The most elegant and cheap phone for us girls...

We are girls right? We like makeup and cute stuff. When it was time to change my phone I had to choose something not only with good performance but also pretty (because i am just that kind of girl :P ). Now I have been a smartphone user for at least 4 years now and a big Android fan so I couldn't just pick a simple cute phone and I also didn't want to give a fortune (being a student and all - and spending all my money on makeup :D ).

After a few researches on the internet I found probably the perfect phone for someone that likes performance, beautiful design AND very good price.

The phone I am talking about is the Sony Experia U. Here are some pictures of it:

 

It's a beauty isn't it? It comes in 2 colors: black and white with a colorful cap attached at the end of the device as decoration (which you can replace with a cap of whatever color you want). 

If you look carefully at the pictures you will notice between the cap and the phone a thin plastic space of clear color, that actually has a led inside that when you are operating the phone lights up in whatever light YOU DECIDE! How cute is that? You can select pink, white, blue, red, green, yellow according to the theme you have on your phone. 

It's very thin and light and has a 3.5 inch screen big enough to see what you are typing and small enough to be elegant so it's kinda perfect for us ladies that can't hold those huge phones with one hand.

Has a dual core processor which means it responds quite fast and doesn't freeze easily. So you can basically play a lot of heavy graphic games on it. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have an extendable memory but I am not the kind of person that needs 10gigas of memory on my phone. It has very clear speakers making listening to music very pleasant and a decent back camera of 5Mpixels. It also has a small front camera I think 1.3Mpixels perfect if we wanna check if our hair stays ok or if our lipstick needs a touch-up ;)

It has Android gingerbread software which is upgrade-able to the latest Android version (the Ice cream sandwich). All these in the VERY convenient price of a little less than 200 euro which is an amazing price for what the phone can offer.

If you don't need a very fancy expensive phone and you don't like those huge almost 5 inch screen phones out there but you still want a decent smartphone this is an excellent choice!

Flormar Supershine Miracle Colors - U25 swatch and a few words...

I got this nail polish recently along with a lipstick that I will post later about (most beautiful lip color ever!).
So this line from Flormar the "Supershine Miracle Colors" contains sparkly, glittery, insanely (is that a word? :D ) nail colors. I wasn't sure about the quality so I only picked one for now and it's the U25. (excuse the lack makeup :P )

It is a crazy blue color with lots and lots of sparkles of blue, purple and gold in it.
It's really really pretty and it only costs a bit more than a euro. The only disadvantage for this particular color at least (i will let you know if it's in general once i try the rest of the colors) it's that it needs a lot of layers on long nais because the white part of the nail is visible even after 3 coats which will make you waste more product plus it's really annoying staying for hours waiting those billions of coats to dry but other than that it's a lovely color.

after 2 coats...

after 3 coats still needs at least one i think....

I hope you like it, feel free to leave your comments in english, romanian or greek (I hope I will add more languages in time :D ) and please follow my blog if you enjoy it. 

Take care, XO

Heliana.

PS: Btw the lipcolor that i wear is an Avon one from a recent line called LUXE and I will do swatches for it soon. LOVE IT. :)

Secrets (or not) to gorgeous and healthy hair.

First of all let's make clear (and I know I will make a lot of girls sad right now but it is the truth), once your hair is damaged you cannot "undamage" it. No matter what shampoos and conditioners and stylists promise you you CANNOT mend damaged hair. With that being said let's specify a bit who does unhealthy hair look and feel like.

Unhealthy hair obviously is the hair that has split ends. Split ends is an obvious damage and you have to cut it off. So...
TRIM YOUR HAIR OFTEN AND GET RID OF SPLIT ENDS
A lot of girls hold on to their long hair and they refuse to cut it simply because they need it long but let me tell you something.
First of all and that's something I always say to my friends, it's better to have shorter and healthy hair than longer and damaged. The reason is, if you don't say goodbye to your split ends fast the damage "travels" up on the hair. Remember that the hair construction is similar to the fish scales so when you have split ends it's very easy for that splitting to just keep on higher. It's hard for us to realize but at a point the hair will break off and this is where we see a bunch of hair on your brush, it's because the hair breaks off because of damage. And if you don't believe me see how a hair actually looks when it has a split end.

