Day 38. Mac Party Parrot lipstick [review & swatches]

I recently got my coveted my Mac Party Parrot lipstick, which is my new love. I love bold color on the lips and Party Parrot is exactly that: bold.

Keep reading for my review!

Day 37. Where to shop for make up and skin care products in Italy [2]

Welcome to the second post dedicated to cosmetics shopping in Italy.

In my first post, I mentioned supermarkets as sure places where to find skin care and make up products wherever you are in Italy.
The second place you may find cosmetics is a "profumeria", that is, a perfume shop.

Most town will have an independent profumeria where you will find an idiosyncratic mix of brands and products. Most of these shops will have two section: a section dedicated to perfumes and one dedicated to make up. Brand and product selection will vary from almost knock off brand to luxury brand, with almost no in between. Skin care products are usually pretty rare, in these places.

If you are in a bigger town, you may find a franchised profumeria, which will have a good selection of drugstore (i.e. Maybelline) and luxury (i.e. Dior) brands both in the perfume and make up sections of the store.

Two of the most widespread chain/franchised profumeria stores are Limoni and La Gardenia. In particular, La Gardenia is the only distributor in Italy for SmashBox and theBalm products.

Profumeria shops are a sure bet if you need something specific from an international luxury brand.

Prices may also vary from indie profumeria stores (high) to franchised stores (high/middle range).

Day 36. 5 minutes look: Rubenesque + Cork

Easy and quick day look featuring Mac Rubenesque Paint Pot and Mac Cork Eye Shadow!

Products:
- Mac Paint Pot in Rubenesque
- Mac Eye Shadow in Cork
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Underground
- Kiko Super Color Mascara in 04

Day 35. Sleek MakeUp iDivine Original palette [review & swatches]

Today I want to show you one of my favorite high street/drugstore palettes. I adore all the Sleek MakeUp palettes (I actually own quite a few that I want to swatch and post here on the blog), but the Original has a special place in my heart as it was one of the first eyeshadow palettes I purchased.

 To read my review and see the swatches, please keep on reading!

Day 34. Gold-olive look

A look in golds and greens, using a banana technique.

Products:
- Sleek MakeUp PPQ Palette in Barry White, Supernova, Primal Green, Golden Silvers
- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eye pencils in Stash and Mildew
- Maybelline Feather Look Volum'Express Mascara

Day 33. Simple grey smokey

For today, a very simple and quick look: a soft grey smokey eye look!

Products:

- Dr. Hauschka Natural Glamour Palette (Lava Grey, Ice Blue and Lily White)

- Make Up For Ever Aqua Black

- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

Day 32. Neve Cosmetics Fenicottero natural lip pencil

Today I am going to do a short review of one of the new natural lip pencil from Neve. It'a pencil named Fenicottero (flamingo) and it's a bright pink/ fuchsia color.

These new lip pencils are completely natural, and can be used alone or as a base under a lipstick.
Fenicottero, as I was saying, is a bright pink-fuchsia color.

I tested it for a couple of days before writing this review. I tested it alone.
Fenicottero is not that bad, the color payoff is very good and it has a decent enough lasting power.

I applied it around 9.30am and it looked like this:

I took a picture with my mirror light set on "natural", because natural light was sort of scarce today. The color are a bit warmer in this picture than in reality. Anyway, it applied smoothly, without tugging on my lips, and it was not drying at first.
After about 30/45 minutes I started feeling my lips drying without reaching an uncomfortable level. I almost reached for a lip balm, gloss or moisturizing lipstick a couple of time during the morning.
At lunchtime the color was still there, with only minor fading, probably from my sipping coffee all morning.

After lunch (soup), my lips looked like this:

(changed location, new light!)

My lips look kind of chapped, and the lip color is only present on the very edges of the lips. I think it's a good result for a lip pencil! So overall it lasted about 4 hours or so, fading only after eating, with only a drying sensation on my lips.

This last step was a huge mistake. As I wrote before, my lips felt like they were drying and chapping. I reapplied the lip pencil after lunch but the lips drying is definitely evident in the picture below!

The color is ok but my dry-as-the-desert lips are definitely evident!
I suggest not reapplying the product without a balm, a gloss, or something hydrating on top. The pencil tugged on my dry lips, but still applied smoothly.

Next time I'll have to try to wear Fenicottero with a lipstick and see if it still dries my lips and if it last longer! I'll keep you updated!