Wonderland

FOTD

2012-01-13T01:21:00.001+04:00

Since I owe the lovely Jacqueline of My Beauty Hoard an EOTD and an FOTD already, and I have enough willpower left to write this short post, here it is, an "half" FOTD featuring the Chic Palette by Scott Barnes and other new purchases made during my mindless Xmas-New Year shopping spree. (I haven't even dared to count the exact amount of the fortune I've spent so far. Those who follow my Twitter might have catched one of the babies I've bought recently.)

Not the greatest quality (sheered out and not sharp enough) as I have no proper natural light in the morning, but this was the closest photo to reality I was able to make.

My hair was a totall mess, so I had to crop a bit heavily =D

I said "half" FOTD becoz, well, only half of my face was presentable hehehehe, quality of the photo is below average and I only used the bronzey gold color from the 3 colors of Chic Platte. Drawn as a line to the hollows of cheeks and blended up and forward to make a kind of 3D effect. I don't like bold blushes on myself, I keep them sheer, focusing only on the "darker line". No highlight was used.

Products used:

Face:

Kanebo Sensai - Fluid Finish Foundation (FF202 Soft Beige) [ only 3 words: OH MY GOD!!!]

pixi - neutralizing coverup kit

Scott Barnes - Pressed Powder (in Petal for setting foundation on T-zone & under the eyes)

Cheeks:

Scott Barnes - Chic Palette (in Brandywine, used the golden shade)

Eyes:

Make Up For Ever - Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector (shade is 0......named blonde or whatever...beats me)

NYX - 10 colors Smokey Eyes palette (neutral brown smudged close to upper&lower lashline....eyeshadows has no individual names)

Holika Holika - Magic Waterproof Deep Eye Eyelinder (black, for tight-lining)

Make Up For Ever - Aqua Smoky Lash mascara

Essence - Volumizing Lash Powder (Vampire's Love LE, pure fibre)

"mister mascara" - eyelash curler

Lips:

bare lips at the time of taking the photo

Scott Barnes Chic Palette - Brandywine

2012-01-08T12:31:00.001+04:00

I know my posts are rare and lately no proper makeup review ended up here, thus I'm making up for my sins and bring you something really good.....hard to get and really good.....a blush palette by Scott Barnes called Chic Palette.

I'm terribly indebted to Strawberrynet.com for carrying this brand and having awesome sales all the time. This way I buy at least one Scott Barnes product every single time and thanks to them I have and cherish a translucent loose powder (my 1st SB product and 1st full size loose powder) which seems to be no more available on the net. >.<

Where else could I have got this from than Strawberrynet.com. Back then it costed USD11.50 and that is a super price!

The packaging is neat and elegant, the case of the palette is made of plastic but not the cheap kind, and is a trap for fingerprints. Not the worst, but still...after few times of using the case looks dirty @_@

The lid closes securely without any clasp/locking tooth so no need to worry about accidents.

The color is Brandywine and the palette holds 3 pans of blushes. They are quite big in diameter. Not the biggest ever, but seeing some brands making those tiny little holes for lush application....I don't know where they got the idea from but they surely never used blushes in their lives...or simply don't give crap about practicality and go for the design only...

So, the 3 blushes together are 15g and they are well pigmented.

The darkest color on the left side is a dusty brownish red. It looks like a deep rose with some brown tinge in the pan, but on skin that brown is strenghtened.

It's matte, and best for contouring or as a single blush for the bold ones.

The color in the middle is a lighter, pinkish rose, heavy on the rose side. It's almost matte but has some tiiiiiny, almost there pink shimmer.

It's great as an over-all blush and contouring shade too.

The third color on the right side is my favourite. It's a color far from my taste yet I prefer to use this from the 3 colors. It's a beautiful shimmery, bronzey gold which works as a stand-alone blush and contouring shade too.

Swatch without flash.

Swatch with flash.

You can see on the swatches that the colors are not evenly deposited, however, it was only one swipe and usage with brush proves even application on the cheeks.

Also, you have to be careful with the amount you use or you'll end up as a clown.

The three colors can be used separately, as duos or even all three colors can be worn together, but then, that's some killer makeup focused on the cheeks, so don't even try to emphasise your eyes and/or lips too at the same time...unless it's for a fitting occasion.

I have to mention, that personally I don't like to wear all 3 colors together...that's just too much, and such a strong golden shade as highlighter.....well.....do it for a fashion/art photoshoot but not for the street.

Do you own or have you tried the other color combinations? Share your experiences :)

Yves Rocher Hydra Specific Soft Foam Cleanser

2011-12-21T13:30:00.000+04:00

I haven't given up on Yves Rocher yet. However, I do want to, coz their skincare is not good enough IMHO, but I keep giving them another chance...

My latest "let's give them another chance" haul ended up with a try-out kit with three mini products for ~5 dollars (review to come) and this foam cleanser. And you know what? First time I went shopping in Georgia I had to realize that Yves Rocher is present here too! OMG this must be an omen or something.....@.@

Anyway, you might know that foam cleansers are extremely popular in Japan due to its softness and good ability to cleanse thoroughly. First, I was sceptical about how a bubbling foam texture would be able to remove makeup (even the waterproof ones), for God's sake, it's mostly air and a little creamy stuff!!! But I was convinced. Okay, this is the first foam cleanser I've tried so far, but I don't particularly fancy Yves Rocher and Japanese skin care is just plain goooooooood (no matter which brand) so that means that any foam cleanser coming from Japan must be faaar better than this and this results in me being a fan of JP foam cleansers!

Now, that I've written down 'foam cleanser' about a billion times, let me introduce you to Yves Rocher's bubbling cleanser (yay) of the Hydra Specifiy line: Soft Foam Cleanser.

Description: "My new makeup removal routine. Soft Foam Cleanser lathers into a creamy foam to clean my skin with mildness. When rinsed, my skin is supple, sparkling and ready for facial care. Spray 150 ml / 5.0 fl oz."

