My foundation shades

So I thought of making a post with the foundations that I've used so far so that I can have them concentrated in one place as a reference when I review a foundation and maybe help someone that has the same foundation shade with me to know aroung which other foundations (shade-wise) would suit their skin tone. Now this doesn't mean that if 2 people wear the same shade of a specific foundation they wear the same shades for EVERY foundation but it might be helpful for foundations that come in very little shades and have a difference from a shade to the other.

The truth is I haven't tried a whole lot of foundations in my 28 years since I didn't battle with a lot of visible problems so I didn't have the need to try a lot. But I will be trying more foundations and probably make updates of this post once in a while. I will mention any foundations, bb creams or powders that suit my skin and the season that they match my skin.

BB Creams:

Garnier Skin Naturals, Miracle Skin Perfector in Light/Medium (in the summer)

Foundations:

Avon Calming Effects - Ivory (winter)

Catrice BB allround foundation - 002 Rosy Beige (winter)

Catrice BB allround foundation - 003 Nude Beige (summer)

Rimmel Match Perfection - 100 Ivory (winter)

MAC Face and Body Foundation - N2

p2 Illuminating Touch Makeup - 25 Touch of Nude

p2 Feel Natural (01 in winter, 02 when slightly tanned or mix of 01-02, mix of 02+03 summer)

Seventeen (Greek Company) Time Plus - 02

Powders/ Powder Foundations:

Avon Color Trend Powder - Translucent

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation - NC25 (all seasons)

Seventeen Natural Silky Compact Powder - 08 Beige (summer) 

Merry Christmas! - 100th Post, New Hair AND Makeup Tutorial!

Hello my dears! First I would like to wish you Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Holidays or Happy anything that you celebrate!

I took a breath those last days and rested since I had caught a heavy cold (the charm of Romanian weather) but I wanted to make a post today. I also recorded a makeup tutorial (speed-tutorial basically) without voice over just so anyone can watch it. I also dyed my hair dark lol.

So here is my video and list of products (I know a lot of them might come from companies you don't have access to but you can always improvise with what you have like I do :) )

FACE:
Catrice "BB allround foundation" no. 020 & 030
Rimmel "Wake me up" concealer "Ivory"
Avon Eyeshadow Base (used as a corrector)
Bobbi Brow "Sheer Finish Pressed Powder" no. 07 White
Benefit "Hoola" Bronzing Powder
P2 "Powder and Blush Duo" no. 010 Beaute (from their "Beauty Stories limited edition")
MAC "Mineralize Skin Finish" in "Soft and Gentle"

EYES:
Essence "I <3 Stage" Eyeshadow Base
Maybelline "24hour Color Tattoo" no.35 On and on bronze
Maybelline "24hour Color Tattoo" no.65 Pink gold
Andriana Karembeu "The Flash" no.003 (The fuchsia pigment)
Seventeen Cosmetics "Sparkling Eye Shadow" no. 02 Rose (the rosey copper pigment)
Golden Rose "Terracotta Eyeshadow" no.107 (the berry rose color at the crease)
Leish pigment no. 73 (from ebay, the gold pigment on the inner corner of the eye)
Chanel Eyeshadow in "Premier Or" on the inner corner near tear duct
ArtDeco "Baked Eyeshadow" no.345 on lower lash line (out of the frame)
Essence "All about Nude" eyeshadow palette (cream pink color on crease and lower lash line, sparkling silver under brow and the dark burgundy on the lower lash line at outer corner)
Erre Due "Silky Eye Pencil" no.27 (the gold pencil on water line)
Erre Due "Silky Eye Pencil" no.23 (the light pink pencil on water line)
Manhattan Eyeliner 12.1 (the purple/pink pencil on lash line)
MAC "Fluidline" in Blacktrack
Rimmel "ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl" no.001 Black (upper water line)
Kallos Love "Perfect Volumizing Mascara"

BROWS:
Maybelline "24hour Color Tattoo" no.40 Permanent Taupe

I let the lips free with lip balm!
Enjoy!

Lots of love,
xo Heliana xo

Summer's Berzerk Shopping, Vol. 1 - MAC Haul

Helloooooooooooooooooooooooo hellooooo! REALLY long time and no see! I apologize for my absence but I can't even begin to explain how busy I was the post months! I was so busy that I wasn't gonna make it to visit my parents this summer but in the end I just almost literally shoved myself in a plane and made it to Athens :P. Of course I went a little (not really little) makeup shopping- I always like to buy makeup in Athens because I find some brands that there are not at all in Romania. I'm not sure how many volumes this thread will have (last year there were three, if you want, check them out: volume 1, volume 2, volume 3 ). This year i didn't make it to go to inglot (awwww :( :P ).

