Combination Skin Heroes

You may already know I'm a combination skin girl and having combination skin isn't as easy as it sounds when it comes to pick up some skincare products as depending on your own skin you may need some hydrating products as well as a few spot treatments. I have a little selection of products that work wonders on me and I wanted to share them, but even though I call them "combination skin heroes" please always remember your skin is surely different from mine and some of them may don't work for you as they do on me.

Although when I remove my makeup I often go for something on the oily side (oily products are the best in removing waterproof makeup), there's nothing better than the feeling of a bit of Bioderma Sebium H2O (£9.99) which is very similar to the original Bioderma micellar water but for oily or combination skins. This isn't as good in removing my eye makeup as the original Bioderma and it's slightly fragranced, but is very soothing and leave my skin always feeling cleaner but not dehydrated. It's thought to help in getting rid of impurities and in giving a smooth skin's texture. Something to use on a daily basis is the Aveeno Cream (£6.99) which is for me the perfect day face moisturizer: containing oatmeal it aims to hydrate dry and sensitive skin, but I think this is great for combination skin as well as it sinks in super easly, hydrates but not too much and is very light on the skin so that it can be applied under your makeup as well.

I have acne prone skin and I always want to keep cystic acne and spot at bay, and my most loyal ally against breakouts are BHAs which make the world of good for my skin and really works in avoiding spots and keeping my acne at bay. I love the Effaclar range from La Roche-Posay and my skin can't be more thankful to both the Astringent Micro-Exfoliant Lotion (£10.20) and the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (£13.15). Both contains BHAs to help gently exfoliate over clogged pores, control shine and avoid the appearance of blemishes, but the former comes in a toner shape which I use after cleansing my skin, and the latter is a lovely and light serum to be applied before your usual moisturizer which truely makes wonders in keeping acne at bay. Another amazing product for acne prone skins is the Decleor Prolagene Lift Peeling Gel* (£46.50) which contains AHAs instead and is a chemical exfoliator to be used once or twice a week when you feel your skin need a detoxifying treatment. This acts in only 5 minutes and it's super easy to use and rinse off, but it really works wonders in exfoliating your skin and leaving a smoother complexion.

For dull skin days or a weekend treat I love having a face mask session and the best in suiting my skin are the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask (£21.50) and the Soap & Glory™ No Clogs Allowed™ Detox Mask (£11.50). The former is super nice for combination skin as it brings the right amount of hydration while having also antibacterical properties and for that reason is also perfect for avoiding blemishes to appear. I also use this as overnight treatment on any blemish or spot I want to get rid of, and when comes the morning I always see a huge improvement. The latter is perfect for who has a combination to oily skin and need a little detox treatment now and again as this blue mask really helps to purify pores and avoiding shine.

Do you have any combination skin hero?

Not impressed

You may already know I had considered the purchase of a Tangle Teezer for a really long time and I finally went for it as soon as I saw it live for the first time ever a few months ago. My doubts were lots as I didn't really know if I'll ever need something like a good detangling brush as my hair isn't difficult or too painful to comb. I was pretty intrigued though by the reviews online and I have to admit I was pretty incouraged by the loss of too many locks of mine.

The Tangle Teezer should be a pretty innovative hair brush to help you detangle your hair painless and easier. It aims to be more gentle than every other hair brush and perfect for every hair type, suitable even for vulnerable and color treated hair. What really pushed me to buy it was that being thought to suit every hair needs as well as to be super gentle, I thought it could really make the difference in avoiding my hair loss.

So, is it worth? I don't think so. This is a very expensive hair brush in my opinion, and that's an amount of money I wasn't sure about spending on a brush, but being that everyone describes it as a phenomenal tool, I thought it could really be worth. I have really thick, oily and straight hair and rarely I have problems with tangles, and if you have a similar hair type to mine and are considering buying a Tangle Teezer yourself, I would say save your money for something better and keep using your usual hair brush (or buy a cheaper one) because on me the results are pretty much the same. Yes, you have a little cute tool to expose in your bathroom and it sometimes can avoid some painful processes (but for me it happens really rarely) - but nothing more than that really. I can't understand the hype and I wish I never changed my mind about avoiding this purchase. I can see this can be the magic answer to some hair types issue especially who has hair prone to tangle easly, but I'm really not that impressed at all. As regards the hair loss I found a good green shampoo helps a lot and gives the best results even if not paired with a similar tool.

