes during the night for a more natural approach to make-up and I like how it matches the colour of my eyes.

8. e.l.f. Shimmer Eyeliner Pencils ~  although these do not provide you with the longest lasting of formulas, they are a great alternative to the usual boring black eyeliner as they add a pop of colour to your look :)

7. e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black ~ my favourite eyeliner pen! It glides on smoothly and effortlessly and doesn't budge!

6. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk ~ the perfect creamy base to make eyeshadows pop!

5. essence stay natural concealer in 01 Soft Beige ~ I know this is technically not an eye product but since I mostly use this under my eyes, I figured it fits in this category as well. I really like the texture of this concealer and how well it covers my dark circles.

4. Max Factor Kohl Eyeliner in 020 Black ~ if there is a black pencil liner that I absolutely adore, it is this one! Stays on forever and has the deepest black ever!

3. e.l.f. Lengthening and Defining Mascara ~ whenever I wear this mascara, I always get told that it looks as if I am wearing falsies... I think that says it all!

2. e.l.f. Eyelid Primer ~ ever since I bought this primer, I can't seem to stop using it! It makes my eyeshadows pop and last longer without fading or creasing.

1. e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Metallic Olive ~ my favourite out of the cream eyeliners mainly because of the colour but also because I find it is creamier than the other one I have :)

What are your favourite eye products ladies?


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January 2011 Favourites

So, the first month of 2011 is already gone (very fast might I add!) and here are the products I have been using over and over again during this month:

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Scrub & Body Butter ~ I just love the scent of these two and not only do I enjoy it in the bathroom, but whenever I feel a bit under the weather, I like to open them up and take a sniff to lift my spirits :)

e.l.f. Zit Zapper & Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Rose Beige ~ I have been using the Zit Zapper to dry out any pimples that have a life of their own and I really like the results whereas I have been using the Tinted Moisturizer as an alternative to foundation.  Reviews coming up soon on both of these!

essence stay natural concealer in 01 Soft Beige ~ This was a re-purchase because I was running low on my Rimmel concealer. I like the liquid consistency of this one better than the stick formulation of the other so  guess this will be my go-to concealer!

Caboodles honey flavoured lipgloss in Yummy Swirls ~ Mum got this because she thought it would come out sheer, tried it and she didn't like it because it was too shimmery for her but for me, it works perfectly! Watch out for the review!

Montagne Jeunesse Aloe Vera Face Tonic & Blemish Mud ~ my favourite brand when it comes to face masks that smell gorgeous and actually do their work! My current favourites are the Aloe tonic and Blemish Mud :) Keep your eyes peeled for loads of reviews on Montagne Jeunesse Products in the coming weeks!

La Roche Posay Lipikar Xerand Hand Cream ~ my bf's aunt gave this full-sized hand cream sample and I'm really loving it and the way it makes my hands feel soft without being greasy! Will be reviewing this soon :)

Shulips Heel Protectors ~ the revolution in heel protection might I say! I like how these are designed so that once they fit, they don't budge... read my review to find out more ;)

I have also been working on more nail art designs than ever this month due to a course I took.  If you missed the posts, here are the pictures again :) I have also been setting up my work portfolio so watch out for posts in which I will explain how you can make yours as well :)

 Now let's see what new products February brings!


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NOTW: Flower Galaxy

Happy Sunday everyone :) here's the nail design for this week:

I really like the colour combinations of this one especially the pink flowers which give a nice twist to the manicure. I am really into dark polishes now so as soon as I bought the grey one, I absolutely had to wear it! Let's get started!

1. Apply a clear base coat and follow with a grey creme polish or any other colour of your choice. I used essence colour & go in 35 Movie Star.

2. Using a regular make-up sponge, sponge a dark polish in the form of a slant tip on each tip.  I used e.l.f. Metal Madness but since it is quite a dark colour, I alternated with some Orly Dazzle (metallic silver) for more definition and dimension. So, I first sponged Metal Madness, then a little Dazzle and again some more Metal Madness.

