Random internet haul

Hello everyone!
As usual, I have an exam tomorrow which will probably keep me up all night...so I've decided to distract myself by showing you what I ordered from the internet these last few days...
Technically it's not really a haul since all of the items come from different websites but whatever!

Ciao a tutte!
Tanto per cambiare, ho un esame domani...probabilmente dovrò studiare tutta la notte, quindi ho deciso di distrarmi un attimo per raccontarvi cosa ho ordinato da internet negli ultimi giorni!

Very Mini Haul!

So...my new year's resolution is to STOP BUYING MAKE UP. That's right, I actually wrote that...

Instead of  buying more make up in shades that I actually already have, I need to start loving what I do have ...I bet I have a lot of forgotten items which deserve to be used a lot more than they actually are!

So I'm going to try to use up everything, or at least hit pan on stuff such as eyeshadow and blush/bronzer/highlighter.

But...I had to give in one last time. It's like stuffing yourself with your favourite foods before starting a diet!

Although, in my defence, I managed to control myself very well.

I only bought TWO things.

***GASP!***

Yes, I know, absurd! Here's what I got...

The Body Shop Coconut and Shea Butter Lip Butters - Review

Aaaaand I'm back! This must be the most I've ever posted...
I really wanted to do a review on The Body Shop's lip butters for some time now...so here it is!

E sono tornata! Sto postando davvero troppo in questi giorni...
Volevo fare questa review sui burri labbra del Body Shop da un po' di tempo quindi eccolo qui!

 

The Facts

These lip butters come in super super cute little containers. Each container holds 8.5g of product and one of the best things of these lip butters is that the INCI is not too bad at all! In fact, it's almost completely green...if it weren't for a couple of ingredients (lanolin, peg-8 beeswax) it really would be perfect. As it is, it's a pretty good lip butter anyway. I like the fact that they are mainly made up of BUTTERS and not OILS; when lipbalms contain too much oil they're extremily drying and, at least in my case, the result is chapped lips. I like the balance between oils and butters that these have. 

The container is absolutely adorable...but not particularly sanitary. You do have to dip your fingers in them to get the product out. This doesn't particularly bother me because I keep these at home, on my desk and I put them on before I go to bed or while studying; I don't take these with me for the exact reason I mentioned before. 

Another reason I don't take these with me is that they leave completely white lips a whitish cast on the lips; especially the shea butter one (it's not so noticeable with the coconut). The trick is to apply very little and spread it out with your finger; this way, you get a slightly glossy finish! 

These retail at 5€ for 8.5 grams...it is good value because you get quite a lot of product for the price. There are also various flavours to choose from  (coconut, shea butter, pink grapefruit, mango, guaranà, sweet lemon...but we obviously don't get all of these in Italy!) and there are flavoured lip balms as well as lip butters.

The scent is not too overwhelming although it is noticeable; I can't immagine it being annoying though...I'm incredibly sensitive to scents and even I don't mind it! However, I must admit that I like the coconut scent way better than the shea butter; the latter tends to get sickeningly sweet! BUT the shea butter lip butter is more moisturizing (no idea why!)...do you see the dilemma?! I wish I could have the shea butter lip butter with the coconut scent! 

Questi burri labbra hanno delle confezioni carinissime!!! Ogni contenitore contiene 8.5 grammi di prodotto e una delle cose migliori è che l'INCI non è affatto male!! Anzi, è quasi completamente verde...però diciamo che se ne trovano di migliori in commercio. Se non fosse per un paio di ingredienti (lanolina, peg-8 beeswax) sarebbe davvero perfetto. Così com'è, è un burrocacao decente. Mi piace il fatto che sono costituiti principalmente da burri e non oli...se un burrocacao contiene troppi oli rispetto ai burri, mi secca le labbra da morire.

Come ho già detto, la confezione è adorabile...ma non particolarmente igienica. Bisogna intingerci le dita per prelevare il prodotto. Questo non mi infastidisce particolarmente perchè non li porto con me ma li tengo sulla scrivania; li metto prima di andare a dormire, o mentre sto studiando. 

