Are you scared of your eyelash curler?

I'm that girl who started curling her eyelashes years after everyone else... and then after some time, something happened (I should add that about five beloved eyelashes ended their too-short-lives when that "something" happened ;), I got scared and stopped curling my lashes. I tried a few "curling" mascaras as an alternative, but the results were just not good enough. So I decided to be brave, and now I'm back to my eyelash curler, which has never felt so loved!

I know for a fact that I'm not the only girl who has said no to beautifully curled lashes because of her "fear". So since I got over things and am right now blinking my eyes to show off my lush-lashy lashes (yes, I absolutely had to write that, hah!), I thought I'd share the few tips which helped me when I was healing from the "eyelash curler trauma"! Enjoy!

• Eyelash curlers simply look scary. That's a fact, we all know it, so get over it and don't let it scare you away. Maybe you could look for a pink one? :)
• Find the eyelash curler which suits your eye shape. Not all curlers are the same, your friend's favourite might be your worst bet, so ask around (you can usually get help at stores) and find your perfect match. And remember that the most expensive ones don't necessarily have to be the best!
• Never curl your lashes when you're in a hurry. Always make sure that you have plenty of time, and take all the time you need.
• Curl your lashes when you're alone, and make sure that nothing and nobody can surprise you when you're curling. I've heard some scary stories in which a person unexpectedly walks by and well... you know the story!
• Never curl your lashes with mascara on! It really, really increases the risk of you accidentally ripping off all your lashes.
• Curl with your eye closed (that is, if you're curling on your left eye, keep the left eye closed but the right one open so that you can see what you are doing). It seems to me that everybody curls their lashes with both of their eyes wide open, which I can't understand how is possible. Actually seeing the device in front of my eye freaks me out, which leads to me jerking away, and therefore again, increasing the risk of an accident.
• If curling your left eye, don't blink your right eye while you´re doing it. You could accidentally blink both eyes, which is a recipe for lash-loss!
• If your eyes are irritated, or they feel dry, don't even dream of curling your eyelashes. You could accidentally blink your eyes in the middle of curling your lashes.

That's it for the safety tips I've got for you, but for a more beautiful curl, read on ;)

• First, curl the roots of your lashes. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Then move your curler to the middle of your lashes, hold again for 3-5 seconds, and finally, curl the tips of your lashes. This method will give you very beautifully and completely curled lashes.
• Waterproof mascara usually tends to hold the curl a bit better throughout the day than a regular one, but keep in mind that waterproof formulas are usually harder to remove and can dehydrate your lashes, so don't use it every day!

I really hope this helped some of you! Really, I found out myself that there is nothing to be afraid of if you're just careful enough, and do things slowly, so don't be scared!

xox.

Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from http://morningbounce.wordpress.com/

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” - Epicurus

Weekly Gratitude: Moms, Pancakes, Sun and Snow

Another week has flown by, and people, I love doing those posts. It's only my second Weekly Gratitude post (for further info, click the cute-as-a-button button to your right on this site!) but I'm already in love with them - realizing how easy it is to find things to be grateful for, is a truly amazing feeling, and it makes you realize how lucky we really are. Yes, we all have bad days, but everything has a bright side to it - sometimes you just have to open your eyes and you heart and look for it!

A few of the things I've been grateful this week:

• Thank you for the insanely beautiful sunlight that Reykjavík (my city) has had today - it's not sunny, but just so bright somehow... I feel like I'm in the middle of a fairy tale-ish movie!

• Thank you for the 5 minutes of snow we had an hour ago - it made my day to hear it bounce off my window (I love how the weather in Iceland can go from sunny to windy to snowy and back to sunny in half an hour!).
• Thank you to my mom for randomly deciding to bake us all pancakes - mom, your pancakes are the best!
• Thank you to my friends who share my passion for fun and funny things - life wouldn't be the same without your jokes, girls!
• Thank you for inspirational quotes - I've been rediscovering my love for those. I'm now even adding them to some of my posts! (Check out the ones which I've already posted here)
• Thank you to Halldór Laxness (an Icelandic Nobel Prize-winning writer who passed away a few years ago) for creating such fun, unforgettable and unique characters who will always live on in Icelanders' hearts.
• Thank you to God, for allowing me to experience how truly amazing the world can be when you just open up your heart and believe.

