Make It Colorful

New York - I love you! ♥

2010-02-05T22:45:00.001+01:00

Late post tonight - it's almost 11pm here.

May I present to you Mavala "New York"!

This is a wet cement looking, midtone grey creme. To me, this is a true grey in that it doesn't lean either brown or blue, it appears to be pretty pure. Me likey!

Application was a breeze, two coats offered great opacity.

I wonder how this one stands up to China Glaze Recycle, shade wise... Since I am probably the last one in the polish Blogosphere who doesn't own Recycle, I'm afraid I can't compare them for you.
I must say I am totally in love with this one, though!

What do you think, readers? Is grey out in the cold, or still rocking hot? Do you have a fave grey, and if so - which one?

That's all I have for you today - I wish you all a fantastic, relaxing, loving, caring, inspiring, enjoyable, fun weekend!

♥

Guess My Name - Time To Come Clean + Misc Hauls

2010-02-05T13:01:00.000+01:00

Good Day, everyone!

OK, so I've been meaning to do this post for awhile, but as usual haven't gotten around to it until now.
There has been some confusion (naturally so) regarding my changing my posting/blogger ID name from Vanessa to Helen; I've received a couple of emails about it, and I know there are some of my other blogger acquaintances wondering as well - so today is the day to come clean about it.
(Of course, those of you who are new followers haven't seen me posting as Vanessa, so there will be no adjusting problems for you ;) )

I've decided to start posting under my real name - which is Helen - Vanessa is the name of my precious daughter, and I felt it was time to stop hijacking her name, lol!
Also, it does feel quite awkward having people write: "Hi Vanessa" when it isn't my real name...
This means we are now officially two "Helens" in the nail Blogosphere (at least that I know of) - myself and our wonderful fellow English blogger (from Helen & Sheenie).
Hopefully you won't have too much trouble telling us apart!

So - now you gals have something new to learn over the weekend, which is a hard thing, isn't it...? lol!
Really - I bet you'll adjust in no time.

And here's just a few teaser pics of recent hauls - I'll feature these items in upcoming blog posts soon.

Have a GREAT weekend!! ♥

200 Followers/Valentines Giveaway Alert!

2010-02-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to inform you that fellow Swedish blogger (whose blog I just discovered) Anna is having a really cool Giveaway! You really should check it out and sign up to participate - the prize is awesome - discontinued China Glazes!

Left to Right: China Glaze No Way Jose and China Glaze 100 Proof Pink

You can access the contest post directly by clicking here!

So - what are you waiting for? Go for it, best of luck!

xoxo

◆ NARS Spring 2010 Collection ◆

2010-02-03T16:46:00.000+01:00

Inspired by Catherine Deneuve’s role as Lucille in La Chamade; the NARS Spring 2010 Collection features soft, sexy shades that are as elegant as they are versatile. “I love Catherine’s makeup look in this movie,” says Francois Nars. “She is the perfect reference for this collection, and apropos for spring, a time to embrace color and get noticed”.

Duo Eyeshadow - Kuala Lumpur

Duo Cream Eyeshadow - Camargue

Single Eyeshadow - D. Gorgeous

Glitter pencil - Bains Douches

Lipstick - Cruising

Lip Gloss - Ophelia, Easy lover

Nail Polish - Purple Rain

Hmmm; that lippie and nail polish certainly looks interesting to me.... what do you gals think of this collection - any lemmings?

Til next time - ♥

♥ Makeup Techniques Based on Eye Shapes ♥

2010-02-01T20:19:00.008+01:00

Good Day Lovelies!

It is not very difficult to learn how to use optical illusions to your own advantage. This post will show you how to improve your eye shape and make your eyes look more beautiful with the help of shadows, mascara and eyeliner.
Before we get into talking about different eye shapes, there are some general rules that can be helpful as guidelines along the way:

Dark shades make your eyes visually smaller, deep set, whilst light shades, on the contrary, make them appear bigger. If you want to create the effect of big, attractive eyes, prefer light eye-shadows.

Eye shadows applied after an eye pencil or any other kind of eyeliner will make your eyes look softer and dreamy. For a more dramatic look, apply eyeliner after the application of eye-shadows.

Don’t forget to curl your eyelashes, and then cover them with a layer or two of mascara. Avoid lining the inner edge of the lower eyelashes, as it can make your eyes visually smaller (unless lining with light shades). (My optician also told me that lining the inner rims may cause clogging of the inner rim glands, we do have tiny ones there)

Wide Set Eyes

You can visually reduce the distance between your eyes. Start at outer corner of eye with medium tint shadow, angling slightly upward. Apply shadow color on entire eyelid as far as crease, blending outward. Spread medium-light toned shadow to brow bone and blend to center of the lid. Apply darker color in the inner corner of the eyelid, going softly along side of bridge of nose into fullest area of brow.

Put darker color from inner corner to the center of your eyelid, blending into medium shade that started from the outer corner. The lightest shade should be concentrated in the center under the brow.

Stay away of adding the lightest shade to outer edges under brow, which would pull your eye outward. Line eyes completely – top and bottom – from inner to outer corners. Apply mascara. Brush lashes straight up. To make the eyes appear closer together, use mascara generously, on both upper and lower lashes.

Close Set Eyes

Close set eyes are those which are narrower than one eye width.

To correct this with the help of an eyeliner, draw a very thin line along the upper eyelashes so that it becomes thicker near the outer corner of your eyes, or you may start lining a quarter of the way out from the inner eye corner. Smudge lines.

Put a thin layer of light eye-shadow from the inner corner of your eyes to the middle of your eyelid. After that apply shadows of darker hues starting from the middle of your eyelid to the outer corner. Blend the colors in the middle of the lids. Mascara on both upper and lower lashes, but do use more mascara on the outer corners.

Deep Set Eyes

If you have deep set eyes, opt for light and nacreous colors of eyeshadows that will aid in making your eyes appear visually bigger. Apply light eyeshadows on the eyelid from the inner corner of your eye slightly angling upward and a bit further.

Apply light colors in the middle of the lid, and darker colors on and just above the socket line. Blend the darker shade softly up and out.

And put the lightest shade under brow. Remember, dark colors on brow bone will make deep set eyes look even deeper. Avoid using eyeliner on top lids, which will sink eyes further back. But line lower lid under lashes on outer one-third. Then smudge pencil line to just a shadow to minimize heaviness of top brow.

Hooded Eyes

These eyes are set so that natural crease in the eyelid is not readily seen. To make such eyes look more expressive apply a medium to dark shadow on the crease and hooded area.

Then sweep a lighter shadow on the brow bone and on the inside corner of the eye. Draw a very thin line along the top lash line (to keep the eye looking open) and smudge it with a cotton swab.

Apply dense black mascara to upper lashes only.

Asian Eyes

These eyes have a distinctive lift at the corner and have very little lid. To create a better look, apply light eyeshadows on your eyelids. Use an eyeliner to make a thick smoky line along upper eyelashes (the line should be thick enough to be seen well when your eyes are open).

Draw a thinner line under the lower eyelashes. To make your eyes look visually wider put brown eyeshadow on your eyebrows or apply a brown pencil. Cover your eyelashes with two or three layers of dense mascara.

Small Eyes

They are proportionately smaller in comparison to the rest of the facial features.

To enhance small eyes apply a medium-toned shadow (such as soft grey or blue) to the crease and lighter shadow on the eyelids. Then use a soft-colored liner both on the top and bottom lash lines, extending the top line across the entire lash line. Apply black mascara on upper lashes.

Prominent eyes

These eyes tend to dominate the facial features. The eyelids are too large.

Your best decision is – medium to deep shades of shadow on the lids as they help to minimize the appearance of your lids. Liner when applied to the lash bases from corner to corner gives prominent eyes a smoldering and mysterious look. Finish with a coat of black mascara on both upper and lower lashes.

For Girls Wearing Glasses

If you wear glasses your make-up should depend on the color of the frame. If the frame is bright, you don’t have to add color with eye shadows.

Pay attention to your eyelashes and put the accent on them. Opt for a black mascara.

To give your eyelashes more volume and make them fluffy, use a dense mascara and apply it from the roots to the tips. Besides, you should correct your brow line as it will be seen before people see your eyes.

That's all for today, I hope you have found this post helpful, and remember - the most important thing is that you FEEL good in the choices you make!

Til next time - ♥

♥ !! I'm Tagged !! ♥

2010-02-01T11:40:00.002+01:00

Thank you, HeavenNRJ from Less Is More..., for tagging me! I really appreciate it! :) *BIG hugs*

If you haven't checked out her blog, do head over there to do so - lot of entertaining reading to discover!

The rules for the award are as follows:

1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.

2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered and think are great!

3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I've recently discovered these great blogs:

Olivia from The Land of Makeup Obscurity

Gildedangel from Naive Nails

Glittermillie from Glittermillie's Nails and Sparkle

Karianne from Neglelakkmani

Evil Angel from Black Nail Polish and Lipgloss

Michèle from Laquerized

Katie from What Katie Did Her Polish

Juicy Nails at Juicy Nails

Olivia from Livy Lu Lu

Nihrida from Nihrida's blog

Nea from Fashioned in Finland

Kelliegonzo from Also Known As...

Em from Too Much Blush

You are all fantabulous fabulous beautiful wonderful human beings and Great Bloggers!

Please Note: If I haven't mentioned your blog, it doesn't mean I don't like it - it probably means that:

A. I'm your old follower/fan.
B. You've already got this tag a while ago.
C. You're not following me, and I'm too shy to tag you. lol
D. I accidentally missed your blog. :)

Do spread the love, and do have a GREAT week, y'all! ♥

NOTD - OPI Absolutely Alice ♥

2010-01-30T18:02:00.000+01:00

So, I know I'm kinda late to the ongoing party in Wonderland, but hey - being an International means never getting your hands on new polish collections very early, I'm afraid ... :(

Well, since I am in a party mood today, I'll add in my swatches of Absolutely Alice anyway.
I almost fainted when I opened the parcel and digged out this beauty! This one (as well as "Mad As A Hatter" which was also in that very same package) is truly amazing - just looking at the bottles brings a smile to my face. Perhaps I'm easily amused.... ;)

On to the pics then, shall we..?

Direct sunlight...

Bling-gasm!! :)

Chillin' in the snow...

Close up - do enlarge!

Absolutely Alice is a bright blue glitter with some gold suspended in a clear base. It's the gold that makes this an interesting and quite unique shade, I can't recall having seen any polish quite like this one before. It’s truly dazzling!

Application was very nice, just make sure you load the brush with enough polish - if the brush is too dry you may easily end up wiping away the glitter, leaving blank "spots" behind. Since the base is clear, three coats are needed in order for it to be opaque.

I did apply a fairly thick coat of Seche Vite on top, since the surface otherwise tends to feel a little grainy.

Have you bought any of the AIW shades? What do you think of the collection?

Til next time - ♥

♥ Romantic Valentine's Contest Alert! ♥

2010-01-30T12:51:00.001+01:00

Hi All - and Happy Saturday!
I don't know about you, but I love weekends :)

Just a quick post to inform you that my dear blogging friend Tuli is having the most awesome Valentine's Day Giveaway! You really should check it out and sign up to participate - the prize is spectacular!

If you're not familiar with Tuli's blog, do pay it a visit - she is blogging mainly about nail related subjects; featuring lots of gorgeous nail polish pics and reviews, but also sometimes she blogs about daily life, cooking, and travel/trips. Being located in Israel, she writes her blog in both Hebrew and English - I find that amazing!

You can access the contest post directly by clicking here!

So - what are you waiting for? Go for it, best of luck!

xoxo

♥ Pink Polish Lemming Wheel ♥

2010-01-28T20:55:00.001+01:00

Good day, dearest reader.
Hope you are all doing fine!

In the next couple of weeks I'll attempt to work through some of my backlog... so much stuff I want to post! Just haven't had the time - I sometimes wish there was 30++ hours a day, instead of 24.

Anyway, this is one of my polish swatching wheels, or whatever you wish to call it :)

These are all pinks (or at least "pinkish" ;)), let's see if I can enable some of you into new polish purchases.. ;)

Click to enlarge!

