Monday, May 28, 2012

Fluorescent vibes


It is really crazy how color can cheer you up and how apparently we all tend to think alike..
Walking around Athens during this time of the year and one soon realizes that he/she must have drowned in a fluorescent sea of pink t-shirts, neon orange shoes and lime bags... 
At a time, so difficult for our Country, we try our best to stay positive and grab on each and everything that can -even temporarily- make us feel good. 
This fluo trend which kindly appeared a couple of years has flourished for good this Spring.
Do I enjoy it? Yes, as long as we dont overdose -then I hate it. Yes, as long as it makes us feel cheerful. Yes, as long as we dont get carried away and purchase a super expensive Celine bag (top left) or a Jimmy Choo pair of pumps (bottom right), both which I must admit are gorgeous, but chances are that we will regret buying a month later!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Current faves

Is is because I miss the sea? Is it because the last few days have been rainy here in Athens and havent seen the lovely blue sky? Is it just a coincidence? All I know is that for some peculiar reason all my current faves are aqua/mint coloured....


See what I mean???
From left to right: Accessorize pendant, L'oreal color riche nailpolish in 602, Dior BB cream and Cattier Dentargile mint toothpaste.
Anyway, I will first start with the amazing BB cream. I purchased it a couple of weeks ago from Sephora for about 35 euro (this price is after the 25% sale), which means it is quite pricy for a sun protection cream, oh, wait I meant for a foundation, oh, no sorry for a daily facial cream...
Hold on a minute, is really 35 euros much if you consider you are buying all of these in just one tube? The answer is NO. But, let us not rush into a conclusion since Hydra life -like all products-  has advantages and disavantages. According to the company, the specific cream is "formulated to combine the moisturizing and protective powers of a skincare product with the immediate complexion-enhancing and even-toning properties of a foundation." Does it do what it claims? Yes, it actually does.


As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have a decent skin that does not need much coverage -but on the other hand- I do like having a flawless skin. Meaning I do not really purchase very light weight foundations that hardly cover anything. This cream has an amazing coverage _medium I would say_and the texture is not thick at all! My skin was quite matte and it stayed this way all day long, I didnt even have to powder myself. But I must tell you that although the color is pretty warm and nice it can only cover the needs of those ranging from NC 35 to NC 40 plus it kinda has a pink / tan undertone to it. I guess you will have to drag it down your neck if you want to look great...
So, BE AWARE!!!

TIP:
When choosing a foundation, be sure to let it sit on your skin for about ten minutes - this step is even more crucial when it comes to BB creams. Chances are it will get darker after it has been oxydized. Finally, the picture below reveals the shades after they have been kindly applied and oxydized.




Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Best chihuahua tattoo ever...


This past Saturday we went to the 6th annual tattoo convention in Athens. We basically attended cause we wanted to make some research on the various tattoo places we can have our very first tattoo done. My sister on the other hand (for those of you who dont know, she is a photographer) went to get photos of some of the most creative and alternative people of Athens. She will soon post these photos in her blog, so stay tuned: barefootcloud

Going around the different stands, a blonde girl cought my attention and specifically the tattoo that she had in her left arm. The most colorful, vivid and detailed chihuahua tattoo I have ever seen in my life. It was a real masterpiece. She had it done at the Proki tattoo studio, for more photos and information:  Proki tattoo

Can everybody support such a design? I doubt it, but as it is apparent from the photo below, the specific girl definately can.  






Monday, May 14, 2012

TOPSHOP Athens...


Attention to all my Greek friends once again....
After INGLOT comes TOPSHOP. Yes, you heard right. The amazing British TOPSHOP opened its doors in Athens. You can all find the collection in the SOTRIS stores at Kolonaki (41 Voukourestiou str.) and Golden Hall.
Happy shopping!!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Second INGLOT haul and swatches


And as I was expecting that to happen, I unfortunately found myself to go back to INLOT for a second mini haul. Dont worry, I only got a couple of eyeshadows to complete my palette.


This is a matte eyeshadow palette, and I should tell you that the colors rock!! From left to right, matte 351 (light beige), matte 363 (dark taupe), matte 326 (dark plum/brown). Below are some swatches.