I could go on, but I think we'll leave it there for now ;) Please join us, it's easy! Just head over to your blog (or make one if you don't have one ;) and blog about all the things you're grateful for those days. It feels great, spread the word, people!

Yours,
Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from http://pursuingholiness.blogspot.com/

“A friend is someone who dances with you in the sunlight, and walks with you in the shadows.” - Anonymous

Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Emerald City

Oh my, isn't this pretty?!? Just looking at it makes me feel so good, lol! I recently hauled this polish (haul), and I'm sorry how long it has taken me to get the review up for you. Want to know why? Well, I like to take my polish off before reviewing, so that I can tell you if it's a pain to remove, and how long it lasted before it started chipping. Usually, a polish starts chipping on my nails on either the 3rd or the 4th day of wear. That's normal. This one went 6 days without chipping! So that is why it took me so long!

This colour is really beyond beautiful. I don't own a lot of green nail polishes (but I do love the colour green so I'm on the hunt for new ones - I'm thinking mint green and lime green!), but this one is simply stunning. The colour is exactly what the name describes - a shimmery emerald green. However, what really made me fall head over heels, was how it changes with different lighting. It can be a darker, Christmas tree-kind of colour, or a beautifully bright, emerald green (in natural sunlight). I love it, and got so many compliments on it!

As I mentioned, it went 6 days before starting to chip - Sally Hansen clearly hit the spot with her Xtreme Wear formula! Also, the polish didn't take too long to dry, which I had expected since it is long-wear. That's nice!

Removing was a breeze - you would expect something different when dealing with such a pigmented, green colour which can be on the darker side, but nope. So easy!

Lastly, here is a comparison between the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear brush (upper) and a regular OPI brush. As you can see, the bristles are just slightly shorter on the Sally Hansen one, and the brush is also slimmer.

Product (65%) - 9/10

Value (10%) - 8.5/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 9/10

Packaging (10%) - 7.5/10

Overall - 9/10

Love,

Miss Diorista

P.S. I've decided to include inspirational quotes at the end of my posts when I feel like it. If you have any that you would like to appear here on Miss Diorista, please e-mail them to me ;) Here's the first one:

"Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?" -Poe

Weekly Gratitude and a little update

Have you noticed the cute little "Weekly Gratitude Participant!" button, to the right on my blog? If you haven't, take a look. And better yet, click it! It will take you to the lovely blog Love, Life, Lace, which is sure to brighten up your day!

Weekly Gratitude is a movement, founded by the owner of Love, Life, Lace, and it works like this: If you are a participant, you write down (once a week) all the things for which you are grateful. This is my first week participating, and I´ve been loving it. From now on, I will be posting those Weekly Gratitude posts once a week here on Miss Diorista. I don't want to necessarily tie them down to one certain day, but I suppose I will mostly publish them on weekends - maybe Fridays or Saturdays.

And now on to the little update. I've decided to give "Friday Health Posts" a little break for some time - unless you want them to continue. It's just that finding new challenges, recipes and bits of knowledge for those posts is a whole lot of work - which I wouldn't mind doing if you like reading them, but I feel that those posts haven't been doing so very well lately... So I´m giving them a rest. I might take them up again though.
And please comment to tell me whether or not you would like to see the Friday Health Posts on Miss Diorista in the future - if you want them, I will continue writing them :)

And finally, what I´ve been grateful for this week - I've decided to write down one thing for each day of the week, so they're seven. Enjoy!

• Thank you for frozen popsicles, since they were the only thing I could eat when I caught the cold this week.
• Thank you for cough mixture.
• Thank you for the blue skies, which I'm looking at right now and make me happy.
• Thank you for the full moon the other night, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.
• Thank you mom, for making me feel a whole lot better when I was sick this week.
• Thank you to my body, for having already almost fought off the terrible cold.
• Thank you to Maja, you are a great friend :)

Finding things you're grateful for is a whole lot easier than you probably think - try for yourself and see :)

Love,
Miss Diorista

Nail Polish Haul - Star Gazer

 I feel like I'm flooding you with nail polish posts! It's fun ;)

I had never even heard of this company, Star Gazer, when I came across their nail polishes in a costume shop in Reykjavík... ever heard of it? Well, their nail polish looked interesting and I instantly fell in love with the "crystal ball" packaging, so I had to buy some! Enjoy my haul!

