hello, my dears! happy sunday! if you started school/uni again, how is it going? for me it is as hectic as ever with lots of literature to read and homework to do on the first day. I'm currently a senior in high school if any of you are wondering :) the year of exams are quickly approaching and I'm trying to stay on top of it all from the very beginning so I wouldn't have any trouble as the year goes :) blogging was put aside for a few3 days until I get my routine going but now I'm back and I will try to post as frequently as I can, drafting the posts at the weekends when I have free time, hoping you don't mind :)

now let's move onto the wishlist! I gathered some things I've been lusting over this past month, which I'll hopefully get when my payday comes and just wanted to share them all with you :)

1. eBay Korean Style studded bag

it's pure perfection. black, gold detailing, gold big studs on the bottom, half leather half not, short strap and also a really long strap. it's everything I ever looked for in the bag and I can't order it. I have the money in my paypal but I reached some kind of limit and can't buy anything if I don't have a credit card attached to it. and I don't!

2. MUA britain's next top model pallette

in my vivo wishlist post I talked about a pallette that had 2 blushes, bronzer, powder and 9 eyeshadows. this is even better! it has 28 shadows, blush, bronzer, powder and all of this is just 7 pounds! as I'm currently working on expanding my collection this could be a perfect addition with some of the thing I have yet to own on it's own. also, perfect for travelling!

3. MUA blusher

I've heard nothing but great things about these blushes from MUA on other blogs and in my opinion for 1 pound you can't go too wrong. colors from the 2013 range are all beautiful and fun, looking forward to trying them as soon as possible.

4. MUA power pout

another one from MUA I've heard great things about! this particular color picture for me would be perfection for fall, it's dark, sultry but can be easily toned down and would suit my skin I think. can't wait to get my hands on it!

5. dove summer glow tanning lotion

when I was working in my local supermarket there was a huge sale going on this and I kept looking and looking at it but didn't know if it was good or not. recently a ton of reviews popped up on my feedly and I looked through them all just to realise it was an amazing product! can't wait to get my hands on this baby too. I'm going to go for the medium to dark just because I want to see the results faster :)

what's on your wishlist? have you tried any of these products?

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beauty review | freeman refining facial cleanser pear

hello, again! I decided to finally do another beauty review, since they are the most popular posts on my blog and it's a beauty blog so I figured I should finally do one! I promised to do a review on this a long time ago when I bought it back in april (mentioned here) but I always thought I wouldn't have much to say about it. after thinking for a while I realised that I actually did! I raved to my friend about this so I wanted to share to a bigger audience too :)

freeman refining facial cleanser is said to help with acne prone skin because it contains salicylic acid, also it has pear extract.to clear and soften the skin while reducing fine lines and wrinkles. for me, as a 17 year-old girl, the wrinkles was not the factor I chose this for. I was in a terrible need of a cleanser for my dry but acne-prone skin. salicylic acid has always helped me so when I saw it I knew I just had to try it.

the first thing I noticed about this product was the scent that it has - for me it's exactly the same as bath&body works hand sanitizer in fresh picked apples. I'm a sucker for a nice fruity smell that and I just could sit and smell it every single day, and I do! even though this cleanser contains salicylic acid it's very gentle on my dry skin - I don't feel it moisturized or anything but it also doesn't leave me patchy and gross that most products do. after using this my skin feels clean and soft which is exactly what I look for in a cleanser.

the texture of freeman's facial cleanser is a liquid-gel. it's not runny, lathers well when applied but I have problems with rinsing it off, it seems to stay for a little too long that I would want. also, a little of this goes a loooong way, I use a pea size amount each time, sometimes even less and it is always more than enough to clean my face and get rid of any dirt or makeup. this bottle has 150ml and I believe it will last me a while. as I said I've had this since April and I'm still not even half way done!

so if you ever spot this - be sure to pick it up! I love it and would recommend it to anyone, in my opinion it would suit a lot of skin types and needs :)

have you tried this cleanser? what's your favorite? 

