Herome Mint Polish Mini

I was at a Douglas couple weeks ago,in the search for hand lotion if I remember well. But as it always happens with me,I end up getting some sort of nail polish at the end of any trip.
This one was an obvious marketing trap. I saw it,I acknowledged it,I went for it: A cute bowl of minis sitting there at the register.
What was I supposed to do,ignore it? That would have been rude!
That's when I saw a little mint polish staring at me. It would have been even more disrespectful to not glance back...and then it was need at first sight.

The little polish was a Herome polish. Herome is a dutch brand of natural nail polishes. I don't know yet what the generally accepted definition of "natural nail polish" is. It could be because they are water based,or because they use non chemical or bio-degradable ingredients and are Toluene,Dbp and Formaldehyde free...or all of the above. There is no list of ingredients on the bottle so that I can confirm it.


They don't seem to name their minis,so since this one falls under the "mint" category,I will call it just that.

 

What I can tell you though is that it is the polish that has stayed on my nails longest without chipping. After a week of perfect condition I took it off because I wanted to put a new color on my nails,but I do suspect that it would have gone on looking great for another couple of days.

All in all,I'm pretty impressed with it.The only thing was,it needed 3 coats to look good,which is one more than I usually do,but it wasn't too much of a hassle so I'll go with it.

All Natural: Quick Beauty Fixes!

Beauty does not only mean "What products can I put on to mask imperfections?". It means caring for yourself in such a way that you will be healthy and that it can reflect on the outside.
We all know that saying about beauty coming from the inside but the process of getting that inner balance can take a while. It is also 100% worth it,so never back away from it just because it isn't a quick fix!

We also know that today,the "quick fix" is a global favorite,so I decided to show you some great quick fixes that I use. And the best part about it: THEY'RE ALL NATURAL!

Let's start with EYES

I have a tendency of getting tired eyes really fast and really often and I also get dark circles under them. The problem is,when my eyes get tired,a headache is just around the corner.
But worry not! For I have found the quickest and most effective fix for it. And when I say quick I mean INSTANTLY !

Meet The Cucumber.
This young fellow cools,calms,reduces puffiness and dark circles. Perfect you say? Pretty much!
For me,it really is the one thing that is guaranteed to work.

Slap on two slices and you're ready to go. I like to cut them progressively thinner,from edge to middle,so that the side you put exactly under your eyelid is thinner and stays on more comfortably. Like so:

We move on to the FACE

Whenever I have some time,I cut a slice of fruit and rub it all over my face. It's a fast face mask and it is 100% natural,organic and vegan. Can't get any better,can it?
Just leave it on for 10-20 minutes (even more if you have the time) , then rinse with water and gently dry your face.

My fruit of choice is The Mango.
It is absolutely packed with vitamins ( The antioxidant Vitamin A and C, plus Vitamins B1,B2,B5,B6,B9 ) And it's suitable for any skin type. My skin is fairly dry and sensitive and I can tell you for a fact that it loves the mango. My face and Mango are potential bff's.

Cut a slice and rub it all over your face. Your skin will look healthier and in case you were pale,you will get a nice color correction from it too,leaving you looking less white and more sun kissed.Quick fix or what?!

Now to show some love to the HAIR


You might not know this,but there is one thing out there that can work as doping for your hair,giving it vitamins and nutrients and leaving it strengthened and shiny.
I bet you have no idea you probably even had it for breakfast!

Wanna know what it is? Coffee!

Yes,you heard me! Coffee and your hair will get along very, very well.

Here's what you have to do:

- Make about one cup of coffee and let it cool before using it. It doesn't need to be cold,just not as hot as to burn your skin

- Take it with you to the shower :)

- Do your regular hair washing routine (shampoo,conditioner, etc) and rinse

- When you are done and have finished your shower, pour the cup of coffee over your hair

- DO NOT RINSE OFF!  You have to leave it in your hair. It is the crowing moment of your hair routine.