The US site also has a little how-to guide:

Deposit a dollop of foam onto a cotton pad or into the palm of your hand. (1min)

Apply evenly over a damp face, using light massaging movements. (1min)

Rinse with water, then gently dry skin. (1min)

Does it cleanse? Oh yes, it does! Quite well! The only thing that needs a second thorough rubbing is waterproof mascara. Anything else is removed without trace, my skin is left squeaky clean. I would say the only drawback is that it cleanses too well: it strips my skin of everything and thus dries it out. During summer it wouldn't be much of a problem, but now that it's winter.....I don't like scratching my face all day long because no heavy facecream can penetrate deep enough to make up for the damage this cleaner caused.

All in all, this is a great cleaner for summer time, but I would never recommend it for winter, especially not for those with dry or sensitive skin.

Price wise it's a good catch too, it sells for USD15...but don't forget that Yves Rocher has sales ALL the time, so it costs even less ;)

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist

2011-12-12T11:44:00.001+04:00

Oooh, new post!

I know I'm behind with cool makeup reviews, but I'll catch up on myself, promise!^.^

Well, this post is not about makeup either...it's about the best heat protectant product I've came across so far!

Yes, I found one that I'm satisfied with! I'm so happy! *.*

Let's see what it is: a disqustingly girly, excessively pink bottle of holy grail:

Lee Stafford's Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist.

Phew, that was long :)

Description: "With green tea extract heat protective agent for peace of mind when using hot straightening irons

Want to stop the damage from using your flat irons but still achieve a sexy, sleek, super straight look? I’ve developed the Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Mist, perfect to give you smooth, straight, sexy hair.

With Green Tea extract to give you the peace of mind that it’s helping protect your hair from those HOT irons. It also helps to prevent the static that’s generated when using your straightening-irons and gives a beautiful shineand smell to your hair.

The antioxidants in Green Tea help to protect the hair from environmental and heat damage, reducing free radical formation caused by UV and heat styling. So you get safety and style,what more could you want.

Top Tips:

- Spray from arms length onto towel dried hair and blow dry

- On each selection of dry hair before you use your irons, spray again from half an arms length lightly, then iron

- Happy protecting and shining"

Well, this pink little one beats ghd's Thermal Protector, hands down. And not just in quality but in price too! Ghd, which I thought as the best heat protector so far (it wasn't perfect tho), costs £9.95 (approx. 15USD) and holds 150ml, while the pink beast costs 5.89GBP (=9USD) and holds 200ml! Now, which one do you think worths its price?

However, Lee Stafford's Shine Mist is a bit hard to get. I could only order it on ebay, haven't seen it anywhere else (correct me if I'm wrong), and back in Hungary I could find it in only one store of only one perfumery, nowhere else.

I don't think many people realized what this product is capable of.

But, enough of singing hallelujah, get to point, why I keep saying that it works:

1) It does not leave my hair crispy, frayed, dried after flat ironing

2) No flyaways!

3) Has the best ability to help straighten hair and keep it that way.

4) Silky touch of hair remains thanks to no frying.

5) Nice fragrant.

6) However you won't spray diamonds or glitters onto your hair, the finish is moderately shiny, yet absolutely not matte! ^.^

Those in the UK are damn lucky to be able to buy this brand anytime, I, on the other hand, had to pay almost double because of shipping. Still, I think this Shine Mist will protect my hair for a looong time :)

Do you need Poker Straight Flat Iron Protection Shine Mist?

Absolutely!!!!!

Update from the new world

2011-11-29T20:06:00.001+04:00

First post since I moved to Georgia.
It's my 3rd week here yet I haven't got used to how my days are divided, so I have to find out when the time is best to blog. Not to mention the internet service is crap and I had to opt for optical cables. It's supposed to be activated on Saturday....I'll see if it works normally or not. WTF?! Optical cables are kinda new here...@_@
Anyway, I haven't even been to proper sightseeing, however I made some photos when we hosted couriers and traveled a bit. I'll post photos later :)

Cosmetics-wise....well, not like I've been to much stores so far (I just have no time and transportation is tricky to further places & walking is suicide for a European), but the prices are the same as in Hungary. Some things are even more expensive! And Hungary already has high prices!^^ Poor US colony that lives here....it must be cruel for them! =D
I'm sure that there are no MAC counters, but luxury brands are present, and some brands I've never heard about. I hope to explore the few stores that are present fast.

BTW, I got rid of Intensedebate's comment system, however all the comments made through Intense are lost. Ok, not entirely, coz as long as I keep my account I have all the data, it's just that I can't export it...at least not into the new system by Pnyxe. Nor simply into Blogger. However, if someone knows how to do it, please tell me. I don't want to pay 130 dollars per month for a premium Pnyxe package only to emerge my old comments into the new system....

Testing new comment system...

2011-10-26T12:21:00.000+04:00

For some time I will be testing a new comment system by Pnyxe, so I need your help! See and share what you experience when you comment with it.

I had to do this, because when replying to the comments for my last post I saw that the old Blogger comment system (which I hate) worked instead of the IntenseDebate one I had integrated. WTF!?

ID wasn't the best either, coz you had to sign up for every single post you wanted to see if anyone replied to and I find this quite annoying. Who wants to check and click on confirmation e-mails and all?

Well, Pnyxe isn't without fault either, to activate it I had to change some parts in the HTML coding and the settings so that the original comments would be hidden, or the new system would be overwritten @_@ This means that the comments made with Blogger's own system doesn't exist anyomore for the bare eyes. (however, they are not lost, just not visible. Now, that's a big shit for me!

And so far I see no way to make the old comments visible to everyone >.<

I like how Pnyxe looks like, how you can add photos, format the text and under the "more" option that pops up on existing comments you can choose to follow the responses or the author. On a side note, I think it's kind of confusing that you have to view individual posts to be able to comment.

