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Sunday 31 May 2009

Swap Update Part 2 ^_^ & a few random bits and pieces.

[More look/contest posts next week, promise ;). & I've been tagged to show my blogging space, which I'll do ASAP too ;D.]

*IsaDora Delirious is available here in Greece :). I (of course >:-D) love how fluorescent the eye palette is :D, but I'm not sure whether I'll end up getting it yet ;). The liner is gorgeous, but my Avon Turquoise liner is similar enough, so I don't need it :-P. The lip colours are a bit too bright for me to like :(. (Maybe they'd work for darker complexions?) And surprisingly, I quite like the perfume :). Do test it if you have the chance to ;D.

*I've moved my eye products out of the Hello Kitty case & into a gold Estee Lauder one I have - it's much bigger. The Hello Kitty case now houses my cheek stuff, or, as I like to call them, face enhancers ;).
I'll probably throw in a pic of the gold case in my next post. I officially have WAY too many shadows. And I still want more. I'm still getting more :-P.
My fave quote related to this subject..."Well, at least we're addicted to something healthy."

*I've received my first ever Blind Swap ^_^!!! It's from Nikki :), and I feel a bit surreal, swapping with such a famous blogger XD. She got me truly wonderful stuff, I can't wait to share it with you ^_^. But of course I have to wait till she receives mine ;D.
Also, I've finally sent out the last part of my Watercolour Mega Swap :), so I'll be able to post that up soon too ^_^.

And here are some more swaps :).

Swap 1 [Malaysia].

(For my 2 Estee Lauder sample packaging eye shadow duos in Neptune and Jupiter, some perfume samples and some extras.)

A Clinique eye shadow in Blue Lagoon :), a Lumiere eye shadow in Cafe Latte, and 2 Estee Lauder mini glosses in Sugarcane and Burgundy ;). She also kindly added a sample of MAC Malt as an extra :). It's lipstick - I thought it was a Paint Pot sample at first (lol) XD, but nope, it's lip colour ^_^.

Swap 2 [The USA].

(I bought her three Korres Lip Butters. I've been kinda meaning to try some of these myself 'cause everyone adores them :-/, but I have enough lip balms ;D. Proof here :-P.)

She was beyond generous :). Behold this lot :D...And much of it was extra :-P ^_^. So, we have...

*A Mark Flip For It palette in South Beach :). I love these ^_^! As you know XD.
*Wet & Wild trios in Aquamarine, Jewels and Green Moss.
*A Prestige eye liner in Rhapsody.
*Mark eye shadows in Retro Peacock, Dragonfly and Heavenly.
*NYC eye shadows in Tiger's Eye and Aquamarine.
*Bourjois Little Round Pot eye shadow in Khaki Etonnant.
*Sonia Kashuk lip balm - that was an extra :). Gave it to my sister ;).
*Samples of Pure Luxe blush in Cheeky, Pure Luxe blush in Giddy (swapped that off), and Fyrinnae eye shadow in Polar Bear. These were extras too :).
*2 NYX loose shadows - also as extras ^_^! They don't have names on :-/, but they're a silvery white & a coppery red.
*Wet & Wild Diamond Brilliance lip gloss in 616.
*Palladio plumping lip gloss - another extra XD! This is such a nice peachy nude, and large as my collection may be, I actually did not have this colour...Until now :). Can't wait to use it ^_^.
*Lipstick extras - L'Oreal Watermelon Ice & Rimmel Birthday Suit. Swapped those off 'cause I don't use these brands ;).
*A Coastal Scents sample of Frenzy eye shadow (another extra).
*Jane Shimmering Blush in Wisteria - will swap that, I know somebody who has it on her wishlist ;D.
*A Revlon eye lash curler :). Yet another extra, and one I needed very much - thank you ^_^.

Here's a close-up of the South Beach palette :). The blush is upside down >:-D, lol XD.

I actually sort of like it though :), like my chewed-on Be:Yu lime nail polish XD ^_^. And here are the lip colours...

Nice :).

Swap 3 that was really a gift ^_^ [The USA again & a different swapper].

(I sent her a request for her Mark Bohista quad, but she couldn't find anything she liked from my stuff. So she offered it to me for free ^_^.)