L-R:

• The first one is Nr. 134 (kind of sucks that these don't have names, only numbers... names are so much easier to remember!). This one is way brighter in real life than it is on the picture, it's a hot red, pink colour with blue-ish shimmer/glitter.
• Nr. 121, a beautiful dark copper colour with shimmer. Changes entirely based on lighting, though (as they all do, in fact).
• Nr. 132. A grey, gunmetal, silver, taupe... colour? Mix those colours together and you'll get the one in the bottle... and don't forget to throw a handful of shimmer in there, too! Can't wait to wear this one.

All of the colours look extremely unique, and are unlike anything I've seen before. I really hope the formula is good, because those could be possible keepers!

Only thing I noticed right away that they're missing, is a shaker ball or two. Nail polish needs shaker balls!

UPDATE: I found a shaker ball in one of them (the grey one, Nr. 132). But why not the other two?!

Love,

Miss Diorista

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

 A friend of mine asked me the other day how I clean my makeup brushes, so after telling her, I thought I'd share it with you guys too, just in case some of you were wondering :)

This is how I clean my brushes, but the method is not any way mine; I picked this up on YouTube. So let's dive in!

There are two ways to clean your brushes; spot clean and deep clean.

• Spot cleaning doesn't cleanse your brush entirely, but you use that method if you are for example using the same brush for many colours and don't have the time to deep clean in between. With spot cleaning, the brushes dry very quickly, so you can use them again in just a few minutes.
• Deep cleaning cleanses your brush way better, and it is very important to deep clean your brushes at least twice a month (some people say every week but I don't think any of us have that much time...). If doing makeup on many people the same day, you might also want to deep clean in between. With deep cleaning, the brushes need at least one night to dry (preferably 24 hours), so make sure that you aren't going to need the brushes anytime soon after deep cleaning them!

Spot Cleaning

What you will need:

* Makeup remover wipes - any kind

* Eye makeup remover or brush cleanser

1) Take one face wipe and lay it out on a flat surface.

2) Holding the wipe down with one hand, take your brush in the other and start sweeping it back and forth on the wipe. You'll notice how makeup will start coming off. Be gentle to your brush!



Sweeping my MAC 239 back and forth

3) If your brush is extremely dirty, you might want to pour a few drops of either eye makeup remover or brush cleanser on your face wipe. It will help get the makeup off the brush. This is not always needed.

4) Once makeup stops coming off your brush, you can use it again for the next colour!


Deep Cleaning

What you will need:
* Baby shampoo
* Olive oil
* A sponge (like the ones you would use for your kitchen - but make sure you don't get kitchen sponges mixed up with makeup sponges!)
* Hand sanitizer - optional, and it's for your hands, not your brushes!

1) I like to use hand sanitizer on my hands before I get started - that way, no bacteria will transfer to my brushes.

2) Pour a bit of baby shampoo on your sponge and rub it in a bit with your finger.

3) Start sweeping your brush back and forth where you put the shampoo. You will see makeup coming off.

Sweeping my MAC 188 back and forth



Rinsing my GOSH blush brush

4) Now rinse your brush's bristles with lukewarm (not hot, not cold) water. Very important: Never get any water above where the metal part of your brush meets the handle! It will ruin your brush.

5) Squeeze the bristles very gently, and if the water that comes out is still dirty, repeat steps 2-4 until the water comes out clear.



My GOSH blush brush, reshaped after rinsing

6) When the water comes out clean, gently squeeze the water out of the brush's bristles, and reshape it with your fingers, so it won't dry in a funky shape.

7) Lay your brush out to dry on a flat surface covered with a towel. Let the bristles hang out from the towel so that they dry quicker, and preferably tilt the surface down a bit, so that the brush heads (bristles, that is), are positioned slightly lower than the handles. This will help the water get out the right way, and stop it from getting into the metal part. (See the picture at the end of this post).