Misa "Siren"
Sally Hansen "Wildlife"
Zoya "Vivi"
Sinful Colors "Forget Now"
China Glaze "Limbo Bimbo"
Orly "Hawaiian Punch"
Zoya "Brooke"
Sinful Colors "Shining Heart"
OPI "If The Fuchsia Fits..."
Zoya "Anaka"
Precision "Pardon My French"
OPI "It's All Greek To Me"
Depend #122
Depend #87
NYX Girls "Poppy"
Sinful Colors "Pretty"
Color Club "Green Is The New Pink"
Mavala #328 "Rose"

I love "wheel swatching" - it's so much fun! I have a few more of those wheels, which I'll be posting later on.

So - any lemmings?

Til next time - ♥

OPI Hong Kong Collection, Spring 2010

2010-01-22T15:01:00.002+01:00

OPI Hong Kong Collection, Spring 2010

Release: February 2010

Colors are:

Bling Dynasty

Red My Fortune Cookie

Hot & Spicy

Dim Sum Plum

Jade is the New Black

Suzi Says Feng Shui

A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find

Lucky Lucky Lavender

Meet Me on the Star Ferry

Panda-monium Pink

Pearl of Wisdom

Chop-sticking to My Story

Anything of interest ladies?
I personally like "Jade is the new black" and "Hot & Spicy", but other than these two, nothing in this collection really wows me.

Swatches can be found here and here.

BB Couture Hands of Hope Collection for Haiti

2010-01-20T13:27:00.003+01:00

Good day, lovelies!

I hope you are having a terrific morning/day/night, depending on where you are located ;)

However - as we all know by now, the people of Haiti are not experiencing very good times right now due to the intense earthquake last week. The news reports have been heartbreaking to look at - so much has been destroyed, and so many people have died or become homeless... it's simply terrible.

Now, the good news is that if you are a nail polish addict like me, you can now get your hands on a whole special collection of gorgeous BB Couture shades AND help the people of Haiti at the same time! Isn't that great?!

Here's the deal - Kim at Overall Beauty and BB Couture have joined forces and created a special set of 6 tropical inspired colors, of which 25% of all sales are going to the Salvation Army towards their efforts to get relief into the hands of those who need it most; namely the women and children of Haiti.

The "Hands of Hope" Collection...

Click to enlarge!

The "Hands of Hope Collection" by BB Couture includes:

~Tortuga Island - explore the exotic lush green island foliage
~Kyona Beach – gaze up at the cloudless baby blue sky while sunning on the beach
~Bassin’s Blue – experience subtle turquoise pools linked by spectacular waterfalls
~Labadie Beach – delight in the delicate pink hues of the setting sun
~Cape Haitian – mornings bring a mysterious pale violet haze over the mountains
~Paradise – savor the natural beauty of Haiti along the endless sandy beige beaches

So, I hope you will all head over to Overall Beauty and buy the set - nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something...
The whole set cost $54 and is available now!!

EDIT::: I was just visiting Mary's Blog (you gotta check it out if you haven't already - she has swatches of the collection), and apparently you can purchase these individually as well, and 25% of the sale of the singles is also going towards the goal of raising $5,000.00 from the proceeds of this special collection! Great!!

I think those shades are beautiful, they will fit perfectly into my "Spring/Summer 2010 Polish Wardrobe" :)

Do spread the word about this - tweet, re-tweet, blog, Facebook, etc, to get more people to help.

And, while visiting Overall Beauty, don't forget to sign up for their newsletter! Use the sign up box in the right hand column. Kim indicates that she has quite a few nice surprises up her sleeve, for those who are signed up on the mailing list. There will specials that only those on the list will ever know about, she states on the site. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

So - what do you all think?
Great idea combining nail polish addiction and charity? Going to buy it? Like the shade selection?
Don't like it?

Tell me your thoughts - would love to hear from you, dear readers!

I promise I'll be back *very* soon!
Hopefully I will soon have managed to get a little more structure of my day time and my schedule, so I can find the time to start posting more regularly again - I really miss it, and also really miss the contact and communication with all of you guys - fellow bloggers and readers.

Til next time; take care ♥

Map of Haiti - click to enlarge!

Image Courtesy: www.globalsecurity.org

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

2009-12-31T21:36:00.001+01:00

From the bottom of my heart - I want to wish you ALL a Fabulous and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

See you next year; lol!

{{{HUGS}}}

Ice Princess KOTW and More!

2009-12-22T18:14:00.005+01:00

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd post my Konadicure of the week! I've named it Ice Princess, since that seems an adequate name given the fact that winter finally arrived these last days - lots of snow and really cold, brrrr... ;) It's so beautiful outside now (pictures enclosed!), and I really love the fact that we are going to have a white Christmas this year. Back when I was a kid, there were always white Christmases, nowadays we're lucky if we get any snow in December at all.
This autumn has been the warmest ever up here - some days when returning home after I've left my little one at daycare, I could hear the birds singing in the trees, and although that's nice, something is really wrong when that happens in late November... Climate has indeed changed, and I think it's really scary...

Well, on to something a little more entertaining - todays' pics!
All images are clickable ;)

The product stash...

Coastal Scents glitter "Sterling .004" (1 tsp=$1.00!)...

Glitter and rhinestones (rhinestones bought off eBay)...

Blurred...

Close-up...

I started out with 3 coats of Essie "Ballet Slippers", which is a beautiful pale pink creme that applies very well, I might add. Then, just after applying my Seche Vite topcoat, I sprinkled on the glitter starting at the base of the nails, working upwards - pretty randomly as you can probably tell ;) I thereafter picked up one rhinestone at the time, dipping the base of it in Seche Vite, and applied to the nails. I finished by applying one coat of NailTek Intensive Therapy II as a protective top coat. That's it - done!

I quite enjoy this Konadicure, and I'd love to hear what you gals think :)

I also want to show you some pics of the beautiful scenery outside my windows - the trees in particular are spectacular looking sprinkled with snow! Beware of the pic spam :)

Sunset view...

Trees surrounding our garden...

Our closest neighbors' houses, and Zingo - one of our Golden Retrievers...

Our house from the main road...

Another little glimpse of our home...

Finally, since I know I'll be very busy the upcoming days, and probably won't have time to post - I'd like to wish you all a

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

- may all of your holiday wishes come true!

DIY Mixing Medium!

2009-12-21T23:08:00.001+01:00

Hello Beauties!

Hope everyone is doing well these final, busy days before Christmas ;)

Perhaps the best way to use loose pigments is with a mixing medium; it helps eye- and/or body powders adhere to the skin - and stay there. Mixing medium also makes pigments more intense and vibrant Many makeup companies have their own product: MAC Mixing Medium instantly comes to mind, but that one is quite pricey, and can also be hard to find.

Solution: Do-It-Yourself Mixing Medium! For this purpose we use Glycerin. Glycerin (or Glycerol to use the correct term) is an organic compound, a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. It serves as a humectant that absorbs water from the air and seals in the moisture (hygroscopic), making your makeup last longer (good for your skin as well).

Make small batches if you don’t plan on adding preservatives. Without a preservative you can expect the shelf life to be about 2 weeks, anything left by then you throw away and make a new, fresh batch.

1.) Eye Shadow Mixing Medium:

The proper ratio for water-based mixing medium is 3 parts purified, distilled or regular water , and 1 part glycerin. I use a standard, kitchen measuring teaspoon, and measure out 3 teaspoons of water and 1 teaspoon of glycerin into my container.

Shake it up, get your brush slightly damp and apply shadow (or ”foil”) like you normally would. Store it in a small, airtight container.

2.) Hydrating Facial Setting Spray:

Go out and get a spray bottle. Use 1 part glycerin to 10 parts water. Spray on your face after you’ve finished applying makeup, and gently pat into skin, or simply let air dry. Great substitute for MAC Fix+!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, see you soon!

Orly "Gigababe"

2009-12-16T13:58:00.001+01:00

Good morning/afternoon/night, depending on where you are ;)

How's Christmas planning/shopping going?

As for me, I've been swamped with all kinds of activities; house renovating, writing university essays, and lots more. I have only bought one (yes, 1) Christmas pressie as of yet, so I'll have a lot of shopping to do in the upcoming weekend... as well as cleaning the house, cooking, and so on... so much to do - so little time ;)

Anyway, enough rambling ;)
Today I'm showing you Orly "Gigababe", and this to me is babe indeed!

This is a light yellow gold shimmering shade with fab iridescent micro glitter.
It's quite sheer, so three coats were needed to get it opaque. Aside from that, the formula is top notch!

Direct sun...

Shade...

I think this shade of gold is suitable for wearing all year around - I'm gonna try it over black, perhaps I can make a Christmas inspired Konadicure for you...

How do you guys like this one?

That's all for today, until next time:

{{{HUGS}}}

Aromaleigh Spring Solstice Is Back!

2009-12-01T13:01:00.002+01:00

Hello Beauties! And Happy December ;)

I just got a pleasant surprise when heading over to Aromaleigh's website - Spring Solstice is temporarily back - yay!
I've been awaiting this collection, since I missed out on it when it was available back this Spring! The whole collection will be sold for 2 weeks starting today, and after that part of the Spring Solstice collection will be permanent.

Shade Descriptions:

1. Mallow: Spring's first blush. The softest pale coral with shimmers of gold.

2. Heartleaf: The freshness of budding leaves with sparkles of violet.

3. Forget-me-not: The lush turquoise of petals, sparkling with magical turquoise sparkles.

4. Tansy: The deep golden color of closed flowerbuds, sparkling with blue highlight.

5. Jessamine: A walk through the Spring forest. Deep green and brown base with golden highlight shimmer.

6. Nasturtium: Dramatic neutral red, sparkling with highlights of pink sparks.

7. Phlox: A delicate, shimmering wash of pale silver grey with iridescent blue sparks.

8. Bellflower: A diaphanous violet purple tone, slightly sheer, with highlights of pink sparks.

9. Calendula: Warm mahogany brown with coppery sparkle shimmer.

10. Greenbrier: Lovely cool green with surprising sparks of blue, the color of the sky.

11. Alyssum: Soft frosty champagne pink with shimmer of green and blue.

12. Chicory: Rich copper with rose undertone, bright copper sparkle.

13. Hemlock: A complex, very wearable soft shimmering brown with undertones of green.

14. Lupine: Shimmering mid-tone smokey blue violet.

15. Candytuft: Petal pink with an abundance of violet sparkles highligting.

16. Trillium: Vibrant, but wearable fresh Spring green full of shimmering green sparkles.

17. Ondberry: A rich, softly shimmering eggplant purple with slight sparkles of gold.

18. Larkspur: Softly frosted lavender with a magical purple iridescence.

19. May Lily : My new favorite- the palest creamy greenish shimmer with sparkles of pink and violet.

20. Viburnum: Remember the coveted Le Mystere #69? The only Mystere that actually had a recipe? Well, this is it. The perfect marriage of cocoa brown and pewter. Softly frosted. Fantastic.

21. Godetia: Rosy brown shimmer with tiny sparkles of gold throughout.

22. Zinnia: So unique, this vibrant but soft coral peach turns into a blend of pinkish coral with a dominant violet iridescence.

I havent quite made up my mind yet as of which ones I'll order from this collection. Mallow, Larkspur, Viburnum, Zinnia, Ondberry, Hemlock and Trillium all look very tempting, though ;)

Now, tell me which your favorites from this collection are; I'd love to know!

The Spring Solstice Collection is available at Aromaleigh Cosmetics.

Pictures and shade descriptions are from Aromaleigh's website.

Match Your Hair Color with Your Skin Tone!

2009-11-12T11:53:00.000+01:00

Hello lovelies!

I came across this very interesting article about how to best match your hair color with regards to your skin tone. Lots of great tips, tricks and explanations of how to choose the best haircolor - and of course I wanted to pass it on to you, my dear readers ;)

Enjoy!

by Nancy, VogueWigs.com Marketing Director

What Is Skin Tone?