I was expecting the Mark quad, and she mentioned some used Wet & Wild stuff. But I ended up receiving all this...

From left to right & all as usual: Mark Bohista eye quad, Wet & Wild Ultimate Expressions eye palettes in Sandcastle and Let It Snow (yay, covered on neutrals :D - I would've never shopped for them myself XD, thank you ^_^), a Luscious Cosmetics blush & highlighter duo in Coral Gables (that has some of the best packaging I've ever seen, read on ;D), a NYX lipstick in Iced Honey, Wet & Wild trios in Egyptian Sands and Belgian Chocolates, and a Wet & Wild blush in Berry Shimmer.

That blush can be built up to an intense & very beautiful colour that can be used as red eye shadow :).

Yes...My search is almost over ^_^. (I'm a perfectionist and will keep looking for red eye shadow that was made to be eye shadow, lol.) And since this is a blush, it's huge and will last near forever if used as shadow :). I can't believe I got this for free XD! Can't wait to use this - expect a look with it soon ;).

I compared the Belgian Chocolates trio that I got from this swap to the one I already have, and they're not identical :-/. However, they're similar enough, so I gave one to my sister ;D. She loves browns :).

More pics: the Mark quad, NYX lipstick and Luscious Cosmetics blush tin ^_^.

And here's the Luscious Cosmetics blush, opened :).

Isn't it lovely ^_^?!? I'd never even heard of that brand before receiving this. Thank you :).

& I guess the moral of this story is...Ask for things you like even if they seem out of your league, you'll never know who'll be kind to you XD ;). Thanks for reading :). Doing this contest next - why don't you try too ;D?

Friday 29 May 2009

Kinda late swap update. Rhyming not intended, I'm just too lazy to eliminate it.

Other people have 'hauls', I have Swap Updates :-P :).
Well, not for much longer, since I (yay ^_^!) have indeed & finally run out of stuff I don't need...At least for now XD.

Swap 1 [The USA].

(For my L'Oreal lipstick in Nude, Maybelline lipsticks in Passion Red & Moon Star, a purple Avon gloss, and lots of extras :D. I was feeling generous XD.)

An L.A. Colors (I keep typing 'colours' XD) eye palette in Mesmerise (that I've swapped off too XD), Wild & Crazy eye shadow in New U Girl, and 2 Jesse's Girl trios in Lime Lights and Purple Haze.

I actually quite like the Purple Haze :). Probably because it's not purple per se - it's violet, periwinkle and lilac >:-).

Swap 2 [England, the Sugar Kaleidoscope palette swapper again, she's one of my regulars :)].

(This was a 2 part swap. In total, I've sent her: 5 L.A. Colors palettes, the black/white/grey KleanColor trio, a L'Oreal Voluminous mascara that I got from Posey for entering her contest & that she kindly permitted me to swap away :D, a set of 3 Travel Exclusive Juicy Tubes, a lightly used Bourjois mini nail polish in 38 that my sister got sick of >:-D, a NYX eye shadow in Prune, NYX depotted shadows in Prune and Deep Purple, and a lot of extras, I can't recall all of them now XD.)

& I ended up receiving all this lot...

Part 1:

A Mary Kay Signature palette, a Mary Kay lipstick in Pink Melon, Bourjois Asia foundation in Beige Clair (too dark, will be using it for tan looks ;D), Eyeko Minty Fat Balm (finally I have some Eyeko >:-D, last person around the blogosphere to, I suspect :-/ - and I guess that's another thing for the review list ;D), Burt's Bees lip balm (the one in a tin), Wet & Wild lip liners in Pink Mauve and Willow, Mary Kay lipsticks in Pink Daisy and Pink Coral (these are testers that won't fit into the palette, but I don't mind ^_^), a Tarte lip balm in Friday, a Mary Kay lip liner in Dusty Pink, and just for the sake of it, a Mark Hook Up connector :-P. I'm very likely to swap for Mark stuff, so it's good thinking on my behalf ;D.

I love this palette, it looks so beautiful and chic :). And here it is with my first ever Mary Kay eye shadow duo...