Rinsing my Nature's Minerals kabuki by The Body Shop

For kabuki brushes:
Do the normal routine, but in step 4, try to only get water on the end of your bristles. That is where most of the product is anyway, and if any water gets too high up in the kabuki, it will get into the handle, which will ruin your kabuki.



Using olive oil for my lip brush by The Body Shop

 For lip brushes, eyeliner brushes and extremely dirty brushes

After step 1, pour a little bit of olive oil on your sponge, and sweep your brush back and forth. Rinse the sponge and the brush, then resume with step 2-7.

Why olive oil? Because it will help break down the product, especially wax-based ones, like lipstick and eyeliner. 

And here they are, all so clean and lined up for drying!

I prepare my "drying surface" by laying a towel on top of an empty cardboard file holder. Again, let the bristles hang out a bit so that they will dry faster.

Allow your brushes to dry for at least overnight, preferably 24 hours. Also, I´ve noticed that brushes by The Body Shop take way longer to dry than other brushes (must be the material they use for the bristles...), so give those a good amount of time.

I really hope that you enjoyed this and maybe learned something!

xox,

Miss Diorista

Sally Hansen - Lip Inflation Extreme in Sheer Cherry

 I bought this lip maximizer a few weeks ago (check out my haul here), hoping for some dramatic effects... well, no, it didn't give me those dramatic effects. But it's nice. The colour is Sheer Cherry, which is a very pretty, slightly shimmery, reddish pink colour.

I do really like the packaging - looks sophisticated. The lipgloss has your typical brush applicator.

When you put this on, you get that slightly tingly feeling - not to the degree where it hurts; you can just slightly feel it. I actually like it.

I do see some slight difference in the way my lips look - they become a bit fuller. But really just a bit, and I'm not sure that it's something I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a lip maximizer. However, it is really pretty as a lip gloss, and has an average weartime.

I also really love the strong cinnamon scent this has - but if you don't like scented products or don't like cinnamon, then this is nothing for you, 'cause that scent is strong, let me tell you!

Here you can see the colour - it's sheered out to the right. As you can see, it is really pretty - but once on your lips, it looks rather sheer.

Product (65%) - 7/10 (lost points because it didn't really maximize that much...)

Value (10%) - 8/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 6.5/10

Packaging (10%) - 9/10

Overall - 7/10

Love,

Miss Diorista

Haul - TIGI, OPI, False Lashes and more

 I'm so excited about this haul! Know why? 'Cause I just bought my first false lashes! :D

I've always wanted to try them, and those were just begging to be bought ;) Hope you enjoy my haul!

 L-R: The lashes are from Depend Cosmetics, and they're nr. 5, made out of natural hair (or so they say...)

The single lashes are by KISS, and it says that they will last up to 4 weeks. Now that puzzles me a bit, I have to say. Can I keep them on and not take them off for 4 weeks? Because that just doesn't make any sense. What about when I remove my mascara at night, then? Won't the lashes come off? Please help me with this one! :P

To get those lush lashes to stick where they're supposed to, I bought the DUO Eyelash Adhesive. I got the one which dries clear.

And finally in this picture, you see a shine spray, Your Highness by TIGI. I had one from them, called Camera Ready, and I absolutely loved it - but they discontinued it! Why do companies always do that?! The second you find something you like, they discontinue it :( But I'm going to give this one a try, maybe it will work the same...

L-R: Yay for finding my favourite makeup remover wipes again! Those are Preven's Make-Up Remover Wipes, and I have yet to find better wipes, let me tell you that!

I've also always wanted to try cosmetic q-tips - those have one pointed end, and one flat, applicator-like end. I'm really clumsy with nail polish sometimes, and regular q-tips are sometimes too big for cleaning up the excess polish that I've got on my fingers... I'm hoping those will be good for that.

And finally, I got a new polish - OPI Holy Pink Pagoda! which is such a pretty dark, rosy pink with shimmer - it's much lighter in real life than on the pic. I just couldn't pass this one up, it was just too pretty!

Hope your weekend was great,

xox Miss Diorista

Stylish Blogger Award!