3. On the very tips of each nail, I dragged some silver glitter polish for that added sparkle.

4. Top coat all the nails with a clear glossy top coat and place flower rhinestone along the sponging line on the ring fingers.  I chose a light pink, a medium pink and a dark pink flower to add to the gradient effect of the nails.  When dry, top coat the ring fingers once again to secure the rhinestones in place for longer. You're done!

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Review: e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Metallic Olive

Hello my lovelies :) While I am waiting for some nail art designs I have been practicing to dry, I decided to do a product review (instead of doing an assignment as I ought to).  Today, the spotlight will be on e.l.f. Studio Metallic Olive cream eyeliner.  I am very fond of olive and army green shades so when elf got this eyeliner, I knew I had to have it.  It was one of the four new colours they introduced to their collection last year.  I already owned the one in Midnight (check out the review here) and seeing I liked it so much, I decided to get this as well.

The packaging is the same as for all the other eyeliners, a transparent plastic container in the form of a little box with a screw-top cap.  It arrives in a little box though with a small angled brush included (for my thoughts on the brush, please refer to the review on the Midnight eyeliner, so as to avoid repetition {link above}). You get a very good amount of product, 4.75g to be exact, and since this is a cream eyeliner, it will last a long time for sure!

I instantly fell in love with the colour as soon as I removed the cap and I was even more pleased with the creaminess of this eyeliner! It is far more creamy than Midnight and a little goes a long way with this one.  Here's how it looks on me:

I like to apply this type of eyeliner with a long handled brush as I find it gives me more control to draw a perfect line all along. The colour pay-off is also excellent; however, even though it is a very creamy product, it lasts all the time until I take it off myself so it is definitely worth giving a shot.  A little tip to make yours last longer is to always store it upside down... I don't know how and why, but it works!

These cream liners retail for £3.50/€4 on the elf cosmetics website.

Have you tried any of these liners yet? Any colours you recommend? 

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e.l.f. Haul and some nail updates!!

Yayy I'm so excited! I have two bits of news to share with you all! First off, the postie just delivered my little brown box of elf goodies I ordered with the special promotion code for celebrating 100,000 likes on the elf UK facebook fan page! As usual, the order arrived very quickly and everything is in perfect condition! Here's what I got:

2 Studio Powder Brushes (one for me, one for Mum); Eyelid Primer (back-up), Zit Zapper, Tinted Moisturizer in Rosy Beige, Studio Make-Up Mist and Set (free with a promotional code)

Duo Eyeshadow Creams in Black Licorice and Eggplant, Studio Blush in Candid Coral

I'm so happy with everything! 

Next, I just wanted to let you know that yesterday, I started a nail art course! The course is spread on two lessons of 3 hours each and it was really fun! I went with a friend of mine who is also a nail technician herself and we started with some flowers, learnt some techniques and we also picked up a few tricks along the way :)  Our teacher is very talented and she even gave us helpful hints how to start a portfolio with all our works . This also makes it easier for clients to choose designs! Here's the work we did yesterday:

Which design is your favourite?

Anyways, I'm off to get on with some homework I have to do with regards the nail art course as well as a couple of overly boring Uni assignments... at least I have my blog and nail art to look forward to when I'm having a break!

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Mid-Week Beauty Master Class ~ Make-up Primers

This week sees the official start to this new series of posts on my blog.  Initially I started this blog to provide an alternative way for young and older women alike to learn more about our skin, make-up and products available on the market.  So, finally I am starting this series to tackle each product individually and also some make-up tricks and face shapes, corrective make-up etc. I decided to start with the products first and then we will move on gradually to making the most of them according to your individual needs :)

First up, Make-Up Primers!

There exist make-up primers for the face, eyes, lips, practically every part of your face where make-up will be applied.  Primers act as a base to help the make-up stay on longer and in the case of face make-up, prevent it from clogging pores.  Personally, I use a face primer when I am going to wear liquid foundation and my choice here is Inglot's Under Make-Up Base.  It has a gel consistency and preps the skin for make-up application and also absorbs serum so it is great for people with oily skin.

