how’s your week going? Did you have the chance to enjoy a cup of coffee outside in the sun yet? I’m still hoping to do that very soon… But today we are going to continue with the spring giveaway series, that as i promissed is going to last for a whole month.
Today’s edition starring: A Blushing Affair. Excited about that? Today you have the chance to win 3 limited edition items to make your face glow in the spring sun:
Essence highlighter from the Fantasia edition in 01 Elf Yourself (0.31oz/9g)
P2 rumble in the jungle duo bronzer from the Summer Attack edition in 010 Tropical Touch (15g)
Essence blush from the Home Sweet Home edition in 01 Knits For Chicks (0.28oz/8g) The rules are going to be as simple as usual: You have to be my follower in order to enter. Use Rafflecopter & ENTER HERE this international giveaway, which is going to be open until April the 11rd 2013.
As usual:All entries from multiple or spam accounts, like accounts set up for giveaways only will be banned!!!
Btw, I know who’s entering the giveaways only… *wink wink*
If you TWEET about it, please do it from this blog post page (via share on twitter button) and not from Rafflecopter!!
Thank you and good luck!
how is your week going? Was it as sunny and spring like in your city as it was in mine? I really hope so.
Seeing the sun coming through the clouds after probably 3 month, is so nice for a change…
Today i would like to tell you about a little test, that i was doing on a new product by Essence – a peel off base coat. A fun innovative idea, that suppose to be your magical helper when it comes to the annoying process of removing your stubborn nail polish. I got the idea to try it in combination with a glitter polish. As i’m not using any kind of glitter polishes that often, i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try the new product and to enjoy some sparkling glitter nails for a few days.
As you can see, the packaging says: “fast and easy change of colour and effect nail polish. this innovative, solvent-free peel off base coat allows you to peel off your nail polish whenever you want, wherever you are! no remover needed!”
No remover needed – those were the words, that i needed to get interested in this product. The actual polish looks milky white in the bottle and contains the standard 0.33 fl. oz / 10 ml and is really affordable – 2,25€ The instructions are very simple. You apply a thick coat of the polish, that looks just like a regular white at first, then wait until it’s dry and become completely transparent. On the packaging there is one more advice: “avoid hot water for 3 hours after application”. I simply did my manicure 2 hours before bed time, so my nails had the chance to really dry through over night.
After about 10 minutes this base coat dried and it looked like i didn’t have anything on my nails at all. Then it was time to grab my new special effect topper by Essence in 15 Glitter on Me – that looks a bit like a disco ball in the bottle. I applied 3 coats of the glitter topper to really get the mega glitter effect. I simply love the longer glitter stripes in it. And when that was done, i even decided to top all that with my most favorite top coat – Better that gel nails top sealer by Essence studio nails. (As you can see, it was a whole lot of Essence going on there! I thought i would work the best with all the products being made by the same brand.)
I have worn this manicure for over 4 days. Then my patience was over. I couldn’t wait to start peeling this whole thing off. I’m sure it would last for at least 2 more days, because at this point, it still looked good and didn’t come off by itself at all.
I use a little orange wood stick, that is a great tool to push back cuticles ect to help me carefully lift up the edges. I have to say, it doesn’t come off like a nail sticker, all in one piece and you should obviously not perform any harsh movements, since you never know, where the polish really sticks to your nail bed.
For me the process didn’t feel too pleasant, as i usually never peel off my nail polish (we all know how bad it is to do that! damages the nail bed so much), but the results were pretty amazing. If we keep in mind, that i had quite a thick layer of different polishes on, my nails looked clean and not damaged.