Part 2:

Cleanse Your Soul mini Geisha body cream (spicy, love it ^_^), Pout Love Glow (looks really promising, can't wait to actually use it), Revlon Bedroom Eyes powder :D liners in Plum Wicked, Jaded and Fishnet Jet, NYX eye shadows in Luxor and Cool Blue, a Revlon eye shadow trio in Plum Like It Hot (XD), a depotted Lorac eye shadow in Jade, Barry M lipstick in 100, Pout lipstick in Mi Amore, Revlon lipstick in Nude Attitude, Wet & Wild lipstick in Pink Suede, Estee Lauder lipsticks in Divine Wine and Sugar Honey, and a Hard Candy lip palette in Pin Up.

Showing off my new lipsticks :-P :).

Same order as before ;). I swatched Nude Attitude at a shop here & I'm positive the one I have is prettier. The shop one was much browner :-/...Shade discrimination again >:-(? But whatever, I have the good one >:-D and that's all that matters :). And oh, it is so good. I'll have to come up with a Look of the day to show it off to you all ;D.

I'm a bit confused about why would a palette calling itself Pin Up consist of, well, caramel, brown, bronze and clear :-/. But they're nice :).

Swap 3 [The USA, another swapper].

(For my Limited Edition Avon duos in Daring Doll and Porcelain Doll, a Cover Girl eye shadow I got from a swap, and some extras.)

That Everyday Minerals mini concealer in Peach was an extra :). I also got three more Mary Kay duos ^_^ in Jade, Twilight and Cotton Candy, and an Elf gloss in Baby Lips. Swapped that off ;). But here's my palette, updated ^_^.

And I'll be receiving more Mary Kay stuff soon, so I guess I'll need more palettes >:-).

Swap 4 [The USA & a different person again].

(For my Avon Angel Cake eye shadow duo and Sahara Sun nail polish.)

A skincare sample I didn't keep, a Wet & Wild lipstick in Hot Red (this is too good for such a cheap item - unbelievable ^_^), a Mark Hook Up gloss (Sugared Almond on the left & Marshmallow on the right, these are amazing :D), an Elf white liner (had to swap that away, it wasn't pigmented enough for me), and Prestige liners: an eye liner in Poly and a lip liner in Tomango.

There are more, but I've run out of label space >:-D. And since I want to label everything properly, you'll just have to wait for my next swap update...Coming soon ;). Thanks for reading :).

Monday 25 May 2009

What should've been a contest entry - but I was too late >:-). Oh well :-P.

Anyway, I don't want to waste the pics :-P, so here is what should have been my entry for Naomi's purple eye look contest ;D.

Straight:

Closed:

Pose:

Products:

Skin: The usual, & Bourjois powder in Apricote for contouring.

Eyes: Here we go with the long annoying explanation...
*The purple cream shadow from the Pupa Optical Red palette (which I decided to keep & not swap after all ;D ^_^) as a base.
*The purple from the Oriflame duo in Urban Twilight (square duo on pic) on the inner half of the lid.
*The purple from the Oriflame Visions duo in Anthony & Cleopatra (round duo on pic) on the outer half.
*The purple from the Mark Femme 4 quad (I think the shade name is Sassy) on the crease & as a V-shape on the outer eye.
*The purple from the KleanColor trio (that doesn't have a name >:-D) as a liner & to brighten the inner corners.
*White liner (that I forgot to add to the pic >:-/), as usual :-P. Of course, I used my Laurel & Hardy one ;).
*No mascara, but I curled my lashes :).

Cheeks: Everyday Minerals blush in Plum Dust.

Lips: Oriflame Visions Sweet Talking Lip Candy in Sweet Butterscotch. My lips aren't at their best right now, due to me forgetting lip SPF a few days ago >:-D, so I'll be wearing gloss for the next few days until they sort themselves out ;D.

Bonus pic - smile:

Well, sort of :-P.

Thanks for reading ^_^! I still hate purple XD, but this look turned out alright :D! What do you think ;)?

Saturday 23 May 2009

Dear 16 year old me...[Tag.]

Dear Cris,

You're calling yourself Cris already, aren't you? In your diary only. This will change. I know how afraid you are, but you will grow to be a much more daring person than you could've ever imagined at sixteen.

