Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Collective Haul (Mac, The Body Shop, Essence, L'oreal, Sunsilk, Korres)


This is a collective haul I did within January. They had awesome sales this month at Mac and at The Body Shop and since I was in need of a few things I said why not?


The Body Shop Raspberry Body Butter and Shower Gel
It's propably one of my favorite body butters from The Body Shop, after the Shea one of course. I used to love it 5 years ago, before they discontinued it, and now that they brought it back for a limited time I had to get one. It smells so fruity and delicious, like a raspberry flavored yogurt! Also the texture of this body butter is amazing, it's not thick like the others from The Body Shop , it's more like a cream, a thicker body lotion I should say. The Raspberry Shower Gel was a promo that the Body Shop was doing, if you spent 20 euros you'd get a shower gel for only 1 euro, you could choose between this and the Almond one, snd of course I chose the Raspberry one!


Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in NC20
This is one of my HG foundations, I've already mentioned it a few times, and because the one I have is running low and Mac had a promo for 35% off I had to get a new one. It's one of the best long lasting foundations I've tried so far, and it doesn't look cakey at all. I wasn't so sure if I should get the NC20 or the NC25, but I sticked to the same shade I was using, the NC20, maybe for the summer I'll get a darker one.

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20
So since the 35% off at Mac was so tempting I decided to try the Pro Longwear concealer too, because I've read so many raves about it. I've tried it a couple of times, but I'm not so sure if I like it or not. First of all I think I've chosen the wrong shade for my undereye circles, because it makes them look greyish. I'm not sure if it's because it's yellow toned or maybe it's a tad too light for me. I've experimented with lots of Mac concealers, all of them were NW shades, right now I also have the Studio Finish one in NW25 and I thought it was not covering that much but I think it looks better than the NC20 so I should propably stick with the NW shades in the future.
The texture of the Pro Longwear concealer is a little too dry for my undereye area, even with an eye cream under, and that is weird because it's even drier than the Studio Finish, which is supposed to be the most drying concealer that Mac has. Even though it doesn't work that well as an undereye concealer overall I think it's a good face concealer, for pimples and redness.


Essence Breaking Dawn Part 2 Varnish in 02 Alice Had A Vision-Again
A month ago I was lucky enough to grab the only 2 things I wanted from the Essence Breaking Dawn Part 2 collection, 2 nail varnishes! It's too hard to find here a full display at the Essence counter, everytime they are sold out of what want! Alice Had A Vision-Again is a gorgeous blackened purple shade with purple and green microglitters.

Essence Breaking Dawn part 2 Varnish in 04 Edward's Love
Edwards's Love is a black shade with silver and green microglitters, but the silver ones stand out the most. I have to mention that I'm not a fan of the Essence regular nail varnishes, I prefer their limited edition ones, I find that they have better quality.

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Excess Mascara
I've mentioned so many times that I love L'oreal mascaras, the ones I've tried within the 2012 were amazing! My only problem is that they are too expensive to be called drugstore mascaras, so I always look for offers, this time they had their newest one with 5 euros off, the Volume Million Lashes Excess. 
I've never tried the rest of the Volume Million Lashes mascaras so I can't compare them. It has a plastic wand, and I'm not a fan of those, it claims to maximize and seperate your lashes. 
First of all the plastic wand is very different from other mascaras with plastic wands that I've tried, it's quite bendy and it doesn't hurt or poke my eyes everytime I use it , like the Benefit They're Real for example. The results are that it really does seperate my lashes, really well, and makes them longer but when it comes to volume it's a no no, it doesn't give any volume at all. Also it doesn't hold my curl, and keep in mind that I always use a curler before. Overall this mascara didn't really impress me, I prefer the Lash Architect 4D and the Mega Volume Collagene 24H way more!


Mac Haute Altitude Lipstick
This is the only lipstick I liked from the Apres Chic collection, and I got it with B2M. It's so weird that after all these years buying Mac lipsticks it's the first time I'm trying an Amplified one! I'm not so sure if I like the amplified formula though, yes it is very creamy but it's very opaque and emphasizes every single dry part on my lips. Nevertheless I do love the shade, it's a medium pink with subtle blue undertones, great pink for springtime.


The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream
I think I've found my HG moisturizer! I first bought it last year around Easter time, at first I thought it was breaking me out so I stopped using it for a few months, and I rediscovered it around November, I experimented a lot and I figured out that it wasn't breaking me out after all, it must have been something else. Now that my skin is back to normal I'm using day and night and because I hit pan, I got a new one with 20% off. I've tried lots of gel moisturizers, from high end to drugstore ones, and all of them made my skin like an oily mess after an hour, I never have that problem with the Seaweed one. Also it's the perfect moisturizer to use under a foundation, and  for those who have oily skintype, they know that finding a moisturizer that works well under a foundation without making you oily it's almost a miracle!

Korres Pomegranate Cleansing Scrub
My HG face scrub hands down! I think Korres makes the best face scrubs ever, this and the Olive one are the ones I love the most! The Pomegranate makes my face so smooth, and the smell is so fresh that makes me wanna use it every single morning but I can't, otherwise I'll destroy my face. My only complain, why Korres don't you make them larger? I mean 16 ml, it's just so so tiny!