Anyway, without further ado this is what I got from M.A.C.

1. MAC's Fluidline in "BlackTrack"

I'll start with the simplest thing that doesn't need display or swatch. I got the classic fluidline eyeliner in "blacktrack" since I gave my old one for "Back to Mac" and my Inglot one seems to be dried out.

2. MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in "Soft and Gentle"

One of my favorite highlighters (next to Mary Loo from the Balm) that broke on me three years ago so since I gave that to "Back to Mac" too and also there was a sale (25% off ) I bought it.

3. Lipsticks: "Relentlessly Red" and "Heroine"

"Relentlessly Red" is a pink based red that paradoxically looks coral on my lips and has a "Retro Matte" finish. I'm not sure what's the difference between the "Matte" and the "Retro Matte" finishes but apparently the "Retro Matte" is a newer formula. I did notice that to get a better color payoff for "Retro Matte" you have to press firmer so maybe it's a slightly drier formula....

"Heroine" was on my mind for soooooo long. When I first started to get into makeup I passed from all the lipstick color phases: bubblegum pink, bright pink, coral, red, nude.... now it's my bright purple phase :P. I did have "Violetta" already which is super similar to "Heroine" (future comparison post) but I wanted Heroine too and since there was the sale I just put it in my pocket ;)

4. Eyeshadow: "Star Violet":

If you know me, you probably know that I don't die after MAC's eyeshadows but the "Back to Mac" program has changed and you get an eyeshadow now (and not a lipstick)! (I hadn't been to Mac for so long that I wasn't aware - I was planning to get Heroine for free but oh well!)

Since I don't believe in the pigmentation of Mac eyeshadows I tried to get one with decent payoff and a color that I don't really have similar shades to so I was between "Cranberry" and "Star Violet". I honestly should have picked "Cranberry" but the lights in the stores ALWAYS pull me off the colors but anyway I'm still ok with my choice. 

"Star Violet" has a "Veluxe Pearl" finish which in my opinion is one of the most decent ones and it's a color between a coper-y auburn and a pinkish brown which will make it cool for using it in the winter. :)

To be honest I wasn't planning on buying anything from MAC, I was just visiting to give my "Back to Mac" items but since there was a sale.... ehehe you know, "when in Rome" :P

That's all for now my dears. The next hauls will be posted soon and I will be back with more posts/reviews etc.

Take care! Love ya!

xo Heliana xo

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):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esY-PDROKzY&feature=youtu.be

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

Faves and Fails of April 2013

I'm not sure if I will do this every month but I saw from a few fellow bloggers this kind of post and I liked it. Here is the list of a few makeup products that I used a LOT this month.

Avon Calming Effects Foundation in "Ivory"

I have very sensitive skin that gets red spots and dry patches and even though this is a very light coverage foundation it's really good for every day. It doesn't accentuate my dry patches (like many foundations do) and it doesn't break out my acne prone chin area. Definitely recommend it!

Mac's "Pink Venus"

A lot of mac eyeshadows are not really pigmented as this one. It's a very sheer baby pink with a lot of shimmer in it. Even thought the pigmentation is poor it's perfect for every day makeup when you want to add a bit of brightness to your eyes without being too noticeable.

Mac's "Zoom Fast Black Lash"

My favorite mascara next to Maybelline's the colossal. It actually gives a nice volume to my lashes which I appreciate because I have very long but thin lashes. So LOVE it!

Avon's "Golden Peach"

This lip gloss is from the 24k gold series and I am pretty impressed both with the lip glosses and the lipsticks from this line. They have just the right amount of glitter/shimmer in them for a glamorous look. This specific lip gloss is a coral pink with pretty gold glitter. Perfect for day and night time.

Mac's "Cream Cup" lipstick:

I totally forgot I owned this hahaha. It's so pretty!!!! A lovely bluish shade of light pink that can be used to give you a sweet look. Love it!

Lacta Chocolate filled with mousse:

Not a beauty product but definitely something that I really liked this month. My brother insisted on trying this and it's so yummy! Unfortunately it's only available in Greece.

Fails of the month:

Here are some products that I used and didn't like at all.

Avon's Ideal Flawless Cream-to-powder foundation.

Don't have to say anything else about this since I already have a review on it, you can read it here.

