Monday, December 30, 2013

My favorites of 2013...

Hi my beautiful people! I apologize for the lack of posts but I am back in Greece for the holidays and I don't have much access to a pc.
But, I decided, before this year ends, to make a post about the products I liked the most this year ( I will mention products that I bought this year and not general, all time favorites, that should be another post).
Also, keep in mind that these are my personal favorites so what worked for me and my skin type might not work for you. I'm not really sure how to construct this post, I will mention products of different type and I guess one affordable and one on the more pricey side (if i have).

SKIN CARE:
Makeup Remover:
This was a very late discovery of mine, only in December. I heard about it from a lovely youtuber called Melissa. My boyfriend got it for me this month and I love it ever since. I think I found the perfect makeup remover. I shouldn't say more about it since I want to make a video review for it but it's amazing!
The word is about Sephora's cleansing oil. I am telling you it's awesome! It's not much more expensive than the generic cleansers of the supermarket and it's so gentle and awesome. Review is coming up soon :)

Moisturizer:
I finally found a very good moisturizer for my weird stupid skin and I owe it to my good friend Usi that sent me samples of several moisturizers and I had the time of my life trying all these different products (I love that!) and finding what is good for me and what is not. I also understood more about my skin which is always good. So thank you Usi! ^_^
I am talking about Biotherm's Aquasource (the pink line). Keep in mind that my skin is sensitive, very dehydrated, sensitive to the weather conditions with quite a lot of red spots yet is acne prone around the lips and chin area. 


MAKEUP
Well if this is not the section where I have lots to say, then I don't know which is. Hahaha.

Foundation:
Affordable: p2 - Illuminating touch makeup (thank you Usi, bahahaha)


Pricey: Clinique: Even better foundation
t
I only had the chance to try a sample of it but it was very nice.

Powder:
Unfortunately I didn't descover any good powder to set my makeup so no favorites on this section

Blush:
Affordable: Catrice: Multi Colour Blush no. 060 "Strawberry Frapuccino"

Pricey:
None, lol :P

Concealer:
Again, didn't try a whole lot of products to have a favorite.

Lipsticks:
Affordable: Avon: Luxe lipstick in "Nude Slip"

Pricey: Ysl: Rouge Volupte no. 09 (purchased literally a few days ago)


Lip liners:
None

Eyeliner:
Definitelly Inglot's gel eye liner no. 77


Highlighter:
Affordable: None
Pricey: TheBalm: Mary LouManizer


Bronzer:
Affordable: Nyx: Taupe (blush)


Pricey: Benefit: Hoola bronzer (thank you sooooo much for that Usi!!!) <3


HAIR:
Unfortunately I didn't find any revolutionary hair products this year, I just stick to my old Diplona shampoo and conditioner but one favorite thing to mention is: COCONUT OIL!


Perfumes:
Affordable: Yves Rocher, Organic Vanilla Eau de Toilette

Pricey: Lancome: La vie est belle

That's all my friends! Let me know if you tried any of my favorite products and how did you like them!
Take care and I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!








Saturday, December 14, 2013

Alverde's Spray Deodorant Cherry - Cranberry, Review!!!

Hiiiiiii cuties! I hope you are doing great! Today I am doing a small and to the point review about the Cherry - Cranberry Spray Deodorant from the Alverde company.

Alverde is a German company that is sold exclusively in the "dm" stores.

This deodorant claims to give fresh feeling and protection that lasts 24 hours. Well.... it doesn't :P
The spray smells AMAZING! If I had to describe as precisely as I could the smell, it smells like the cherry flavored PEZ candies (I'm sure you all know the PEZ candies...). So it smells incredibly well BUT it doesn't last :(. No matter how much I spray it on the skin or the clothes, the smell unfortunately doesn't stay which is a HUGE disappointment :(

Here is me with a totally silly face to show my disappointment about it :P

Pros:
- Incredible smell
- Affordable (around 3 euro)
- Cute packaging

Cons:
- No lasting power
- Only sold in dm stores

- Are you satisfied by the product?
- From the smell yes but not from its performance.

- Do you recommend it?
- Ummmm i don't know, i don't think so.

- Will you repurchase it?
- No, after it's finished I will buy probably the cranberry organic perfume from Yves Rocher because I know those have lasting power, they are more expensive but at least they last.


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Purple and Gold makeup look (and video tutorial in Greek!)

Hello everyone! How are you? I hope you are doing great! I finally managed to edit my video. I haven't posted a makeup look for so loooong! The thing is I always want to put up the camera and record but I just don't get around it eventually :P hahaha

This is the look, please excuse the poor photo quality....

