March Haul: YSL, The Body Shop, Sports Zone plus Carnival Costume!

I've not been feeling very well these past few days, so nothing better than some retail teraphy... right?

The Body Shop is one of my all time favorite stores since FOREVER, so even when I'm not byuing anything, I always like to go there just for the scents, the great colors and awesome products. Today I actually needed some things so I hopped there and did my monthly hair and face routine buys.

I ran out of my current facial cleanser and I wanted to try this new organic range from them for ages, so I grabbed the Nutriganics Foaming Facial Wash. I think this is for all types of skin which is great for my combination skin.
My hair has been really dry and dull these past few weeks, and I've been hearing so much good things about these products that I had to bought the Banana Shampoo & Conditioner. They smell divine!!
I wanted the Coconut oil Hair shine since forever so this time I couldn't help it and bought one... it's smells really good and it's not heavy on my fine hair.
I also renewed my Love your Body card which everyone who shops there should have one! It gives you amazing discounts, plus you'll get the 10euros back worth of products on your birthday ;)

YSL Touche Éclat - This isone of the most sold make-up products in the world. And it promises wonders, so I had to try it out. It's expensive (33 euros) but if so many people are buying it must be great right? I got mine in shade 1, and I can't wait to try it!

With all my emotional eating, I've gain 4 pounds these past few weeks, so I'm back at the eating healthy and fitness wagon! And nothing better then some cute new workout closes to kick things up! Sports Zone has the best and cheapest bits out there, love the quality!

Finally, we are celebrating Carnival here in Portugal nest Tuesday, and I'll be going out to celebrate it with some friends. I choose the most cliché costume out there ahahah a BUNNY!!!! I went to Claire's and bought these cute set with bunny hears, bottom, gloves and a bow! I will go with a light pink top and some cute white pants.. I think it will look cute (:

Estée Lauder Signature Lipsticks

If you live in Portugal and you love fashion and magazines then you'll know that in January, Vogue Portugal surprised us with some awesome Estée Lauder Lipsticks as a gift. I live in Lisbon and it was chaos to get these lipsticks, because they were all sold out! Luckily, I got my hands into two copies (both a gift from my mom and my ex) and I was really excited with the shades and the amazing quality lipsticks! The shades that I choose were 53 Cranberry and 13 Cocoa Rose.

Cocoa Rose

(I'm sorry for the non make-up face and messy hair ahaha)

This is my all time favorite lipstick at the moment. It looks like a bold color, but it's really natural as you can see from the picture above. You can build up the color, but it will always look subtle. This is the perfect shade for me. It's an everyday color yet it can be worn on a night out and you can still rock the evening look. It has a satin finish and doesn't dry out your lips.

Cranberry

Cranberry is the perfect Marilyn Monroe lip. It's really long lasting but doesn't dry out or make your lips flaky. It's not a subtle shade like Cocoa Rose, even though is a softer red it will always show up as a blood red color on your lips... It's beautiful. You can always soften it with some lipgloss over it, that's what I do when I'm trying to reach a more natural look.

Overall, these are great lipsticks that I would definitely splurge just for the quality, so thank you Vogue!

I would love to know which are your favorite lipstick brands! xoxo* 

February Fashion and Make-up Haul: New Look, H&M, Bershka and MAC

Hi Ladies! It's been too long I know... School has been taking all my time which is a shame, but I'll try to catch on (:

I wasn't planing on buying that much this month because I bought a HUGE order of Lingerie from New Look, and I have to say that I love everything. Great quality, great prices... and cute bits!! I bought 4 sets of lingerie and it was about 60 euros with shipping included... If I would bought it here in Portugal it would cost much more since a bra it's like 20 euros.... I'm not going to show you what I've got, I don't think it would be appropriated (ahahaha) but you can check the New Look website here.

I went to H&M trying to find a cute and light cardigan for spring, and they had a lot of them! I was lost in there and wanted everything! They had beautiful navy blues and light pinks and grays that I couldn't resist... But I have too much pink and blue stuff so I got this light cream one for 20 euros in xs (They run bigger).