- Dry your hair off. If you are doing it with a towel,make sure you use one of a darker color, as the coffee in your hair is likely to leave some stains on white towels.

- Enjoy your new brilliantly strengthened hair!

I'll also do another post soon about how coffee can make your skin look amazing,so stay tuned!

Last but not least, THE ALL-ROUNDERS

I think we've all heard about this one and we've all used it on one way or another: 

Olive Oil

Nature's little all-round miracle.

I use it on my face as a moisturizer (sometimes combined with other oils also), on my nails for strengthening (they need love too), on my hair, also for moisturizing (but use small amounts,or your hair will be greasy even after you wash it off) and of course on my salad.

Just make sure it is cold pressed and bio olive oil. This really is one thing you should pay more for, as it guarantees quality,and that is something you need if you're gonna use it all over your body

One more thing you might not know about it it has a natural SPF(Sun Protection Factor).

Of course,it is not a high SPF.Olive oil has one of the lowest (raspberry  and carrot seed oil having one of the highest,raspberry between 28 and 50 and the carrot seed oil between 38 and 40), so don't go to the Mediterranean and sit in the sun with only olive oil rubbed on you.

But it can help you get a nice tan in the spring sun and it also keeps your skin from drying out. I also occasionally use it as a body lotion,but only when I have enough time to let it sink into my skin.

Another all-round product I very much enjoy is Majoram

 

This yummy spice is full of Vitamin C,D and B3 and tastes insanely good in cooked foods and salads!

What you can also do is make an infusion (aka tea:put dried leafs in hot but not boiling water and leave them for 5 minutes). You can either drink it and get some inner benefits like better circulation,or you can use it as a face wash. It's really effective in calming your skin down if it's itchy or just feels uncomfortable.

Hope you've enjoyed this first natural post and learned some new things. I have some more natural tips for you that I can share in a future post.

Stay healthy!

Polka Dot Nails and What To Do When You Own No Dotting Tool

Couple days ago I got two very cute polishes. One was THIS the other one was a pretty pastel pink. Obviously I had to try it on,and as I saw it on my nails I knew it needed little polka dots to make it perfect.

The problem was,I own no dotting tool and was wondering what I can use instead.And then,I saw what was going to be the life saving device. I'm gonna get back to it in a sec,but first I'll show you the finished product:

Mi-Ny in Dali

I like to stare at them,they make me feel so pretty 

And now,I want to ask : do you wish to know what made these polka dots happen? Here you go:

 

That's right,my eyebrow brush!

The bottom of it is perfectly rounded and serves its purpose very well.Just dip it in some nail polish you put on a paper and then tap it on your nails.It will leave a lovely dot. I suggest you do it with the brush slightly inclined and not exactly with the tip of the bottom as it will give you more security in maneuvering it.

So in case you want dots and have no tools,I recommend it! :)

Please Read : Little Technical Problem

Guys,I am so so sorry!
I've had so many nice people follow me and that I want to follow back but for the past 36 hours I get this message whenever trying to add a blog  :(

First up I want you to know,as soon as this is solved,I will follow everyone I'm owing it to! I feel so bad for not being able to!

Secondly,anyone have an idea what this is? I've contacted Blogger...and now we wait. But maybe one of you knows if it's fixable or if it's temporary and will get solved... Any suggestion can help.

The New Kids On The Block!

I've been doing some purchasing lately and figured I'd share some with you.
They'll all get their spotlight but here's the big bunch.

First up,the polishes,which are mostly pastel and awesome for summer:

We have Manhattan,Rival de Loop,Catrice and my new discovery: Mi-Ny.
They'll all have their turn on the blog,and I have already started with the ambiguous Grey/Blue from Mi-Ny HERE


Then we've got the face masks.I'm  a bit nuts for them...clearly

And last but not least, goodies for the bath.I'm gonna tell you more about the soaps,especially about the Adzuki Bean one soon,because it is simply amazing! Of course,I'll be swooning about the gorgeous smells of the rest of  the products too.They can't be ignored!