So as my conclusion i can say, that if you are a big friend of glitter polishes and bright “toxic” colors, that tend to leave a mark on your nails, this is a really smart and useful product for you. I know i can be braver now and use my glitter polishes every ones in a while again. Not having to think about the mess i would have by removing it all again, is a big relief. If you can get Essence products in your area, you should definitely give this peel off base coat a try. Have you seen any similar products by other brands on the market? And what do you think about this concept? Please share your secrets with me.
as you all know i had my ♥ Essence Hugs and Kisses Giveaway ♥ running and today I’m happy to announce the lucky winner. This time it’s Trine Marie !! Congratulations dear. Please provide me with an address via email and i will send your goodies out to you. Thanks for all your entries everyone. It was great to see you all participating.
Stay tuned for the upcoming posts and I’m sure you get another chance to try your luck in the near future again! So until next time – Stay beautiful!
ps: i just have to mention that – my dear friend Sabrina the Polish Alcoholic is holding a fabulous birthday giveaway these days and i didn’t want to miss the opportunity to tell you about it. Stop by her blog, support and enter the international giveaway! If you are lucky, you can get your hands on some OPI Mariah Carey Collection or Ciaté nail polishes. Goooorgeous!
How have you been? I hope not as busy as I am lately. January is almost over and Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Have you seen the different inspiring nail art designs and pretty eye looks all over the internet?
Sometimes I’m amazed what those talented blogger are coming up with…
As Essence came up with a really sweet little limited edition for Valentine’s Day, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to do a quick giveaway. Especially because some of you asked me about this limited edition, since it’s not being sold everywhere. How can I say no to such request!? (pictures are taken from the Essence home page)
So here we go and I hope you have fun while entering the giveaway, which includes 4 glitter topper 0.16fl.oz / 5ml each and some big bold lashes for an incredible eye look with a sparkle.
CLICK HERE and enter this international giveaway,which is going to be openuntil the february the 7’th (GMT + 1:00) As usual:All entries from multiple or spam accounts, like accounts set up for giveaways only will be banned!!!
Btw: If you TWEET about it, please do it from this blog post page (via share on twitter button) and not from Rafflecopter!! Thank you!
These days I’m all about nails and nail polishes. I collected a few new ones over the holidays and am now totally in the mood for a few experiments. I’ve seen many cool & inspiring tutorials on youtube and read posts from fellow bloggers lately. Today I’ve decided to do my first “Nails of the week” post. Something that always looked appealing to me, is a braided look, of course mostly as a hair style, but recently I came across many braided nail designs which I liked. So this is my shy attempt.
The colors, as well as the combination of it look a little different as it appears on the pictures, but you definitely get an overview. A metallic silver base with a glossy finish and a few colorful accents of a dark blue-ish green and a bright coral.
As an alternative, or for those who are not that talented with their left hand, here is an example for a simple silver manicure with the bright coral and a few silver stripes, made with the nail art tip painter. I have to admit, my right hand definitely looks very wearable for every day in the office ect. The left one is let’s say, more outgoing. 😉
Maybe next time I will do every nail in the same style.
If you want to create a silver manicure, here are the actual products that I’ve used: What’s you nails of the week? Share the pictures with me please! And don’t forget to participate in myNew purple dream – giveaway.
Have you noticed how fast time is flying? Only 11 day’s are left until Christmas is here. I hope you all are really enjoying the season.
It’s very cold and snowy here these days and i noticed how much more care my hands & nails need. The skin tend to be very dry, almost painful, if i forget to moisturize. (Yes, that happens sometimes even to a hand bald junkie as i am.) As we know windy winter can be a real enemy for your hands.
So no one going to be surprised by the fact, that i have a lot of different hand treatments all over my house and in every bag. Today i want to talk about the recent pleasant & surprising discovery: Essence 24h hand protection balm – Winter Edition 2012 inGingerbread Chai Latte.
Ohh sweet goodness…where do i start!? Every winter Essence come up with a new holiday themed hand balm edition, which become quickly pretty popular.
The design is always very sweet & adorable, that talks to most girls hearts.
