Top 12 Beauty Products of 2012

Since 2012 is drawing to an end I thought that a post about the products I discovered and loved the most this year would be very appropriate. 2012 was a great year beauty wise because I managed to discover a lot of products which have now become some of my staples and which I will probably use for years to come.Therefore, here are my top 12 beauty products of 2012!

 

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette. This is literally the best makeup palette I have ever used. I am a huge fan of natural/ neutral looks so this palette is perfect for me. The eyeshadows have some really beautiful shades and are of great quality.

 

2. Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation. 2012 was the year I've found the perfect foundation for my skin. It fuses so well with  my skin tone, it is really light and it leaves a natural and soft finish.

 

3. Dior blush in Sunkissed Cinnamon.  Satin texture, peachy bronze shade, beautiful finish...what's not to love about this blush?

 

4. Benefit They're Real Mascara. I've read mixed reviews about this mascara, so I was really eager to try it. And when I did...I loved it! I didn't find it clumpy at all, it gave my lashes great volume and length while carefully separating them. I will definitely keep repurchasing it.

 

5. YSL Touch Eclait. Back in summer I gave in and bought my first Touch Eclait and I'm happy I did because I really like it. It brightens by under eye area without making it look cakey or unnatural.

 

6. Sephora lipstick in shade CO7. I love Sephora lipsticks because they have a very soft and hydrating texture. And since 2012 was a very berry coloured year I couldn't pass the opportunity of buying a lipstick in this particular shade. It has a versatile colour because you can either apply it until your lips look rather dark and intense or you can apply it with your fingers so that you will obtain the "just bitten lips" effect.

 

7. Bioderma cleanser. This is one great makeup remover, because it cleans the skin really well, it doesn't make my eyes sore and it leaves my face really revitalised and fresh.

 

8. Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci. Fragrance wise this year I've fallen in love with this sweet and subtle scent from Gucci.

 

9. Syoss hair repair mask. I love this hair mask so much. It strengthens my hair a lot and it gives it great texture and volume. I use it once a week or once every other week (depending on my mood and the state of my hair) on wet hair and leave it for only two or three minutes to do its magic.

 

10. Carmex lip balm. Because I have sensible lips, lip balms are really necessary to me; and in my opinion Carmex is the best lip balm I've ever tried. It's very hydrating and I also use it as a base for my lipstick.

 

11. Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner. This is the best black eyeliner out there, it doesn't smudge, it lasts the whole day and it is really intense.

 

12. Sally Hansen nail polishes. I'm really happy I've discovered this nail polish brand, because they have a great variety of beautiful shades with a good staying power (my favourite shade so far is Greige Gardens - the one in the above photo).

 

So these have been my top 12 beauty products which I loved the most this year. I hope you liked this post and you've been inspired to try new products :)

 

Lots of love x

Christmas Gift Guide

Can you believe that December is already here? I can't believe we are only a few weeks away from Christmas! And since we are all looking for the perfect Christmas gift for our dear ones, I though that I should dedicate this post entirely to Christmas gift ideas for all budgets. So sit comfortably and go through the selection of gifts I've put below because you might just find the perfect gift idea for your mum, sister or best friend!

1. Ciate Caviar Limited Edition Manicure - £18 from ASOS (but I've also seen it at Sephora). This year has been all about statement nails, so why not buy your sister or best friend a kit for the most amazing party nails?

 

2. Accessorize wallet - £17 here or at your local Accessorize store. I think that an elegant wallet makes a perfect gift. I chose this one due to its lovely blush shade and the golden bow detail.

 

 

3. Make-up palettes - What girl doesn't love make-up palettes with countless options to choose from when creating the most interesting looks?

Sephora limited edition make-up palette (around 25 Euros) - you can find this in pretty much any Sephora out there.