Skin tone is the term used to describe your skin's warmth or coolness. For example, warm colored skins have yellow, red or peach undertones, while cool skins have undertones of pink, blue or violet. Although complexions can range from dark and olive to fair and light, basically skin tones are grouped into two categories--warm and cool. While many people can easily determine whether they have a warm or cool complexion, others may not be certain until they consider a few factors.

Click HERE to read the whole entry!

Covergirl Nailslicks "Midnight Forest"

2009-11-09T16:14:00.000+01:00

Good day, girls!

Hope your Monday is going well ;) Up here it's cold and stormy today, so I'll cosy up inside with lit candles, green tea and soft music!

Let me present to you Covergirl Nailslicks "Midnight Forest".
This is a dusty dark goldish green with shimmer, which is mostly visible in direct sunlight/lamplight.

Close up...

I'm quite enjoying this shade, although it can look a little dull when inside. Application was very good, I had no problems at all. I believe I used three coats in the above images. This was my first Covergirl polish, and I wasn't disappointed ;)

On a side note - my nails are a big hot mess right now. Very weak and brittle, they break and peel constantly and have lots of ridges, hence why they are so short at the moment... :(
I'm working on it though, I'm bathing them (ok, slight exaggeration ;)) in CND Solar Oil, which I love, and I'm also using Nailtek Foundation II and Orly Nail Armor as my basecoats. I'm considering buying OPI Nail Envy and try out that one as well, do you guys have any inputs or other product suggestions that might help?

Hope you've enjoyed your stay, thanks for dropping by ;))

The She Space Sample Baggies & Review

2009-11-06T11:45:00.005+01:00

I thought this post might be helpful for anyone considering trying out The She Space mineral pigments.

Now, before you continue reading, please keep in mind that opinions expressed in this post are just my personal ones, based on my own experience ;)
Images in this post are clickable for larger view - I've left them huge, so that you can get a close look of the sample baggies with color names... (some pigments are regular, while some are limited editions - meaning some of these might not be available on the website anylonger)

I have ordered quite many pigment sample baggies from TSS in the past, and while both the color selection and the price is totally awesome, I have mixed feelings about them.

Let me just begin by saying I h-a-t-e baggies!! Although they are an economical way to try out lots of different shades, they are terribly messy to work with in my opinion. I much prefer sample jars, and I think if you have a choice, it's well worth it to spend a few extra bucks to get jars instead of baggies. (TSS don't offer sample jars, though) Of course you can always transfer the samples from the baggie to a jar yourself if you wish. I usually just tip a little out into a separate lid before I use them. Fussy, but it works ;)
Samples are very small, but as Heather (the owner) states on the website and on her blog, the samples are just that: samples - meant for you to try out for a few applications to see how you like a particular color.

Oki... moving on to the product itself.
I personally feel the quality is rather inconsistent - it's either hit or miss - pigmentation wise, that is. Many colors become really washed out when applied, leaving mostly shimmer/sparkle to be noticed on the eyelid. When you blend/buff the colors, they blend into nothing; the color almost totally disappears (and flies all over the place as well). This is not the case with ALL colors, but it happens with a lot of them, which is why I think it deserves to be mentioned.
The way I get around this when using my TSS pigments is I only use one lid shade and one highlight shade. That way I don't have to do a lot of blending/buffing - I just gently pat on my lid shade and after that I apply a highlighter shade on the brow bone.

It is possible I would have a different outcome with these if I foiled them... I haven't tried that, so can't comment on that aspect. Mind you, I rarely foil my pigments, because I think they become hard to work with and to blend when applied wet (goes for most pigments - not just TSS). Dry application has always been my preferred method, except when using pigments for lining. Maybe these do behave differently when applied wet/moist, I simply don't know. In my mind I shouldn't "have" to use them wet just to get them to show up, though ;) Also - I'm always in a hurry, so I want to avoid all unnecessary "extra steps" when getting ready...

Regardless of my seemingly not-so-great review of these, I keep buying TSS pigments. I don't think they are a bad product at all, in fact I quite like it, and if you are a fan of subtle eye color payoff, you might enjoy them too. If you visit the website you will find some of the brightest, most vibrant colors out there, as well as subtle, neutral everyday shades. New and limited collections are released on a regular basis, which I think is awesome.
Customer service is top notch at TSS; Heather always replies quickly to emails/inquiries, which is a great thing. Shipping time I would say is average - I usually have my orders within a two-week period (and I'm overseas). International shipping costs are amazingly low, too: $2,50 (goes for sample orders), which is far cheaper than I pay for domestic shipping up here!

Samples from The She Space IMO are very reasonably priced at fifty cents each, and come in tons of different colors, of which many are totally unique - which is one thing I really like about Heather's creations. Lots of truly amazing colors that you'll have a hard time finding anywhere else.

Pigments can be purchased directly from The She Space's website.

I hope you've enjoyed this post - thanks for dropping by ;)

OPI Cabernet For The Lady

2009-11-04T11:40:00.000+01:00

This is OPI Cabernet For The Lady.

This is a really pretty deep berry wine/burgundy/claret with a slight blue shimmer. It seems to be quite a close match to Bogota Blackberry, but since I don't own that one I'm afraid I can't compare them for you... ;)
Yum, I am in love with this one - it's such a sophisticated, velvet-y color, and very autumn appropriate as well.

On to the pics! (as always; they are clickable)

Sunlight...

Shade...

Chillin' in the grass...

Close up...

Application was a breeze, two coats offered great opacity. I can't comment on the lasting power since I only wore it for one day (anxious to try out other polishes from the ever growing stash, y'a know ;)).

What do you think of this one?

That's all I have for you today - hope to see you soon ;)

Sinful Tokyo Doll

2009-11-02T15:45:00.000+01:00

Hello there!

This is Sinful Colors "Tokyo Doll" which is a shimmering raspberry shade with blue micro glitter.

I was so excited with this one that I actually forgot to snap a shade picture, sorry... ;)

Application was flawless, and this one is very well pigmented, unlike a lot of other Sinful polishes which are often very sheer requiring quite many coats. This one was three coats.

I'm really liking this one - it's a very summery shade, not at all autumn appropriate I guess ;)
How do you like it?

Hope you've enjoyed this post, see you soon.

NOTD: Wet n Wild Speed

2009-10-29T10:42:00.001+01:00

Hello there readers!

May I present to you todays NOTD, which is Wet n Wild Speed.

This is a shimmering deep dark purple with blue and pink micro glitter, I've really been craving purples lately, must be the season ;)

Application was OK - the formula was good, but unfortunately the brush is a real disaster. It's really thick and dense, and the brush hairs are unevenly cut with wispy hairs pointing in different directions, which makes it a bit tricky to apply.

Also, it took quite some time to dry, even though I used Seche a topcoat - I made dents after several hours had passed - don't like formulas that behave like that. I really like the shade though!

Let's look at the pics then, shall we?

Direct sunlight...

Indirect sunlight...

The brush...

With flash...

Looks way more "blurple" here than it really is

Close up...

So, which is your favorite purple?

That's all for now - I wish you all a great day, see you soon :)

Totally Off Topic...

2009-10-21T12:29:00.003+02:00

... but I just have to share this wonderful video with you - fantastic ;))

Now, go out there fully inspired and have yourself a wonderful Wednesday!

Blog Update!

2009-10-19T20:49:00.006+02:00

*UPDATE*

Hello ladies!

Well, not much has been happening around here - it's been quite a while since I last posted - let me tell you this summer has been just crazy, leaving absolutely no room for a relaxing holiday. We've been working really hard on our house (we are in the process of major renovating), and there's been lot of other things going on as well.

Additionally, my daughter has started... kindergarten?/day care? (I'm not sure which English term is the correct one ;)), and I have decided to go back to school to finish my degree (been studying mainly law and sociology on and off for the last 7 years), so there's been quite a lot of adjusting to do - I still haven't fully adjusted to these new routines and schedules, but I'll get there eventually ;)

I've truly missed all of you, and I'm really sorry for not having kept you up to date with what's going on - won't happen again, promise ;)
I plan to resume posting on a regular basis sometime next week; I will probably have to limit blogging to a couple of posts a week due to all other commitments, at least to begin with.

On another note; I really want to take a moment to welcome all of my new followers!

Thank you so much for joining me here in my little corner of cyberspace :) I'm truly grateful for each and everyone of you following my blog - it really means the world to me, otherwise, if no one cared to read my posts; why would I be doing this? So, thank you, once again, for jumping on my little beauty wagon :)

So - not much else for today - I hope to "see" you back here next week!

Just wondering... (polish related)

2009-06-18T17:34:00.000+02:00

...why Head2Toe, 8ty8 and Transdesign among other e-tailers don't carry Zoya? Does anyone know?
I'd love to be able to shop for discounted Zoyas, my wishlist is so looooooooooong ;)

New NYX Lipglosses With Swatches

2009-06-18T11:38:00.000+02:00

Hi gals! And guys too... if you're out there lurking ;)

These are my new NYX lipglosses! Well, that wasn't exactly true - they are actually my mothers, I ordered these on her behalf ;)
However, she was kind enough to let me swatch them all, so I hope this is helpful for anyone wanting to buy NYX online, since relying on the online swatches is like playing Russian roulette, you have no idea what to expect the colors to look like IRL...

Let's have a look then!

L-R: Gold Mauve, Salsa, French Kiss, Copper Penny, Sunrise

Slightly different angle...

L-R: Gold Mauve, Salsa, French Kiss, Copper Penny, Sunrise

My mom found her HG lipgloss when trying French Kiss from my stash some time ago, so she was eagerly awaiting this package ;) She bought the others on a whim more or less, turned out she wasn't very fond of Gold Mauve (too violet) and Sunrise (too red) so she ended up giving those to me ;)
I'm not quite sure I'll ever use Gold Mauve - makes me look like a corps - but it would be perfect for a "goth girl" I'm sure.

So, which is your holy grail lipgloss?

See you soon, take care ;)

Taylor Made Minerals Swatches!

2009-06-17T21:55:00.003+02:00

Hi all!

After posting about my Taylor Made Minerals haul yesterday it occurred to me that of course I should swatch those samples! Everyone who belongs to the Mineral Makeup Fanatic Family (lol!) knows from experience never to judge a shade from just looking at the sample baggie; it rarely looks the same on the lids.

So, I spent the afternoon swatching these for you, whoa - it was hard work ;) One shade is missing - it's Disco, which is a super bright blue shimmering shade - I didn't realize this until just about now, sorry...

Now all of these swatches were patted on dry with no base, on fair-medium skin (which is probably closer to medium right now - I've picked up some color from being out in the sun it seems ;))

Enjoy!!

(Remember all pictures are clickable ;))

Left to right: High Lite, Blush, Paradox, Brothel, Occult, Pistol, Nickel, Anchor, Retort (glitter), Millenium (glitter)

Shade:

Direct Sunlight:

Left to right: Fog, Newt, Liquid, Turf, Ufo, Fiji Beach, Lagoon, Shock, Pop, Aisley, Gentry, Bishop, Sucker, Knockout, Margaret (glitter)

Shade:

Direct Sunlight:

Left to right: Diamonds, Reverb, Sovereign, Goldie, Merlin, Primo, Centaur, Vintage, Amazon, Angora, Grace, Glory, Grave, Burn, Decoy, Glitz

Shade:

Direct Sunlight:

Flash:

That's all for now; I wish you all a terrific Wednesday!!

Taylor Made Minerals Sample Haul - Initial Impression

2009-06-16T12:43:00.006+02:00

Hello lovelies!

Hope you are having a great Tuesday ;)

Today I thought I'd show you my very first samples from Taylor Made Minerals. This is actually two separate orders that arrived a few days apart.

I'd been curious about this mineral makeup for a while, so decided to give them a shot and I'm so glad I did! Holy guacamole; this stuff really rocks my socks! These minerals are SO extremely pigmented and intense, providing awesome color payoff. I think I can honestly say that they are probably the most pigmented powders that I've come across up until today. I have tested all of them on my hands/arms, and every single one delivers! I sound like a sales person here; I swear I'm not, lol!

