Tag, awards, Swap Update, and What Does Your Lipstick Say About You quiz link ^_^.

*Link to Fuz's (eagerly awaited by many including me) exercise vid, just in case you may have missed it ;). I have it on my phone so I can do it anywhere ^_^.

Proper post soon I promise!!!

Hi to all new followers :). Thanks for reading ^_^!

Here's the lipstick quiz original post ;D...

No pic, but my most used lipstick is probably Jean (the Hollywood actress, not the French name, lol) by Oriflame - half of it is gone XD. (It's a red ;D.) And it's sharp-angled...Definitely sounds like me >:-). What do you think ;)? And what's yours :D?

I received this award from both Thiamere and Vonnie ^_^.

Rules:
Grab this award on my blog by leaving a comment on this post, a smiley face will do hehe. Please make a post of this award on your blog then link the person who gave this award to you. Also, you must pass this award on to bloggers you choose.

I'm leaving this one open to anyone who reads my blog, because you guys make me smile :).

Swap Update :D...

(Yes, I know my collection is huge already. But at least with swaps, I can pass on things that I don't use :-P ^_^.)

Swap 1 [Canada - A Watercolour Sky swap :D!!!].

(I got her the seemingly Greece-exclusive right now Jasmine Lip Butter ^_^, and a gift set of four Korres lipsticks :D. With extras, naturally :-P ;D.)

Lunasol Full Glamour gloss in Lucent Purple (review here ;D), Smashbox Tokidoki gloss in Dolcissima, Stila It Gloss in Interesting, Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing Limited Edition golden brown mascara (I love the name ^_^, & it's only been used by her on clean lashes so it's safe), Kate silver gel liner, Cargo mini bronzer tin, and Silk Naturals eye shadow in Lush (supposedly a dupe for MAC Humid - not that I care, I got it 'cause I like mineral pigments XD).

And...Extras :D!!!

She knows me so well ^_^! Hello Kitty stuff :') - a mini file & mini polish. It's very beautiful but tiny so I'll use it sparingly, and I'm so happy to have it :).

And, I can't believe it, a mini PosieTint :'). I had this on my wishlist on Make-Up Alley - and she got it for me ^_^!!! I'd specifically requested a mini too, I see no need to own the huge one ;). It was brand new & sealed - not anymore 'cause I've opened it, lol ;D.

It fits in here perfectly:

[Just finished the mini EyeCon ;). My next post will probably include a few sample reviews.]

Since taking this pic, I've depotted the Some Kinda Gorgeous 'cause I never use it XD. Gave it to my sister, who's darker than me & loves cream-to-powder foundations ;). (I prefer liquids.)

Oh, and here are the close-ups :).

Isn't everything beautiful ^_^? Thanks so much Sarah :). Best swapper ever ^_^. And every reader of mine should go check out her swap/sale blog like, right now :-P XD.

Swap 2 [Ireland].

(For a lightly used Benefit gloss in Who Are You Wearing?, and some extras.)

No extras, but I don't mind :). I send extras 'cause I'm nice, not because I expect any back :-P.

And you know I'm a Pout fan ;D...So yay, more Pout :D!!! This gloss is called Cross My Heart :). It's beautiful ^_^.

Swap 3 [Australia].

(For 5 Oriflame glosses from the Daydream collection - see, I do swap off things to keep my collection size relatively normal :-P. And extras, of course ;D.)

She was so generous.

Everything came in the Clinique bag pictured above, which I love :D. We swapped for OPI Alpine Snow (wearing it right now, beautiful ^_^!), OPI Rosy Future, and MAC Lustreglass in Love Knot, from Naughty Nauticals. I missed it back then so I'm very happy to have it :).

But, she also offered to get me Australian products, and bought me a Chi Chi palette in Brazilian Goddess, which includes...The red eye shadow. It's not bronze, orange, pink, fuchsia or copper...It's red, pure true red, and very beautiful :).

She also added a Hello Kitty eraser & mirror, and a NYX lipstick in Ulysses (a vibrant bright coppery red) :).

Ironically, my perfect red did crack in transit >:-). But I can always swap for a second palette ;D.

Swap 4 [Japan].

(For my Benefit double-ended gloss in Didn't Hear It From Me & Your People, My People, and extras.)

I have kept the mini Bifacil, blue make-up bags, and Shiseido Zen fragrance sample ;). Everything else has reached various nice swappers by now :).