I really hope this system will work....if not, then I have another one in mind, but it's not as pretty as this is =]

In order to improve commenting on my humble little blog, please share your thoughts when commenting. Thank you! <3

EDIT: Since I don't want to loose more data, I haven't deactivated the IntenseDebate comment plugin, thus there are two comment boxes below the text of the posts! Sorry! Make sure you write in the right one: the second one with black background and FB & Twitter tabs. That is the Pnyxe comment box I'd like you to test.
The first one with white background is the IntenseDebate one I'd like to forget about.
Please, pay attention and sorry for the inconvenience! >.<

Essence @Holografics.com Collection

2011-10-25T23:16:00.001+04:00

Since I'm moving to Georgia I need to think over carefully what makeup I'm bringing along...I can't just pack everything I own, right? First, becoz I'd easily surpass the allowed weight I'm allowed to take and two, I hardly use many of the Essence stuffs. You know, Essence makeup is either a winner or a total crap, but anyway it's not pro enough to use on others. Well, I'm not packing crap, thus tons of them have to stay and since I haven't reviewed most of them, I'll try to post them in bunches (if poosible).

So, this Holografics collection came out late summer-early fall this year (2011) and was so-so IMHO. The most interesting thing was the body oil, but I didn't buy it coz the amount was too much if I found it useless...@_@ I screwed up big time with the refreshing spray from the You Rock collection, but that's another post...

These are the things I bought:

I can't find the nail polish anymore....wonder where it went....>_< Well, it wasn't good anyway...Dunno its name without the actual product, but if you ever find this in a left-over sale somewhere only buy it if you need a top coat that gives your basic nail polish a nice twist by the holographic sheen it creates. Click on the photo to see it in better quality.

The 2 eyeshadows I choose are 01 Gagalectric (blue) and 02 Lilac. Yes, you see it right, Gagalectric XDDD

Their texture is like mousse, buttery. I'd say applying with finger is preferred as brushes and these creams are not the best friends I'd seen. However, this way don't expect precise, detailed application.

Pigmentation is low to medium. No matter how hard you pack on you won't get a perfect coverage. From some angles you'll still 'see through' the shadow. They are wearable colors...until you go out onto the direct summer sunlight. Then you realise these are for either winter (but then these colors for winter?) or hot summer night parties!

But not without a strong primer! That is a must for these to stay in place.^^

The lipgloss is 02 Holoberry. Why berry? There's nothing berry colored in this!? Anyway, it's not sticky, sweet-smelling (but you won't feel it on your lips), the pink base color is sheer and the holographic particles produce a very interesting effect when light hits them. The pink, green and blue paricles make a kind of silver-foiled look. You have to see it in real life to understand what I mean.

Finally the Holographic Eyeliners. The blue one is 01 Blue Ray and the white one is 02 Prism@tic white.

My favourite of the two is Blue Ray. It's not too sparkling so I can wear it anytime and it gives a little ooomph to my eye-look. Pigmentation is better than medium, still, you might want to go over the blue line a second time.

They are surprisingly good! I expected them to smear all around my face but they didn't! They held up well in hot weather too! :)

Okay, don't rub them and use e/s primer, but they are still keepers!^_^

Moving abroad

2011-10-20T13:49:00.001+04:00

I have a major announcement. As stated in the title, I'm moving abroad. Next month. I only have 3 more weeks till then. And the destination is Georgia. No, not the US Georgia, but the country Georgia.

It's sudden and I have a hard time deciding which makeup stuffs to bring along....I don't want to pack everything but what if I leave something at home and then I will want to use that one? Also, I'm afraid of the cargo damaging something....you know, the nightmare of seeing your favourite and/or expensive makeup shattered.

I stocked up with bubble wraps, but I have a feeling that I will want to wrap every single thing in 10 layers of bubble wrap XDDD

I will let you know when I 've settled in the new place and what brands could be found in Georgia. I suspect not many great brands are present......f#ck! T___T

Lierac

2011-10-10T17:04:00.001+04:00

Oh, a new post! I haven't posted for ages, but here I am, with a long overdue review. And by long I mean loooong. Something I bought last December. *cough*yes, last year*cough*

I'm planning on catching up with the reviews...

I'm way too lazy to write about each product in a separate post so I just do it all at once.

As you can see they are a scrub and a decollete product.

Lierac Microabrasion Stimulating Smoothing Cream

Description: Drawing inspiration from the cosmetic technique of micro-abrasion, MICRO-ABRASION Stimulating smoothing cream helps deliver “brand-new skin” in just 2 minutes! This cream works to exfoliate the skin deep-down and prevent and correct the appearance of visible signs of skin aging (loss of radiance and tonicity, fine lines, dehydration).

Results are visible from the very first session: skin feels smoother, toned and moisturized; the skin’s texture appears more refined, the complexion more radiant and fine lines diminished.

How to use: Apply MICRO-ABRASION Stimulating smoothing cream once or twice a week to dampened skin on the entire face and décolleté, then massage delicately in small circular motions for 2 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly.

I love this scrub! It's harsh enough for my liking yet it's soft enough not to hurt my skin. It has alumina crystals. I think fine sand must be like this. However, I never experienced real sand from the seashore >.<

The scrubbing particles don't melt away, you can exfoliate with it thoroughly. As for the result, I'd say it's quite good, but it leaves my skin....I don't know the right word. Can't describe it. After usage my skin is not stripped of moisture, not at all but isn't as smooth as when I use my other favourite, Angels on bare skin from Lush either. I think it's because Lierac's doesn't contain moisturizing/softening ingredients....?

I always hated chemistry but I don't see anything on the ingredients list that would help smoothing. Correct me, if I'm wrong. ^^ Should it be urea? If it should then it doesn't work for me, at least not thaaaaat well. "Thaaaat well", becoz it doesn't dry me out.... Maybe I have too high expectations.

The squeeze tube which is easy to squeeze (but decently firm too) dispenses quite well (no spurting or playing for hours, you control the amount you want to use....I'd say every single brand should use this tube it's so good!) and holds 50ml of product.

The price? Dunno...I bought mine during a 60% off sale and those damned dept.stores here don't carry this brand anymore....WTF?! Thanks to the internet it's around 38$ or 22 euro. More or less.

Lierac Phytrell Bust firmer gel

Description: Intended for minor skin slackening problems, responsible for a sagging bust, this formula contains 14.8% of the plant complex (alchemilla, ivy, horsetail, agrimony and sage) to help reactivate collagen and elastin production in order to effectively fight against skin slackening and to help restore shapelier breasts.

