Sock Haul!

Socks are an obsession of mine... as you can probably tell now by the pictures already! However, I'm really picky about socks. I only buy them from one store! I went there a few days ago, and wanted to show you. For me, socks are a part of my outfit. A way of showing my personality. I even like to mix them, so that I have a pink one on my right foot and then a green one on my left foot! Sounds fun to me... My favourite types of socks are high ones (up to my knees, maybe because it gets pretty cold here in winter, sometimes...), but for summer, I like the shorter ones.



I loved the Hello Kitty ones, and the ones with the flowers! And oh my, the ones with the cats! One package had two pairs, so I swapped sides on the two pics (those are Hello Kitty ones, in the middle row, and in the middle in the middle row!).

And check out the rosy pink ones in the last row, below. They are oh-so-pretty! They come about half way up the knee, and I can't wait to wear them for a summer evening, in a pretty skirt... they actually have silicone lining inside the lacing, so that the pretty part holds up on your feet, brilliant!

Bought any nice socks lately? Which pair is your favourite in my haul? Mine is the cats, of course! But tell me in the comments what you think!

My best regards,

Miss Diorista

Cookie Dough Brownies, yay!

How delicious do those look? Well, they taste every bit as good as they look, let me tell you! I got the recipe from Sunday Baker, and let's just get on with it! Run into your kitchen and start baking!



Cookie Dough Brownies

From Sunday Baker, but with slight changes of my own



1 recipe of brownies (from a box or from scratch, I just googled "brownie recipes")



3/4 cup soft butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 - 2 t. vanilla

5 - 7 T milk

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 T unsweetened cocoa

1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

(you can add nuts if you want to)



1 and 1/2 cup chopped chocolate

1 - 2 T butter



Grease your 13x9" pan and bake your brownies.

To prepare the cookie dough, beat together butter and white sugar. Add brown sugar, vanilla and milk, mix well. Add flour and cocoa and mix. Stir in chocolate (and nuts, if using).

When the brownies have cooled down, spread the unbaked cookie dough on top of your brownies. Yum, you're almost done! Melt together the chocolate and butter, let cool down a bit, and then spread over the whole thing! Let this sit in the fridge (or freezer, if you're in a hurry) in the pan, and when it has set, slice. Then enjoy... lots.



Obviously, you can add anything into the cookie dough. I'm seeing tons of candy here... *passed out from too much sugar*!



My best regards,

Miss Diorista

Review - YSL Exfoliating Lip Balm

What a lovely, lovely product!

This is by far my favourite lipscrub, so I don't think I'm going to write a long review on it. It is just amazing. It is a little bit pink, and is actually suppose to make your lips a little bit more pink with regular use (I'm not going to say whether that is working or not...). It is a sugar scrub, and I love the feeling of sugar on my lips! Also, it has small strawberry seeds, which rub comfortly on. The scent and taste of peppermint/strawberry is simply adorable. It is always a happy moment when it is scrub-time! You can't really see it, but I have the product on my hand. It feels great on my lips, and is easy to rinse off. Does not feel oily, which is great!

I leave this on for about five minutes, then I rinse it off, and finish with a nice lipbalm. Perfection!



My best regards,

Miss Diorista.

Drink water!

Now when it has been extremely hot here in Iceland, I felt like reminding myself and all of you, about the importance of drinking enough water.



Water is important for every part of your body. Google "importance of drinking water" and you get tons of great reasons for filling your glass. Find your favourite reason to motivate you. What gets me drinking is the fact that is helps keep my skin looking healthy and glowy.



I really like drinking water. However, I also like to mix things up a little bit. Just simple things like decorating your glass (on the picture, I carefully cut a slice into the strawberry, then placed it on my glass), or put a bit of ice into your water, can spice things up, and prevent boredom. Also, I know that some people dislike water, maybe it is the taste... or the lack of taste (I wouldn´t know, since I love water). In that case, try to trick your taste buds into liking it. Infusing your water with fruits and even vegetables can do the trick. The most common thing is slicing lemons and limes for your water, which can be quite nice. Don't be afraid to experiment! Use frozen strawberries instead of ice, it gives you taste and cools your water. Or slice cucumber, or apples, or peaches... just anything you have on hand! Slice it, place it in your water and place your water in the fridge. When you want to drink it, pour in a nice glass and drink it with a bit of ice. Lovely!



