Category Archives: Basics

Sep 22

Home away from Home – Haul and Thoughs

After the entire blur of moving to another country, I am finally starting to settle in and have some time to enjoy my old habits :). This has been a period of so many downs… but, then again, an equal amount of ups!
For those that don’t know (and I think there are allot of…) I moved from my home country to the Netherlands, in order to continue my studies. And I have to say, the dutch way… seemed at first, a very different way, then what I was used to..or even prepared for. But now I love it! To the full!

What made me do this post is the fact that there is some mid-season sales and offers going on. On good products your have really good bargains ( from outfits to my personal favorite…make-up!!). A certain such event that caught my eye is Prijzencircus, going on now at V&D (I don’t really know if the shop is outside of the Netherlands). And more precisely…a bargain sale at Sephora, where you get 3 products at 10 euro (from the Sephora brand) and 15% discount at all the other brands they host. *devilish grin*

Also, I went ahead and started trying some drugstore brands that seem to really be used here. I think that enough people have raved on Essence and Catrice, but they are really nice, considering the price. As a bonus, none tests on animals and Catrice also does not include parabens or mineral oil in it’s products.

Let’s get a closer look:

 
  
 
  
* Foundation: Matt Mousse, shade sand beige, Catrice – I really liked the texture. It goes on smooth and covers almost everything up. But it goes really fast away. After only two weeks I’m hitting the bottom, so it’s kinda sad. (4.99 euro – Krudvat)
* Concealer: AllRound Concealer, Catrice – I have to say that I’m really surprised by the product. I had such sort of a pallet a while back and I wasn’t that happy with it, because the colors that were meant to neutralize blemishes and under eye circles were too strong and would not fade well. But these work their magic, fade, but cover everything up! (2.99 euro – Krudvat)
*Nail polish: Studio nails, Better than gel nails, Essence –  A really thick, yet fast drying formula. You can use it as a normal base, to make your nailpolish last longer, than with another base, use on it’s self, to give a nice, elegant touch or mix it up with the nail tips that can be found in the series (2.49 euro – Krudvat)
* Lipgloss: Stay With Me, Essence, shades (in order as they are in the picture) 03 Candy Bar, 07 Kiss Kiss Kiss, 02 My Favorite Milkshake – For a gloss, they really are longlasting and very moisturizing! And at the price of 1.99 euro…you can collect them all (1.99 euro – Krudvat)
 
Sephora, in the V&D shops, has an offer until the 24th Sept. in which you can get 3 products for 10 euro. The offer is on the cosmetics from their actual brand, so now is the time to get those products on which you have been dreaming on. Also, they offer 15% off on the other brands found in their shop! 

*Sephora, Base Sublimatrice Primer, shade Bone mine – It seems ok, really giving a subtle glow to the skin. But the product contains parabens and mineral oil, so use in moderation or apply on moisturized complexion (at least you can have some sort of protection from it, until the cream goes away in the skin)
*Sephora, Perfect Cover Foundation – Paraben Free! I do like the coverage, so far, but only used it to swap it for the haul. More info later on.

  Left side: with primer; Right side: no primer

 
*Sephora Rouge, shade R15 (decollete – cream) – Paraben Free!! I always liked Sephora lipsticks. They stay on!! And are very moisturizing. The shade could be considered a nude, since it’s very close to the natural lip color, just a shade darker. That’s great for me, since I’ve been hunting for a lip product that I don’t have to apply and apply…and apply….(and no, I think lip stains are way to chemically for my taste…*ew*) 
 
 *Sephora Lip gloss, shade red velvet – Paraben Free!! I have already talked about this product, but haven’t really showed it. I love the effect it give on the lips. Makes them teasing, sweet red! (got this from back home, 12lei)
 
  
 *Sephora, Hydrating Blush, shade No. 12 (raspberry sheen) – Paraben Free!! I love this color for autumn!! It’s a dark rose color, with golden infusions. I used to own this color, from another brand, but the container was so flimzy, that it made the product shatter! So I’m happy now to have it again ^^.

