June 30, 2011

June Favorites...

Again I was thinking I don't have much to talk about, but I found a lot of things to mention and I think this month I have favorite lipsticks more than anything else.

As for lipsticks...
I love my MAC Speak Louder, and Plumful, 
and 
Guerlain color 120 It's a light sparkly red. 
It is what I was looking for ages. It's expensive but it's long lasting and has a cool packaging.

I love how moisturizing and lustering Rimmel Moist Renew 120 Coral Shimmer and 140 Dreamy.

As far as lip glosses....
This month's favorites are MAC Surf Baby Strange Potion 
and 
Revlon 006 Strawberry Fraise (I adore this color!)

as for lip balms...
I love EOS Summer fruit

As for blushes... 
I love Elf Candid Coral. 
It has tiny gold sparkles. Just perfect for summer!

As for bronzers...
My favorite is ELF Golden Bronzer. 
I use it for contouring and it doesn't make me look like an Oscar statue at all.

As for eye products...
I love my MAC painterly pot as an all over the lid base to hide discoloration
and
I love Physcians Formula black eyeliner

As for mascaras....
I love L'oreal Voluminous. 
(Just apply it slowly and carefuly and dip it in the tube just for once if you don't want clumpy eyelashes and apply it to the outer corner lashes at the end so it won't look so clumpy on your lashes.)

As for brushes...
I love my new Tokidoki Pittura and Siberia brush sets. 
They are not just fun, but also so soft and high quality.

As for nail polishes...
I love Revlon Craving Coral
and
Sally Hansen DVD 

As for hair products...
I love Aussie Hair Insurance which also help to untangle hair
and 
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-in Conditioning Spray

As for Over Night Zit Solution...
I mix a drop of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum and Dermalogica Special Clearing Booster and viola! 
The next day the zit either deflates or pops and starts healing.


As for perfumes...
I love Carried Away from Bath and Body Works
It's light and such a nice scent for summer. 


As for antiperspirants...
I love Secret Clinical Strength  it's sweat-proof.


My all time favorites are... 
Sonia Kashuk Concealer Pallette 
and
Hard Candy Sheer Envy Tinted Moisturizer (color Medium) 
and 
Tarte Smooth Operator as a finishing powder.


As for clothes...
I love Old Navy jeans. I got a pair of size 8 skinny jeans for my mom and it fit perfectly, and I love their Tees, they are so soft and durable; colors do not fade nor shrink after washing for million times.

My Human Favorite is... 
Vintage Make Up for following and commenting on almost all my posts. Thanx Girl! :)

I guess that's all for this month.

Take Care,
Lola
XOXO

Journey to a Healthy Skin...

I am so sad that I need to give a break on my No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, not because it's not good enough, 
but because my doctor suggested La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel For Oily Sensitive Skin


La Roche Posay is doctors favorite I am not sure why, but it was suggested by a dermatologist to me before. 
However, when I used it's moisturizer that was supposed to reduce oil problem the results were not nice at all. 


So, I am skeptical about it, but I want my clear skin back so I will do whatever I will need to do. 


I used the La Roche-Posay cleanser for the first time today. 
It's really light and gentle and didn't dry my skin and it doesn't have a scent. 
So far I liked it, but we'll see...


After cleaning my skin I use Clindoxyl it has Benzoyl Peroxide and Clindamycin in it.
I know benzoyl Peroxide dries the skin, and the doctor told me not to use a moisturizer. 


Sorry, but I don't like doctors when they tell you, you are too young to use a moisturizer. I find them old fashioned and out dated. First of all we don't live in and ideal environment where there is no pollution and no stress, second I am 25 and scientifically your skin starts aging at the age of 25 so I need to take precautions! 


I will try to do what she told me to do, but I don't know how long I can go with a moisturizer and a toner. 


Clindoxyl gel feels like a moisturizer first, but it's sticky at the same time, but it was okay after my skin absorbed it and dried. 


In the morning and at night I take one 500mg Ornidazole.


.....and at night I put on Benzamycin. They sell it in three diferent tubes and you need to mix tube A to tube B then add the mixture of tube AB to tube C and you store in the fridge. I think it's fun. I always liked mixing things like a mad scientist hehe.
When you need to apply it you put it some on your face when you opened the fridge and store the rest in the fridge without taking it out and putting it back on. Otherwise it will go bad fast. 