I have used these a few times, but haven't gotten around to post an EOTD using them yet. Will do that soon, promise ;) Now I've only ordered eye pigments, so I really cannot comment on the quality of the rest of their product range, but if they are anything like these eye pigments they most certainly will be good.

So, let's take a look then, shall we?
As always, all pictures are clickable for larger image...

Haul #1:

Crappy pic... sorry ;)

And pics of haul #2...

And here they are all together...

Sample baggies are 1/4 tsp and cost $1.00. Shipping was very reasonable priced, I think I paid about $4, which is cheapo when you're living overseas ;) Orders arrived in a timely manner, I got those packages within 10 working days.

I promise I will update you all with some EOTD's using these.

Have you tried Taylor Made Minerals? If so, what's your take on their products?

Released: MAC Naked Honey Collection

2009-06-15T11:07:00.007+02:00

Another new collection from MAC Cosmetics to indulge in this summer. What’s close to being sweet as sugar? Well, honey of course! This summer sweetness was released on June 11, 2009 (North America - we Internationals will have to wait until July).

From the MAC website:
"Bees do it… now M•A•C does it! Honey that is! As ancient and exotic as Kohl, great beauties have long revered the natural restorative powers of the Golden Elixir.

Following the example of their fabled Queen, Cleopatra, Egyptians bathed in honey and milk. Queen Anne of England used it to silken her hair; from the Ancient Greeks to the Roman Empire, honey has never lost its regal, ever-amber lustre. We love the luxury of its sensual essence…but we also know that it’s a highly efficient and wholesome humectant and healer. Introducing our limited edition Naked Honey collection – three aspects of golden warmth and sun-made sweetness for the body, layered with two decidedly different honeycomb-derived fragrances – celebrating the secret lives of Queen Bees. Complementary shade of High-Light Powder, Eye Shadow and Lipglass are all the buzz for summer".

So, let’s take a look at the collection!

Lipglass ($14.00 U.S. / $16.50 CDN)

She’s a Star Light neutral gold
Queen Bee Mid-tone apricot with multi-dimensional pearl
Buzz Dark copper brown with multi-dimensional pearl

Eyeshadow ($14.50 U.S. / $17.00 CDN)

Crème de Miel Frosty light yellow gold
Pollinator Mid-tone warm reddened peach with pearl
Buckwheat Dark copper brown with multi-dimensional pearl

High-Light Powder ($24.50 U.S. / $29.50 CDN)

A high-light powder specially created for the Naked Honey collection. It features an embossed honeycomb pattern — super-fine, impeccably pearlized. It creates soft high lights on cheek, brow, shoulders — anywhere on the body.

Honey Light A light peachy gold with shimmer
Golden Nectar Muted golden tan with gold shimmer

Naked Honey Skin Salve ($18.50 U.S. / $22.50 CDN)

Formulated from honey, organic beeswax, sunflower oil, and other natural ingredients, this rich honey-scented and flavoured salve instantly moisturizers and helps recondition dry skin. Multi-purpose. Use everywhere.

Naked Honey Hand and Body Cream ($22.50 U.S. / $27.00 CDN)

A sensuous cream made form bio-converted honey, shea butter, and vitamins C and E derivatives. Absorbs quickly for skin-softening moisture. Conditions, nourishes, protects. Use on all areas where ultra-moisture is called for.

Naked Honey Body Wash ($19.50 U.S. / $23.50 CDN)

Formulated from bio-converted honey, this body wash cleanses the skin while providing the soothing and moisturizing benefits of lavender, narcissus, jasmine flower, and blue agave extracts. Provides a sensual, calming, cleansing experience.

Creations: Naked Honey ($22.50 U.S. / $28.50 CDN)

An aromatic journey that traces honey’s fragrant heart back to summer’s sweetest blooms. Energy starts to buzz, spirits soar, light floral and woodsy notes float toward an electric finale. Sweet and sexy all the way.

Creations: Africanimal ($22.50 U.S. / $28.50 CDN)

A scent that starts with a honey-ness that’s seductive and given its dash of pepper, not without spice. Add a dark kiss of bergamot and wood, an aromatic orgy breaks out to create a scent that’s all honey but far from sweet.

Available: June 11th, 2009 in North America. July 2009 International.

Eyeshadows: Creme de Miel, Pollinator, Buckwheat

To be honest; there's nothing in this collection really calling my name, I don't find it very intriguing so I doubt I will pick up anything from it. If I should pick up one item from this collection, it would be the Honey Light highlight powder.
I do love honey, though, and the smell of it but I've read reviews of the skin care products suggesting that most of the scented products are more floral/spicy and less honey-ish.

How about you, will you be getting anything from the Naked Honey collection?

Source: Temptalia.com

Contest Alert #2

2009-06-13T17:37:00.008+02:00

I feel so bad!
I forgot to add the wonderful Mary of Body And Soul to my recent contest alert post. Sorry Mary ;)

Anyway; Mary has a great contest going on right now, so hurry up over there to check it out and to participate!

My Latest Chagrin Valley Soap Haul :)

2009-06-13T13:40:00.003+02:00

Happy Saturday to All! I really hope you're having a lazy, relaxing day ;)

May I present to you my latest haul from Chagrin Valley Soap!

As some of you already know, I truly love the wonderful products this company makes. They are all natural; none of the soaps contain detergents, lye, synthetic fragrances or colorants, alcohol or animal fats. These products are packed with only natural, high potent skin loving ingredients!
I try to choose natural (chemical free) and plant derived products whenever I have the chance to, just because it feels better for me to do so. Since our skin is the body's largest organ, which absorbs anything and everything like a sponge, I think we should take into consideration what we put on it...
On the other hand I'll have to admit that I'm not a very consequent person, though; tomorrow I might buy a chemical packed bottle of nail polish, or a traditional foundation so it's obviously not a matter of a perspective set in stone ;)

Enough rambling, on to the divine smelling products... (as always, all images are clickable for larger view)

Laid out in the grass, just chillin'...

Cucumber Lime Yogurt, mmm, sounds delicious, right?
It's tempting to get a bite of this, but I honestly don't think that would be a very yummy experience... ;)

Anyway; this is my current facial soap. These soaps never leave a tight feeling to my face - on the contrary I'm left with baby soft skin! It deeply cleanses, taking away every single trace of dirt and make up and actually feels really moisurizing. I'll never go back to regular facial cleansers again.

If you read the label you can see that everything in there are all natural, skin loving ingredients!

Tower of divine smelling awesomeness!
Or should I say awesoapness? ;)

Top to bottom: Dead Sea Spa, Honey Butter, Rhassoul Clay and Cucumber Lime Yogurt

These bars are huge! The last me for quite some time, needless to say depending on usage.
The Dead Sea Spa soap on the top is the sample size.

Whipped Shea Butter & Honey Butter Lip Balm...

This Shea butter is truly a pleasure to use! I use it as a body butter cream, it melts upon skin contact. It's very concentrated so a little goes a long way.
The scent is smoky, earthy (you can choose from four different scents, this is the unscented version).

Ingredients list of Whipped Shea Butter...

Honey Lip Butter Balm.
Honestly the best lip balm I've ever used. Deeply quenches my lips with all natural, moisture rich ingredients; no parabens, petroleum jelly, animal by-products, artificial fragrance or colorants to be found here.
For those of you interested, I highly recommend you to check out this info regarding petroleum based lip balms.
I've also tried the Hemp/Illipe lip balm from this range in the past, and it's wonderful as well, but I personally like this one better. Addiction in a jar ;)

All of these soaps can be used for both face and body. They won't dry out your facial skin, only pamper it! And after using this soap in the shower, I've noticed that I rarely need to slather on body lotion anymore, at least not during summer time ;)

I highly recommend you to check out these and many other wonderful products at Chagrin Valley Soap if you are a friend of natural skin care as well. To read my previous CV post/review, please click here.

That's all I have for you right now. See you soon!

Please note that I am not affiliated with Chagrin Valley Soap in any way, nor is this post endorsed by them. I obviously do love their products however ;)

Contest Alert!!

2009-06-10T09:39:00.002+02:00

My dear friend Robyn over at Robyn's Nest is hosting a great contest with awesome prizes! Hurry up over there to check it out and to enter the contest :)

Click image below to go directly to Robyn's blog!

NOTD: OPI Shootout At The OK Coral

2009-06-09T22:10:00.002+02:00

Hello gals!

How's your day going? Great, I hope ;)

May I present to you todays NOTD, which is OPI Shootout at the OK Coral from the Colorcopia Collection of this summer.
This is the perfect marriage of pink and coral, in the bottle it looks bright corally/orange, but on my nails it's just the right blend of pink and coral, very vibrant, with a blue and pink iridescence to it. It's a very dynamic shade, and it looks quite different depending on the light.

Application was a breeze, the swatches are three coats with Seche Vite on top.

This picture makes the color look a little warmer than it is IRL...
Just me playing with the camera settings ;)

I truly like this one.... a lot! I didn't expect to like it as much as I do, so it was a nice surprise, sometimes it's the other way around... ;)
This is a perfect summer shade - great for tips and toes alike :)
One of my summer staples for sure!

NOTD: Sinful Silly Alix

2009-06-07T18:22:00.000+02:00

Good Day!

This is todays nail, Sinful Colors "Silly Alix", which to me resembles a peachy golden shimmer shade.
I love golds in theory and in the bottles, but well on my nails they look... um... not that good! Ever experienced this phenomenon; loving shades in theory, only to discover you don't like them on? I do that quite often, may it be nail polish, eye shadow or lipstick... ;)
Anyway, this went on smoothly, but was very sheer, so four coats were needed... (those sheer polishes are a pita.... lol!)

How do you feel about golds?

See you soon ;)

I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!!

2009-06-06T18:28:00.010+02:00

Good day/evening gals, depending on your location.

I am B-A-C-K!! Finally :)

Missed me..?

I really do apologize for my recent unannounced, unplanned hiatus; things have been so hectic here lately. Life and all that gets in the way for blogging and other things... We've had lots going on in our families; birthdays, confirmation and other happenings. We are also in the (never ending, it seems) process of renovating our entire house, which takes a lot of time and effort, not to mention money! Darn, how expensive everything is..! But, it's totally worth the time and effort though, when you start seeing results ;) I also have been sick on and off for a couple of weeks; some evil virus that has caused tongue blisters (eeeeww, I know..), on and off fever and general fatigue... I hate being sick..! Some days I've barely been able to eat, it's been quite painful.
I'm still not well, but hopefully I'll soon be as good as new again ;)

Thanks to those of you who sent me emails, asking and worrying about me; much, much appreciated and very sweet and thoughtful of you! I can't wait to catch up with you all, I imagine there are quite many posts to go through...

So anyway; today I did a simple shimmery lime/aqua EOTD, which turned out very soft looking. Nothing bold or bright about this look! ;)

Shade descriptions:

Chartreuse - Gold Pearled Chartreuse Green

Groovin' Guppy - Bold iridescent tropical aqua with iridescent layers of lime green and turquiose ("Astrology" collection)

Marshmallow Mist - Twinkling golden pearl

Donai - Deep dark blue green, almost black (matte)

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Chartreuse - all over eyelid up to brow bone
The She Space Groovin' Guppy - outer outer 2/3 of lid and crease and outer 2/3 of lower lash line
Cory Cosmetics Donai - wet lined on upper lash line
The She Space Marshmallow Mist - on brow bone and close to tear duct.
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in black

Face:
Jenulence Concealer Foundation in Neutral Beige
Earthen Glow Minerals High Definition Pro Finishing Powder

Cheeks:
Earthen Glow Minerals Blush in Pink Bronze
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne - highlight on top of cheek bones

Lips:
NYX Slim Lipliner in Nectar
NYX Black Label Lipstick in Satin

With flash, crappy pic, sorry...

Boring ponytail hair as per usual...lol!

I really like those spring-y greens!

Today is....

