February Favorites 2012

Hi everyone! It's been the longest time! But not to worry! I've set myself a challenge to have a post up every single day in March. Excited? I am! It will test both my ability to get myself organized and my speech capabilities aka "will I have enough stuff to talk about during 31 days (and not bore you to tears)"? Let's wait and see, shall we? =)

For now, and since today is the first day of March here are my February Favorites.

From left to right: Jemma Kidd Light as Air foundation, Nars eyeshadow duo in Charade, Benefit Porefessional

I discovered a new love this month and it was Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation. I use the shade Ultra Light (because I'm just about as pale as printer paper). It evens out my skintone without completely covering my freckles, which I quite like, and it has a satin finish - which I love. It stays put on my skin and I don't use powder to set it, so that's another plus. I love how I don't even feel the foundation on my skin. I got this product from feelunique.com for £25, not exactly cheap but, to me, worth the purchase.

The second product I'd like to talk about is Nars eyeshadow duo in Charade. I've had this duo for probably over a year, and use it frequently. It's been on my eyes most days this month. These colors are so flattering on brown eyes! I got this from HQHair during a sale and no longer remember how much I paid for it but, being a product by Nars it certainly wasn't cheap. The quality is superb though, and I would purchase this again. And again. And again.

The third product of the month is Benefit's Porefessional. You might not know but I have ginormous pores. With that said this product does not make them disappear. However it shrinks them enough that I feel comfortable showing my face in public. Now, for real, it's not a miracle worker but it does what it says on the packaging and, for me, that's important. If you want to get rid of your blackheads for good this is not the way to go, this is just a cover treatment ;)

Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour in Romantic Rose

As for lips I've been loving my trusty Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour in Romantic Rose. This shade is so pretty! It's the perfect "my-lips-but-better" kind of shade and, as you can see, this has been well loved. Already have a backup waiting in my drawer.

From left to right: The Body Shop Brazil Nut Define & No Frizz hair cream and The Body Shop Fuzzy Peach shower gel

As for body products I discovered an amazing shower gel. It's Fuzzy Peach by The Body Shop. Smells fantastic, lathers well without effort and lingers on the skin for a little while. Would totally re-purchase this. I don't know if it was a limited edition product but I sure hope it isn't!

Finally, the last product of the month is The Body Shop Brazil Nut Define & No Frizz. I have wavy long hair and some mornings it feels I have a unruly mess on top of my head. So I get this out, pump a bean size (´cause a pea size just ain't enough) amount on my hand, rub my hands together, and comb my hair with my fingers from the ears down and, to finish it off I roll my hair on both sides of my head. This gives my waves more definition and, although, it doesn't look like you just used your curling iron it does look much prettier. It's great for people that prefer to sleep 5 extra minutes in the morning and skip the haircare routine altogether.

I hope you find my favorites interesting. I want to know what are your favorite products! Please them in a comment below and indulge my shopping addiction ;)


I see you tomorrow! Take care!

The Mother of Favorites of 2011

Hi! I'm TwistedFool and I'm addicted to Favorites Videos on Youtube. This time of the year I get my fix 'cause every beauty guru on Youtube turns up their sleeves, search high and low in drawers for the uber special products they got to know and love in the previous year. It's product display heaven!

So, in 2011 I found myself loving...

a) Skincare

- Cleanser: Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild. I prefer foamy cleansers and this one just hits the spot.

- Toner: not really a toner kind of girl.

- Moisturizer:

    - Clinique Superdefense SPF25 Age Defense Moisturizer - dries almost to a powder finish, not greasy at all and has high SPF. A must in my routine.

     - Burts Bees Radiance Night Cream - this is so moisturizing and leaves behind the most beautiful sheen. 

- Eye cream: Benefit b.right It's Potent - trust me, you'll love it too.

- Body Lotion/Butter: Body Shop Pink Grapefruit everything. I've been addicted to this scent ever since I first sniffed it back in Spring 2011. It's not really Winter appropriate but I don't care!

b) Beauty

- Primer: I don't use a face primer.

- Foundation: I've tried a few and haven't found my holy grail foundation yet. Maybe 2012 will change that ;)

- Concealer: It's tied between Benefit Erase Paste in Medium and MAC Prolongwear concealer in NW20.

- Powder: I don't have a favorite powder yet.

- Blush: Benefit ChaCha Tint hands down!

- Eyeshadow: The Naked palette. Totally worth the purchase!

- Liner (Khol/Gel/Liquid): I used gel most times and it was MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack.

- Mascara: L'oreal Telescopic Clean Definition is still my favorite.

- Lipstick: I heart MAC Blankety for the perfect nude lip.

- Lipgloss: I heart Sephora Perfect Nude lipgloss to top my lipstick.

- Lipbalm: YesToCarrots Lipbalm in Mint is so tingly, it's awesome!

c) Nails

- Base coat: Haven't used one in ages. That's why I had a bad case of blue nails after taking off the most perfect navy blue polish... Should consider investing in one...

- Favorite red: Rimmel Stilleto Red. It's just perfect and I LOVE the formula and brush.

- Favorite neutral: Rituals Amber Stone, the perfect taupe grey/brown.

- Favorite bright: Anny Waiting for You, the fuschia pink everyone should have.

- Favorite glitter: I don't like the look of glittery nails on me.

