GIVEAWAY | Bring on the Summer!

Summer is almost here and we all know how much I like having pretty nails for the occasion, so I figured I would treat you to some of my favorite colors for the season! Why I'm doing this giveaway now? Well just to get your nails colored, because there's a bigger one planned for the next milestone I hit, so stay tuned.

This is an INTERNATIONAL Giveaway,  so near and far, you can join for a chance to win these pretty polishes     

                         

What you HAVE TO DO TO WIN:

1. You must follow this blog on GFC or Bloglovin.Or even on both if you want that.
You must follow on one of these platforms, otherwise, when I pick the winner and check the entries, you will be disqualified if you're not a GFC or Bloglovin follower and I'd really hate to do that.

2. You must follow me on Twitter.
You must also follow on Twitter, under @TreasureChestt

3. You must leave a Blog Comment with your Email and the answer to the question.
I need to contact you if you win, right?

For EXTRA ENTRIES ( which means extra chances to WIN)  you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr and Tweet about the Giveaway (including the link to the giveaway).
 The cool thing about Tweeting is that you can do it every day and get more entries (which again,means more winning chances).

PLEASE NOTE:You will NOT be eligible to win if you do not follow on GFC or Bloglovin.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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On My Nightstand | The Flu Edition

The past week or so I've managed to have the privilege of not being able to use my airways to their full extent. What am I saying, I haven't been able to use them at all. That's why, I would like to show you some of the things that have been keeping me good company during this time.

Tissues and lots of 'em! As you can see I stacked up quite a bit, but by now I've use them so much that my brain hurts from the intense nose blowing. Speaking of noses, one cannot survive without the nose drops. I'd like to tell you more about the miraculous teal drops but all I know is the doctor has spoken and I listened. Then of course, my friend for sinus: Nurofen. I don't like taking pills of any sort, and only grab one in cases of almost certain death or...you know...sinus shattering pain. I can always rely on these pills though to save the day.

In terms of Vitamins, you need them! I chose to chew on Goji Berries because they're the all round miracle fruit. Another favorite have been lemons which I just put in anything I could.

Then, for some breathing help, I dragged along the Mint Essential Oil because it helps with clearing the airways.

And then, finally some "beauty" bits. I had completely forgotten how dehydrated you get when you're sick. My lips have not been this dry for as long as I can remember, but thank God for the Nuxe Reve de Miel , because it is the thickest, most "I wanna stay on!" lip balm I have met.At one point though, the texture started feeling too thick and I switched to the MOA Balm . Now, let me tell you, without this balm I would have been really bad off. Because it has acted as a face cleanser,moisturizer,nose soother from the constant tissue rubbing and lip balm. It contains Tea Tree Oil (among many other great oils) and my skin decided it only wants to have the MOA at one point. The smell was also perfect for a sicko such as myself, as it was both soothing and refreshing. Cleaned my face perfectly and kept it hydrated so well that you couldn't even tell I was sick from just looking at my skin's state. At one point, the thing was actually glowing and I had to take a moment and laugh at the contradiction. I mean, I was suffering there and my skin was just flourishing away.

So now you know what my nightstand currently looks like and what's been keeping me well during this nice time.

                            

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Gradient Dotted Nails

You know what the most underrated nail color usually is? White.
When really, it's the perfect canvas for a super cheery spring manicure. Blue is definitely one of the go-to colors for the sunny seasons so this time, I went a bit ombre on the dots. Yes, we all know I like dots and if you aren't sure yet, you will soon find out.

Another spring (and general) obsession is mint and all variations thereof, so obviously you don't have to ask twice if the opportunity arises to use it.

                             
Now, if you're thinking "yeah, you can pull that off with a dotting tool..." let me assure you, it was all done Toothpick Style. I have yet to find a better thing to make those small dots with so, toothpick, you are being wholeheartedly recommended.





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Week In Pictures # 17

The week that started with a beautiful Monday off ended in quite a rubbish manner, with me attempting to sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time at night due to a pulsating sinus ache, all thanks to the air conditioning at the office that they really seem not to have any intention to fix, even after almost half of my team has so far experienced one form or another of sinus problems. And yes dearest employers, I do hope you read my blog because I may not continue to work for you if this is your attitude towards people's health. This was one sinus pain too much.But on to much better topics: macarons and sunsets!
We've had our share of rain this week, but as it always is, we got sunshine back and awesome weather. Today I also found out we're gonna be having a nice Beauty Forum ( aka fair) with some really nice brands setting up their stands, so can't wait for that. It's been a full o'pics week so we're going to change the usual presentation format a bit,in order to get all the photos in and not making it look too overcrowded.     