I started the pill last night so today is Day 1. 5 


I'll report back on Day 30.


Until then...


Take Care,
Lola
XOXO

A New Journey

Unfortunately for a while I won't be doing make up. Or at least I will try not to.


Although I do not have an acne problem currently I had two terrible 2 cystic acne and dealing with acne scars lately. So I went to see another doctor for it. 


Because she knows our family history she told me it's genetics and I have inflamed cystic acne triggered by congested pores due to cosmetics products. I exactly know what she is talking about; Bare Escentuals Mineral Lose Powder. 


She gave a pill, a mask that you do by mixing three different ingredients, and a gel to use for a month. I got the first pill last night, and you might think it's crazy but my skin looks calmed down and one of two active acne I have already deflated. 


Although I will try not to put on any make up not to slow down the process of treatment, I cannot give up on my eyeliner and my lipsticks. 


Currently my favorites are Revlon lip glosses and Maybeline summer colors. Swatches are coming up...  

June 27, 2011

A Different Kind of Post...

There is a thin thread between life and death.
All you need is a minute;
One minute you are here,
the next...
you are gone.

It doesn't matter how tough or strong you are,
it's all non sense when you go and leave your body behind.

Some people say they don't need any one,
because they are strong and can do anything on their on, 
and people are weak, and relationships are too much work.
How wrong they are!

When you are gone
you need good friends to realize that you are not around.
Sometimes friends and family can find you when you are using up your last minute,
and sometimes they can save you, 
and sometimes....
they can't.

Salute to all we lost, 
that we couldn't find them when they are in their last golden minute,

June 22, 2011

Just Saying...

By the way,
MAC US employees told me they will have brush sets around September or October,
but 
there were boxed brush sets at MAC counter in Amsterdam aiport.

Maybe it was something else, maybe it was not.
Just saying...

If you find yourself traveling to or having a connection at the Amsterdam airport,
check out the MAC counter there! ;) 

Coming Soon...

I am home for almost a week, 
and I just unpacked.

Packing and unpacking is not fun for me.

I can live in suitcases and it won't bother me at all,
but when you are not the only one at home, 
it bothers other people unfortunately.

So, I had to unpack,
and it was a challenge to find room for all my clothes and shoes,
but we managed to do well.

However, I also need to find room for my make up collection,
so that I can do a haul for the items I got just before I left the US.

====Spoiler alert!====

I got three lipsticks and a lipgloss from MAC,
and they are all bold and gorgeous. 

I can say I went out of my comfort zone.

I used to use color on my eyes and lips in the past,
but my style turned into 'all neutral' through out the years.

Maybe it's time to add some bright pinks in my daily make up regimen :)

XOXO
Lola


MAC all over the world

My first impressions on MAC employees in different countries...


Employees of MAC in Amsterdam airport,
are extremely nice and polite 
and 
their make up is not bad at all.

Employees of MAC US, 
have horrible make up 
and 
ladies working there have an attitude problem,
but 
guys are extremely polite and sweet.

Employees of MAC Istanbul, Turkey
have horrible make up 
and 
they don't just have an attitude problems, 
but 
they are snobs! 

Girl, you are working in a MAC store, 
you are not the head make up artist of Chanel! 
For God's sake! 


XOXO
Lola

Chasing Surf Baby...

Today I checked another MAC store in another country 
and 
Surf Baby Cheek Color was sold out there, too.

What a shame!

Normally I do not follow MAC collections religiously 
and 
I think it's a money trap to come up with limited collections one after another
and 
buy the whole collection because it's limited edition,
but 
I liked the Surf Baby Cheek Color.

So far,
I checked the MAC counter in the state I lived,
                the MAC counter in Amsterdam aiport,
          and the MAC store in Istanbul, Turkey

Oh well, 
it's not like I ran out of blushes.
I have eight new blushes.
I guess I will be okay for a while. 
LOL

XOXO
Lola :)

June 17, 2011

Goodbye USA, Hello Expensive Europe

So the time came for me to go back home for good.


I am not sad or anything, but I was not thrilled to go back home either. 
I don't understand why people keep asking me if I am excited to go back home. 
I guess people get home sick, but I don't, 
because it's same ol' same ol' things, 
plus I don't feel belong to anywhere 
I can create a new home to myself where ever I go, 
and true friends and family would never lose touch with you.