- Favorite topcoat: Anny Quick Dry Top Coat.

d) Random

- Food: Granola and Greek Yogurt, the ultimate temptation.

- TV series: I was happily surprised with The Good Wife.

- Movie: Probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, it didn't disappoint me at all!

- Book: Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series has kept me busy most of 2011 and I've been loving every book in the series. If you liked Lord of the Rings you should give it a shot!

- Gadget: My iPod Touch!

Let me know what your favorites for 2011 are in a comment below!

My Resolutions for 2012

So, I was absent from the blogsphere (is it even allowed to say that word out loud anymore?!) for quite a while now which, I admit, ain't that appealing in a blog fresh out the oven BUT bear with me here!

Until recently I wasn't one to commit to resolutions because if I wanted to do something I just did it and that was that! However, the immediacy of teenage years doesn't transfer much to adult life... Bummer I know... And so the goals tend to be long term, with a level of commitment that challenge even the most methodical person, wouldn't you agree?

Without further ado, here are the goals I'll be focusing on throughout 2012 (and beyond!):

1. Moisturize face and body EVERY SINGLE DAY. This is a constant battle for me. Most of the time I'll moisturize my face (both morning and at nighttime) but get lazy about spreading those fabulous body butters (that smell lovely and feel so luxurious) all over my body. I feel that is time consuming but, oh so worth it! Waking up to baby skin every day is worth 5 min of lotion application in my book!

2. Reduce body fat to fit level (21-24%), ideally to athletic level (14-20%). Recently I've had my body fat tested in my local gym. I'm ashamed to say that although I'm not overweight my body fat levels are through the roof! This means that I have the kind of body fat that surrounds organs and impairs the ideal functioning of the body. If it wasn't for my young age doctors would be on my case to lose weight or else (aka popping pills). So I'm young and in my twenties it will be easier to get a hold on this. All that needs to get done is:

a) Clean up my diet: add more vegetables and fruits. Go for whole grains whenever possible. Drink water.

b) Commit to an intense workout routine: I've got my hands on the Insanity program and I'm mid-way through the first week of training. So far so good!

3. Study for at least an hour 5 days a week. Although I'm not a student per se anymore my job requires that I hit the books hard for my entire life. And every person that studies and works will tell you that it ain't easy. Time management is key. And family cooperation as well. I believe it is possible. My mom went back to college a few years back and with a little help from me and my dad she managed to do it quite easily.

4. Read 6 books. I've always been a reader but lately with work and putting some time aside to study, when it's time to read a fiction book I pass out. However, reading is one my favorite things to do and 6 books during a whole year will be both pleasurable and achievable.

5. Get Lil' Paws lots of cuddles! I'll explain. Lil' Paws is my almost-one-year-old kitty. Don't let the photo fool you! Yes, he is the most adorable kitty in the whole wide world BUT he also has huge amounts of energy to spend and when I don't give him the attention (aka play with him for about 30min - 1hour) he turns into a vicious, vicious animal. And this, as you may understand, is kind of a selfish resolution, 'cause playing with this little guy gets me into an awesome mood.

So, what are your resolutions for 2012? Leave them in a comment below!

An unexpected favorite

Hello again!

Before all the Xmas craziness started I found myself cruising around the mall for some last minute shopping. While waiting in line to buy a gift I spotted something in Sephora. And that was the Sleek Storm i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette (you have to go check it out here). Sleek products are always reasonably priced so I walked out feeling great about my purchase and I swear my wallet was thanking me for skipping the Chanel and Dior counters. 

Moving on to actually trying the product at home... Queue excited-kid-opening-Santa's-gifts face... And I was mesmerized by the first swatch... The shadows feel buttery, almost like they were cream and not powder, the color payoff is outstanding (rivaling high-end shadows) and although they are mostly shimmering shadows, they work well together, and you get 2 matte browns plus a matte black. Can't go wrong with that!

So, to summarize:

Pros:

• Awesome consistency and color payoff
• Easy color combinations
• Great quality/price ratio
• Packaging feels sturdy

Cons:

• Would like a matte highlighter color

I'd recommend this palette to anyone, 'cause every girl needs a good quality neutral palette that won't break the bank.

On some other note...
I was thinking of making my posts less erratic, aka 3 posts a week: one on beauty, one on health and/or fitness and a random one. What do you say?

Taking the First Step

Hello World! 

Coming to you from a secret location in Europe, a 25-year girl (or should I call myself a woman by now?) with a passion for writing and drinking pipping hot hot chocolate.

I’ve debated for a very long time whether to start a blog. I kept telling myself that because I’m interested in a wide range of topics, a blog focusing on said topics wouldn’t appeal to anyone. However, recently, in a casual conversation with a friend I came to realize that a wide range of topics doesn’t sign a blog’s death sentence. In fact, it makes it richer, well rounded and developed.

So you might be asking yourself: “Yeah, so what will you be writing about?”

You may expect posts on: health, fitness and everything beauty. Every now and again you might be surprised by an odd post. That’s okay. It’s just how my mind works. =)

Since we're approaching Christmas with light speed and you might still need to get to the mall and endure incredibly long lines, I’ll keep it short and sweet.

I have yet to come up with a catchy sign out phrase... Until then, I'll have to wave goodbye ;)