Hair like an advertisement

Hello gorgeous! I had a chance  to take some photos of my hair under a microscope and here is a result!

This is my hair 400 times magnified

and this is the same hair magnified 1000 times. If was very interesting for me to see hair scales.

I have quite fine hair, but as you can see, the hair look really healthy and have a good texture (like in ads). And I do use hair dryer every day and my hair are color treated. 

I just wanted to say that you need to think before buying some new expensive (or not so expensive) hair product. Do you really need it? Because hair overloaded with products and over-treated with vitamins, serums etc. will become dull and will look unhealthy.

Nails of the day - Bundle monster nail stamps

Hello gorgeous! I just tried Bundle monster stamping plates :) (bundlemonster.com) (available also from amazon). I used Maybelline Colorama - Dark chocolate as a base and Konad special nail polish in white to stamp and Bundle monster image plate mb19. Sorry for blurry image :(

Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream review

Hello gorgeous! Today I gonna review Avene eye cream. I purchased it from www.echemist.co.uk for 8.55 British pounds (~ 15$) for 10 ml. (By the way they offer free worldwide delivery).

From manufacturer: This Soothing Eye Contour Cream has been specially formulated to gently protect the most delicate part of the face. Rich in Avène Thermal Spring Water and soothing alpha-bisabolol, this light emulsion calms skin irritation, tightness and redness. Dextran sulfate also acts by relieving hypersensitive eyelids. Thanks to its formula enriched with moisturising and anti-free radical actives, this soothing care promotes hydration and protection of the eye contour area and eyelids. 

Me: when I got it I was a little bit disappointed because of  mineral oil in ingredient list (I try to avoid mineral oil in my skincare).

But I decided to give it a chance. And it was worth it :) First of all the cream feels very pampering for the skin. It absorbs very fast and do not leave greasy feeling. It soothes delicate skin around the eyes immediately. When my lips feel extra dry, I use the cream also on the lips. The cream completely vanished fine lines around my eyes. So I totally in love with it! It is also fragrance free and paraben free. The only downside is that it does not fights dark under eye circles. But if you are looking for good eye contour moisturizer - this is the best eye cream I`ve ever tried!

Purederm - Nose Pore Strips review and comparison to Beauty Formulas strips

Hello gorgeous! I`ve tested new (for me) nose pore strips and  today I won`t show you nasty images :) I purchased them in local supermarket PRISMA for 1.55 Ls (~3 $). The pack contains 6 nose strips and it is written that the product is paraben free.

The shape is a bit different from Beauty formulas nose pore strips (and I better prefer Purederm`s shape.

 To compare: Beauty formulas:

In comparison to Beauty Beauty formulas Purederm strips are easier to remove. Thus they do not pull out tiny hair  from your skin (meaning the procedure is less painful). The effect of blackhead removing is similar. BUT! I just can`t stand the smell of aloe(?) in Purederm. It is just so terrible to my nose :( That is the only reason I won`t buy them again. So if this smell is fine for you, I would recommend you to choose Purederm product.

Nails if the day - Sincero "Lets Dance"

Hello gorgeous! I am impressed by nail polishes I found in local MAXIMA supermarket! They are super cheap :)  They cost 1.59 Ls (~3 $) each. I`ve never heard about this brand before. But these (at least these two) nail polishes are worth your attention :) I purchased colors D5 and D2. Both are just clear nail polishes with lot of glitters. D5 consists of light blue (mostly), pink, green and yellow quite big glitters. D2 is mostly purple small glitters with holographic rods.

(left D5, right D2)

D5

D2

And here you can see D5 applied over NIVEA Turbo colour No 12 - Turbo Red nail polish.

Ann Loraine Enzymatic Peeling Mask review

Hello gorgeous! Today I gonna share my thoughts of Anna Loraine facial peeling mask. I have mixed skin type with some dry patches on my nose, some enlarged pores, and some oily areas like forehead and chin. I need to exfoliate my skin because otherwise I get blachkeads and spots on T-zone and also foundation tend to emphasize dry areas. I hate to use scrubs because they seem to damage the skin and lead to redness. So I found better alternative to scrubs! There are lot of peeling masks on the market. The idea is that the mask dissolves dead skin cells without damaging healthy skin. Also the skin texture get improved.
Ann Loraine is Israeli brand. You can read some information about it here: http://www.b4you.co.il/products-al.asp

I purchased this mask from OniksBeta shop for 6,67 Ls ~ 13 $ It is available from ebay also. You need to apply the mask on clean skin and rinse off after 2-3 min. This is very quick! So you can use the mask even in the morning.

