Weekly Gratitude - My readers and a sleeping volcano

• Thank you to my readers, for being there, for reading and posting comments. It really does mean a lot to me.
• Thank you for my job. A lot of young people here in Iceland will be unemployed this summer, which can damage their financial situation badly.
• Thank you to my co-workers, for being so hilarious! I mainly work with two women this summer, and both of them are sweet and kind, and so funny! You really can't be in a bad mood around them, at least not for long.
• Thank you to my furry friend, for playing with the water in the bathtub... it gave us all a good laugh, and now her face is sparkling clean (I usually have to help her with that, which she doesn't like at all :)
• Thank you for the volcano going to sleep... at least it seems like it is going to sleep, which is good news for the entire country, but especially for the people who live in the neighbourhood of the volcano.
• Thank you to my niece (who is also one of my best friends) for coming to visit me last weekend - we stayed up way too late, watched movies, talked and had the best of time!
• Thank you to God, for teaching me to spot and appreciate the truly important things and persons in my life. Nothing feels better than knowing that you care.

Love,
Miss Diorista

Picnic, anyone?

Summer is finally here, and it is the perfect time to go for a picnic! So grab your sandwiches and a basket, and head outside! Wait... aren't we forgetting something?

Yup, we are! Cupcakes! What is a picnic without cupcakes? Believe me, there's nothing like a picnic in out in the nature with friends and cupcakes! And to make it even more fun, I baked mini cupcakes. You can get mini cupcake tins (as well as mini cupcake wrappers) at most baking supply stores, and they are fun to make. Besides, I still have that funny theory going on from when I was a child; the smaller the better!

Aren't they cute, as they wait for the oven to heat up? Adorable little cuppies :)

Life's a breeze with polka dots! I chose minty green and light pink icing and pink wrappers (from Wilton).

If you want to bake your own cupcakes (and go for a picnic :) then you can find the cupcake recipe (and icing recipe) that I used here. It is by far my favourite, and they are easy to make. Enjoy your summer!

Love,

Miss Diorista

OPI - Do You Think I'm Tex-y?

You already know I love this beautiful pink polish, which has a jelly finish, because I featured it in my April Favourites. It came out with the Texas collection (2011).

The colour is a medium dark pink, definitely neither a hot or a bright pink, but it has a hint of purple undertones to it. Very pretty, and indeed very summery.

My thoughts on the OPI "sorbet" (aka jelly) formula:
The jellies which came out with the OPI Texas collection are very, very sheer, but other than that, they apply like a dream. They are buildable, but getting them completely opaque would take many, many coats. You can get away with three coats, but the true magic doesn't happen until the fourth, or even the fifth coat. I usually use four coats, and I get the most amazing jelly finish I've ever seen. No patchiness, just gorgeous shine and everything looks completely even, like a professional manicure.
As far as weartime goes, those jelly polishes wear much better than the average cream formula. I don't get any chipping until the sixth day, and tip wear is minimal. Removing the jelly polishes is relatively easy, but if you use a top coat (which I don't find necessary) you might find it a bit more difficult.
Really, there is only one real flaw to those polishes - they are completely addicting!

There you have it, that's why I love those polishes. They are high-shine, last amazingly and apply so well! If you haven't tried those, try to find some (at least here in Iceland, you can still get them). You won't regret it!

Product (65%) - 9.5/10 (would have been a straight 10 if it hadn't been so sheer)

Value (10%) - 8/10

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

Packaging (10%) - 8/10

Overall - 9.5/10

xox,

Miss Diorista

The Sunset

Isn't this beautiful? I took this picture in my neighbourhood two or three weeks ago, when I was taking an evening walk. The sun had just disappeared behind the roofs, and I couldn't resist trying to capture it with my camera.

Talking about cameras, I'm going to try to take mine with me this summer, when I go for a walk or drive to the country side. I always mean to, but then I always forget the camera at home or realise that it needs charging... I'm going to try, because I really love taking photographs, especially of nature. Hopefully you'll see more of my landscape photography on the blog this summer!

Love,

Miss Diorista

OPI - The One That Got Away

Better get those polish posts going, we have so many ahead of us!
This pretty polish came out with the Katy Perry Collection (2010). It is a very sparkly dark pink colour, with hints of some golden shimmer.