Finally, a tag from Nicola's blog ;).

Tell Me Something Tag!

1. What is your favourite item of clothing?
I have no idea >:-).
(Nice way to kick off a tag...Lol XD.)

2. What are your biggest obsessions?
Swapping :-P. And blogging, but I disappear every now and then >:-)...Sorry :(!

3. Who inspires you?
Anyone who has managed to become what I want to be or acquire qualities that I crave.

4. Who is your favourite designer and why?
I'm not really a clothes afficionado (as you can probably tell if you read my blog), but I do love Fendi's designs. I think they're kind of overlooked sometimes & that's strange to me.

5. What is your favourite song ever?
Can't pick one >:-).

6. What is your favourite song right now?
I really love this song at the moment.



7. If you were a sweetie what would you be?
Hmmm...Let's say one of those cherry liquor things. The only product containing alcohol that I'll (occasionally) consume >:-).

8. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet- what words would describe your rainbow?
Chi Chi red eye shadow (see above), oranges :D, green tea with lemon (:-P), rain, Dior Midnight Poison, and my new Lunasol gloss (pictured above) :).

9. What's your favourite film?
I don't think I have an ultimate favourite so far. Oddly, I rarely watch any. But I love Great Expectations. The book was wonderful, and the film may have deviated in some aspects but it's wonderful as well. Estella is a beauty icon, of course. And the soundtrack is stunning. I love most of Patrick Doyle's work, but the music from the 'Kissing In The Rain' scene is really beyond beautiful. [Check it out on my player (all the way below this blog) if you'd like ;).]

11. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
And this is the kind of question I never answer ;).

12. What are your 3 favourite smells?
Rain, Dior Midnight Poison and right now, Boss Orange :-P ^_^.

13. What are your 3 favourite tastes?
Sushi :D, cherries and well, vinegar XD.

14. What is your most treasured possession?
My collection maybe XD? I'd be furious if anything happened to it...

15. What did you always want to be/do when you grew up?
I wanted to 'help make the world a better place' >:-). I suppose that'd mean an aid worker. Still considering it sometimes ;).

16. If you were an ice-cream what flavour would you be?
Vanilla, of course :-P. Maybe with some kind of cherry-raspberry syrup core...That sounds wonderful :).

17. If someone made a short film of your life, who would play you?
I'd play myself :-P.
If I have to pick someone else...Hmmm, which actress do you think I look like ;D?

18. What would your perfect afternoon consist of?
No idea, but it would include walking, rain, good music, lip balm and a great fragrance. These are present in most of my Precious Moments :).

19. If you were a flower, what would you be?
Wild cherry blossoms :-P.

20. Tell me a random thing....Be it your favourite line from a song, scene from a movie or quote from a book.....Tell me about something that you love.....
"It's not a question, if I can fight by your side, and withstand anything, but I forgot that you said, 'Girl, if you come, you gotta bring your own sun'."



It doesn't even really make sense, does it? But I love this song. Love the album too. Thanks for reading :).

My Make-Up Collection Part 3: Hello Kitty Lip.

[No, this is not a tutorial on how to erase one's mouth >:-).]

(I had a comment on Hello Kitty Eye, something like, "I thought this was going to be a Hello Kitty eye look...", and well, wasn't & won't be a lip look this time either ;D.)

This is the case I keep my lip products in :). It's Hello Kitty ^_^, hence the nickname Hello Kitty Lip XD.

View from the top:

Alright, let's open it...

Scattered on top of most lipsticks and glosses are various lip palettes, glosses that aren't tube-shaped, small-sized products, and certain lip balms that are coloured enough to belong here & not inside the Rimmel Case ;).

Hard Candy Pin Up lip palette, Mark Candy Stripes lip gloss in Candied Apricot and Candied Apple, a Mark Hookup double-ended gloss in Sugar Almond (left) and Marshmallow (right), a mini Hello Kitty lipstick, Tarte lip balms in Thursday and Friday, Embodyment Organic Essentials Cherry lip balm, Hershey's Milk Chocolate Scented Lip Gloss (this is a lot more of a balm-like product despite the name :-/), MAC lipstick in Malt (in a sample pot), L'Occitane lip gloss in Rose Bonbon, Biotherm mini Glossy Shine Luminous Crystal Gloss in 130, Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Champagne, and Oriflame Sweet Talking Lip Candy in Sweet Bubblegum, Sweet Caramel, Sweet Vanilla and Sweet Butterscotch.

