Wedding Time!!

No its not my wedding, but an extended family member's.


Although I am not attending, because weddings are not my thing, I just like the preparation time.


So, I helped my mother get prepared for tonight's wedding reception.


Of course as usual she didn't wait for me and started herself.


So, she used Avon's Anew Clinical Advanced Dermabrasion System Soin Effet Peeling Professional.


(It's a double tube that has a cleanser and a face scrub that has the tiniest granules in it.)


Then, I first cleaned her skin with Boots No.7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser,
then Witch Hazel toner,
then Basil Purifying mask from Body Shop
and completed the first night with Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum
and used Origins A Perfect World for Eyes.


The second night (last night)....


Again I cleaned her skin with Boots No.7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser,
then Witch Hazel toner,
then Mario Badescu Whitening Mask for 10 minutes.


She chose not to use any face cream on top of these treatments to let her skin breathe and keep the effects of the nourishing treatment that the creams gave her. It makes sense to me :) 


The result....
Her skin was clearly brightened and fresh looking.


It cannot take place of a professional 1-hour long facial, but it was a good pick me up when you don't have time or money to spend on a facial. 


I used the products we have at home that I thought she might benefit from.


Her skin needed a deep cleaning, that's why I used Boots No.7 and The Body Shop mask
and she needed something to brighten her sun damage/aging spots, so I used Whitening Mask
she also needed a little nourishment and a lift, that's why I chose Ole Henriksen Truth Serum


She's ready for tonight's make up, but I am planning to make an appointment for her at the Dermalogica Salon I go to.


I will keep you posted when we go for a real facial ;)


XOXO
Lola :)

Just Started Doing Make up and Want to Look Gorgeous?

First of all if you are planning to do a full make up...


--Clean your face and moisturize. 
Don't forget to use an eye cream.


Start with a primer. 


Then tinted moisturizer,foundation or powder/loose powder whatever you prefer


You have acne scars, scars, blemishes, freckles?


Use a pigmented concealer that will match your skin tone and has greens or salmon or purple color in it so it can cover whatever you want to hide.


Then...


Always contour your face with a matte bronzer.


Make a fish face and find your cheek bones and contour under that area.


Then color on top of your cheek bones lightly.


It's up to you what color you want. 


You can use mauve, pink, or coral


Finish with a finishing/setting powder to keep your make up in place during the day in case you sweat or your face gets oily


For you eyes....


Use clear or flesh color primer if you want to hide discoloration and to make your eye shadow stand out.


I never go out with out using eyeliner. 


If you have really dark and full eyelashes you may not need an eyeliner.


If you like color...


Use pigmented eye shadows in a small area.


Do not paint all your eye with one color up to your brow bone as if somebody gave you a blue eye.


Use white, golden or shimmery flesh color under your eyebrows and at the inner corner of your eyes. Your eyes will stand out.


Blend a brown or grey eye shadow in your socket to make your eye area bigger.


End with mascara. 
It's up to you what you want to achieve when choosing your mascara.


Do you want to look natural and have thick lashes or dramatic or just long lashes or curled lashes? 


You will decide...


Then brush your eye brows. 


What I hate the most is people brushing their eye brows down to make it look shaped nice.


It just makes me want to lick my thumb and brush their eye brows myself. 


Plug your eyebrows where it is needed and brush the way hair grows not down!


You may want to use a clear mascara to keep them in place.


If you have light color eyebrows or you have empty parts in your eyebrows use an eyebrow powder or a pencil.


When you are choosing a color for your eyebrows always go for a natural look!


Unless your eye brows are too light, do not choose dark colors!


It will only make you look angry and like some beast from Mars.


and....Viola! Your make up is done and you look perfect!




My personal favorites for full make up is....


Primer: Smashbox primer or L'oreal (As a cheap alternative)


Tinted Moisturizer: Hard Candy  tinted moisturizer 
-OR-
Foundation: Laura Mercier or Amway smart shade foundation (as a cheap alternative)


Concealer: Sonia Kashuk concealer agenda palette


Bronzer: ELF Golden Bronzer


Setting Powder: Tarte Smooth Operator 


Blush: Benefit Coralista Blush or ELF Candid Coral (As a cheap alternative)


Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner or Physicians Formula (As a cheap alternative)


Eye Base: Mac Paint Pot Painterly or Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Roller (As a cheap alternative)


Eye Shadow: Hard Candy or MAC or Maybeline or Lorac or R&R


Mascara: Dior Show Mascara or L'oreal Voluminous (As a cheap alternative)


Eyebrows: any clear mascara and NYC 923 Charcoal Brow/Eyeliner Pencil


If you get an eye infection (don't say ewww that would never happen to me, because it can happen even the best of us lol) don't do make up or after your infection is gone clean your eye brushes and throw away your mascara or you will bring back your eye infection!


Don't forget it is important to remove your make up and clean your face everyday in the morning and at night. So you won't get black heads, and it is important to get a facial once a month. If you can't you can do the same thing at home almost for free! :) 


XOXO
Lola

My Goodness!