The colour is pretty, but spectacular in direct sunlight, which makes this polish great for the beach! However, watch out, since this stains very badly!

Application was alright and so was drying time. I used three coats for the pictures, to get the full effect, but you could get away with just two coats, if you make them decently thick.

The polish started chipping just a bit after about one day, which is of course not good, but after that, it held up for about three or four more days, so I would say just a little below average. Removing the polish was not easy, but also not difficult, although you have to watch out for staining, as I mentioned before.

In direct sunlight (above)! Look how the polish just comes to life! And it is even prettier in real life.

  

Product (65%) - 7/10 (lost points because of the staining)

Value (10%) - 8/10

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

Packaging (10%) - 8/10

Overall - 7/10

 

xox,

Miss Diorista

Birthday Haul!

My birthday was in April, and I still haven't gotten around sharing my birthday presents with you! Geez! Those are obviously the makeup-related gifts, I wouldn't bother showing you Icelandic novels ;) 



L-R:

• MAC - Eyeshadow in Beauty Marked. This is a very pretty black with red shimmer. I think this will be great to spice up the crease in smoky looks.
• MAC - Fluidline in Black Track. A great black gel liner which I am in love with these days!
• MAC - Lipglass in Devilishly Stylish. This one was LE with the Venomous Villains collection (2010). I loved the collection, and the lipglasses were all so pretty! This one is a nude-ish pink with shimmer. Perfect over Tom Ford lipstick in Pink Dusk.
• MAC - Pro Longlash Mascara. Haven't really had the chance to try this mascara enough to tell whether it's a keeper or not. Have you tried it?
• Dior - Vernis in Nirvana, 704. This beautiful blue-green nail polish was a part of Dior's summer collection. Love it!
• Dior - Dior Addict Lipstick in Collection. Beautiful sheer red.
• Dior - Dior Addict Lipstick in Diorkiss. Such a pretty pink. Those are both a part of the newly updated collection of Dior Addict lipsticks.
• MAC - Pro Palette for 15 Eyeshadows. I had wanted one of these for so long, I'm so happy with it!

A close-up of Beauty Marked. Really pretty.

• Dior - Diorshow 360 Mascara. This is one genius product, let me tell you. You turn it on, and it turns! Oh my. Really good, but this is not something you just slap on and look fab, you need to work with it a bit.
• MAC - Eyeshadow in Humid. The most beautiful emerald green colour! The picture doesn't do it justice, it is so deep and vivacious in real life!

That's it! Have you tried any of these? Any specific products that you would like to see reviews on? Let me know, I'd be happy to write them!

xox,

a one-year-older Miss Diorista

OPI - The Katy Perry Collection

I'm so late posting this! You've probably seen this collection months ago, but I like my minis, so I'm putting this post up anyway :)
I bought this set of mini polishes in March, when I was in Berlin, and it has all four shades of the Katy Perry collection, except for Black Shatter:

The One That Got Away, Teenage Dream, Last Friday Night and Not Like the Movies

• Teenage Dream and Last Friday Night are glitter polishes, the latter is blue, the other one is pink. Last Friday Night is the thickest polish I've ever worked with, it felt like applying pudding to my nails!
• The One That Got Away is a dark pink with shimmer/glitter.
• Not Like the Movies is a... strange colour! It's a metallic grey/dark silver, with green and purple shimmer. Pretty, but not really "me".

Teenage Dream is my favourite from the four, it is super sparkly and pretty, especially over another polish for some "bling". Wish I had gotten the full size before they ran out!

Pretty much self-explanatory, but I have The One That Got Away on my thumb and my pinky, Last Friday Night on my index finger, Not Like The Movies on my middle finger and Teenage Dream on my ring finger.

Just in case any of you haven't seen a mini OPI nail polish bottle, I have a momma-polish and a baby-polish of The One That Got Away. The "momma" is 15 ml, the "baby" is 3.75 ml. They're so cute!

Same order of polish, but with OPI Black Shatter on top. Teenage Dream with Black Shatter is so pretty, with all the glitter peaking through!

Over to you: What did you think of the collection, did you buy any of the shades? And what about mini bottles, do you like them?