How to use: Apply regularly twice a day to the breasts and the bust, massaging gently in circular motions. Use for 6 to 8 weeks.

Now, I'll be super fast writing about this gel since I don't have much to say about it.

It's good.

Not like I had sagged decollecte and this gel worked miracle pulling it into a baby's soft skin.....but my skin is dry in general and hates alll kind of body moisturizers. Thus this acts as a kind of moisture replenishment (I know it's not!) and my bust really does feel firmer and softer!^^

The paper note included in the box also mentioned that it's good for preventing those dark patches caused by ageing. Well, due to my age I'm unable to comment on this matter. :)

As you can see from the ingredients shots, neither products are paraben-free.

The price? Again, I'm not sure....I got mine for no more than 15 dollars during the sale, and the prices I see on the net are USD 38 and up.

After the stressful work some leisure time...

2011-08-28T20:46:00.001+04:00

Just a short post stating I'm still alive and am definitely going to start posting again soon! :)

After a killing period at work I was able to spend some quality time with a good friend of mine, sailing on the Balaton....

*click on it to enlarge....yumm*

And forever-best-Georgina visited HK a while ago and helped me get some things I've been lusting after...

Some of them were part of the hated Sasa order. BTW, Sasa.com deleted my order on their own since I didn't provide the data they wanted...how nice of them....

Blogger.com keeps on rotating my pics no matter how many times and with what programs I save the photos in the desired direction...WTF

Anyhow, you can see clearly what's on them, just click:

MUFE Aqua Smoky Lash mascara 2x
MUFE Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector (color nr 0)
Naris Wink Up Maxigrade mascara
Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl mascara
Hada Labo Hyaluronic acid lotion
extra masks

Now I'm feeling pampered! ^.^

Thank you again, Georgina! Love ya! <3

Etude House

2011-07-07T01:13:00.000+04:00

In June I went on a bit of spending spree and ordered few....ahem....tons of stuffs. Since my salary is faaar faaaaar away from what would be sufficient for my makeup needs, I try to stick to cheap yet good quality stuffs. Like the Korean brand Etude House.

I'm always amazed at how good their products usually are, yet affordable. I wanna live in South Korea dammit! =)

Anyway, I think my only other EH review so far was about the super water and everything-proof Proof 10 Eye Primer (here).

It's time to move on and increase the number of my tags for the brand. I have a feeling that in the future it's gonna be a big number XD

I bought a Cream Touch Mini BB Brush Compact from ebay.

The seller, reira57 is nice, communicative and really helpful. She even included a freeby: Etude House Total Age Repair Royal Essence sample!

The brush itself is tiny: length is 11cm, brush width is 1,5cm, brush height is 2cm. The bristles are synthetic, soft and packed well, easy to work with, you won't get streaky base makeup left behind that would cause extra work.

It's suppesed to be a multi brush, for application of concealer, foundation, BB cream, highlighter, etc. Overall, cream products.

I'd say, due to it's small size it's not the best for BB creams and foundation as it would take forever to finish your whole face with it. I mainly use it for concealer, skintone correctors and such. It's faster than with a normal concealer brush, since the brush is about double the size.

I got mine for USD 5 plus a tiny shipping fee which is excellent! Even the usual, USD 8-ish price is good IMHO. I bet Korean girls have it for even less...ahh paradise! *___*

Very recommended!^^

Illamasqua for funerals?

2011-07-05T17:03:00.000+04:00

Have you seen it?

OMG It's shocking! ^^

The Final Art of Self-Expression by Illamasqua

I'm so taken aback that I had to share it as soon as I read it....

Illamasqua teamed up with a funeral family to provide fitting makeup for those who lived self-expressing themselves and sadly reached the end of their lives on this planet.

(Check out their blog post)

I find it...kind of morbid, yet a very good idea. It's just fair.

I don't know much about these things, the last funeral I attended was back in primary school and I didn't even see the body. But I do know that the body must be prepared, with makeup and all so it looks natural, pleasant, not blue-green-grey corpse, whatever.

However, due to my lack of experience I doubt it's morally ok to be made-up as a goth in a coffin. Dunno, maybe the relatives wouldn't like it? You might think 'And who cares what others think of your makeup when you're dead?!' And you're right. You wouldn't want to look like a totally different person for the rest of your "underground life" just becoz of others' opinion, right? I wouldn't. Personally I would like my relatives to see me for the last time as they have seen me all my life....and if it means extremely heavy makeup, then be it.

[ok, maybe a bit toned down, angelic look wouldn't be bad either HEHE]

All in all, I doubt it will be a major line for Illamasqua probably due to the price, but it's definitely something special^^

BTW, I find the model in the pic to terribly beautiful! *.* Like a perfect, sculpted, sleeping, eternal beauty. A vamp queen. *.*

Errr....I'm reading way too many vamp books =D

If I were a billionaire and died young I'd definitely have them brought here to make my corpse up to looks so pretty. No matter the price. They would get accomodation, food, meals paid too :D

Ooookay, I bet all the above is a big mess of sensless babbling, so if you think otherwise, or simply think me insane....hmm...keep it to yourself? Share it? Your choice. Just be nice! =)

I'm going back to work XD

Giveaway prizes! :3

2011-07-02T15:50:00.000+04:00

I was the super lucky winner of Birkie's giveaway not long ago.

Check out the original prizes here...

And take a look at what I got:

Whaaa...kind of double, right? :) She put in a ton of extras!^^

I started to play with them and I'm going to feature them in the future.

[there were so many of them that I couldn't fit them on my 2nd fave towel as a background XD]

Again, thank you so much Birkie! <3

Update on the Sasa.com fiasco

2011-06-26T16:27:00.002+04:00

Does anyone wonder how the tale of my Sasa.com order continues?

I do.

I wrote them a nice letter hoping to get a reply with valuable ideas, yet what I got was even more disappointment.

In my long letter I tried to draw in a humble yet firm tone, mentioning how this treatment is not good for their PR. Okay, it's not like my little blog gets 236264 hits a day, but until I decide to delete the post it's going to stay on the net forever.