These heart things are the tastiest lip product I've ever tried. It's sort of annoying because they're literally good enough to eat, and too often, I do >:-). Oh, and they're gorgeous too ;D.

After removing all the clutter on top, here's what is left...

Most lipsticks are located in the centre section, while the lip glosses are split into groups & live in the side pouches ;). I'll cover the glosses first.

Estee Lauder High Gloss in Ivory and Pearl, mini Pure Colour Crystal Gloss in Sugarcane, mini Pure Colour Gloss in Burgundy, Pure Colour Crystal Gloss in Raspberry Pop, and Pure Colour Cool Gloss in Cool Coconut.

Labello CareGloss & Shine in pink and nude (can't find a name on them :-/), Clinique mini Superbalms in Raspberry Tint and Mango Tint, mini Colour Surge Impossibly Glossy in Cream Soda and Camisole, and mini Glosswear For Lips in Air Kiss.

Mary Kay lipsticks in Pink Daisy and Pink Coral, and Liparazzi lip gloss in Velvet Rope and Stalker. Yes, these light up :D! Will do a review one day ;). Oh, and I'd love to swap for Premiere if anyone has it ^_^.

Palladio Plump 'N' Shine Herbal Plumping Lip Gloss in Frosting, Miners Double Trouble lip gloss (the pink one - no shade name given :-/), Tigi Bed Head Dumb Blonde lip gloss (which is what some will think of me after reading all this, I suppose >:-D), Dior Sparkle Shine Glitter Top Coat For Lips, and Wet & Wild Diamond Brilliance in 616 Rachel's Rocks.

L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Lip Gloss, Bourjois Rouge Pop Chic in Poupre Chic, Oriflame Plump & Gloss in Naughty Girl and Nice Girl, and Stila It Gloss in Striking and Inviting.

Bourjois Poupre Chic is rain-proof :D. And I'm referring to crazy flood-like rain. I'm always happy when it rains :), but a lasting-through-the-elements bright red lip colour just makes it better ;).

MAC mini Lipglass in Gold Charm, Lipglass in Cult Fave (Fafi), Totally It (Fafi) and Silly Girl, Pout Lip Gloss in Tickle My Fancy and Be My Baby, and Urban Decay XXX Shine Cooling Lip Gloss in Love Junkie.

For someone who allegedly dislikes glosses, I sure have a lot >:-).

And I happen to like lipsticks ;D...Guess what brand most of mine are by?

MAC >:-D! Of course :-P...Eleven and counting ;D.

Fresh Buzz, Pretty Please, Flowerplay, Fresh Brew (Hello Kitty), Fashion Mews (Hello Kitty), Strayin' (Hello Kitty), Not So Innocent (Fafi), Strawbaby (Fafi), Flash-N-Dash (Fafi), Fun 'N' Sexy (Fafi) and Utterly Frivolous (Fafi) - that was my first one ^_^.

Next, Oriflame.

Power Shine lipsticks in Rose Bite and Sangria Red, Matt Glam (that's how they spell it - why not 'matte', I don't know) lipsticks in Liz, Lauren, Jean, Audrey and Marilyn, Colour Attraction lipstick in Golden Forest (sadly, the pretty green tube's Limited Edition packaging :-P) and Visions Lip Love lipstick in Justin.

Opened:

Estee Lauder and Clinique.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby, Crystal Pink and Tiramisu, Futurist Full Treatment Lipstick in Divine Wine, and Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick in Sugar Honey, and Clinique Colour Surge Lipstick in Wow Violet.

Opened:

Wet & Wild, NYC and Essence.

Wet & Wild lipstick in 514A Cherry Frost and 519A Hot Red, Precious Metals lipstick in 762A Ruby Glam, Mega Colours lipstick in 909B Pink Suede and 907A Black Cherry (the packaging is completely different but both are named Mega Colours :-/), NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in 324B Cameo and Essence lipstick in 03 Romantic Secrets.

Opened:

NYX, Revlon and Barry M.

NYX Black Label Lipstick in Nude and Round Lipstick in Iced Honey, Revlon lipstick in Nude Attitude and Silver City Pink, and Barry M Lip Paint in 100 Baby Pink and 123. At least I think it's 123 - the label has partially faded. As of me writing this, there's no 123 on the official site.