Avon SuperSHOCK gel eyeliner in "Shimmering Sapphire"

I wanted to make a separate post on this but I'm just gonna review it here fast. It's pretty much useless as it's not pigmented enough to be used as an actual eyeliner, you have to built it A LOT so you can actually see it as an eyeliner. It's also useless as base, the eyeshadows won't stick on top of it so you can't really use it as a base for a blue eyeshadow look. It also cannot be used alone as an eyeshadow as it's not pigmented enough to show. 

Johnson's Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

I didn't get a lot of stuff with me to my trip so I just use whatever I found in the house. I am not impressed with this remover at all. It makes my eyes feel weird and it doesn't clean very well.

That's all for now! Let me know which products you loved and hated this month! 

Always take care! 

XO, Heliana

I love drugstore makeup tag

Tag made by http://fairiesofbeauty.blogspot.com
1) Favorite drugstore make brand/ Αγαπημένη μάρκα ευρείας κατανάλωσης:
Seventeen

2) Favorite drugstore products for face, cheeks, lips/ Αγαπημένα drugstore προιόντα για πρόσωπο, μάγουλα, χείλη:
Face/ πρόσωπο: Seventeen face powder, Cheeks/ μάγουλα: Seventeen and Bourjois blushes Lips/ χείλη: Seventeen and Maybelline lipsticks

3) Less favorite drugstore product/ Λιγότερο αγαπημένο drugstore προιόν:
Bourjois Mascara "Oui au volume"

4) Best bargain in drugstore makeup product/ Καλύτερη ευκαιρία σε drugstore προιόν:
Nothing comes in my mind.

5) Favorite drugstore product that is underestimated/ Αγαπημένο drugstore προιόν που είναι υποτιμημένο:
Radiant correctors

6) Product that is too expensive to be drugstore/ Προιόν που είναι ακριβό για ευρείας κατανάλωσης:
Pretty much all of them considering that in USA they are much much cheaper/ Σχετικά τα περισσότερα αν σκεφτούμε ότι σε άλλες χώρες είναι πολύ φθηνότερα.

7) Dupes/ Προιόντα ευρείας κατανάλωσης που μοιάζουν πολύ με high end:
Avon Color Rich "Purple Haze" - MAC "Pervette"

Flormar L05 - MAC "Candy Yum-Yum"

Bourjois Blush "Lilas L'or #33" - NARS Blush "Orgasm"

8) Product that is too overestimated than what is really worth/ Drugstore προιόν που δεν άξιζε τον ντόρο που δημιουργήθηκε γύρω απ΄το όνομά του:
Maybelline Baby Lips

MAC Baking Beauties Collection

Let's go through the new MAC collection, shall we? It looks DELICIOUS!!! And the model is just so pretty!

The name is Baking Beauties, unfortunately the packaging is not special, it would be so cute if the packaging for this collection would be containers in shapes of cupcakes etc.

Anyways! The collection contains 2 glitters, 5 pro longwear paint pots, a 2 in 1 mascara, 4 lipsticks, 4 mineralize tinted lip balms, 2 face powders, a liquid bronzer, 3 nail polishes and 2 special edition makeup brushes. Let's take a closer look to each categories.

Glitters:
In this collection we have 2 different glitters, I am not sure about their names, one is a purplish pink and the other is an iridescent white.

Pro Longwear Paint Pots: (in the order seen on the photo above):
1) Fancy Frosting which is a pearly white
2) Let's Skate is a pearly pink
3) Mooncake is a pearly beige
4) Eclair is brown and it has as well a pearl finish
5) Dangerous Cuvee is grey-is with a pearl finish as well
so we only have pots with pearl finishes in this collection,  non matte. They all look delicious but I think I am in love with Let's Skate and Mooncake

Mascara:
Haute and Naughty Lash is a black mascara in a very cute packaging of a black tube with a purple glittery ring and a hot pink wand holder. It claims to give 2 different effects to your lashes: "naturally defined" or "instantly combed and loaded for full-on drama" this actually sounds good :)

Lipsticks: (order in the picture)
1) Pure Decoration is a light coral/peachy color with a creamsheen finish
2) Raspberry Swirl is a cute pastel pink, described by mac as "light white blue pink" also with creamsheen finish
3) Lavender Whip is a lovely light lilac color close to my favorite Playtime and it has as well creamsheen finish.
4) Devil's Food is a plum color with a hint of brown i'd say in it (not really my cup of tea) and it has a frost finish.
I think from the lipsticks my favorites are the Raspberry Swirl and the Lavender Whip