There are many things I ought to say to you, but I won't. Because everything that's happened, every choice you've ever made, will lead you to where I am, to who I am today. And that's not something I'd risk changing! Nevertheless, here are some things I will convey to you.

Keep writing your diary. It's the closest thing you've had to a friend. It's your release. It helps you practice writing. And it helps prepare you for the future in ways you can't imagine, but it will be crucial.

Don't waste time on the people you envy, the ones from school. They're not worth it. You will forget them and find higher standards to adhere to. And funnily, when you stop trying to change who you are, that's when they'll accept you and admire you. But you'll no longer care.

Don't try to make yourself like the music that's popular, the stuff in the charts. It'll be a waste of CDs you'll never listen to after the first few times. Keep reading music blogs - they'll help you grow so much. And you will manage to find most of those records, and will buy them. Don't you worry about that.

Keep buying magazines!!! You may seem hopeless to yourself, but you know you learn by absorbing. And you will. You'll even end up spending most of your money on products & make-up - I know you're laughing! Do more of that. It's good for you. And your smile's beautiful to most people! You're really very harsh on yourself. I'm afraid I've retained that. But sometimes believing in things makes them true.

Please, enjoy the weather. You will be tortured by the sun a lot in the years to come. But the memories will help more than you can imagine.

Keep taking those photographs. In the future, there will be a way to get them off your phone, and having memories imprinted will give you strength. By the way, I know your little sister's very beautiful. (For the record, she'll be even more so in the future, and you'll be so jealous of her! But you can manage.) I know the sky is wondrous. But try to take pictures of yourself every once in a while too. I know you can see your unattractiveness and it hurts, but numbing the impulse is the only thing you can do. And eventually, you'll discover that most people have much lower standards than yours and really, genuinely do consider you quite pretty. They're not lying.

Never lie to yourself. Never try to be somebody you aren't. Because eventually success will find you for being who you are.

I know you don't believe this. I know you're terribly cynical. But I also know you have hope, this undying hope and optimism that will carry you through anything. Never lose it.

Yours truly, and with love,

Cris.

P.S. You're about to bleach your hair for the first time ^_^! Exciting, isn't it? Well, I do happen to know that when you go to the hairdresser's & request it, they will sneer at you and only agree to give you blonde highlights. They will look horrible on your dark hair >:-). You will cry, and your mother'll feel sorry for you and buy bleach from the supermarket, which will turn your roots blonde, and your ends ginger...Remember dyeing your hair bluish black a few months ago? Well, those hairs don't take bleach well. So for the next few months, your hair will be this funny mix of blonde, ginger and brown, but it will sort itself out eventually to a nice golden blonde, and now, in the present, you're still a blonde. It's grown to be truly you. And you rock it.
You'll end up exploring diverse make-up looks too - that's the appeal of it. But you'll never forget your first love - blue eye shadow and red lips :). Sometimes, even together. Still. Some things never change ;D.

Thanks Vonnie :).

Wednesday 20 May 2009

Contest Entry: Barbie Inspired Look.

Why am I happy about receiving (from a swap) foundation that's too dark for me?

[Don't worry, swap update coming up later this week ;). I got lots of new stuff as usual :-P ^_^.]

Because...I finally figured out what to do for Laura's Barbie contest ^_^!!!

Thanks for the contest, Laura :). See, I told you I'm the kind of person who enters right before the closing date, but that I would do it ;) :).
After all, there's no way I'm skipping a contest that includes red eye colour as a prize. You know me ;D.

Without further ado, my inspiration...

Malibu Barbie :D!!!

This is an unusual look for me, because I consider my fair skin one of my best features, and normally enhance its porcelain loveliness. But everyone should try something different once in a while, and with summer coming up, I thought I'd give the tan thing a go ;).

So, she's got a tan complexion, pastel blue shadow with some peachy pink on the inner corners, twiggy lashes (she is a doll :-P), and baby pink lips :). An adorable combination that I often work, actually - but with my fair skin ;). This time though, I'm doing it her way ;D.

My attempt at the look [excuse the toilet in the background >:-), I couldn't get the lighting to work properly in any other room]:

There will be more pics after the products pic & info ;).