 *Sephora, Doe eyed Felt Liner, shade brown – Great for day looks…I kinda want to keep the liquid black liner for the evenings 😛

 Last but to least
*Sephora, Lash plumper mascara, shade ultra black – Paraben Free!! Can’t say much yet about the product, since I did not use it 😛 But I really like the brush and feel like I’m gonna get some effect out of it *grin*

 As for outfits, you should definitely hit V&D (good offers) and I also went to HEMA for some basics, like simple shirts and blouses and undergarments. I really like the materials! And they don’t loose shape or break that easily! (A small hint: if your looking for some makeup brushes, just starting out or in the need of something cheap and good, you can also find then there! But I can’t say I really trust the make-up itself *worried face*)

Hope this was helpful!! Have a great end of a week!
Kissu!

P.s.:
Just so you know: none of the products are tested on animals. I wouldn’t buy them, if they were!
Disclaimer: If you did not figure it out…I brought these products from my own finances.
Photos of the products can be used without my consent. But a message would be nice 🙂

Feb 13

Simple and elegant – a V-day Look

Valentines day is here again and even you have an invitation for a romantic day with your partner, if you are still looking for somebody or you’re either not looking at all, just waiting for a Cupids arrow, you look for the day can be a huge hint to your true self.

The first look of the series is a classic vintage look, perfect for the new trend that has been going on some time now. I do hope you enjoy it.




You can go nude all the way, or make a statement and wear a bold red lip (and make a stamp on his shirts collar *evil laugh*).



Tips:
1. Put the red lipstick, stamp it with a tissue and then top it off with a red lipgloss. It will last longer, not make too much transfer, and will still leave some color on your lips, after you eat and drink….or kiss ^^;;.
2. Put some highlighter on the apples of your cheeks, forehead, tip of the nose, upper lip and chin. It will give you a glowy, fresh and healthy look.

What I used:

Face:
*mix between Stay Matte Foundation, shade 1 + a bit of shade 6 + Artistry Self Defining Sheer Foundation, shade Fawn;
* Farmasi, Camouflage Concealer Liquid, shade 03;
* Farmasi, Happy Face powder, shade 03;
* Elf, Natural Radiance Blusher, shade Innocence;
* Miss Sporty, Bronzing Powder, shade Sun Kissed;
* Miss Sporty, Mono Eye Shadow, shade 111 Tender.

Eyes:
* Sephora Pallet (browns);
* Maybelline quad, shade Chocolate Mousse;
* E. Funkhouser creme eye liner, shade Graphite;
* Sephora Collections Pencile, shade white;
* Farmasi, Catwalk Illusion Mascara, shade black.

Lips:
* Sephora Collections Lipgloss, shade nude;
or
* Farmasi, Gleam Rouge Liquide Lipstick, shade 17 or 16.

Happy Valentines Day!
Kissu

Feb 6

Show some love


I’m giving a shout to all those that read and like this blog!

I would like to say to all of you a warm THANK YOU! I just love it when I get really nice comments from all of you, feeling even warmer when people appreciate and request my services! Even if I don’t update as much now as I have been, you have always shown your support and there are no greater words I can say to thank you. “The Show” goes on because of the awesome feedback you give me! Thank you once more!

My request now…from you….is this: I really appreciate all your messages, but I would like to ask of you to subscribe to my blog if you like it ^^. Also….I finally managed to make a FaceBook page, more ways for you to follow the posts and see recent activities. On another hand, BlogLoving is a great new way you can follow, not only mine, but a lot of other great blogs on all kinds of topics!

So please…Show some love for those that write for you and subscribe! It means the world to us to see that people appreciate our work, making possible for more opportunities to be attracted for us and our subscribers!

Remember….Subscribing is free and easy to do….And everytime a new post comes up, you get a notice…So you don’t have to tune in daily to see if your favorite blog has a new post ^^. More simple, huh?