Sleek "Oh So Special" make-up palette (around 10 Euros). My Romanian readers can find this palette on  The Makeup Shop

Too Faced limited edition palette - £19.00 from ASOS, but you can also find it in Sephora

Stila Limited Edition Large Snowflake Eye Shadow Palette With FREE Mascara - £29.50 from ASOS

 

4. "Courtesan " from Amazon. I already did a short review of this book a few months ago, so if you saw it, you probably know how much I enjoyed reading this book. It is beautifully written and it will keep you on the edge of your sits until the last pages. And what woman doesn't enjoy a wonderful love story like the one between the famous courtesan Diane de Poitiers and Henry II of France? (for my Romanian readers, you can find this book at your local Diverta)

 



5. Love jumper - £40 from Inlovewithfashion. What other colours scream festive season than white and red. This jumper from Love is a great option to wear not only on Christmas Day or during the festive season but also in the months to come since it has such a beautiful girlie design and it's so soft and comfortable.

 

 

6. Clarins skin care kit (around 45 Euros). I think that skin care kits are a great gift for our mums and not only, because what women does not want to have perfect looking skin? Again, you can find skin care kits from a multitude of brands in your local Sephora.

 



 7. The perfect party dress - £48 pounds from Topshop. If I were to receive the perfect dress for the upcoming Christmas parties or New Year's Eve, this would be it. The design and the embroidery are wonderful and I think that this is the type of black dress you will wear for years to come.

 

 

 8. Nina Ricci perfume set (around 60 Euros). Whether you choose to buy just the perfume or an entire set, any girl would love to receive her favourite fragrance for Christmas. You can find these types of sets in every Sephora or online.

 

 

9.  Pandora bracelet - For the ones with a bigger Christmas budget, a Pandora bracelet would be an amazing gift to offer to your girlfriend or your sister. The idea behind Pandora jewellery is really interesting and the charms are all beautifully designed.

10. The perfect black bag. I literally don't know a single woman who doesn't love bags. So if your budget allows you, a classic black leather bag would be the perfect gift for those bag obsessed ladies out there. You can find this one here.

So these were my suggestions for the perfect Christmas gifts; needless to say, these are only some ideas meant to inspire you, I did not try to imply that you should buy exactly the gifts I've mention above since there are many other things you can buy for Christmas.

 

I hope you've enjoyed this post and if you have some other gift suggestions please leave them in the comments box below so I can read them and get inspired! Happy Christmas shopping everyone!



November Through My Phone

Hello loves! As November is coming to an end I decided to show you how this month has been for me by means of the pictures I managed to snap with my phone during these past weeks. November has been a great and extremely busy month for me. I just love months like this when I always have something to do because I am full of energy and I have the feeling that I am not waisting any moment of my life. It's a great feeling and I wish more months could be like this! 

 

I couldn't start the month without a trip to the countryside to visit my adorable cats. I am a major cat lover and I enjoy spending time with these two little monsters so much.

 

My favourite makeup products this month// My first Pandora bracelet which my boyfrind bought me as a present for my nameday this month

 

Getting off the plane in Brussels// Eating mussels with fries; this is a traditional dish in Belgium yum!

 

Christmas has already came in Brussels! Many of the sweet shops were beautifully decorated as seen above x



 Some of the gorgeous gowns exhibited at the Costume Museum in Brussels

 

 Delicious dishes I ate at a gorgeous restaurant in Brussels called Drug Opera; left: Cordon Bleu and right: salmon fillet with Bearnaise sauce

 

 New winter coat from Zara (ignore the dumb face). I love the golden details and the furry collar// My first Bioderma bottle; I'm really excited to try it!

 

 The December issue of British Glamour// Santa came early for me with this amazing new pair of tan boots; I don't want to take them off!

 

Leonidas chocolates, the most delicious chocolates in the world!// I wanted to buy this book written by Catherine Delors from the moment I've read Melanie's review on her blog, although I don't understand why they've given it such a cheesy title in Romanian (Love and Blood). The original title is Mistress of the Revolution and yes, the action is set on the eve of the French Revolution :D Can't wait to read it! 