Mineralize Tinted Lip Balms (order in the picture):
1) Baking Beauty is a light orange/peach/yellow color
2) Cheery Cheery is a gorgeous creamy pink which looks soooo good
3) Sweet Tooth is a creamy lilac, gorgeous color
4) Glace is the surprise of the lip balms as it is a pastel BLUE lip color
I don't even have to say that I love Cheery Cheery and Sweet Tooth

Face Powders:
1) In for a Treat: it's a champagne color with little flowers of coral and mint green leaves
2) Pink Buttercream is a shimmery silver pink with darker pink roses and light blue leaves
Both of the face powders look gorgeous and they have very cute patterns

Liquid Bronzer:
Pink Rebel: from what I understood by the color it's not a true bronzer since it's a relatively light color on the site it says it should be applied like "liquid sun" so I am guessing it's more like a highlighter.

Nail Polishes:
1) Confectionary is a lovely cream pink
2) Pistachio Creme as you can guess by the name is a teal cream color
3) Bleu Velvet is a medium (not light/not dark) blue color
All of the colors are marked as "cream" finish on the site

Makeup Brushes:
1) 252 is categorized as a large shader brush which means you can use it, mostly, to apply color on the whole lid
2) 129 is a blush/powder brush with a short handler which usually provides a more intense application
Both of them have black handles with an aqua metalic ferule that holds the hairs of the brush. 

40 favorite products tag....

Tagged by the lovely Vicky :)

1) Hair Mousse:
Don't really have a favorite, i use a lot of products for curly hair

2) Conditioner:
Diplona Professional Repair Conditioner (HANDS DOWN)

3) Hair Silicone

I don't use any :)

4) Hair spray

I use a lot of products, don't have a favorite :)

5) Shampoo

Diplona Professional Repair Shampoo

6) Hair oil

Coconut and olive oil i don't really use any other types of oils

7) Hair Mask:

Kallos Latte Protein Hair Mask (smells like heaven!) 

8) Face Makeup Remover Wipes:

I don't really use wipes to remove my makeup but if i am out of makeup remover I use normal baby wipes so I don't have favorite :)

9) Face cleanser:

My favorite face cleansers :)

+ Sensibio H20

10) Face cleansing milk 

I don't have favorites yet :)

11) Face Mask: 

Pretty much all the Planet Spa ones from Avon, other brands break me out

12) Sun Screen:

Bioderma Photoderm Tinted Sunscreen

13) Moisturizer:

Bioderma Sensibio Light

14) Face Serum:

I don't really use any

15) Exfoliator:

I don't use exfoliators since my skin is too sensitive

16) Deodorant:

The ones from Nivea

17) Body Moisturizer:

Any that smells nice, hmmm maybe the Fruttini is one of my fave brands...

18) Perfume:

Tough choice!

Miss Cherie from Dior

Flowerbomb from Viktor & Rolf

Pink Sugar from Aquolina

And many many more...

19) Bubblebath:

Any that smells like vanilla or coconut or strawberries/berries etc

20) Foundation:

Avon Calming Effects in Avory

21) Blush:

My favorite is a shimmery pink from Bourjois but the name and number are scratched out so i am not sure which is it :)

22) BB cream:

I only tried the Garnier one and i was pretty happy with it. Read my mini review for it here.

23) Eyeshadow:

Ah! This is impossible. I like a lot for them mostly from PUPA, pigments from mac and many others

24) Face Powder:

Seventeen Natural Silky Compact Powder

25) Bronzer:

I am fair therefore I avoid bronzer because I don't like how it looks on me but in the summer I use the Avon Arabic Glow Shimmering Bronzer

26) Concealer:

I rarely use concealer but when I do I use the Select Moisturecover by mac

27) Mascara:

The Colossal Volum' Express by Maybelline

28) Eye Liner:

Blacktrack By Mac

29) Eye pencil:

I like the ones from Erre Due and from Korres

30) Lip Stick:

Playtime by Mac (loveeeeee it)

31) Lip Gloss:

Again, impossible to choose

32) Lip Balm:

Nivea Fruity Shine (I like the strawberry one most)

33) Nail Polish:

Pink Voltage from China Glaze

34) Something that doesn't belong in any of the categories above:

My favorite highlighter is the Soft and Gentle by Mac :)

35) Face Primer:

Don't use any :)

36) Face Lotion:

I don't have any favorite

37) Lip liner

I like the ones from Seventeen and Erre Due and some Mac ones (too many to pick colors)

38) Hair Gel:

Go Go Hair Gel from Kallos

39) Eye Cream:

Don't have any favorite yet unfortunately

40) Brush:

Not sure if referring to a face or an eye one but here is the brush that makes my life easier.