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nails of the day #3 | catrice 'london's weather forecast'

hello lovelies! hope you are having a great week so far, I can't believe how time is flying by, it's only a week left before my last school year! today I wanted to share this quick nail art thing I've done out of pure boredom. I wanted to spice up my nails just a bit and came up with this polka-dotted nail design. also, not a long while ago I purchased three Catrice nail polishes that I believe were discontinued because they were so cheap I even asked the sales assistant if there was something wrong with them! they are all autumn shades and no-one was buying them in the summer except me. I thought it would be perfect for upcoming fall.

Catrice 'london's weather forecast' is a gorgeous grey polish with slight blue tint to it. it is perfect for fall because of the rain and all, also it's a color that is really easy to spice up with brighter colors and make a transition color out of it, that's what I decided to do. since it's still summer here I didn't want to go with full on grey on my nails, so I decided that pink and black would compliment it very well and in my opinion, it did!
grey and pink were always my combo, I think it looks so chic and put together but also great staple coloring. they are not too out-there but not too blank either. I got so many compliments while wearing this, I was amazed!
the only downside to this polish, and I believe that's why it's so cheap, it chipped in a day. it also might be the fact that I only put one coat of this because I was too lazy for it to dry. I haven't tried any polishes from the permanent line but I'm dying to try 'pimp my shrimp' next, it's a gorgeous coral color!
I can't wait to do NOTD posts for other two colors I've picked up, it's a green and dark blue color.

have you tried any catrice nail polishes? what are your fave nail polishes?

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wishlist #2 | august -- vivo cosmetics

hello! the past few days I've been scrolling through various UK bargain cosmetic lines and came to conclusion I have to order something from either MUA or VIVO. shipping is pretty cheap and the products are amazing on both. after all the research I decided I would order off VIVO when I get my paycheck at the end of the month (let's cross our fingers that 50% off sale will last until that). I put up a little wishlist on the website and decided to share it here also, just for the sake of it. hopefully some of you have tried these and could give me your opinions?

1. perfect skin primer | on sale - £2.99 here

 I'm in a need of a primer for school and I thought I would try this. nothing too special, I'm not quite sure if I will order this or not, because translated into my currency all of these things came to quite a lot of money.

2. color stain lip crayon in best of me | on sale - £1.99 here

gorgeous red lip crayon. in the swatched I've seen on the web this looks moisturizing and buildable color. pretty great for the price, huh?

3. colour block 12 shade eye pallete in unprotected | on sale - £1.99 here

this is compared to naked pallette and is even cheaper than the MUA version! also, from the reviews I've seen this is said to be more pigmented and well, only £1.99!!!

4. on the go artist blush, bronze & eye palette | on sale - £3.99 here

9 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, bronzer and powder - wow, just wow. that's basically all I need right now. definitely my first thing to buy!! can't wait.

5. blush and highlighter duo in sugar candy | on sale - £1.19 here

gorgeous pink blush and champagne highlighter. this would come in handy for sure! don't know if the pigmentation is good or not but I guess we will see? :)

have you tried any of these? is there anything else from vivo I haven't spotted but should?! 

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Thursday Tag | 40 make-up questions

hello again! today, as a part of my thursday tag weekly post, is a 40 make-up questions tag, which I've been tagged to do by the lovely Julia from Tres Queentastic. go check out her answers to these awesome make-up and skincare related questions that will hopefully reveal something more about me! let's get it started, shall we?

SKINCARE

• -How many times do you wash your face daily?

2-3, it depends on the season and what I've been doing that day. 

• -What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

dry to very dry

• -What is your current facial wash?

I currently use Freeman's refining facial cleanser.

• -Do you exfoliate?

yes. my skin always gets flaky and gross and I have to exfoliate every 3 days or so to keep it nice and smooth.

• -What brand do you use?

I used Eveline's facial scrub but I ran out of that and now I have nothing. still not sure if I'll buy the same one (I loved it!!) or if I'll try something new.

• -What moisturizer do you use?

at the moment I use some crappy moisturizer that my mom gave me because I ran out of mine. I'll buy Garnier's moisture match as soon as I get some money, though :)

• -Do you have freckles?

a lot, mainly on the bridge of my nose. but in the summer it goes all over the face and those on the nose get really dark.

• -Do you use eye cream?

nope, I want to, though!

• -Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

I do.

• -Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

nope, never did.

MAKE-UP

• -What foundation do you use?

Essence's soft&natural make-up, which I'm inlove with. great coverage, great feeling, long lasting, non-drying.

