Benefit's The BRONZE of the CHAMPIONS

Hello and welcome once again to my blog! Today I want to show you a Benefit cosmetics set that I bought a few months ago (around the beginning of January).

It's called "The BRONZE of CHAMPIONS" and you can already understand from the name that it contains bronze colored itemes. The set is closed in a small carton box that has a pinup lady and the title of the set while the back of the box shows what items the set contains.

Inside there is the main container of the set that like most of the Benefit sets looks like a book.

The front of this "book" container is similar to the front of the carton box, while the side and the back are decorated like the set is something edible with "nutrition values", silly and cute.

Inside, there is a guide on how to use the products, attached on the container as well as a mirror.

And now let's see the products. Shall we?

1. Crease-less Cream Eyeshadow in "Bikini-Tini"

It's very creamy, pretty champagne shimmery color (swatch will be posted lower). It can be used alone or topped with a powder shadow. Doesn't crease, blends nicely, definitely a hit!

2. Hoola - Bronzing powder.

Who doesn't know about Hoola? One of the best bronzers out there fore light to medium skin tones. Soft, blends lovely. Obviously a hit.

3. Watt's Up - Soft focus highlighter for face

Great product, neutral color, leaves a nice glow. 

4. They're Real! Mascara

Great mascara, gives really good volume. There are definitely lots and lots of more affordable mascaras that do an amazing job but this one is definitely one of the best.

5. Hoola Ultra Plush - shimmering golden nude lip gloss

Lovely lip gloss, shiny, smells nicely without being too much.

6.  Longwear powder eyeshadow - "Thanks a latte", golden brown.

Very nice versatile color, can be used on the whole lid or the corner to darken up the look or even on the crease or smoked out on the lower lash-line. 

Here are the swatches, upper one without flash in natural sunlight and the lower one taken with flash.

Overall, this set is great if you wanna try a bunch of benefit products since they are pretty expensive. The downside is that in some countries Benefit products (full size and sets like this) are sold even more expensive than in other countries but hey, it's high end, that's life.

I am pretty pleased with all of the items, they are great and high quality if I could afford I would definitely get most of these items in full size, possibly except the lip gloss since I am not a lip gloss girl that much, I prefer lipsticks, but to get to the point what's there not to like? The cream eyeshadow is a dream, it really doesn't crease, I would definitely love to try more colors of it. The hoola bronzer is known to everyone i don't even have to speak for it. The eyeshadow is really beautiful and long lasting, I would love to try more colors. The Watt's up is amazing, rich without being too disco ball, would definitely like to try it again. The lip gloss is lovely too, I actually have 2 of them (as well as the bronzer) from the other set that I got as a gift from my friend this Christmas. I love it, as I said I don't use lip gloss that often mostly because my teeth have an outwards direction from my mouth and since lip gloss is not as steady as lipstick I end up with lip gloss on my teeth so I avoid it but this is a color that I reach for quite a lot, it's quite steady for a lip gloss and it doesn't get just all over the place so I am glad I have 2 since I am using them up.

To wrap this presentation/tiny review. I do recommend this set if you wanna try out some stuff or even better if you can afford get the full sized items, they are definitely worth it, I really cannot pick a favorite item out of all of them because they were ALL GREAT!

A+++

Ps. The pictures with my blog's link are from my portfolio while the rest are print-screens from www.benefitcosmetics.com

Take care!

xo Heliana xo

Shiseido IBUKI Refining Moisturizer - Review

Greetings to all! I hope you had a lovely Easter holiday (if you celebrate Easter). This is my review on Shiseido's IBUKI Refining Moisturizer.
Before I start with the review - for those that don't read regularly my blog - I have very dehydrated skin that gets easily red spots and dry patches on cheeks and nose and prone to acne chin.
I got this as a gift around Christmas. The initial price in the beauty department store in Greece for this product is the ridiculously high amount of 63 freaking effing euro (whereas in other countries the price is around 45 dollars/euro etc). Fortunately with the Christmas reduction of 30% it costed around 40+ euro so basically it was like buying it normally from any other country :P but I was lucky enough to buy it as a set with the Shiseido Camelia compact blush plus for purchases over 35 euro they were gifting a full size lipstick from their "Perfect Rouge" collection so I managed to get a great value out of this extremely costly purchase. (You might wonder why I care about the price if it was a gift, well it was a gift from my mother so I didn't want her to spend so much money for a moisturizer :P ).

