Review: Make Up Forever Mat velvet+ foundation

Hello everyone! Welcome to another one of my reviews.
Today I have for you one of these love or hate products! Things are simple... if you have dry skin, you'll hate that...but if you have combination or oily, you'll love that!
I got the Make Up For Ever Mat velvet+ foundation  last summer and I enjoyed it so much. But in the winter, I was scared to even  look at that.Because my skin had some dry patches, it kept staying like a "cupcake" on! But now that we have summer AGAIN, I reach for that very often. And I am totally in love with it again!
The coverage is medium to high, as you built it up. But it can easily look cakey. So, I wouldn't recommend putting a lot of amount on or use powder after (unless you know you are super oily). That is the main reason I like it. I know that it makes my face look almost flawless for many many hours without powdering or using extra concealer, even if the weather is really hot. It is also waterproof, so it's super appropriate for a pool party or any kinda day that you wanna look amazing at the beach! However, I don't like using it daily. I prefer a BB or something lighter. But what can I say? It is super powerful. It's also oil-free and didn't break me at all! Not even irritated my skin (and you hear that from one with a very sensitive one). 
As you can see in the pictures below, the bottle is plastic, not very classy and luxurious, but very convenient. This is a summer foundation for me, so the small, easy to carry, not breakable packaging is great for traveling!

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ foundation

Another huge plus for me is the color range. They come with lots of true skin colors and I found a very light one. If you have quite pale skin, like me, and have a difficulty finding a matching shade, this might work for you. My sister is very pale too and this matches her quite good. I have no020.

Swatch:  Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+  no 020

As far as application,I wouldn't suggest to apply this with your hands, because it can be difficult to work it in. But a buffing brush would do perfect! You might also wanna work this in parts because it dries quite fast. I found that spraying my brush with a spa water ( I use the one below from Vichy) makes blending easier with this foundation. It also gives a more natural finish.

Vichy Eau Thermale spa water face spray

So, that was all for today's review. Be sure to check this out guys if you do look for a summer foundation! What other foundations do you use? Let me know in the comments below. I'm always in the hunt for a new one!
Until my next post, have a lovely rest of the weekend!

Product rave: Body Shop Chocomania exfoliating soap

 Hey guys! Today I am back with the review that I promised in my last monthly favorites. Actually, it's more of a product rave than a review, cause I can't find anything bad to tell.
I started using Chocomania exfoliating soap from Body Shop last summer. As I mentioned in my last post, my dear friend Penny got this for my birthday inside a Lush body butter tin. It fits almost perfectly in there, after some uses. Plus, Lush little tins are so convenient to travel with, as they don't open very easily in the suitcase and take up only a little space.
The product itself  has the most addicting and sweet smell! It lasts almost all day and my skin smells amazing! I haven't used any solid or liquid soap that has such a lasting smell and basically, this is the reason that I'm so in love with it for one year straight! I haven't stopped using it since I got it. This is my third bar as it lasts about 4-5 months of almost daily use. I used other scrubs in the meantime but this is by far my favorite!
I use this one as a body scrub for not only my legs but even my arms and chest area. It can be a little harsh the first couple of times, but I got used to it and I saw improvement in my skin. In comparison to other softer scrubs that don't really work for me. The line that this product launched is called Chocomania and it claims to have a chocolate smell. However, I don't smell straight chocolate in it. I mostly smell cacao, like a more deep, not so warm smell like other chocolate scented body stuff! It is very unique though and very mature, not like just another yummy scent! The little bids that you can see in the pictures below are little coconut shells that exfoliate and give an amazing scent.

Body Shop Chocomania exfoliating soap

Body Shop Chocomania exfoliating soap 

In the same time the soap itself lathers really nicely, cleanses and moisturizes your skin with real cocoa butter.
The heart shape is really cute and fits really nicely in your hand, making it more easy to use.
Another plus for this product is the price. It costs about 3 euros for each of these 100g bars. I don't think that you cant find any scrub that good in this low price. It also comes in little ones but I think they are too small for an all over body scrub.