Love,

Miss Diorista

Blogger Love - Hebridean Sprite Beauty

A few days ago, my blogging-friend Krista, who owns and writes the blog Hebridean Sprite Beauty, contacted me with an idea that she had. A great idea, actually! She is starting a series of posts on her blog, that she calls "Blogger Love". In each of these posts, she features a blogger she loves, and interviews them. In this way, she introduces new blogs to her readers, which are worth taking a look at, in her opinion.

I loved the idea, and answered her questions (read my interview on her blog here). Actually, I loved the idea so much, that I asked her to answer her questions as well! I don't know whether I will be doing many posts like this in the future, or not, but I really wanted you to get to know Krista's blog, if you aren't familiar with it already. She only features brands which don't test on animals, which I think is amazing, and you can definitely trust her opinion. Read the interview to get to know her, and check out her blog!


1)   Are you more of a Morning, Day, or Night time person?
Most certainly a Day person. I like to sleep in when possible in the mornings and I'm not a fan of staying up too late. I find I need more sleep than the average person to function my best.

2)   Something you struggle with on a day to day basis?
I have ADHD so staying focused on tasks is very difficult for me- my mind jumps around alot.

3)   Favourite Animal?
This is so hard! As a Zoology major I love so many, but if I had to choose lately it's been the Hyena- such a cool mammal really unique.

4)   Favourite Colour?
Dark Green. In particular the blue based dark green seen in some pine trees. To me dark green is the epitome of mystical forests and peaceful meadows.

5)   Preferred foundation coverage and finish ex. Heavy coverage, matte
I like full coverage and a semi-matte finish. My fair skin scars easily from my acne so full coverage covers that up nicely and semi-matte makes it so my face doesn't look too dry or cakey.

6)   How old are you?
21

7)  What do you do in everyday life? If you’re a student what is your major?
I'm a full time student. I'm working on my major in Zoology (Bachelor of Science). I've only got a year left.

8)   First makeup brand that really got you interested in cosmetics?
Urban Decay was my first brand that really sucked me into Make-up. Their cruelty-free products and their wonderful eyeshadows (non-glitter) as well as their wide variety of colours really drew me!

9)   Do you have any makeup or skin care items that are perfect for you? (HG items) If so which- include shade names.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation is fantastic. I love the full coverage semi-matte finish it gives and Shell (the lightest shade, slight pink undertone) looks so perfect on my skin. Love! Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy is exceptional at keeping loose eyeshadow in place, lightweight and just awesome. Mac Vex eyeshadow looks good for any occasion and really brightens the eye area. China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat is the best, and quickest as well as shiny top coat I've tried which makes it a must when I'm doing my nails. Nail Tek II has been phenomenal for restoring my nails to their former pre-polish glory as well. Ecotools eyeshadow brushes get a huge rave from me as well.

10) What is your favourite food? Drink?
I love cheesecake! Really rich decadent cheesecake is the best! Drink tends to change but raspberry lemonade (the real stuff not just flavouring) is fantastic.

11)  Favourite Gem Stone?
Alexandrite. It changes colour depending on the light it's in which is just awesome! From my favourite colour dark blue based green to purple to rich red. *drool*

12) Do you have any pets in your life? If yes, what are their names (and can we have pictures?)
Yes! I have three pets, Peppermint my Bichon-frise (dog) who is fondly nicknamed Pepi, and my two gerbil brothers Merlin (the blonde one) and Rowan (a medium brown). I've been debating getting a reptile- most likely a gecko or snake but as I don't like crickets and don't want to feed mice this cuts my options quite a bit- not to mention my sister is terrified of snakes sadly. (Snakes are more scared of you than you are of them!)

Miss Diorista's note: Krista also sent me pictures of her other two pets, but my computer refuses to display them. I'm so sorry :(
13)  One place you’ve never been that you want to visit?
I'd love to visit the Nordic (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) countries, I think that would be really interesting!