Un altro motivo per cui non porto questi burri labbra in giro è che lasciano le labbra completamente bianche un alone bianco sulle labbra; questo è particolarmente ovvio con il burro labbra al karitè, meno con quello al cocco. Il trucco è di metterne pochissimo e di distribuirlo bene sulle labbra con un dito; in questo modo, si ha un finish leggermente lucido.

Il prezzo è di 5€ per 8.5g di prodotto; mi sembra un buon rapporto qualità/prezzo dato che il prodotto fa quello che promette ed una scatolina dura davvero tantissimo!!!! Vi sono vari gusti tra cui scegliere (cocco, karitè, mango, guaranà, limone dolce e pompelmo rosa...ma ovviamente in Italia non arrivano tutti!!), altrimenti potete orientarvi sui balsami labbra.

L'odore non è assolutamente fastidioso...ve lo dice una che non sopporta proprio i profumi! Tuttavia, devo ammettere che preferisco l'odore del burro labbra al cocco...quello al karitè tende ad essere eccessivamente dolce. MA trovo che quello al karitè sia più idratante...capite il mio dilemma?! Vorrei il burro labbra al karitè con l'odore del cocco!

In conclusion...

Pros:

• Moisturizing (Idratanti)
• Cute packaging (confezioni carine)
• Good value (buon rapporto qualità prezzo)
• No parabens (parabeni assenti!)
• No silicons (siliconi anche!)
• Pleasant (or at least not annoying) scent (odore non fastidioso, per alcune suppongo piacevole)

Cons:

• Unsanitary packaging (confezione poco igienica)
• INCI is not completely green (INCI non è totalmente verde) 

Final Verdict

Product: 14/15
Value: 5/7
Ease of use: 3/4
Packaging: 3/4

Overall: 25/30 (B+)

I really do like these but I probably wouldn't repurchase, just because I don't find myself reaching for them that often; maybe I'll have better luck with TBS lipbalms. As it is, I'm still on the hunt for the perfect lip balm!

Questi burri labbra mi piacciono abbastanza ma probabilmente non li ricomprerei, semplicemente perchè non li uso tantissimo; forse mi piaceranno di più i balsami  labbra del Body Shop! Per ora sono ancora alla ricerca del burrocacao perfetto (proverò i Lavera a breve!)...

Lots of love,

Too Faced Natural Beauty for Spring 2012

Too faced is releasing a "Natural Beauty" collection for spring 2012!
Wait...is it spring already? Well, not really! In fact, it's the 31st of December and I'm just about to jet off to New Year's dinner...with my New Years resolution that I will ONLY haul two things from the new Too Faced collection, even though I'm attracted to all of it! Do you want to know which ones? Keep reading!

Too Faced è già pronta per rilasciare la collezione primaverile "bellezza naturale" per la primavera 2012...strano, dato che siamo al 31 dicembre! Ve la introduco brevemente prima di scappare al cenone di capodanno con la mia risoluzione di prendere solo DUE cose dalla nuova collezione, anche se la vorrei tutta!!! Sperando ovviamente che arrivino a breve in Italia...

The images are taken from the Too Faced website! (Immagini dal sito di Too Faced!)

Indian Vanity Case - "The Lord Of The Rings"

Here is the look that I did for the contest featured at Indian Vanity Case!
Hope you like it!!!

The name of the look is "The Lord of the Rings" because I'm a huuuuuge fan and I'd been wanting to do a dark forest green and gold look for a while...and I copied some of Tolkien's elven script!!!
The quality of the image is not too great, I know; unfortunately I still have a rather crappy camera! Sorry!

Here it is:

Products used:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight
Essence Gel Eyeliner in 04 "I love NYC"
Essence eyeliner brush
L'Oreal Chrome Intensity Eyeshadow in 186 Timeless Green
Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Clinic
Mac Eyeshadow in Woodwinked
Mac Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe
Sephora Eyeshadow in Universal Beige
Bottega Verde eyepencil in Pure Gold
Maybelline Expert Eyes Crayon Oriental in Starry Green
Essence Liquid Liner in Black
Cargo Triple Action Mascara

Love!

Lush Honeytrap (Gustami!) and None Of Your Beeswax (Usami!)

