Weekly Gratitude - Chocolate coated raisins and those who love us

• Thank you for licorice, chocolate coated raisins and M&M's with Peanut Butter... those are lifesavers when you're studying for eleven finals.
• Thank you for summer coming closer and closer, with the sun shining brighter than ever.
• Thank you for my finals having finally started - I don't like waiting, I like to get things over with.
• Thank you to my furry friend, for reminding us all how important sleep is (though she's maybe taking that a little too seriously...  ;)
• Thank you for those who love us.
• Thank you to you, for making me smile the other day. It brought me to a whole new level of understanding.
• Thank you to God, for he always gives you what you need. Just remember that what you need, is not always the same as what you want. "All in good time", said a wise man one day.

Love,
Miss Diorista

A short update...

Hi you all!

I just wanted to write a very quick post to tell you all that my blog might be a little low the next two or three weeks or so. I will of course keep posting, but it won't be as frequent I'm afraid.
Why? My finals started today... one down, ten to go! I have eleven finals this spring. But for what it's worth, I think my first one (I just came home :) went very well, so I'm happy about that!
Alright, that's it, I have to get back to my books... I have an exam tomorrow :)
But please keep commenting even though I won't post as much the next few weeks, I love reading your comments and they will perk me up when I'm studying, haha!
'
Love,
Miss Diorista

Weekly Gratitude - Easter eggs and memories of lost loved ones

This post is one day late, but better late than never, right?

• Thank you for Easter eggs - they are especially yummy since they are only around for a short while each year!
• Thank you to my mom for her amazing waffles, hers are the best!
• Thank you to my friends, who came over the other night, and we had a great time.
• Thank you for films like My Sister's Keeper which I watched yesterday. It is so beautiful and sad and moving. We need more films like that one.
• Thank you for summer coming closer and closer, with all its goodness!
• Thank you to God for bringing loved ones safely home.
• And lastly, my deepest thank-you to a beloved friend who passed away yesterday, for all the beautiful moments we shared. You could always make me smile, and there was never a dull moment when you were around. We will never understand why you had to leave so soon and unexpectedly, but we are thankful for the memories that you left, to warm our saddened souls. I will always treasure the memory of you in my heart, and I know that we will meet again someday. I will never forget you.

Love, Miss Diorista

Dior - Rouge Dior Lipstick in Mazette, 028

This lipstick is, quite frankly, perfection... so bright and perfect for summer!

It is a part of Christian Dior's Rouge Dior lipstick collection, which has 32 shades, each of which has a corresponding Dior Haute Couture gown. That is, each lipstick shade is inspired by a gown from Christian Dior. I think it is so fun and interesting to know that my lipstick has a corresponding gown... which I sadly haven't found yet - please let me know if you find a site where you can compare the dresses to the lipsticks, I'd love to see the gowns.

This is a more accurate picture of the colour - it is a bright coral colour, no shimmer of any kind. This lipstick is perfect for spring and summer, and I really like the formula, which is creamy, yet not too creamy.

The weartime is rather good, especially since the lipstick leaves a bit of a stain behind. I'd say about 4 hours, without eating.

The packaging is beautiful and classy, a dark-blue colour with a see-through at the top, where Dior's signature letters, CD, can be seen through (picture above).

And of course some swatches. The swatch to the left is very light, the lower one to the right is medium, and the top one to the right is full colour.

Product (65%) - 9/10

Value (10%) - 7.5/10

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

Packaging (10%) - 9/10

Overall - 9/10

 

Love, Miss Diorista

 

Beauty is a form of genius -- is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation. It is of the great facts in the world like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in dark water of that silver shell we call the moon. - Oscar Wilde

Benefit - Bella Bamba

Bella Bamba is Benefit's latest boxed powder (other well known ones are, among others, Hoola and Coralista). This one is a blush, a beautiful pink blush with shimmer, or as they say on the Benefit website, "a 3D brightening pink face powder".

The colour is not to bright, yet brightening, and the shimmer is not over the top. The powder comes with a brush, and although it is slightly better than the old brushes (Benefit has new packaging for their boxed powders now), then the brush is still not very good. It can be used, though.

Does this give me a 3D effect on my cheeks? Well... it definitely is dimensional. I'm not sure about the 3D, but the shimmer does give it a very pretty effect.