Now either scroll down or highlight.

"Dear XY!

Thank you for replying so fast!

To tell the truth, I expected a more constructive response.

As I mentioned before, until your company finalizes the transaction I will not have any written proof of the money being transferred. I doubt it's a unique way only my bank uses.

The other option, where I send a copy of my credit card is simply unacceptable. And not just unacceptable but hilarious and unsafe! Whatever your company regulations may be, it does not work this way in the rest of the world and it makes Sasa.com seem like a fraud, not me.

26th June is Sunday, that means the order amount that was locked before will be unlocked and my account balance increased with it by Monday or Tuesday. If Sasa.com is not willing to finalize the transaction by then, I will ask you to make a change in my order. If it's possible, of course. I would gladly change the payment method to Paypal and pay that way (only after I see my bank balance increased with the locked money).

Yes, I still would like to receive the goods I ordered since I think it was a good deal, but if your company decides to cancel my account, I am going to gladly spend my money elsewhere.

Also, I would like to express that I cannot see how I am suspected of fraud or conducting illegal activities. What is it based on? How could I do anything that would be pernicious for Sasa?

I think this verifying process and treatment is bad for public relations. We, who use online stores prefer to rely on the opinion of bloggers and it is not good to see a company treating customers this way.

Thank you!

Best regards

AS"

I expected to receive a mail written by an existing human, but what I got was a compilation of ctrl-c & ctrl-v.

Geez thanks!

The content was the same as in the first post, only this time they provided one little extra information: the contact add where I can cancel my order!

Seriously!

No mentioning of 'we are so sorry to call you a fraud' or 'if you're still willing we will switch you to paypal' or a f@cking simple 'we will make sure our bank finalizes that damn transaction'!

Nooo!

I'm curious about when my balance will be increased again, on Monday or Tuesday. I'm short on money anyway this month. But then, I'll look around to see where else I can spend that money. HEHE Or I'll just ask the lovely ladies who offered me their help. I LOVE You Girls! <3 Now I understand how blogging can make friends across the planet! ^.^

I'm quite sad about losing this order, as it was free shipping and clearance sale, so I'd say $31 for 2 mascaras, a sunblock and sheet masks was a great deal....but not great enough to endure such accusation and customer service.

Lesson learned: if possible, pay through Paypal! That little fee they may take worths the security and smoothness of transaction.

Need help! Sasa.com suspects me a fraud!

2011-06-23T11:55:00.004+04:00

Okay, I usually don't do this, but I need your advice. I never run into this problem, yet I ordered online about a gazillion stuffs.

Here is what happened:

- sasa.com had a promotion with free international shipping a while ago. That means GO for me, thus I went and ordered a few things (already on sale hehe). This happened on 12 June (Sun).

- when paying (at the time I placed the order....I don't like to pay later) I chose credit card payment since it's a tiiiiiny bit cheaper than with paypal (think of the PP fees)

- I have a service where I got sms on my mobile whenever anything happens with my bank account. I got one stating that the order amount was deducted. In 1 minute after I clicked the finalizing button on sasa.com.

- The order details says "paid" while the order status says "veryfying payment"

- On 13 Jun (Mon) I got an e-mail stating that they still haven't "heared of" my bank sending the money and I should either send them a copy of my credit card statement or a copy of my credit card!

First WTF!

- 13 Jun was a national holiday for us, banks were closed, etc....and such transactions take time to show up on my balance. So I wasn't worried, thought that during that week it would be solved, they get the money and send my stuffs.

-This week (this is the second week) still nothing showed up on my balance so I went to my bank and asked this whole situation.

- What I got: 1) do not give my card number 2) they checked and the order amount is indeed locked and is waiting to be asked for by Sasa's bank. (this means it's deducted from my balance, can't spend it, etc.) It will stay locked until 26 June. If the other party does not request it by then, I will get it back. (and spend it elsewhere dammit!) 3) since I wasn't the one starting the transaction I don't have any statement/balance copy/whatever about it!

- On 22 June I contacted the costumer service writing down everything in detail...may they not understand the problem...

- On 23 June (Today) I got another e-mail in the style of a computer generated message that says: "sasa.com screen all orders and reserve the right to withhold or refuse processing any orders due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity"

2nd WTF!

Fraud? Illegal activity?

Are you kidding me?

It also states that I either send copy of my credit cared or my cc statement. In bold!

Also, if they think so, they disable my account and refuse to ship to my address.

Because I'm a fraud and illegal activity suspect!

W.H.A.T. T.H.E. F.U.C.K.????????

Just why am I suspected?

Not one of the other 314234234 online stores suspected me before of anything and now they do?

IMHO in this situation They (Sasa.com) are the ones with suspection of fraud.

I'm a customer who wanted to use their service, dared to pay directly by credit card and in the end I'm the one threatened!

They are the ones who do not want to do their part of the contract!

Everybody knows: Do not give out your account number! Not in any circumstances!

We hear and see the news about what happenes when naive people share their bank account numbers, all the time!

I'm not crazy enough to take a photo of my card and send it via e-mail! Ha! God knows who will see it on the net!

This leaves me with nothing to prove that the card is mine, I paid and I'm an existing person.

I don't even understand how I could fraud them! Buy their stuffs and say bad things about them? Oh please!

I also don't understand how other bloggers (with thousands of readers) order from sasa.com and never experience any problem!

Please, any of you out there, tell me, has anything like this happened to you before, heard of anything like this?

Just how should I reply?

I have a strong feeling that order will never reach me. And that means lots of negative comments from me on other blogs whenever I see an order from sasa.com!

Any tips, advices?

PS: Thanks for reading this long rant! ^.^

Kanebo Tiffa Beauty Sunscreen Cool Type SPF40PA+

2011-06-18T17:02:00.000+04:00

Summer came and the urge to buy new sunprotection got stronger too.