Ah, Lush! I SO wanted to love you...but here's the thing. Everytime I enter a Lush shop I honestly think I'm going to die because of the overpowering smells.
But I was so attracted to Lush lip balms that I really wanted to try them...did these pass the test?
Read on to find out!


Ah Lush! Volevo proprio amarti...ma sai cosa? Ogni volta che entro in un negozio Lush la combinazione di tutti i profumi è quasi letale per me!
Ma ero così attratta dai burrocacao Lush che dovevo assolutamente provarli! Hanno passato il test? Leggete per scoprirlo!

Fitocose - Vanilla Scented Water

I know..I've been missing for a while! But I'm back, tired and sleepy but here...although this will be a short(ish) review because i REALLY need to sleep!

Onto serious stuff!

I love perfumes...I really do...

Or at least I used to.

Thing is, I can't wear them anymore because of my allergies; the alcohol in particular irritates the hell out of me and gives me migrains. So what's a girl to do?

I started my search for "scented waters", lighter perfumes which don't linger as much and tend to fade very quickly. I know the fading is a turn off for most of you but I really don't like a scent which starts off strongly and stays strong for the whole day...nightmare!

Unfortunately, most scented waters contain.....you guessed it, alcohol. So they're really just lighter perfumes...which annoy me just as much as the "real" perfumes. 

That is, until I came across Fitocose....

Yet Another Giveaway - Raspcherry

Today I bring to you a very VERY interesting giveaway, hosted by Raspcherry.
Think about that single Mac eyeshadow...the one you always drool on but never buy...because you're not sure you'll like, you're not sure it will look flattering, it's too expensive, whatever reason!
Well, Raspcherry is offering the winner of the giveaway a MAC eyeshadow of choice! Awesome, right?
Here are the rules!

A - you must be a follower of Raspcherry's blog
B - Extra entry if you follow her on twitter and RT the giveaway
C - Extra entry if you mention the giveaway on your blog

For more information, visit Raspcherry's giveaway page.
Good Luck to everyone!
Love...



P.S. My personal pick? Mac Satin Taupe!

What about yours?

L'Oreal Perfect Clean for sensitive skin - Review

And Hallelujah! Yes, I'm finally back from:

1) Holidays

2) Start of term law exams! (Yes, I know, how great is that?! We get exams BEFORE the term starts, so we can be nice and stressed at the start of September! Yay!)

Little OT, I know, but the important thing is...I'm back, and today I'm reviewing a facial cleanser which I used quite a lot this summer.

The facts

L'Oreal Perfect Clean is a cleanser! (I know, you REALLY needed that piece of information...)

Winner!

I am the very proud winner of "The Unnatural Beauty" blog giveaway! Yay!
My prizes are from MAC semiprecious collection and I will review them just as soon as I receive them.
Aaaaah..this made my day!
Love

SPF, sun and sea - Facts you need to know!

So here I am again..it took a while, I know, but I had to do my reasearch! Plus, I'm on holiday so I'm finally enjoying some sun and sea!

Which brings me to the subject of my post: protecting your skin from the sun. We all know it's super important, but there are a lot of things that I personally didn't know, so I thought I'd share my recently acquired knowledge.

Disclaimer

Once in a while, I have to tend to the boring stuff too.

I don't work for the fashion industry; I'm just a girl who happens to have a huge passion for the cosmetic world and would like to share her experiences! I am not affiliated with any  of the brands mentioned, nor do I endorse them. If I post a link to a site where it is possible to buy a featured product online it's because I think the site is reliable and I have bought from it before. I don't have any sort of agreement with any online makeup retailer.

Kiko Sunproof Stylo SPF 15 in Glossy Berry - Review and Swatches

Don't you just love berry lipsticks? They're flattering on anyone, provided you find the right shade!

This particular lipstick is part of a limited edition: Kiko Coral Bay collection. This collection contains many other items such as blushes, sunproof foundation, shimmering body oil, bronzers, highlighters, waterproof cream eyeshadows and the list goes on...they can be viewed and bought online HERE.

Lovely as they look, I'm not a fan of Kiko products because the quality is not always exceptional...but the lipsticks really caught my eye...I had to try at least one!

Cargo Safari Kit - Review, Pictures and Swatches!