6 June, Sweden's National Day!

Sweden has celebrated its National Day on June 6 since 1983, but it only became a public holiday four years ago. Swedes are still working out how best to celebrate it ;)

Sweden has not taken part in any of the wars of the modern era, which may explain the Swedes’ somewhat guarded attitude towards celebrating a national day. We are proud of our country but don’t seem to feel any great need to show it. Previously, 6 June was not a public holiday, and for many people the only sign that this was a special occasion was the decoration of buses with Swedish flags.

Celebration with the Royal Family...

Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden and Queen Silvia on their way to the annual celebration at Skansen, Stockholm´s open-air museum.
Photo: Stockholm Visitors Board

Every year, the King and Queen take part in a ceremony at Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air museum, where the yellow and- blue Swedish flag is run up the mast, and children in traditional peasant costume present the royal couple with bouquets of summer flowers.

These days, special ceremonies welcoming new Swedish citizens are also held around the country on National Day.

The exact age of the Swedish flag is not known, but the oldest recorded pictures of a blue cloth with a yellow cross date from the 16th century.
Photo: Jonathan Hall

Public holiday for the first time in 2005
In 2004, the Swedish Riksdag (parliament) voted to make it a public holiday, which may cause people to become more interested in celebrating it. The final decision took decades to reach — various proposals had been bandied about under a succession of governments.

There are also groups lobbying for the introduction of an official National Pastry, and a National Dish, and for the key-fiddle (nyckelharpa) to be made the National Instrument. But even for ideas as innocent as these, arriving at a consensus has proved difficult.

Sweden in brief

For those interested, here's everything you need to know about Sweden, in brief — from climate, to government, to lifestyle.

Facts about Sweden

Area: 174,000 sq mi (450,000 km²), the third largest country in Western Europe
Forests: 53%
Mountains: 11%
Cultivated land: 8%
Lakes and rivers: 9%
Longest north-south distance: 978 mi (1,574 km)
Longest east-west distance: 310 mi (499 km)
Capital: Stockholm
Population: 9.3 million inhabitants
Languages: Swedish; recognized minority languages: Sami (Lapp), Finnish, Meänkieli (Tornedalen Finnish), Yiddish, Romani Chib
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy
Parliament: The Riksdag, with 349 members in one chamber
Religion: In practice, Sweden is very secularized. The Church of Sweden is Evangelical Lutheran; co-exists with many other beliefs
Life expectancy: men 79 years, women 83 years
Most important export goods: Electronic and telecom equipment, machinery, passenger cars, paper, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel
Most important imported goods: Electronic and telecom equipment, machinery, foodstuffs, crude oil, textile products, footwear and passenger cars

Average temperatures

	JANUARY	JULY
Malmö	+31.6°F (-0.2°C)	62.2°F (+16.8°C)
Stockholm	+27.0°F (-2.8°C)	63.0°F (+17.2°C)
Kiruna	+3.2°F (-16.0°C)	55.0°F (+12.8°C)

Daylight

	JANUARY 1	JULY 1
Malmö	7 hours	17 hours
Stockholm	6 hours	18 hours
Kiruna	0 hours	24 hours

Information/facts source: www.sweden.se

That's all I have for you today, but I'll be back shortly; I have a load of upcoming posts to share with you all!
In the meantime, take care ;)

Hugs,

NOTD: Zoya Vivi

2009-05-14T20:57:00.003+02:00

Todays NOTD is Zoya Vivi, which is a deep shimmering magenta-pink shade.

Very nice application, it just glided on. Swatches are three coats:

Direct sunlight...

Shade...

This will be a great color for summer, it's so bright and vibrant! How do you like it?

I really love Zoya polishes, and as of today I got information that they will soon start shipping overseas; woooohoooo!

That's all for now, see you soon ;)

xoxo

Anubis/Pixie Paradise Thursday EOTD

2009-05-14T16:32:00.001+02:00

Todays EOTD is a purple one using various brands of pigment. I have come to love purple shades lately, and that goes for both eye shadows and nail polishes ;)

Shade descriptions:

Anubis - Deep purple hue with noticeable red violet and golden undertones
Pixie Paradise - Sheer shimmering lilac with subtle traces of turquoise and lime
Grape - Deep purple shone with small pearl particle
Ice - Icy white shimmer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Cory Cosmetics Anubis - all over eyelid up to brow bone
The She Space Pixie Paradise - inner part of lid, blended over crease and close to tear duct
MAC Grape Pigment - outer V, crease and lower lash line
Ben Nye Ice Pigment - on brow bone
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in black

Face:
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Namina
Earthen Glow Minerals Finishing Powder in Lightly Tinted

Cheeks:
Cory blush in Mockery

Lips:
NYX Lip Liner in Candlelight
Nouba Lipgloss #9

I could have done much better with the blending today, so I'm not entirely happy with this look.

Today I also put in an extension in my hair; just to jazz it up a little... So simple, and only takes a minute - which is a great thing ;) Just a few pins to fasten it around your own hair, and you're ready to go! Here are a few pics...

Thanks for visiting; bye for now :)

Newest Nail Stuff Additions & NOTD

2009-05-14T00:30:00.001+02:00

Hi all, hope you are having a great Wednesday ;)

I was thrilled emptying the mailbox today, there wasn't just the ordinary bills in there, but also two much anticipated packages with recently bought nail stuff! E-shopping rules :)

So, the first package is from OC Nail Art, consisting of two Konad plates and two special polishes in shades Silver and Black Pearl...

Plate m56 & m59

Polishes in natural daylight...

Polishes shot with flash.
The Black Pearl looks blue in the pic, and in fact a little bit IRL as well... Probably has to do with it being a pearl shade..?

I 'm so anxious to try these out! I've been badly bitten by this Konad thing thanks to all wonderful nail blog enablers out there (you know who you are :))! There is definitely a learning curve before getting the hang of it, but it's totally worth it ;)
My first shopping experience with OC Nail Art was a very pleasant one! Shipping was super quick, and if your order total is $20 or more, shipping is free even for those of us living overseas; which I think is really generous, not to mention very rare! :)
With that being said...

... we're moving on to haul #2!

L-R: Cuccio cuticle oil, Orly miniature polishes in Gigababe & Life's a Peach, NailTek Foundation II, OPI polishes Shootout at the O.K. Coral and Kinky in Helsinki

These were all bought off eBay from the same seller. I was specifically browsing for OPI Kinky in Helsinki, so don't ask me how or why the rest of it ended up in the package; because I really have no idea... *cough*... ;)

A softener and a strengthener ;)

Ingredients list for those interested ;)
*sigh*, lots of nasties in there...

.... no nasties in here, though!
Glad I can balance it out somewhat ;)
I'm very excited to see how this compares to CND Solar Oil; I will update you on that. I have dry cuticles, so it's a necessity for me to use something hydrating and soothing to counteract that.

Orly Miniatures in Gigababe and Life's a Peach...

OPI Shootout at the O.K. Coral and Kinky in Helsinki...
Both are from the new Colorcopia collection, with which OPI is Celebrating 20 years of color by re-releasing 12 previously discontinued shades.

OPI Kinky In Helsinki is also my NOTD!

I was thrilled when I heard they were going to re-release this one, having admired online swatches of it for quite some time. It was originally part of the Fall/Winter 2002 European Collection. Don't you just love the name?
Anyway; this is a jewel tone fuchsia/magenta shot through with a very fine silver micro shimmer. It has a slight blue/purplish sheen to it; it's definitely within the cool color range.

Application was flawless, three coats were needed for it to be opaque, though.
As always; pictures are clickable for larger view ;)

Direct sunlight.
If you look closely, you can detect the slightest VNL despite three coats.

Super close up...

Shade...

I highly recommend you to click this one... ;)

I must say I don't regret picking this one up; I really like this color! Do you like it?

Have you tried the Cuccio oil or the NailTek foundation, and if so; what did you think of them?

I really hope you've enjoyed reading this post!
See you soon, have a nice day/evening ;)

xoxo

NOTD: Sinful Rich In Heart

2009-05-12T11:23:00.003+02:00

Today's NOTD is Sinful Rich In Heart.
This shade to me resembles a deep, dark blackened rich red (lots of adjectives there ;)).
I saw a picture of this in a Spanish nail blog (can't remember which one), and fell in love with it instantly, I just knew I had to have it ;)
Consistency is great and it applied very well.
The swatches below are three coats with Seche on top. Please excuse the pre-cleanup mess...

(click pictures to enlarge)

Direct sunlight...

Partial sunlight...

Shade...

I hope you've enjoyed this post; hope to see you soon ;)

xoxo

ZOYA Fall 2009 - Figure Those Ones Out!

2009-05-10T23:43:00.000+02:00

Zoya is playing a little clue game for all of those curious about the Fall 09 collection to come!

From the Zoya blog:

"The Zoya polish fairies have been flying about,
They’ve made up a game that they want to shout it out.

Simply follow the clues and soon you will see
what Zoya fall color has for thee"!

Read the whole entry and play the "clue game" HERE!

Kind of funny, actually... ;)

And, before I go; today is Mother's Day in America. Here in Sweden, Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of May, which means I have to wait another two weeks before hopefully getting lots of kisses and perhaps a little pressie from my little princess ;)

So, to all of you American Moms:

NOTD: China Glaze Watermelon Rind

2009-05-08T19:08:00.000+02:00

Happy Friday!!

Today I'm wearing Watermelon Rind from the China Glaze Summer Days collection.
This is a stunning green with hints of blue and silvery glass fleck shimmer, which lights up and sparkles in the sunlight!

Direct sunlight...

Shade...

This one was shot in my bathroom in very low light...

I simply love the polishes from this collection, although I only own two of the shades. The glass fleck, jelly finish is to die for, and they dry to a totally smooth, hi-gloss glistening finish; truly amazing and so unique!

I wish all of you a fabulous weekend!!

xoxo

MAC Blue/Green/Teal EOTD

2009-05-08T00:01:00.002+02:00

Good day everyone!

Today I felt an unexpected urge to play with my MAC samples; poor little jars, they mostly lie around in the drawer, not getting much attention at the moment... ;) I seem to have developed a weakness for blues and teals lately, which probably influenced my shade choices.

Shade descriptions:

-Azreal Blue - Cool Soft Blue with Silver Pearl
-Reflects Transparent Teal - Sparkling White with Turquoise
-Teal - Stunning medium shimmering blue/green with pearl
-Ice - Sparkling White/Silver
-Deep Blue Green - Rich, deep bluish green (Pearl)
-Silver Fog - Platinum silver (Pearl)
-Reflects Transparent Teal - Sparkling white with turquoise

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Azreal Blue - inner 1/2 of eyelid up to brow bone
MAC Teal - outer 1/2 of eyelid up to brow bone, and outer 2/3 of lower lash line
MAC Deep Blue Green - outer v and crease
Ben Nye Ice - brow bone
MAC Silver Fog - close to tear duct and inner 1/3 of lower lash line
MAC Reflects Transparent Teal - lightly patted on all over lid as final step
MAC Fluidline in Nightfish - upper lash line
NYX Slim Eye Pencil in Sapphire - waterline
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in Black

Face:
Clinique Repairwear Foundation Beige
MUFE (Make Up Forever) Super Matte Loose Powder #16

Cheeks:
MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachtwist

Lips:
NYX Lipliner in Natural
NYX Round Lipstick in Clio

Before liner and mascara...

All finished!

Hope you enjoyed this look - I am actually quite happy with how it turned out ;)
What bugs me is the fact that I couldn't capture the gorgeous twinkle/sparkle effect from the Reflects Transparent Teal pigment - my camera just refused to pick it up, obviously... Ah, well; I'll try to nail it next time ;)

Off to get some sleep now, it's almost midnight here... Good night!

xoxo

Before tossing your UDPP...

2009-05-07T11:07:00.001+02:00

OK, so I've been on the verge of running out on my Urban Decay Primer Potion this last week.... or at least, so I thought!
I actually did toss the tube in the kitchen bin, only to return a few moments later and pick it up. I then pulled out the largest bread knife I could find in the kitchen drawer, and started to saw it open. It took me some time; but eventually the freakin' tube was finally cut open!

And voilá; this is what was left inside...

5 gram jar packed full...

I was shocked (no; SHOCKED!) to see how much product that was still in there...
Enough to pack a five gram jar full!!