Anyways....


One thing I will miss about USA would probably how cheap it is to live there. 
To all the people who think I spend too much 
let me give you an example and you will understand me better.


Recently, I lost my MAC Lustering lipstick, 
so when I saw a MAC counter in Amsterdam airport I couldn't help but replace my lost lipstick. 
Now, you don't need to be a Math professor. 
In the states I paid $14+tax for that lipstick, 
in Netherlands I paid $23. 5 for the same lipstick. 
Now do you get me when I say home expensive things are in Europe?! :)

A Quick Tip

Have you ever used a high end extremely expensive brand mascara, but could never afford it ever again after you finished it?

Save the mascara brush and dip it in to your drug store waterproof mascara. 

You know 90% of the time it's the brush that's making the magic, not the mascara formula. 

So, for example my all time holy grail mascara is Dior Show, 
but I don't want to spend $40+tax on it. 
So, I saved the brush and now I dip it in my Physicians Formula Organic mascara and I get the same result, I got when I was using Dior Show mascara. 

Be smart when it comes to spending ;) 

June 07, 2011

Vacation Vacation Vacation...

What are your summer plans, ladies? 

I  plan going to Turkey - Istanbul
and 
Greece - Athens this summer.

So, I may not keep up with blogging. 

Sorry in Advance :P

Istanbul - not Constantinople :)

June 04, 2011

Juicy Purchase - Part 2

Ta-da! 
This is the baby I was waiting for it to arrive
so I can actually talk about it.
I got this from HauteLook Juicy Couture Sale with my JC watch.
I am not really a fan of bathrobe fabric bags, 
but look at this baby and look at the details
It's perfect!
(I didn't unwrap the strap and the zip 
because I'm leaving in 10 days so I don't want to pack it again)


it has a huge pink JC tag inside 
says 
JUICY COUTURE
BORN IN THE GLAMOROUS USA
i think it's really nice touch :)



How cute!
 there is a part with a zipper that says 
SHOP
It's big enough to store small items that you don't want it to be spare in your purse 
eg: money, lip gloss, cards, etc...



and
there is a pocket to put your cell phone in and it says
"Hello?"
How cute is that! :)





JC crown is printed on the fabric inside the purse



the letter J is sewed inside an embossed heart at the back

I didn't want it to be anything crazy. 
You can always combine a black, nice purse with almost anything,
and 
it's not boring because it has nice touches

(I couldn't help and just unwrapped the zipper 
and realized I missed out to show the best part of the purse.
Look how gorgeous the Juicy key is!
What a nice touch for a simple black purse :)

and 
it was $87 less than its retail price. 
I call this a great deal! ;)

June 02, 2011

May Favorites...

I can't believe it's mid 2011.
It's crazy,
but what can we do other than enjoying each and every day...


I was thinking I don't have anything to put it in my May's Favorite list, but actually I do!


I love my Elf Translucent Mattifying Powder
for shine control (I already hit the pan)


I love the smell of Benefit Coralista blush,


I love my Sonia Kashuk Concealer Palette
that can erase every imperfection


I love my Hard Candy tinted moisturizer
that can cover up all my blemishes (but not acne scars)

I love my Smashbox Photo Finish Oil-Free Primer
because it has this silky smooth feeling to it


I love my new eye cream from
Origins - A perfect world for eyes
that has a silky smooth & has a long lasting moisturizing effect and it smells great

I like that my new moisturizer
Origins Balanced Diet
calmed my skin and moistured

and I have almost no shine when I wake up or during the day

I love my Watson's Witch Hazel as a toner
that treats blemishes and it's the cheapest most effective toner ever!


I am in love with Boot's No.7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser that makes me face super clean


I like Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub
that makes my face super soft and moistured
but kind of harsh for my sensitive skin


I like my Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant scrub
because it's so soft and gentle on my skin

I love Mario Badescu Whitening Mask to erase acne scars and smells A-MA-ZING!


I like the smell of Neutrogena oil-free dry sun block


Non-beauty related May Favorite....

I love Panera's decaf coffee
and I don't even drink decaf. Imagine that!
(I'll miss it like crazy when I go back home :(  )

Funny Fact...

I never had the top corner of my eyebrows,
so for the last few months I started filling those parts in and the outer corner of my eyebrows when I am doing my make up,


So recently....