 1. Garden in spring,is there anything better? 2. Freshest mint 3. Nail files from Grace I started using
4. Pretty much summer rain 5. Pink and white salt combo 6. Monday off with breakfast in bed

  1. Fluffy feet 2. Superb Sunset Season is back in full force 3. I could spend days with L'erbolario
4. My friend, the new Cumberbatch fan, stuck this on my milk 5. Best house pimping to date
6. Found myself a nice little macaron provider I'm very happy about

 1. A weird croissant,greek yogurt and brie combo I've learned from a friend 2. If you're gonna be sick, at least be comfortable 3. Le favorite macaron:orange. Surprisingly



And that was all for this week, hope next week comes with much more decongested sinuses and even more sunshine!





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The Nude Look

I really like my face to look as natural as possible, that's why I'm probably not going to wear bright popping colors too much.I'm an eyeliner kind of girl for sure. The lips sometimes make the exception but other than that, I like to keep it natural and glowing.

So I figured I'd show you my favorite way to achieve it.

Step one would be picking a base. Now, that's a personal preference but I never wear foundation and if I wear anything, it's either tinted moisturizer or BB Cream. Since I'm slowly starting to get a bit of a tan, I'm also slowly starting to not use even those anymore. I just use a face oil or moisturizer.

On the eyes  I like to wear beige and copper tones, and a favorite is Catrice Oh it's Toffeeful. The other one I really like is still from Catrice and it's called Mr Copper's Fields. I haven't yet found another eyeshadow that tops it. Either the color isn't right or the shimmer is off. Either way, those two are clear winners for me.  Another thing I never go without is the Eyeko Fat Mascara,  that just gives the most luscious long lashes ever. Even just wearing the mascara alone makes your eyes look 10 times more gorgeous.

On the cheeks I like to use a bronzer or a highlighter,or both.The highlighter of choice is the MeMeMe Sunbeam which basically is the perfect dupe for the Benefit one. And then we have the CK Sun Dance Bronzing Powder which is the most natural looking bronzer I have found.

And for the lips  there's the full on nude option of Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse, which is just perfect for my skintone. It is that sexy retro look that when paired with a smokey eye is perfect for a night out too. For the more tame alternative there's the Max Factor Color Elixir Giant Pen in Mysterious Hazel. It's a very grown-up color, at least that's what it looks like on me, but it completes a nude look perfectly, giving that great little addition of color.

What's your usual look? More on the nude side or definitely more dramatic?  

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My Top 10 Spring Polishes with Swatches

Spring is definitely here,heck summer is almost around the corner but that's no problem at all because I'm giving you my Top 10 Spring and Summer shades with the yummiest and most joyful of colors I've been loving on my nails.

                        
If you click on the name of each polish, you will get to see the posts where I've worn this polish. Most of them will have swatches, for the rest, check the pretty SwatchBook below.
From left to right: Mi-Ny Forever Young , China Glaze Surfin' For Boys, OPI Hot & Spicy , China Glaze Hang Ten Toes, Bondi Botanical Beauty , Sally Hansen The Real Teal, Australis Sweetpea, Barry M Mint Green , Essie Mojito Madness and Sally Hansen Yellow Kitty.

In case you missed the post about the Swatch Book, you can check it out HERE and fill it up with your favorite or all of your polishes.

So what do you think? What are your spring nail colors?

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Why We Snack Wrong And How Easy It Can Be Fixed

I was getting a bit hungry and was thinking about making dinner,but it was a bit early for it so I figured, the perfect compromise would mean a snack.
This is where it got tricky.
I realized there were no pretzels, chips, sweets or other tiny edible friends around that could help me with the between meal munchies.
I then realized I was acting ridiculous.
There was a basket full of apples, at least a kilo of bananas and some grapefruit in the kitchen.
Why didn't I even consider including them in the "snack" category? In the end, you're not really hungry, it's that need to eat something and fruit could not only satisfy that urge, but also give me a vitamin boost. God knows we all need one.
And now we're incredibly lucky to get all the fresh fruit and vegetable back.

But I found it a sad reality that our mind never goes to fruit when we think about having a snack and always just jumps to the fat, salty or sweet stuff that isn't doing us any favors.
As some of you might remember from Twitter, I asked what you think of when I say "snack". Chips,crisps,biscuits,chocolate.
Fruit was nowhere to be seen in those Tweets.