Malibu Barbie Look Products & Tutorial:

Skin: I didn't use my usual foundation for this look ;). I needed a darker base. Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Effect in Beige Clair (mine came from Asia - clarifying this 'cause I suspect that this is darker than Euro Beige Clair) provided it :). To bronze, I used my Laura Mercier Bronzing Book palette in Gilded - Matte Bronze Light (and this is light indeed, and thus perfect for fair girls :D) to bronze, and Gilded to highlight & as a cheek colour. On the picture, Gilded is on the left while Matte Bronze Light is on the right ;).
By the way, I love the Fafi brush :). I'm actually considering getting some more brushes XD!

Eyes: My lovely blue's from my Pupa Heart palette :). I also used ArtDeco eye shadow in 557 on the inner corners, a new eyelash curler (Revlon) I got from a swap, and lots of Pucci Guerlain mascara on upper & lower lashes.

Cheeks: Mentioned this before, actually - Gilded from the Laura Mercier Bronzing Book in Gilded ;).

Lips: Oriflame Visions lip balm in Tropics as a base, and (probably my favourite) Plump & Gloss lip gloss in Nice Girl ^_^.

Eye close-up:

I think this one's my favourite. I always love eye close-ups :).

My skin is so the colour of Barbie plastic in all these shots, it freaks me out :-/.

So, what's the verdict on me & tanned skin ;)?

I think I prefer being pale :). But this was fun :D.

Thanks for reading ^_^! I'm considering entering Naomi's Purples contest after all, and who knows...I just may ;).

Sunday 17 May 2009

Alter Ego make-up...It won't be what you expect though :-P.

[This is for Posey's contest ;).]

Before showing my Alter Ego look, I shall (as per contest rules) have to present a 'regular' look of mine ;D. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I do different kinds of looks (that's what's so amazing about make-up, after all), but they normally share one crucial factor - they're expressive. At least one feature (& often more than one feature) really pops. Something is always bright :).

Here goes my 'regular' kind of make-up...Credit goes to Thiamere for coming up with this gorgeous look ^_^. I've wanted to try it ever since I first read that post, and now I finally have an excuse to ;D. My version is even more outrageous 'cause I threw in a bright lip colour :-P :).

Odd pose, but I like it :-P.

Now, here comes my Alter Ego...Ready?

It's not wild. It's actually incredibly boring natural-looking make-up, which I hate. I know it's classic. I know it looks good. But I like colour.

Which is why I never wear this kind of look. Until this contest :-P.

So, which one do you like? I prefer the bright one :D, but maybe that's 'cause the natural look pic is kind of blah XD...
Anyway, read on for details on how to do both ;).

Alter Ego Neutrals Look Products & Tutorial:

[I did that one first ;).]

Skin: My usual foundation & concealer ;). I threw out the Rimmel powder 'cause it stopped working well :-P, and am now using the one from my Oriflame Christmas Palette. It's nicer :), but the placement isn't the best...Yes, every time I use it, I get some on the 2 right lip colours >:-).
I also did some minor contouring on my jawline with the Bourjois Apricote powder & Elf Luminance powder ;D.

Eyes: The very left shade from my Physicians Formula quad in Earth Minerals, and curled bare lashes. That's it.

Cheeks: Everyday Minerals blush in Jump Rope.

Lips: Burt's Bees lip balm as a base, and Oriflame Visions Sweet Talking Lip Candy in Sweet Caramel as lip colour. (That's the heart on the picture XD.)

Thiamere Bright Look Products & Tutorial:

[Note that I'm building on the neutrals look for this one ;). I didn't bother removing it (except the lip colour 'cause that was easy enough), and there wasn't much to remove anyway >:-D.]

Skin: Elf Luminance to brighten. I love this product, will probably do a review :), and if you're in the US and therefore can get it for a dollar, you definitely should ^_^.

Eyes: From the outside looking in ;)...I used bright orange, hot pink, and fluorescent yellow :D. To be more specific, I used NYX eye shadow in Orange, MAC Hello Kitty blush in Tippy (it's not shadow - but so what :-P?), and Wild And Crazy eye shadow in New U Girl ;). My fave white liner (Oriflame Laurel & Hardy), and I opened a new mascara a few days back since the Rimmel ones have expired ;D - the Guerlain mini from my Pucci Guerlain eye set ;).