Any other who doesn't love the Tangle Teezer out there?

Asking for beauty samples

I feel like I had more wrong foundation or concealer shades than the actual right match for my skin, and there's nothing more annoying than buying a super expensive foundation and getting the wrong shade. I know in USA you can bring your beauty products back to the shop if they don't work for you, but here we are not allowed to do that and once you try a product you have to keep it. Only recently I finally realize asking for beauty sample is my right as customer, as being that I can only try it in the shop and not testing it on my own in different occasions and under different lights, it's becoming so easy getting the wrong shade.

I'm not only talking about foundations and concealers, I think it's a customer's right asking for any beauty sample, as also skincare is pretty subjective and you really need to try a product at least for a few days to see if your skin is going to react badly to it or if it actually could love it. It's our right until we actually go beyond the bounds of decency, and of course asking for beauty sample is ok if you really need to try a product and doesn't mean you can go back and ask multiple samples of the same product until you actually get a full size. I also know it's difficult to get samples of drugstore products and that sometimes the shop assistants aren't too keen in helping you and giving a sample, but I wrote down a little list of suggestions and tips to use to ask and obtain a foundation, concealer (or beauty in general) sample to test at home by your own and with your own light.

- Always keep a little empty pot or jar in your handbag when you go out of beauty shopping, so that you can use it if the shop assistant say they don't have sample pots
- Ask politely to try the product in the shop, on your hands or face, to see the color or the consistency and talk about what you think (this can be super useful because the shop assistant could actually help you understand if this is the product for you without even trying it)
- Try to always look like you actually want to buy the product and you're very interested in it (which should come natural as you are meant to be interested if you're asking for a sample)
- Ask politely if it's possible to have a little sample of the product to try at home - usually they will agree, but if they don't, try asking if you can only have one pump from the tester in your little jar
- Always remember to don't be rude in the slightest because the shop assistant could have had a bad day and be rude with you as well (this happened to me so many times)
- Explain why you want to try the product at home (for me for example I've just asked for a Chanel foundation sample, and besides the color issue, I wanted to try it a few times before buying a full size since I read it's pretty highly fragranced and having sensitive skin this could be a problem)
- Always say thanks before going once obtained the sample - I know it was your right to ask, but a lot of shop assistants could actually have said no, so be thankful
- Don't ever be afraid to ask - sometimes shop assistants will come in your help spontaneously, but if not, don't be afraid, it's your own right to ask and its their work to answer every of your questions.

I know that to understand a product and figure out if it works for you and your skin more than a few applications are required, but having a little sample is always worth as you can actually really test it a few days and have it in your home, test the lasting power, the shade, the consistency, how your skin reacts, and consider if it's really worth buying a full size. So this were the tips I've learned recently and hopefully these could come helpful to someone of you who may needs a sample and don't know how to ask, or who always gets the wrong shade.

Do you have any tip for asking beauty samples?

Lightweight Bases Galore

Recently I'm all about lightweight foundations and bases as when it comes to makeup I don't really like anything too heavy going on there, and I have to admit lightweight bases are always been my first choose - I seriously can't remember an single time I decided to went for a full coverage foundation in my entire life. I went through a lot of tubes actually, but today I want to show you the ones that still have a firm role in my makeup life...

I don't know about you, but I'm super sick of the whole BB cream kind of thing and I tend to steer away from every new BB or CC cream release, but I still have some noteworthed in my little "lightweight" drawer. The Gosh BB Cream* (€13,99) is been in there for a while now, but this is the base I go with in summertime usually as I have a slightly too dark shade for my pale winter skin which pairs amazingly with the light tan I get in summertime instead. This super light and impalpable base aims to be a foundation, primer and moisturizer all in one but I actually am really impressed of how easly it sinks into the skin (pretty reasonable as it's water based) and how comfortable it is to wear even in the warmer months. The Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (£6,50) is the most recent entry in my foundation stash, and I'm super impressed with this at the moment: it contains apricot pigments to conceal fatique signs, green pigments to contrast rednesses and white pigments to cover dark spots - this really has a very nice covering power but still being pretty natural and light on the skin and leaving a luminous complexion. This is my first choice on days when my skin looks a bit dull and I need to uniforme it and create a smooth texture.