I wanted to try something new, something I never had before...and it had to be cheap! HEHE

In the end I got this: Tiffa Beauty Sunscreen from Kanebo. Adambeauty has it for special/final sale price together with 2 other versions: Pearlish and Silky Look. It was difficult to choose but I ended up buying Cool Type. I thought it would have a cooling effect, but sadly no.

It has SPF40 PA+, lowest sun protection from the trio, but the amount it holds is 45g. And I thought for the same price I'd like more stuff. I was so wrong!

I didn't pay attention to the pictures shown on the website, or else I would have know it was a spray! In the pic above the black cap hides it, but in the below pic you can read it in Japanese "Beauty Sunscreen Spray (cool)" Damn! I'm so stupid!

As an aerosol that 45g is used up in a blink!!!

I found it's best to use like a hairspray and the like (no wonder, it's a spray HA!), hold it about 20-30cm from your face and spray. Press lightly or it will dispense too much. Just a little will cover sufficiently.

I tried it by spraying directly into my palm, rubbing my palms together then patting on my face, but didn't like this method becoz:

1) the stuff froze my palm

2) this way too much sunscreen was put on my skin.

I recommend this as a 2nd sunscreen, one you toss into your bag and use on the go, when the one you used in the morning lost its effect. Oily skined girls should avoid it as it leaves behind a little oily residue.

HABA G-Lotion Pure Roots

2011-06-07T13:54:00.002+04:00

The toner I've been using for weeks now is HABA G-Lotion, but not the simple G-lotion but the pure roots version.

Description: "Finally, an effective alcohol free toner! Newly formulated, HABA G-Lotion uses seaweed, sea salt and bamboo water to detoxify and nourish. This unique formula cleanses pores without drying skin, allowing moisturizerto penetrate completely. HABA G-Lotion toner is alcohol free, using seaweed and bamboo water to cleanse without drying the skin."

For best results: Apply a small amount of G-Lotion to your palm. Rub palms together to warm the lotion and smooth over forehead, nose, chin and cheekbones. Follow with the HABA Moisturizer of your choice, or at this time use a HABA Special Care product to address specific needs. Can also be applied with a cotton pad or cotton ball.

Ingredients: Water, butylene glycol, sasa kurilensis (bamboo) water, pentylene glycol, sodium citrate, lithospermum erythrorhizone root extract, sodium hyaluronate, sodium chondroitin sulfate, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, (C/T) seaweed extract, citric acid, sea salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, succinic acid, aluminimum chloride.

Nya, that above is everything about this product. The only thing I didn't experience is the pore cleansing thing. That just won't happen. Too bad.

But as for nourishing and preparing skin for creams it's quite good. In the (now) hot weather I even feel like this alone is enough for my face, no need for moisturizers.....but of course I still apply them =D

Application is indeed easier with palms. First I used cotton-pads, but it didn't feel or work as good as it does now.

Quite good product in my opinion, tho it has no specialities like whitening or wrinkle-improvement, whatsoever.

The price tag could be lower coz now a 120ml bottle goes for 33-45 USD depending on where you buy it.

Aaaand this is the end of this super-short review =D

YSL Bow Collection eyeshadow quad

2011-05-30T17:57:00.000+04:00

While barely posting nowadays I'm humbly presenting a precious gem of my makeup collection:

The gorgeous eyeshadow quad from YSL's Bow Collection from 2008.

Okay, it's not new, but it was a pretty collection and the photo with the model is one of my favourites ^.^

Okay, with my rusty old desk as background it's not that stunning but you get the feeling..I hope...

No untouched surface photos, sorry! With flash and w/o flash. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Not the same pic sizes, sorry....I keep apologizing, it seems >.<

Anyway, I love all colors and the greyish taupe is simply gorgeous <3 Love it!

The pink one is mostly unnoticeable on me, so it's good as a highlighter under brows since it has some fine shimmer in it.

The brown (or bronze) and purple are colors I thought would look horrendulous on me, but they look superb!

The colors blend well and work well together either you use only two or all four of them.

Definitely a quad that earned a HG plaster from me! ^^

If you were to find it somewhere like on ebay, I'd recommend buying it...it worths its price^^

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light

2011-05-08T17:29:00.000+04:00

I had a little test run with the new Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light products (only the shampoo and treatment mask). I mentioned before that I always seek after a new and better "first-wash" shampoo.

Even tho I never had much luck with Pantene's hair care products, I tried to believe that a new line means new and better quality too! How wrong I was!

What the products are supposed to do:

Shampoo: "The new Aqua Light shampoo cleanses from root to tip rinsing off in seconds. Free of silicone and other heavy ingredients, it nourishes hair leaving a fresh, clean and light feeling."

Treatment: "The new Aqua Light treatment with extra conditioning ingredients won't weigh your hair down. This wash-out treatment works in as little as 2-3 minutes and leaves behind none of the weighty residue that normal hair treatments often do."

I saw many good reviews all over the net, however, I found this line partly crap. Partly, because the shampoo is utter crap. Seriously! It left my hair dry, frizzy and totally tangled up. Really hateful.

The treatment was a bit better, I had been afraid it would have screwed up even more, but thankfully it helped a bit pupming up my dried-out hair with nourishment, however, it wasn't much.

In the end, what I saw instead of my usual shiny, yet a bit dry hair was dull color, rough and frizzy ends without any shininess! And I worked so hard for it to be shiny! T_T

Touching was fine, felt good for my fingers, yet the frizziness and absence of shine won and made this line a no go for me.

To be fair, the shampoo should be extinct, while the treatment should be saved for the mere fact that it made up for some of the sins the shampoo commited.

Best drug store shampoo? - Wella Pro Series repair shampoo

2011-05-01T01:50:00.000+04:00

My hair care regime contains the following steps:

1) first cleaning wash with cheap shampoo

2) nourishing washing with better quality stuff (I still stick to Shiseido Tsubaki)

3) conditioner

4) mask every two washing

5) heat protection

+) occasionally leave-in oil for the ends, straightening mask

For step 2 I need a cheap, yet good quality shampoo that removes dirt and oil effectively yet not leaving my hair dry and coarse. I've tried every single drug store brands so far, be it L'Oreal, Garnier, Nivea, Head & Shoulders, Toni&Guy, etc., you name it, and each and every one of them was horrible, making my hair dry and coarse, making the expensive shampoo's work harder. And that's what I want to avoid. I either use more of the expensive stuff or change the "first-wash" shampoo.