Cheeks: MAC Fafi Hipness ;).

Lips: Orlane Rouge Extraordinaire Lipstick in 34, one of my favourite brights :). And I used clear gloss (from Oriflame's old blueberry products line) over it ;D.

Eyes close-up...

And another odd pose...

Really like this one :). That sounds strange coming from me, doesn't it?

Well, I guess that's it for tonight ;). Thanks for reading :). I still have a Barbie look and a pigeon look to come up with :-P ;D...

Saturday 16 May 2009

My fifth (!?!) award, and MANY things received from swaps ^_^.

[Note to self: Must not neglect my blog or I'll just have way too many things to deal with!]

I received this lovely award from Vonnie ^_^. Thank you so much for your kindness :).

Terms & Conditions For the Award Recipient:

1. Paste the Award Logo in your blog

2. Give out the award to 10 Blogs that you feels the most inspired and most friendly.

3. Make sure u back linked the recipients' blogs to your blog.

4. Inform the recipients about the award by leaving them comments on their blog

5. Give some love to the person who give you this award.

[I won't bother with the broken English XD. But for the record, it's not me, it's the original award text as received by me :-P. And anyway, it's the thought that counts ;) :).]

I know that while reading one of the 200+ blogs I follow, I saw somebody wondering where these awards originate. It's true, you know - don't you wonder too? Perhaps I'll create one someday and see how far it spreads :-P ;D...

10 Inspired Friendly Bloggers:

*Chomsiri
*Ji
*Posey
*Sofie
*Gracie
*Claire
*Care
*Kristine
*Kasumi
*Miku

This is what happens when one neglects tags >:-). I tried to pick people who haven't received this yet, and it was hard. And I'm not even 100 % sure that I've succeeded XD.

Alright, and THIS is what happens when one neglects swaps >:-D...
Or rather, neglects posting up her swaps ;). If anything, I swap too often :-P. Here we go though...As you will see, it's about time.

Swap 1 [Australia]. A.k.a. My Swap With Claire ;D ^_^!!!

(For my Lancome Travel Exclusive Sublime Seduction palette, and some extra stuff ;D.)

This is not the swap XD. This is a lovely note she wrote me :). So kind of her ^_^!

This is the actual swap ;)...

2 Chi Chi eye palettes in Cheerleader and Doing Cool :). And extras too :D! Soap ^_^! I love soap :). Much prefer it to shower gel, nice people take note ;D.

[Her handwriting is so pretty...Mine's so unreadable in its cursive form that I have to write in print when I need others to be able to read what I've written >:-).]

I gave the Fig one to my sister 'cause she loves fig, natural products, and receiving little gifts from me :-P. Am keeping the Godmother though, it smells amazing :).

Cheerleader is a fun colourful selection ^_^. Doing Cool is more of a practical palette ;). For me at least, its colour selection works well for daily looks: there's blue & brown, and a pink and an orange :).
I love both :D. Thank you SO much Claire ^_^.

Swap 2 [The USA].

(For an Elizabeth Arden quad & Avon duo in Starlight.)

The jewellery was a much loved Easter gift to my sister ;D :). The Lancome pouch is mine though :). I normally abhor animal print, but for some reason I was really attracted to this, and I love it ^_^.

Swap 3 [The USA again, different swapper].

(For 2 Maybelline quads in Sapphire Ice & Emerald Isle, one L'Oreal Milla Jovovich Star Secrets trio, one Rimmel shadow in Saucy Mint, one Rimmel Duo in Sky, one L'Oreal lipstick in Nude and one Maybelline lipstick in Natural Rosewood.)

4 L.A. Colors palettes in Soiree, Wine & Roses, Enchanted and Tranquil, 3 KleanColor trios (they don't have names :-/), one Revlon Matte eye shadow in Riviera Blue, one Physicians Formula quad in Earth Minerals, and one lime waterproof mascara. Impulse swap on that one XD. Better than impulse buys :-P ;D.