I never liked aviator sunglasses to be honest. I thought they would look awful on me and everyone had a pair so I always ignore them... Well, I love the show "Californication" and Karen always rocks a silver pair beautifully, so the show made me bought some silver aviator sunglasses ahaha they were 5 euros in H&M. Then I needed some basic long vests, so I went to Bershka and bought 3 cute vests for 4 euros each. I choose the size L because they run longer and are more flowy. I have a small torso and a big bust so choosing tops it's always hard, because they never fit perfectly, always too small on the bust and too baggy on the torso, I found that choosing a bigger size will balance things out more, so it's a great tip if you are like me (32C/D).

Mac is on of my favorite make-up brands. Great quality and colors, but they are REALLY expensive here in Portugal. They came out with some beautiful collections these past few months, especially Cham Pale and Peacocky Collections. I had the Eye Khol "I get no kick" in my head since December and I REALLY wanted it so I finally got my hands on one and I'm addicted! I use it for everything! Lining the upper and waterline, lining the lips, highlighting etc... It has become on of my favorite make-up items!
From the Peacocky collection I got a metallic eye shadow in "Top of the Posh" , a beautiful light metallic pink shade and Kissable Lipcolor in Enchantée which is a lipstick in lipgloss form. I'm loving all these products!!!!

I have been running out of my fragrances so a friend bought me the new Britney Spears fragrance called "Radiance". It's has a beautiful sweet yet floral scent which is quite light and flirty, I'm really liking this fragrance right now. The packaging is a little bit tacky for me, but it's the scent that counts and I love it, so no biggy!

This was my little haul of the month, I'm sorry I've been away. My life has changed a lot and I'm trying to fire out a lot of things and trying to focus more on College. I'm going to catch up on all your blogs right now and Thanks for all your sweet and empowering comments on my latest post, it really meant A LOT to me <3

Celebrity Style and Make-up Inspired: Jessica Simpson

Since I started to care about fashion, one of my biggest "role models" in style is Jessica Simpson. We just have to admit, she always looks good. Even in the make-up and hair department, she always looks polished yet natural. Even though she sang about her Levis jeans and a T-shirt, if you look closer enough to her casual looks a blouse and jeans is always what she opts for. And trust me, I know her every looks.
Jessica's favorite make-up look is the natural smokey brown, which looks gorgeous on her and it's great for day and night. So in this post, fashion wise it will be all about blouses and jeans, and the make-up part will be all about a bronzed-brown natural look, inspired by Jessica Simpson.

 Style

Jessica often rocks a fitted slim blouse which looks gorgeous on her. I love the way she pairs it with some jeans which tones down the professional look of a blouse. She always wears heels, so a skinny jean with winter boots or even a boot cut jean with some booties would look really elegant and casual.

(Cardi:Zara, Blouse:Bershka, Jeans:Bershka, boots: Seaside, Belt: Pull & Bear, Earrings:Natura, Bag: Misaku)

I recreated this look with a black cotton cardi for the spring or if you don't want to show much skin. I wore high heel boots and skinny jeans tucked into the boots, just like she always does. Large gold hoop hearings are a must with this look (You'll see them better on the last pic), it will give you a much more classy look. Jessica always likes big belts, so I tought I would use a dark one.

Oversized blouses are a staple in Jessica's closet! She wears them a lot, especially on casual days. She loves to wear them with just shorts or jeans and sometimes she likes to play with the accessories like in the third picture. She often chooses ones with patterns, especially when she made a switch to country music.

(Blouse: Massimo Dutti, Jeans: Bershka, Belt: Pull & Bear, Sunglasses: Jessica Simpson Collection, Bag: Misaku)

To recreate this look I choose a simple blue blouse with vertical tin stripes and some boot-cut destroyed jeans. As an accessory I only wore a a silver necklace which complimented the look very well. This look is more casual than the previous one, but it's much more comfortable and versatile. You could wear it with any snickers, booties, high heels or boots. I only thought it would be appropriated to use some brown shades from the JS Collection as well ;)

The Make-up look 

Jessica Simpson's make-up it's very natural, but she uses a lot of it. I love her make-up looks, because it's hard to wear a lot of make-up and look so natural but she does it quite well I must say. 