 

That's it for now. Stay tuned for the detailed reports! :)

Mi-Ny: Glam F. Blue

We interrupt our program for a special message that is about how I found a whole big nail polish store at the mall yesterday and almost had a happiness stroke!
The brand is MiNy or Mi-Ny (I'm still unsure about the hyphen). They're an italian brand that has everything my little polish addicted heart desires. Obviously I couldn't leave the store empty handed,so I got the first two polishes that I remembered I was missing. Let it be said,they have so so so so many colors!

Today,I present you : Glam F. Blue
I initially grabbed it because I thought it was grey but then I saw the lovely blue shiny particles in it and was hooked.

Here's a better view of how the blue particles shine. They are less visible as such on the nail,but overall,you get a very icy look,with slight blue reflexes and me likey a lot!

As you can see,they are free of Toluene,Formaldehyd,Dbp and Camphor.Plus points!

My Recent Most Used Products

Been a way a bit due to a very extensive roadtrip and because I was asked for a picture of the products I use most,I thought I would share them with you too.

I'll do a more extensive post about my daily and favorite products but here's my most used right now. Keeping it simple in very warm summer days is essential to me.

We have:

Sephora Lipstick R20
Catrice Gel Eyeliner
China Glaze Liquid Crystal
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara  ( that I did a proper post and swooned about HERE )
L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer/Illuminator (I use it as an illuminator to be honest )

BBloggersunite Blog Hop!

Couple days ago,I stumbled upon BBloggersunite a really awesome blog with the idea of bringing beauty bloggers together.
They also do a Blog Hop,which makes it even easier for beauty bloggers to find each other.So now I'm gonna be participating in it too.

The rules of BBU Blog Hop are very simple:

♥ Follow our blog through GFC (or Hello Cotton)

♥ Follow our host, the lovely Lola from LolaStarHearts.

♥ Add our button to your sidebar, or do a blog post about our Blog Hop.

♥ Follow at least three new blogs & leave comment to tell them you found them through BBU Blog Hop

♥ Follow back blogs that have followed you!

Optional

♥ Leave a comment if you’d like us to follow your blog

Here's the original post and the blogs that are already doing it:
BBloggers Blog Hop

Get searchin' and get followin' ! :)

Favorite Blue

Long time no nails,don't you think?
And this is coming from a nail fanatic,so it must be long.
The following polish is one that I came across by a complete accident. I saw it on someone's nails and asked what it was.When she said it was Golden Rose I figured I should look for and get one myself.
And may I just say,I was surprised in so many ways!
First up,the formula is great. I do know that with Golden Rose polishes you kinda get a hit or miss situation since I had tried one before and was not too impressed.

The color is beautiful and it has the best sheen I have ever seen! Not to mention the fact that it stays on for days on end without even the slightest indication of its desire to chip.

Golden Rose don't give names to their polishes,just numbers.So this is Golden Rose No.53

 And here you have it,my favorite blue:

 

Here's something for next time; a combo of this polish and a lovely blue glitter from W7 that I love wearing.

Pictures will be coming very soon!

No Photoshop was used in the making of this post :)

Happy Faces : Dr. van der Hoog Mango and Melon Face Mask

Melon and Mango,I can almost feel  a tiny craving setting in. Luckily this mask is not for eating (but oh how I wish it was!)
I recently bought some Dr.van der Hoog face masks to see what they can do and what my face would think.I'd been using a mud mask every now and then,but my skin is fairly dry and mud tends to dry it out a bit more.
I got these 3 masks and decided to give one of them a try

 

The choice fell on the mango melon.This one is for sensitive skin and  I had just gotten back from swimming where the sun decided it was time to give me a proper tan .

Because the mask says that it works very well as an "apres-soleil" aka "after sun" treatment,it made the choice that much easier.