The mask is very creamy. It contains some very tiny grains but is not abrasive and I did not feel any tingling or other discomfort. Afterwards my skin my skin is very soft and smooth and feels fresh and clean. I think this is a good (and cheaper) alternative to my favorite Dermalogica - gentle cream exfoliant.

Beauty Formulas - Deep Cleansing Nose Pore Strip review

Hello gorgeous! Today I gonna show you some nasty images and review nose and face pore strips :) So I bought them in Drogas (local drugstore) and I don`t really remember the price, but I found these at ebay for ~ 6 $.

Each pack holds 6 strips (6 nose strips or 3 + 3 forehead and chin strips).

To use them you need to wash your face with oil free facial wash (directions for use says to use soap). Then wet the area you want to treat. Apply the strip and allow it to dry for 10-15 min. Then peel off. And here you can see the results (sorry for nasty images) :

As you can see nose strip really did the job. After the first usage there were a lot of blackheads on the strip, but my nose was not completely free of them. After second usage (a week later) my nose is completely free of nasty blackheads :)
Do you use any stuff like this?

November`s OUTs

Hello gorgeous! I do not have much empty pots this month. I don`t know if it is good or bad, but this is just the way it is :)

1.      Elpis (Latvian brand) – anti cellulite massage oil №1. It has very invigorative and strong scent ( I guess it is some kind of citrus fruit peel). I think that the most important thing in anti cellulite treatment is the massage itself. And it is much easier to make the massage using some oil :) Interesting thing I have noticed that I always feel thirsty after using this oil. Maybe it stimulates lymphatic drainage? I think this oil is a very interesting product and I also gain some good results with it :) Comment for Latvian girls: Drogās uz jaunām Elpis eļļām 15.11.–18.12. Iepazīšanās cena – atlaide 25% :) http://www.drogas.lv/lat/jaunie-produkti/kermenim/elpis-masazas-ellas-3-veidi-100-ml

2.      Yves Saint Laurent - Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation (I got tester from ebay.com). It looks like this in a full size.

It promises to restore skin's optimal hydration level and ensure a flawless result. The product should be for all skin types. Well…I think the finish is too powdery, which makes the face look fake and flat. It emphasizes dry patches on the skin, thus it is not suitable for dry skin. Also the shade #1 (which I have) which should be neutral (nor pink nor yellow) has a good hint of orange in it. But I like YSL`ish scent of the foundation. The coverage is medium, but it is buildable. As a conclusion I think this may be a good foundation for oily skin.  

3.      Biotherm – Biopur pore reducer (gentle purifying lotion). This is my favorite lotion for summer months. It has a very delicate and nice scent to it. It really helps to deal with enlarged pores and prevents the formation of blackheads. It also refines the skin texture very good.

4.      Stenders (Latvian brand) – southern coconut body butter. This one is totally different from other body butters (i.e. TheBodyShop body butters) in terms of texture. This is more like natural coconut butter (or oil? - whatever). At the temperature ~22-25°C it melts and transforms to oil. I like to heat it in palms of my hands and then apply to very dry areas of my skin (like legs, knees and elbows). It is a very good moisturizer. And I adore coconut smell :) The cost of the body butter (70g) is 4.60 Ls (~9 $) If you are interested in Stenders products (they make a lot of natural soaps, creams, oils, bath salts and other stuff) you can visit http://www.ziepes.lv/

5.      Lancome – color ideal poudre (I wrote about this in a post – cosmetic loss) I think this is a good powder, but nothing special about it.

6.      Madara (Latvian brand) – deep moisture fluid (sample). All Madara cosmetics have EcoCert certificate which means that the cosmetics made from natural ingredients. It has really good moisturizing properties, but I can not stand this grassy scent. It is too obvious and too officious    :( If you like natural products – try this (but I would recommend trying sample at first). http://www.madara-cosmetics.com/ It s also available at feelunique.com

7.      Sysley – eye and lip contour balm (sample). The scent of it is very nice and delicate. The gel consistency of this balm is strange. To my mind it is too sticky. But it has good moisturizing properties and also fights fine lines around the eyes. OMG! You can buy full size 30ml/1oz for 104 Euros (~140 $). I won`t do this :)

8.      Lierac – initiac 1^st wrinkle cream (sample). Maybe it is too early for me use creams like this (I am 26), but it think it is too heavy. The scent is nice, but I prefer my current eye cream - Avene - Soothing Eye Contour Cream.

