Embarrassingly late Swap Update...

Here's the last bunch of unposted swaps from, um, late 2009. I'd totally forgotten about them until I found the pictures. Here goes...

Swap 1 [Malaysia].

This was my second swap with Hanna :). This time, the stuff I sent her went missing :(, but she was kind enough to allow me to send her a replacement and keep what she'd sent me.

A note from her :), Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, Barry M Lip Paint in 52, Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick in Sugar Honey, Stila Brow Set in Warm, Laura Mercier mini eye liner in Mahogany Brown, Avon Naturals Whitening Anti-Marks Cream & Whitening Day Cream SPF 15, a sample of Etude House Perfect Proof Sun Guard SPF 50, and a
Skin Food Black Bean Nose Pack.



Hopefully she'll resume blogging one day :).

Swap 2 [England, Kaleidoscope palette swapper].

Superdrug Vitamin E Moisture Cream SPF 15, Ruby & Millie A Decade Of Colour Anniversary Quad, Bourjois Shimmering Shine Liquid Eye Shadow in Gris Platine, NYX Eye Shadows in Slate, Champagne and Highlight, Milani eye shadow quad in Blooming Fields, Almay Whipped Gloss in Pink Cloud, Sally Hansen Line Smoothing Mineral Lip Treatment in Citrine, Revlon lip gloss in Pink Afterglow & Flirt! Plushious Liquid Velvet Lipcolour in Red Stiletto.

Wouldn't recommend the Superdrug cream :-/.

And here's a close-up of the Ruby & Millie quad, 'cause it's gorgeous :).

Swap 3 [The USA].



Revlon Mineral Mousse foundation in Fair/Light. Plus an adorable mini nail polish as an extra ^_^.

The foundation isn't as pale as I normally like mine to be, but it is light & looks natural.

Swap 4 [England, same swapper].

Urban Decay eye shadow in Heat & yet another Revlon quad - this time, it's Nude Elements.

I can never have too many red eye shadows ;).

Or should I just say eye shadows?



Swap 5 [Italy, the swapper I got my Goldfinger orange lip pencil from].

Pout retractable liner in Eye Envy You & Canmake lipstick in 14. She also added a sample of body lotion as an extra :).



Thanks for looking :).

I didn't arrange any swaps this year - the more stuff I own, the less I 'need' ;). But I'm thinking of getting back into it. We shall see.

Swap update...Oh, and an Italian products giveaway ^_^!

*Waiting for my new phone to fully charge ;). This :)...

*How adorable are these new Bourjois trios ^_^? I can't wait for them to come out :D! Got my eye set on the smokey one ;)...

*I don't usually do this, but I tend to make an exception for Euro bloggers 'cause I'd love to have more of us around :-P. So, if you'd like to win some gorgeous products by Pupa and Deborah (for reference, I used Pupa eye shadow for this look ;D - please excuse my face and note the wonderful eye shadow!), all you have to do is follow this lovely blog :), and then blog about the giveaway yourself ;).
This is especially brilliant for those of you who don't live in Europe, because you'll be able to try a lovely brand you don't have access to :). So get entering ;D.

Now for the Swap Update...

Swap 1 [England, Kaleidoscope (regular) swapper. Explanation for new readers: I've nicknamed her that because that was the first thing we ever swapped for ;).].

(For a partly used tube of Piz Buin suncreen, two Korres Lip Butters (Wild Rose & Jasmine), a Korres Body Butter in Quince, Avon lipsticks in Frozen Rose and Berry Berry Nice, a pot of Oriflame Radiance Energy cream, and extras as usual.)

Amie (French, rhymes with 'cherie') Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash, Superdrug Simply Pure Eye Make-Up Remover (I thought I'd include it in the multi-swap 'cause I needed some), Nivea moisturising fluid for my sister, Complex moisturising fluid (this didn't work for me at all and I re-swapped it), Boots Botanics Organic Face Hydrating Day Cream, Milani eye shadow in Leaf Green, C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint (rosy tint), Ultra Mentha Lip Shine (the strongest of the three) and Orange Mentha Lip Shine (smells & tastes like Fanta :-P), a Bourjois chocolate highlighter (a.k.a. Delice De Poudre Highlighting Powder in 53) for my sister (yes, I'm nice ^_^), a Revlon eye shadow quad in Neutral Khakis, Jane Endless Eyes liquid liners in Darkest Blue and Charcoal (these were kind of dry though, especially the blue one), Urban Decay Pleather Pencil in O (re-swapped, not my colour at all :-/), Revlon lipstick in Pink Pout and NYX lipstick in Athena. I also got a Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds lip gloss in Spoiled In Rubies and a nameless Milani gloss as extras :), but I ended up swapping those.

The C.O. Bigelow stuff makes my mouth feel cold, so it's simply brilliant for the summer :).