It says you have to apply it on your clean skin,avoiding the eyes and mouth area (much like with any mask) and let it sink in for 5 to 10 minutes,then rinse it off with water. I let it have the full 10 minutes :)

It's a transparent mask,so pictures of my face with it on would have just shown a girl with shiny skin,nothing too interesting.
The content of one pack can be easily used for 3-4 masks,if not more. I've used it twice now and there's still plenty left. Stored it in the fridge for safer keeping.

The Result:My skin liked it a lot! And my skin is very picky. It really felt like it had been given a boost of vitamins and it did not dry out at all!

Here's also a look at the ingredients,in case you were wondering

And there's the Parabens,which isn't a good thing when it comes to your face.

Happy Hair: Montagne Jeunesse hair mask

Here's what I did the other day:

This is a 2-step mask where one is the mask itself and the other is a shine serum that is supposed to make your hair super alive and sparkly

The smell is just delicious. Has something chocolaty about it but very subtle,yet I was tempted to taste some.

My problem is always the fact that I purposely ignore the fact that my hair is indeed not dry and try to moisturize it excessively with masks like this. The mask works,obviously and so does the shine serum. But if you moisturize hair that is not dry,you might end up with greasy looking hair. Clearly,I moisturized it! :)
But my ends look beautiful,so it does what it promises.

The Days Of The Crackle Polish

A long time ago,in 2011,I was in my crackle polish phase. I even transmitted the bug to some of my friends.They ended up with a bigger crackle polish collection than me.To be honest,I was very proud of myself for being so efficient in inducing obsessions.

But a couple of days ago,I was going through some old photo folders and found this photo:

(Click to enlarge)

And I must say,I still think this is the best crackle combo I have had on my nails.The base is this wonderful bronze shade with golden reflexes from Catrice called In the Bronx , topped off with OPI's Black Shatter.
I think it's a good combo,don't you?

Cosmic Black

A while ago I got a bunch of W7 glitters,including Cosmic Black. It fascinated me because it was,well...black. Black glitter you say? Tres interesting!
It ended up being more silver glitter in black grainy base,but still fascinating.

 

As you can see (click on the pic to enlarge.If I post it bigger,it doesn't fit in nicely in the layout anymore),it has a bit of a grainy texture.It reminded me of pitch or bitumen.I could almost envision a potential highway being built on top of it.

It's a pretty interesting polish,and like the Gold Dazzle before it,it stays on your nails quite a while,since it's not jelly based. The feel is something to get used to though,because even with top coat,it keeps some of the the graininess,so don't expect extra smooth stuff.

My First Time Doing Water Marble Nails and What I've Learned

Here's the story of me trying out this lovely thing called "Water Marbling". Tutorials have been around for ages now and  a search for it on Youtube gets you a ton of pretty results.
So I decided to give it a shot. What I've learned from this experiment is:
1. Use polishes that are really liquid or else they won't spread around in the water.Ideally you should test the ones you want to use before you use them,it's not fun to have one color that doesn't want to move ruin the pattern.
2. Never use water that is warmer than room temperature.
3. Move fast when you're using a toothpick or any sharp tool to make the patterns. Especially the outer layers will dry fast and might break the design.
4. Depending on colors you use,always have a layer of polish on your nails already (preferably white). The colors in the water tend to be a bit transparent and won't show on your bare nail too much.
5. Make sure your base color is dry,or you might end up with smudges.
6. Bubbles will appear if you don't stick your finger in the water in a very decisive manner.
and one more updated tip
7.Make sure you drop the polish in the water fast,because if it gets a bit dry hanging on the tip of the brush,it won't spread in the water

The result could be better,but since I've learned the 5 things above,I think it's a wonderful thing it doesn't look worse. I'll keep doing them,and I'll show you some more soon,which I'm sure will look better.

