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Friday 29 November 2013

FeelUnique.com introduces minimum purchase for free worldwide delivery!


The word 'shocked' doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when I saw this before my eyes this morning. FeelUnique has officially introduced a minimum purchase for free worldwide delivery. And they did it right before christmas-shopping season. Oh, the horror. In the beauty world, this can be seen as a mini apocalypse. And no, I do not exaggerate.

Mind you, their asking price isn't that bad: $20 /15 euros/ 10 pounds.

But still. It's a huge change and not to mention disappointment. Though my biggest question is: when did they introduce this??? And how come no one has mentioned it yet on the beauty blogger sphere??

Needless to say, we will all now have to go about our FeelUnique purchases a little more thoroughly to make sure it's past the minimum requirement *sigh*.

What are your thoughts on this change? Expected? Shocking? Heartbreaking? Let me know in the comments! 

Thursday 28 November 2013

M.A.C. "Plumful"


I don't know what it is about MAC lipsticks that make them deserve their own personal blog post. But voila, here is me introducing my second mac lipstick!

I had originally gone in to buy the oh-so-hyped "Rebel", but ended up finding it way too dark and bold for my comfort zone. I mean really, what's the point of buying a lipstick if you know you'll chicken out and never wear it? Am I right? So instead I checked out a suggestion by the lovely EssieButton: Plumful. Oh, boy. If you are too scared to wear Rebel, but still want a fall berry lipstick, then say no more! Plumful is your best bet. It's essentially a less bold version of Rebel.

It's one of those lipsticks that feel creamy on the lips (it's a Lustre) and can be built up or muted down with some blotting. I personally prefer how it looks when blotted. It lasts a good few hours and in the end turns into a nice stain on the lips. It also doesn't dry out the lips, which is always a huge bonus for me!

This colour also looks particularly nice with any dark blue clothing as it's a purple-y red-dish shade (how good am I at descriptives?).

So definitely check it out next time you're at a MAC counter! It might end up becoming your favourite fall/winter lipstick :). 

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Chip Off the Old Block!


I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is officially snowing over here in Munich! End of November, and it's already -2 with snow coming down from the sky! Though it is freezing, the view is rather beautiful :). Now, on to nails! Even though I am really lazy when it comes to painting my nails, I do love the effect it gives. However, I've always had an issue with my nail polish constantly chipping away quite early on (even on the first day). And I'm sure that I'm not the only girl out there with this issue. But fear not fellow beauty enthusiasts, for I have found a solution!

The perfect base coat + the perfect top coat = chip free for an entire week! 

And no, I do not exaggerate. Though I do think the base coat actually matters more than the top coat because if the nail polish sticks like glue to your base, then it has very little chances of chipping. My holy grail base coat is the "Long Lasting Base Coat" by p2. With this base coat, my nail polish won't chip for an entire week. I've put it to the test during holiday and in everyday life. It seriously does not disappoint! Sadly, p2 is not an international brand, which is such a shame because this is the best base coat I have ever used and it only costed me 1 euro! But it is available in any european countries that have the drugstore "dm" or even online on Ebay :). I am sure that there are other great base coats out there as well, you just have to pick out the ones that guarantee it to be long-lasting.

Finding a great top coat also reduces the risk of chipping. My personal favourite is the well-loved Seche Vite. My main reason for calling it my holy grail top coat is because of two things: it dries REALLY quickly (which in turn prevents chipping and significantly decreases the 'waiting for your nails to dry' time) and it leaves a glossy/gel-like finish to the nails. Stunning, stunning product.

And these are my main tips on preventing your nail polish from chipping :). Hope some of you find this helpful! x.


Thursday 21 November 2013

Review: Lush - Tea Tree Water


Have you ever had one of those products that you just couldn't make up your mind on? Yeah, I thought so. Well, this is definitely one of those for me. I wanted to find a nice toner and had heard so many great things about tea tree oil, so when I saw the Tea Tree Water at Lush, I thought I had ended my search! I mean it sounded great: anti-bacterial, reduces redness, great for those with oily or acne prone skin. Who doesn't want all that?

So I guess I'll just start with the pro's and cons of this toner.

PROS: Doesn't dry out your skin, has a spray so you can reach other parts of your body (such as your back), alcohol free, anti-bacterial, spray feels refreshing and cooling. 

Now for the cons...

CONS: Very little to no results.

I have used this toner for several months now and I just can't say I see any real difference with my skin. If anything I think I had more breakouts while using it than when I was not, but that might've been a coincidence with hormones, etc. The only thing I really like about it is using it for my back to prevent any spots there since it's a hard area to reach. But that's really about it...

I adore Lush and this is my first purchase from their skincare line, but I have to say I'm not that impressed with this product. It's not bad, but it's not great either. Though I have heard it work well with other people, so it could just be my skin type.

Have you tried out this toner? Has it worked for you? Do you have any good Lush skincare recommendations? :)

Thursday 14 November 2013

Review: Maybelline - Fit Me Concealer


Now that exams and assignments have begun to pile up, my dark under eye circles have become a clear indicator of my increasing work load. With this in mind, I realized I was in desperate need for a good concealer. However, I wasn't keen on spending much (saving up for christmas sales!), so I did some research and ended up picking up the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer :). 

And all I have to say about it, is this: WOW. Not going to lie, I was quite blown away by the coverage and texture of this concealer. It's high coverage (will hide anything and everything) and feels creamy. It doesn't feel drying in the slightest and does a good job at hiding redness and dark veins. And a little bit really does go a long way with this concealer. 

The only complaint I have with this concealer is staying power. Sadly, it only lasts a few hours when it comes to hiding spots. However, it does thankfully last most of the day in your under eye area. I would definitely suggest using a primer underneath it, especially if you have oily skin. I have tried setting it with a powder, but it doesn't help much. Oh and another small complaint I have is the packaging: Love the form of application, but the wording on the tube rubs off so easily! Ah well, can't really complain much when the price is so affordable. 

So in conclusion, it's a wonderful drugstore gem that is a great alternative if you cannot get your hands on the concealers by Makeup Forever, Nars, or Collection. It is honestly worth the hype :). 

Saturday 9 November 2013

Rimmel Apocalips vs Manhattan Lip Lacquer: DUPE!


Let's be honest with ourselves... everyone loves a good dupe, especially if we have no means of obtaining the original or it's too expensive. However, I think the case here takes the word 'dupe' to a whole new level.

A year after the Rimmel Apocalips were released, the European brand Manhattan released their own version. Needless to say, they are 100% identical. The packaging is the same, the formula is the same, the shade is the same, heck they even smell the same! I was quite shocked and appalled that Manhattan would have the audacity to completely rob Rimmel of their product, so I decided to do some further research. One can't help but be skeptical. 

And that's when I found it: Rimmel and Manhattan are owned by the same company. This fact put my mind to rest over the matter and answered my question about them both being manufactured in the UK. But I think there's no reason for Manhattan to sell the Apocalips, but rather Rimmel should just be available in every country ;) (*cough* Germany *cough*). 

The only difference is that there are few different shades available with each brand, but the one I picked up ('Red Rocks') is the exact same one as 'Celestial'. Though I have no clue why Manhattan would rename it to 'Red Rocks' if it's pink.... 

So now I want to know: have any of you seen 100% identical dupes before? :)