Sunsilk Keratinology Conditioner for Dry Hair
Keratinology is the new hair line from Sunsilk, at least new here in Greece. And since I love Sunsilk products I decided to try the conditioner to see if i like it or not. I'm always looking for drugstore hair products that contain keratin, to see if they will help with the strength of my hair. I've only tried it twice, I haven't noticed any difference on my hair, but I'll keep using it to see if it works or not. The Keratinology line also have shampoos and masks for dry and for colored hair. I may try the mask in the future if I see that the conditioner is too week.



So have you try any of these products? Do you like them?
Let me know!

Sophia
xoxo

Friday, January 25, 2013

EyeSlices Giveaway Winner!


The winner for the EyeSlices Eye Candy is.............


Konstantina Ampelourgou.


I've already sent an email to the winner, she will have 48 hours to respond to my email, otherwise I'll pick another winner.



I wanna thank everyone who entered to my giveaway, stay tuned for more in the near future!!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Fresh Line Chocolate & Vanilla Set Review


Reviewing the Fresh Line's Chocolate and Vanilla Set is something I wanted to do ever since I won it at the Beauty Bloggers Event in Athens last month, also many of you asked me to do this review, but first I wanted  to try every single one of the products to have an overall opinion on them.

Fresh Line, for those who don't know, is a greek brand that sells fresh and homemade cosmetics, very silmilar to Lush Cosmetics. They do not test on animals and their products are free from parabens, SLS, silicon, mineral oil, phthalates and synthetic colors. Since I was a little girl I loved going into a Fresh Line store and smelling all the divine scents from their soaps to their fizzing balls. My personal favorite product from Fresh Line is their soaps, I think they make the perfect handmade soaps, very creamy and moisturizing and they lather up amazingly good.


The Chocolate and Vanilla Set contains: 
 - Chocolate Shower Wash 200ml
-Chocolate Body Milk 200ml
-Chocolate Soap
-Vanilla Soap
-Lip Therapy Milk & Chocolate
-Vanilla Fizzing Ball
-Vanilla Hand Cream 40 ml

The price is 26 euros.


Chocolate Shower Wash
This is a simple shower gel, I wouldn't say that is very moisturizing, definitely not as much as the soaps are, it does smells like chocolate, not overpowering though, and it has a runny texture. Not my favorite product from the set, just because I prefer the soap more, but I still like using it for a quick shower.

Chocolate Body Milk
This is definitely one of my two favorite products from the set, it doesn't smell like the shower gel, it has a chocolate-praline scent, and the praline makes it so yummy! It's not a very moisturizing body milk, but then again it's a milk not a cream. The consistency it's very watery, you have to be careful when you pour it on your hands because you can easily cause a mess, like I did the first time I used it! It would be better if it came with a pump but that's OK. For those who have normal skin and not dry, they will definetely love it, it absorbs quickly without feeling your skin being sticky, and you can still feel your body moisturized. It's the perfect body moisturizer for summertime also, and they have a peach and a pomegranate one, I think these scents would be perfect for summer!


Chocolate Soap
As I mentioned above, Fresh Line makes the perfect soaps and this one is no exception! I prefer it way more than the shower gel, it lathers up like a dream, again not very moisturizing but that's propably because it's a glycerin soap and I still haven't found a glycerin soap that is very mositurizing. When you first smell the soap, it literally smells like a bar of chocolate, so for those who are chocolate lovers I'm pretty sure you'll love it!

Vanilla Soap
I cannot describe how much I love this soap, definitely the best product in the set, hands down! First of all the smell, it smells so divine, like pure vanilla goodness! Not the overpowering and sickening vanilla scent that most body products have, this one has more of an elegant woodsy vanilla one. It's super moisturizing, and it lathers up really good, it creates a mousse type of lather. It's such a shame that Fresh Line does not include this soap in their regular line, I hope one day they will! Please Fresh Line, make this incredible soap permanent!


Vanilla Hand Cream
OK so I really wanted to like this product, I really did, but the scent is just so bad that I couldn't! Even though the texture of the cream is superb, very creamy and moisturizing without being very heavy, the scent just ruined it all. From the jar you cannot tell the bad scent, it certaintly does not smell like the Vanilla Soap, but whenever I was using it on my hands it had that really bad vanilla scent, more like a mouldy vanilla one. I don't know why, maybe is just me but it didn't work! I suggest you try it first on your hands before you purchase it, who knows it may work for you.


Vanilla Fizzing Ball
I love fizzing balls, I've purchased quite a few from Fresh Line and Lush, and I have to say that Fresh Line's fizzing balls are way better than the ones from Lush. They're very moisturizing, you can easily use half of it for your whole body. The best part of this fizzing ball is that it smells exactly like the Vanilla Soap, so you can understand how much I love it, also its aroma is very strong and your bathroom will smell like vanilla for hours! And once again Fresh Line does not have this fizzing ball in their regular line!