This is it! Hope you find this information useful.

Nails of the day - AVON night violet

Hello gorgeous! Today is a really dark outside so it is almost impossible to take pictures in daylight :(

First of all I want to say that some time ago my thoughts of AVON were quite negative. I thought their products are low quality, not tested, cheap etc. But then my sister became AVON affiliate and I decided to support her a bit and ordered some products. I was impressed by some of the products and today I will shear my thoughts on their nail polishes.

Today I am wearing nail polish called Night Violet.

The color is a very rich purple with a hint of burgundy and very tiny (I think they are like gold holographic) glitters.

The nail polish applies easily  without any streaks.  I am wearing three coats, but 2 coats work well. It dries like the other nail polishes and to my mind looks gorgeous on my short nails. I also like how the color pops against my fair skin. 

The price of a nail polish is 2.90 Ls (~5.7$) but they do have special offers often. Also I`ve noticed they have new shades in almost every new catalogue, but it is hard to reach new shades as they are sold out really quickly. So if you want some trendy color you need to think fast :) 

My first Dior! Diorshow extase look - catwalk eye makeup

Hello gorgeous! Some time ago I got my first Dior makeup but have no time to write about it. So it is Saturday and sun trying to get through the clouds and my eyes cached this shiny silver box inside the commode.

I bought this set from Douglas shop for 23.60 Ls (about 46$). The set contains Diorshow extase mascara and mini 5-colour eyeshadow.  As I understand the mini eyeshadow palette came as a gift. This is how the packaging looks:

And from the other side:

Inside:

Mascara:

Actually I still have not tried this one, so I do not have any comments about the mascara, but the packaging looks very chic and expensive.

The eyeshadow palette is quite small:

Inside (artificial light):

And daylight:

The eyeshadows are just amazing! They are very good pigmented, blend easily and have very nice creamy texture. They have this signature Diorish shimmer, but they are not frosty (I hate frosty eyeshadows) at all. The name of this palette is Stylish Move N970. I adore all the shades. 

Swatches (artificial light):

And daylight:

These are good both for day and night. All the colors are very nice, but taupe (left upper corner) and deep purple are my favorites!  

I think this set can be a great gift to a friend :)

 

Rimmel colour mousse cream eye shadow review

Hello gorgeous! Yesterday I received my Rimmel colour mousse eyeshadow in Mocha (012) and Midnight Blue (011). They cost  £1.99 each and hold 5 ml of product.  They are amazing! The application is fantastic – they glide on very nicely. The staying power is very good. They really last 8 hours and do not crease.

Also I have from this series color called Sassy (008) and Creasless Cream in color Skinny Jeans from Benefit.

All my Rimmel colur mousses:

And Benefit:

Swatches: L-R: Benefit - skinny jeans, rimmel - sassy, rimmel - mocha, rimmel - midnight blue

And from other angle:

Sassy is taupey-silvery color which is good for day and night. Mocha is gorgeous coppery-brown. Very rich and very chic!

Midnight blue is deep navy blue. This one look gorgeous, but it has strange smell (like an old oil paint). Maybe I got old one or it was not stored properly, or maybe this is just the current blue pigment feature. 

I adore cream eyeshadow because they are finger-friendly. If I am in a hurry I prefer using creams because no long blending is needed, no brush is needed and no bright light is needed. You can use them also as a base for powder eyeshadow to make them last longer, to make the color more intense, or even to change the color undertone. 

For the moment I own 3 Rimmel creams and one from Benefit. Actually I more like Benefit`s consistency. But Benefit`s Creaseless Cream costs about 14 pounds (28$) and Rimmel £1.99 + 1.99 shipping (I bought them from fragrancedirect.co.uk).   

Cosmetic loss

Hi gorgeous! Just want to share with you my grief. My Lancome powder did not survive moving to new apartment :( 

By the way this one was nothing special for the price.

What is your favorite powder and why?

Models own BEETLEJUICE

Hi gorgeous! Finally I got my beetle juice nail polish! 
It arrived in a large box :)

This one is called pinky brown.

In artificial light:

It has brownish base and plenty of small pink glitters which appear rusty-orangy-yellow in daylight.

The color change is obvious

As you can see  in artificial light they seem to be purple. 

Glitters and nail polish itself are very shiny. The application is easy. I used 3 coats. To my mind this one looks just amazing! What do you think?  What is your favorite nail polish for fall?