Perhaps though, the people at Urban Decay have finally listened to their customers pleas to improve the packaging of the Primer Potion, as they have recently started rolling out this new and "improved" angled wand that's supposed to alleviate the aggravation of having well over half the product remaining in your tube, unreachable except via hacksaw...

I suppose it's a tiny bit of an improvement... but honestly, I can't understand why they can't just put it in a regular lip gloss tube or a squeeze bottle! I don't see this as much of a solution. I still think there will be a lot of product remaining in the tube...

How do you feel about Urban Decay's "solution"?

Off Topic: Funny Pics!

2009-05-07T00:10:00.001+02:00

Good morning, evening or afternoon, depending on where you are visiting from ;)

With many depressing elements surrounding us those days; the climate, the world economy, etc, I think it's important not to forget to smile as often as possible!

I hope these pics will put a smile on your face... ;)

Only In China...

Only In Hawaii...

Only In India...

Only In Texas...

Only In Thailand...

5 CASES WHEN IT IS OK TO USE THE 'F' WORD...

And if you think you're having a bad day at work...

I'm off to bed now; with a smile on my face... ;)

xoxo

My First Aromaleigh Order Has Landed!

2009-05-06T16:10:00.002+02:00

Happy Wednesday! ;)
I finally gave in and submitted my first Aromaleigh sample order the other day. I've read so many glowing reviews of those products that I simply couldn't resist any longer, I got way too curious... :)
Shipping was lightning fast, goodies arrived within a week; not bad at all.

Let's take a look at what I got... Pictures are clickable ;)

Misc samples from different pigment groups...

Rocks! samples...

Freebies...

Oooops!
This is what happens when you are a first class fumbler!
Spilled at least half the amount of the gorgeous "Caribé"...

I'm so excited to test these out; I'll make an EOTD using some of those very soon.

Til next time, take care ;)

xoxo

NOTD: OPI Dancing In The Isles

2009-05-05T20:00:00.001+02:00

Todays nail is OPI "Dancing In The Isles" from the 2004 Greek Isles Collection.
This is a frosty peachy pink, not unique in any way, but I really like this shade ;) Great "softie" color...

Application was very good, it just glided on...the swatches are three coats with Seche on top.
I actually forgot to take shade pics of this one...sorry about that... ;)

I also have It's all Greek To Me, also from this collection, and I love that one as well! If you haven't seen that one, take a look at this TOTD post...

Do you have any Greek Isles shades?

That's it for now; see you soon ;)

xoxo

NOTD: China Glaze Visit Me In Prism

2009-05-04T10:30:00.000+02:00

OK, I'm sure most of you have seen your fair share of the China Glaze 2006 Kaleidoscope collection by now, but regardless I'll make an additional contribution today! :)

This is "Visit Me In Prism", which is a silvery lilac holographic shade.
The Kaleidoscope collection has been discontinued, by the way; so I would highly recommend picking up the ones you like before it's too late.

Here's a short (?!) anecdote describing my "relationship" with this one...

I picked up Visit Me In Prism quite some time ago, (I think it was back in January) tested it in my bathroom one dark evening and thought to myself; "what's all the fuzz about? This is nothing special; I don't even like it! I can barely detect any holo"!! So I put it away...
The other day when browsing through my slowly growing stash of polish, I picked it up again, and I thought; "well, today is sunny; let's try it again and see if I feel differently about it now when I can look at it outdoors in the sunlight".
And I did... It's all about lighting with these! Inside, this looks like a flat, dull, kind of boring silver, nothing special at all (which is the reason I didn't like it when I first tried it), but...go outside in the sun and...WOWSA...it comes alive!! The holographic effect in these polishes demands bright light or outdoor direct sun to fully show up. Which is obvious if you read China Glaze's product description of these: "Light refracting particles suspended under a lustrous, smooth surface in a stunning kaleidoscope of color". Light refracting are the key words here, they need light... ;)

Anyway, the formula is great; it goes on wonderfully, dries fast to a completely smooth finish; no chunks, no grit. The swatches are three coats; as always they are clickable for larger view ;)

Shade.
Flat looking, dull, boring...
You can barely see the holo, it's nowhere near as much as outdoors or under bright light...

I also picked up "Sexagon" from this collection; I'll swatch that one for you very soon.

What's your take on this collection? Which are your favorites?

See you soon; have a great day/evening!

xoxo

NOTD: Nicole By OPI Per-Suede Me And Konad!

2009-05-03T14:25:00.001+02:00

Hi everyone!
Hope you are having a great Sunday ;)

Today's NOTD is Nicole By OPI "Per-Suede Me", which is a metallic lilac/grey, sort of chrome shade. I expected brush stroke issues with this, but application was actually very nice and the formula was quick drying.
The swatches below are three coats.

Direct sun...

Shade...

Partial sunlight...

I am happy to report that my Konading skills are improving; slowly I'm starting to get the hang of this, it's all about practice... ;) This is so much fun!!

That's all for now; I hope to see you next week ;)

xoxo

My Very First Orlys and NOTD!

2009-04-30T22:59:00.000+02:00

Hello gals!
Hope you're having a great Thursday ;)

These are my very first Orly polishes that arrived yesterday!
I have used one Orly product in the past, the Orly Bonder, but I ended up passing that one along since it stained my nails yellow, and I don't particularly care for that look.. ;)
I bought these from an eBay seller. They are all minis, containing 0.18oz/5,4ml each.

L-R: Hottie, Lola, Berry Sweet, Limelite & Grape Glitz

....which leads us to todays nail, which is Lola!

This shade is from the Hot Stuff Collection. Orly describes this as a neon pink, I strongly disagree. To me, this resembles a hot, bright coral-y pink cream shade; I fell in love with this instantly! Mostly because of the lovely color, but also due to the formula. This was like painting on melted butter, application was that smooth! Also, it's very glossy and the coverage is great; it was opaque after two coats, but true to my habits I had to do a third just because... :)

Full on sun...

Slightly different angle...

Shade...

What do you think of Orly polishes? Do you have any favorite shades? Do you like this one?

Tonight is Walpurgis Night here in Sweden!

Walpurgis on April 30 is a widely celebrated special event in Scandinavia, most of all in Sweden.
Walpurgis Night precedes Labour Day on May 1 and many Walpurgis events continue over night from April 30 into that holiday.
The forms of celebration in Sweden vary in different parts of the country and between different cities. One of the main traditions is to light large bonfires, a custom which began during the 18th century. Lighting the popular bonfires began with the purpose of keeping away evil spirits, especially demons and witches. Nowadays, Walpurgis Night is usually seen as a celebration of springtime.
Many Swedes now celebrate the end of long, dreary winters by singing Spring songs. These songs were spread by the students' spring festivities and Walpurgis Night celebrations are especially common in university towns. Walpurgis celebrations are not a family occasion, but rather a public event. Once the fire dies, many people move on to pubs and restaurants or to friends’ parties.
Walpurgis being celebrated on April 30 creates a double national holiday in Sweden. On this day, King Carl XVI Gustaf celebrates his birthday. So you'll see Swedish flags all around the country to salute the King ;)

May Day/Labor Day (May 1st) follows Walpurgis Night celebrations with a wide choice of events, parades and festivities. Some mark this traditional workers’ day of leave by joining one or other of the May Day demonstrations that parade through the streets of their town or village, beneath banners carrying slogans of a political, classical or more topical nature.
The weather is going to be warm and sunny, yay! ;)
I'm not one of those going out in the streets demonstrating, though. I'll be going out in the garden instead... ;)

Until next time;

xoxo

Off Topic: Jeff Dunham Rocks!!

2009-04-30T10:59:00.007+02:00

OK, so I'm sure a lot of you has seen this guy already, but for those of you who aren't familiar with belly talker Jeff Dunham, I thought I'd present him to you!
This guy is really something extra; the boyfriend and I were watching his show On Comedy Central (TV-channel) the other night, and I laughed so much I almost wet my pants ;) Seriously! Just my type of humor... ;)

Enjoy!!

Hey, Nixxy, if you're reading this; how's this guy qualifying for MWCILTRMND? (And I don't mean Achmed, I better state that clearly, or else knowing you I can sense what's coming...) #:D

EDIT::: For those of you who don't quite follow this MWCILTRMND "talk" and are curious to find out more; check out the eminent Nixxy's MWCILTRMND's posts here and here!

Til next time; take care ;)

xoxo

Mini MAC Haul

2009-04-30T10:36:00.000+02:00

Hi you!

It seems like forever that I've wanted to get my hands on a sample of the long ago discontinued MAC pigment Lily White, so I was ecstatic (well, almost anyway ;)) when finally finding it online! I also bought this mini lipglass which is called Moonstone, I thought it looked really pretty as well. When the package showed up, I sure wasn't disappointed ;) I really enjoy them both.
Lily White is everything I hoped it would be; it's a shimmery neutral color; pinky peachy golden. Not very unusual, but I love it still ;) It's a great highlighter and lid color; perfect for use on the inner half lid to brighten up any look! Kind of frosty, though, so I wouldn't want to over apply it. Moonstone resembles a warm pink with pearl shade.
Since I am a true lipstick gal, I'm still in the process of getting used to wearing lip glosses. I still like the color payoff and staying power of lipsticks more, but I'm slowly adjusting to glosses as well ;)

Lily White to the left, Moonstone to the right (as if that isn't obvious ;))

That's all I have for you right now; see ya!

xoxo

NOTD: Sinful Forget Now

2009-04-29T18:57:00.002+02:00

Hey all; how's Wednesday going? ;)

Today's NOTD is Sinful Colors Forget Now.
This little gem is very similar to the China Glaze glass-flecked polishes, for instance the "Summer Days" collection, which I personally ♥ l-o-v-e ♥ ! Forget Now is a hot fuchsia with pink and blue shimmer, very pretty! My camera didn't cooperate well enough to fully capture the sparkles and "glass flecks", but I hope you can still get a good idea of this one ;)
The swatches below are 3 coats, and it applied without giving me any trouble at all ;)

Direct sunlight...

Shade...

I truly love this; this is a great alternative, or compliment, to the China Glaze Summer Days polishes, since the effect is very similar. If you're looking for a polish with the same finish, I think you'd love this! ;)

How do you like this one?

See you very soon ;)

xoxo

The Lipstick Effect

2009-04-29T10:25:00.003+02:00

Good morning/afternoon/evening depending on where you are, dear reader!

So, lipstick sales rise when economies sink!
This subject was even on the Swedish television news the other day...
It's great that we, the beauty product junkies galores, are contributing to uphold at least a little portion of the world economy, right? ;)

Have fun reading...

Lipstick Sales Rise When Economies Sink

Optimistic pinks, calming lavenders hot for spring

By Jennifer Fong, Edmonton Journal

Stock portfolios aren't the only things going into the red--so are our lips.

Analysts and economists glibly call it the "leading lipstick indicator," or the "lipstick effect": When everyone else is begging for bailouts, they've noticed, cosmetic companies see sales soar.

"It's something that people certainly talk about," says Kyle Murray, director of the University of Alberta's School of Retailing.

"I think it reflects that people reward themselves with smaller purchases in response to tough economic times."

According to the New York Times, the term was coined by Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder when he saw his lipstick sales skyrocket in the downturn after Sept. 11.

"People have a hard time changing their spending habits,"Murray explains. "An easy way to spend less but not stop buying is to buy smaller items, less expensive items, smaller indulgences--so buying a latte at Starbucks or new lipstick, rather than spending money on a new watch."

For women looking for a cheap pick-me-up going into spring, cosmetic companies appear to be turning toward bright, optimistic pinks and calming lavenders, says Amy Fralick, Sephora specialist at West Edmonton Mall.

"It's more of a younger (woman) that's going for the brighter colours," Fralick says, while more mature women tend to stick to neutrals and soft pinks. "But hey," she adds, "some mature women can pull it off for sure."

Estee Lauder's new Fuchsia Now collection was inspired by berry shades seen recently on fashion runways, says Estee Lauder global makeup stylist Rick DiCecca, but vibrant palettes have always been popular for ushering in spring.