14)   What inspired you to start your blog?
I was actually really ill due to trying to balance different medications and was recovering for a good month in bed. However, I really needed something to do and I wanted it to be a least semi-productive. I had been a blog reader and quite interested in cosmetics for about six months at that point (which sprung from trying to get my acne under control and doing internet searches). Previously I had written a couple fiction novels with a friend and wanted to keep up the writing habit as well as indulge in my newly cemented love of make-up. Thus my blog was formed :D

15)  What are some of the most useful things you’ve learned about since you started blogging?
That there is never a guaranteed answer! Everyone is so different in their skin types and their needs and wants out of a product that someone will always have the opposite view of you! However, I do think that blogging has made me realize just how many products out there that don't have quality ingredients for anyone- and thus why researching a product before buying is so important!

16)  Favourite Season?
Autumn- by far! I find winter too cold, spring not warm enough, and summer too hot. Autumn has such warm colours and always smells so amazingly fresh. I love the crispness of the fallen leaves and the longer sleeve fashions. Plus the re-appearance of jewel tones in make-up trends makes me giddy with excitement. I like the other seasons too of course for different reasons but to me Autumn wins.

17)  What do you use to take your blog photos? What type of computer?
Mostly I use my iphone, which is kind of sad really but I plan to start using my Pentax Digital SLR in the near future once we finally move and everything gets settled. I use and love my Mac Book Pro computer.

18)  What genre of movies/books do you like?
I love a romantic comedy. Especially if it has a great plot and has fantasy involved somehow. And is back in time. Wow that got complicated quick didn't it? lol (Romance, Comedy, Mystery, Fantasy, Historical, sometimes Sci-Fi)

19)  Other hobbies or events that you’re involved in?
I horse ride, do yoga, use to do fencing but stopped. I like to swim and read novels and fanfiction and browse beauty blogs. I like to take on projects that won't get done like writing my fiction novel's second draft. I adore photography especially of animals, plants and landscapes- I'm still trying to get taking photographs of inanimate objects well down. Sometimes I also enjoy doing embroidery. During the school semester I volunteer at one of my professor's labs as an assistant- I clean things.

20)  Most unique eyeshadow you own?
I'm going to have to say Mac Vex. I've never seen anything else like it and I adore the duochrome in it. However there is so many great shades in my eyeshadow stash.

21) Most unique lip product?
Definitely Morgana Cryptoria's Absinthe lipstick. Not only is the dark green metallic colour amazing the formula is really long lasting and light weight.

22) Favourite colour combinations?
Black and Red. Chocolate Brown and Medium Blue. Dark Green and Gold. Dark Green and Silver. Green and Purple (any hues). Pale Pink and dark Brown. There are so many wonderful colour combos out there I could just keep going!

23)  Favourite piece of jewelry? Why is it your favourite?
For my 18th birthday from my dad I got a strand of Tahitian (black) pearls. I love these so much, the colours of them are so unique and yet it's simple and classic still.

24)  Best drugstore product you’ve tried?
I've talked about it quite often already so I'm sure some people already know I'm going to say Wet n' Wild Color Icon Single in Brulee. Best matte drugstore eyeshadow ever! It's the perfect shade for me for canceling out any discolouration- but it also is great for blending or highlighting bolder shades too.

25) Random fact you’d like to share
For many years I was addicted to Oriental art and culture. I love the oriental style of architecture and prints- as is evidenced by all the bamboo featured in my bedroom design!


That's it! As I said, her blog is great, so please take a look at it!

Love,
Miss Diorista

My Powder Foundation Routine

Back in February, I posted about my foundation routine. I planned on showing you my powder foundation routine soon, but... "soon" has a different meaning here on Miss Diorista than in the rest of the world, so you're getting my powder foundation routine now :)

I really like powder foundation, since it's quick and simple. Also, I'm young and I don't always need the heavier coverage that a liquid foundation gives me, but I still want something. So give it powder foundation a try if you haven't already!

1. First, I conceal my under-eye circles and any dark spots that have to be concealed. I really like the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, since I can use it both under my eyes and on my skin, because it doesn't have a pink undertone to it.
2. I set the concealer with a setting powder, very often my Dior Diorskin Powder. Sometimes, I also sweep a bit of this over my forehead, nose and chin to control any shine, before I put on the actual foundation.
3. Time for the foundation! I really like Hello Flawless! by Benefit, but I also have one by Dior which I really like. For both of these, I use a sponge (you can get them at the drugstore) for sweeping and patting them on. I also bring the powder down to my neck.
4. If I'm looking too powdery, I really like to buff the foundation in with a Sigma F80, which is a flat top kabuki. It makes everything look more natural and blended.