I swapped the L.A. Colors & top KleanColor trio off 'cause I know somebody who had them on her wishlist, and I could survive without them ;). Will swap the Revlon off for the same reason. But I'm so happy with the things I'm keeping ^_^!

Swap 4 [The USA, yet another swapper].

(For my Elizabeth Arden lip balm tin in Berry Sun, Stila lip tint in Berry, Maybelline Forever Metallic Lites lipstick in Red Star, and extras ;D.)

Prestige eye shadow in Love (finally found it ^_^, it's the perfect true rose), an Estee Lauder gloss in Raspberry Pop, a Mike & Ike lip balm that is much more like a gloss, a Hershey's chocolate gloss that is much more lika a balm (lol), and a Bourjois mini pigment in 9. May swap that one off 'cause it's similar to my new Annabelle pigment in Azure, but I'm still undecided ;).

The Hershey's was an extra :), as was the Dove sample. Swapped that off, I hate Dove XD >:-).

Swap 5 [Sweden].

(For my Elizabeth Arden Perfect Cinnamon lipstick, and extras ^_^.)

This arrived gift-wrapped :'). I should've taken a pic, but of course I was too excited & opened it immediately XD.

What caught my attention about this BeYu (German brand, if I'm not mistaken) polish was the 'handle bitten by a 2 year old' in its description. I'm weird >:-).

But this is The most gorgeous lime I have ever seen. I am so happy to have it :). Will wear it a lot this summer ;D...

And she included some kind of purple hard sweets as an extra XD. They're surprisingly OK :-P, or maybe I just like the challenge of chewing them up >:-D.

Swap 6 [England].

(For my L'Oreal Transparent Red & Maybelline Forever Metallics Orange Fusion lipsticks.)

I got the Bourjois white chocolate powder ^_^!!!

And there's more XD. A Models Prefer blush in Pretty In Paisley that has the most beautiful blush compact I have ever seen, and a Dior lipstick in Golden Mirage (been looking for a gold for a while, I hope this works) ;).

Extras too: an Olay mask (that I gave away) and Milani Luminous. I know somebody who wants this & have messaged her about it ;D...

Unboxed:

Opened:

Swap 7 [Italy].

(For my Maybelline Burgundy lipstick, a L'Occitane almond soap and Lancome Miracle mini shower gel.)

This arrived in an extra cosmetics pouch ^_^! I'm not thrilled by the fact that it's Playboy >:-), but I love that sheer pink fabric so I'm keeping it :).

Sunscreen. Thank God. And since this has been tested on the Himalayas, it should work in Greece >:-). A blue mineral eye shadow in Cloudless Sky (can't find the brand written anywhere and I don't remember what it was >:-D), and an orange lip liner. For the summer ;). The brand is Goldfinger.

Swap 8 [Belgium].

(For a Korres shampoo I bought her.)

Clinique Comforting Cream Cleanser ^_^, Clinique Rinse-Off Eye Make-Up Solvent (had the chance to try this in the meantime & it's good, I may buy a full-size one), Estee Lauder mini Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Creme SPF 15 (that was for my mother), and Pupa loose eye shadow in 1. That Pupa is so much better than I'd expected - it's amazing. Swatch it if you have the opportunity & you'll see what I mean ;).

Swap 9 [The USA, another swapper].

(For a Saledo eye & lip duo, and extras ^_^.)

My first ever Mark palette :), in Sydney. 7 more to go XD. (Well, actually 6 'cause one is on its way to me ;D.) And a MAC extra...Black SolarBits :). Unbelievable.
Will need to come up with a good look for these, 'cause I don't want to waste them.

Opened:


And you can flip the palette around ;). Like this...

Swap 10 [The USA again & yet another swapper].

(For 2 Glamour palettes and one L'Oreal holographic eye shadow.)

Mark eye shadow in Vintage Khaki (will need to swap for a case), NYC blue liner (that thing is long), and a Skittles Lip Smacker :). The Dior foundation sample & Cover Girl shadow were extras ;D. Swapping the Cover Girl off, and I gave the Dior to my sister 'cause it was too dark for me ;).

Up next: Contest entries, reviews, and that HUGE swap ;)...

Thanks for reading :). And don't hate me for swapping so much - what can I say? I like nice things :-P ^_^.