Creepyyyyyy huh? :)

Second, unless your hair has REALLY bad split ends you only need to trim it and not cut it. If you are still afraid that your stylist will chop off a lot of hair you can do it at home. A nice professional pair of scissors costs 10 euro or less. Taking small streaks of hair you can run your fingers along every streak and cut the small ends of your hair where you notice splitting. It's easy, it doesn't cost you anything, you cut how much you want and it's really good for your hair. (Come to think of it I should make a video on trimming your own hair but I just trimmed it yesterday actually so that will take a while)
The normal frequency for trimming normally is 4 to 6 weeks depends on how your hair holds on and if you don't dye or heat style your hair you can even get away with twice a year.
And just to prove wrong those that think that if you trim your hair it will not grow i have to mention that I trim my hair around once a month and it's halfway to my waist and growing :)

Unhealthy hair also can be the hair that when is wet feels gummy that means that you have fried your hair from dyeing or streightening. This part of your hair has to be cut off it's no longer (partial) repairable.
With that being said and also underlining the fact that you WILL have to eventually cut this damaged part of your hair off, there are some products that will make your hair more manageable and much softer and that doesn't - and I repeat- does NOT mean that they repair them!
1) Reconstructors, there are some products out there that they really do an excellent job and can make pretty damaged hair managable and soft for example the Joico K-Pak, it's a bit pricey but AMAZING!
2) Products with proteins (similar to reconstructors). If you can't really afford a fancy reconstructor you can use good ol' Mayonnaise or simply mix egg and olive oil or avocado and olive oil just remember to wash well after.

Third type of hair damage which is not really a big damage but it can lead to it it's the dried out hair. If your hair doesn't have moisture it can get frizzy, hard to tame and break off. The remedies for this are very very simple.
1) Good hydrating (moisturizing) conditioner
2) A good leave in conditioner
3) Once a week olive oil (not close to the roots) or warm olive oil
4) Good hydrating mask
5) Last but best.... COCONUT OIL. Better than olive oil, better than argan oil better than anything. Apply a small amount of coconut oil at the ends of your hair - MAKE SURE IT'S PURE. And leave it for as much as you want and the wash it out (i personally don't even wash it out because it even helps my curls stay but on straight hair it might look oily). It's hydrating, it's protecting the hair, it makes it soft, shiny and it smells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

And of course try to dye your hair no more often than once a month and avoid as much as possible heat styling!

I hope this was somewhat helpful to you. Remember if you really wanna have long hair you can always cut the damaged part and put on some extensions :) 

Leave a comment if you like or if you have any questions I will be happy to help!

Take care, XO

Heliana

Avon Fails Vol.1

Luxe Face Brush

It's normal price is around 12 euro, thankfully i got it with only 5 (even though I regret it). DO NOT, i repeat, DO NOT BUY THIS BRUSH! You will literally throw your money away. This brush looks nice but it's trush. Bad quality, the hair is cheap and scratchy you definitely CANNOT use this brush on your face it will scratch you. Just never ever get this brush! I am really frustrated that Avon does not have return policy this is probably the worst product I bought ever. 

How to... BRIGHT RED HAIR...

So many of us had the dream to have beautiful bright Ariel red hair. But it's so hard to achieve isn't it? You go full with hopes to your hairdresser and you end up with a medium reddish color that ends up fading to a brown :/ I know, I feel your pain, been there. The truth is (and i am gonna get dissed for saying this) but very VERY few salons will achieve a bright hair color for you. Why? Because hair salons work with specific brands that they cooperate with so they don't use products (like the ones mentioned below) that will actually work for you.

Step 1:
If your hair is not dyed at all we have 2 situations. If your hair is from dark blond and darker you will have to lighten your hair. You can use a bleaching product or a blonde dye or you can use a product that lightens AND colors the hair at the same time, products like that you can find in place that sell the brands: Majicontrast, Alfaparf, Affinage or L'Oreal. Here are some photos of the lightening-coloring products I mentioned.

Hi Color from L'oreal 

B-red by Affinage

Majicontrast

     Evolution Of the Color Contrasti - by Arfaparf

Step 2:
If you use a - only lightening - product you have to bring your hair to at least a light ginger base, then you will have to top it with a semi-permanent hair dye - preferably a veggie one such as Special Effects, Directions, Manic Panic etc.
If you use a product that lightens and colors the hair you will only have to top your hair after it starts fading. Remember DO NOT USE a developer higher than 30%

Special Effects Colors

Manic Panic Colors

If you have dyed dark hair you will have to strip your current color and lighten it to a light base and then do the step 2: top your hair with a semi perm, dye.

If your hair is dyed light you will only do step 2 as you will not need to lighten your hair BUT if your hair is bleached it is possible that it will take a few times till your hair actually starts to keep the color.

Step 3:
After you achieve the desired color you have to take care of it, otherwise it will fade much faster and it will be too expensive to maintain it. So! Limit your hair washing to 1-2 times per week. It's not gross and it's not bad for your hair. It is actually better than daily washing because you don't strip your scalp from it's natural oils. Do not wash your hair with hot water, try as cold as you can you don't need to use ice cold water lukewarm is fine. It is recommended to use sulfate-free shampoos. When you wash your hair you can mix some of your semi-permanent dye with the conditioner that will freshen up the color a bit until the next dying session.

