Latest purchases

I can finally show you pictures! Yay! And what's better than showing you what I bought lately?
It's not properly a haul, since not everything was bought on the same shopping trip, but still...

The Catrice nail polish is 04 Artful Red, from the Viennart LE. I'm gonna try it this evening, so be ready for a review! The silver one of this LE was also promising, but I only got the red for now.
The foundation is Pupa Made To Last in Ivory (lightest shade) and I got it with the special 10 euros coupon (so I paid 10 euros something that costed almost 20, a real bargain) and I am absolutely loving it, it feels wonderful, lighweight despite the very good coverage and it's really great. I'm not a foundation expert but I could post a review of it as well.
The brush is from H&M, and I am loving it, I use it to apply the Pupa foundation and it works perfectly.
The two Kiko products were the result of an afteroon with my boyfriend, the 30% discount coupon and a lot of patience and help from him xD I ended getting only two products, even if I initally had four of them in my hands. I have chosen the eyeliner in the colour 107, because it was (and is) an important element in my makeup routine and I used it so much that I finished one (I never finished a black eyeliner, for comparison). Whenever I don't know what to wear I choose it, maybe paired with a blue mascara as well. I think it compliments my eyes fairly well and it's really long lasting.
The eye pencil is from the Daring Game LE, I've been craving it since the first time I saw this LE, which was in august, so I waited quite a lot! The shade is 29, Irresistible teal. I can't wait to wear it, since I've been rediscovering the beauty of a dark eye makeup.
I don't have much makeup here yet, I plan on bringing more of it when I go back at my parents' next weekend. I am definitely in need of some brushes!
That's all for now!
Bought anything interesting recently?

Color Spotlight: Black

This month is an insane month in terms of stuff to do. So I haven't created any special nail art, which gives me an excuse to continue with the Color Spotlight series.
I don't have much to offer in terms of polishes. I usually use Pupa 209 as a standard black, and that's it. In terms of makeup, however...

I don't wear that much black, but I have a few essentials. The Kiko gel eyeliner was part of the Bad Girl LE, now they also have one in their standard line. At the beginning it was a bit hard to work with, too liquid, but after a month or so it has reached a much more gel-like consistency that makes it great to use.
It has a good lasting power and I tend to use it for my more graphic looks.
The Sehora black liquid eyeliner is a very good product, my other standard eyeliner. Works nicely, I have no complaints, I love the small tip brush that allows me to make thin and precise lines.
I don't use black eye pencils a lot, but those two (Pupa Multiplay and a Revlon one) deserve a spotlight. The Pupa one can be used as a kajal too, and while many pencils have a weird effect (meaning tears and pain and oh god I need to remove this) on my waterline, this works very nicely. I also own UD's Perversion black eye pencil. And it hurts, I can't use it on my waterline.
The other eyeliner pen is by Essence, the one I received with their new Princess mascara. I had a few doubts about it but it works well and is quite long lasting. I keep it in my travel beauty case for quick, nice looks when I don't want to use the Sephora one.
The black eyeshadow in UD's Naked Basics is my go-to black eyeshadow. I have nothing as pigmented, it's really, really awesome.

I am a firm believer that black lips are not for halloween only.
The black lipstick, Kiko 523, is a creme, which means it needs a pencil underneath to stay (and with such a bold color you've got to have flawless lips). And good look finding a lipsafe black pencil! I usually use the Revlon one, but I know it's not the best option. I've seen tutorials for black lips that were made using liquid eyeliner, meh, for some reason I can't bring myself to put black eyeliner on my lips... (maybe because you'd need a lot of it, while pencils are easier to work with).
The other product is by Topshop and is a Velvet Lips liquid matte lipstick in Black Velvet.
You probably have heard of Lime Crime's liquid matte lipsticks and how, in general, liquid matte lipsticks are a trend that is going to stay (also check Pretty Zombie Cosmetics lipsticks).
This one was a surprise gift from my boyfriend, and it's a great product. It has some micro sparkle if you look close to it, so if you don't want a 100% gothic look it may be your choice. Especially if you want to try something like LC's Velvetines but disagree with the company's shady past.
I've been wearing it quite a lot lately, usually paired with graphic blue eyeliner, and it looks very nice. Once it's dried, it stays on your lips forever. Definitely recommended
So, do you like black? Wear it a lot or not at all? Would you go for black lips on your average day?