Another water based foundation I really like right now is the & Other Stories Triple Moist Foundation (£15) which aims to have a super hydrating formula and leaving a very natural finish. I don't know about the hydration - I'm not a dry skin girl so I rarely notice if a base product tend to keep my skin hydrated, but this for sure doesn't make my skin oilier - but is really nice in keeping things pretty natural and light. It is slightly fragranced though, and if your skin is very sensitive like mine, you should consider wearing a primer underneath (not my favorite thing). It's still very creamy but blend and absorb super easly.

My "top of the class" lightweight bases are two though, the Rouge Bunny Rouge Sketches on Water Tinted Moisturiser* (£34,58) and the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint (£9,99), both water based foundations but with opposite finishes. The former is one my skin didn't love at first as it caused a terrible breakout as soon as I tried it, but which is now super well loved as it leaves the most beautiful wet finish and smooth texture to the skin. This seems super thick when you apply it but it actually sinks into the skin pretty soon and gives a beautifully radiant complexion. It never looks cakey or feel sticky and it looks amazing in photos as well. The latter has been my go to winter foundation, which I actually still use if I'm looking for a super matte finish; it has the messiest packaging ever but a super nice and unique formula. It's very lightweight and never feels too heavy on the skin, and once blended it leave a silky and matte finish I really love. This combination and oily skin friendly foundation applies better with the fingers, helps in uniforming the complexion, is truely buildable and goes on super easly as well. You can read a full review on here.

One thing is for sure: I can't go wrong with water based bases and I have a good stock now, but they still are my first choise when I have to buy new foundations. However these were my favorite lightweight base finds so far.

Which is your favorite lightweight base?

Handbag essentials

There was a time when I used to bring with me only big, wide, ginormous handbags, but that time is definitely gone as now I only carry little bags which look a lot cuter in my opinion but are also pretty comfortable and not too bulky as a big bag. I recently got an even smaller bag and I had to halve my bag contents and completely minimize it, so I thought I could share my handbag essentials today...

First of all my new navy blue tote bag is the Vintage and Casual Tote Bag* (£11.88) from Sammydress which is such a cute and good quality little bag with the prettiest vintage brown details and a lot of wide pockets in the inside to keep everything very organized which I definitely love. This is the perfect size for my necessities as I can store all the things I need to carry with me when I go out and even more and it's actually not too big nor too small. I love the brown details and that this pairs amazingly with the majority of my wardrobe, and even though I wasn't too sure about getting it in blue, it turned out being a good choise as this is a bit of a change instead of my usual brown or black bags I use to go with in wintertime.

In the biggest compartment I always carry my Topshop wallet which my boyfriend bought me when we was in London and which I'm totally in love with. This is such a big wallet for a little bag, I know, but one thing with me is every wallet is always too little for my taste and for what I need to carry, so I need to go for a big one and make sure it fits it all. Also I always have in there a good old hand sanitizer as I'm a hygienic freak, a few little Ikea wooden pencils I got after a few Ikea trips, my Firmoo Brown Round Sunglasses* (£28.98) and my on-the-go camera which I recently decided to bring always with me to capture every little moment I want to remeber and maybe post on here too. Essentials to me are also my little Harrods Folk Floral Pocket Shopper Bag (£4,95) which comes very useful if I'm out and I need another cute bag to carry anything else I could have bought, and my little Accessorize Heart Mirror (£7), because, you know, a girl needs her mirror everywhere.

In the inside little pocket I always carry a handful of H&M Black Hair Elastics (£1.50) which are my all time favorite because they lasts forever and come pretty useful if you have long hair, but also a little old hair clip probably from Accessorize and my old Apple earphones, whilst in the bigger front pocket I always keep handy things I want to easly find like my super handy H&M Hand Wipes and Halo Moist Toilet Tissue Wipes (£1.09), but also a little jar I keep in there for when I'm out for some beauty shopping and need to ask a sample. This is such a staple in my handbag as I always hate when I get the wrong foundation or concealer shade, and the best way to avoid that is testing the product out before buying it maybe under a different light from the one in the shop, and maybe at home on my own. Little pots like this are super handy but also very affordable - you can find some here.

As for makeup I always carry around a few products to touch up any smudginess during the day, and for this purpose the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22) is always my best bet as it is super high coverage but lightweight and looks always natural, plus it's super easy to blend out with your fingers which is a must when it comes to on-the-go makeup. Also I keep in there the lip product I applied that day before going out, and at the moment I have two, the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Lovelight (£15) and the Maria Galland Color Pencil in 200 Pamplemousse Rosé* which are both two pink and shimmery lip shades I'm loving wearing at the moment.