Not long ago Wella introduced a new line in their hair care products: Pro Series.

I didn't have high hopes, but since there was a great sale going on and I was running out of my previous Nivea, I gave it a chance. 5 USD for 500ml is good IMHO....especially seeing how it usually cost 10bucks.

Pro Series features four sub-lines: volume, color, repair and shine.

Since my hair is basically dry (as far as I can remember what it was like before I first dyed it) and let's face it, dying is everything but healthy for the hair....I chose the repairing shampoo.

Brief description: "Smoothens and helps repair the beauty of damaged hair helping keep it looking naturally beautiful."

Line introduction: "NEW WELLA PRO SERIES. INSPIRED BY STYLISTS, DEVELOPED BY EXPERTS FOR YOU AT HOME. For more than 130 years Wella's passion and expertise has been the benchmark of the professional salon experience. And although nothing replaces the expertise of a real hairdresser, now WELLA has created new WELLA PRO SERIES – inspired by stylists and developed by our WELLA experts for you to use at home. Get closest to a salon-fresh feeling. Available in retail at an affordable price."

It's not sulfate free, but contains no parabens, has a terribly good, rich scent, I can't define it, but I LOVE it!

Aaaaand.......it actually works! It does help keep my hair look softer and healthy^^

Never. Ever any drug store shampoo worked like this! I love touching my hair after washing and drying it! The difference is so big!

To think that the only brand I always tried keep myself away from, Wella, has a product that outdoes everything else....ironic.

I'm thinking about getting the conditioner too, wonder if it's as good as the shampoo....

MAC Wonder Woman Lustre lipstick & Essence Fairy Tale Eyeliner Pencil

2011-04-24T01:12:00.000+04:00

I'm not sure if MAC stores still carry the Wonder woman collection, but about 2 weeks ago or so the store nearest to me still had it. However, I wonder what was left of it by then.....imagine, the week, when the new Lady Gaga lippies came out I went to pick up the lipstick (not because I need one more, but it's just such a pretty color...duh)....and it was sold out already! 4 days! All it took the bitches, 4 days! Argh...they only had the lipgloss, which was pretty and all, but I wanted the lipstick T_T

Anway, back to Wonder Woman. The only item I found worth of my money was this liplustre: Marquise'D.

(BTW the shadow quads were utter crap)

As for the packaging, to me it looks like a child's play.

The color could be a nice neutral beige if not leaning into warm thanks to the golden flecks you can see below.

Texture is creamy and non-drying....it's lustre, right :)

Overall, I like it a lot, even tho it costed me ~25.50 USD

Since I have billions of items to write a review on, I'm featuring 2 things in one post. The following product is from an inexpensive drugstore brand I'm obsessed with.

Yes, Essence! Again....I think I'm sick. I really should say no whenever a new trend editions comes out. They re-use the leftover from previous collections, sometimes hardly altering them, except for the packaging. And just who wants to have doubles, triples, etc. in different cases? Not me. Yet I keep on buying them. >_>;

So, below is the only eyepencil from the late collection: Fairytale. (It was quite a pretty edition, I tell you!^^)

Is it sparkly like the rest of the collection? No. It's a mere black eyeliner pencil! Sporting the LE design. Cheating!

In the picture: one line (bottom) and 2 or 3 lines layered (top).

Nothing spectacular, not even a decent colored black eyeliner, not to mention its smudging. It will not stay in place even for a half hour.

Not worth the 3.50 or 4 USD I paid for it. (forgot its price)

Illamasqua - Powder Fondation

2011-04-20T00:20:00.000+04:00

My very first Illamasqua item! I'v been a fan of the brand (and their artists) for a long time, but never owned anything from them. Until recently, when I happened to score this baby on ebay.

I never liked powder foundations since my skin is dry (except for the oily T-zone) and due to the super tiny little hair - I bet everyone has - most powders look horrible on me.

That's why I love liquid foundations....(creams are too thick tho) the only drawback is no chance for touchups.

(sorry, got the case messy in a blink)

Anyway, I'm happy to announce that this is the first powder foundation I like! Maybe I'm biased, but I do love it!

Not perfect, I give that...when inspecting from up close, I can still see most of my imperfections, but from 30+ cm my skin looks flawless, totally evened out, yet not fake at all. I just feel good wearing this! ^.^

I'd say coverage is medium. Maybe you could pack it on for full coverage, but that just looks ugly with powder types.

Color of mine is PF145 which is for fair skin-toned girls. Thankfully no yellowish undertones, or pink either...I'm not 100% sure. I think it's more of a neutral shade....maybe cool toned, but definitely not warm. Neutral, I'd bet.

without flash:

with flash:

What Illamasqua has to say abot Powder Foundation: "Be the star of your own drama. The mainstay of film and theatre make-up artists, Illamasqua Powder Foundation glides over your skin, covering blemishes, correcting skin tone and leaving a shine-free look that lasts all night. Create a stunningly flawless base that begs to be touched. Comes in a mirror compact for touch-ups on the go."

Shine-free look? Yes, definitely. Until oiliness wins and I can bring out my stash of blotting papers XD That's like after 4 hours. Touch-up is highly recommended. Due to the stylish case you'll be proud to fling it out in front of others! =)

BTW the case: loves fingerprints. Luckily they are only visible when light hits the case in a way to reflect it. Well made plastic, sturdy and closes tightly.

The mirror inside is big enough for comfortable application.

For £21.50 you get 10g of foundation and applicator which is not super soft, but not rough either.

You will have softer and flawless skin, a good-looking, high-quality compact.