Opened:

Various luxury brand lipsticks.


Dior lipstick in Golden Mirage, Orlane Rouge Extraordinaire Lipstick in 34, Cargo Plant Love lipstick in Nahinni, and Pout Full Cover Cream Lipstick in Mi Amore.

Opened:

Last but not least, my set of mini Mark glosses :-P.

Glow Baby Glow minis in Girly Girl, Bubbles, Smooches and Blow Kisses, and Glow Baby Glow Luxe minis in Lucky Luxe, Choco Luxe, Flirty Luxe and Petal Luxe.

Swatches/reviews/looks on request ;). Next, I'll be presenting my cheek stuff, or as I like to call them, Face Enhancers :). Thanks for reading ^_^!

Oh, and to the one person who answered, "I don't know why you do these make-up collection posts anyway, they're so show-off & frivolous..." on my poll, thanks for the honesty - and I do it to keep a log of what I own, and because I enjoy looking at make-up :-P. I hope some of my readers do too :).

Blogger won't let me include more than 20 labels, so I can't mark this post with all the brands I own. Sorry :(!

Certain things I know & Swap Update.

I wasn't sure how to title this. I think 'beauty tips' sounds like something a professional, or at least someone experienced, would say. I don't want to claim that, so I'll just say that these are things I've learned from experience and consider worth sharing ;). Though they work well for me, I cannot guarantee that they will for you - but I certainly hope they do :).

*Apply cream onto damp skin. This works great for me personally :).

*If you have long & dark lashes, you don't really need mascara - just curl them ^_^! This'll save you time and eradicate the very annoying task of getting mascara off >:-) ;D.

*If you're out of make-up remover, try olive oil - it works better than half of the products I've tried >:-D and isn't irritating at all ^_^.

*Cheap liners can be made to look more vibrant & pigmented if you melt the tip a bit using a lighter. Just make sure you let the pencil COOL OFF before it touches your eye - test it on your hand if you're not sure. I do this to make liner look bold and graphic, or fluid-looking. And in case you were wondering, this is indeed the reason why I sometimes have a lighter on my Products Used photos ;D.
Note: this does not work on waterproof pencils. They burn >:-).

*Speaking of that, don't smoke - avoid the sun (and use SPF when you can't) - stay hydrated. This will keep you from decaying XD.

*Don't forget to wear SPF on your lips, neck and hands when it's sunny! (I assume that you do wear it on your face...) Failing to do this will result in your neck being darker and more leathery than your face - ICK, not to mention that most people will think, "Foundation line" >:-). And a lip burn is terrible - and easy to avoid, so just do :-P.

*Oh, and the sun can distort hair colour, so if you mind that, you'll need SPF in your hair too ;) (lol). On the other hand, if you're blonde like me, you may allow it to give you some natural highlights :). Don't forget leave-in conditioner though to make sure your hair doesn't fry ;D.

*A gleaming, 'pale glow' powder product is a great thing to own. It can be used on the eyes, as highlighter, or for an all-over glow. I recommend Elf Luminance - it's very cheap yet works brilliantly ^_^.

*Lip balm with high SPF (example: Nivea Sun) gives a matte nude Fashion Mews appearance that I personally really like :).

*Another cheap and practical thing to own is a four-step trim/clean/smooth/polish (I've also seen 'file/clean/condition/shine' used) nail file. Mine is from Essence, and I'm pretty sure that Avon makes one too, but I don't think the brand really matters. These things really do work, and after doing all four steps, you get the effect of a clear/nude mani without actually using lacquer ;).

*For brunettes: a sage tea rinse helps enhance your hair colour :). This tip was taken from a book & tested by my sister ;).

*Never assume that a cheap product doesn't work, or that an expensive one does work. Try things out. You may be surprised.

*If you have any beauty products that don't work on you, are neglected, or you no longer like, swap them ;).
As the blogosphere Swap Queen, I had to say that :-P ^_^.
Or you can give them away :). I often pass on products to my sister ;).

Most Important Piece Of Info: Never worry about trying a new make-up style, look or colour! If it doesn't suit you, you can just wash it off ;). If it does...You've learned something :).

Please add any little notes below (by commenting) if you have any of these to share - I'd love to read them ^_^!

Swap Update time :D!

Swap 1 [Canada].

(I bought her a Korres milk soap.)