The two past limited winter editions i do remember very well. And i want to show you the pictures, that i found on Essence official page:
In 2010 the hand balm were inspired by winter tea’s, like rooibos tea & blackberry, white tea & grenadine, chai tea & mandarine, and became a must have for every tea & hand cream lover out there. I enjoyed white tea & grenadine the most, just because i’m such a fan of grenadine. After such a success, Essence made a new round of adorable winter hand balms in 2011 and brought out the ” little bakery“ winter edition, such as raspberry chocolate cookie, strawberry cream cupcake, vanilla apple pie. It was raspberry chocolate cookie for me last year…do i have to say more?! 😀 I mean raspberry and chocolate cookie in one tube? I was sad, i didn’t get a backup…
The packaging was really sweet and you just see yourself opening the tube and smelling on it, don’t you? Essence couldn’t go wrong with making another winter edition in 2012 and they decided to go for hot winter drinks, such as Caramel Hot Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon Punch and Gingerbread Chai Latte. I have to say i liked the scent of Gingerbread Chai Latte the most. Apple Cinnamon Punch smelled way too much like punch (alcohol), instead of just apple cinnamon. And the actual scent of Caramel Hot Chocolate was so light, i couldn’t almost smell anything, except maybe a little bit of caramel. But Gingerbread Chai Latte turned out to be the perfect blend of exact those things that it claims to have. I mean nothing is better than a scent of typical gingerbread and the warm spices of chai latte during december. Right?! The ingredients as actually the same as in the regular hand balm by Essence, which you can get all year around. It contains shea butter and coconut oil. It is not greasy, it just leaves a very soft film on your hands. And around 10 minutes later you only feel how soft your hands are. If your hands are usually very dry, you might need something heavier than this one, but over all it’s a nice every day hand treatment, which come in a handy 75ml /2.53fl.oz tube, that you can easily have in your purse with you. The quality you get for the low price is quite good. So if you find this winter edition in your local drugstore, ive it at least a smell and tell me what you think.
Or what you can also do (since you managed it to read this whole post), is to leave one single comment under this blog post until monday 17. of december (11:59pm), telling me what’s your favorite scent for hand balms in winter is and what exactly you love about it. (The winner will be chosen via random.org)
That way you ge the chance to win a tube of Essence’s Gingerbread Chai Latte and as a little addition Gingerbread Spice (caffeine free herbal tea) by Celestial Seasonings. The official page says:“Stepping into a cozy kitchen warmed by the spicy aroma of freshly baked gingerbread — what a wonderful way to thaw a frosty winter chill! This handcrafted blend is a nostalgic medley of ginger, cinnamon and other time-honored ingredients. Because it’s naturally caffeine free, you can indulge in this unmistakably merry tea any time!”
One of my blog followers is getting the chance to enjoy soft deliciously smelling hands, while drinking comforting & nostalgic herbal tea. Good luck everyone and stay warm!
It’s finally weekend. It was a crazy and busy week for me, so right now i’m just happy to stay in, since it’s really cold outside. While enjoying my cozy weekend, i’ve decided to do this fun I ♥ Drugstore Makeup TAG, that has been going around youtube so much lately. Hope you do it as well. 🙂
I tag YOU all to do this!
THE QUESTIONS:
1. What is your favorite drugstore makeup brand?
There are two actually. The well-known Revlon & the german brand Catrice. I think the most drugstore items that i use on the daily basis are by Cartice. I love how the quality meets price here. And as i became a huge fan of the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters this year, Revlon has to be my other brand of choice.
2. What are your favorite face, cheek and lip products?
My favorite lip products of the year 2012 are definitely the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters and the new Sheer Glam lipsticks by P2 cosmetics. Two current ones that i’m loving are the 070 Cherry Tart & 060 Fame! The sheer glam lipsticks are a great alternative to Revlon’s lip butters, as they are not being sold here in Germany (what a shame btw!)