That was all for this post! Definitely go and check this product and I am sure that you'll love it! I am pretty sure that I am gonna have a bath and use it after I upload this post. The whole time that I am writing I have it standing in my desk and this is how much addicting that smell is!
Soooo, have a very nice relaxing rest of the weekend and  I will see you really soon! 

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Thanks a lot!

May Favorites!

Happy beginning of the summer!

Hey guys!
Today I have my monthly favorites for ya. This month has been full of little trips and fun moments for me.Maybe that's why I think it went by so fast. But....summer is coming and I get super excited for the rainbow colored nails,bikinis and of course going to the beach! I have already started my preparation for a descent tan. Although I never get pretty tanned! For that, I've been loving my Body Shop Chocomania soap. This stuff is amazing! One of my best friends actually got this for me as a birthday present. She knew I wanted to try an exfoliating soap and she picked it up randomly just because it was cute. It ended up being one of my favorite things in the wholeee world! It has the most addicting smell to it, plus it does a great job! The exfoliating bits are bigger than the common ones, but for keeping your tan or for using a fake tan, this is amazing. Below I have a picture for ya, but I am doing a full review for that soon, as I have so many thing to share with you about this product. So, stay tuned for that!

Body Shop Chocomania soap

So that was my body favorite. Moving on to my skincare one! This month, I finally decided to try again some short of face scrub. I've used face scrubs before but I had a bad reaction to it. Maybe the product was too harsh for my skin, or my skin didn't need as much scrubing. I don't know! But the thing is, I love this particular one and it is described as a 7day scrub which means I can use it everyday! This is the Clinique 7day scrub cream. So, what I do is to use it after my cleanser at night, to avoid any irritation with makeup. I follow with a rich moisturizer to replenish my skin or with my normal one if it is a very warm day. My skin feels really clean and refreshed after that! I will keep you guys updated with a review if I do have an improvement with fading red marks.

Clinique 7 day scrub cream

 

For my makeup, I have been using the Make Up Forever Mat velvet plus foundation. I actually have this bottle since last mid-summer. I purchased it, loved it and then forgot it. I tried to use it in the winter, but it was too dry for my skin at that time. If you have any short of dryness, I don't recommend that product. However, as it is getting warmer, this one has been a life-saver for me. It is oil-free and does not clog my pores at all. It has very nice coverage, almost high. It is also water proof, which makes it perfect for summer. And, if you have oily skin, you don't even need a powder with that! As the name says, it totally matifies your skin. I recommend using a tad bit highlighter with it, to make you look more natural.

Make Up For Ever mat velvet + matifying foundation

For my lips, I've been using almost every day my Clinique Chubby stick in the color 04 mega melon. I have done a review on the Chubby sticks in the past. You can read it here if you want.

This color is very complementary with a little tan or a more bronzed look. I found myself reaching for that every day after putting on some bronzer. I think they make a really nice summery look together. Plus it is amazing if you are in a hurry! Makes you look really polished.

Clinique Chubby stick in the color 04 mega melon

And to complete my "makeup in a hurry", (because as I told you this month was full of adventures for me!) , I put on a matt beige eyeshadow which made me look really fresh and awake with two coats of mascara. The eyeshadow that I've been using is a Korres one, in number 15 nude. Korres has really nice eyeshadows with flower extracts in them, for sensitive eyes or for people that use contact lenses, like me.

Korres eyeshadow in the color 15 nude

This month I have a candle favorite, too.  It's a tart from Yankee Candles and it's called Island spa. Very summery and citrus-y, but smells to me like a perfume! I think it has mandarin and lemon in it. Little tip: I use my tarts in little pieces (so that I don't get bored of the smell and switch to another) and store them in these little bags so that I keep the smell fresh.

Yankee Candles tart in the scent Island spa

For book favorites, my sister found the 3rd book of the UGLIES series that I told you in my last monthly favs. The excitement continues! If you haven't read those, just go and get them! Remind me a lot of hunger games.