The set came in that silky looking, creme white colored pouch. The product itself comes in a very elegant, super fancy plastic bottle with a bump which I always like and find practical. One advantage is that it comes in a bottle of 75ml which is more product than what usually a moisturizer's container has. I do believe that the bump dispenses slightly too much product than needed so you sort of waste product that is quite pricey so this is a disadvantage. 

What Shiseido claims:

What it is: 

A multiaction formula that instantly corrects the appearance of unevenness from visible pores, breakouts, blemish marks, and skin roughness. 

What it is formulated to do: 
This refining moisturizer renews the appearance of the skin’s surface, creating an incredibly smooth, uniform texture, while keeping skin hydrated all day long. Red and gold soft reflecting powder particles give the complexion an instant luminosity for a healthy glow. 

What it is formulated WITHOUT: 
- Parabens 
- Sulfates 
- Phthalates

What I think:

*If I would judge the product according to the claims of the company then this product would be a HUGE failure. This product does not really help at all to cover blemishes and what not and how could it since it has no color and no healing properties! 

*It doesn't help with skin roughness either or dry patches for that matter which is ironic since it has silicons which do cover up patches - usually.  

*It also takes a lot of effort to be absorbed by the skin which is quite annoying to have to rub and rub....

*It doesn't keep the skin hydrated all day long either. It comes nowhere close to the amazing Biotherm's Aquasource which I am planning to go back once this is over.

*This product is not meant for dry skin, in my opinion. The silicon would be helpful for absorbing oils, I'm guessing so maybe if you have oily skin you can give this a try, if you want to give the 45 euro or even worse if you are in Greece the 63 euro :P but there are many better moisturizers out there with the same or less money.

Ingredients:

Water Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Triethylhexanoin, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Trehalose, Peg-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Isostearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Alcohol, Carbomer, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Betaine, Fragrance, Silica, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycyl Glycine, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium Edta, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract, Lamium Album Flower Extract, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Zingiber Aromaticus Extract, Benzoic Acid.

Overall, the effect of this moisturizer on my skin was average. I can't say I didn't like it but I am asking more from a brand like Shiseido especially if I am paying the product it's weight in gold for it (lame joke :P).

If this product would come from a generic brand and was more affordable I would rate it with a B- but since it's coming from a high standard brand and costs so darn much this gets a C+

PS. A little announcement:

I am currently thinking of creating 2 more blogs, one in greek and one in romanian so that I can review products that are available only in those countries, language friendly. I will be posting the links of them in a future post probably.

Uli Breiter - MAGIC SERUM, Review

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I received the serum of this line from my lovely friend to help my thirsty skin that always suffers from dryness :P. It is from the BREITER - Gruppe and it is made in Germany. The price depends on where you get it from and it varies quite a lot from 5 to 25 euro.

Here is the list of ingredients and some of the claims of the product:

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*The site also mentions: Through the active ingredient Matrixyl a visible anti-wrinkle effect is achieved with regular use.

*The formula nourishes the skin easily, without being greasy or sticky.

My point of view:

The last claim is sooooo far from true!!! This serum is so weird! Once you apply it on your face after a few seconds it becomes so sticky that you have to apply it really fast or your fingers will stuck sticking so you will not be able to apply it properly.

That sticky effect lasts for a few minutes, making the face feel sticky and sort of like a light membrane with a pulling feel but nothing too annoying or dramatic.

After this effect is gone the skin does feel quite smoother and softer which is always good.

It doesn't feel particularly extra moisturizing or hydrating but it still feels like a treat to the skin. 

In a nutshell, this product will not amaze you but it's not a complete disappointment either so if you come across it and you just want a little bit of care maybe in the evening, to apply something on your face a few hours before you go to bed you can give this a try.

My rate:

 B-

CANDY by Prada, Review

If you follow my blog for quite some time, you probably know that I love sweet perfumes. So a perfume with the name "Candy" was certainly appropriate to get my attention.

