Day 119. mini Mac Haul

Today I got a call from my Mac Store that the products I had ordered months and months ago from the Fashion Sets collection and the Baking Beauties. I had almost forgotten that I had placed a order! So during my lunch break I ran to the store and picked up my order!

Read more to see which products I got!

Day 118. Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin [review & swatches]

Today I am reviewing a product I used in two of my previous looks. I actually borrowed this product from my friend C., who let me test and review it! So, here it is the review for Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin!

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

Day 117. Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion + Mac Shroom + Teal Eyeliner [look]

It's been a while since my sister B. guest starred on my blog, so today she's making an appearance with a simple look with a color eyeliner!

Products
- Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
- Mac Shroom eyeshadow
- Ever Liquid eyeliner in #05 Peacock Blue
- Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara

Day 116. UD Sin Primer Potion + Mac Expensive Pink Look [look]

Today a very quick and easy look with just a couple of products!

Products:
- Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin
- Mac Expensive Pink eyeshadow
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eye pencil in Whiskey
- Kiko Super Colour Mascara in 04

Day 115. Look with UD M.I.A. and UD Deep End eyeshadows [look]

My MakeUp lottery today picked up the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette for me, so I did a look with two main colors and a highlight color from this palette.

Products:
- Urban Decay eyeshadow in M.I.A., Deep End and Vanilla (from the UD 15th Anniversary palette)
- Mac Chromagraphic eye pencil in NW25/NC30
- Maybellined Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 114. Mac Bare Study Paint Pot + Mac Cork e/s + Mac Rich Ground eyeliner [look]

Today's post is about a nude look I did for a day out in the sun... I wanted something luminous and bright!

Products
- Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study
- Mac Cork eyeshadow
- Mac Gel Liner in Rich Ground
- Mac Chromagrahic Pencil in NW25/NC30
- Kiko Super Colour Mascara in #10

Day 113. Look with MUFE 122 + Star Powder 922 [look]

Today I did a look mostly with Make Up For Ever products and it's centered around the eyes.

Products:
- Make Up For Ever Iridescent Eyeshadow #122
- Make Up For Ever Star Powder #922 Gold Copper
- Mac Quite Natural Paint Pot
- Mac Vanilla pigment
- Neve Cosmetics Ombraluce Light
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 112. Make Up Addict Problem a.k.a. How I Choose my Make Up Daily [tip]

As many make up addicts I own a lot of cosmetics, especially eye products. At one point, I noticed that even though I had the choice between a lot of products, I always ended up using pretty much the same things, as I think many of you do. This also made me feel guilty, as I was buying stuff I was using. So I decided to find a solution that would (sort of) force me into using all my eye products. What I figured was that I needed to randomly select a product or two everyday to use. I wanted something like a make up lottery.

Picture by gabetarian

Day 111. Mac Copperplate eyeshadow [review & swatches]

Today another product from my mini-haul. I had to exchange a product at Mac, and I got Copperplate to fill my ever growing collection of nude eyeshadows.

I got a refill pan as I have a few spot to fill in my Mac palette.

Day 110. Kiko Super Colour Mascara in #10 [Review & swatches]

Another product from my mini-haul  is the Kiko Super Colour Mascara in #10. It's from the same series  my favorite mascara, Kiko Super Colour Mascara in #04, is and shares many of its properties.

Kiko Super Colour Mascara in #08

Day 109. Smokey eyes for a night-in with Sleek MakeUp Storm Palette

Tonight I am having some friends over for dinner, so I wanted something glamorous but not too crazy.
I opted for a semi-dark smokey eyes look, but I basically kept it barely over the crease.

Products:
- Sleek MakeUp Storm Palette (shimmery purplish-blue, dark forest green and matte beige)
- Urban Decay  24/7 Glide-On Eye pencil in Zero
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara
- Mac Quite Natural paint pot

Day 108. Kiko Milano Super Colour Eyeliner in 108 [Review, swatches & look]

As anticipated by my haul post, today I am reviewing the first of the products I got: the Kiko Super Colour Eyeliner in 108.

Day 107. Italian brands [3]: Pupa Milano

Pupa Milano (or simply, Pupa) is the third Italian cosmetics brand I am going to talk about.
Pupa has been on the market since 1975 and is mostly targeted to teen consumers. Pupa is pretty famous for its make up sets: they have elaborate, fun packaging that is popular with young girls. While the packaging is fun, sometimes the actual make up products are not of the best quality.

The prices are in the medium range, with the sets and the eyeshadow palettes being on the pricey side.

The product selection is huge: from eyeshadows to skin care products.

Personally I have just a few Pupa products, but they are all excellent.

- Nail Polish: Pupa has several lines of nail polish, and a lot of them are limited edition release with different finishes, but the permanent collection is fun and colorful. It applies well, and the formula is solid.