Essence Haul

A mini Essence haul! Reviews of the single products coming soon.
For now I can show you I what I got. There were many Essence products that were tempting, but I ended up only getting the Lash Princess mascara, since I'm almost out of mascare and it came with a free eyeliner. Who am I to say no to a free eyeliner? The Lash Princess packaging is super cool.
I found the Hello Autumn display almost already ravaged, but there were still a couple of palettes. And these two polishes, which I took. So far, I've been loving them-the termo effect is far more visible on the brown one, and I suggest you don't miss it.
My boyfriend went on a small trip abroad (Slovenia) and I asked him to get me some thermo polishes. This was the only one left! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
The liquid sand effect top coat was tempting, and I will probably get it someday. And the striping tape too.

Did you get anything new from Essence?

Color Spotlight: White

Welcome to a new episode of the Color Spotlight series! I originally planned to do white and black together, but I have enough white products for a post on its own. Black will probably go with grey when it will be its turn.
There are my white polishes: Kiko Rock Top 615, if it were less sheer it would be awesome, Sinful Colors Snow Me White, my tipical white polish, China Glaze Texture There's Snow One Like You, potentially awesome but not long lasting enough, I need to experiment putting it on a different base, Shaka Sugary White, a very cute (a bit sheer) super shimmery white, and Kiko Cupcake 647, a white sand effect polish with red/green/blue micro particles.

My white makeup products! (not including white eyeshadows that are part of other palettes)
Manic Panic Goth White is a multi-purpose white cream, it can be used mixed with foundation, as concealer, as highlighter if you're really pale (on me it works nicely) and, my favorite use, as an eyeshadow base. I purchased it online after having used my other Manic Panic products long enough to be enthusiastic about them.
The Kryolan white eyeliner doesn't mess around, it would probably survive the apocalypse, along with cockroaches and Nokia 3310 phones. Super long lasting and awesome, I don't want to use it as a base because I don't want to waste it (and because it would probablu glue my eyelid still), but as an eyeliner it's pretty amazing.
I also added my Neve Cosmetics Ivory eye pencil, I don't use it that often but when I do, the effect is really nice, my E.L.F. matte white eyeshadow (it's always useful to have a matte white eyeshadow) and my Shaka white lipstick, that also happens to be a great base for lip pigments.

Tell me people, do you like white? Do you use it often? I think it's a wonderful, underrated color.

Color Spotlight: Blue (pt 1)

Hello! Welcome to the next episode of the "Color Spotlight" series. Blue is one of my favourite colors (along with acid green, bugundy and more), and there are so many shades of it, that I decided to divide the post in 2 parts. The second one will focus more on teal and light blue, while I'll keep this for the most "traditional" shades of blue. I also have a new blue polish to show you, but I'm keeping that for tomorrow... for now, enjoy my 5 favorites.
Kiko 435 was part of the Dark Heroine LE, a blue with strong violet hues (practically a duochrome) absolutely fit for a dark lady. A bit of a wintery polish, but that doesn't make it less awesome.
In its simplicity, Kiko 294 is a wonderful, warm toned blue. I call it Egyptian blue, and it's a wonderful shade. Bit reminiscent of ceramic decorations and jewels. I prefer it with nail art rather than alone.
Kiko Quick Dry 830 was a pleasing surprise, since it's a very pretty metallic blue that looks stunning under the lights. I have nicknamed it superhero blue, because it's a great color for a supersuit!
Kiko 440 from the Digital Emotion LE is a glittery party of awesomeness. Annoying to remove, as every glittery polish, yes, but so pretty I am willing to forgive that.
Pupa 054 really creates on the nails the gel/glass effect it promises. Smells awfully in the bottle, is simple yet classy on the hands.