Show some love to those that make your day a little brighter ^^
Kissu

Nov 27

Avertisment!!!

Pentru toti cei care nu au destul timp, chef sau considera ca nu este necesar sa se uite pe ingredientele produselor care le cumpara!! Nu conteaza niciodata ambalajele frumos colorate sau dozele de parfum dintr-un produs!!

De fiecare data cand mergeti la cumparaturi si doriti sa cumparati detergeti, produse pentru igiena corpului sau intima, produse pentru igiena bucala, sau produse pentru bebelusi, cititi cu atentie ingredientele pentru a verifica daca contin SLS ( Sodium Lauryl Sulfate ) sau SLES ( Sodium Laureth Sulfate).

Acesti ingredienti sunt adaugati in compozitia cosmeticelor noastre pentru a crea mai multa spuma atunci cand le utilizam. Insa acestia sunt derivati din acid sulfuric si pot cauza probleme fatale in cazul utilizarii indelungate!

Aveti grija de corpurile voastre, cititi intotdeauna ceea ce contin produsele care le consumati sau utilizati! Oricum traim intr-o lume extrem de poluata…de ce sa aducem un adaos a acestora in corpurile noastre?!

Nov 18

The neutral zone


Products used:

Face: * Farmasi hydravite fondation, shade 05;
* Farmasi Camouflage Concealer Liquid, shade 03;
* Radiant Perfect Finish Powder, shade 10;
* Farmasi Tender Blush On, shade 01.

Eyes: personal products.

But I used:
– a flesh toned shadow on the entire lid;
– a chocolate brown to create a shadow and under the eye;
– a light shimmery white under the brow and inside the eye corner;
– lined the inner upper lash line with a black and also a little above the lashline, to make it fuller.

Hope you like it!
kissu

Jul 2

DIY Home spa – Rehydrate

To continue the “do it yourself” series, we are going to talk today about hydration. It’s not so hard to do, easy steps can be followed in order to help you, internally and externally. And the benefits are numerous.

In these days, doctors and nutritionists can’t stop advising us to drink water, tea or organic juices. I already talked about ways to help you drink more fluids during the day, in my moisturizing post. I would like to add that now I also drink compote (boiled fruits) with some vanilla or honey. I’m hooked up on mirabelles (corcoduse) because they help me cool down in a hot summer day, the are toning and a great fluid for the internals.

Natural face and body hydrants:

1. Yogurt. Don’t know about other people, from other countrys, but here, it’s an unwritten law that if you have sun burns, you should put cold yogurt on it. It will cool the sensible area and rehydrate it, minimizing the after effects like blisters with water or skin cracks. Even if it’s not the case for you, why not try it out:
– take a warm shower in order to open your pores; while still in the tub, rub in (as much as you want and need) a 24% fat or higher yogurt; sit about 10 min and massage; wash of with warm water.
If you can get natural, straight from the producer one, if would be even better. You don’t necessarily have to pay a lot…go to a dairy farm and ask if they have for sale.


2. Honey. This is great for small areas like your lips, knees, elbows, etc. Also, if you get burned, it stops the pain and you wont get a scar. So how to use it?
– mix it with sugar and put it in the desired area; it will exfoliate and hydrate (i use this for my lips and it works like a charm);
– apply it after exfoliating and leave it as much as you can; wash the rest.


3. Olive oil. This is a great tip I learned in my constant travels to Greece. We saw young, but mostly old people use it when they were sun bathing. Back then it looks like you were putting a chunk of meat into the frying pan and wait for it to roast…but it also made me wonder…

Sun bathing re-became popular recently actually…in Ancient times it was a way of showing from what part of the world you came, but after that, it was a sign that you were a peasant and had to work for your daily bread. High society went to great lengths in order to keep their “whiteness” ( we all know about the French Court and Japanese society ). We all have to thank Coco Chanel for her “eccentric” ways ( thought at that time ).