Something I need to get in the upcoming future is a cute and little notepad to be kept in my bag for any on-the-go idea to be written down, and a little makeup bag maybe where to put the makeup I carry with me and avoid it get lost in there.

What about your handbag essentials?

DIY Coffee and Coconut Scrub

I've always loved the scent of coffee and can't deny I was pretty tempted for a while to try making myself a DIY coffee based beauty product, but I had way too many body scrubs and lotions to be finished and never really found myself putting together a few ingredients to create something. But a few weeks ago I came up with the idea of a coffee body scrub and as soon as I finished my beloved & Other Stories Sugar Crush Body Scrub (and my heart is still weeping for seeing this one going - may need to repurchase it soon), I washed the little jar it came in and decided to try an impromptu body scrub recipe.

This is what I used:

• 1/2 cup coffee (powder and beans)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil

I used both coffee powder and coffee beans as I wanted to give my scrub a bit of texture and I needed for it to be very harsh on the skin as this is how I love my body scrubs to be. I of course chopped the coffee beans very finely before adding them to the mixture. If you don't love super harsh body scrubs, go for only coffee powder or just a little bit of beans but not half of it, if you are like me instead and love a bit of good exfoliating action on those limbs of yours, then use half chopped beans and half powder and your scrub will have a beautiful texture! I also added a bit of white sugar to add more texture, but you can go for brown sugar as well if you want it to be more abrasive. Once mixed together all the dry ingredients I added the oils, the olive oil first and mixed and the coconut oil immediately after. I used the coconut oil when still solid and melted it down with my hands a bit before mixing it with the other ingredients always using my hands as things can be a bit tricky with a spoon.

I know this is a mess, but once finished you just need to decant it into a big jar and wash your hands (which will be already automatically scrubbed at this time). This scrub smells absolutely amazing and if you love coffee I'm sure you'll love this too, but if you don't the scent could be a bit overwhelming for you, just warning. Also if you use too much coffee beans this can be a bit messy in the shower and leave you something to clean on the floor, but to me this is not too annoying as I love the scent and how good this is in exfoliating my skin, plus thanks to the olive and coconut oils it also leaves your skin pretty hydrated and soft. The coffee scent actually stays on you for a few good hours even after rinsing it out which I love, and someone says coffee helps in mantaining the skin young and elastic, so...

Will you try this recipe?

A pinch of pink

I'm always super excited about spring, my favorite time of the year, and when it comes to makeup I always love to go back in my drawers and pick up some products I've almost forgot during the winter in order to prefer some deeper colors, but spring and summer are all about bright shades, and pink has always been my favorite.

I definitely need to find a pink based but reasonably neutral cream eyeshadow, but for now the pink products I'm loving this spring are mainly lipsticks and blushers. I've always been very faithful to the Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 Healthy Glow (£7,99) as this immediately became my all time favorite blush as soon as I bought it a few months ago. This is a beautiful peachy pink which looks gorgeous on the cheek and gives the prettiest touch of color. I love the texture as well, as it is one of those cream-to-powder blushers which goes on very silky on the skin and looks always flattering. Another old favorite of mine is the NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic* (£5,50), a very inexpensive product but a lovely barbie pink shade on the cheeks. It has a nice wet finish when blended and even though it could feel a bit sticky sometimes, I really like it for a soft touch of color. Lastly on the blushers front I have to mention another cream blush, the Urban Decay Afterglow Glide-On Cheek Tint in Score which unfortunately is everyday more difficult to find, but these blushers really have the best formula as they are not too creamy but a sort of tint and are pretty sheer but buildable so that you can build up the color as you like. Score is a beautiful peachy pink with a tun of golden shimmers in it that brings a beautiful light and color to your face.