Here is the link to the video (it is in greek):

Products used:
FACE:
Clinique - Dramatically different moisturizing lotion (for Dry skin)
Seventeen - Time Plus foundation 
Toyoko - Small round with flat top foundation brush
Avon - Translucent Tan powder as bronzer
Bourjois - (can't remember name or number) blush
Essence - Powder brush
TheBalm cosmetics - Mary Lou Manizer as highlight
Essence - Blush brush
Avon - Natural Shimmer as an all face bronzer

EYES:
Clinique - All about eyes, cream
Radiant - Tone corrector, nr. 03
Essence - nr. 22, Blockbuster, as highlight
Essence - nr.35, Party all night on inner corner
2 purples from the 88 matte palette 
MAC - Blacktrack gel liner
p2 - Spectacular Volume Mascara 
Radiant - Eyebrow pencil, nr 2, blondes

Lips
Avon - Ultra color lipstick, carnation

I have one more registered (waiting to be edited) and I will try to film a few Xmas ones before I leave for holidays, I just wish I weren't so darn busy for it. The ratio of the video is messed up, I don't know why. Even though I film it in 16:9 the editing program just doesn't accept it and that is so frustrating because I don't look properly in the video and neither does the makeup look (it makes my eyes and the application look like circles lol).

Take care as always!
Loves and kisses.
Heliana


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Faves and Fails of November 2013 and a rant about Sephora in Romania

Helloooooo!!! Boy, I haven't done a favorites of the month in quite a while! How y'all doin? :D Here are the products I liked, disliked or didn't care for, for the month of November.

FAVES:
Skin Care:
Biotherm: Biosource Exfoliating Gel Dry Skin
My friend Usi sent me a sample of this and I loved it from the first try! It has some very fine particles in it but they don't scratch your face whatsoever! It's so gentle and it lets my sensitive skin clean and fresh. I definitely love it! Thank you Usi!

Makeup
Foundation:
p2: Illuminating Touch makeup
Another product sent by my friend. In her previous gifts she had sent me a p2 foundation that it was quite nice but it was looking and feeling dry on my totally dried out, dehydrated skin and she was kind enough to send me the more "moisturizing" version and I L-O-V-E it! No, lies i don't love it, I ADORE IT! It applies super easy, has a perfect finish on the skin, looks totally natural and dewy, it doesn't suffocate my skin and it doesn't make dry patches on me. My shade is the number 025 "touch of nude" and when I first saw the bottle I was like "uh oh! this is too dark!" but actually, when applied it's lighter than what it seems in the bottle. 

Gel liner:
Inglot: gel liner, number 77.
By far the best (not only gel but generally) eyeliner I have ever tried. It's super black, it's easy to apply, it's creamy, it doesn't irritate my eyes and it doesn't smudge! Amazing staying power. Inglot has really amazing products.

Eyeshadow:
Maybelline: 24H Color Tattoo number 35 "on and on bronze"
Since I bought this I have been reaching for it very often. Needless to say that it's always my eyeshadow base when I wear gold or bronzed shadows but I can also use it alone with no powder shadow on it. I read on reviews on the internet that after many hours it creases but it didn't go anywhere to me. Maybe because I don't really have oily lids or something. Great product, would love to try other neutral shades of it.

Lipstick:
Maybelline Watershine Lipstick, number 120 "Fuchsia Diamonds"
This was one of the first lipsticks I have ever bought! From what I know it doesn't exist anymore. I was all about pink and sparkly lip colors when I started buying makeup and this was amazing! I reached for it a lot this month. The color is pretty much how it looks in the picture, it is a light sort of burgundy fuschia glossy/matte color with gold shimmers. Totally appropriate for winter evenings, especially now that Christmas is coming.

Highlighter/Bronzer:
Kryolan: Glamour Glow in the shade "Natural Tan"
I categorized this as a highlighter and a bronzer because it really depends on your skin tone how to use it. To me that I have fair (not pale) peachy tone it applies like a soft natural colored highlighter. But I think for paler skins it wouldn't fit as a highlighter because it has some color to it. Since I have naturally pink/peach cheeks though, on me looks like a natural glow. I LOVE IT! And thank you once again Usi for this :D 

Mascara:
p2 Spectacular Volume Mascara, number 010 "Spectacular Black"
One MORE item from my friend (I know, she spoils me ah <3 ). I enjoyed it so much! I have long but very thin and sparse lashes and this mascara while applying color to them, it distributes them into a "fan" shape making them look thicker. Loved it! :D I used it almost daily for the previous months.

Body Products:
Bath products:
Avon: Warm Vanilla and Fig Bubble Delight, Bubble bath
I have no words. Everyone knows that this specific line of Avon's bubble baths is awesome and it has great range of beautiful smells. I wasn't sure because of the fig but this smells like perfection. I loved it so much that I will repurchase it. 