Most primers, especially eye primers come in the form of a skin-coloured creamy textured products.  There are loads of eye primers available on the market such as UD Primer Potion, elf Eyelid Primer and Mineral Eyeshadow Primer, etc... Like the face primers, these provide a base for eyeshadow to stick to and they also help in making the colours pop and last longer.  Just a little goes a long way with these and for hygienic reasons, I prefer primers with a doe-foot applicator (like that of lip-glosses).  Eyeshadow Primers are a must have for people with oily lids to help keep the eye make-up put all day. 

Most primers are oil and fragrance free and hence they work especially well for people with oily skin as primers help control shine and absorb excess sebum.  This is especially true for the gel-like primers.  People with dry and sensitive skin also benefit from using a primer because it helps nourish the skin and calm inflammation.  It is important to bear in mind that a primer has to be applied after moisturizer but before foundation.  It is best if you give it enough time to sink in the skin and apply it on areas where the make-up tends to wear-off after a few hours, namely, chin, lips and eyelids or even the whole face.

Here are some more benefits of wearing a primer:

Protects your skin from the harmful UV rays - some primers have a sunscreen and SPF 15 or more

Fills in fine lines and wrinkles
Makes enlarged pores appear smaller and less visible
Keeps cosmetics out of the pores and in doing so, allow your skin to breathe 

Most brands offer a make-up primer nowadays and all come in different formulations to suit everyone's needs.  The most popular options are skin-coloured, white and shimmery.  If you are going to buy a primer for the first time, take time to assess the packaging as well... remember you want to keep everything as sanitized and free from bacteria as possible to prevent any nasty breakouts and/or infections.  Therefore, skip primers that come in jars or in lipstick format and go for those that come in squeezy tubes or look like lip-glosses.

I hope you found this post useful and I would really appreciate your feedback on this series so feel free to bring your thoughts forward! Until next post, stay beautiful & happy priming!

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Top-Ten Tuesdays ~ Face Products

Good morning my lovelies! Today, I am going to share my Top- Ten face products which include both make-up and skin-care products. So, here goes!

10. e.l.f. Mineral Blemish Kit
9. e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Persimmon
8. Inglot Under Make-up Base
7. Nivea Visage Young control shine! Mattifying Gel Cream
6. Nivea Visage Young smooth it! Mild Exfoliating Scrub
5. Revlon ColorStay Makeup in 180 Sand Beige for Combination/Oily Skin
4. La Roche Posay Effaclar AI Targeted Breakout Corrector
3. Rimmel Lasting Finish Minerals Loose Powder Foundation in 100 Ivory
2. Rimmel Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose
1. e.l.f Studio Complexion Perfection

I'm gonna cheat a bit today and I am also going to include my new favourite product for pure bliss even for just 5 minutes...

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FOTN 8/1/2011

Here's last Saturday's night make-up! Me and Johan went clubbing with four other friends of ours after a reallllllyyyyyyyy long time! It was a great night and we enjoyed every second of it! Anyways, enough rambling and on to the pictures :)

Me & hubby :) This is the only picture I have that you can see my whole made-up face :)

Products Used:

Face

- Rimmel Lasting Finish Minerals Loose Powder Foundation in 100 Ivory

- Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in 103 Soft Honey

- e.l.f. Studio Complexion Perfection

- e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Pink Lemonade

- Rimmel Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose

Eyes

- e.l.f. Eyelid Primer

- e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Persimmon

- e.l.f. Limited Edition Party Eyeshadow Palette (grey shadows)

- e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner in Black

- e.l.f. Lengthening and Defining Mascara in Black (from Limited Edition Get the Look Day to Night set) 

- Maybelline Expert Eyes Kohl eye pencil in Black

Lips

- e.l.f. Mineral Lipstick in Ripe Rose

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A look back on 2010... Beauty-wise

So here we are, NYE... waving 2010 goodbye and wishing for a better 2011. Currently I am preparing a list of all things I have to do for tonight... hair, make-up, defuzzing, etc... and thinking how I should do my neighbour's nails for her dinner dance (watch out for photos in a couple of hours).