I was at a market in Turkey. 
It is similar to Wal-Mart, 
but prices have nothing to do with it.


You know my favorite mascara for now is L'oreal's Voluminous original formula mascara.


I believe I bought it for $7+tax 
and 
at Migros, in Istanbul, Turkey it was $21 (tax included) 


I was in shock!


L'oreal's all mascaras were either $21 or $23. 


For that price you can almost purchase Dior Show Mascara at Sephora in the US.


These prices are just making me mad, 
and I pray I won't run out of my cosmetic products any time soon.


SMH... 

Shopping for Shoes Around the Globe...

Today we went to another mall in Istanbul.

It was an outlet mall called Optimum Outlet.

There were sales everywhere.

I thought I was going to lose my mind. :)

However, I couldn't shop because I was with my father, Mr Shopping is Unnecessary,

so I just looked and almost already decided what to buy in my second visit to that mall, alone!. :)

Of course I compared prices as always.

This time I checked the prices of Payless Shoe Source.

It wasn't so bad, it was almost as cheap as it is in the States.

I guess the most expensive pair of shoes were $58 (tax included)

and the cheapest was $17 (tax included)

I checked the prices of the same pair of shoes in the store and online.

One of the pairs that I liked was only few bucks more than the US price,

however the good looking high heels were almost $30 more than its US price.

Comparing to other local shoe stores in Istanbul, Payless Shoe Source prices were just okay,

because in other places you can't get a good quality pair of high heels for work no less than $90

which is insane and not worth it!

Insanity Continues...

We were at the mall again. but of course at another one. 
There are so many malls that you can go to a different mall every day of the month. 


As always I was observing prices. 


I went to this place called Gratis at Kozzy Mall in Istanbul.


The products they carry are what you can find in Wal-Mart beauty aisle in the States. 


However, the prices makes you speechless.


$7. 97 John Frieda Collection Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, 1.69 fl oz in Wal-Mart in NY was $22 (tax included) in Istanbul, Turkey


$5. 87 John Frieda Collection Sheer Blonde Lustrous Touch Strengthening Shampoo, 8.45 oz in Wal-Mart in NY was $12 (tax included) in Istanbul, Turkey


Their selling strategy is to promote the products saying ''Imported from America'' so they think they can price as high as they want. Unbelievable!


I left the stores speechless as always. 


Since friends are vacationing New York my shopping list gets longer and longer by day. 
There is no way I will spend that much money on those products just because I like them. 
I haven't gone crazy yet, but apparently the stores are!

Expensive Europe You Make Miss the States Soooo Much.......

Today I was at the mall with my cousin.

Let me rephrase it...

Today I was in one of the thousand malls in Istanbul.

Sometimes I feel like this city has more malls than people in it. 

We went there to find a pair of chic sandals for my cousin.

What did we buy at the end? 

Anything but sandals

A cheapest pair of sandals are $35 (tax included),

but of course we like the $80 ones.
I have a seventh sense not six in choosing expensive goodies.
I don't know how or why, 
but 
what ever I like 
is always expensive
lol

While we were there I checked out Sephora.

It was a total shock for me.

$36 Too Faced pallete was $45

and 

$35 Guerlain Rouge Automatique was $50

and 

$24. 5 Dior Show Mascara was $40

Those prices were tax included, 

but still

they were expensive.

I couldn't take it anymore so I left.

Then we went to Accessorize...

If you are not familiar with the store, 

as you can understand it from its name it's an accessory store

They have cute and chic earings, necklaces, socks, panties, hair accessories, sun glasses, scarves, handbags, cute note pads, etc.

So, I bought two necklaces ($11 each), a pair of earings ($11) and two rings ($11 and $9.95) :)

butterfly ring

the back of the ring is gold color and little hearts are engraved at the back :)

  bow ring

butterfly necklace and horse shoe necklace (for good luck :))

butterfly earings

Aren't they adorable? :)

I got everything in butterfly,

I don't know what got in me,

I don't even like butterflies,

but I love the butterflies I got from Accessorize 

I spent a fortune, but I am so happy with my cute goodies :)

XOXO

Lola

Extremely Late July Favorites

Can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted, 

but you would understand me, when you hear my excuse. 

I am looking for my first professional job after college. 

It is more difficult especially in this economy, but I am determined! :)

SO...


My extremely late July Favorites....


#1 of all times is my Sonia Kashuk concealer palette


As far as make up brushes.....


I like my E.L.F brushes, 
but my favorite is my Toki Doki brushes, and Rock & Republic brushes.
They are so soft and high quality!


I love my Guerlain red lipstick. 


I love E.L.F eyeliner brushes


I love my Tarte Smooth Operator. 
It's a miracle to keep your make up in place during hot summer days


I love my E.L.F Golden Bronzer
If you have fair skin like me, then it is the perfect bronzer
It looks sparkly in the pan, but when you apply it, it is just perfect for contouring

I love my Aussie Hair Rescue spray.
It is perfect to detangle hair after shower


I love my Loreal Voluminous mascara. 
It makes my eyelashes really thick without being clumpy .