I think Illamasqua Powder Foundation is totally worth its price (especially if you can find it for cheap) =]

Essence - Blossoms etc trend edition

2011-04-06T14:51:00.000+04:00

Beginning of April means new Essence collection! YEY This year it's called Blossoms etc.
Of course I ran to the nearest drug store to try and buy the new stuffs! =D

Blossoms etc trend edition should contain the following: (note the word "should")

eyeshadow duos (3 color combinations: 01 hint of mint, 02 bloom-a-loom 03 forget me not)
eyeliner pencils (2 colors: 01 bloom-a-loom, 02 I like)
lipgloss (2 colors: 01 flowerkissed, 02 naive)
multi color powder (01 Flower Power)
liquid blush (01 flowerkissed)
nail polish (5 colors: 02 I like, 03 my yellow fellow, 04 bloom-a-loom, 05 forget-me-not)
eau de toilette

So, the Blossoms etc edition, how I saw it:

Nail polishes: same colors they use every spring. I got the bloom-a-loom lilac color. Nicely opaque, very little stripe effect, started chipping the next day.
In stead of 5 colors they had only 3: yellow, lilac and one of the greens.
Eyeshadow duo: again bloom-a-loom lilac what I bought. Hardly any difference between the two sides. sheer and matte color, but as one it has good coverage. one side is the matte, the other is the blue "shimmer", however that's an exaggeration....no bristle brush can pick it up, better try with a sponge applicator.
01 hint of a mint was simply ugly.
02 bloom-a-loom is a nice lilac. I was afraid of it being too warm for my skintone, but it's not pigmented enough, thus it's more like a neutral color.
03 forget me not is a mixture of grey and lilac. Should be good as part of smoky eyes.
Too bad the counter didn't have testers...seems like it's the new "trend"!

Eyeliner pencils: we din't get them at all. Maybe it depends on the stores, but it's quite frustrating to see what should be there and isn't.

Lipgloss: got 02 naive since it promises perfect coverage, and I, being naive chose the least intense color XD Essence never produced glosses that showed any decent colors on your lips. Well, this is no exception either, but that little color it has at least gives even "coverage".

Multi color powder: nice conception, nice to look at, but not gorgeous. Has no green part in it. I wanted this to be a super cheap (and crappy) dupe for the famous Guerlain Meteorites, but it's no match for that. Just too shimmery and since the colors are not the same it won't add anything special to your skintone. I mixes up into an even shimmery cast. I dare say the same effect as any other shimmer powder Essence sold in their last 5-6 collections.

Eau de toilette: strong and harsh, too dominating IMHO. At leat for teens....

Liquid blush: Not available in Hungary! WTF!? I was ready to fight teen chicks in front of the counters to put my hands on this and we won't get it at all!??!?!??!? f @ck you Essence!!!!!

As soon as I get the photos I took of the thing I bought on my computer I'll post them.

ghd Thermal Protector for dry, coarse hair

2011-04-06T13:00:00.000+04:00

Right now I'm using my second bottle of Today's victim: ghd Thermal Protector for dry, coarse hair.

After the first bottle I took a skew into the realm of Wella Pro, which turned out bad and I had to return to this trusted stuff.

Description: "Control unruly hair and add sustained moisture when heat-styling with this light hold thermal protector with new heat technology. Contains ingredients which deflect and absorb heat, protecting the hair shaft. Contains UVA protection.

Provides light hold.

Meadow foam seed oil maintains the moisture content and helps increase the elasticity of the hair during heated styling processes.

Long-lasting protection from humid conditions.

Contains ingredients which deflect and absorb heat

New Mirustyle X-HP heat activated heat shield protection ingredient.

Protection up to 200°C.

Extra 50% protection against heat appliances and invisible hold factor.

Directions for use: Spray onto clean, damp hair prior to drying or, before using your ghd styler on dry hair, spray lightly onto each section as you style. Follow with step 3."

So far this is the best heat protector I'v tried. Not that I tried everything! Only L'oreal, Tony&Guy and Wella products.

All information above is true, so I'm not repeating them (sorry, I'm lazy...), just completing with the following:

I think, with each heat protector spray you have to find out the best timing. (And here I'm talking about flat irons, because when blow drying it's not a big problem whether the stuff is completely absorbed or not)
If you use your straightener you must allow the sprayed liquid to absorb into the hair, or else when "combing" through with the iron, it's gonna burn up the liquid, thus damaging your hair. And this is exactly what we want to avoid.
Just let the spray get absorbed. For me it takes about 1,5 or 2 minutes. But if I forget about it and straighten my hair after 5 minutes or so, then the difference in damage is inevitable: I have more flyaway hair and the ends will become bristle! It feels dried up!
While keeping to my 2 minutes limit I have much less flyaways and dry ends.

Okay, I'm far from those sleek, shiny, moist, straight haired models in ads, but the difference is notable when looking into a mirror.

I'm not saying this is the ultimate weapon against damage caused by heat, but thats's true that now I have less broken ends and flyaways when using ghd thermal protector, than I had with other products.

Price is £9.95 for 150ml which is average in my opinion.

Would you buy it? Have you tried it?
What are your tricks, method of heat protection?

Short update

2011-02-28T19:11:00.000+04:00

I haven't posted for......like ages and it's 100% due to work. Year end closure and tenders with 200+ applicants are no fun....especially when you're alone and everyone else works in pairs but you.
Sleep deprivation is unavoidable. I never believed in such things, but trust me, if you go home 6-7 pm every day, sometimes 9-10 pm for two weeks in a row, and then you have to cook for the next few days, you're going to look like a walking corpse. To kill some stress, this weekend I started to watch Naruto again, and I have to tell you......I went insane and wanted to smash my table into pieces whenever I saw Sai's face. Physically. Really. ~~[Yes, I'm only at those early Shippuuden episodes where Sai appears...now even Sora got into the picture too]~~
For almost a week now I have a new collegue, who isn't new actually, he did this before, but now it's like I'm nursing a newborn baby and I have to explain every single thing. Kinda friggin disturbing when he was supposed to be my superior and make my workload less by sharing cases.....yet it's more like I'm checking out everything he does......that means the same amount of work, topped with the fact that part of it was done by someone else whose mistakes I have to correct before the case leaves our hands.
Well, enough of my rants....I just wanted to write this out and say that I'm definitely going to post again....just let this crazy time end and give me a gooood long rest! =)