I was putting some eyebrow pencil color on my brush and applying it on and setting it with a clear mascara.


Because the outer corners were such a light color that when you see me from far away you would think I have a little more than half eyebrows.


Anyways, I came up with this crazy idea....
(you know I am full of crazy ideas >: ) )

 

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the L'oreal serum for eyelashes.

When I had the double extend mascara I realized I ended up having new baby eyelashes
and my eyelashes were darker
after a month of use!

Although, I wasn't happy with the new baby eyelashes,
because they were at the wrong spot,
(I had second row of eyelashes at the outer corner of my eyes)
it was good to have curled darker lashes,
(the new lashes were naturally curled)


So, I decided to use the serum on my eyebrows,
after all I never had the top corner of my eyebrows
and I could really use darker eyebrows at that place.


I'm using it for a couple of weeks
and I didn't use it everynight simply because I forgot.


So, the result.....


I have new baby eyebrows YAY! :)
and my eyebrows are much more darker that I nearly don't need to darken my eyebrows with a pencil/shadow anymore,
which is good because finding a brow pencil that would match my eyebrows was a challange as well.


Most of the pencils/shadows in the market are too brown and they have a red undertone,
and it looks like my eyebrow area blemished when I fill in my eyebrows with those pencils.

My eyebrows are taupe colored
(grey undertoned brown; ashy brown)

What is even worse is Sephora and Ulta seller associates are trying to sell me those colors and they don't get me when I say it doesn't match my eyebrow color and it looks too freaking red on me,

but I cannot blame them, how can they know it when they use the same pencil and look as if somebody punch them on the eyebrow?!


Ulta, Sephora and Mac really needs to educate their seller associates!


They just know the basics and try to use the same techniques on everyone and don't they pay attention to bone structure or anything else.


For example you cannot pull a regular smokey eye on me by smudging the eyeshadow on 2/3 of the under eye, because I look like a panda. I'm not kidding!
However, they insist that I look good.
Even my best friend couldn't hold herself and said that I looked real bad!
(You should always keep people are round you, who are not afraid to say 'the king is naked' you know)


One time I went to Mac counter inside the Macy's in the mall,
because I couldn't find a matching color eyebrow pencil/shadow for my eyebrows in Sephora and Ulta,
and it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

I don't know how the Mac people look in your country/state/neighborhood, but mine look HORRIBLE!

All the Mac ladies have their eyebrows filled in with unnatural colors and they had extremely high arches and extremely thick eyebrows
and they all look as if they tattooed their eyebrows with a color darker than their hair color.


So, basically I was loosing my mind when they were trying to fill in my eyebrows with dark brown.
I have light skin and brown hair that is turning to light brown,  
and it was looking disgusting when they were filling in my eyebrows with black,
and they were claiming it looks natural on me and it matches my roots.
Lady my roots are brown not black and my skin is fair and the rest of my hair is light color
so how does this can look good on me?!


So, when I went to the mall on Memorial Day I realized YSL light eyebrow pencil color looks close to my eyebrow color, but now they don't really need to be filled in thanks to L'oreal eyelash serum.


I guess I won't be using the L'oreal serum all over my eyebrows anymore, because I don't want it to be any darker, but I will be still using it on the spots that I don't have hair.


However, I don't know what will happen when I stop using the serum.
When I used it on my eyelashes, I didn't lose the baby eyelashes nor they grew,
but they were not darker when I stopped using the serum.
I think I would be okay if my eyebrows lighten a little bit,
because then it means I can go for a lighter blonder hair color and still have visible eyebrows, because I would have grown eyebrows on the bald spots.


Don't forget unless you are a blonde, your eyebrow color and you hair color should almost match each other if you don't want to look funny,
and if the eyebrow pencil/shadow looks red/orange-brown when it oxidizes then it is not good enough for you ladies!


When you are a blonde please don't have black or really dark eyebrows, you might want to lighten your eye brows to have a softer look,
there is no need to look upset without feelin upset, because of your eyebrow color or the shape! ;)

Busy Bee...

Second and third part of my HauteLook purchase arrived.
Just have a crazy get-together schedule since the summer is here and all my friends are leaving for summer (or for good) including me.
I'll post those hauls ASAP promise :)

Enjoy your life to the fullest

Love,
Lola
XOXO