Lip Therapy Milk & Chocolate
This is a chocolate flavored lip balm that really surprised me on how light it feels on the lips and still moisturizes very good!  I would prefer if it would be a vanilla one since I don't like chocolate flavored lip balms but nevertheless is a very good lip balm, a very high quality one I should say, and because it's very lightweight it's perfect to use as a base for lipsticks.



I think the set is still available in the Fresh Line stores and counters, so you can go and check out the products! You can also find Fresh Line stores outside Greece, in Cyprus, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Albania, Turkey and Armenia, for more information you can check out their website here.



Have you tried any products from this set or any Fresh Line products in general? Did you like them?
Let me know!

Sophia
xoxo

Thursday, January 17, 2013

EyeSlices Giveaway!


Hello everyone! 
I was sent a pair of Eye Candy Eyeslices Biotonix a while ago as a giveaway for one of you!
Eyeslices are soothing and cooling eye gels thatcan be used as a quick fix solution for an instant cooling sensation for the skin around the eye area. They also help with the fine lines and wrinkles and moisturize the skin around the eye. They are re-usable and so easy to use, they can be applied anywhere anytime, once a day for five minutes.
You can find more info on their website here!




Giveaway Rules

-The only mandatory entry is to follow my blog through GFC

-This giveaway is open internationally.

-You have to be 18 years old or older, or have your parents/guardians permission as I will need your address to send the prize

-The giveaway will end on January 25th.

-The winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received, the prize will be passed along to another entry.



How to enter

It’s very simple, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below!


*Just a note for the extra entries: I will check if you are following me on Twitter and if you've tweeted about the giveaway. If you don't, the extra entries will be deleted.
So please be careful!


Good Luck!
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Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream Review

I've been meaning to do this review for a long time, and now that the weather is colder I think it's the best time to do it. Just keep in mind that I have oily skin and I know that this cream it's targeted more for dry to normal skintones, but somehow it works for me.


Packaging
It comes in a plastic jar, very lightweight which makes it very travel friendly. Not very hygienic though since it comes in a jar and not with a pump, but I don't mind that.


Ingredients
Aqua, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Saccharide Isomerate, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Buxus Chinensis Oil, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Methylparaben, Benzyl Benzoate, Retinyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Hydroxycitronellal, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citric Acid, CI 14700.


Texture
It's a thick cream, but once you apply it on the skin it becomes very silky, it melts at body temperature. It has a pink tint, and it has a strong but very delicate smell like a baby powder, I seriously love that smell!

Since I have oily skin I use it mostly at night time, because my skin tends to produce more oil with mosturizers on after one or two hours, so I don't recommend using this under your foundation if you have mixed or oily skin. Nevertheless the cream sinks into the skin really well when I apply it, and it doesn't leave a greasy residue at all. I've used moisturizers that are targeted for oily skintypes and felt heavier than this one.

Also this cream really helped with the dry and flaky patches I have around my mouth, cheeks and brows, and with itchyness caused from dryness. That's why is my number one choice when the weather gets colder.


Price
In Greece it retails for 15.5 euros, and you can find it at The Body Shop stores.


Pros
-It has a lightweight texture and absorbs easily.

-Helps a lot with dry and flaky patches, and with itchy skin.

-It has a delicate baby powder smell, but for some people this might be a disadvantage.

-Hasn't broke me out even though I have acne prone skin.

-Lightweight packaging, very travel friendly.

-It has a good price.


Cons
-People with oily skintypes might find this cream heavy, especially under make up.

-I don't think it's moisturizing enough for very dry skintypes.

-Not a very hygienic pakaging, since it comes in a jar.



Rating: 9/10
 Overall it's a perfect choice for a winter moisturizer for all skintypes especially for those who suffer from dry patches. I will always come back to this one!



Have you try the Body Shop's Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream, did you like it? 
Let me know!


Sophia
xoxo

Monday, January 7, 2013

Beauty Bloggers Event in Athens

A few weeks ago, on December 16th, a beauty bloggers event took place in Athens with a really good cause, we raised money for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Hellas. It was a great opportunity to meet and chat with some great ladies/beauty bloggers, and meeting some of them for the first time. It was a great tea party with lots of Lipton teas, yummy biscuits and muffins, and all the girls had manicures with the newest Essie shades from the Stylenomics and Winter collections! It was a really friendly and cozy gathering for beauty bloggers, I had such an amazing time!


All these pictures from the event were kindly provided by Mary from Made in Heart and Konstantina from 5 Glam Club, thanks so much girls!


We also won some amazing gifts from the brands that kindly offered them for the event: Avene, Bacchia, Clinique, Fresh Line, Garnier, Korres, L'oreal, Seventeen, The Body Shop, Vladi Elena and Plexei Plexi.
These are the ones that I won, and I have to say that I'm more than happy, all the gifts were amazing!


I'll do a review for the chocolate set from Fresh Line very soon, it smells delicious!


Again I want to thank all the gorgeous ladies that organized the whole event, it was amazing. I was so happy meeting all of you! 

Sophia
xoxo