General Info:
Do not bleach or use dyes with developer more often that once a month and always do an allergy test.
It is recommended to use coconut oil on your scalp and hair before you will bleach it (but not when you use a veggie dye). That way you protect it and it gets less damage.

Now here are some pictures of my own hair.....

Hope this will be useful :) Take care!

Everything (and more) about nose piercings....

So you decided to get your pretty nose pierced but you have no idea about it? Well here I am to tell you everything you want to know :)

Question nr.1:
Should I go to a piercer and get it done with a needle or is it ok to go to the mall and get it done with a piercing gun?

You have to go to a piercer and get it done with a NEEDLE. No matter what you heard and what they will tell you there are no piercing guns apropriate for noses.
First of all, the piercer (if he is a good one) he is experienced and he cannot mess it up, he can pierce the exact spot you want with the needle steadily and nicely whereas with the gun you might move while you get it done and get pierced at a random place of your nose (you can even hurt yourself)
Second, you might not believe it but it's more painful to get it done with a gun. The gun is made to push the earring and stop when it meets the earring cap. But when you pierce your nose you don't use that cap so your poor nose will have to stop the incoming earring (so that will hurt the area and if you are sensitive it can even bruise it).
Third, if you have a problem, your piercer will be there for you to tell you what you need to do and give you exact instructions, something that the lady with the piercing gun in the mall is not able or even certified to do so if anything happens you are on your own.
Four, the hole done by a needle is smaller than the one done by a piercing gun so when you will want to use a smaller jewelry it will not move around.

Question nr.2:
What type of jewelry should I use when I get it done?

Usually and if your piercer is good he will put you a screw type jewelry that is made in a way that if you get hit on your nose, the jewelry will not ingure the inside of your nose. It looks like this...

The jewelry has to be made with stainless steel or some other metal that is hypoallergic, does not oxidize and you are not allergic to it. You must not use jewelry from silver until your piercing is completely healed (that would be a time of 6 months) because it can oxidize and leave a small black mark around the hole of your peircing.
To remove this type of jewelry is a bit tricky and if you cannot do it yourself you can just visit your piercer so he/she can help you. After your piercing is completely healed you can use whatever jewelry you like (stud, L-shaped, ring etc)

Question nr.3:
Does it hurt?

That depends on how sensitive you are to pain but even if you are it's not that painful. For example I am quite sensitive to pain and I can't say that it was painful. You only get a feeling of pressure and that is all. The moment your piercer inserts the needle in your skin your eyes will tear, don't worry about it, it's reflex.
After you get it done it might hurt you for a day or two but nothing severe.

Question nr.4:
How much does it cost?

It depends on the piercer and the place you live but it shouldn't be expensive.

Question nr.5:
With what should I clean it?

NOT with alcohol, NOT with salt water, NOT WITH ANYTHING except physiological serum (saline solution).

Question nr.6:
Will I have any problems?

If you take good care of it, let it heal, clean it properly, use appropriate jewelry you shouldn't have any problem. You might get some sort of bump in time but it's nothing to worry about, your piercer will suggest you some type of cream to apply to it.

Keep in mind!!! 
Our nose is directly associated with our eyes and brain so if you get any sort of infection that doesn't go away you have to remove your piercing!

Good luck, if you have any other questions feel free to ask! :)

Always take care of yourselves!

XO, Heliana :*

NAIL CUTIES...

I RARELY (almost never) have bare nails. I hate the feeling of my nails without nail polish, I feel like something is missing and I just feel my nails gross (I don't know, don't ask me why).

I also rarely have one single color on my nails, I usually draw something (not succesfully all the time but I try).

So at the time I did this desing I was wanted to have different desing on every nail.

Note 1: Please excuse the remains of glitter and nail polish on my fingers/hands I took the pictures right after I was done because I have the tendency to mess them up right after so I thought I should take a picture while they were fresh and intact.

Enjoy:

I used various brands for example the pink is from Erre Due (greek company, I think), the white, silver and red is from Kallos (hungarian company) the black I don't remember :D and the glitter is just normal crafing glitter (pink, silver and black) above clear nailpolish and of course some random - no brand - rhinestones.

Note 2: You wll definitely need: a fine art brush.

Always take care of yourselves :*

Hugs and kisses XO,
Heliana

PS: Having been incredibly sick this whole month I want to wish everyone that is sick to recover and get well soon and remember to dress well when it's cold and take care.