• -How about concealer?

essence's coverstick concealer in 01 matt sand and I hate it. it settles and dries weird and doesn't cover that well either, I just have nothing else to use at the moment

• -Do you know your undertone color?

I believe it's pink, I'm not quite sure. I have redness on my face and I like to use a little more yellow-based foundations to hide that. 

• -What do you think of fake eyelashes?

love them, never tried them, though. I will in the near future!

• -Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?

oh yes, I've learned it the hard way.

• -What brand of mascara do you use?

essence also. wow, I use a lot of essence.

• -Sephora or MAC?

never been to either but Sephora, because they have tons and tons of brands I want to try like benefit and urban decay, on the other hand MAC can offer only one.

• -Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

nope.

• -What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

beauty blender, eyeshadow brushes, duo-fiber brush, angled brush, eyelash curler.

• -Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

yes, I have one that I've made myself and it works wonders in keeping my eyeshadow on!

• -For the face?

I have one that I don't like so suggestions are always welcome!

• -What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

I love champagne colored shadows, I could never have to many of those.

• -Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

liquid liner all the time.

• -How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

I rarely use it so no.

• -What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I think they are messy but the colors always looks amazing!

• -Do you use mineral makeup?

no.

• -What is your favorite lipstick?

at the moment it's rimmel's lasting finish 038 'in vogue' because that's the only one I own currently :D

• -How about lipgloss?

don't really like it, depends on the mood.

• -What is your favorite blush to use?

I'm inlove with peaches and corals. don't own any now.

• -Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

no, don't trust it.

• -Do you like drugstore makeup?

it's super over-priced here but I do like it because I can't really afford anything else

• -Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)

yes, they have the best deals!

• -Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

yes, I think I will in the future.

• -Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

nope, I'm pretty used to it, except if I'm in a rush.

• -Name a makeup crime that you hate?

lately I've been spotting girls with terrible winged eyeliner and I hate that look of thin line up until eyebrow. I think it should be neatly done in order to look good.

• -Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I love colorful lipsticks and eyeshadows, don't know if I could pull them off, but I'll buy an eyeshadow pallette with colorful shadows soon so I could test it on myself!

• -Which celebrity always has great make up?

Rachel Bilson and Lauren Conrad!

• -If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?

definitely mascara. 

• -Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

yes, I have many many times, especially now when it's summer and I'm going to the beach almost everyday. I never wear makeup to the beach.

• -Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

I think I look ill without any mascara because of my pale eyelashes but that's not a problem. I feel like I'm used to seeing myself without any make-up.

• -In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?

oh my, no idea, since I haven't tried a lot!

• -What do you think of Makeup?

it's my love and passion and I love that it makes people feel better and be more confident and artsy on their own. I, myself, am not an artsy person at all, I never liked drawing and stuff but with make-up I always feel completely in my zone while doing looks on others and on myself. it's my outlet.

hope you enjoyed and feel free to do this TAG yourselves, leave your links of the posts so I could see them, comment on them and read them!

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empties #1! | products I used up

hello! here we go - my first empties post. I hope this will be somewhat interesting for you to read - I personally love mini-reviews of products people used up :) 

• a mincer phrama moisturizing day & night cream 

I had pretty high hopes for this little guy - mainly because of the ingredients it contained, featuring argan oil, pear extract, shea butter, olive oil etc. I wasn't that impressed with it but it was okay for the price. bare in mind that I have very very very dry skin that often flakes so I need a moisturizer that is quite thick and can lock in my moisture. this was nice and made my skin feel soft but in the long run it didn't make a ton of difference. for people with normal to dry skin this would be perfect in my opinion, because if it took care of my flakiness it will take care of yours!

would I repurchase: unfortunately, no.

• garnier intensive moisture cream for dry skin (face &body)

I was given this by my mom not too long ago - I always saw her use it and I thought it was once again - perfect for me because it's for dry skin. well, it didn't do anything. as soon as it absorbs into my face I'm left with the same dry skin I had before applying. the formula is thick but I just didn't like it. the tube is huge and it last a very long time but you have to apply quite a lot of it and it doesn't do the job very well. not a product I regret using up to say the least.

would I repurchase: no.