I decided to focus on beauty-related issues I have gone through this year and share them with you all in this post...

Back in January I started a Beauty Care course where we dealt with personal care and make-up application as well as skin care on how does skin work, nail diseases, body shapes and all sorts of other beauty things and procedures every girl should be aware of.  I found the course to be very informative and I really enjoyed all the lessons.  Our teacher, a qualified Beauty Therapist was always enthusiastic and ready to answer all our questions and that really helped make the course well worth it!

Moving on, I also did a course for gel nail extensions and I obtained my certificate on the 18th September. I really enjoy enhancing people's nails as I perceive nails as accessories and they can really dress up an outfit. I love it even more when clients are totally satisfied with the results and come back over and over again :)

This year I was also introduced to the fantastic e.l.f. cosmetics by a friend of mine. I can't seem to stop ordering from their site time and time again! Not only do they have a wide range of make-up at unbeatable prices, but they also offer fantastic discounts and offers on their facebook page and have an excellent customer service to top it all off! 

This year has also seen the start of this blog. I hate to call it my blog as I write posts for you and it is therefore your blog :) And here I am now, 69 followers and 280 posts later... enjoying my time as a blogger more than ever! I really appreciate each one of you finding the time to read and comment on my posts, so here goes a big Thank You to all my followers who have been following me since my first post back in June and also a warm Welcome to all the new followers :)

With regards the hand-model competition on nailslong.com, I have finished 79th which in my opinion is not bas at all! Considering I started at 201!!

Anyways, I hope you all have a better 2011 filled with all your hearts' desires :) Happy Beautiful New Year my lovelies,

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NOTW: Glamourous Fishnets... New Year's Eve Tutorial #2

Here's a way how to wear fishnets without looking trashy...

I am going to be wearing this manicure tomorrow for NYE Celebrations over at our capital city Valletta.  Stay tuned for my OOTN post tomorrow :) Keep on reading to find out how to create this design yourselves :)

1. Since I am used a dark red colour, I painted on two thin coats of a clear base coat instead of one to protect my nails from staining.

2. When this dries, apply two coats of a deep red nail polish or any other colour you prefer. I chose e.l.f. Cranberry and applied it on all nails omitting the ring fingers.

3. On the ring fingers, paint on a French tip with the same colour. 

4. With a medium sized striper brush, create a criss-cross grid design as shown in the pictures.  Leave to dry.

5. Apply a coat of a glossy clear top coat all over the nails including the ring fingers.  You may wish to leave the design as it is or else go on to achieve the same design as mine.

6. For this, you will need some steel beads (I got mine off ebay at a really cheap price for 18 different colours). Dip a dotting tool or toothpick in the clear top coat and pick the beads one by one and arrange them on the nail following the curve of the tip.  Do this while the top coat applied in the previous step is still wet.

7. Allow a few minutes for everything to dry and top coat again to finish!

Happy New Year everyone :)

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Review: e.l.f. Limited Edition Christmas Party Eyeshadow Palette

I got this palette for free with a promotional code for e.l.f. cosmetics' 3rd birthday.  I wanted the neutral one as I favour neutral shades more but I was really amazed with the colours in this one! I thought they were going to be the usual blacks and purples but boy I was so wrong!

The packaging is very sleek and professional looking and I like the little windows thorough which you can see the colours.  On the inside is a small mirror, enough to see your eyes in and the palette also comes with a small brush which I deem more fit for use with eyeliner rather than eyeshadows.  The palette comes in a cute black box with snowflakes on it (you can check it out here as I have already thrown it away... lack of space hehe).  I believe all the limited edition Christmas range comes in a similar package except for the nail polishes which are supplied in the usual package (however, they are also limited edition).