I think it's important to switch things up a bit. I'm not saying to cut all fatty treats out of your diet, but try to replace some with fruit. We all get cravings and it's sadistic to suppress them at any and all times.It just makes you demotivated to eat healthy if you're going to deny yourself that little bit of fatty goodness forever. But keep it in that legendary 20/80 balance at least. Try to eat well 80% of the time and indulge in the rest of those 20%.

Our whole mindset is in "easy and filling food" mode, without realizing that there's easy food that doesn't need to fill you that much, because in the end, you're not looking for a full stomach, just for satisfaction of said munchies.
We all live a fast life, and it might be the reason why most opt for the more easily available snacks. You don't have to wash or peel chips, but those 30 extra seconds you put into a fast rinse or peel can save you a whole lotta headache later.
Besides,fruit fits very well into fast life. It doesn't need any preparing, just a couple of seconds of attention.


I remember being a kid and surviving on apples and nuts alone during late summer when I'd start playing outside in the morning and get back in the house in the evening.
So if an overly energized kid didn't feel they're fainting living off fruit, I'm sure it can't be that bad,can it?

I'll go eat some grapefruit now.




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Top Blue Polishes For Spring

This Monday I'm keeping the blue polish theme but not showing you my nails. The reason for that being that I've put them on a "clear of polish or other substances" detox, since OPI's Nail Envy has not really been doing much of the legendary good it is known for and even backfired a bit. 
Since my nails are now taking a breather and just consuming oils and calcium, I've put together my Top 3 blue polishes I cannot wait to throw on again.

                             
I picked these three because one is almost mint, one is almost neon and one is pure teal perfection.
Spring being the season of everything popping up with new energy, I figured these would be appropriate. For me, mint season is every season but Orly Gumdrop  also brings a bit of blue to the mix. You can see the swatch of it HERE. Don't you find it a great spring color that's not too in your face but just happy enough?
Then we have China Glaze Sunday Funday, which is such a cool shade of blue! Swatch is HERE , and let me tell you, it looks much more bright in real life. Definitely a great color to wear in the sun.
Last but not least, my darling Sally Hansen The Real Teal which basically...is the real teal.I like this color so very very much because it has to be the closest a polish has ever gotten to that great nuance that teal is. You can also see a swatch of it HERE and HERE. Little tip, the second swatch is something so pretty,you'll really want to try it out for spring.

So, what are your spring picks? More the baby blue kind or full on neon?


And if you wanna be inspired, here's some ideas from the Monday Blues Ladies




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Week In Pictures # 16 - The Cupcake Diaries

This post should be called The Cupcake Diaries because I've somehow managed to stuff myself with cupcakes or similar treats for most of the week. It all started last Sunday with baking a few and then running into them for many days to come.

Never liked liquorice but this is good! / The little proud pink cupcake

Cupcakes galore / Trying liquorice with buttercream...maybe not so much

 The finished product: After Eight cupcake / As posh as macarons come. Yes, that is milk in a plastic cup...it's utterly regal what's happening there

 The evolution of the cucumber: from office experiments with plastic plates and pretty comatose cucumber to fresh cucumber with vinaigrette dip

Warm enough to wear my favorite print again / You see that heart shaped cloud formation?

Hope your week went by great and I wish you many yummy treats for the week to come! 

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DIY Oatmeal Banana Face Mask

I really like reading DIY stuff and I'm sure I can't be the only one. I also like doing DIY posts, just that I haven't found the time lately. But on Saturday, my face reminded me that it might be a good idea to treat it to something delicious once more, which meant some easy peasy supplies you probably have at home being mixed and then used in the most loving manner possible.

Step 1: Gather ye supplies. 

That means: 

• Bananas
• Oats
• Honey
• Oil(s) and Vitamin E (if available)

I picked avocado oil this time, but olive oil does just as great of a job.

Step 2:  Mash that banana. If you can do it by hand then great, if not,throw it in a food processor or blender

Step 3: Mix in the honey first, then your oils. I suggest using a chopstick to do so because you don't need a big quantity and for a small container, chopstick is the way to go

Step 4: Ta-daaa! Slap it on! And leave it there for as long as you wish, but for a minimum of 15 minutes.

It is perfect for soothing, hydrating and giving your skin that nice glow. I'm tempted to do this every week-end and by the way, in case you feel like eating the mask off your face... you can, it's delicious!