• maybelline dream satin liquid whipped foundation

I saw a lot of reviews on youtube featuring the american version of this foundation and I assumed it was the same. well, I think it wasn't. this was horrible - it barely stayed put on my face for 2 hours them it would settle into dry spots or something and by the end of my school day I would look like I wasn't wearing foundation at all. I don't know why it did that but it happened and if I put foundation on my face I want to look flawless - this would just make me look worse and draw my imperfections even more. again, I have dry skin. maybe people with normal/combo skin would like this more.

would I repurchase: never.

• AA sensitive skin semi-rich cream for dry and normal skin

I got this as a gift from my friend for my birthday. she knew I suffer from dry skin but she accidentaly mixed dry with sensitive and well, got me this. it is said to have no artificial scent or coloring. first of all let's talk about the horrible scent it has - for some of you it might be not that bad if you're really into the no-artificial-anything. the scent is as natural as it can be - it smells horrible and the smell lingers on your skin and you can smell it. after a while you get used to it, though, but if you're really sensitive with scents I wouldn't recommend this for you. once again, did nothing for my dry skin and for the price it had it should've been a lot better.

would I repurchase: no.

• got2b straight on protecting straightening spray

my first ever heat protectant right here - this 200ml bottle lasted me 2 years! it kept my hair nice and soft and actually made the difference in the condition of my hair as well as the lasting power of the straigt hair. I have naturally really curly/wavy hair and if it's a tiny bit humid out my straight hair turns into a frizz ball immediately. I noticed the difference only when I didn't use it - I started to notice that my hair seem to curl up way faster than when I put this on in my hair so if you're looking for a good straightening spray - this is it. 

would I repurchase: yes.

• bioderma abcderm irritations around the mouth protective cream

I had these dry flaky dark spots around my mouth and my mom decided to buy this to cure it. I don't know if this exact product got rid of those but it's gone now. I didn't really like the smell and the texture of this - it was thick and left a residue on your face but as it's a healing cream I suppose I shouldn't mind about it. my first experience with a brand bioderma right here. 

would I repurchase: if I had the same condition again, yes.

I noticed that this empties post was a little too negative for my liking but oh well, hope you enjoyed it!

have you tried any of these products mentioned? what was the last product you used up?!

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Recent Purchases #2 | June

Hello, long time no see! Today I'm back with a new post for you all who stuck with me through this month of not posting - a haul post for the month of June. I thought it would be the only way appropriate to post a haul, since I buy things one by one, not a ton at one time. In a month I'm able to gather products and talk about them a little (so this comes as a first impressions too just not as in depth as reviews). I just realised I left out three more nail polishes but oh well... As you can see, the things I buy the most are nail polishes (it's becoming a slight addiction...) So let's get on with my purchases!

First of all, let's start with makeup products:

A stippling brush - eBay

I was on the lookout for one for a couple years probably and when I found this gem on eBay, I knew I had to have it! It's very big and applies blush perfectly!

Essence My Base Skin Perfection Make-up Base

I spotted this on a sale and thought I would love to try a primer for my foundation. It has a weird orangey color and can be used as a primer or as a tinted moisturizer. It works fairly well for the small price.

Essence Soft&Natural Make-up

I was in a need of a new foundation and bought this because of it's small price tag. All I can say is that it's my new favorite. Looks flawless on the skin, especially applied with beauty-blender. Love it!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick in 038 In Vogue

It's a gorgeous dark hot pink color. Looks great mixed with my light pink lipstick to give a more vibrant effect or alone to give the more dark and radiant look. Review coming soon on this one!

Now onto the three nail polishes - the first two ones are pink shades which I fell inlove with (only available in LT, unfortunately). I love the formula of these, they stay on for 4-5 days on my nails which is amazing! The first color being a milky bright pink and the second is a coral orange color.

Another one that I got is Golden Rose Care+Strong Nail Lacquer in 193. It's a beautiful bright royal blue color. I have it on my nails right now and I love it - I've been eyeing it for ages before I decided to finally pick it up!

Syoss Heat Protect Styling Spray

This was the last thing I got. I recently finished my Got2B Heat Protectant and was in a need of a new one immediately. This was on sale and I thought I would give it a go! I will do a review after I use it some more :)

Have you tried any of the products mentioned? Was is your favorite product you bought last month?

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