Specials - third book of the Uglies series

And last but not least, I have rediscovered Once upon a time and I am hooked again. I think I lost my interest in the beginning of season 2, but it just got better and better again!

So, that was all for this month! I hope you had a great month and this one should be a lot better!

Stay tuned for a Body Shop soap review and make sure to subscribe to make it easier to follow me.

If you want to see my last monthly favorites just click here.
And if you want to see more pictures from the Chubby sticks, swatches and my review make sure to click here.

Have a lovely rest of the month, until my next post!

Today's arm candy: Swatch Full-Blooded watch

Hello guys!
Today's post is kinda random! The weather was so nice today! Finally summer is coming. I was actually having coffee with some friends and before heading out, I thought I would do a quick arm candy! These type of photos are so fun. So, I hope this would be interesting for you, too.

Main piece of my arm candy is my all time favorite watch. This is the Swatch Full-Blooded in the color blush. I have this probably 3 years now and I have enjoyed it so much! Very good quality and quite affordable in comparison to other similar ones. It is water resistant and has a very good battery. I actually haven't changed it since then. It comes into several colors and every year they come out with some limited edition colors. I've seen pretty cute lilac and minty ones, also burgundy and olive. Mine is on the permanent line and I personally think that among the other two metallic ones, is the best. It's not very cold like the silver one and not so intense like the gold one. Goes with everything, plus rose gold is still in fashion.

Then I have a plain bracelet with a "follow your heart" saying. I really like special jewelry like that with wishes or motivational quotes. I also have two random bangles, which I prefer because they are not too big for me. And last but not least, I have a silver-gold May Movement bracelet from last year. Mixing different metallic colors together is so much fun for me! 
In case you are wondering, on my nails I have Nails inc Stratford road from a limited edition set called Fashionistas.

Swatch full blooded watch

 

Stratford road - Nails inc

 So that was all for today!
Thanks a lot for checking out and be sure to subscribe if you liked it! 
Leave your comment below for any questions. I will be happy to help and communicate!
Until my next post, have a lovely rest of the week!

Revlon Minted nail polish

Good morning to all of you!
As you saw in my previous haul post, I got the Revlon Minted nail polish and I haven't stopped wearing it since then. My initial goal was to find a color similar to Orly's Jealous, much? minty nail polish which was part of their last spring collection. This was my favorite color last year and I was so sad when I run out of it. So, after I checked almost any minty nail polish in the market, I found the Revlon one is almost the same. The only difference is that Orly's is a little bit more muted, where the Revlon one is slightly a more bright color. Apart from that, they are literally identical.
Back to the description of the Revlon nail polish:
It is a plane minty pastel color, with no shimmer or metallicness in it. It needs about 2 to 3 coats to show as bright as I want. However, I don't mind because most pastels are really hard and create strokes. This one is a bit hard too, but as far as the result goes, it's worth it!
Definitely check this out if you are a minty nail polish lover and if you did love the Orly one!

Revlon nail polish in No028 Minted

Revlon Minted nail polish

Revlon Minted nail polish - 3 coats

Orly jealous,much? nail polish from spring collection 2012

If you haven't read my last Haul post where the Revlon nail polish is included, you can click here.

Thank you so much for checking!
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Have a very nice rest of the week!  

Monthly favorites: April !

Hello Hello!
I know I am a little bit late for my monthly favorites but excuse me as I am new to this concept! This is actually my first post for monthly favorites! But let's get started into the fun part!