- Mascaras: I have several Pupa mascara from the 2012 ColorPop collection and they came in many different shades. The formula was a bit sticky, the mascara wand ad the bristle were a bit too flexible, but the color payoff was excellent! If the permanent range mascara are as good, then they are quality mascara!

If you are in Italy, it's worth taking a look at the Pupa stands, you may find something interesting! You can find Pupa at Sephora, OVS, Limoni and several perfume stores.

Pupa has a collaboration with a famous Italian youtuber, Clio MakeUp, who sometimes reviews and uses Pupa products in her videos.

If you have any experience with Pupa products, please share!

Day 106. (mini) Haul

Yesterday and on monday I took a walk downtown with my friends S. and C. and I brought a few things which I'll be reviewing in the next few days. 

Mac Eyeshadow refill in Copperplate and Expensive Pink;
Kiko Super Color Mascara in 10 and 04; Kiko Super Color Eyeliner in 108

On monday I stopped by the Mac Store and purchased a new 15-pan emplty palette, but I was not sure I liked this new version of the palette, so yesterday I dropped by again and exchanged it for two eyeshadow refills: Expensive Pink and Copperplate. 

I don't think the new palette is convenient: it's 21€ and it doesn't come with a insert to take the eyeshadow pans, it is just magnetic. The insert must be purchased separately and it's an additional 17€. 

Also the new Pro Palette is thicker than the original and comes with a clear top lid.   

Kiko Super Color Mascara in 10 and 04; Kiko Super Color Eyeliner in 108

Kiko had a few items on sale, so I repurchased my favorite mascara (Super Color Mascara in 04), another mascara from the same line but in another shade (10), and a color eyeliner, also from the Super Color liner. One mascara was 2,00€ and the other 3,90€, and usually they retail for 5,90€. The eyeliner was also 3,90€, usually 6,90€. 

Overall I am quite satisfied with my mini haul!

Day 105. L'Oréal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain / Shine Caresse Gloss [swatches]

Today I was walking around with my friend C. and we went to Sephora, and we walked around a bit. I usually snob the L'Oreal stand, but I couldn't help but notice the new(-ish) Caresse collection and in particular the Shine Caresse Glosses, which retail in North America as Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stains. So I decided to swatch them for today's post.

Image from the L'Oreal website

Day 104. Mac Angel Flame Quad spring look [look]

Quick post today with a Mac eyeshadow quad, a LE from last year.

Products
- Mac Eyeshadow in Angel Flame, Feather Pink and Chamomile
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Baked and Asphyxia
- Kiko Super Color Mascara in 04

Day 103. Dr Hauschka Eyeshadow Duo 07 [review & swatches]

Today's post is about Dr. Hauschka Eyeshadow Duo in 07, which I had the pleasure of using extensively recently and that I loved despite its flaws!

Day 102. Italian brands [2]: Neve Cosmetics

Neve Cosmetics is an Italian brand that specializes in mineral makeup. Most of their products are vegetarian or even vegan. My favorites from Neve are

- eye shadows palettes: Neve has four palettes that contains 10 shades each: Scurissimi (darks), Chiarissimi (light, pastel tones), Intensissimi (brights), Elegantissimi (natural colors). The shades are pigmented and easy to work with.

- Loose powder blushes: pigmented, smooth and with many colors and finishes.

Neve also has many good loose powder eye shadows, lipsticks (just released) and mineral foundations. They have awesome costumer service and let you ask for a sample for each order you place through the website.

Mainly, You can order from Neve online but you may find some natural/bio store stocking a few products!

Day 101. Dior Hydra Life BB Eye Creme in 02 Luminous Peach [first impressions]

A few days ago I got an email from Sephora that said that they were giving away samples of the new BB Eye Creme from Dior, so I went and got one. I was a bit disappointed and felt that the Sephora email was a bit misleading because it strongly implied that it was a sample size bottle, instead it's just a 1ml/0.03oz sachet sample. Anyway, I decided to try out this new product and do another first impression post. 

So without farther ado...

Day 100. Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked [review & swatches]

Today I am reviewing a product from a product category I don't use often: lipgloss. I got this lipgloss in a sample size with one of my UD palette. I am talking about the Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked.

Day 99. Mac Powder Blush in Dame [review & swatches]

I covet Mac Blushes, each time I stop by the Mac store I am tempted to pick up one of the blushes. The only thing stopping me is that Mac Blushes are bloody expensive. So, I just own two Mac blushes and I already reviewed one. Today I am reviewing the other Mac blush I own, which is called Dame.

Day 98. Colorful spring look with Sleek MakeUp Sunset palette

Since this morning I had more time than usual to do my make up I did an spring look with a strong focus on the eyes. I used my Sleek MakeUp Sunset palette, which I reviewed and swatched here.