That's it! Finally, a nice tip to remember when wearing powder foundation, is that it never hurts to use an illuminator with it. You can either apply a luminizing primer underneath, or sweep on luminizing powder afterwards. Either way, you will look more glowy, younger and always fresh.

Love,

Miss Diorista

Weekly Gratitude - The eruption and the killing of dolphins

• Thank you to the people who are helping the victims of the eruption in Grímsvötn, which started yesterday. Nobody is in direct danger right now (that I know of), but there is a lot of ash coming down, which is a farmer's nightmare, since the animals can get sick and the grass becomes poisoned. This is the second time in a year, that the same people have had to deal with an eruption.
• Thank you for the brighter, warmer weather we've been having (before the eruption). I know I mention this in every gratitude post, but I just love the brighter weather.
• Thank you for my mother's banana bread. It's delish!
• Thank you for summer break!
• Thank you to the computer specialist, who is coming tomorrow to fix my internet. It will be such a relief.
• Thank you for being amazing readers and sticking with me through finals!
• Thank you to the filmmakers who made the film about the killing of dolphins in Japan. What a horrible thing to watch, but it is so important for those things to come out, so that they can be stopped.

Yours,
Miss Diorista

Sigma - Sigmax Synthetic Face Kit

My new love! This kit from Sigma includes the following three brushes:

• F80 - Flat Top Kabuki
• F82 - Round Top Kabuki
• F84 - Angled Top Kabuki

All of these brushes are made from the synthetic Sigmax HD filament, which is specially made to produce a flawless finish, using liquid, cream and/or powder products.

The brushes are very easy to use and wash, although they do take quite some time to dry after wash. Make sure that you don't have to use it the next 12 hours or so before you wash it. I have not noticed any staining, but you have to take care when you wash them, to reach the hairs in the middle, which can be tricky because of the density.

F80 - Flat Top Kabuki
This brush has to be my favourite from the three, and it is the best foundation brush I've found so far. It is also very versatile; the flat surface is perfect for buffing in foundation, as well as blending out blush or bronzer.

F82 - Round Top Kabuki
This brush is great for achieving perfect blending under your eyes. After I've applied my concealer and set it with powder, I run this brush once or twice below each eye, and my concealer doesn't crease the whole day! This is also good for blending around your nose, because of the round edges.

F84 - Angled Top Kabuki
This brush blends together products on your cheeks very well, because of its shape. This is also very useful if you wear both blush and bronzer, but don't want to see where the blush ends and the bronzer begins. I usually only blend with this brush, I don't dip it into the actual product (the same goes for the other two brushes).

Top to bottom: Flat, Round, Angled Top Kabukis.

I do love all three brushes and use them very much, but the one I use the most is the F80 Flat Top Kabuki. I honestly think that if you want to (or if you're on a budget), then you can purchase only this one and skip the other two, since it can actually do everything the other two can do. That being said, if you are very serious about your makeup, you might find the other two very useful. I know I certainly do.

L-R: Flat, Round, Angled Top Kabukis. I love how dense these are!

Product (65%) - 9.5/10

Value (10%) - 9/10

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

Packaging (10%) - 9.5/10 (They came very safely packaged and in a blue pouch)

Overall - 9.5/10

xox,

Miss Diorista

Chanel - Nail Colour in Black Pearl, 513

I got my hands on this famous polish when travelling to Berlin, and I quite like it! Its beauty is something your eye has to get used to - at first I didn't think much of it, but after one or two days, I fell in love with it!

The colour is very difficult to describe, it is a blue, but with green shimmer and it has a metallic effect to it. Nothing over the top though, and the polish is absolutely stunning, especially in direct sunlight.

This is two coats, and although it is opaque, you can see that some ridges can still be seen. That could of course be fixed with a base coat or a top coat, but you could also put on one more coat of the Black Pearl polish, and get an even deeper colour as a bonus.

The formula was... actually a bit disappointing. It went on a bit patchy , dried too quickly and was difficult to work with. I would have expected more from a brand like Chanel.

However, the weartime was nice, four to five days.

Don't you just love this colour? It is amazing!