And now, some blue eye make up. I wear blue eyeliner way more than black eyeliner, so I will be eternally thankful to Concrete Minerals for making the holy grail of blue eyeliner/eyeshadows.
Bulletproof by CM is seriously the best. Irl is a bit darker. Once it sets on the eyelids it stays all day (will stain a little bit, but oily makeup remover does the trick).
The two Kiko eyeliners, 106 and 107, are actually quite different, 106 is glittery and 107 is darker and matte. Unsurprisingly, I like 107 more, but 106 isn't that bad either, even if it seems less pigmented.
And a blue mascara, obviously, shown here is Kiko 07. Beautiful and pigmented, no complaints.
The UD eye pencil in LSD is a personal fave, because it really lasts and lasts and lasts. A dark blue with light blue microglitter, it would look stunning with every eye color.
The Sephora eye pencil in Azur Blue deserves a mention because, before CM's Bulletproof, it was my go-to eye pencil. It still has a place in my heart because it's small, easy to carry and lasts long. The color is less intense than Bulletproof though.




And that's all for the first part! Second part coming soon! Comments and opinions are always appreciated.

My Top 5 "It's exam time!" products.

No, it's not one of the Top 5 launched by Drama, but since it's still exam time for me (I have one on thursday) I decided to share with you which products I use on an exam day. While with written exams really nobody cares how you look like, I wouldn't wear bright red lipstick to an oral exam.
The "proper" factor matters only in a certain way, if the professor is a female she really wouldn't care even about red lipstick or dark smokey eyes. My point in exam make up is that it should be long lasting and smudge-proof, so you can wait and sweat and get caught by anxiety in the hours before your turn in the corridor next to the professor's office.

I didn't include the primer and the setting powder because I always wear them and they're always the same whatever makeup I wear (The primer is the one by Essence and the powder is E.L.F.'s Complexion Perfection).

Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me! foundation in 105. As I've already written, it's the foundation closer to my skin tone I've ever found. Still a bit too yellowish, but it's hard to notice. A good base always gets me in a good mode.

Blush: from the old Kiko Colours in the World LE, Marine Coral 100 is probably my favourite blush ever. Easily blendable, has a natural effect, smells very nicely. And it's insanely long lasting, despite touching my face a lot it's always still there when I come back home.

Eyeliner: Concrete Minerals matte eyeshadow in Bulletproof. Someone might argue that a blue eyeliner isn't that sober and classy. Let them say whatever they want, because this beauty is an essential part of my routine: it's incredibly beautiful and longlasting, it sets like a tattoo and doesn't smudge. I also think this color looks extremely good on me, and feeling confident is important.

Mascara: here I show you Essence's Get Big Lashes, but it really doesn't matter which mascara, as long as it's a mascara. I haven't found my holy grail of mascaras yet and I still like trying new ones, so it wouldn't probably matter if I did.

Lipgloss: Essence Marble Mania lipgloss 4. A cold toned lipgloss that compliments my lips nicely and has a soft effect. When it fades away it still leaves a berry stain on my lips that looks quite natural and even.
It doesn't belong to the old LE with the same name, it was released alone (with other colors) only abroad according to the Essence website but I still managed to find it in Italy (!).


Tell me, fellow university students, what are your exam makeup secrets?

Make Up Moments: My latest...

Just when I wanted to do another post about make up, I found this lovely post and decided it would have been fun, so, here it is!

 But first... the rule says to open the post with the image of an owl. So here's your owl!

 01) Latest foundation (bought or received)?

Essence 2 in 1 make up powder.  I bought it months ago and it has become my summer essential: it's my color, it has a nice coverage and it's cheap!

02) Latest compact powder?

Essence Mineral Compact Powder. I found it in a OVS store just once, then I never found them again in other stores that keep Essence products. It's supposed to be a new product... 

03) Latest concealer?

My sister gave me this Kiko concealer. I'm not exactly enthusiastic, the packaging is a pain in the neck, usually a lot of product comes out, far more than I'd need it. I'm still faithful to my E.L.F. concealer.

04) Latest bronzer?

I don't use any, nor I intend to.

05) Latest blush?