Exams finally over! Yay!

I've been meaning to do a review of this for a while, since it's limited edition...I just couldn't find the time!

So here is my review for the Cargo limited edition Safari Kit.

The facts

Cargo Safari Kit is part of the Cargo Voyages Collection and consists in a small travel-friendly makeup pouch containing five items. Of these five items, three are full size!

The five items in question are:

• Coral Beach blush (full size)

• Eyeshadow duo in ED-13B (full size)

• Eye pencil in khaki (full size)

• Lipgloss in Serengeti (travel size)

• "Triple action" mascara (travel size)

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover - Review

This is going to be a quick review. Mainly because there isn't much to say about this product; I didn't like it at all.

The facts

This make up remover comes in a small cylindrical transparent bottle with a black screw on cap. The bottle is cute and allows you to get just as much product as you need without squirting a lot of it out. It doesn't leak either. The bottle actually comes in two different sizes. The travel size is 50 ml for 3.90 € and the full size is 125  ml for 6.90 €. Considering the quantity of product, it's not high end or low end. It's in the middle although 3.90 € for 50 is not that cheap.

The liquid inside is biphasic. This means that there are two different liquids, one water based and one oil based, which have to be mixed together to get the makeup remover. To mix them you just shake the bottle until the transparent liquid and blue liquid mix together. Here it is before shaking.....

The Unnatural Beauty and Miss Brittany Boo: Joint Giveaway!

Another giveaway! Must be the holiday season...let's share the love then! Here is all the information you need to enter. There are five possible entries and the prizes are from...Mac Semi-Precious Collection! Yay!

The actual products are:

• MAC Semi-Precious Mineralize Skin Finish in Semi-Precious Pearl


• MAC Mineralize Blush in Warmth of Coral 


• Lipstick in Lush Amber!! 

Aren't they fantastic prizes?

Love,

Widdlesh's First Giveaway

Don't you just love giveaways?

Michelle aka Widdlesh, author of a gorgeous makeup blog is hosting her first giveaway!! Prizes include: Origins Vitazing (travel size), false lashes, elf faves and sigma brushes (which, oh woe, I can't get here in Italy)! Check out the link and follow instructions for not one but many chances to win! Here is all the information you need, good luck everyone!

Love,

My Rating System

In this post I will explain my rating system.

Product: This category can receive a maximum of 15 points. The points I give simply reflect how much I like it and nothing else.

Value: This category can also receive a maximum of 7 points. It basically tells you how good the product is for the price. This does not mean that an Essence lipstick will get a higher rating than a Dior lipstick because it's unfair to compare them. The comparison is made between products in the same price range (e.g. A Dior lipstick which gives you twice as much product as other high-end lipsticks).

Ease of use: This category only gets 4 points and it's not very important. It basically tells you if the product is not travel friendly and if the application is lengthy or difficult (e.g bare minerals foundation which gets all over the place).

Packaging: This also gets 4 points. It's not something I usually look for in a product but impractical packaging can be a turn off. If I really like the product I will still use it but I probably won't consider it Holy Grail material.

Overall: The total number of points a product can receive is 30. Anything which scores 27 or above is Holy Grail material (even if it isn't my specific favourite). The 30 point system comes from the Italian university system. In American terms...

30 = A*

27-29 = A

22-26 = B

18-21 = C

14-17 = D

10-13 = E

Less than 10 = F

This is roughly the conversion, I will put both ratings in every review I post. Hope everything is clearer!





In questo post voglio spiegare il mio sistema di valutazione. Il punteggio massimo è 30 e vi sono 4 categorie di cui tenere conto.

Prodotto: Questa categoria può ricevere un massimo di 15 punti ed è quella che conta di più. Indica quanto mi è piaciuto il prodotto in questione.

Rapporto Qualità/Prezzo: Questa categoria può ricevere un massimo di 8 punti. Non è detto che un rossetto Essence riceva un punteggio maggiore di un rossetto Dior. Non confronterei mai i due. Ciò che voglio specificare è che il confronto avviene tra prodotti simili in prezzo e qualità, ad esempio Dior e Chanel.