As you can see from the photos above, the palette contains 6 shades; all of which are nicely pigmented, the black, grey and white being very sparkly and glittery whilst the frosty white, greige and purple are shimmery but not overly glittery like the others.

I like the choice of colors in this palette but I was disappointed when I tried a look with this palette and I didn't apply a primer or a cream base underneath... the colours just faded away after a couple of hours.  However, when a primer is applied (I use elf Eyelid Primer) or another cream base (elf All Over Colour Stick in Persimmon is an excellent alternative), provided they are somewhat sticky, the eyeshadows last all night without fading or smudging.  Therefore, I highly recommend using a good sticky cream base when using these eyeshadows.

For £3.50/€4 I think this palette is good value for money, pity it is limited edition :(

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My Lip Gloss Collection and some reviews

Hello there sweeties :)

This review will be a bit different from my previous ones because I will include all the lip glosses I have and I will do short reviews on each of them. Enjoy reading through :)

I'm going to start with my latest additions which I am now addicted to thanks to e.l.f. for sending them as a free gift with my last order. These are the bottom 3 lip glosses in the picture above. I got 3 shades:

- Iced Latte

- Malt Shake

- Goddess

My favourite has got to be Goddess. It's more of the colour I normally go to for my lips. However, I was surprised that the other two are not that dark against my fair complexion :) What I like about these lip glosses is the sweet smell and taste and also the fact that they are not sticky at all (this has also been confirmed by my boyfriend :P). They really last long as well. And here they are in their pretty pouch which e.l.f. supplied them in :) :

My next two most used lip glosses are the Nivea one (uppermost peachy tube) and the clear one with the pink cap which is by Rimmel. The Nivea one is called Caregloss and Shine in Neutral from their Lip Care range and the Rimmel one is from the Shock Gloss range and its 200 Clearly Clear.

The Nivea lip gloss is always shifting from one bag to the other; which ever I choose to take with me when I'm out. It has a really pleasant smell and glides on smoothly without being sticky. The neutral colour ensures it goes with every look.

The clear gloss by Rimmel is a bit sticky but not that much it still gives me a good result...worn alone or on lipstick. What I like about it is the spatula applicator because it gathers just the right amount of gloss for precise application. Here is a picture of the applicator:

Another favourite is one I got as a gift last month (I even included it in my June favourites) for redeeming 50 make up points on Meg's Make up (just send me an email if you want me to send you an invite to join). It is one my faves for various reasons:

1. I love the packaging

2. It's high end

3. Its colour

4. The soft applicator brush

5. Its minty taste

6. A small mirror is included on the cap

Here are pictures of the packaging, applicator and mirror...

Next, are the two middle tubes...the pink one and the yellowish one.

The pink one, I received it as a gift last Christmas and it was part of a set from Primark. I love the smell of sweets it has and the pink colour. However, I dislike the stickiness of the product...I still use it though. Who can ever refuse a pink lip gloss :P ??

The yellowish one is from The Body Shop and it is also a bit sticky. I use it mainly for nights out because it is glittery and I think glitter should be left for the night.

Another The Body Shop purchase...Born Lippy Lip Balm in Passion Berry. I love these lip balms and can't seem to get enough of them (I had a Strawberry one too)! Not only do they taste lovely, but besides protecting your lips with a just-seen sheen, they are also glossy so I use it as a lip gloss as well. I don't carry it around with me because it is in a pot and I hate sticking my finger in a pot without being able to wash my hands afterwards...not to mention contaminating the product itself. What I do instead is I use a small lip brush to apply it.

Finally, the last one is from L'Oreal and it is called Glam Shine Crystals in Coral Strass 301. I bought this lip gloss from Corfu Airport last year before I departed back home. Since it is somewhat glittery I also like to use it at night. It has a sponge applicator and it is not sticky and lasts well.

Hope you enjoyed this article!

Stay beautiful,

Lara xoxo