A huge thank-you to H Rija at My Lyfe; My Story for giving the Stylish Blogger Award! I really appreciate it :)

The rules of this award are that you

• link back to the person who gave you the award
• share 7 random facts about yourself
• pass the award on to a few other little-known bloggers
• leave a comment on those bloggers' blogs, letting them know about the award

I'm passing the award on to three bloggers, please check out their blogs ;)

Miss Munsters KontrastReich

The Little Makeup Blog

Love, Life, Lace

And on to the randomness!

• I love to dance, especially salsa. It is actually a neglected passion of mine. Try it, you'll see (or feel, rather) what I'm talking about :)
• I speak Icelandic, English, Danish and German, and I really want to learn more languages.
• I love meeting people, and getting to now new people, but I also really enjoy being alone. Silence is worth so much when you lead a busy life!
• I love writing, but since I'm so busy during the day, I try to squeeze in some writing when I really should be gone to bed...
• Cats are my favourite animals
• I like watching TV, and I follow a few shows regularly. A few loves are Law and Order, Desperate Housewives and Dexter. Know any good ones I should take a look at?
• I love making to-do lists and checking things off!

Hope you are all having an amazing weekend so far!

xox,

Miss Diorista

Nivea - Pampering Honey Mask

I recently reviewed the Nivea Refreshing Moisture Mask, but people kept telling me that this Pampering Honey Mask was even better. Me being me, I of course had to try it :)

And yes, I do like it better than the Moisture Mask. This mask has honey extract, macademia nut oil and shea butter, and you can actually smell the honey when you put this on your face, which I really like! It's subtle, but it's there :)

Just like the Moisture Mask, this mask feels like thick moisturizer. You simply put it all over your face (of course avoiding eye area), let it sit on for about 10 minutes, and then remove it. This mask moisturizes my skin slightly better than the Moisture Mask, and I feel that the effects are there for longer, which of course is a plus.

You get enough for two applications (one application per sachet).

Product (65%) - 8.5/10

Value (10%) - 10/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 10/10

Packaging (10%) - 7/10

Overall - 9/10

Love,

Miss Diorista

Cinnamon Apples and your opinions, please!

How did you do this week? Been drinking much water? I love the great effect water has on my skin, so last week's challenge really helped with that!

This week's challenge: Walk the stairs! Your goal is to use the elevator as little as possible this week - it's a great way to sneak in a little cardio!

This week's recipe:
Cinnamon Apples
*Apples, as many as you think you will eat... I suggest one :)
*Powdered cinnamon - just enough to sprinkle over your apples!

Slice your apples and sprinkle the cinnamon over them - then microwave them for a few seconds (10 to 30 seconds, depending on your microwave). Then enjoy - it's a great dessert or snack!

And now, instead of an "article" from me, I want to hear your opinions - everything and anything health-related, post it in the comments, please!

Stay healthy,
Miss Diorista

Depend Cosmetics - Cracked Effect in Blue

I bought this polish last weekend (nail polish haul), and if you are familiar with the new OPI Shatter polish, then this one does the same, except it is a whole lot cheaper. Also, Depend Cosmetics make them in colours, not just black (review for the red one coming up), which is fun!

Above you can see what it looked like on my nails, without top coat. Underneath it is a Kron polish, really cheap one, the closest to a silver that I currently have. Isn't that just so pretty?!



 Again, no top coat. You can see that the blue colour is matte - you don't get the depth to it.

However, here we have the top coat on (Dior one), and I know you can't notice a huge difference in the photos, but in real life, you can. The polish just comes to life, and becomes this beautifully deep, shimmery blue.

So obviously I love the effect that it gives me. The only thing I don't like is the weartime. It started chipping after about a day, and in two or three days, the chipping had become pretty bad. However, that is something I can live with, since this is just so pretty! And maybe it just chipped because of the cheap Kron one... I'll test it with an OPI soon, and update this review.

Also, I should tell you that this polish dries super-quickly. We're talking a few seconds here, really.

Product (65%) - 7.5/10

Value (10%) - 9/10 (those are seriously cheap!)

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 9.5/10

Packaging (10%) - 8/10

Overall - 8/10

Update!!!

This left two or three horrible, blue stains on my nails, even through the other polish! Not satisfied at all, so I'm changing my rating:

Product (65%) - 5/10

Value (10%) - 9/10 (those are seriously cheap!)

