Day 170. Colorful eyeliner with Neve Cosmetics Intensissimi [look]

Easy, spring-summer catwalk inspired look today with a colorful eyeliner!

Products
- Urban Decay Naked Basics: Naked 2, Faint and Walk of Shame
- Neve Cosmetics Intensissimi Palette: Diva
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 169. Mac Kinda Sexy lipstick [review & swatches]

Today post is all for a classic lipstick that was a recent addition to my lipstick stash: Mac Kinda Sexy.

Mac Kinda Sexy lipstick

Day 168. Grey eyes with Dr. Hauschka Natural Glamour palette [look]

For today I wanted something light but intense, so I did a look based on grey tones.

Products:
- Dr. Hauschka Natural Glamour palette (all shades)
- Make Up For Ever Aqua Black Gel Liner
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 167. Intense eyes with Sleek MakeUp Showstoppers palette [look]

I went out to dinner tonight so I did a very intense, dark eye look using the Sleek MakeUp palette.

Products
- Sleek MakeUp Showstoppers palette in Bad Girl, Noir, Graphite, Sparkle and Paraguaya.
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 166. Perfectly natural eyes with Mac Brulè and Brown Down [look]

One of my favorite variations on a naked look, done with matte eyeshadows!

Products
- Mac Brulè and Brown Down eyeshadows
- Kiko SUper Colour Mascara on #04

Peach & Burgundy eye make up with Sleek MakeUp Monaco Palette [look]

Another look post today featuring another palette from Sleek MakeUp. Today I used a LE palette from the Mediterranean collection, called Monaco.

Products:

- Sleek MakeUp Monaco palette (Washed Ashore and Moors Treasure)

- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 164. Gold eyeliner + Sleek Make Up Good Girl [look]

I have been absent for a couple of days, but I am back and I promise I'll have 365 posts on the blog at the end of the year!

So this is a look I did a couple of days ago using my Sleek MakeUp Good Girl palette and a golden eyeliner from Barry M.

Day 163. Brush cleaning [tip]

I am a brush junkie. I have tons and tons of brushes, ranging from the cheapest to the expensive. Since I have so many brushes, I tend to use new brushes every morning, especially for my eye make up.
I run out of clean brushes to use about every two weeks, and today was the day I decided to clean all my brushes to have clean ones to use tomorrow.

Day 165. Urban Decay Omen eyeshadow [review & swatches]

Another UD eyeshadow today: Omen!

Urban Decay Omen eyeshadow

Day 161. Spring/summer skin care routine

Even though the weather hasn't been spring or summer like, I am slowly defining my spring/summer skin care routine.


Morning
- cleansing with cold water and Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser
- spraying on Clinique Claryfing Lotion 3 (soon to be substituted with Dermalogica Multi-Active toner)
- moisturizing and protecting with Dermalogica Oil Free Matte spf30 on the face and Strivectin Eye Concentrate around the eyes

(then I apply a DIY tinted moisturizer)

Evening
- removing makeup with Sephora Eau Micellaire
- cleansing with cold water and Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser
- exfoliating with Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
- spraying on Clinique Claryfing Lotion 3 (soon to be substituted with Dermalogica Multi-Active toner)
- moisturizing with Dermalogica Active Moist
- Strivectin Eye Concentrate around the eyes

Twice a week I apply overnight the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque.
If I have breakouts, I apply on the breakout area the Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel instead the usual moisturizer.

This routine is really working for me, my skin feels great and also looks great, except for the occasional breakout or spots. I can really afford to use a light coverage tinted moisturizer like the one I made since my skin looks so great!

What's your skincare routine for spring and summer?

Day 160. Urban Decay M.I.A. eyeshadows [review & swatches]

Second color I used in my last look post: Urban Decay M.I.A.

Urban Decay M.I.A. eyeshadow

Day 159. Urban Decay Deep End eyeshadow [review & swatches]

Since yesterday I used this color for the look I did on my sister, I thought to share my thoughts about it in detail with you guys!