First thing first, for skin care, I have been loving my La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat moisturizer. I am absolutely in love with La Roche Posay moisturizers. I had the Effaclar duo last year and I enjoyed it so much. I've been through several of these, as well as the Effaclar H that I have mentioned before in my blog. This time, I thought I should go for a matt finish, as summer is just around the corner! And I can assure you, this does the job! Amazing for the morning, after cleansing and as a base for make up. I have oily skin around this time of the year, but always with some dry patches. And this one is rich in water ,as every La Roche Posay moisturizer, without being too heavy or sticky. Amazing! Totally matt for at least half of the day.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat moisturizer

For body, I have been loving my Sephora moisturizing body lotion in Caramel-Toffee, which I am almost out of. It is so thin in texture and not greasy at all. My skin seems to love that! The smell is so warm and yummy! However, I am happy that I am running out, cause I get to buy a new one and smell all the summer scents! I loved caramel but it's more of a winter scent.

Sephora Toffee moisturizing body lotion

As a perfume, I have been obsessed with my Victoria's Secret  Secret Charm which smells like honeysuckle and jasmine! Basically the desciption says everything! Very spring-y smell!! I spray this on my body, clothes,even in my bedroom! That is how much I love it!

Victoria's Secret - Secret Charm in  honeysuckle and jasmine

For make up, I have been using all month my Sephora professionel eyeliner brush No19. This is a very very thin brush designed for lining your upper lash line. I use it for this reason with a matt dark brown eyeshadow for a more natural look. But I've also been using it, covering my spots or red marks with my Mac concealer. Sooo good!

Sephora professionel eyeliner brush No19

As a second make up favorite, I have been using buck eyeshadow from naked palette for my eyebrows. If you are a dark redhead or have warm brown hair, definitely try it out!

Buck eyeshadow from naked palette   -   I have depot-ed it in a Stilla magnetic pot

As for lips, I love love loveee my Lush Honey Trap lip balm. Especially as a base for my Maxfactor lip tint in color No04, a pretty berry color. This lip tint is quite dry and I found that together they work amazingly, giving me a nice tint for everyday!

 For nails, I have been loving Erre Due No1829 which is a very pretty green with a lot of fine green glitters and metallic finish. I know this is available only in Greece, but basically I am obsessed with any kind of mermaid color for my nails! There are some other really nice similar once out there. This will look so much better with a tan! I know...

Erre Due nail lacquer N01829

closer photo for Erre Due No1829 

For fashion favorite, I have this geometric statement necklace which has a glass effect with multiple colors! Goes with all of my outfits and I am sad cause I neglect everything else in my jewelry collection. Anything geometric seems to be really attracting to me this month! Dresses, bracelets, rings...

Pull&Bear geometric statement necklace

For TV show, I am hooked again on Hart of Dixie. Maybe because Pretty Little Liars and Carrie Diaries have stopped for this season. However, this season finale has been released, but luckily I am a bit late on the show. So, I have some episodes to catch up! Annabeth is my favorite character. Her hair, makeup and jewellery are always so inspiring for me!

For books, me and my sister just discovered the book series called UGLLIES. The other books have actually other names. They are not very new but I have never heard of them. However, I really liked them. Reminded a bit of hunger games! Looking forward to find the third book of the series! Let me know if you have read it! I think it's called SPECIALS.


So that was all for this month's favorite! It was so much fun collecting everything and combining them for this post! Hope there are some good recommendations for you!
Be sure to subscribe and support me!
Have a very nice rest of the week till the next post!

*If you want to learn more about Lush Honey Trap lip balm, this is a link to my review:
http://personatalist.blogspot.gr/2013/04/review-lush-honey-trap-lip-balm.html

*My thoughts on La Roche Posay Effaclar H moisturizer:
http://personatalist.blogspot.gr/2013/02/moisture-time-laroche-posche-effaclar-h.html

Haul: Clinique, Essence, Revlon and other random stuff

Hellooo every1!
Today I went for a little random shopping. There was actually a really nice sale on Clinique and I stopped by to check on some skin care products. I ended up buying a bunch. First, I got a set which came with the Clinique even better dark spot corrector, the same kinda lotion and the famous 7 day scrub, all in a pretty spring make up bag. These all three combined together, are very good for fading all kind of dark spots and discoloration including past acne marks and redness. As I am currently dealing with red marks left behind and red cheeks, I thought I should give it a try. The price was under 40 euro with the sale going on. Really nice for trying all these stuff including the corrector being almost full size (30ml)!

