Best on-the-spot treatments

Just got a zit in your face two days before the big day? It is red, painful and to you it seems like everybody will focus on this point? Relax, I am sure it is not the only point of attention in your face, although I always feel the same way. Trust me a break out can often ruin my day!

Well, I guess there are no miraculous treatments that can make it disappear in a day but there are some on the spot treatments that can DEFINITELY improve the situation and give you a confidence boost up!

After trying a million different products from drugstore all theway to the high end brands I am sharing with you those that worked perfect for me.

1. Spéciale 5 by Payot

This product is probably my favourite on the spot treatment. It dries and purifies all imperfections and also helps them disappear more quickly. I usually apply it before I go to bed and for some reason I am always amazed by the results the next morning.

2. Drying Lotion by Mario Badescu

This lotion is really effective! It works miracles on whiteheads. I usually apply it overnight and by the next day I always see a difference, it is as if it has shrunk and it is not as red. Also, this lotion is supposed to heal and prevent the spreading of acne on your face or body.

3. Drying Cream by Mario Badescu

This is a similar product to the drying lotion although it does not dry the area as much. Some people find that the lotion dries their skin too much and so prefer this more gentle soothing aloe formula. This product too, promotes the drying and the healing process.

4. Acne Spot Treatment by Murad

This product doesnt actually dry the blemishes but rather speeds up their healing process. To me this product works best when the blemish is not fully developed and it is at an early stage. And although it clears active breakouts it doesnt work as fast as the MB lotion and cream.

5. Pâte Grise by Payot

Pate Grise is another favourite product. It works great on painful and red imperfections, in other words at blemishes that are at an early stage and speeds up their maturity process. It's scent I must mention isn't the best, but who cares!

Treat and Cover

These concealers are great because they conceal the red areas and treat them at the same time. Sometimes when we have a blemish we tend to use thick products that offer more coverage. Unfortunately, these products have more oil in them, making the condition of the blemish worse.

1. Acne Treatment Concealer by Murad

This concealer comes in three shades and so it provides a  long lasting coverage while it heals the blemishes with acne-fighting Salicylic Acid. Among its primary benefits, according to Murad official site, is that it controls and prevents acne breakouts.

2. Stick Couvrant Purifiant by Payot

This product too, masks the blemishes but without offering a great coverage. Since it neutralizes imperfections, it is great to use when the blemish is not at its pick but rather has entered the maturity stage.

3. Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer by Clinique

Finally, this product is also a medicated concealer that helps clear and prevent blemishes. Like the Murad concealer this also comes in three shades plus a green one which helps balance the redness in a blemish.

This serum actually works!

I have been using Loreal’s Double Extend Lash Boosting Serum for about three weeks now (I missed a few days) and I must admit that this product is really working. I can definitely tell a bigger difference in the thickness of my lashes and a smaller one in their length. They seem stronger and when I actually remove my eyemakeup I rarely see any lash fall out. My lashes definately appear MUCH longer as soon as I apply my mascara, then they look really big!!. Unlike Lilash, this serum does not guarantee to make you grow more lashes but rather to improve their condition, which it actually does. And the best thing? You have absolutely no side effects, no swelling, no redness....Nothing. To me, it is like taking extra care of my lashes and actually having results. Oh, at an affordable price too...

PS: Too bad I did not take some pics of my lashes before I begun using the serum

Latest Obsessions…

Les Khakis Nail Collection by Chanel

Again a wonderful nail collection by Chanel who came up with three fall colors, inspired by the color of the leaves ready to leave the tree and hit the ground… Khaki Vert is definitely high on my list for this fall!

Superslick Liquid Eyeliners by MAC

As I mentioned in a previous post, these eyeliners are trully amazing. They will definately follow us all through the next months. Now that I have tried them, I cannot go back to any of my old eyeliners.

Crystal Baby Lipstick by Estee Lauder

As you can understand from the name, this lipstick has a very delicate color. A nude color that looks healthy on the lips and is a perfect smoky eye match.

Ombre Hair

I only recently discovered the name of the hair I have liked for such a long time. The kind of hair that tends to lighten naturally (or artificially) as it reaches the bottom. So laid back, so stylish… like a girl that spent all of her summer under the sun.

Siwy Hannah Cropped Jean

A torn, soft and sexy jean… perfect for all occasions, all styles and all seasons. I WANT IT!

A lipgloss that lasts...

CHANEL is well known for its innovative and high quality products. A couple of years ago, it came out with Rouge Allure Laque, a satin lip lacquer that had a great colour pigmentation and a delicate shine that lasted for hours. BUT, although it was promoted as a lipgloss, it did not have the shine we all seek in a gloss. Additionally, Rouge Allure Laque’s shades where not the best, at least not in the neutral and pink range. The reds on the other hand are a different story! Coromandel and Dragon are probably among the best reds out there!

A while ago, CHANEL came out with Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss.
Trust me, this lipgloss has all that which we expect from a gloss:
super shine, silky texture, non sticky, full coverage
and all that which we ever dreamed from a gloss:
long... long... long lasting

And the best part?

This time they came out with a total of eight shades (some of which are bold) that happen to cover most color ranges! So choose from the three in the red range, the two in the beige, the three in the pink or the one in the brown! Below, from the left to the right (clockwise) are the: EXCES 60, INSOUCIANCE 51, IMPERTINENCE 59 and the INSOLENCE 57.

Run and get the Superslick Liquid Eyeliner!!