My best regards,

Miss Diorista.

Beautiful Icelandic evening

The other night, I went out for a short walk. I brought my camera along, and just had to show you guys. It is the peak of summer now, and the evenings here can be so beautiful... I'm not going to say anything more, just let you enjoy the pictures.

I actually made this one my profile picture!

My best regards,

Miss Diorista.

Tag: Top 10 Summer Products!

I found this tag on YouTube a few weeks ago, and obviously, I'm a little late with it since half of July has already flown by, but still! I have eleven products, actually, but they're still ten... ok?
So let's get this thing started!Starting from the left:

1) Summer foundation. Mine is by The Body Shop (my nice nice aunt gave it to me - thanks!). It is a powder foundation, has very sheer coverage, feels light and gives my skin a healthy glow. You need the kabuki to apply it. Mine is shade 03.

2) Mattifying powder. This is possibly one of the most important things for summer, especially if you have the tendency to "shine"! My powder is by Dior, it is their Dior Diorskin Poudre Compacte, and mine is shade 001. It is sheer, but still gives me a bit of coverage as well as acting as a mattifyer. A standard in my purse!

3) Illuminator. When I'm out in the sun, I want my skin to literally glow, especially my cheeks and cheekbones. You can get powder, liquid or cream illuminators, but personally I prefer powders... No matter what you pick, though, be sure not to pick a glittery one, buy one which gives you that nice glow/sheen/slight shimmer. And remember that less is more, you don't want to look like a disco ball! My favourite illuminator this summer has been MAC's Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl. It was LE and came out with the Liberty of London collection.

4) Natural-Looking Eyeliner. In summer, I don't wanna do the whole dramatic thing with my eye makeup. I save the attention for my bright lips! So my favourite thing for 'a summer night out', is to wear a teeny tiny bit of brown eyeliner, instead of black. You can pick a matte one or one that has glitter/shimmer. I recently bought the Maybelline Line Definer in Brown Bronze Gleam. It is a dark brown with bronzy tones and a bit of shimmer.

5) Tinted Moisturizer. IMO, this is a must for summer! Preferably, pick one with SPF. I don't feel like wearing heavy foundation when it's hot outside, so I wear my tinted moisturizer. Now, you have to realize that I am letting you in on a secret, here... the tinted moisturizer you see above is absolutely... amazing! A dream... It is by Dior (surprise, surprise!) and is from their HydraLife skincare range. It is called Dior Pro-Youth Skin Tint. Mine is in shade 1, and it has SPF 20, which I love! This gives me the perfect coverage, evens out my skintone, gives me a glowy look, and is extremely moisturizing. Ok... I'll stop obsessing about it now... did I mention that I love it? And that applying makeup on top is easy peasy?! Ok... I know, I said I'd stop... I'll write a review on it soon!
1) Makeup Remover Wipes. A must-have when you're on vacation or just don't have time to do the whole thing. In summer, I want to spend most of my time having fun, not removing my makeup! So I love those, they are from Preven's Paris. Of course, washing your face with wipes every night is not a good idea, since it doesn't, IMO, do quite the same thing as a cleanser would. But two or three nights a week, three months a year, is no biggie!

2) Light-Catching Lipgloss in a Light Colour. I want my lips to look like precious jewels in the sun... lol! Well, maybe that was a bit too poetic for a beauty blog, but you get the idea! Mine is L'Oréal's 6H Glam Shine, in Forever Nude. I love it, feels nice, lasts decently, can be worn over lipstick, or alone.

3) Bright Lipgloss. I love bright and bold lips for summer. Why not make a statement? This summer´s pick was The Body Shop's Love gloss in shade 18, called Tropical Pink. It is not pink. That is simple! It is a bright coral colour, almost orange... but very wearable, yet bright. It is has shimmer (you have probably picked up on it by now, that I love shimmer!). If you look at the swatch on TBS website, then know that the gloss is way brighter in real life than it seems there!

4) Bright Lipstick. Yes. I love bright lips, so bright lipstick are love... My favourite for this summer is L'Oréal's Glam Shine Crema in Hot Lilac (check out my review!). It is a bright, glittery lilac colour.

5) Light-Catching Lipstick in a Light Colour. Light-catching, meaning shimmery and pretty... Mine is MAC´s Lipstick in Beachbound, LE from the To The Beach Collection. It looks like a simple nude indoors, but in the sun, it. is. beyond. beautiful. Period.