As you can see from the pictures above, brown and bronzed looks are her favorites. She rocks them on the red carpet, photoshoots or in an everyday basis, so I'll recreate that one.

This look is very simple and you don't need a lot of eye-shadows, the most important thing is the base. She always has a flawless glowy face.  

For the eyes, I used a light bronze shimmery shade at the lid and blend it really well. Then with the same shade, I lined the outer part, really closed to the waterline. For the crease, I choose a dark brown shade and blended it with the bronze shade. I really blended well, so it won't look too harsh. With a white eye shadow I just highlighted the brow bone and the inner conner of the eyes. To line my eyes, I choose a matte black eye shadow to look more natural, and did it really closer to my lash line. Then I used a white khol pencil to line my water line, so my eyes would look bigger.

For the macara I used one of Jessica's favorite: L'oreal Voluminous (bottom lashes as well, Jessica always puts on her lower lashes)! Because it clumps a little bit, I top coted it with Benefit mascara. Jessica has big eyes, and so do I, so this look suited me really well! Here are the products I used for the eyes (I forgot to photograph the eye liner (duh) it's the L'oreal Khol pencil in white):

Now for the rest of my face, I had to use a lot of bronzer, because she makes sure she's always tanned! I also had to go back to a liquid foundation because she always has a dewy natural finish. 

For the cheeks, I opted for a rosy light blush and little bit of a bronze color on top, to give it a more coral and bronzed look. I highlighted the top of my cheek bones AND on the tip of my nose! Yes, this is her trick to cover the bump on her nose, I also have one, so I had to do this trick! 

For the lips, I choose one of Jessica's favorite lipsticks which is Angel a satin soft pink lipstick, and on top a nude/pastel lipgloss for a more natural and fresh look.

Here are the products I used to create the base and the lip products:

 

Now here it is the finished look: Jessica Simpson Brown smokey look

(Click on the pic to see it bigger)

I really hope you guys enjoyed this post, it took me a lot of time to photograph everything, and choose the clothes ahaha but I really loved doing this and I can do more inspired looks if you want me too! 

oh! I did nothing with my hair because she mostly wears it naturally, so I thought I would do the same, plus with these pictures you can see the hoops better (:

 xoxo*

January Cosmetic and Fashion Haul! Plus Golden Globes Favorite Dresses

Hi Ladies! Today I'll write a double post! One about my purchases for the month and other part about the Golden Globes which I watched until 3 am last night!Let's start with the cosmetic and fashion haul!

1. Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Blonde Brilliance Shampoo Light Cool Ice
2. Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Blonde Brilliance Conditioner
3. Redken Spray Starch 15
4. Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme Treatment
5. Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara in Black
6. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Real Sand
7. Laura Mercier Mineral Primer

To see prices and more information about the products I bought you can click on their names!I'll try and make a review about them once I use them enough.
Now onto the fashion haul... All the clothes and accessories were bought on my favorite store Stradivarious!

I didn't bought to many things because I'm trying to save for the summer, and everything was on sale so I had to carefully pick the things I most wanted before I would be "allured" by the awesome good prices. I told myself I wouldn't buy anything this sale season because it's ridiculous, but I really wanted these items.

 

I spilled coffee on my O'neill wallet so I had to buy another one, and I feel in Love with this one, especially because of the color.I wasn't supposed to buy it because it wasn't on sale (it's part of their new collection) but my boyfriend was a cutie pie and bought me this and the sweater <3

This waist belt is the perfect fit and color for me! I really wanted one for ages but never got the chance to buy one I really liked. I fell in love with this at first sight, especially when I saw it was only 4€!!!