As for lipsticks, a pink shade I felt in love with last year is the NYX Round Lipstick in Paris* (£4), a lovely drugstore find in a shade I don't usually go for, but this very bright matte barbie pink really suits my skintone and create a lovely contrast against my dark hair, so it's the shade I usually go for when I feel a bit braver and want a bright touch of color on my lips. Two new lovely pink finds are the Paul & Joe Natural Lipstick in Pret-a-Porter (£13,27) and the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Lovelight (£15), two super nice shades and formulas. The former I reviewed here and it's the lipstick I'm going for non-stop since I got it two months ago now, a beautiful sheer pure pink which goes on very creamy and super comfortable and brings a cute but elegant touch of color to my usually plain makeup. The latter is a more recent discovery, one of the UD Revolution Lipsticks everyone talks about, which has the best sheer formula that last a very long time once on the lips, and comes in a pretty peachy pink shade with a tun of golden shimmers in there. I think of it as a more shimmery lipstick version of the UD blush I mentioned above as they both have the same color and are sheer and beautiful. I must admit I sometimes apply this lipstick on my cheeks as well! Lastly the Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate (£8) is a product I purchased last year and I felt in love with last summer, but this still is a firm favorite of mine as I always love super comfortable and creamy lip products, and this ticks all the boxes with that lovely coraly pink shade that goes on very sheer and the hydrating properties my chapped lips always crave.

So this are the products I'm going to use non-stop this spring, but I'm probably going to buy more and more pink blushers and lipsticks before summer is over, so you can definitely expect an update sometimes soon, but for now this are going to fill the pink hole in my current makeup routine.

Which are your favorite pink products?

Back to minimal

Recently I've bought way too many skincare products and incorporated all of them in my morning and night skincare routines all at once, since I was so curious to try them and report back to you. Some of them are true skincare gems on me, others actually aren't as loved by my skin and I blame them for some bad breakouts as I didn't see for a while on my face. This is why I decided to detox and purify my skincare routine and going back to basics and minimal, and for basics and minimal I mean only four products I blindly trust for morning and night to stick to, hoping I'll last at least one week.

I had to choose between serum, tonic, acne treatments, SPF and a lot more, and I decided the number one three things I can't survive without are eyecreams, an eczema treatment and moisturizer, and as I had to pick only four products I thought I could definitely have all of them and give my skin a little rest a few times a day. Eyecreams are never been my go to products before but I'm recently discovering a lot of benefits from them and I and my skin really enjoy the results as well, and as I'm troubling with some eczema and dry patches all around the eye area, I need my eyecreams to keep it at bay, so I went for my super reliable Botanics 80% Organic Hydrating Eye Cream (£5,99), which I mentioned a lot of times recently but which is really helping in getting rid of those eczema issues, and the Caudalie Polyphenols C15 Anti-Wrinkle Eye and Lip Cream* (£26), which is actually a new entry in my stash but which I'm really liking recently. The former I use in the moring as it's always very lightweight and perfect to go under makeup, the latter is better in the evening as it's a bit thicker and richer but very hydrating and soothing at the same time, and also has a lot of anti-aging properties which is always good. I use it only around my eyes and not next to my lips as I don't need it there and because I apply something different in that area.

If in the morning I can go for simply eyecream, in the evening my skin really craves a little bit of extra moist, so moisturizer is definitely needed and the one I adore and blindly trust is the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream (£26,99), actually a day cream but which I love in the evening better, which not only is super rich and smells amazing, but is also natural, very hydrating and soothing and my skin loves it a lot as in the morning always look so pumped up and reinvigorated. I find shea butter and avocado are the way to go for my skin when if comes to hydration, and this contains them both.

Lastly to keep my dry patches and eczema issue at bay I can't live without the A-Derma Exomega Emolient Cream (£9,45), a very thick emolient cream that features oat meal and omega 6 fatty acids, which is thought to sooth atopic and very dry skins and can be applied on the face or any other body area that need a little treatment. This truely is a lifesaver and I apply it literally several times a day when my skin feels too tight and I want some rest.

I probably will go for a little bit of organic aloe vera gel onto those pimples and breakouts I now have on my face to try helping them heal faster, but otherwise I'm going to try sticking to only these four products everyday for a week at least, and I will for sure report back any result. I feel sometimes going back to basic and drain a too complex and overdone skincare routine can be good, expecially when you need to figure out which products do what and which are causing you some skin troubles. Of course I will reintegrate all the products I used gradually and little by little to really see what effects they have on me, but for now this will be the way to go for at least one week.

What do you think about the 'overdone' skincare routine topic?