6) Nailpolish in a not-tradiational-summer-colour... long, and hard to figure out? No. Not at all! Just pick a colour that seems fun to you, but is not the summery pink/coral/red. My fave these days is the OPI Chicago Champagne Toast. It is very pretty and yes, has a sheen/shimmer to it!

So that is all. Please tell me your must-haves for summer, do this tag and let me know in the comments below! Or do you want a review on any of the products? Comment and tell me!

Yours,
Miss Diorista

Skincare and Makeup Haul!

Today, I went to the store... and of course, I found a few items that were right up my alley! This was not a cosmetics store, (it was a grocery store, actually!), so the only cosmetics they sold was Maybelline. But I'm okay with that!
I also got quite a few masks and skincare items. So let´s get started!

Starting with the makeup, I got three things.
1) First comes a lipstick, Color Sensational (by Maybelline) in the color 240, called Galactic Mauve. It is a really pretty colour, a rosy pink mauve, with a hint of lilac, very subtle brown undertones(can't really see them, unless the lighting is dim) and beautiful golden shimmer. Maybe a bit dark for summer... but with lipgloss over it (I'm thinking a nude one...), it would look a bit lighter. Swatched on top.

2) Next comes a mascara! I'm so excited about this one! It is the Maybelline's Colossal! Mine is in Glam Black. They also had plain Black, (they promised it was 100% black...) and I don't know what the difference is, but Glam Black definitely sounded more fun to me! You maybe remember (from my Mascara Wishlist post) that one of my friends uses this mascara, and her lashes look amazing. So since I saw it today, I decided to give it a try, and I ran back home to try it on! I have to say, that I was not disappointed! Wow! I've only been using it for a few hours now, but so far, I really really like this! Thanks for recommending this to me, friend (lol, no names!)! My niece actually recommended Clinique's Naturally Glossy Mascara for pretty and natural lashes... I might give that one a try too, it sounds good!

3) Last but not least is an eye liner, Maybelline's Line Definer in Brown Bronze Gleam. I also tried this on when I came home, but I'm not ready to say whether I love it or not... I think I like it, the colour is nice. It is a dark brown bronzed colour with a hint of shimmer, and actually goes well with a natural look (which I have on today). I like the fact that it has a twisting thing (lol). I will tell you more once I'm sure about what I think! Swatched on the bottom.

I like the bristles on this mascara a lot, the brush is pretty big and dense, and easy to use!

Then on to skincare items! Starting from the left ;)

'

1) First we have Nose Pore Strips (with Tea Tree) by Botanical Choice (by Purederm). I'm going to try those tonight or tomorrow... I´ve never used anything like this before, and I'm super excited!

'

2) The next two items are also by Botanical Choice (by Purederm), and they are Anti-Stress Heat Therapy Masks, one in "Apricot" and one in "Oatmeal". Once on your face, these are supposed to heat up and give you the feeling of a warm towel on your face. Sounds good!

'

3) Then we have a Ultra Hydrating Shea Butter Mask in "Coconut" by Botanical Choice (by Purederm). Basically, this is simply supposed to moisturize and soften. Contains shea butter, coconut and lavender.

'

4) The tube is Apricot, a Facial Scrub Cream. This is an exfoliating scrub with natural apricot oil and finely crushed walnut shell. I can't wait to start using this, it smells good too!

'

5) Now on to the second row! First, we have a Pearl Essence Mask by Purederm. This actually has vitamin E, collagen, and pearl powder! How good does that sound, you tell me!

'

6) Next comes Nivea's Gentle Peel Off Mask. I am obsessed with the idea behind this (if I get this right...) This is supposed to set on your face, and then you can peel it off... we'll see if it works!

'

7) Then comes a Pore-Shrinking Mud Masque by Andrea. This is said to really... well, you guessed it: shrink your pores! I don't really have visible pores, except on my nose and the top of my forehead, so that is where I will use this. Hopefully it works!

'

8) And lastly, we have Firming Leg Gel by Andrea. It is supposed to really rev up tired legs and tone them a bit too... we'll see!

'

So that is all... it is quite a lot, IMO... have you tried any of this? Would you like a full review on any of those products? Please comment and tell me!

'

Yours,

Miss Diorista.