Clinique box : better, brighter skin 

purple-lilac makeup bag in medium size with lime details
from left to right: Clinique even better skin tone correcting lotion with SPF 20  (combination to oily skin),
 Clinique 7 day scrub cream for all skin types 50ml,
Clinique even better clinical dark spot corrector 30ml

Clinique even better skin tone correcting lotion with SPF 20  (combination to oily skin)

Clinique 7 day scrub cream for all skin types 50ml

Clinique even better clinical dark spot corrector 30ml

Then, I was searching to buy one of the new shades from Clinique Chubby sticks, but I ended up buying one of their butter shine lipsticks. I picked up the pink-a-boo, No 437. It's a very sheer peachy-pink balm-y lipstick. Very very moisturizing with a lot of shimmer in it. I normally don't go for so much shimmer, but this on feels very light on your lips and super shiny! Also, the shimmer is not chunky and you don't even feel it. Definitely check these out, cause this was the first time that I even saw them! They have a variety of colors, mostly sheer ones. This was around 15 euro with the sale too.

Clinique butter shine lipstick  

Clinique butter shine lipstick  in No 437, pink-a-boo

Clinique butter shine lipstick  in No 437, pink-a-boo

reflections in straight natural light

I also got an eyeshadow duo as a gift with my purchase, as well as some other skin care samples that I am trying out. The eyeshadows are perfect and I had to show them to you! The set is called beach plum and includes an amazing golden beige color and a dark plumy metallic one with golden shimmer in it. They are both very pigmented and have an amazing satin finish.

Clinique eyeshadow duo in beach plum

Then, I stopped at the Essence stand and I got a lip liner for 1,99euro which is far better than I even imagined. The color is very intense and seems to be quite long lasting. The color is 07 cute pink, a hot pink color which might be good as a lipstick-stain too.

Essence lip liner

Essence lip liner in 07 cute pink

I also got an orange-coral almost neon color from their new nail polish line, named off to miami!. 

Essence nail polish in off to miami!

As a pretty obsessed minty color fanatic, I decided to give it a shot with a minty shimmery eyeshadow from Essence called peppermint ice cream, which reminds me a lot of an Inglot one( I think No24) that is always out of stock. However, I swatched it at home and didn't really love it. Definitely not good as an all over color. But I am gonna give this another shot, as past Essence eyeshadows were quite good quality. This was also 1,99 I think.

Essence eyeshadow in peppermint ice cream 

Essence eyeshadow in peppermint ice cream 

My nail filer was all kinda dirty and old so I got a random one which then I noticed has hot pink glitters, kinda cool!Ha? 

But, next to the nail filer were the Revlon nail polishes. And of course I bought one! And of course it's minty! But I have an excuse for that. My favorite minty nail polish, Orly's Jealous much?, from last spring collection is almost out and has become a bit sticky. And I actually think these two are very similar. So, very excited for that! That was 7,50 euro, but I think that Revlon products are bit cheaper in other countries.

Revlon Minted nail polish

Last but not least, I got some samples from Valentino Valentina eau de parfum and a 50ml body lotion from the same scent. The bottle from the body lotion is very cool, with the flowers going on and the products itself has shimmer and a very nice satin finish.The perfume bottle is also very simple and gorgeous! The scent is very sensual and fresh. It has orange blossom, bergamont, wild strawberries, amber, cedar and white truffle. These all are very rare combined ingredients, making the smell very unique and familiar the same time. I am not a perfume girl, I don't really like heavy smelling ones, but this one, I actually consider buying for summer. Definitely go and smell that if you find yourself at a Valentino counter.

Valentino's Valentina satin body lotion

reflection to straight natural sunlight

So, that was a big post!! I hope this was fun for you! Let me know if you have tried any of these products and leave your thought down below on the comment section.
Thank you very much for checking and don't forget to subscribe before leaving! 
See you in my next post.