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 6/10

Packaging (10%) - 8/10

Overall - 6/10

I'll test the green Sally Hansen one I showed you tomorrow, so the review is just around the corner ;)

Love,

Miss Diorista

P.S. Have you tried the OPI Shatter? It won't arrive in Iceland until the end of February, but I will try to get my hands on it and compare them for you!

Benefit - Hello Flawless!

I... am in love with this. You all know that I love powder foundation, and this (as well as the Diorskin Nude Compacte one) has to be my favourite so far. For reference, mine is in the colour "Gee, I'm swell - shell" (and don't you just love that name?!)

The compact is made out of plastic and is not very sturdy, so I wouldn't travel loads with it. It has two "floors", the upper one is the powder itself, and the lower one keeps a brush (pictured above) and a sponge (which I've already thrown away and replaced).

Frankly, the brush is really not good, I think. It is scratchy and thin, and simply scrapes up powder... don't like it. The sponge was good, though, and when it got too dirty I just bought new ones at a drugstore. I like to use a sponge with this powder, since that gives me better coverage than a brush could. 

As you can see, I´ve already hit pan on this, I use this so much! The coverage is really nice, light to medium, but buildable.

I honestly don't know what more to tell you, all I can think about right now is how much I love this product :) Ask in the comments if I didn't cover some of your questions about this product, I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Product (65%) - 9.5/10

Value (10%) - 8/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 9.5/10

Packaging (10%) - 7/10

Overall - 9/10 (because of the flimsy packaging...)

Love,

Miss Diorista

My Current Foundation Routine

Some of my favourite posts to read are all kinds of routines - foundation routines, skincare routines, blush/bronzer routine... you get the idea :)

So I thought I'd share my own foundation routine with you. This is my liquid foundation, I'll post my powder foundation one later (which is quite simple, though...). But let's get into it, hope you enjoy it ;)

1. First off, I prime my face with the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, using clean fingers. Now I love this stuff, but I've been hearing from people who break out from it, so be careful... try before you buy :) 
2. I like to put on foundation before concealer, so next up is my current go-to foundation, Dior's Nude Foundation. I prefer using my fingers for this foundation, I just make sure they're clean. I can't say enough about this foundation!
3. Now my foundation is in place, I can see where I need some extra coverage. I'm currently using Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer under my eyes, but I also use Benefit's Erase Paste. If I have anything else than has to be concealed (for example redness on my nose and/or chin), I generally use the "green" side of Make Up Store's Cover All Mix. This stuff really hides redness. Again, I use my clean fingers for both concealers.
4. For a setting powder, I've been using Dior's Diorskin Poudre Compacte in "Transparent Light" for quite some time now. I use the included sponge for this powder, and I feel it actually does a great job.

That's it! Really quick and simple, and I've been using this same routine for a little over a month now... ever since I got the Dior Nude Foundation actually :)

What is your fave foundation routine? Please tell me in the comments! Oh, and don't forget to include your favourite foundation, I'm always on the hunt for new ones to try out.

And finally: Have you tried Sigma brushes? What did you think of them? I'm looking into buying a brush kit from there...

Yours,

Miss Diorista

Dior - Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Sculpting Powder Makeup SPF10

That has to be the longest product name in history... (if you know a longer one, though, let me know!)
I have talked about this product to you before, and it is a powder foundation - that is, a powder, which covers like a light foundation. If you read my blog on a regular basis, you probably know that I love powder foundations. However, there are a few "extras" about this one, which made me fall completely head over heals:

• The compact itself is beautiful, can be carried around easily, and has a special place for a small brush/sponge.
• You not only get powder foundation, but also blush and highlighter, in the same compact!
• When you're done with the powder, you can buy a filling, instead of having to buy a whole new compact. Environmentally friendly :)

 Now on to the product itself.

 

 This is what the product looks like (mine is in shade 020, called Beige Praline).

It comes with an accompanying brush, which is actually usable if you want very sheer coverage, but I don't use it so I couldn't find it... sorry :S

You can see I've already hit pan on the foundation part, which is the lowest one. The middle part is a beautiful peachy blush with some shimmer to it, and the top part is a matte highlighter. Let me tell you, I'm in love with this highlighter! Nothing makes my nose look slimmer than this ;) All the powders are very smooth and easy to work with (I like using a sponge for all of them).