Comparing Cleansing Balms

Since the first moment when the Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm started appearing in the blogging world, it was inevitably compared to the more expensive and hyped Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, as they have a similar name but also a similar consistency and very close properties, but the former is a lot more budget-friendly and comes in a more pratical tube whereas the latter is very luxurious, falls within the more expensive cleansers out there, and comes in a cute but less hygienical big pot. But do they really are that similar? How do they compare?

Dal primo momento in cui il Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm ha iniziato ad apparire nei vari blog, è stato inevitabilmente comparato al più costoso e super acclamato Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, poichè hanno un nome molto simile, ma anche una simile consistenza e somiglianti proprietà, ma il primo è molto più economico ed è venduto in un pratico tubetto, mentre il secondo è molto lussuoso, ricade nella fascia più alta di prezzo per un detergente, ed è venduto in una grande jar meno igienica. Ma sono davvero così simili? In cosa si somigliano?

Monthly Favorites: March 2014.

March was the month when my life had a huge change, so many things have happened and it really is flown by this time, but beauty-wise I feel very satisfied with things and products I discovered. It's time to go back and pick my monthly favorites again, and this time I feel like they are seriously super foregone as I talked about these products all the time. But this is how favorites work, right?

Marzo è stato il mese in cui la mia vita ha visto i più grandi cambiamenti, sono successe moltissime cose e il mese è seriamente volato questa volta, ma per quanto riguarda il mondo della bellezza sono molto soddisfatta dei prodotti che ho potuto scoprire. E' tempo di tornare indietro e scegliere tutti i miei preferiti del mese, che questa volta sono veramente scontati visto che ne ho parlato tutto il mese. Ma è così che funziona, no?

Tag: I'd Like But I Can't | Vorrei ma non posso

So I was tagged by the lovely Chiara from The Word Of Claire and Natalia from Maquillicious to do this cute little tag that is recently very popular here in Italy, and I'm maybe the last person to reply to this, but you know, better later than never. This tag was created by Make-up Pleasure and want us to mention some makeup and beauty products we would love to splurge on but we actually can't due to any reason such as high price tags or difficult availability. This is a sort of etheral wishlist, but I'm now trialing a spending ban so everything seems impossible to get to me, but these are the ones I would love to own right now but I really can't get.

Sono stata taggata dalle dolcissime Chiara di The Word Of Claire e Natalia di Maquillicious a fare questo carinissimo tag molto popolare di recente, e probabilmente sono l'ultima persona a rispondervi, ma come si suol dire, meglio tardi che mai. Questo tag è stato creato da Make-up Pleasure e ci chiama a nominare alcuni dei prodotti di makeup e skincare che vorremmo acquistare ma che per qualsiasi motivo non possiamo permetterci, che sia per il prezzo o per la reperibilità. E' una sorta di wishlist eterea, anche se io sono in una sorta di shopping ban, quindi qualsiasi cosa ai miei occhi è piuttosto impossibile da raggiungere al momento, ma questi sono i prodotti con cui mi vizierei se potessi.

Beauty in a pot

I've always been a fan of pretty packagings when it comes to beauty, and there's nothing cuter than tiny pots and jars which look lovely all piled up on my vanity table and that come pretty handy when I'm on the go. Even though a lot of people don't love pots for travelling or on the go as things can get a bit unhygienic, I love having them around in my bag for any emergency but I always remember to wash my hands first. So these are my most loved beauty products in a pot...

Sono sempre stata una grande fan dei bei packaging quando si tratta dei prodotti di bellezza, e non c'è niente di più adorabile secondo me di piccole jar e contenitori tutti impilati sul mio vanity e che tornano parecchio utili anche quando sono in viaggio. Anche se parecchie persone non amano i prodotti nelle jar per viaggiare o per quando si è fuori casa perchè può essere poco igienico, io adoro averli in borsa per le emergenze, sempre ricordandomi di lavare le mani prima di usarli. Questi sono quelli che preferisco...

London Beauty Haul Part 1

Last week I wrote down a really long beauty wishlist containing products I really wanted to get while I was in London. I said I knew it wouldn't have been possible to buy everything, now that I'm back we can see together which ones I brought home with me for real. I actually part with a few of the items from my wishlist whether because I couldn't find them in stock, or because I decided I didn't need them to get some other gems and give them a whirl instead. I thought I'd split this haul in two parts since things can get a bit long here, so stay tuned for part two!