The claim:
"Prada CANDY is instantly seductive - pure pleasure wrapped in impulsive charm. In an explosion of shocking pink and gold, Prada CANDY takes on a walk on the wild side, showing us the new face of Prada femininity where more is more and excess is everything. Magnified by white musks, noble benzoin comes together with a modern caramel accord to give the fragrance a truly unique signature."

Notes: Caramel, Musk, Vanilla, Benzoin

My point of view:
The perfume smells DEFINITELY and totally super extra sweet and the claim is totally right about the "excess" side. This is NOT a perfume for people that don't like sweet smells, just get away from it. You can definitely feel the vanilla and the musk which - at least to my nose - come as the 2 predominant notes of the perfume. The caramel is there but is more of a background note.

My conclusions:
The perfume on its own is excellent. Everything that a sweet smell lover wants. It's a perfume that you can easily wear day or night, winter or summer. But, there comes a bit BUT...
It comes to my disappointment along with quite a lot of the more "recent" coming out perfumes to the "unique" part. After smelling, trying, buying a few of the newer perfumes along with the CANDY, I came to the conclusion that most of the vanilla family ones are sort of a copy of Viktor and Rolf's Flowerbomb.
So, the fact that this perfume as a smell is great but is not something unique, along with the fact that it is NOT a cheap perfume, makes me wonder if it's really worth splurging on....
My answer? Well it depends. If you are a jump the wagon, trend lover, who likes to always own what is new, then go for it. If you are a person that doesn't really care for trends and that is searching for something unique then you probably own another perfume close to this and in my humble opinion I will always fall for the Flowerbomb than another, newer copy of it whether it's more expensive or more affordable. That of course doesn't make CANDY any less of a gorgeous perfume. I enjoy every drop of it. It's like a walk to a candystore and it has an excellent staying power.


A+++

Favorite Brands - Tag!

Hello :) How are you today? Weekend is here so finally some time for relaxation. Let's do this "Favorite Brands Tag" shall we?

1. Favorite brand for skin care:
Biotherm

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2. Favorite high end cosmetic brand:
Tough choice.... I like a lot of them, the luxurious packaging of Chanel, the quality of Too Faced, Dior.... I just can't pick one.

3. Top five brands for lipstick.
YSL (hello Rouge Volupte lol), MAC, Clinique, Chanel and I think i don't have a fifth one :P

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4. Favorite affordable brand:
Also a tough one, I like Essence, p2 and Catrice.


5. Best perfume:
Well it's impossible to pick! My favorite perfumes are Miss Dior Cherie, Viktor anr Rolf Flowerbomb, Pink Sugar from Aqualina, The Beat and Weekend from Burberry and quite a few from Escada.

6. Best foundation:
Hmmmm if I had to pick depending on the appearance results, I'd pick MAC's Face and Body or Inglot's Cream foundation but then again I haven't tried THAT many foundations....

7.  Best "web brand":
Well I haven't tried their products yet :( but I'd say Sugarpill! They have great eyeshadows (pressed and loose) super eyelashes and now they came up with eye brushes as well, AND they don't test on animals!

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8. Brand that has the best mascaras:
MAYBELINE!!!!! Hands down!

9. A brand that comes from your country that you like:
I'd say Korres since it's probably the only one that is known as well to the rest of the world! Hahaha :P
For my greek readers though  (that know the companies) I like Seventeen and Radiant :) Even though they far too expensive for drugstore companies....

10. Brand with the best color variety:
Inglot and Face Atelier!

11. Brand with your favorite brushes:
Affordable: Essence and Real Techniques. Expensive: MAC

12. A brand that is a disappointment to you:
It's not a makeup brand but it's Syoss and Aussie for sure. I can't understand how they are so popular (probably marketing success) but their products are lower quality than average.
Oh and I almost forgot!!! Chinaglaze! Booooo!

13. A brand that you discovered relatively recently and amazed you:
The p2 brand.

14. If you had to pick ONE brand to use for the rest of your life which would it be:
Inglot or Face Atelier, I really don't care they are equally amazing and far better than other more expensive brands.