The foundation gives me even coverage, it is definitely buildable, but covers light to medium. The average wear-time is about four hours (maybe five) before I have to touch it up. This product can also be used as a setting powder, over liquid foundation. I even think my foundation looks slightly more natural with this powder than without it. However, most of the time I wear this product by itself.

I tried swatching those for you, but my camera was giving me a hard time with the lighting and all... but as I said, the blush is a light, fresh peach with shimmer, and the highlighter is a soft, slightly pinkish white/beige.

The only obvious downside I can see to this product, is that you go through the foundation part so much quicker than the blusher and the highlighter, since you alternate those more. This can be a problem when you want to buy a new filling for the compact, but still have more than enough of blush and highlighter. However, I don't mind this problem, since I really love the foundation.

Product (65%) - 9/10

Value (10%) - 8.5/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 9/10

Packaging (10%) - 9.5/10

Overall - 9/10

Love,

Miss Diorista

Nail Polish Haul!

First of all, sorry for the post-overload from me today! This is the last one, though :) I just have so many posts that I want to get up for you... and also this new Blogger system is really helping, since you can make blog posts in advance now! Yay for that ;)

So on to the nail polishes!

 

L-R:

• Those two polishes, the blue and red ones, I'm so excited about! They're by Depend Cosmetics, which I believe is a Sweden brand, and they are a part of their "Cracked Effect" collection. In case you've heard about or purchased OPI Black Shatter, then those polishes do the same thing - when worn on top of another polish, they crack and shatter as they dry, leaving you with a unique nail design on every nail! I can't wait to try those out! And the colours are simply "Red" and "Blue". I believe they also carry black, white, pink and purple.
• And finally, I bought Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color in shade 10, called Emerald City. I've been lemming this for some time, since it's seems to be a beautifully deep, shimmery green, but couldn't find it anywhere until now. You should have seen my face when I grabbed the last one they had ;)

 

Been buying any nail polishes lately? I'm on a nail polish kick, so if you know about any great nail polish blogs (I already read and love Varnish Vixen ;) then please let me know!

 

Love,
Miss Diorista

How to Contour by Mixing Blushes!

I mentioned in my January Favourites post that I've been loving mixing together blushes. I'm so excited to share this technique with you, since it's not a traditional way to contour, but definitely a fun one!

There is of course no wrong or right in this area - this is just how I do it. Enjoy!

What you will need:

• A matte, mauve-ish blush
• A bright blush, shimmer or non-shimmer
• A regular blush brush
• If your bright blush is very pigmented, then you will also need a duo-fibre brush
• A kabuki brush

This is the kind of colour that you want for your "matte and mauve-ish" colour - I love using The Body Shop Cheek Colour in Nr. 2 (pictured) for this.

This girl will act as our "model" today :)

With your regular blush brush, pick up some of that matte colour and put it right below your cheekbones, working from the upper part, and not going any further than halfway down your cheekbones (that is, stop right below where her eyebrow ends. Don't put any of this colour on your cheekbones, though, just below them. Blend well, for example into your hairline, but don't overblend, you want your blush to really define (that is, contour) your cheekbones.

Now for the fun part, take a little bit of your bright blush, smile, and place it right on the apples of your cheeks! I'm using Make Up Store's blush in Frozen Daiquiri, and MAC 188 to apply it. Be careful not to use too much of this bright blush, it is simply meant to act as a "pop of colour" :)

Finally, blend between the two blushes so that there are no harsh lines - but again, don't overblend. This look is supposed to be very defined!

So that is it - simple, isn't it? I first saw this look on a friend and it looked stunning on her, but it took a while for me to find the courage to wear this myself - the idea of blush below my upper cheekbones felt so out-there! But once you get used to the idea, this looks amazing!

Feel like trying this? Tell me what you think in the comments below!