 That's it for my November round up! I hope you also had a beautiful month and that the month to come will be filled with wonderful and special moments! x 

  

Guerlain "Lingerie de Peau" Foundation Review

Every year I used to switch my foundation because I wasn't pleased with any of them, whether they were from the high street or from more expensive brands. Fortunately for me, I believe I have finally found my holly grail foundation, namely Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau in the shade 03 - Beige Naturel. This is an amazing product, it feels really light on the skin, while giving it a natural and healthy finish. This foundation has a light towards medium coverage, but it is buildable, thus if you want to hide some imperfections you can apply another layer without worrying it would look like a mask. The result is a beautiful, radiant and natural looking skin.

 

I think that the foundation has such amazing results because it is build around a formula of skin-infusion, which means that this foundation blends in the texture of your skin, offering you the "second skin" effect. I really love the name they came up with - Lingerie de Peau; I think it really captures the essence of this product: as light and soft as a lingerie.

I should probably add that this foundation has SPF 20 and it can be quite hydrating, thus making it very comfortable to wear. Furthermore, it has a great staying power and it tends to keep my T-zone under control; my face can look a bit oily after a few hours of wearing make-up, but this particular foundation really reduces the sebum production and the shine effect.

However, because this is a light and transparent foundation I don't think it is suited for a skin with problems which needs more coverage. Furthermore, it is really pricey (around 45 Euros). Is it worth it then, you may ask? I would say definitely yes, because it leaves you with a perfect looking skin. But, as I said in many of my reviews, this is my personal opinion of the product and I describe how it works on me. This is why I think that the best thing to do is to ask for a sample and try it at home before purchasing it.

I hope this review has been helpful x

Vichy Idealia Review

I've been using Vichy's Idealia face cream for about 3 weeks and I think it's about time I did a proper review. I absolutely love it! I've been looking for a good face cream for a few years and now I'm happy to say that I have finally found it!

I should start by saying that Idealia is built around a star ingredient, namely Kombucha extract, which is said to "even skin texture and complexion while smoothing wrinkles, creating thus an ideal skin". It also contains Vitamin E and thermal Vichy water.

What I love most about it is the fact that after I apply it in the morning my skin looks instantly radiant and feels really fresh. I think this happens due to the pinkish colour of the cream which I believe reflects the light, hence the radiant skin effect. Furthermore, it has a gorgeous fruity smell, it is very hydrating and  it's easily absorbed into the skin, so you don't have to worry about any excess left on your face that will make your skin look oily during the day. Another thing I like about Idealia is the fact that it evened and softened the appearance of my skin over time. But I have to add here that I don't have any major skin problems or discolouration except for a few spots now and then (I have a normal skin type), therefore I cannot predict its efficiency on a skin with acne problems or scars. But, being such a good face cream (at least in my opinion) it may have some positive results.

Moreover, after I apply my foundation, my skin doesn't lose its glow as it is the case with other illuminating face creams. On the contrary, my face looks radiant, healthy and fresh the entire day. I also noticed that this cream tends to control the sebum production around my T-zone, hence another bonus point.  

Vichy Idealia is available for dry skin and normal/combination skin, but it's also suitable for sensitive skin and it's paraben free.

I know this will sound like a huge cliche but Idealia is truly an ideal cream for me. It has improved my skin's quality in only a few days and for the first time I can see clearly the benefits of a product: radiant, even skin, which feels fresh and hydrated throughout the day. I'm really impressed :)

Have you tried it? Take care x

Recent beauty purchases

I'm so excited to have finally found all of the beauty products I've been eyeing for quite some time. The products I'm most excited about are Vichy's Idealia face cream and Caudalie's Beauty Elixir. I will do a proper review in the next few weeks but up to this point I am more than pleased with both of them. I am so pleased when I find skincare products that actually do their job!

Besides these two, I've bought a slimming gel from Gerovital because summer is near and I want to prep my legs for short shorts and dresses, a hair mask from Syoss, a face scrub from Bioten and my trusty Carmex lip balm. Besides the slimming gel, the other products are regulars in my face care and hair care routine, so there's nothing new under the sun.

The last two things I've bought are not beauty products, but the British and Spanish editions of Glamour magazine. I can't wait to read them since I find them much more interesting than the Romanian edition.

Have you tried any of these products? Any thoughts?

Take care x