Product (65%) - 7.5/10 (love the colour, not a nice formula)

Value (10%) - 7/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 8.5/10

Packaging (10%) - 9.5/10

Overall - 8/10

 

Love,

Miss Diorista

Finals are over - and a haul!

I can't believe it... I finished my finals yesterday! Those three weeks and eleven finals really did fly by, but I can't tell you how glad I am to finally have the time to sleep, think, relax, write, blog and tweet and... haul! Yay! This haul is my own award for powering through eleven finals :) Most of it is nail polish, but I also got a super-duper deal on a MAC brush and a Dior blush, so I couldn't be happier!

L-R, starting with the upper row:

• Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri in Mint Sprint. This is a very pretty dark minty polish with a cream finish. I was actually looking for a mint polish, have a favourite you want to share? I'd love to hear of nice minty shades!
• Maybelline - Forever Strong Professional in Green Miracle. This one promises a "zero error" brush, and I look forward to telling you if that is true, since such a brush would be revolutionary for those of us who can be slightly clumsy with their polish (I'm guilty as charged!)
• OPI - Big Hair... Big Nails. I've been loving loving loving the jelly finish from the new OPI Texas collection and this colour is just so pretty!
• Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure in Polar Bare. I bought this for French manis, but now that I've swatched it on paper, it seems very light... I'll figure something out ;)
• Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure in Naked Ambition. This is such a pretty one, it's a peach colour with shimmer. Love!
• Depend Cosmetics - Cracked Effect in White
• Depend Cosmetics - Cracked Effect in Purple
• Depend Cosmetics - Cracked Effect in Pink
• Make Up Store - Reflex Cover in Light. They say this is a miracle for your under-eye area, for brightening after concealer. I´ve been thinking about buying this for half a year or so, and decided that it was finally time!
• Purederm - Vitalizing Orange Pads. Those are so cute, and I'm hoping that they will be as vitalizing as they promise!
• MAC - 162 brush. My MAC was having a sale on discontinued and LE products, and I got this brush 30% off! It is amazing for precise highlighting and contouring, for example around the nose, where a usual contouring brush is too big.
• Dior - Diorshow Powder in Spotlight Peach. Another shop was having a 40% off sale on some products, and I was so happy to find this beautiful peachy blush. Love the packaging too.

Have you been hauling anything lately? Share ;)

Love,

Miss Diorista

Make your polish live longer!

Sadly for us polish addicts, polish goes bad with time. However, there are a few things you can do to help it live longer. Some keep it in the fridge... I personally have too big a stash for that, if I were to fit all my nail polish into my fridge, I'd have to give up eating food and start eating chilled nail polish!

What I do instead, is that every now and then, I clean the edges of my polish jars. This is a bit time consuming so I only do it every two or three months or so, but it really does help. Why? You know when you paint your nails, how a bit of nail polish always goes on those edges of the jars? Well, that dries and then it adds up really fast when you do your nails again. And over time, this allows air into the jar of nail polish, which makes it dry and go bad faster. Cleaning up the edges of the jar stops this process.

On the picture above is all you need:

• A jar of polish to clean up (above is OPI's Who The Shrek Are You?)
• Nail polish remover
• Cotton swabs

Open the jar of polish and put the brush aside for a second.



Now dip the cotton swab into the polish remover and remove the polish from the edges as shown above. You're done, easy peasy! Don't forget to close the jar though, haha!

Love

Miss Diorista

OPI - Green-wich Village

OPI's Green-wich Village is a beautiful grass green colour, and a cream formula. I bought it in Germany, when I was on a hunt for green polishes, and this most certainly is a must if you like green.

The formula applies nicely and doesn't take a long time to dry, but it definitely is on the sheerer side - I needed 3 coats to be happy (I usually need 2). The wear time was what I most often get from OPI, about four days.

Isn't that green just so gorgeous? It is definitely a nice break from the usual summer colours, yet so summer-y!