Here things get complicated: I recently bought the single eyeshadow Watermelon by Neve Cosmetics that can be used also as blush, lipstick, everything. The latest blushes of the family were Lolita and Creamy, always by Neve. A bit too glittery but with some powder over it they're fine and long lasting. Did I already mentioned how much I love Neve products?

06) Latest highlighter?

Catrice multicolor highlighter "Vanilla Love" of the Candy Shock LE. It would probably look better on warmer, darker skintones. On me it's barely visible. The upside of this: it's a perfect everyday product, as promised on the website it gives a subtle glow. Probably I'm the only one who can see that glow, but I don't really care, hah.

07) Latest lipgloss?

 Essence marble mania lipgloss in Mix'n Mauve. There was an old LE called Marble Mania so I was afraid that the product I had found was just really old, but apparently it's not: Essence is launching those new lipglosses, and they can be found in the english Essence website. I love this lipgloss a lot: nicely pigmented, not sticky at all, and even when it fades a bit it leaves a nice stain covering the whole lips ( a regular stain, not like those products that leave those weird signs on lips). The final effect is that your lips look is if that shade was their natural color, and I really like it.

08) Latest lipstick?

Deborah lipstick in 13, months ago. I don't use lipsticks in the summer that much so I haven't used it in a while, but it's nice, a classic color. And it was on sale, how could I resist it?

09) Latest pencil?
Eye pencil: Sephora nano eye pencil in azur blue. Super pigmented and long lasting: it's so long lasting that if I wear it at 8 am, leave the house to have an exam at the uni and come back at 7 pm, it's still there. Surely, the primer helps, but it's a really good product.
Lip pencil: Neve Cosmetics lip pastels. The contouring lip pencil seems something you'd never use but trust me, when you have it you appreciate it. The other one is a nice salmon shade.

10) Latest eyeshadow?

The aforementioned Watermelon by Neve Cosmetics. I love using it as eyeliner mostly, it has a nice cyberpunk effect.
 
11) Latest eyeliner?

 Essence I love punk jumbo eyeliner pen. I usually go for pencils, but I decided to try this so maybe I could learn how to apply eyeliner nicely and not just use the pencils to intensify the eye make up. It would be a much greater product if it were more pigmented... I mean, you can apply it, wait until it dries and apply it once again to intensify the color, but since it's meant as an eyeliner for dummies, that way you kinda miss the point.

12) Latest mascara? 

Bought: NYC Sky Rise mascara. For being a cheap product, the quality is definitely good, it really has a beautiful effect on lashes.
Received: Deborah Mascara full color in 02 costa smeralda sea. The color is actually a bit greener irl.
What can I do, I love colored mascaras...

13) Latest eyebrow product?

 I actually don't used anything... I tried but I don't like the effect.

14) Latest primer?

 Essence I Love Stage eye primer. It's really good and effective, especially if you have oily eyelids.

15) Latest face care product?

 Garnier Crème Bienfaisante for normal/combinated skin.Works nicely and feels fresh on the skin, i like the formula. I also tried the "sorbet" cream for oily skins and found it... oily O_O I don't know, this kind of stuff depends a lot on your skin type I guess.

16) Latest body care product?

 Helan Rosa-Rosae silky moisturizing cream. Eeeh, I love this one. I was given a sample, tried it and fell in love with it. It really gives your skin a pleasant silky effect and the subtle rose smell lasts for a couple of days...

17) Latest hair care product?

I only use standard shampoos and such, no particular care products... I don't really need anything special, I have really short hair, no split ends, etc.

18) Latest accessory (brushes, false lashes...)?

 The Sephora empty eyeshadow palette, when it still costed 50 cents. I'm really glad I bought it.

19) Latest nail polish?

 Coming soon on this blog, Deborah 45 Green Fluo. Can't wait to try it!

20) Latest perfume?

I don't used perfume, I only have a old Lush solid perfume. It's supposed to be expired but it still smells deliciously. I am awfully tempted by Shaka solid perfumes, however.


 Whoa, I exceeded the blogspot tags limit. I tagged the products but not all brands.