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Monday's Blue Flower Power

One does not simply have spring without flowers, right? So since I skipped out on last week's Monday Blues, I am trying to make up for it by flowering stuff up.
Now, I'm all for supporting white, but I've also come to the conclusion that on short nails, it might not be the best idea. Case in point, yours truly's nails.In any case, I give you blue flower nails: what's been used was Sally Hansen Real Teal, Orly Gumdrop  and the finishing leaf touch came courtesy of Barry M Mint Green
                         

What do you think about the wee flowers? I think they are so cute! Generally flowers are a thing of cuddliness for me and I hadn't expected blue flowers (which clearly are the most common in nature) to look so nice. Due to recent outings by the likes of Kim Kardashian, I was almost fearing that my nails too would start looking like upholstery. But no such result!

I was really pleased with it and am still wearing it quite proudly.
What do you think?

And what do you say of checking out the other ladies going blue?






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Week In Pictures # 15

Hey there Sunday people! This week has been all over the place and I've been having trouble finding any downtime so I'm sorry for not replying to well...pretty much anything and being the poster child of M.I.A. 
On the bright side, I managed to get a good amount of exercise done and even get more sleep than expected. By the end of it, I was even feeding myself in a healthy manner. So here it is, last week in pictures.

 Blooming all the way in the garden! / Ah yes, a nice cold Guinness...lemonade. Seriously

 Deliciously healthy oatmeal,banana,berries and choco yogurt / No filter sunshines of spring

 Fruity morning / Doing vastly weird things with my hair. You  should have seen the back

Belgian Lavender Chocolate = perfection / Why I love sunsets

  

How did your week go? Hope it was filled with just as much sunshine and colors!

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Do You Clean Your Face The Right Way?

I don't know about you, but for a long time, I didn't put that much thought into cleaning my face the right way. Mostly a cleansing milk and water did the job quite well. Ok, I was also in my teens and have probably only had a pimple 5 or 6 times. My skin has always been very kind to me, but it was only when my chlorine soaked face ( from swim practice, not from any masochistic activities) started getting dry, I realized that more effort needs to go into all things skin.
Last week I stumbled upon these two videos and I have to say, they are the most spot on thing I have seen. They always say that the French put an extra bit of effort into anything beauty, and skincare is no exception. 
Here are the amazing videos on how to care for your skin the right way.

                            

So, how many of you actually do this?

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What's Been On My Face Recently

Spring time, happy time, finally healthy looking face time. And by that I mean naturally healthy looking, thanks to the sun and the light and the general well-being that spring likes to pump in us. Which also means there hasn't been that much on my face. So let me show you what I've been using mostly.

Because my skin is less dry and flakey...well actually not dry and flakey at all to be precise, the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer can now be worn much better than in winter. You might remember the post where I just wasn't that thrilled about this moisturizer. It was basically because of said dry and flakey skin that just got enhanced by it. What can always be worn in amazing fashion is the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. I have to admit I will always pick this one over, well, anything, as it really gives me a fresh feel and even with a face oil under, it works perfectly.
The great news is that I don't need the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer all the time anymore. Yes, I need it at the office because 8 hours into it, even the freshest of faces starts to look unmotivated, but other than that, I can easily pass.
Another optional item is the Hema Eyeshadow Base because the Eyeko Skinny Liner sits so well that you really don't need anything under it for it to not move until you remove it yourself.
Same goes for the Eyeko Fat Mascara. Perfectly natural looking and you don't even feel it on your lashes. Not to promote sleeping with mascara on because that's a general No Way! but even if you would sleep with this one on, the ingredients would basically just nourish your lashes anyway.
And then, my loveliest of them all, the magical final touch that is just the perfect shade,shine and form CK Sun Dance Bronzing Powder. Unlike most bronzers, this one actually looks really natural on you and some days I admit, I don't need it. But I really like putting it on!                          






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April Favorites

                             
Springtime means happy face time, because the sun is mild enough to give you a tan while not burning and the light and warmth are just the thing your skin needed after surviving the winter.
Which means last month I was more focused on the well-being of my skin.
A great tip I've picked up recently was to use thermal water after washing my face, in order to neutralize all the nasty things that are lurking in tap water. Like calcar or other substances that only dry your skin out.
It obviously translated into using the Avene and Oxyance Thermal Water. I can obviously not say one is better than the other,and in all honesty, I have not compared their mineral composition. But what I can say is that they both have been nothing but great to my skin.
I love the city rescue line that Oxyance use, because their products are specifically made to save your skin from the uglies of city living. Same goes for their incredibly smelling Lip Balm.