And here is the great unveil:

I used China Glaze Hang-Ten Toes from their Summer Neons and Golden Rose No.53

Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara

The time has come to swoon over Eyeko. As I mentioned,I had gotten my order from them a couple days a go and I was very impressed when I saw they threw in an extra FAT Eye Stick in petrol blue,which by the way,is super creamy and easy to apply and work with.Blue eye liners may not be my thing,but I might give this one a shot. And as I  was saying in my other post,I find their packaging so so cute!

I ordered this mainly because I am obsessed with fibre mascara. I love fibre because it makes my lashes feel naked,and not heavy at all. It also gives them a natural look and it's good for them. What can you want more? After my favorite MAC Mascara got discontinued,I started searching for a replacement and so I got to Eyeko.
Thus came the time to test!

The mascara came with an Eyeko Shield.It helps the application and prevents smudges on your lid.And so it did.
This is the little magic tool. I might try to use it as a guitar pick too,just to see if it works :p

 


Here's the magic mascara.

 

It's called Fat Brush for a reason.That brush is really fat! The downside is that it takes some getting used to in maneuvering it.For the record,it is the biggest brush I've dealt with so far,but thanks to the Eyeko Shield (which I'm gonna need some training with too,before I use it to its full potential) it does manage to cover the entire lash,even the tinier fraction amongst it.

And here's the moment we've all been waiting for: What does it look on your lash? Well,this is what it looks like:

You also get this handy guide to what their Mascara range does,contains and what their brushes look like.

 

All in all,I like it! It gives my lashes the natural look I was aiming for,keeps them feeling super light and long. Gonna need to get used to the brush,but once I do,I'm sure my lashes are gonna look even fluffier.

You can order the Fat Brush Mascara on The Eyeko Website

Eyeko has landed!

I am super excited! My Eyeko order is here! Eyeko makes some great mascaras and ever since my favorite mascara got discontinued (I'm gonna post all about my luck with discontinued mascaras), I was researching what could replace it. I got the tip from Eva Chen , beauty editor for Teen Vogue, and thus a reliable source, methinks. Cannot wait to tell you all bout it and show you what it can do,but guys,how super cute is the packaging!

Review to follow very very soon,this was just me being giddy about the pretty thing :)

Striping the Neon

Truth is, I'm obsessed with My New Perfect Neon . Which means I've had a hard time parting from it.So I decided to make it a weee bit interesting and play with it.

When I will be able,I will part with it for a day to show you some glitters,promise!
But til then:  Stripes!

If you'd like,I can also do a tutorial on getting them stripes on.But I can tell you now,all you need is tape :)

Gorgeous Nail Of The Day: China Glaze Liquid Crystal

Oh my goodness,this is beyond gorgeous! I am completely impressed with this polish.It is from the China Glazed Prismatic collection and it's called Liquid Crystal. And what a fitting name it is! Looking at it,you really get the feeling that your nails are bedazzled with crystals.My nails at least :)
I will say nothing else and just show you pictures of it because it is quite possibly the best looking glitter polish.

China Glaze Summer Neons : Hang-Ten Toes

Let me start off by saying,I just could not get the 100% actual color on camera.
I could Photoshop it,but I find that to be unfair,so I won't.
This neon is actually a pure Barbie Pink to me. Less neon,but definitely pink. I like it,but not as much as much as this perfect coral neon from China Glaze. That one to me,is borderline radioactive and absolutely the neon I dreamed of finding.
But back to this pretty pink. I'll show you several photos,in several lights. The true color is a mix of them,and much brighter than my camera wanted to photograph.

 

Indoor natural light

 Outdoor natural light 

Indoor natural light with flash

Like I said,the color is much brighter and much more fuchsia than the photos can show.Think the last photo is closest to the truth.
I still like it,it's just not as neon as expected. I usually test it's "neonness" by looking in the mirror and seeing how much my nails pop. Not that much in this case.

It's a really pretty pink that I like owning though.Definitely gonna be using it in the future. But I do have a pink popping neon that I will show you soon!