MAC recently came out with the Fabulous feline collection which is divided into three divisions: Palace Pedigreed, Leopard Luxe and the Burmese beauty. The collection is pretty nice and there is quite transitional about it, something that takes you from the summer to the fall in a smooth manner.

I can’t say I was thrilled with the collection except from the Superslick liquid Eyeliners. OMG, you guys have to get these. Which color? Oh ,I don’t know which ever color you like and have. They all look sooooo good. I wouldn’t go for the black because you can find a good black eyeliner almost everywhere….but the rest? Truly amazing.

I bought the smoky heir (wonderful purple), the nocturnal (shiny silver) and the marked for glamour (anthracite). But to be honest I could not decide. The pure show, the treat me nice and the desire & devices were next on my list- but this is according to my taste and makeup needs!

What I liked about it:

1. It has a very thin consistency yet has a great color pay off
2. It is easy to apply
3. It dries within 15 sec
4. It is ideal for great precision
5. It is water resistant
6. It comes in amazing colors

I could compare it to the MAC’s Liquidlast liner which also had had a hirich colour pay off, was long lasting and non smudge, came in nice colors but had a terrible brush and it was way too thick!

SPF's break me out!!

No one can survive a summer in Greece without any sun protection creams. The sun is hot and almost always around, so even when being in the shade one may end up with a sunburn. Moreover, sun is one of the main causes of premature aging.

And now about me…..although I wear sun protection on my face all through the year, I notice that in the summertime I get breakouts. This is mainly because going to the beach means that you get to apply the product over and over, usually without washing off the sea salt, plus in the meantime you may get sweaty. Moreover most SP creams seem to have a thicker texture (although I always use the oil free version) to them -compared to moisturizers- especially if they have an SPF of 25 plus.

I just came back from my vacation –and although I had a great time- my skin is now suffering! I now have to cleanse it at least three times a day, use pore cleansing masks and tone my skin. And trust me, in order to get back to my normal skin, I have to pay a visit to my beautician and get a professional deep cleaning facial.

All through the years, I have tried most of the SPFs available in the market, ranging from the pharmaceutical (Vichy, Avene, Propoline) to the high end brands (Clinique, shiseido, Lancaster, Lancome, Estee Lauder).

BUT, I think I may have discovered the solution to my problem, the new Oil Free Moisturizer SPF30 by Mario Badescu. His products work great for me, especially when my skin is in a bad condition. There are a couple of stores in Athens when I can purchase MB products, but the particular moisturizer was very new, so it was not available in Greece, which means I will have to order it on line.

Why am I so certain it will work for my skin? Well, right before I left for vacation I purchased a couple of products from the MB stand and the lady who worked there gave me two tiny samples, the Hyaluronic moisturizer SPF 15 and the Complex Moisturizer with Vitamin E SPF 20. I am happy to say that none of the two gave me a break out. Unfortunately the first one had a low SPF and the second one was a bit too oily for my skin. Since these products did not make my skin break out, I think that the oil free moisturizer with an SPF of 30 will be ideal. According to Mario Badescu’s official site it is a non-pore clogging, paraben-free formula that provides UVA and UVB protection and the necessary defense against sun damage and acne scarring. Moreover, it is recommended for every day use on combination, sensitive, oily or acne-prone skin.

Eyelash Serums

All women dream of having long and full eyelashes. Beautiful eyelashes frame the eyes in the best possible way and make them look feminine and attractive. And although some women are privileged with such kind of lashes and others are not, cosmetology has made sure that nowadays most women can grow false looking dolly lashes with the help of serums.

There are many products in the market that promise to help grow the existing lashes and create new eyelash growth. Some products have such great results that the women using it had to literally trim their crazy long eyelashes. Amazing, huh?

Now the question is how far would you go to make yourself beautiful? I cant stop wondering whether such products can cause permanent eye damage in the short or in the long run. I mean okay, aren't most things we are using chemical? Yes, this is true but these serums are applied right in your eyelash line, right above your eye. A product that can double your eyelash length in a couple of months, darken your eyelashes and even your natural eye color...must be quite strong,dont you think? And think that, as soon as you stop most of these serums, your eyelashes return back to their original size, and if I judge from some of the photos I have seen I could say that they become even worse. Well, for all these reasons I am not sure. And I am not saying that I would not love the results that these products are claiming to have, but I just cant stop playing the devil's advocate.

Below is a list of the best eyelash growth serums whose prices vary from 20 to 160$ per bottle :

1. Latisse
2. Lilash
3. Revitalash
4. Loreal Eyelash Serum
5. Lash Relongé
6. ActivLash
7. Jan Marini
8. Mavala Eye-Lite Double Lash
9. Talika Eyelash Conditioner
10. Enormous Lash
11. MD Lash Factor
12. IdolLash

I recently started using L'oreal concentrated lash boosting serum which promises thicker fuller lashes in just 4 weeks of daily use without the side effects of other lash serums. I have only been using the product for a week so I cannot see any results apart from the fact that my lashes hardly fall off when I remove my eye makeup, which I guess is a good thing.

Although I enjoy testing most beauty products, I generally believe more in natural products as I feel that our bodies tend to recognize their ingredients much easier and therefore process them in a more efficient way.What |I often use after periods of  intense eyemakeup and therefore eyelash abusing is a mixture of olive and castor oil. I apply the mixture on clean and dry lashes, right before I go to sleep. This oil will not get your lashes super long but it will get them fuller and stronger while it minimizes the lash loss.

PS: I would really love to hear your experiences with lash serums (results, side effects etc)