Patriotic nails

There is one other significant event starting today in my part of the world, Slovakia: IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Hardly a beauty moment, you might think :). However, it is a perfect opportunity to practice your nail and makeup skills (think face and body paint).

Here is my humble attempt at my sister's nails - it was done with a big heart, albeit not a perfect skill:)

I used all Essence products: multi dimension xxxl shine nail polish in 29 glam girl as a base (red), the three hills were painted with a nail art stylist and multi dimension xxxl whine nail polish 76 cool and the gang, the white cross with a french manicure tip painter. Have fun with your own creations :)

Bridal makeup

You can run, you can hide, but you will not escape the wedding of William and Catherine, and rightly so :). The excitement is just too contagious and really, it is hard not to be happy for them. I, for one thing, can not wait to see the wedding dress (a big surprise there!) but also the makeup Kate will be wearing. As she is a brunette with prominent features and this is a royal wedding, I do not expect anything too extravagant but simple, elegant and timeless - just as any bridal makeup should be.

There are some rules for bridal makeup:

• long-wear products are a must, together with a mattifying base 
• do not wear sun-block creams as they reflect under flash photography
• wear a waterproof mascara and a water resistant liner, for those emotional moments
• make sure you have blotting paper at hand
• set your makeup with a fixing spray
• ask for services by a professional makeup artist, whom you have tested beforehand

Miss Sporty nail expert - nutri complex

My nails are stubborn, refusing to grow. While this can have a number of reasons which I do not want to speculate about right now, let me show you my latest attempt to put things right - Miss Sporty nail expert nutri complex with vitamin E and calcium (DrogerieMarkt DM, 2,50 EUR).

It is a duo-phase nail care varnish, you need to shake it well before you apply it. Originally, I thought it would simply soak into the nails, leaving them oily, but I was wrong! It dries as a "normal" nail varnish, but with a soft sheen. I tried to use it as a base, but the top coat never dried (or maybe I was impatient...). I will continue using it and if it helps, I will let you know :)

Kruidvat makeup and skin care deal until 8. 5.

I am a fan of GOSH makeup primers and also of Olaz regenerist, so, should you also be interested in seeing how they work for you, pop into your nearest Kruidvat (like you need an excuse anyway, with Catrice updating their portfolio...:)). And you can always try to win either product...

Essence smokey eyes brush

It is not like I needed another brush, but I just wanted to see how good it is :)...and it was not expensive, 2,49 EUR (Kruidvat). I was hoping I could use it as a pencil brush and for the crease, as I had only two so far.

On the plus side, it does not have an overt cheapo feel. However, the synthetic bristles are not too dense and definitely not stiff, making it a soft - almost a blending - brush...if you have a lot of lid space, you could equally use it for your crease. I like to use it a smudging brush for the upper and lower eyeliner. As it is definited as a smokey eyes brush, the application is not precise, but it is alright for blending and smudging. As for the crease, I definitely prefer my Sigma pencil brush and T.LeClerc no 9.  Overall, I see this brush as a back-up, not essential, but nice to have, you know, just in case. :)

Urban Decay NAKED PALETTE

A huge surprise on Good Friday! I was sitting on the plane from Brussels to Bratislava (Ryanair) and I did not even check their offer (why would I...), when the air stewardess passed me by with a trolley, loaded with the ONE and ONLY, the BEAUTIFUL, the FANTASTIC, the ORIGINAL, the LEGENDARY NAKED PALETTE!!! I could not believe my luck! When I was trying to buy it in January in New York, all Sephora shops said the same thing - hopelessly sold out...so, of course I bought it, it cost 35 EUR. Ryanair has updated their sky shopping also with L'Oreal Studio Secrets smoothing resurfacing primer, 2x15 ml for 15 EUR, if I remember correctly...wow to Ryanair!

 

I know there have been volumes and volumes written about this object of desire for so many beauty addicts, but...It contains 12 shades (matte, shimmer, satin and sparkle), a cruelty free brush, and of course yet another legendary Urban Decay product - Eyeshadow primer potion (3,7 ml)- heaven!  :-)

I still have not tried it, so far I have been just admiring it (I have been longing for it for such a long time!), it is absolutely perfectly packed, so elegant...People on the plane thought I was buying a box of chocolate :-)

Shades: virgin, sin, naked, sidecar, buck, half baked, smog, darkhorse, toasted, hustle, creep, gunmetal