They have a creamy buttery consistency, a little bit of color and leave my lips moisturized. I’m really happy with all the lipsticks by P2 and that’s one of the reasons, why you can win one of them in my currentgiveaway. Plus i find the P2 packaging super cute. As for my favorite cheek product i would have to pick the Silky Touch Blush in 10 adorable by Essence, a very light pink with a matte finish. I love the formula and how beautifully pigmented the blushes by Essence are. There’s no issues with blending into powder or liquid foundation at all. The packaging is very simple clear study plastic, and i have had no problems even while traveling.
My most favorite face product of the year is the Bebe young care Goodbye make-up tinted moistruizer. (It’s by Johnson-Johnson, so you might find something similar in the States). It gives my face moisture and a light coverage, as a great alternative to heavy makeup, like thick foundations or heavy powders. I didn’t feel like my skin needs too much coverage these days, so this product has been exactly right. It smells a little bit like sunblock, which reminds me of a beach vacation every time i use this tinted moisturizer.
3. Least favorite product? For me it’s the Maybelline color sensational lipstick in golden pearl 862. I didn’t expect it to be that shimmery & pearly. You don’t get much color on your lips, way less than from Revlon’s lip butters. And i feel after drinking, eating and talking, i have that shimmer all over my face. I know i sounds a little weird, but i just don’t like it. But on top of all that i find this typical “lipstick smell” unpleasant. So for me, it’s the biggest downside to this lipstick, along with the pretty high price (around 10 euro/13 US-Dollar). 4. What is the best makeup bargain? Seriously i will have to go with the Essence blushes again. Great product for really small money!! If you have an Essence display at your local drugstore, go ahead and try them.
5. What is your favorite underdog product? (Something you love that often gets overlooked?) Recently i have discovered the highlighter pen by Catrice. It’s a relative new product on the market, but i feel like it didn’t get enough attention so far. It’s a creamy pearly long-lasting highlighter, that reminds me a little bit of the NYX jumbos. It brightens really well the eyebrow area and gives a nice sparkle in the corner of my eyes. I enjoy using this highlighter pen on the daily basis.
6. A drugstore product that is overpriced? This one is really easy. It’s the L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Primer. Not least because of the newest addition on Catrice’s display. During the summer Catrice came out with the new Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner, that looks a lot like the Secrets Smoothing Primer. The only difference is that the jar that it comes in, is not made of glas, but plastic. But seriously, that is the only downside for Catrice. The texture is the same, mousy and creamy. The primer by L’Oreal needs much longer to soak in. And i don’t even start with the price. L’Oreal around 16 euro vs. Catrice 4, 99 euro. So as you can see – L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Smoothing Primer is just way too overpriced & not competitive.
7. Show your best drugstore dupe!! The best one that i have handy at the moment is one of my all time favorites mono eyeshadow is Catrice 410 C’mon Chameleon as dupe to M.A.C. Club. Anyone who ever had a makeup obsession knows how M.A.C. Club looks like. Club is officially described as “a red brown with a green shimmer”. In my opinion it’s more complex when you look at it. A light brown, green and blue mixed toghether with little sparkles. And it looks different depending on the way you wear it. C’mon Chameleon is a lovely duochrome forest green mixed with warm brown color. The effect is even better i noticed, when applied on a dark base like a black NYX jumbo pencil.
8. Drugstore product that isn’t worth the hype? In my eyes it’s Rimmel London lasting finish by Kate in 05. Yes i know Rimmel teamed up with Kate Moss to create that line, and it was all over the media. But somehow i didn’t like the formula, nor the feel on my lips. And yes, maybe i’m not the biggest fan of bright, matte lip colors – the lipsticks are described as a satin finish, but to me, they are definitely matte. And besides, i can’t stand when a lipstick blends into the lines of my lips. No wonder this one has been lying around after just a week of using. True story.
What are you favorite drugstore brands and products? Please do the tag and tell me more about your beauty secrets!
Today you have the chance to win 3 limited edition items to make your face glow in the spring sun: 
The rules are going to be as simple as usual: 
Beauty expression by Luchessa 