So it’s no wonder that when people went to the beach again…they had no idea of SPF or UV, appropriate hours or other factors. But they did feel how the salt and sun made their skin dry. So what better choice than olive oil? For a country that exports it by gallons?

If you are wondering, I did use! And I have to say…my legs never get tanned…but that summer they did :D!

– use it on the beach;
or
– use it in small amounts on your freshly washed skin and rub it in throughly.


4. Aloe. This is a tricky ingredient to get a hold on around here. But if your do, you should know that it comes in two way: pulp and the entire leaf. Pulp is great to eat and drink.

Leafs:
– you can cut them and drag it on the skin and let it absorb it on its own.
– you can squash it and put in spritzer; it work wonderfully when you want to cool yourself down or if you get a contusion, cut, burn…you get the idea 😛


5. Marigold cream. I can’t even tell you enough about this one! It works wonders!! If you can get it, naturally made, keep it with you at all times! You can use it in more ways than those I mentioned before :)!


6. Green, Marigold and Chamomile tea. Tea rehydrates your system and also you could use it in a final wash before you get outside of the tub. You can also take a towel, moisten it in tea and press it on yourself (make sure it is a temperature you can handle). You can also use…used tea bags: put them in the fridge, in a new clean bag; leave them over night and the next day you will have your own personal “gel mask”…that will help even more :D.
There are more ways to rehydrate your skin, but these are the ones I could think that are easy to get a hold on by everybody.

I wish you a great sunny weekend!
kissu

Jul 1

DIY Home spa – Exfoliants

Hey guys! How are you? Summers here…still a little rainy, but I kinda like it like this :D. Still, the Sun is brighter now then always, so don’t worry…you’ll still get that glamed up tan you dream about :)).


I know a lot of gals and boy that have a trunk full of cosmetic items stored up in the bathroom. I do admit that I am also guilty, but in this economical state you have to set priorities straight and see if it’s really worth it all! Personally, I found that home made cosmetics work better on my skin than those from the drugstore. Plus…it’s free from parabens ( preservatives ), petrol derives and no animal have been hurt in the making of :P. If you want to know how…keep on reading.
Home made body exfoliant:

I know I use them up like crazy!! Exfoliants are great for your skin. They help you get rid of the dead skin, renew it and also tone it. In summer is a must because it can make your skin get tanned faster and keep a longer bronze ( after exfoliating, you tan a fresh layer of skin ).

If you are still at home:

1. Grab about 4 spoons of salt and 2 to 3 spoons of sugar ( sugar is strong ingredient, so you can vary the amount for a gentle or harder scrub ). In order to make the combine, you can add your shower gel of choice, but if you want to go natury all the way…add olive oil, vitamin E in and vitamin A in oil form ( vitamin E: prevents aging of the cells and also helps the vitamin A to work better; vitamin A: takes care of the skin and hydrates ). Wash your entire body and use a hard sponge to take wash off any oils left. (this is great for dry or normal complexions).


2. If you have oily or normal skin and you don’t want to use oils, you can use sodium bicarbonate and mix it with your shower gel of choice. It is a little drying, but it’s a very good exfoliant.

If you are sun bathing:

The most efficient exfoliant is right next to you and you can’t get more natury than this: the sand and sea. Go get yourself wet and rub some wet sand on your skin. ( I would go for that which is next to the water or if you can get some from under…it has already salt and minerals from the sea ). Go back in for a wash and apply sun lotion after you dry yourself. Feel how incredibly smooth your skin is? Repeat it a few times during the day and you are going to get an incredible tan!


Home made face exfoliants:

Your face skin is a little more sensitive than your body…but you already know that. You can have different skin tipes and you have to know how to work with them.