For the body,the Ivatherm Sensitive Skin Body Hydrating Cream is nothing short of spectacular. Zero bad ingredients but also full of thermal water. I'm very picky when it comes to moisturizers and very few things make it on my skin apart from shea butter, but this is truly a great thing. Hydrates properly and doesn't leave that uncomfortable sticky feeling.

The best smeller of the bunch is Lush Ro's Argan. This sample was given to me at a great beauty bloggers event and the second I smelled it, I was hooked. Not to mention it is a whole other level of moisturizing.Am definitely thinking of buying the full size.

And now, for colorful matters. Spring nail polishes are definitely Australis SweetPea and the incredible Bondi Botanical Beauty.Both are such perfect shades to wear this time of year. Bright enough for spring and pastel enough to be perfectly girly.
And the beautiful Rimmel Apocalips in Nude Eclipse. Never has a shade suited me better and it might just be the perfect nude I've been looking for.

Of course,let's not forget my go-to BB cream from Mybelline.The only one that really leaves my skin feeling fresh and translates from winter needs to spring needs impeccably.


What about you, what have some of your favorites been?




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Week In Pictures # 14

Happy Sunday everyone! It's summer! Well, not calendaristically, but definitely in every other way, at least here. Booked my ticket to London, even got a day off this week, magnificent things!

And other than that, here's the rest that happened, best show in visuals:

 It has definitely been wrap week / My pretty little flower is blooming

 The kids, all ready to go full bloom / How have I not realized that Lush products smell so good?

 Wednesday is cocktail time / Gorgeous sunset in the city. Really appreciate we have so much green

New boots! Surprising how nice they look / My most accurate portrait to date

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Best Of April

Since April has come and gone, I figured it would be a good idea to show you some of my favorite posts from last month that I hope you haven't missed. And in case you've missed them, I get the chance to show them to you.So here's what I hope you haven't gone without seeing:

                             
The DIY SwatchBook: Makes organizing your polishes super easy and most importantly, super pretty!

Making The Most Delicious Smoothie: An easy 4-step guide to making what I have now come to call the best breakfast ever. Incredibly easy to make, incredibly healthy and most importantly, SO yummy! Trust me when I say you will love it. I've already had a lot of people tell me this is the best thing they have tried and I can only agree.

March Favorites: The favorites of last-last month of course. Before we get to April's favorites, there's still some goodies to be seen from the month before. And also,  even if some won't be in this month's most loved, they continue to be incredible products. So be inspired.

My Most Spring-y Manicure Last Month: Last but not least, the abundance of turquoise polishes continues. This time with some gorgeous gold splattered on it for good measure. Definitely one of the cheeriest manicured I've worn.

As a plus, if you check any of my posts tagged Week In Pictures  you will likely get the full on spring blast!




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Maybelline Fit Me Concealer Swatch and Review

If I were to run out of the house, I'd still throw some concealer on me. And that is simply because whenever I'm tired or worn out, the first place it shows are my eyes. They're an indicator of everything: how much I've slept, how tired I am, how much I've been staring at a screen. You can even check my mood.

That's why, the best investment for me is in concealers. I'm not a fan of heavy concealers that make you look photoshopped more than anything and feel just as fake. I like the light ones that get the job done while leaving you looking naturally fresh.

Well, this is one of them.      

                      

Initially, I didn't know if the color would be right, as I picked it up in Sand, and it did seem more yellow than anything,but the good news is, it actually "fits me". Which means, a dab here and a blend there and it looks like you were born with it. And that,was unintentional. I just now realized that Maybelline have that "maybe she was born with it" line.... The subconscious works well.

In any case, I like how light it is and how you need such a small amount to cover up so much! 

That's another bonus, it has really good coverage. Like I said, I like my coverage to look natural and this does the job very well.

As you can see, it even blends with my somewhat pinkish hand. In the beginning I would slap it on in industrial quantities, until I realized it really just needs a dab to cover up nicely.

I also like that it doesn't crease, especially on my dry skin, and not even when I use oil underneath. So I suppose, even with oily skin, you'd be fine.

And the formula, well that's just a great one. Super light and not at all powdery or flakey. Really one of the best ones I've tried.

All In All: Definitely a repurchase!

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