The packaging has 3D effect, and is very pretty (it's hard to catch the effect on camera, but above is my try :)

A closer look of the colour. Some have used this as a contour colour, even around their forehead... which I really do not recommend. It is a very pretty blush colour though, and I can see it working beautifully on both lighter and deeper skintones. However, I really don't like all the fallout that you get from this blush. I barely have to touch the blush with a brush (even a soft brush), and then tons and tons of powder fall off the brush. This is for me a major minus. Not only does it waste a lot of product, but it also makes everything very messy.

I had to post two swatch picture, because here you can see the shimmer to this colour, whereas on the next picture...

...you see a more accurate picture of the colour. I do really like this colour, and it wears very well.

Product (65%) - 8/10

Value (10%) - 8/10

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 7/10

Packaging (10%) - 9/10 (I like having a mirror, and the brush can be used in case of an emergency ;)

Overall - 8/10

 

Love, Miss Diorista

Benefit - Big Beautiful Eyes

Big Beautiful Eyes is a palette by Benefit Cosmetics, which contains the following products:

• Boi-ing concealer in nr.2
• A very light pink, shimmery eyeshadow
• A shimmery, light brown eyeshadow
• A matte, dark brown eyeshadow
• A concealer brush
• A double-ended brush with one end for shadow, the other for liner

Below you can see the three shadows. I use the lightest shade all over my lid, the middle one in my crease, and the darkest one I use wet as a liner, or dry as an extra emphasis for my crease. That way, you can take this palette from day to night, by adjusting the amount of liner and crease drama, so to speak.

Note, though, that even if you use the darkest colour wet, it won't be very dramatic as a liner.

The shadows are all very smooth and almost feel buttery - I haven't experienced any fallout with the shimmery shades, but just a tiny bit (next to none) from the matte one. The colours in the picture are very true to life.

Swatches, L-R: On top is Boi-ing concealer in nr.2. On the bottom are the shadows, lightest, middle, darkest. As you can see, the lightest colour is very light, and the middle colour has a bit of a pink undertone to it, which I don't really like. It is subtle, though.

You can also see that the concealer is way too dark for me, which means that it is as good as useless for me. I do sometimes use it as a base under the shadows, but since it is not meant to be an e/s primer, it doesn't prevent creasing.

The brushes are better quality than I had expected, but they are still not great.

• The shadow brush ("contour") is very strangely cut, it is completely flat on top. I use it for placing the lightest colour on the lid, as well as sweeping the middle colour in my crease.
• The eyeliner brush ("liner") feels cheap to me, and it isn't completely straight, which it is supposed to be. It can be used, though.
• The concealer brush ("concealer") feels way to stiff... but then again, I am not a fan of these traditional concealer brushes. I don't use this one, since it is also too stiff for placing shadow on the lid.

So to sum things up, then this is a nice little palette with good-quality eyeshadows and usable brushes, if you like natural looks, and definitely good for travelling. However, if you are fair (like me) or dark, you won't be able to use the concealer, which is a big downside, since you will pay for more than you will use.

And does it make my eyes look bigger? Well, I think so, yes :)

Product (65%) - 8/10 (love the shadows, but I can't use the concealer)

Value (10%) - 8/10

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

Packaging (10%) - 9/10 (very cute, feels sturdy and it is made from paper, which makes it lighter and better for travelling)

Overall - 8/10

 

Love, Miss Diorista

Benefit - Benetint

Benetint by Benefit Cosmetics is a cherry-tinted lip balm with SPF 15. It has a teeny tiny bit of sparkles, but nothing so obvious that you would actually notice once the balm is on.

Moisturizing? Well, yes, a bit I guess. However, if you are in need of something extremely moisturizing, then this is not what you are looking for.

This product is nice if you are one who generally doesn't wear lipstick or lip gloss, but likes to wear lip balm, since this will give you a slight tint of colour. For me (I am used to wearing lipstick every day) this is nice if I'm staying home and just want a little something, but I don't feel that it gives me enough colour to be worn on its own.

I'm not posting swatches for this product, since my camera (which I will have to upgrade some time...) didn't pick up on the slight colour. But it does give you a nice hint of a cherry colour.

Product (65%) - 6.5/10

Value (10%) - 6/10 (nice, but you can get a lip balm which does almost the same thing, for a lot less money)

Would I repurchase? (15%) - 4/10

Packaging (10%) - 8/10 (very cute and sturdy packaging)

Overall - 6/10

 

Love, Miss Diorista