La scorsa settimana ho scritto una lunghissima beauty wishlist che conteneva prodotti che avrei voluto comprare mentre ero a Londra. Dicevo di sapere che non sarebbe stato possibile acquistare tutto, ora che sono tornata possiamo vedere insieme cosa effettivamente ho portato a casa con me. In realtà ho rinunciato ad alcuni dei prodotti della wishlist o perchè non erano in stock o perchè ho deciso di non averne bisogno, per far spazio ad altri e provare qualcosa di nuovo. Ho pensato di dividere questo haul in due parti dato che la faccenda potrebbe farsi lunga qui, quindi aspettatevi la seconda parte a breve!

April Freebies.

One thing that really excited me in the UK was passing by a newsstand and find out almost every women's magazine had a freebie. I love them! I don't know if April is a particulary lucky month or if it's always like this in the UK, but finding three (or maybe four) women's magazines with lovely makeup or beauty freebies whilst here in Italy we get one of them every three or four months minimum, was to me a big source of excitment. I bought two of them, and since they're new and some of you may have missed them this time, I thought I could share them with you and talk about my first impressions on those two amazing freebies.

Una delle cose che mi ha particolarmente entusiasmato in UK era passare affianco ad un'edicola e trovare quasi ogni rivista femminile con un omaggio. E io amo gli omaggi! Non so se sia aprile ad essere un mese particolarmente fortunato o se sia sempre così nel Regno Unito, ma trovare tre (o anche quattro) riviste con dei freebie di makeup o beauty quando qui in Italia capita una volta ogni tre/quattro mesi minimo, è stata per me una grande fonte di eccitazione. Ne ho comprate due, e dato che sono appena uscite, che una di essere è reperibile anche dalle italiane e che magari qualcuna di voi si recherà in UK presto, ho pensato di condividerle con voi e di farvi sapere le mie prime impressioni sui due omaggi.

Bedside Beauty.

If you think my beauty routine ends when I go out of the bathroom after my usual evening skincare routine, well, you are totally wrong. Before going to bed I can't avoid to treat myself to some bedside beauty bits, which are the ones I always have next to my bed that I can reach whenever I'm in bed and I feel I need them - but mainly before going to sleep - and that totally help me in the falling asleep carefree process.

Se pensavate che la mia beauty routine finisse appena uscita dal bagno dopo la mia usuale skincare routine serale, be', vi sbagliavate. Prima di andare a dormire non posso evitare di concedermi qualche coccola in più con dei prodotti che tengo sempre affianco al letto ed a cui mi affido se ne ho bisogno in qualsiasi momento - ma principalmente prima di andare a letto - e che fanno sicuramente grandi cose nell'aiutarmi ad addormentarmi senza pensieri.

Travel Diary: London, March 2014.

As I said in my last two posts I was in London last week with my boyfriend; London is the place where I always dreamed to be and I'm so grateful I got the opportunity to be there even only for five days and enjoy the beautiful weather of that first week of March with spring just sprung. Before our trip, I have a bunch of questions on places to visit while we were there, and where to eat or what to do, and I thought it could be nice to start my Travel Diary sharing with you my experience in London hoping you can enjoy some of my photos and maybe also be inspired from some of them.

Come ho detto negli ultimi due post, sono stata a Londra la scorsa settimana insieme al mio ragazzo; Londra è il luogo dove ho sempre sognato di stare e sono così contenta di avere avuto l'opportunità di esserci anche solo per cinque giorni e godere del bellissimo tempo di quella prima settimana di marzo con la primavera appena arrivata. Prima del viaggio avevo un sacco di domande su quali posto visitare, dove mangiare e cosa fare, così ho pensato che potrebbe essere carino iniziare il mio Travel Diary condividendo con voi la mia esperienza a Londra e sperando che possano interessarvi le mie foto e che queste possano magari ispirarvi.

Winter Sales Beauty Haul.

Let me say this post was meant to be up on the blog just a few weeks ago, but due to some postage problems with the italian service, some of my winter sales purchases came to me just yesterday. As I already said once, winter sales are the perfect occasion to treat yourself to some picks you always wanted to try, and above all to do some good old online beauty shopping, filling up that baskets and checking-out thoughtlessly because you know you are in front of some amazing deals. Well, this time it wasn't exactly like that, discounts sometimes weren't that gorgeous, but you have to do what you have to do, and even with just little percentages off I managed to pick up some products that were in my wishlist for way too much time, and here they are.