"People are in an upbeat mood, there's a feeling of optimism and people want to play," DiCecca says. "It's easier for people to wear brighter shades when the mood is optimistic and you get to be outside and not bundled up in that Arctic cold."

Of course, bold fuchsias and purples are not for everyone. Nudes and neutrals are still popular daytime shades, says Fralick, while bright reds continue to fire things up at night.

"Red has always been in," notes Fralick, "I just see a younger clientele try for red, which wasn't happening before."

These days, says the industry veteran, red is "just making a big comeback."

Fralick thinks the trend has a lot to do with celebrities successfully rocking red on red carpets.

"Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera --they're young and they pull it off quite well," she says. "It's a very classy, movie-star kind of look."

"You want to feel good and you want to look good when the economy is going down the tube. You still want to feel good about yourself," Fralick says.

"A lipstick is something that's more affordable and it can brighten up your look and you don't have to spend that much money."

How To Pull Off Wearing Pink

Fuchsia lipstick, says Estee Lauder global makeup stylist Rick DiCecca, is not for wallflowers.

"Wearing a brighter tone is a statement," he says. "You get noticed more."

With all eyes on you, it might be a good idea to do it right. Here are DiCecca's top tips for thinking pink: - Your lipstick is the kicker. Keep the rest of your look soft and feminine, says DiCecca, to draw attention to your pucker. A light dusting of rose on the apples of your cheeks is all it takes to make your skin glow. "It brightens up anybody's face," he says. - Balance your eyes with your lips. You can still do a smoky eye, but don't go too dark. "You don't want to do a heavy, dramatic eye. You want to do a softly defined eye to make the drama about your lips and not about your face." - Take care of your skin. "Any time you're wearing a brighter colour, make sure your skin is well-balanced," says DiCecca. "Nothing's going to look good . . . if you haven't taken the proper steps."Clean, tone and moisturize before applying makeup.

--Edmonton Journal

I hope you found this article as interesting to read as I did ;)

Til next time, love and beauty to you!

xoxo

Information source: Canwest News Service; www.canada.com

Bronze-y Tuesday EOTD

2009-04-28T16:10:00.003+02:00

Good day everyone! I hope your week has started out well ;)
Mine has; it's warm and sunny, and therefore I'm doing my best not to spend too much time on the Internet right now, hence not very many post these last days ;)
It's wonderful to be able to spend most of the days in the garden with the little one and the dogs, now when the weather finally allows for it ;)

So today I did a bronzey look using Dreamworld Minerals and Cory Cosmetics for the eyes...

Shade descriptions:

* Goll - Deep dark brown with copper
* Antarctica - sweet cream at first glance, but has a very light green iridescence. Or is that blue...?
* Jasper - darkened mid brown shade with muted bronze and red undertones
* Rift - sparkly mid bronze and copper color with lime undertones

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Dreamworld Minerals Goll - all over eyelid up to brow bone
Dreamworld Minerals Antarctica - inner part of lid, on brow bone and close to tear duct
Cory Cosmetics Rift - outer v and crease
Cory Cosmetics Jasper - lower lash line
MAC Fluidline in Nightfish - upper lash line
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in black

Face:
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Paris
Dreamworld Minerals Ghostly Glo Illuminating Glow Powder

Cheeks:
Earthen Glow Minerals Peaches Copper blush
Earthen Glow Minerals Bronzing Powder in Early Summer

Lips:
NYX Slim Lipliner in Nectar
NYX Black Label Lipstick in Summer Love
NYX Lipgloss with Megashine in Frosteed Beige (it's not a typo; it actually says "frosteed" on the label....

For some reason which I can't think of, I totally forgot to include Jasper in the pics; sorry...

I'm actually quite happy with how this look turned out; I adore Dreamworld and Cory; their pigments are so pigmented and easy to work with, big thumbs up ;) (sound like an advertiser, I swear I'm not :))

So; what's your take on this look?

That's all for now; take care & I hope to see you soon ;)

xoxo

OPI 2009 To Be Discontinued Shades

2009-04-26T15:37:00.004+02:00

Good afternoon everyone!

Just a quick FYI, as I think many of you would like to know ;)

Below is a list of the unlucky shades that OPI has chosen to discontinue in 2009:

A DOZEN ROSAS

A TRUE AB-ORIGINAL

CARA MIA CRIMSON

CATHERINE THE GRAPE

CHARMED BY A SNAKE

DANCING IN THE ISLES

DON'T MELBOURNE THE TOAST

DON'T SOCRA-TEASE ME

DRESS TO EMPRESS

GET ME TO THE TAJ ON TIME

GRAND CENTRAL CARNATION

HOODOO VOODOO?!

IT'S A DOOZI, SAYS SUZI

KREME DE LA KREMLIN

MAUVE-LOUS MEMORIES

MOST HONORABLE RED

NANTUCKET MIST

OH...TO BE 25 AGAIN!

OPI POR FAVOR

RUBLE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

SKINNY DIP'N IN LAKE MICHG'N

SONORA SUNSET

YOUR VILLA OR MINE?

I DO! I DO!

JUST TEA-SING!

MOD HATTER

MY DADDY'S THE KING!

NO BEES PLEASE

ROOM SERVICE

ROSE PETALS

SHE'S GOLDEN

SWEETIE PIE

YOUR ROYAL SHYNESS

CALL MY CELL-ERY

GOIN' APE-RICOT!

GOLDEN RULES!

HEY! GET IN LIME!

I ONLY DRINK CHAMPAGNE

NICOLE ALERT!

SNAP 'EM UP WHILE YOU CAN!! :)

The She Space April Limited Edition

2009-04-24T15:55:00.001+02:00

Happy Friday!
Just though I'd share the latest TSS news... I love being an enabler :)
Many gorgeous looking shades there, ahh; bummer I am on a no-buy...!

From The She Space website:

April 2009 Limited Edition
A tribute to Rodarte and the ART of One Little Dress

Do you think that it's possible for one or two little dresses from the Fall 2009 Rodarte Collection to actually inspire an entire color palette? Absolutely! I fell in love with the dresses and boots first, and then I knew that I had to build a collection around both of these looks! Spring needs to be lightweight and breezy...but I get tired of seeing the same Sorbet inspired colors everywhere I look....so for the woman who likes to mix it up a little....and step up the color game...this 30 piece collection is for you! Many of the colors are sheer and wispy, but certainly not to much that you cant SEE the pigment! So, this Spring as we finally put away the parkas and get ready to some out of hibernation I encourage you to LIVE IT UP IN COLOR!!! Special thanks to Rodarte for putting together one HECK of a fabulous collection!!!

One Little Dress will be available for roughly six weeks or while supplies last!

http://www.theshespace.com/aprillimitededition.html

Happy shopping :)

xoxo

More KONAD - Continued Practice Needed...

2009-04-23T11:06:00.001+02:00

How are we doing today? ;)

I wanted to show you my mini Konad haul that arrived the other day. Let me tell you I am going to practice like a maniac to get the hang of this, I have such a loooong way to go ;) But, I think when finally mastering the technique it'll be all worth it because it is so pretty!
This Konading is far trickier than I initially thought it would be; either I get parts missing from the motif, or the stamp won't pick the motif up at all, or I scrape to hard, or....you get the idea ;)
I'm going to read Brooke's fab Konad tutorial for newbies (check it out if you haven't already) over and over and not give up until I get the hang of it!

This was in the mini-haul parcel...

I just adore the little seahorse! Cutie :)
And the dolphin; I am very fascinated by dolphins, I think they are wonderful, beautiful, intelligent creatures :)

I also got a nail polish clean up pen, for those unsightly little mistakes...

Off to practice; see ya... :)

xoxo

TOTD - OPI It's All Greek To Me

2009-04-22T21:25:00.000+02:00

Hope all is well with everyone :)

I really cannot (CANNOT) believe that I'm about to show my feet for the world to see! But, nonetheless; I am. I've kept the pictures small, though, no close ups here ;)
I am wearing OPI It's All Greek To Me, which I personally think is a great toe color, especially for summer; bright and vivid fuchsia :)

What do you think?

Have a nice day/evening ;)

xoxo

Natural/Neutral EOTD

2009-04-21T13:23:00.004+02:00

Today I opted for a natural look, using mostly The She Space pigments for the eyes...

Shade descriptions:

Dark Mystery - Very dark purple color matte eye shadow
Fist Class Con - Nude bisque pearl
Marshmallow Mist - Twinkling golden pearl
Stars Say Yes - Simmering tree bark plum glimmer

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
The She Space First Class Con - all over eyelid up to brow bone
The She Space Marshmallow Mist - on browbone and close to tear duct
The She Space Stars Say Yes - outer 1/3 of lid
Jenulence Dark Mystery - outer v and crease
MAC Fluidline in Nightfish - upper lash line
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in black

Face:
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Cara
Earthen Glow Minerals Translucent Soft Focus finishing powder

Cheeks:
Earthen Glow Minerals Peaches Copper blush
Earthen Glow Minerals Bronzing Powder in Early Summer

Lips:
NYX Slim Lipliner in Nectar
NYX Black Label Lipstick in Satin

I think the outcome is just so-so; sort of bland...sort of meh... ;)
Perhaps those colors are a little to warm for my coloring; and therefore make me look a little washed out...?

What do you all think?

See you very soon ;)

xoxo

NOTD: NYX Wild

2009-04-21T09:43:00.001+02:00

Hey all; how's Tuesday treating you? ;)

Today's NOTD is NYX Wild. I'm not even sure how to describe this color, but to me it resembles a muted, dusty dark blue/green with a strong golden interference.
Consistency is kind of runny, which usually means you're dealing with a sheer polish, and boy, this was sheer indeed. The swatches below are f-i-v-e (5) coats! That's how many it took to achieve bottle color and cover that dreaded VNL. Although I kind of like the shade (very unique), I doubt I will reach for this one very often; I don't have that much patience ;)

Direct sunlight...

Partial sunlight...

Shade...

Jeez; I really hope the rest of the NYX polishes from my recent haul aren't as sheer as this one...!

How do you find this one?

Hope to see you soon ;)

xoxo

MAC Double dazzle - April / May

2009-04-20T18:22:00.005+02:00

MAC Double dazzle
Release date: 30 April 2009 (US/Canada), May 2009 (International)

Dazzleglasses

Dazzle Lash Mascara

The dazzleglasses are most likely to become permanent; yay :) They are more glittery than the original lipglasses.

Any lemmings?

xoxo

Information and photo courtesy: www.specktra.net

The Body Shop Hot Brights Summer Collection

2009-04-19T11:24:00.001+02:00

These are The Body Shop "Hot Brights" Summer collection promo shots! Seeing these pics really makes me want to run around in flip flops or sip an "umbrella drink"!

There's not much info around for the collection yet but it seems like the theme is "duos" in purple, blue or bronze. Two blush/highlighters, two eye shadows (in blue or purple tones) and two eyeliners (also blue or purple).
Additionally; there are two "Hot Brights Lips and Cheeks Duo", which seems to be a gloss and a stain (01 -Rose Sunrise and 02 - Coral Sand).

I'm not a regular TBS customer; in fact I don't own one single TBS item... I've just never found something that wows me, or stands out that I haven't already found in other companies. This collection looks somewhat intriguing; I doubt I'll pick anything up from it, though ;)

Do you like the Body Shop? What do you think of this collection?

NOTD: Zoya Annie

2009-04-18T12:15:00.000+02:00

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday :)

This is Zoya Annie, which to me resembles a medium tangerine/orange metallic shade with a very subtle silver shimmer. In the bottle it has a slight green opalescence to it, which isn't visible on the nails though. I'm not sure this is a very work appropriate shade, but it's definitely a great choice for a summer mani :)

The swatches are three coats, very smooth application.

Direct sunlight...

Shade...

I like this one, although it's the most orange that I will go, any "orangier" than this and my fingers look corpsish...
What do you think of this one?

xoxo

OK, that's it...