Day 97. Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Raspberry Crush [review & swatches]

Today's post is dedicated to another of the Stila Lip & Cheek Stains, this time in Raspberry Crush.

Day 96. Vichy Idéalia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream [first impressions]

Recebtly I got a few samples of Vichy Idéalia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream, so I thought I'd write a first impression post after testing it for a few days.

Day 95. Italian brands [1]: Kiko Milano

If you find yourself in Italy, you may want to know what typical Italian brands of make up and skin care we have here.

If you live in Spain, Portugal, France, Germany or the UK, you may know Kiko Milano (or Kiko for short), which is an Italian brand with stores pretty much all over Italy and in the countries mentioned before. It is sold only through the Kiko website or in-store. There are no resellers, so be careful.

Kiko has a wide range of products, that goes from pigments to body lotion. The prices are quite accessible and Kiko often has deals on one particular product: for example, this month mascaras are 3,90€/5$. One of my favorite mascaras, the Super Color mascara in 04, is from Kiko so I'll be sure to stop by and pick up a spare!

Many products are dupes of or smetimes are sometimes better quality than several luxury brands. I'd say to check out the beauty blogs to see what people have to say about the specific product you are planning to purchase.
Otherwise, the aim of this post is to show you what Kiko products I consider outstanding and staple in my make up set.

1. Eyeshadow. The single pan eyeshadows come in 81 shades that go from neutrals to outrageous. Most have a shimmery finish, but you can also find mattes, satin and glittery finishes. Except for the one with glitters, I have always found the shades I own pigmented and easy to work with. My friend S. is a fan of these eyeshadows and completed almost two 15 pan palette with them. On average the quality of these eyeshadow is good, with a few eyeshadows being near excellent. The strength here is the wide range of colors and the price, which is normally 4,90€ and 3,00€ during sales.

2. Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows are eyeshadow sticks. They are creamy and comes in 16 permanent shades, and occasionally in LE shades. They are creamy, easy to work with. They work both as a base and as stand alone eyeshadows. Some shades contain glitter, so be careful with the possible fall out. They are quite long lasting, but I prefer wearing them with a little bit of primer because of my lids. They are 6,90€ and so much better than the shadow sticks that sometimes MAC real eases with LE collections. During sale season you'll find the LE shades discounted.

3. Lipsticks. Kiko offers a wide range of lipsticks in a variety of types (long lasting, with SPF, hydrating, etc.), colors and finish (matte, sheer, shimmery, etc.). The price goes from 2,50€ to 6,90€, according to collection, finish, properties. My advice is to pop in a store and swatch a bit to figure out what you like!

4. Nail polish. Same as with the lipsticks. Many colors (150), many finishes. The basic, permanent line is 3,90€, with the price dropping to 2,50€ during sales/special offers. Right now there is one kind of nail polish costing as low as 1€.

These are just a few example of what I consider highlights of the Kiko range. There are several other make up products worth mentioning but I'd write an excessively long post and overwhelm you uselessly. And I didn't even mention the skin care products Kiko has because I have no direct experience.
There are a ton of other products, so I suggest visiting the website to have an idea of what Kiko has to offer and what you may want to try once you step in one of the Kiko stores.

A warning though: Kiko stores are usually small and cramped, and full of teen girls, since the prices are so affordable. Try visit the store during school hours during the week to avoid this crowd. There is gonna be loud music and the sight (colors and so, so many products) will leave you breathless. If you are a makeup addicted like me you may want to find a little time to browse. Definitely do not take your boyfriend or your less make up oriented friends with you because they won't have the patience to wait for you!

Day 94. Mac Powder Blush in Melba

Today a oldie but goodie, one of my favorite blush: MAC Melba!

Day 93. Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Coconut Crush [review & swatches]

Today I am reviewing one of the most famous product from Stila, the Lip & Cheek Stain. In particular, I am reviewing the shade called Coconut Crush.

Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Coconut Crush

Day 92. Mac Strobe Cream [review & pictures]

The Mac Strobe Cream is an illuminating cream that is versatile in use. I own the travel size tube, which contains 30ml/1.0 US oz of product. The full size is 50ml/1.7 US oz.

Day 91. Inglot Matte Color Eye Liner + Mac Quite Natural Paint Pot [look]

Today I did a look using a colorful eye liner and a neutral paint pot! Very simple but not obvious.

Products
- Inglot Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel in 74 or 75 (will check when I am back home)
- Mac Paint Pot in Quite Natural
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express mascara

Day 90. Sleek MakeUp blush in Gold Rose [review & swatches]

Another one of the product I got in London a way back.

Sleek MakeUp blush in Gold Rose