Here is a photo of the lip paint (first haul) which I wore yesterday for the first time and loved it cause as you can see from the jar a minimum amount ire required. Moreover, the color is pretty and it has a great staying power!!!


Here is a small comparative swatch of all the mauve tone pinks I own, just to get an idea of the color tone in both brighter and lower light. Hope you find it helpful..



Next are some swatches of the INGLOT slim lipstick in 41 (first haul) which is compared to similar coral lipsticks. As it appears in the photos, the INGLOT lipstick is less opaque but yet quite bright with an unexpecting staying power. If you are a fan of more opaque lipsticks, this may not be the one for you. BUT, I find myself more attracted to it when it comes to day makeup cause it is somewhat more wearable than the rest.



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

First INGLOT haul



Hey people,
I am back with a small haul from inglot, a couple of pictures and a first impression...
So, here it goes. Entering the Inglot store for the first time, I must admit that I didnt have the highest expectations to begin with because of the product's price range and the particular store's interior which to me seemed quite cheap looking (might be because of my profession), well at least compared to a MAC flagship store. A first glance at the products drove me insane and gave me this crazy superficial urge to purchase everything around me....(that is sooo bad). But soon after, I somehow gained control of the beast inside me and started trying each product out. Almost an hour later and a hand filled with colors, textures and glitters I had formed my first impression of the brand's products.
They are GOOD, and if we compare them to their price they are very good.
Here is what I purchased:
- A magnetic 3 eyeshadow case
- 1 matte beige eyeshadow
- A plum lip paint
- A coral slim lipstick
- A duraline


The palette is really clever, it is magnetic and highly customizable as you can put eyeshadows, lip paints, blushes and so on in the very same palette, which means that you can travel lightly!! The lid slides off, and the cool thing about them is that you can stack the one on top of the other and they will never move since they are magnetic on both sides. If I remember correct it was only 5,5 euros.
I just purchased one eyeshadow to test the quality, I chose a light beige matte eyeshadow cause I find that these are the hardest for a company to make and they somehow reveal the quality of the eyeshadows. I must tell you that it is not the best eyeshadow I have ever tried, but it is quite decent considering the 6 euros you pay for an eyeshadow twice the size of a MAC one. Most eyeshadows I tried, had a great color payoff and they were quite silky -oh, and I just cant describe the color range!
The #55 lip paint is really wonderful and its large quantity came at the tag of 11euros. I chose a plum pinkish color with a somewhat purple undertone that looks really nice against my skin tone and I have to say that it glides on the lips like butter, its staying power is quite good considering the lipgloss result it has.
The slim lipstick #41 is a wonderful color especially for the summer time, quite bright but at the same time gently see through. I highly recommend it because it suits most skintones and it has an amazingly good staying power for its price.
Finally, the duraline, probably the most innovative item one can find in an INGLOT store. It is a multi- function product that can:
  • turn every shadow into an ultra long wearing -almost waterproof- gel liner!
  • turn -powder into creamy- long staying eyeshadows.
  • thin out any old and dried out eyeliners you may already own.
  • be used to adhere even the largest chunks of glitter to your face without any fall outs.

Stay tuned for more INGLOT hauls and reviews...


Saturday, May 5, 2012

INGLOT Athens...


Attention: This is a post for my Greek friends...
Inglot Cosmetics just landed in Athens and specifically at the centre of Glyfada!!!
After Thessaloniki, we welcome this amazing beauty store which is situated in 22 Metaxa Str. and I may have to inform you that it is a couple of stores to the right of MAC's flagship store, I bet they wont be too happy about that!! Stay tuned, I will soon be back with a haul cause there are just too many things I wanna buy!
Filakia!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Makeover #2

Hello loves...
Proud to present my blog's second beauty makeover. Here, is my friend Aya who was polite enough to be my "model" for this makeover. She is from the kind of girls with natural beauty and intense facial characteristics that I personally love. We did two looks, a very light wedding makeup look and a sultry smoky eye look to reveal both her sweet and more passionate side.


As you can see, there isnt a large change between the before and the after makeup picture. All I wished to do is create a soft wedding look that would still make her look like herself just more radiant.


In this final look, I gave her a sharp smokey look -which she can support as well- combined with a bright lipstick, a look originally inspired by Rihanna but just more wearable.