I was debating on buying this plaid sweater because it was two sizes bigger than my normal size which is an XS to a S. I didn't wanted to buy it in a slim fit because I wanted to wear leggings and jeggings with it and it has to be bigger, plus I had a great idea of wearing it in  the spring with just a tank top underneath. It would look really casual. Then my boyfriend got me out of my misery and bought it for me :P

These leggings were my favorite purchase of the day! I was searching all the clothing store for leggings that resembles jeans and off course I had to find them in my favorite store! These are so comfortable because they look of jeans but had that soft legging material. Even though they are a little bigger on my legs, I love them and can't wait to wear them!

Portuguese Vogue is offering an Estee Lauder signature lipstick for only an euro more!! I bought two magazines to get the two shades I wanted but only took picture of the red one because the bronze color is on my boyfriends house! This one is in Cranberry and it's a lovely matte red lipstick!

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Golden Globes Favorite Dresses

 

Angelina Jolie looked gorgeous with this emerald green long sleeve dress by Atelier Versace. I loved the classic and elegant look. This color only brought out more her beautiful eyes and fair skin. This has to be my favorite one. 

 I have to admit that I was really scared about what she would dress and look like and was pleasantly surprised. Loved this skin colored lace sexy dress by Zuhair Murad. I love all mermaid type dresses and this one was glamorous and elegant. Wish she would choose another fit though, especially on top. But overall, Christina Aguilera was gorgeous!

Sofia Vergara was all the things I was looking for in the Golden Globes : Color and Curves! This dress by Vera Wang really shows off her curves without looking trashy. The color only accentuates her tanned skin and she looked absolutely stunning!

So these were my top 3 choices for the Golden Globes, which were yours?

Hair History: Going Back to my Roots

I was born with blonde golden hair. I had ( and have) a big head with almost no hair on it. I was really fair so it was cute. When I was around 2-3 years old my hair start to curl up, and I had cute waves and curls until I was 4 years old... Then my hair start becoming super straight as you can see in the pictures above. My hair turned into a dark golden blonde with highlights. I had brown, red and light blonde highlights through my my hair naturally so I always heard a lot of compliments since I was a child because my hair was so dimensional (lol).

 

This is my natural hair color (dark blonde). I was 15 to 17 years old in these pictures and it was the last time I had my natural color.  Once I hit 17, I wanted to have dark hair, because since I was a child I wanted to be a brunette. My best friends were all brunettes with beautiful full dark hair and dark skin, and I was a pale girl with the weird colored hair... that was my perspective, so I dyed it dark brown (picture bellow), and it looked horrible. I loved it at the time, because my hazel eyes were so bright and finally I was a brunette! I remember my friends and family being like "what did you do to your hair??? It looks so bad!!!" and I was really impressed about their honesty and finally did something about it. I dyed it platinum blonde ahahaha which I think suited me quite well because of my fair skin and it looked natural. I had it light blonde for 3 years and finally decided I should darken up to a medium blonde which is what my hair is now, you'll see in the pictures bellow (last one on the right).

(above: when I dyed it dark brown (2007)

bellow: platinum blonde & my current hair color)

I have really fine straight hair which can be damaged really easily, so all the hair coloring has taken it's tool. One of my new years resolutions is to get back into my natural hair color a dark blonde with highlights. I really prefer a healthy hair to a super light blonde hair. My hair is a level 7 so I search for a permanent color with that level and found a Garnier Nutrisse shade that resembles a lot my natural color.

(Garnier Nutrisse 7.0 Almond Creme)

I have used Garnier Nutrisse before and really liked the results and the way it did my hair feel. The color was really long lasting and it didn't damaged my hair like other permanent hair colors did before, so I choose this one.
I'm going to show you some before and after pictures so you can see the final results and my thoughts of this hair color and shade! 

 (Click on the picture to see it bigger)

I loved the end results. It looks very natural and I still have some highlights. I did left the color for more time (35 minutes) and really saturated my ends because they were the lightest part. On natural light it looks like a dark natural blonde which I love!!! I don't think I'll go back to dye my hair back to light blonde, it really damaged it and I don't want that.