Facilità di utilizzo: Massimo 4 punti, non è una categoria importante. In genere non ha molto peso per me ma vi possono essere prodotti così scomodi da usare e poco pratici da impedirmi di apprezzarli pienamente e quindi da usarli spesso. 

Packaging: Sempre 4 punti massimo, non ha molto peso. Se adoro un prodotto lo utilizzerò a prescindere dal packaging. 

Punteggio totale: Massimo 30, da 27 a 30 per me ha valore di un Holy Grail product (per chi non lo sapesse, Holy Grail, o HG, è IL prodotto, quello che preferite in assoluto e di cui  non potete fare a meno. 

Essence Stay All Day Concealer - Review and Swatches

Who doesn't need concealers? Definitely not me! Having been "blessed" with hereditary raccoon dark circles under my eyes I am always on the lookout for something that will cover them. I actually have a Holy Grail concealer and it's not this one...but the thing is, my HG concealer, while working wonders to even out skin tone and make blemishes, little scars and the likes simply disappear, doesn't work wonders for my under eye circles. It's very very VERY good but they're still visible. Although at this point I honesly don't think I'll ever find a concealer which completely covers my beautifully black under eye circles. I am tempted to try Benefit's Boi-ing...should I indulge? Anyway, I will be reviewing my HG concealer soon!

Back to the real review, Essence "Stay all day" concealer.

The facts

It promises 16 hours of perfect coverage. That is a very ambitious claim. In fact, an almost impossible one. I still haven't found a concealer which lasts 16 hours and this one is no exception. It's good but i'd say it lasts about 8 hours tops. Then again, it's about 3€ which is an incredible bargain considering the quality and quantity of the product.

This is what Essence claims: Put an end to tired eyes! The new long-lasting concealer with light-reflecting pigments is a true magician that makes dark circles under your eyes, redness and dark shadows disappear to give you a fresh, radiant look! Thanks to the creamy, soft texture, it is easy to apply evenly – giving you a smooth complexion that lasts for up to 16 hours.

This concealer comes housed in a plastic lipgloss-looking tube with a doe foot applicator. The packaging is very essential but I like it because it means I don't have to worry about it getting battered. Regarding the applicator...as Urban Decay Primer Potion fans know, the doe foot applicator always brings woe! It's impossible to get all of the product so eventually the tube has to be cut open. However, since the product only costs about 3€, it's not so big of a deal (obviously not the case with UDPP).





One thing that can be annoying for darker girls is lack of shade selection. There are unfortunately only two shades available: "10-natural beige" and "20-soft beige". They are both - surprise surprise - beige!! I specify this because on the essence website "soft beige" looks quite pink. It's not and you'll see this in a moment since it's the colour I chose! Note: I have olive skin and the "soft beige" colour works very well on me (when I'm not tanned). I chose this shade because the yellow undertones help counteract the purple in undereye circles (purple and yellow are opposite on the colour wheel). The "natural beige" shade is lighter.

The texture is quite creamy but still not too thick. Because of this it comes off quite sheer. This is not a heavy duty, full coverage concealer. This is a light, creamy liquid which brightens up your eye area while giving sheer coverage. I love the fact that it feels as if I'm not wearing anything and it works quite well when I've gotten enough sleep. Granted, my dark circles are still there but they've become my signature look (if you can't kill them join them!) and I don't like extremely heavy coverage since it tends to cake. There is no scent or fragrance which is a plus for me; I don't love scented makeup although I put up with it in certain cases (e.g Benefit Coralista)



Fast forward to exam periods...very little sleep...lots and lots of never-ending law textbooks..result? BLACK circles. Not dark. Black. This concealer doesn't do it for me during those terrible times. So I either skip concealer outright (thinking maybe the professors will take the black circles as proof of hard studying....) or resort to layering concealers (usually my HG concealer as base and this one on the top) which gives a decent result. Not terribly bright or awake looking but not"I-haven't-slept-in-a-week-look"  either. You get 7 ml of product for 3€ (considering that about 30% is wasted if you don't cut the tube open, I'd say it's more like 5ml for 3€). It's still quite a bargain and it won't hurt your wallet if you decide to try it and then end up hating it.