2009-04-17T17:17:00.006+02:00

...someone please get me into shopping rehab immediately! Now!! Pronto!!! :D

Seriously, I have done a little to much hauling lately, and as fun as it is I have to slow down a bit ;) Therefore I promised myself yesterday that I won't be shopping any more makeup and nail polish for a while. So; as of today I am officially on a no-buy until the end of May... *sigh* I have a few more small packages on the way, but they will be the last ones (*sigh*) for a little while.

(Inner dialog: No-buy, how extremely boring.... What the heck I am supposed to post about? Well, how about all the stuff you already have, stupid... ) #:)

Anyway; this much anticipated package was delivered by the nice mailman (well, it's mail woman, actually!) yesterday.
I've been dying to try Sinful Colors polishes for quite a while now, so when Cherry Culture had 25% off the entire store recently, I decided to order... a few of them .... *ahem*.
While I was at it, I also just happen to throw in a *few* NYX polishes and pencils... Strange, isn't it? I don't understand how that just happens... ;)

Well; are you ready to take a look at the awesomeness? Great; fasten your seat belts, here we go!

Almost all of the pics in this post are a little blurred to the left.. I'm so very sorry, I didn't see it until I had completed uploading them... I took a look at the camera lens, and there was a spot of something there... I hope you can still get a good idea of the colors, though... ;)

L-R: Memory of Antigua, Lagoon, Lioba and Tokyo Doll

L-R: Orlando, Glitz, Silly Alix and Chicago

L-R: Bahama Sunset, Bali Mist, Pink Diamond and Pretty in Pink

L-R: Forget Now, Real Red, Rich in Heart and Yummy

Fashion Neon and Gorgeous

Moving on to the NYX Girl polishes...

L-R: Mother of Pearl, Naked, Poppy, Lingerie

L-R: Dark Cherry, Wild, Azure and Showgirl

Here's an example of just how off the Cherry Culture color swatches are.
I thought it would be nice to have a grey polish in my stash, since I don't have any. So, after having a look at the swatch below, I thought I had found a perfect one! Are they similar, you think...? Well, this is a nice blingy color per se, so I'm fairly happy with it judging only by the bottle, but it wasn't exactly what I expected it to be when I ordered it... ;)

NYX Showgirl...

Two more shades in another bottle design; have no idea why, I prefer those bottles above, though ;)
L-R: Whisper and Cocktails

NYX Long Lip Liners in "Prune", a dark plummy shade and "Plush Red", which is more of a bright hot pink than it is a red. I knew this before I ordered it, it was my intention to buy a shade like that. Those are BOGO (buy one, get one); so I paid $2 for both.

Slim eye pencil in "Echo Green" - a gorgeous medium metallic teal-green shade
I dunno if this shade has been discontinued, it isn't available on the NYX website, so hurry up and grab it if you like it :)

L-R: Prune, Plush Red and Echo Green
Eeek; my hand looks wrinkly...

So; this was my recent Cherry Culture haul. The Sinful polishes are $2 each, and the NYX Girl polishes are $1.50 each, which I consider cheapo cheap! Plus, as I mentioned; I got 25% off, so they were even cheaper.
I'm not so sure I'll be able to stick to this no-buy commitment, I guess we'll have to wait and see, time will tell.. ;)

Which are your favorites from the above? Any Sinful favorites that are not included in this haul?

Hope to see you very soon; have a great weekend!!

xoxo

Comparison Swatches: Zoya Tori & ChG Raspberry Festival

2009-04-16T23:06:00.002+02:00

So, after wearing Zoya Tori yesterday, I got a question from the lovely miss Brooke at GetchaNailsDid regarding the similarity between Tori and China Glaze Raspberry Festival (from the "Summer Days" Collection).
So today I swatched them both for you! Swatches are three coats, no top coat.

Sun...

Zoya Tori on index and middle fingers, ChG Raspberry Festival on ring and pinky...

Shade...

As you can see, these are two very different shades. They do have the glass fleck finish in common, though, but whereas Tori has red and silver fleck glitter, Raspberry Festival has more of a red and pink glitter to it. Both dries to a smooth, high gloss finish. Obviously, Tori is deeper and darker compared to RF, which is lighter and brighter. I think both are great shades!
So, miss Brooke and everyone else; these are definitely different enough to justify getting both ;)

That's it for now; off to bed (early for once ;))...

xoxo

NOTD: Zoya Tori

2009-04-15T21:30:00.003+02:00

Hello there ;)

Today let me present to you... drum roll .... Zoya Tori!
Tori is a multi glitzy sparkling metallic red, it's packed with red and silver glitter, which looks awesome in the sun, very sparkly :)
I really like this one, but then of course I'm a sucker for all things bling-y as you all know ;) The pictures don't do this beauty justice, my camera refused to pick up all of that pretty glitter, bummer!
The swatches are three coats, butter-like application. As usual when it comes to the Zoyas I've tried so far ;)

Direct sunlight...

Slightly different angle...

Shade...

What's your take on this sparkling red? Which are your personal red polish favorites?

See you very soon :)

xoxo

More NYX Hauling... :) Really?

2009-04-14T13:56:00.003+02:00

OK; somebody tell me I have a problem with NYX! I obviously can't seem to control my "click finger", since I recently ended up buying even more NYX products that I really don't need (or do I? ;) ) ... Perhaps I should found "NYX-aholics Anonymous"?
Seriously, I just love these products; they are great value for money and they are cheapo cheap as well (at least by Swedish standards). I have been very curious about the fairly new Black Label lipsticks, and so I ordered two of those, and I also wanted to try out the Jumbo Eye Pencils, and so I ordered one of those. Also really needed (yeah, right... ;)) a few new lip pencils, and so I ordered some of those... and a blue eye pencil, which I honestly don't have in my collection... and of course a gloss, since I really, really don't have any glosses... :D NYX-aholics Anonymous it is....
I got these products from MsCuppyCakes.com; which is a great site selling only NYX cosmetics and Red Cherry false lashes. Shipping is very reasonable, and the goodies arrived promptly within 8-10 days or so; not bad at all. This is actually two separate orders that arrived a few days apart, on which I decided to do one post.

Haul #1...

Like I said; I really needed some new Round lippies.. ;)

Jumbo Pencil "Cottage Cheese" #608 and Lip Gloss "Pink Frost" #127

Haul #2...

NYX Round Lipstick "Goddess", Black Label Lipstick "Satin" & "Sahara"
Very similar shades...

L-R: Insatiable, Nepal, Candlelight, Pale Shrimp, Nectar, Sapphire

L-R: Pencils: Insatiable, Nepal, Candlelight, Pale Shrimp, Nectar, Sapphire. Round Lipstick: Goddess. Black Label Lipstick: Satin, Sahara

Slightly different angle... As you can see Goddess and Sahara are very similar...

I really like the Black Label lipsticks. They have a fresh scent, feel very moisturizing on the lips, and the colors are so vibrant. But, in my honest opinion, they are not "better" in terms of texture compared to the Round lipsticks. The main difference between the RL and the BLL is that the BLL don't contain any Mineral Oil. I paid $4.50 each for the Black Label Lipsticks, and only $1.25 each for the Round Lipsticks. I don't know if I think I can justify buying more BLL, paying more than 3 times as much for those, when I feel the Round lippies are just as good. They are not that special. At least not to me ;) However, if you are looking for products that are free from Mineral Oil, you should try them.
Regarding the eye- and lip pencil(s); they are great! Not too hard, not too soft: just perfect texture! They are very easy to work with, and they stay put. I really don't know the difference between the lip pencils; one of them (Nectar) is from the "Slim Lip Pencil" range and is shorter than the others, which are called only "Lip Pencil". The Slim pencils are priced at $2.25 each, the others are $1.75 each. The eye pencil is from the "Slim Eye Pencil" range, and just like the Slim Lip Pencils these are priced at $2.25 each.

As for the Round Lipsticks in this post; I promise to do an update post where I'll swatch them for you as soon as possible.. ;)

That's it for now, I'm out of here :)

See you very soon,

xoxo

Easter Monday EOTD

2009-04-13T13:45:00.002+02:00

So, Easter is almost over, for me personally it's been a good one; lots of get togethers with friends and family, and warm and sunny weather :) I hope you've had a good one too!

I decided on a smokey look today; we are going to my Mom's for an Easter Monday barbecue later this evening. I love barbecue :)

Shade descriptions:

Mirror Dust - A deep, dark high-shimmer silvery taupe that looks brown or silvery-grey, depending on how you're looking at it.
Bedazzled - Bedazzled is a gorgeous creamy color laced with gold, giving the appearance of fine riches.
Lumeria - A mixture of orange, gold, and pink create a color that is one to have...

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Dreamworld Minerals Mirror Dust - all over eyelid up to brow bone and outer 2/3 of lower lash line
Dreamworld Minerals Bedazzled - on browbone and close to tear duct
Dreamworld Minerals Lumeria - inner 1/3 of lid and inner 1/3 of lower lash line
Barry M Fine Dazzle Dust #11 - outer v and crease
Barry M Fine Glitter Dust #21 - wet lined on upper lash line
Maybelline Colossal Mascara in black

Face:
Earthen Glow Minerals Cover Me Foundation in Paris
MAD Minerals Satin Glow Powder

Cheeks:
Cory Cosmetics Blush in Mango
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Shimpagne - highlight on top of cheek bones

Lips:
NYX Slim Lipliner in Nectar
NYX Black Label Lipstick in Satin

Do you like this look?

What are your plans for today?

Talk to you soon :)

xoxo

NOTD: China Glaze Beauty and the Beach

2009-04-11T11:20:00.000+02:00

Hope you are having a great Easter weekend!

Todays NOTD is China Glaze Beauty and the Beach, which is a gorgeous Caribbean teal/turquoise aquamarine shimmer! Perhaps not the ordinary color choice for an Easter mani, but who the heck says we always have to be conventional? :)
This one went on easily, three coats were needed for it to be opaque, though.

Full on sun...

Slightly different angle...

Shade...

How about you; do you have any shades from this collection?

'Til next time...

xoxo

New MAC Pigments and Blue EOTD

2009-04-09T21:31:00.003+02:00

Hi gals!

Missed me? :D
Sorry about my recent absence ; I haven't posted as much as I wanted to lately; things have been quite hectic this last week, and I've been feeling really tired and worn out as well.
Anyway; today I thought I'd show you my newest additions to my MAC pigment stash. These arrived the other day, I got them from TheBodyNeeds which is where I buy my pigment samples most of the time. Shipping is reasonable, she ships quickly and the price is awesome as well; $1.79 each (1/4 tsp). AND; they are authentic to the best of my knowledge, I can highly recommend you to check out this site. The inventory changes all the time, so visit often :)

So, this is what I got this time...

Top Row L-R: Reflects Blackened Red, Reflects Transparent Teal, Reflects Turquatic,
Naval Blue, Sunnydaze
Bottom Row L-R: Softwash Grey, Pastorale, White, Azreal Blue

Reflects Blackened Red, Reflects Transparent Teal, Reflects Turquatic,
Naval Blue, Sunnydaze

Softwash Grey, Pastorale, White, Azreal Blue

Excuse the typo; it's "Sunnydaze", not Sunnydays... ;)

Shade descriptions:

-Reflects Blackened Red - Sparkling Burgundy
-Reflects Transparent Teal - Sparkling White with Turquoise
-Reflects Turquatic - Sparkling Bright Turquoise
-Naval Blue - Subdued, Frosted Navy Blue
-Sunnydaze - Soft Apricot-Taupe w Silver Pearlized Pigments
-Softwash Grey - Grey with Purple Pearl
-Pastorale - Khaki Green Gold Pearl and Sparkle
-White - Soft Pearl White
-Azreal Blue - Cool Soft Blue with Silver Pearl

I used colors from this haul for my EOTD....

I put Azreal Blue all over lid up to brow bone. Then I put Naval Blue in the outer V and crease. Applied White on brow bone and inner corners. Lined both upper and lower lashes with NYX Slim Eye Pencil in Sapphire and put on mascara (Maybelline Colossal Volume, black)

And.... voilá!

I don't mean to stare...really! :)

I want to wish you all a fabulous, Happy Easter!!!

Easter kisses!

xoxo