The color will eventually fade and I'll have to keep the dark color, I'm thinking of trying Clairol perfect 10 but it's been quite hard finding the shade 7 and a place online where I can buy it because her in Portugal Clairol it's not available. So if I ever try I'll definitely show you guys the results if you want!

Show me how you BURLESQUE!

If you know me AT ALL you'll know one thing: Since I was 9 years old I am obsessed with Christina Aguilera. I know, it's not that interesting of a fact, but it's mine.
I remember the first time I saw her music video for "Genie in a Bottle", I was at my old cousins house watching mtv and her video came up... and I was hooked. Since then, I've collected every magazine, album, dvd, book, interviews and documentaries involving her. My friends at school called me Marysa Aguilera because I would be always singing her songs and trying to be her like every teen girl out there.You can ask me anything about this woman, I will answer you right away because I know... I still know every dance move she did on her videos and performances. I know almost every interview out there and used them a lot in school on my oral presentations because I love the way she talks and presents herself.
My boyfriend says I look like her (which I know I DON'T) because we have the same ways... I talk like her and move like her, it's really odd. I have seen so many things from her over the years that I have her ways now without even noticing, even the voice... it's really weird and I tried to changed it but I can't ahahah I guess I have grown watching her and admiring her so I picked up some things from her. All her albums helped me a lot, especially the album Stripped, her songs "Cruz" and "Soar" were my signature ones ehehe Now I can't choose a favorite, just don't ask me to do that ok?

Now that I gave you this huge introduction, I'm going to talk about her first movie "Burlesque". Today was my 4th anniversary with my boyfriend, and to celebrate he knew how much I wanted to see "Burlesque" but couldn't go before because I have finals... so he choose today and didn't mind coming with me to see this movie. I have to say, when the movie starts and Christina (Ali) talks I start shaking of happiness... Then she started to sing "Something's got a Hold on me" and I was glued to the chair.

The musicals were beautiful. The dance moves, the vocals, the instrumentals and the effects were gorgeous. Sensual girls dancing, beautiful music and background... you will left the cinema so inspired you will want to go home, put on a dark eye liner and a red lipstick and just dance on top of a chair!
All the actors and actresses were all very well known and did a great job, even Christina did really well! But I have to say that the star was Cher. Powerful yet graceful, Cher was back to her old days of acting and singing and gave her all. When the song "You haven't seen the Last of me" was on, you could feel her pain and hope, it was really emotional and beautiful. 

Even though the story isn't that original, it will give you a message of hope and that everything is possible, you'll just have to fight for it. It captured perfectly the feel and vibe to Burlesque, adding a a more modern vibe to it without taking it out of concept. Even if you don't like musicals, the image effects and mix of genre of music will catch your attention and you'll definitely be entertained.
I am a hard rock fan of Christina Aguilera but you can trust my word when I say you will not be disappointed!

I already had the soundtrack since the beginning of December so I knew the words to all the songs! It's a beautiful soundtrack that every musical fan should have! You can buy it on amazon like me, just click the image below (:

You can check out the official movie site with lots of downloads and information about the movie here!

Facial Skin Care Routine: Lush, Laura Mercier & Clarins

  

1.  Lush Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser
2. Laura Mercier Moisturizer Cream with spf 15
3. Lush Ultra Bland cleanser
4. Clarins Eye Contour Gel

Hi Ladies! I hope you all had a great New Years and I wish all my readers a wonderful new year with lots of love <3
I'm going to start the New Year talking about skin care which is the most important part of every beauty routine. You have to find the right products for your skin type. It's not easy, it takes a lot of money spending and breakouts to find the perfect products sometimes, but you'll get there!

Right now I have combination skin which means that I have some oily, dry and normal parts of my skin. The key to any skin care or make-up or even fashion is balance. So with your skin care, you'll gave to look for balance. I found that these products give my skin the perfect balance, so at the end of the day my skin looks normal and not dry or oily.
I don't use a toner. For me there's not need for it. So a cleanser and a moisturizer it's only what I need.Then I use a make-up remover at night and an eye gel at day and night.