For oily skin:

1. Just as before…salt and sugar are your friends. You can add them separately in your daily face wash lotion or mix them.
But you can also try something more “green”:
-on a cotton bud squeeze some lemon juice; add sugar on it and rub it vividly on your face;
or
– wet your face; rub in sugar; remove the sugar with a cotton bud that was lemon juice on it.
The sugar with take away dead skin cells and the lemon will absorb the excess oils.

2. For a daily exfoliant ( I wouldn’t recommend it, because you can force the skin to over produce oils; once every 2-3 days is better ) you can used sodium bicarbonate:
– in your daily cleanser;
or
– wet your face; apply it and rub it on your skin; remove with water;

3. In case of acne: take a few pills of Aspirin ( preferably without “skin”) and let them sit in a few drops of water. They will break up and you can use it as such on your face. You can also use a old toothbrush to rub it in on the areas where acne acts up.

For dry skin:

Exfoliating is tricky on a dry complexion. It is necessary, but once or twice a week is more than ok!

1. Sugar ain’t so good for you, being so hard. You can use it, but mix it with hydrating agents like: yogurt, honey, olive oil, vitamin E in oil form or even tea. You can also do this with salt and sodium bicarbonate and even mix them.

2. For acne problems, you can use Aspirin, but mix it with honey.

For mixed skin you can use the tips from above and alternate. For the T zone ( forehead, nose and chin) use oil free and on the rest use some sort of hydrating factors.

In any of the cases, please be careful not to over do it!! You can cause your skin to react in a way that will over produce oils or over dry.

You can also use salt and sodium bicarbonate in your bath.

Hope this was helpful!
Kissu

Ps: Stay tuned for more home spa posts!

Jun 19

Review – Seventeen Cosmetics

A few weeks ago I ran out of my L’oreal foundation…and so necessity pushed me on the hunt for a new product. Not so “in love” with L’oreal products, because of moral reasons and the way my skin looks when I use them ( note: every item from L’oreal I have, I received as a present from my friends), I wanted to change to something better at a lesser price if possible…and I found the best replacement!!

I know Seventeen products since I was a kid and my mom brought lip glosses from them. I loved the texture, but somehow I always thought of them as products for a mature skin. Also in high school, some of my gal’ mates used the foundation from them, but I didn’t take too much notice.

They recently have the launch of some new products, got out some new magazines with looks and had a somewhat change in the ingredients. So I thought…why not take a look? While browsing, another girl came, tested the foundation and then started talking on how much she loves it and how much her sister is also in love with it…how it doesn’t look like a mask and blends so well…I find these small chats on cosmetics very nice and it’s a great way to exchange opinions! (my teacher in management always said that a happy customer can influence up to 7 -8 other potential customers; but an unhappy one can influence even as much as 20 other people…funny huh?)

Thus been told, I found myself at the counter with a brand new bottle of foundation, with a personal bonus: a new pressed powder….couldn’t help myself. *innocent glare*

So far…the only thing I can possibly say is that…I ADORE THEM!!!!!
The texture of the foundation is so light and yet it covers everything so well that I don’t even have to use a concealer anymore! Because of some recent events I had a mild break out because of the stress accumulation. The product didn’t gather or clogged on the sensible areas, reduced the shine and it lasts all day long with no transfer. And “in a combo” with the powder…I have no worries!

The powder is also very light and has a medium coverage. It didn’t dry up my skin when I used it alone and it stayed put for some good hours. I would recommend using it with the foundation, but it does work fine even without!

The products contain zinc and bee wax and this also helped me to reduce the break out and heal the areas! The wax is great in order to make the product more lasting and not let the excess oils or perspiration alter the finished look.
As I said..I love, love, love, looove them!! Pair up with a hot fuchsia pink…or any color of your choice…and you’ll have a wow effect for sure!!

Right now I and kinda between shades, but I use:
Foundation – Time Plus, shade medium;
Powder – Natural Color Compact Powder, shade medium beige.
The difference is small, almost unnoticeable and I also use it on my neck and chest.

Hope this is helpful!! Have a nice weekend!

Kissu.