Product (65%) - 9/10

Value (10%) - 8/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 8/10

Packaging (10%) - 8/10

Overall - 8.5/10

 

Love,

Miss Diorista

Weekly Gratitude - Eurovision and a break from nail polish

• Thank you to Time, for flying so fast through my finals - I only have one exam left!
• Thank you to my mom, for baking me muffins the other day - they were so yummy!
• Thank you for Eurovision! It has completely been picking up my mood during finals, it takes my mind of things to sit down for a few minutes to listen to a favourite song... do you follow Eurovision? If so, check out Iceland's song, as well as Denmark, Ireland and finally, yup, you guessed it. Germany! I love love love Germany's song this year. It is just so different and has some kind of a deep soul to it.
• Thank you from my nails to me... for taking a week-long break from nail polish. They have no idea what agony I am going through for them! Staying away from polish when I have so many new ones that I am dying to try out, is harder than I ever thought it could be, haha! I'm addicted :) But my nails really are thanking me, they have become much healthier and I know that my polish will look a whole lot better on when the nails are healthy. Can't wait for Monday though, when I can paint my nails again!
• Thank you to a friend of mine for always making me laugh!
• Thank you for chocolate. I don't have to explain that one, do I?
• Thank you God for having given me the opportunity to meet the people whom I love and care for.

xox,
Miss Diorista

Benefit - Finding Mr. Bright

Finding Mr. Bright is a brightening face kit by Benefit Cosmetics, which contains the following products:

• Girl Meets Pearl (7.5ml)
• Posie Tint (4 ml)
• High Beam (2.5 ml)
• Erase Paste in No. 2 (3.2 g)

Girl Meets Pearl is a golden/pearly face primer which smells like bubble gum. It's ok under foundation, but I love it as a highlighter, it is so unique! So golden and lovely... it's really just liquid gold... but prettier!

Posie Tint is not something I would recommend, sadly, and I am glad that I didn't get a full-sized version of it. This is a pink lip and cheek stain, but there has to be something better out there. I know it is called a stain, but you should still be able to blend it, right? This one is very hard to blend onto your cheeks and leaves pink spots (stains) wherever it goes on. It also offers very little colour on your lips, I could just as well pinch my cheeks and bite my lips... it would be a whole lot prettier, easier and more affordable. Cute packaging though.

High Beam is a liquid highlighter, a milky pink one with loads of shimmer. I actually already had the full-sized one, and I do really like this, but a little goes a very long way. The one from this kit will last you for ages!

Erase Paste is a very creamy concealer, and I already had the full-sized one in No. 1. This small one is in No. 2 which is their medium shade. It is a bit too dark but I can still get some use out of it. This concealer is something I use almost every day under my eyes, and I can definitely recommend it.

As always with Benefit, you get cute packaging. This little kit comes in bright pink (or magenta) with all kinds of "men" on it... amongst others, I've spotted "the heart-breaker" and "the alcoholic", as well as of course "Mr. Bright!

The box has a magnetic closure, and a very nice mirror inside. What I really love about this packaging, is that you can pop out the paper insert which holds the products, and then you can use the box itself as a really chic way to carry your every day makeup! It is small enough to fit into any medium sized purse, yet big enough to hold my essentials. So cute!

I love how they capitalize the first three letters in "manual" into "MANual". Benefit always gets it right with cute packaging and ideas like this!

I really like Erase Paste, but the colour (no. 2) is a little too dark for me, although I can actually use it under my eyes if I blend it really well. And the small pot is so adorable... it's a baby concealer!

L-R: High Beam, Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, Erase Paste in No. 2

L-R: High Beam, Girl Meets Pearl, Posie Tint, Erase Paste.

Those second swatches are smoothed out a bit, so that you can see the shimmer in the High Beam and the Girl Meets Pearl. You can also see the smoothed-out Posie Tint swatch right next to the original Posie Tint swatch.

Overall, I think this kit is rather well put together. Of course, whether or not you like this kit can come down to so many factors, since it holds four products. And also, if you can use the Erase Paste (if it isn't too dark or too light for you) then you will get more use out of it than the rest of us. Personally, I liked the products except for the Posie Tint (which can be used in emergencies, though), so I do rather like this kit, for example for travelling. I also really like that you can buy a kit like this with smaller sized products, figure out what you love and then buy that and skimp on the others - it can save you a whole lot of money.

 

Product (65%) - 8/10

Value (10%) - 7.5/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 6.5/10 (I would rather buy individual products, now that I know what I like)

Packaging (10%) - 9.5/10

Overall - 8/10

 

Miss Diorista

 

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. - Maya Angelou

April Favourites!