The Cleanser: Angels on Bare Skin by Lush

 

"Angels on Bare Skin is the Lush version of an expensive medieval skincare recipe. Rare, precious essential oils were first brought to Europe by the crusaders who encountered Arabian medicine.  

Rose oil and lavender oil were discovered to do wonderful things for the skin, too, while the gentle exfoliation of the almonds helps to keep the skin clear and improve the texture of the skin. Lavender is extremely soothing for the skin."

Ingredients: Ground Almonds (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Kaolin, Water (Aqua), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Tagetes Oil (Tagetes minuta), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax tonkinensis pierre), Lavender Flowers (Lavandula angustifolia), *Limonene, *Linalool

*Occurs naturally in essential oils

This is by far the best cleanser I have ever tried. It's cleanses my skin gently while exfoliating and cleaning it in the perfect way. I have sensitive skin and this doesn't irritates or dry out my skin. This product it's the first step to that perfect balance that my skin needs. The scent isn't overpowering or bad, it smells like lavender.

The moisturizer: Laura Mercier Moisturizer Cream with spf 15

"Laura Mercier Moisturizer Cream with SPF 15 is lightweight and silky smooth moisturizer with technologically advanced formulas that "read" the skin to provide it exactly what it needs. Protects the skin from UVA/UVB rays, Absorbed instantly into the skin,Vitamins C and E act as powerful antioxidants, Allantoin soothes, calms, heals and protects skin, Provides anti-aging benefits, Keeps skin pH balanced, Best used for normal to oily skin types, as well as sensitive types."

Active Ingredients:  Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.  
Other Ingredients: Aqua Purificata (Purified Water), Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl Dimethicone Copolyol, Hexyl Laurate, Dimethicone, Emulsifying Wax NF, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Castor Oil, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, Dromiceius (Emu Oil), Tocopheryl Acetate (vitamin E Acetate), Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Carbomer, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Linalool.

I was expecting miracles from this cream because  it was a little bit expensive and I'm not disappointed. It provides the perfect balance for my skin without giving an oily feeling to it. It's very light weight and creamy and it has a light scent. I love how it smooths my skin and kind of blurs my imperfections. It's perfect base for make-up. 

The Make-Up Remover: Ultra Bland Cleanser by Lush

"Ultrabland is a huge cult product. With a new almond oil base, this cream cleanser takes off make-up and cares for your face. It's gentle, but the deeply-cleansing oils reach down and remove stubborn dirt and makeup. Helen has used it every day for 13 years and has never looked back."

Ingredients: VEGETARIAN, Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Rose Water (Rosa damascena), Beeswax (Cera alba), Honey (Mel), Fresh Iris Extract (Iris florentina), Glycerine, Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Tincture of Benzoin (Styrax benzoin), Methylparaben, Propylparaben}

*Occurs naturally in essential oils 

I use this cleanser to remove my make-up at night. It removes everything in a gently way and leaves your skin with a glowy and dewy finish to it. It's just perfect! Some people say it is too oily and maybe they are using it wrong. I remove this with a warm wash cloth or my skin would have an oily residue.

Clarins eye gel

I don't really like this product. It's a bit expensive for what it is... and it honestly does nothing for my dark circles. I use it everyday because I spent some money on it and I want to finish it up before I start using the nivea aqua one.

So that's it! I usually change my skin care routine once the seasons change because or skin changes as well, but this is by far my favorite one. I'll recommend to everyone the cleanser by Lush because it's just heaven!
I exfoliate once a week with the magic peeling glove like I said in previous pots, so I didn't feel the need to incorporate it here as well.

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I just bought in Spain a cute Marilyn Monroe board to hang on my room... I think it looks really pretty and it gives a more girly yet classy look to my room. I love the conjunction of pink and white as you can see, and with the red lips on the picture it just gives a pop... I kind of love it <3

Do you have any on your bed room like me? Or you like to keep it simple? xoxo*