Here's a little experiment I did: I had a little redness on my hand due to a previous swatch of Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain in Frenzy so I tried to cover it with the essence concealer. Here are the results!







As you can see it covers a bit of the redness but not all of it. So this is not a good concealer for anyone who suffers from skin redness or rosacea.

In conclusion...

Pros:

• The price
• Light texture
• Small packaging
• Doesn't cake
• No scent/fragrance
• Buildable coverage
• Practical applicator

Cons:

• Very limited shade choice (only two)
• Impossible to get all the product out using the doe foot applicator

Final verdict

This is becoming my go to concealer for the undereye area because of the practical applicator and small packaging which is perfect to carry in your bag or even your pocket. It's not Holy Grail material but it's a good find and one I feel you should try out for yourself.

Product: 12/15
Value: 7/7

Ease of use: 4/4

Packaging: 3/4

Overall: 26/30 (A-)

Disclaimer: I bought this with my own money and this is my honest opinion.

Cargo Eyeshadow Duo in Oregon - Review and Swatches

Here I am again with a new review, this time of an eyeshadow duo. I got this yesterday at a sale at Sephora. I'm not sure what the full price is (I think it's about 15-20 €/20$) but I paid it 5 € on sale.

The facts

What Cargo says: CARGO eyeshadows have long been a pro-artist favorite. Silky, blendable, and and layerable, the formulations provide gorgeous, sheer color that can be built up to the desired intensity.  

Is it true? We'll see in a moment.

One minor annoyance with the packaging is that you can't see the colour through the packaging and the cardboard box it comes in doesn't tell you either. Which is fine IF there are testers around. If there aren't, you need to open it. And the fact that they were on sale means that a zillion people opened it to see the colour. And one of these zillion didn't put the tin in the right packaging; my box says "Omaha", which still doesn't tell me anything about the actual colours. The duo inside was actually in Oregon and seeing as I looooove golden/khaki/olive shadows (e.g. Mac Sumptuous Olive), I decided to give this a try.

Cargo eyeshadows come in small metal tins; you can't screw on the top, it kind of just sits on the bottom half of the tin. I both like and dislike this packaging. I think it's sturdy and cute but I really hope that:

a) it won't rust in the future

b) it won't pop open in my bag and coat everything with an olive-gold sheen.

The tin contains 1.5 g x 2 and really looks like it will last a long time. The colours are absolutely gorgeous and so flattering if you have brown eyes!



The colours are very pigmented and have excellent staying power. I forgot to take my make-up off and wore both to a 2 hour dance class yesterday. Middle of July, boiling heat, lots of sweat and movement and lots of wiping with a towel...yes I know, not a very attractive picture, but you know what? It stayed there without creasing or smudging, through the whole two hours, looking untouched at the end of it (my face on the other hand was a bright brick red so I can't say the same for blush and foundation because I couldn't actually see them anymore). I wasn't even wearing primer underneath! However, I don't have oily lids so eyeshadows don't usually crease or smudge on me. But still, I was impressed!!

You get twice as much product with this as a Mac or Urban Decay full size eyeshadow and I can surely say that the quality is fantastic! The texture is smooth and they both blend like a dream. The finish is not matte but not glittery either. It's a little shimmery but not over the top. All in all I'd say this is a must have for golden/olive eyeshadow lovers! I will update if I see any rust on the tin or if it explodes in my bag..other than these preoccupations, I love love LOVE this eyeshadow. I honestly can't see myself running out of this seeing as the pan is so big so I don't think I'll ever need to repurchase!



In conclusion...

Pros:

• Great pigmentation
• Lots of product for the price
• Two colours in one very portable, tiny tin!
• Excellent staying power
• Doesn't crease or smudge
• Cute sturdy packaging

Cons:

• The tin might rust or pop open in your bag
• No mirror (if you are a mirror lover!)

Final verdict

This is an excellent eyeshadow with great texture and great pigmentation. I love it and find myself using it a lot!

Product: 15/15

Value: 7/7

Ease of Use: 4/4

Packaging: 3/4

Overall: 29/30 (A)

Hope you enjoyed this!

More pictures and swatches....!!

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Disclaimer: Yes I bought this. No this was not sent to me.