My Fave Model

Hands down my favorite model ever............Andrea Raicu


(pictures from her website/ google)

YSL Rouge Volupte

I have somewhat of a love for lipsticks, a small collection, but I love all of them. I guess that's because I am a strong believer that when it comes to makeup (at least for me) quality reigns over quantity. I hate having all that makeup and never touching it, I feel like its such a waste. Now don't get me wrong I admire those that collect makeup, and I completely respect their collections. Me on the other hand, I like it but it's not something I collect. And if I am not a collector then it's pointless for me to have a ton of makeup. Makeup for me is a phase, but lipstick......now that's love. I have a few and for the exception of one, they are all pinks; the other is a peach. I love bold pink lips, to me they look very edgy and fresh (paired with a neutral eye). However, I am going off topic. I am sure you have probably heard by now about these lipsticks and let me tell you......it's all true. From the beautiful packaging to the amazing colors. I have two, the famous Lingerie Pink and Frivolous Pink. They are absolutely gorgeous colors and I adore wearing them, I like the fact that they are matte, no shimmer, yet they do not drain the moisture from my lips. I absolutely adore them.
Since I was such a fan of the Voluptes I thought I should give the Pure Shines a try. I have the color Pink Diamond, and its well....umm sheer. It's a beautiful color but it goes on sheer with a tint, its great for layering but I feel that it would have been the perfect lipstick if it was more pigmented. I should have picked the other one I know,...but I fell for the color :D. The packaging is a favorite, you push the top and pop comes the lipstick. Another plus is that they are light weight. Overall, love them all.

(pictures from ysl.com)

The Lip Balm Story

As a lipstick lover, lip balm is indispensable. If I want my lipstick to be vibrant and flake free, then my lips NEED to be moisturized. I used to be a gloss girl, that is until I discovered the pigmentation of lipsticks, it was indeed....love at first swipe. However, that's a different story :D... I am picky when it comes to my lip balm, I want it to be natural, with a pleasant fragrance, easy to use (in a tube, pots aren't very sanitary) and not feel sticky. That's quite a list, but I am hoping that there is a lip balm out there that meets my "requirements".

I have tried quite a few, too many to remember, however one has impressed me even though it comes in a pot. I am talking about Korres Lip Butter, I had two of these little pots in the flavor Guava (clear). I know, I know, I just said I want it in a tube form, .....if only they made this in a tube form! It's amazing, its made to be a natural product, and it seriously melts into your lips like butter. They are amazingly soft and feel moisturized without feeling too gooey ( my scientific term) :D. There are a few flavors and they give a nice subtle hint of color, which is an added bonus. I went for the Guava because of the scent, its amazing. I would put it on just because of the scent...my lips owe that scent a lot.

This one is soooooo close to being the best lip balm ever, looks like the lip balm story will continue.

When it comes to hair...

Do you splurge? Its not always convenient to head to the salon to buy a new bottle of shampoo, or conditioner. It may not be worth it at all when we have drugstores that have numerous shelves overflowing with such products at nearly a fraction of the price. But when saving money do you actually damage your hair? I have been coloring my hair for ages, I can't even describe how much damage my hair has sustained. Unfortunately it's a habit that I cannot break, I love my dark hair :D, and why should anyone be forced to sacrifice color for the sake of hair health? I have seen commercials that advertise that their range has shampoo formulated for curly, straight, fine and colored hair. Umm, HELOO! what if I have curly & (here's a shock) colored hair?...needless to say my curiosity led me on an experiment.

I have tried numerous drugstore brands and the results for me have always been the same, my hair ends up dry and feels like its wire, not hair. The cleaning ingredients in those shampoos are too harsh for my hair. They clean my hair too well, stripping it of its oils, which means I have to pile on the products.
(pictures from JOY)
But its summer......I don't want to spend all that time on my hair just to put it in a ponytail because its too hot. And if i let it air dry with no products.....let's not even go there. So I gave salon products a try. And yes, I noticed a difference. My hair is sooooooo much softer, I have noticed less frizz and I have been able to skip the hair products.

Of course, this is not to say that drugstore hair products are horrible, if fact there are some products that do a wonderful job, like hairsprays. All I am saying is that for my hair, those shampoos and conditioners did not work.

Paris

I absolutely adore this picture, its an ad from a jewelry company Meli Melo (spring). Its very...well pink, and over the top sweet. I love the rose petals and the jewelry they chose works great with the theme. Something about this picture makes me smile, maybe because it has that parissiene feel that I have always adored.

It's Only Natural

This year when it comes to beauty, the focus will be natural. This is not necessarily a fashion prediction, but more of a goal. I usually embrace the fake tan, fake nails, etc. but this year the goal is to take better care of my skin and hair.

Coloring and heat damage the hair, so my theory behind it is, cut all of the damage and start taking care of it properly. I have heard about numerous treatments that can be applied to the hair. Two examples are the olive oil and honey mask which are said to be great at adding shine and moisturizing. Honey is also a great skin care mask. With that said, I will do my best to apply heat protectant every time and try to work with my natural texture.

This is one goal that I have tried numerous times to accomplish, that is natural makeup. No matter how many times I try, I don't like it :D. I prefer the makeup look, so it looks like makeup. I have tried the neutral shades, the peaches, soft pinks and chocolate, yet I always go back to my dramatic eyes. I usually focus the attention on the eyes. I will occasionally be inspired by a bold pink lip, but the eyes will always be the main focus. This means that my natural makeup will look like I am wearing makeup which to me is only natural. :D