15. Best hair dye:
Permanent: Majicontrast      Semi-Permanent: Directions.

16. Brand that has the best hair elixir:
Not sure I quite understood what they mean by "elixir" but I don't care for any brand with fancy hair products since I found that natural oils do wonders for the hair. So... coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, castor and olive oil :). No company will ever beat the effects of natural oils with chemical products

17. Best "pharmaceutical" cosmetics brand:
ummmmmm as in makeup? I guess Korres and as skin care I'd say Bioderma.

18. Brand with the best eye primer:
I really haven't tried a whole bunch of them, I currently use the eyeshadow primer by essence and I am very pleased.

That was it!!! If anyone wants to do it feel free to post your link so i can read it!!!
Take care~
xo Heliana xo

I haz a gift!!!! - Again!!!!

Helloooooooooooooooo!!! How are you doing? My schedule is so crazy that I don't even have time to post!!! :( I found the opportunity to make a quick post before I leave to uni, to show you the wonderful surprise gifts that my friend from Germany sent me out of the blue! (And I now realized that I didn't post the parcel she sent me before Xmas because I lost all the photos of the items before I used them :P).
Ok, let's make it quick....

~Nougat - "Sparkling Body Shimmer", Cherry Blossom: As the name states....can't wait to try it to be all sparkly!

~Biotherm - "Blue Therapy", repair cream 

~ Nicka K Absolute - Solid Perfume, Free Spirit 100... smells so intense! Like baby powder and something sweet

~ Oceane - Makeup Remover Pen.... I bet that will come in hand to correct eyeliner wings! Hehe

~ bellapierre cosmetics - Mineral Blush in "Desert Rose" ... pretty color but soooo much glitter lol!!! I might wear it as an eyeshadow :)

~ The Cheek of it - Blush stick..... pretty natural pinky color :)

~ Models Own nail polish

~ p2 - Impressive Gel, eyeliner in "030 dramatic taupe" this looks soooo nice!!! I can't way to try it 

Some good old AnneMarie Boerlind!

~ Body lind, Shower Balm :)

~ Facial Firming Gel 

~ BB cream in "Almond" ... it looks a teeeeeeeeeeeeeny tiny darker than my skin color but i'm trying it :D

Some goodies/samples etc...

~ Estee Lauder - Advanced Night Repair.... looking forward to try this!

~ Estee Lauder - Revitalizing Supreme, Global Anti-Aging Eye Balm :)

~ Mitchell and Peach - Body Cream, "English Growers"... i have the impression that it smells like tea!!! and also something fresh that i can't figure out. It's one of those smells that reminds you of something clean and freshly washed. 

~ Etre Belle - Liplift Peeling... will try and let you know :)

~MeMeMe - Shimmer Stack - "Pink Zest (?)", Illuminating Powder.... looks scary in the pot but i think it's actually sheer.... I have to post some swatches....

~ Catrice Cosmetics: Prime and Fine - Highlighting Powder in "010 Fairy Dust"... :)

~ Dermalogica - Daily Microfoliant... soooooo excited to try this. My skin is already thankful to my friend for the Biotherm daily exfoliant, it was so good that I got the full size! Let's see if my skin will like this one too :D

Lippiiiiiies!!!!

~ Becca - Glossy Lip Tint in "Grenadine"... never tried out a Becca item, seems like a lot of people like them, especially the highlighter. Smells fruity :)

~ p2 - Couture Lip Polish + Stain in "060 spotlights on!"... i love p2 items, i haven't tried one yet that disappointed me. It is quite intense color!

And last but most certainly not least.....................!!!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Did you almost faint like I did? Hahaha

~ YES! This is a Princess Jasmine doll, I might be 27 years old but I am still a child in the heart :D my second favorite Disney princess yaaaaaaaaaaaay it stays proud in my vitrine furniture :D

~ HECK YES!!!! As I said, i am really a child in a grown up's body, therefore I melt for Hello Kitty!!!!!! So she made me my own Hello Kitty bag! It's sooooooooooooooo pretty!!!!!! <3

See clearer and more detailed pictures of the bag here (there is also a link to the e-book with tutorial for this bag design)

~ Being the lovely person that she is, she sent me a box of Kinder Eggs, the ones with the Barbie dolls :D Ehehehehehe

That is all guys!!! Did you like my gift??? I promised to my friend I would create something handmade for her but I have no skills for that (ahahahaha) so any ideas are welcome!!!!