I'll be reviewing the skincare sometime in the near future ;). So far, I'm happy with the ones I've kept :).

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

Urban Decay Pleather Pencil in O (I'm guessing that refers to the book? Or perhaps it's a zero...), Revlon Pink Pout and NYX Athena. Athena's great if you're looking for a frosty, almost white shade of pink.

Swap 2 [The USA].

(For a Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine, three Oriflame Visions cream eye shadows, and extras.)

Jean Paul Gaultier MaDame and L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani samples (the latter was an extra and I gave it to my sister 'cause it's awful XD), Stila It Gloss in Fetching, Hard Candy eye shadow in Platinum Loner, Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush mini lip gloss in Sugar High (tastes so good), the Too Faced Love Lisa Beauty Battle Box ^_^, and my new staple - a gold Shisem eyelash curler ;).

Here's a close-up of the palette :).

(Yes, the cheek section has smashed in transit, but I don't really mind because it can still be used.)

Swap 3 [The USA - second swap with the girl I got my Mark Vintage Khaki eye shadow from ;)].

(For my Urban Decay Pleather Pencil in O, Sephora tinted moisturiser, and lots of extras - I was feeling guilty about not sending any the first time.)

An Urban Decay XXX Shine Cooling Lip Gloss in Guys Love Betsey (beautiful organic-looking red), Physicians Formula organic bronzer in Natural Glow (this is light enough to wear on cheeks & use for contouring - you know I don't do tanned skin ;D), and a Markwins eyes & cheeks palette as an extra :). The cheek colour's surprisingly pigmented and glowy, and I'll be trying the shadows soon.

I'd post more, but I'm limited to 20 labels per post >:-), so they'll have to come up in my next ;D. Thanks for reading :).

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 ^_^.

Most cunning Tag ever >:-) & some more new stuff ^_^. From swaps. Naturally :-P.

[Courtesy of Fuz and Crystal >:-). I did see this tag in the morning but I had no time to blog then :-P ^_^.]

Rules: Take a picture of yourself RIGHT now. No primping or preparing. Just snap a picture. Load the picture onto your blog. Tag some people to play.

Well, it's not too ugly.

Usual skin stuff, some light clay shadow on the eyes (from my Oriflame 36 colour palette), Rimmel mascara, Bourjois powder as a cheek colour :-P (more on that thing below ;D)...My lip colour has worn off :-P ;).

I am not tagging anyone - this is just too cruel.

Swap love :-P ^_^...

Swap 1 [The Netherlands].

(For my L'Oreal Metamorphosis palette, Avon Orchid Delight duo, and some sample extras.)

A Bourjois powder in Apricote, that I'll be using as a cheek colour, and for contouring ;). It's too dark to use as a powder, but makes a wonderful peach blusher - I can't believe some people have skin this orange though. It's hard to imagine :-/. But I guess it's true XD.
I want to try this thing as an eye shadow ;D.

And extras ^_^! I'm not sure what that Sabon Vanilla & Coconut sample is (it appears to be a scrub), but it smells heavenly. If you ever come across stuff by this brand, grab something - you won't regret it ;D ^_^.
And Lancome mini cream tubes: Primordiale Optimum Nuit Visibly Skin Regenerating Night Treatment and Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Anti-Stress Moisturising Cream Fluid. I'm giving these away 'cause Lancome tests on animals (and only skin stuff that has been tested on people has ever worked well for me) and I think I'm too young to use these, but they'll be appreciated :).

Swap 2 [England - second swap with Kaleidoscope palette swapper ;D].

And I'm already planning our third. She's wonderful :). Behold my lovely package...

(For 4 mini Bourjois cream blushes, and some extras.)

Unbelievable :').

Wet & Wild Celestial Realm quad, Milani Denim Blues quad (extra!), Wet & Wild Belgian Chocolates trio, 2 Wet & Wild lipsticks, Mary Kay Safari Sunset duo, Barry M Dazzle Dust (my first, yay ^_^!) in Khaki (though it isn't khaki :-P), Nails Inc nail polish in Victoria, a Dr. Brandt Infinite Moisture moisturiser sample :D (extra!), a Tarte lip balm in Thursday, no that isn't MAC :-P - it's a Wet & Wild shadow in Cornflower in MAC packaging ;D, lol, a Clarins Gentle Night Cream mini tube (extra!), and Prestige eye shadow in Indigo.

A blues quad and expensive skincare - as extras?!?

She is so incredibly kind. I can't wait to swap with her again :).

Here's the Wet & Wild shadow...

I did think it was MAC, at first XD. It looks kinda cute in there :-P ;D...

Thanks for surviving my ugly Tag pic >:-D.

(Not that I ever look good. OK, must not let thoughts of that kind take over me, it never ends well...)

To end this on a positive note...More swaps coming up ^_^. Can't wait :D ;).