Love,

Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture of the girl comes from http://www.activedesktopwallpapers.com/

Benefit - Dr. Feelgood

Ever heard of this product? Well, I bought it last summer, hoping it would do me some good... You see, like many, I have some slightly visible pores around and on my nose, and also like many, I want to hide them a bit. This product is supposed to "smooth away the appearence of fine lines while leaving skin feeling and looking more silky, flawless and matte to the touch." This is what Benefit claims it does, and yes, it actually does all those things, I can't deny that... and it's also blended with Vitamin C, which of course is a plus.

However, this product broke me out... not just a bit but rather badly. So despite how much I loved the pore-free look this product gave me, I had to give it up. Disappointing, to say the least.

Also, what's up with the smell? It's a rather strong, kind of menthol scent... doesn't smell bad, just not like anything you'd ever think of putting on your face.

And the packaging? Looks cute, but it is so impractical! How on Earth am I supposed to get the product out (which has a stiff tecture, like balm) with a sponge, without getting clumps of this on my face? I think Benefit Cosmetics sometimes think more about the way the packaging looks, than how it works, which is not good at all.

Product (65%) - 6/10

Value (10%) - 6.5/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 1/10

Packaging (10%) - 5/10

Overall - 4/10

Sadly, not a product I would recommend. However, this does not break everyone out, hopefully your skin will react better to this than mine did, just try it before you buy it!

Yours,

Miss Diorista

MAC - Peacocky

Peacocky has finally arrived in Iceland - yay! I only got two things, though, since I'm saving up for the Wonder Woman collection, which I by the way can't wait for!

Those are the two things I got - Kissable Lipcolour in Love Peck, and Mega Metal Shadow in Odalisque.

Here is Love Peck. As you can see, it's a really dark colour - actually way darker than I'm used to, so I wear just the tiniest amount of it - I scrape almost all the product off, then apply a dot on the center of my lips, and sheer it out with my finger. Then I get a nice berry colour that I really love, and stays forever. So I really use this as a stain, as opposed to a lipcolour. But I do love it :)

 

I fell in love with Odalisque the moment I saw it. It's this really pretty turquise colour, so pigmented and shimmery. And actually rather wearable, since it's not super-bright.

And some swatches! To the left is Love Peck, and in the middle is Love Peck like I wear it. And finally to the right is Odalisque - it's so pigmented and smoothe!

What did you get from this collection? Any recs for Mega Metal Shadows that I need to get while they're still in store?

Yours,

Miss Diorista

Breakfast Cookies, Water and Fibres!

I'm late with the Friday health post - again! Sorry about that, but I actually have a pretty good excuse: I was looking for the recipe that I wanted to share with you this week, which comes from the book Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine. That book teaches you how to sneak healthy food (veggies, fruits, fish, whole-grains, etc.) into your kids' food. However, I found that I actually like to fool myself with those recipes, and my favourite from the book is this one. Enjoy those healthy cookies!

 

Breakfast Cookies

 

* 2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (I use All-Bran)

* 3/4 cup Flour Blend (1/4 cup white flour, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 cup wheat germ)

* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1 large egg

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 1/4 cup canola oil (I usually use EVOO though)

* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

* 3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese (I usually use low-fat yogurt instead)

* Cinnamon sugar for dusting (if wanted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).
Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal (in a sealed plastic bag) into coarsely crushed flakes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, crushed cereal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Drop single tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork and then sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon sugar (you can skip this if you don't like it). Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy around the edges.
Makes 16 to 18 large cookies.

These make for the best, guilt-free breakfast ever!

This week's challenge: Drink 8-10 glasses of water, every day.
This doesn't sound like a big deal, but drinking enough water is so important, and most of us don't drink more than 5 glasses, which is way too little. And it's also really fun to count your glasses of water throughout the day - believe me! :)

And finally, a few word on fibres.

 Great reasons why you should incorporate more whole-grains into your diet!

* They can possibly reduce the risk of cancer and heart-disease.

* Fibres help reduce the "shock" your body gets from eating sugar - which leads to you not getting the "afternoon snack craving".

* Fibres aid your digestion.

* Fibres help keep you satisfied for longer.

That's it for this week, stay healthy, people!
Love, Miss Diorista

P.S. Picture from http://www.knowledgera-theworld.blogspot.com/
And I have absolutely no idea why half of my post looks bolded - it doesn't look that way in the blogger format... any of you had this problem?