2 Mark eye shadow stripes shadows (in Pure Nudes and Pure Pinks) in a medium palette, two blushes (Star Glo and Kitten Glo) in a medium palette, and a large palette - the shadows there are mine ;). Finally they have a home :).

And a lovely C post-it ^_^! This was the nicest extra in recent memory :).

I ended up moving all the shadows together into the large palette ;).

Swap 2 [Canada again].

(The two Mark blushes pictured above, and some extras. Lol - I see nothing wrong in swapping away things received in swaps though, if they're not what you expected or you found something you'd rather have, why not ;D?)

Funny how the blushes went from Canada to Greece to Canada though :-P XD.

Stila tinted moisturiser in Fair (it's not full & I was aware of that so no issues there ;D), NYC nail polish in Big Money (I'm not gonna wait for OPI Aragon something to indulge my craving for green lacquer :-P), Essie mini nail polish in Flirty Girl ^_^, and some lovely extras :D! Skin Food samples (I'll use these on my neck & hope they help with whitening it to match my face ;D - see above on why one should wear SPF on one's neck too, I'm a prime example >:-D) and a Blistex roll-on cherry SPF lip balm :). I love cherries ^_^! They're probably my favourite fruit ;)...

Oh, and she included a business card. First time I saw that in a swap XD.

Swap 3 [England].

(For my 5 Oriflame Daydream Collection mechanical liners. I just didn't use them much - I prefer pencils. And toe separators as an extra - my little sister donated these ;D ^_^.)

A Bourjois mineral powder in Vanilla (looks a bit too dark in person, but it's the lightest shade, what can I do :-/?) and as extras, an Eyeko ad and make-up remover wipe :). And a note ^_^. It looks like recycled paper :D!

Yeah, I adore swaps ;D. Thanks for reading :)! I'll be doing Part 3 of the My Make-Up Collection series (lip products) soon ;).

My take on the whole dark eye & pink lip thing. Emphasis on 'my take'.

Inspiration here.

Stunning. But of course, when I tried to recreate it, I kept my pale skin, used pink blusher, and changed the eye make-up a bit. Resulting in...

This.

I know I'm not as beautiful as either Nic Nic or the model :-P. But I still love make-up so I still do these shoots - and anyway, anyone who finds me ugly doesn't have to read this XD.

This look is actually fairly simple. I don't do black eyes usually but it's not that hard regarding technique - just annoying when the (very black) pigment slides to its heart's content onto places where it shouldn't >:-). Here's the stuff you need...

Basic list: your usual matte look skin stuff, mascara, a curler, black eye shadow, black liner, white liner (naturally - it's my version :-P ;D), something pink for the cheeks (preferrably powder to enhance the matteness) and some baby pink lip product. Unusually for me, I chose gloss - but Nice Girl is my perfect baby pink ;).

Detailed explanation: read on.

Skin: Matte. Stick to your natural skin tone for this ;) - mine is pale :). I used my usual Tigi concealer, Tesco foundation in Porcelain, and Physicians Formula loose powder in Translucent.
The foundation is wonderful :) - and you can see that on the pic too, it makes my skin look flawlessly sculpted. And for the record, it's even lighter than my usual one ;). I'm very happy I took a chance on this supermarket product :).
Oh, and I almost forgot - Bourjois Apricote powder for contouring ;D.

Eyes: Black eye shadow all over the lid but not exceeding it (I used my birthday gift Wet & Wild quad ^_^), black liner (Oriflame Retro Chic) on the upper inner eyeline & around the eye, and white liner (of course, Oriflame Laurel & Hardy - I'll need a new white liner soon, it's like 3 cm long right now >:-D) on the lower inner eyeline. Mascara (Pucci Guerlain) on all lashes, and lots of it, and of course, curl (Revlon) ;).

Cheeks: Bourjois Little Round Pot in Rose Fougue.

Lips: Oriflame Plump & Gloss lip gloss in Nice Girl.

More pic spam :-P...

I'm trying to pose, but it's not really working :-P.

"Oh God, may I just please get one decent photograph?!?"

Failed attempt at a wink >:-D.

And of course, I had to pout :-P.

I will be camera-less for the next two weeks, so no looks >:-/, but I have some stuff prepared so I will be blogging ;). Thanks for reading :).

Bonus pic:

My little sister stuck her hand there. I laughed XD.