Urban Decay Deep End eyeshadow

Day 158. Turquoise look with Urban Decay eyeshadows [look]

I am a few minutes late with my 158th post, so it means I'll double post today!

Look in the turquoise tones featuring my sister B!

Products:
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Flipside
- Urban Decay eyeshadows in Deep End and M.I.A.
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum Express mascara

I lined B.'s upper lashline with Flipside and did a little wing; to fix it and make it more intense I layered the eyepencil with Deep End. With M.I.A. I lightly traced from the wing to the lower outer corner going and one third into the lash line, to give a little depth to the look. I generously applied mascara both un the upper and lower lashes!

Day 157. theBalm Cabana Boy blush [swatches]

I literally cannot say anything about this product, because I got it this morning and I haven't tested it yet.
But I am so excited about it that I did some swatches to share with you guys! I promise a full review once I get the chance to test it.

theBalm Cabana Boy blush

Day 156. Urban Decay eyeshadow cheat sheet [tip]

I am a big fan of Urban Decay eyeshadows. I am the proud owner of several of their palettes and I covet more. But I find hard to keep track which eyeshadows are in which palette.

Image from Urban Decay

Since I want to buy a few more shades from UD and their palette are such a good deal (in comparison to single eyeshadow pans), I decided to compare the shades from the single pans available at UD and the ones contained in their palette.

So I am sharing the resulting table with you.
On the row, you'll find the palettes, on the column you'll find the single shades of eyeshadow. You'll notice that UD has been really careful to put in each palette only one or two eyeshadows from other palette.

As a result, I own 2 Foxy shades, 2 Half Baked shadows, and 2 Blackouts; I also know now that I own half of the new Dangerous palette thanks to me having the 15th Anniversary palette.

It's quite handy. So without further ado, here the link to the table

Urban Decay eyeshadow Cheat Sheet

Most of the single pan eyeshadow are in one or more palettes, so think carefully and check the "cheat sheet" to see if you don't own the shade you want already or if purchasing another palette may be cheaper.

The table (cheat sheet) is currently on Google Docs and I'll work to keep it updated and I'll try to make it easier to read.

Hope it helps!

Day 155. Wish List

I am an impulsive buyer. I tend to buy what strikes my fancy when I am browsing stores (both online and offline). At the same time, I am quite good at controlling my self (not always, but often enough that I'm just nearly broke and not completely broke). Sometimes I decide on impulse to buy products from a collection that is not out yet and I book the items I want (usually this happens with Mac, since LE items sell out quickly). Since I am in Italy and several bands are not available here, every time my friends or I visit another country, I write down a short wish list for products that are available there for them (or me) to purchase, but usually this list id for products that are easy to find (drugstore items).

But I have a few products that I yearn for but are almost completely out of reach, mostly because of their price or unattainability. These items are part of what I consider my (real) wish list, where "wish" really means "miracle".

Brushes
- Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush, also known as the Nars Blush Brush
- any brush from Hakuhodo
- a couple more 217 and 239 from Mac (you cannot have too many 217s or 239s)

Blush
- cream blush from Tarte
- cream blush from Illamasqua
- Watercolor blush from Daniel Sandler

Lipstick
- any from Tom Ford (Pink Adobe would be perfect though)

I would like to try also some products from Shiseido, Guerlain, La Prairie and Chanel, which are available in Italy but really are out of my price range.

Do you have a "miracle" list? which products would you like to try but just know that it would be highly improbable you'd get the chance to?

Day 154. Make Up For Ever #307/Diamond Black eyeshadow [review & swatches]

I am almost done with swatching all the MUFE eyeshadows I own and today post is ablout one of them: #307 / Diamond Black.

Make Up For Ever #307 / Diamond Black

Day 153. Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer [review]

A quick post today for a product I almost always use and barely mention: Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer!

Image from Allure

Day 152. Mac Cranberry eyeshadow [review & swatches]

Another day, another Mac eyeshadow: Cranberry!

Mac Cranberry eyeshadow

Day 151. Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque [review]

Today a skin care review dedicated to a product that had me raving at my friend C., who patiently listened to me: Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Mask.

Image from DermStore.