Perfume:
Avon: Kate's World - Pretty Fabulous Purse Spray
I loved this perfume and it's almost done so I am on the search for a similar smelling perfume maybe with a better staying power than this one. Very affordable. Lovely smell: The luscious smell of apple mingled magnolia blossom and irresistible vanilla sugar. Need I say more? 

A general fail of the month:
Seventeen "Lipstick Special" Lipsticks:
Seventeen is a Greek drugstore company (drugstore in a way of speech because it's quite pricey). Now, don't get me wrong about this, I love seventeen as a company and their lipsticks (besides their price) are lovely but they have that SMELL of the old times ordinary lipstick, you know what I mean? like the dusty, powdery lipstick smell of the vintage lipsticks and it makes me sick to my stomach whenever I use them and that's too bad :( 


Another fail of the month and rant. 
Sephora stores in Romania.
I have a rant about this. I am sick and tired of the sephora stores in Romania. First of all, they don't have all the products sold in Sephora stores in the world, like Urban Decay, Nars etc. Second of all they don't provide samples at ANYTHING. How the hell are we supposed to buy something if we don't test it, especially at those prices. And this is my third subject of my rant. Why Sephora in Romania (and in Greece) is so much more expensive than other Sephoras in the world? I just checked a christmas set of skin care and while it retails for 28 pounds in UK it is being sold more than 40 here. This is truly disturbing. 

That's all for now my dears! I have almost done my makeup look (edited - in Greek) and I will make a post with pictures and the products used in the weekend hopefully :) I will be reviewing most of the products I mentioned in this post.

Take care of yourselves! Much love and kisses!
xo Heliana xo




Sunday, December 1, 2013

Balea: Mango + Aloe Vera Hair Moisturizer and Rest in Peace Paul Walker :(

Hello everyone, we finally are in December and I cannot believe how fast the fall passed and we are already in Christmas. I have been so busy this whole semester and right after New Year I will be having exams at the university so I will be so much in stress!

Anyway, I am guessing you are already in a Christmas-y mood and I will try to film a few classic makeup looks with greens, golds, glitter, red  lips etc. But first things first. This is  my review for Balea's - Mango + Aloe Vera - Hair Moisturizer.

Balea is a brand sold in the German franchise stores "dm". There are dm stores in a lot of countries in Europe, I know for sure there are in Romania and Bulgaria. They don't all have all the exclusive brands that are sold in Germany but they have some basics ones and I really like them because they are affordable, decent quality and they are different from the products they are sold in the normal stores.

That's the picture of it and that's me, obviously, posing silly. It comes in a 200ml bottle with a pump and everyone knows how I love bottles with pump because they are less messy and easier to use without spilling or wasting too much product.

Here are the ingredients:
I avoid using products that have silicones inside but it's hard to find sometimes. 

What the site says:
"Provides moisture, protection from blow-drying and makes the hair easier to comb. The Balea moisture hair milk Mango + Aloe Vera with anti-drying effect nourishes your hair and smooths the hair structure from the outside. Dry, damaged hair regains shine and the elasticity and makes the hair look healthier overall.
~ The special care formula with Mango Extract and Aloe Vera supplies your hair and scalp with moisture.
~ It protects while repairs the hair.
~ Dermatologically approved, skin compatibility
~ pH skin friendly.
Vegan Product."

Ok, so first of all, if you read my blog for sometime now you know that I don't believe in miracles with hair products. Once the hair is damaged you cannot undamage it. The hair is not made out of cells that regenerate so you can "heal" it so once the damage is done you simply cannot do anything about it to go away. However there are products that make damaged hair LOOK healthier and make it  more manageable (without saying that this is the best thing, if your hair is destroyed it's only negative to keep it because the damage just travels up and up and you get random hair breakage). 
Anyway, the reason I bought this is not because I believe it will repair my hair (because no product does) but because my hair is curly and curly hair tends to dry out especially at the ends and it's very sensitive when dry and eventually breaks off. So to keep moisture on my curls I have to use a leave in conditioner. Now this is not EXACTLY that but it does provide some moisture to the hair.

I don't really use heat so I am not sure how well it protects the hair but I am guessing since it leaves some sort of film on the hair it should protect it. It makes the hair softer but the main plus of this product is the smell. It smells HEAVENLY! That mango smell oh my gosh! It sort of reminds me of peach.

Overall I like this product and for its price (around 2.5 euro) it's great! 

Pros:
- Amazing smell
- Affordable
- Moisturizes the hair
- Practical packaging
- Vegan product.

Con:
- Has silicone derivatives.

- Are you satisfied with the product?
- Sure.

- Do you recommend it?
- Yes.

- Will you repurchase it?
- Probably.

PS: Yesterday on 30/11/2013 Paul Walker was in a car accident with a friend and he passed away :( I am terribly sorry to hear that. Rest in Peace Paul Walker :(