I can't believe it's already the 9th of May! Where did all my time go? This post is coming late because of my finals (only one week left, then I'm done!), but I hope you still enjoy it. Although, also because of my finals, my makeup has been laying really low this weekend - it's really just been about getting up and studying, and when I do go out, it's because I have an exam... that's the long and short of my life right now :)

So here we go, Miss Diorista's survival kit for finals!



• The blush you see is MAC's Bite of An Apple (my swatches are here) which came out with the Venomous Villains collection (2010), so it is LE, which is sad. It's just the perfect pick-me-up in the morning. It's also a bit funny that when I first got this, it was the brightest blush I had and quite frankly, I though it looked super-scary. However, once I tried it on, I could see how the brightness just adds a fresh glow to your face... and now I'm a hopeless lover and collector of bright blushes!
• OPI - Do you think I'm Tex-y? is such a pretty polish! My dad bought it for me when he was in New York on business, and it is just perfect for spring and summer! I love the jelly finish, and have been wearing this almost every day since I got it!
• Benefit - Erase Paste in Nr. 1 is a great concealer... something you need when you study through half of the time you should be sleeping...
• Benefit - Hello Flawless is a quick way for me to perk up the appearance of my skin before running out the door for an exam - read my review here. I've loved this for almost a year now!
• And finally, the pretty palette only got used the first half of the month... no time for eyeshadow when you could be reading, I guess :) It is Smashbox - In Bloom Eyeshadow Palette, and I absolutely love it! Review coming up, it's great for those who love neutrals but want a little something on the side as well, the colours are amazing!

Loads and loads of reviews are being cooked up, so stay tuned!

Love,

Miss Diorista

Weekly Gratitude - Sanity, happy days and art!

• Thank you to my friends and family for keeping me sane through my finals - I'm already more than half way through, and I'm still sane... I think... that's a good thing, right?   :)
• Thank you to the sun, for shining so bright those days! It finally feels like summer!
• Thank you to my furry friend, for always being able to put a smile on our faces - she's so adorable and she doesn't even know it!
• Thank you for today being such a happy day!
• Thank you to the artists who put their hearts on the line for the sake of art itself - a world without true art could never be understood, never be seen and never be truly lived.
• Thank you to the very special people who brighten up my day with their presence. We all need some sunshine, and you folks are mine.
• Thank you to God, for giving me the opportunities to get to know those people - and to feel. What would life be without the ability to feel?

Love,
Miss Diorista

OPI - The Texas Collection

Guess who brought me those dollies you see above?! My cutie-pie daddy! He had to go to New York on business, and found those... dare I say on the finger nails of his co-workers? Haha, no, I doubt it!

But, no matter where you found them (I've heard it was quite a search, he supposedly dragged his companions through half of the city, searching for the perfect shade :) then thank you so much, the polishes are adorable (and so are you!). *hugs*

Then on to the collection itself... which did really surprise me. It has such a broad collection of colours, from very pale colours to screaming brightness - it really has something for everyone. Not to forget the jellies! They are being marketed as "sorbets" now... which name do you prefer? If you are unfamiliar with jellies, then it is a nail polish finish which looks really squishy... kind of like looking at a good old-fashioned jelly :) This is not a finish you see every day, and us nail polish addicts were hoppingly happy when OPI released some with this collection!

L-R: Houston We Have a Purple, Y'All Come Back Ya Hear? and Do You Think I'm Tex-y? Those are all jellies, and they are much brighter and prettier in real life than my blurry picture shows!

 L-R: Don't Mess With OPI and Austin-tatious Turquoise. I actually bought those myself (though papa did buy two other ones, not from the Texas collection, which I will show you later). I saw them at a pharmacy and couldn't help myself.

I haven't gotten around wearing all of those yet, so you're only getting paper-swatches for now - but I promise that I will review each shade individually in the next two weeks or so!

And lastly, sorry about the low-quality lighting in those pictures. I didn't have my usual lighting available, but I've fixed it now :)

Back to my books, I have a huge final coming my way (six down, only five to go, yay! Summer is only two weeks away now!)

Love,
Miss Diorista