Fatemi dire che questo post doveva essere online giusto qualche settimana fa, ma a causa di qualche problema con le poste italiane (e non spendiamo ulteriori parole), alcuni dei miei acquisti saldosi sono arrivati da me solo ieri. Come avevo già accennato, i saldi invernali per me sono un'ottima occasione per viziarsi un po' acquistando alcuni dei prodotti che si hanno sempre voluto provare, e soprattutto per fare del buon vecchio shopping online, riempiendo quei carrelli e cliccando sul tasto "check-out" senza troppi pensieri perchè si è coscienti di essere di fronte ad un buon affarone. Beh, questa volta non è andata essatamente così, alcuni sconti non erano così entusiasmanti, ma insomma, anche togliendo solo piccole percentuali dai prezzi originali sono riuscita a procurarmi alcuni dei prodotti che giacevano nella mia wishlist per ben troppo tempo, e sono quello di cui vi parlerò oggi.

November '13 favorites.

November not only brought the worst winter cold weather here in Milan, but also a lot of news in my makeup and beauty experience: I tried a lot of new products and tested brands I never used before, and I'm really happy to include most of them in this favorites post, since this means I loved a lot of my recent purchases. So here they are, my November favorites.

Novembre non solo ha portato con sé la più schifezza di condizioni atmosferiche che esistano qui a Milano, ma anche moltissime novità in fatto di makeup e beauty per quanto riguarda me in prima persona: ho provato molti nuovi prodotti e testato nuovi brand mai provati prima, e sono felice di includere molti di questi prodotti in questo post dei preferiti, dato che significa che sto amando i miei acquisti più recenti. Quindi eccoli qui, i miei preferiti di novembre!

Top 5 Doe Deer Products.

Everyone knows what a Dramatag is, but since the first one I didn't reply to any of the newest tags simply because I wasn't completely inspired by the products I use, which didn't generally suit the tags' requests. But the new one is just the one for me! It simply asks to select five products you would use to reproduce a sweet, soft and "doe-eyed" look, and to me was pretty easy to find that kind of product in my drawer since this is the look I like to reach for everyday. I love enhancing the softness of my face and the roundness of my big eyes in my everyday makeup look, and those are the products I reach for to achieve it.

Tutti saprete ormai cosa sia un Dramatag, ma io dopo il primo non ho più risposto a nessuno dei nuovi tag, semplicemente perchè non ero completamente ispirata dai prodotti che uso, che in generale non si adattavano alle richieste dei vari tag proposti. Ma l'ultimo Dramatag è fatto su misura per me! Semplicemente chiede di selezionare una top 5 di prodotti che si userebbero per riprodurre un look dolce, delicato, alla "occhi da cerbiatta", e per me si tratta praticamente di parlare di una tipologia di makeup a cui punto ogni giorno. Amo sottolineare la morbidezza delle linee del viso e rendere i miei occhi (già grandi di loro) ancora più grandi, e questi sono i prodotti che utilizzo di solito per riprodurre un look del genere.

Yumtastic scents.

It's been a long time I wanted to write this post, but I preferred publishing other typology of posts before this one since it can suit every season. You all maybe already know I'm a junkie when it comes to beauty products with a yummy and delicious scent, and since I have a lot of product with a good scent, I wanted to select the top 5 (because I couldn't pick only three) best smelling products in my collection, in particular the ones that have a yummy food scents, my favorites! I don't know if there's already a tag like this in the beauty blogger world, and I know it's not that original and ingenious, so if someone already did it, let me know, and I'll mention him/her here!

Era da molto tempo che volevo scrivere questo post, ma ho preferito dare la precedenza ad altri prima di questo, dato che almeno lui può adattarsi ad ogni stagione. Forse saprete già che sono una fan dei prodotti di bellezza che profumano deliziosamente, soprattutto se odorano di cibo, e dato che ho moltissimi prodotti del genere, ho voluto selezionarne una top 5 (perchè non riuscivo a sceglierne solo tre) dei prodotti dal profumo più buono, in particolare quelli che ricordano deliziosi profumi di cibo, i miei preferiti! Non so se esista un tag del genere, ma dato che non è per nulla originare o ingegnoso immagino di sì, però di recente non mi è parso di averne letti di simili, quindi se qualcuno l'ha già proposto fatemelo sapere, che lo/la menzionerò qui!