Carmen Bota

First of all it's sunblock. It makes me feel safe, protected at any moment during the day. This is a feeling that I want to be with me during the holidays. Moreover, Antheliox XL with SPF 50+ is a lovely product, perfect for everyday use. I will tell you more on a separate post.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01. Nothing looks more adorable that a red matte lipstick on a pale glowing skin (I achieve that look by protecting my skin with LRP Anthelios XL and by using the mineral booster as a finishing product). This also gives a more festive vibe to my look, completed by...

What are you wearing this Christmas?

Things have changed in a heartbeat lately. As you already know I really like trying new products and that is because 1.my needs change all the time (take for example my skin) and 2.because if one product doesn't convince me, I am for sure tempted to search for a better one. For today I'm gonna share with you some new discoveries that have found their way on my daily routine and, as you already know, I like to post about things that I like and find them effective, either I'm talking about my hair, makeup or my skincare routine. Keep on reading to find more, ladies.

This one is a new addition to my lipstick collection. I must admit, I had my mind on this beautiful shade for a while now. About it, although the name says 'Vintage Pink', it's more like a deep mauve but a warm one. I think that this shade would look great on darker skin, who knows maybe next summer I'll be able to come up with an update about that. The pictures don't do justice to this lipstick but I'm telling you, in person this shade is the most gorgeous I've ever seen. The texture is litteraly like butter and glides on the lips like a dream. It doesn't dry them out, quite the opposite, feels really hydrating. The price is great and also the color selection is very good. It wears off nicely and the colour is very opaque. I am pretty happy with my purchase and I want more shades!

What do you think about this one? 

So it's December already, hurray! Christmas is almost here and I guess that this thought is was keeps me so inspired and motivated to keep on blogging these days. November was a cruel month, so cold outside, rainy and made me totally unproductive. The good thing is that holidays are approaching and that is just great. November's favourites are here, ladies and gentleman.

I have used this after blow drying my hair and it really makes a difference, especially combined with the Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner. This is, however, my favourite product right now because it's moisturizing without feeling greasy, provides great shine and it's perfect to tame the frizz.

I got this at our annual bloggers meeting at the beggining of November and used it every day since opening it. It's a very luxurious and sensual perfume, I really like the scent and the fact that I can still feel it on my skin and clothes at the end of the day.

I also have this one from our beauty bloggers meeting. I received it with the night moisturizer and also the serum, but I did not want to open them all because I wasn't sure if they were nice to my skin. Although I started using it just recently, I only used this as my day/night moisturizer and I like it so far. My sensitive skin is happy with it.

Have this reviewed here.

I first tried this a few months ago and I was and still am surprised by how good this is. Although it's consistency is very thick and may be too moisturizing at times, I like applying this over my True Perfection day cream on areas that requiere more hydration (on my chin for example). I kept using this also when I had this problem with the skin around my mouth, it started to dry out very bad and soon became red and rough. So I used this every night for about a week or so and even now, when I'm ok with that area, I still use it.

Well of course, I am tempted to try more from Nivea now that the moisturizer above is so good. I like that this little one is moisturizing enough and that fights against early wrinkles. That's it for now, I've only been using it for some weeks but I like it so far. Some people said that it also helps with dark circles, but I guess I'll have to use it more time to see a change in that.

I said a few words about this here.

Have you used any of these products?

I am addicted to red lipsticks as you already know from one of my previous posts. However, this is my first MAC and I was really keen to try their products. I actually received this from my boyfriend as a gift. When I asked him why did he choose the red shade he told me he knows this is the shade I love. So there's the lipstick that's the most expensive from my collection. At first I wasn't very impressed and thought that it was a waste of money, but after a few days I really started to like it. It's a creamy lipstick, with a matte yet a natural shine (something in between) that doesn't dry out the lips and fades nicely. The color is a very vivid one, fully opaque and it glides on the lips evenly. I would say that the staying power is somewhere between 5-6 hours, maybe longer.This lipstick really makes me want to try more from MAC.

What do you think about this shade?

Finally I get the chance to say something about this fantastic product called the Dermablend Foundation!! Wow, I can hardly find the words to describe my enthusiasm for this product :) I will tel you why right away.

So, a few months it happened that a makeup product caused me some really bad breakouts and my L'Oreal True Match Foundation didn't seem to do the job too well so I started looking for a high coverage foundation that I could use until my face recovered from that madness. I found out that this foundation has one of the highest coverage power on the market and, being a fan of Vichy skincare products, it came easily to me to try this out. I went to the pharmacy and requested some samples to try it out and see if it fits my needs and if it was worth the money because it's not a cheap product. 

I used the samples for a few days and I fell in love with this foundation. Let me tell you guys, this can cover anything, from acne to dark circles, anything I'm telling you. When I wear this on my face, I don't have to wear concealer anymore because the coverage is very high and I simply don't need more. On the tube it says that can last up to 16 hours which is not the case with my face...it doesn't last more than 6-7 hours on my skin, but that's ok with me because I have combination skin and also use moisturizing face creams under it and I kinda expect that to happen. This doesn't mean that my face gets very oily, especially when I use my e.l.f High Definition Powder, so it just gets a little shinny.

The formula is very ligh but the amount of pigment really provides a great coverage. I was expecting to find a thick product but no, it's really watery like the L'Oreal True Match Foundation which is kinda impressive. It didn't break me out and I found that the color I tested&purchased fits me perfectly: I wear 25 Nude and love it. Here are the swatches, one in natural light and one with flash.

A very important thing when using a foundation of any kind is to properly prepare your skin for it. That means cleaning your face, exfoliating and using a hydrating product. Until a few months ago, I had a really bad skincare routine (now that I think about it, I couldn't call it a 'routine') and things dramatically changed after I realized it. Another important step is the tool you use to apply it. From my experience, the best one is a damp beauty blender, especially when we are talking about high coverage foundations that can tend to get cakey.

I have been using this product every day since I bought it, even though my face has cleared out. If I still use foundation anyway, I want to use something with a high coverage and this is my no 1 choice now. The effect on my skin is so dewy and natural, it doesn't feel or look like a mask at all! Definitely a great product and I am so happy I found it.

Have you tried it?

It was a few weeks ago (8th of November) when the beauty bloggers from my town gathered at the Farmec Beauty Center. Something very special happens when a bunch of beauty bloggers meet. I guess the thought that we are a community, that we are friends and we can help each other out when in need, is that makes these events feel like magic. You really can't feel different when you have that sense that you're in the right place, at the right moment and surrounded by the right people. It's all these that matter.

The event was organised by our lovely girls, Cleo, Laura and Anca who, by the way, did a great job. It was a great one and I am glad that I got the change to meet every single one of them. We got to share our experiences as bloggers and talk about the process of working with companies. A representative from Oriflame, Luiza Editoiu, Online Communication Manager, come to meet with us and talked about what companies expect when working with us, the beauty bloggers.  You can already imagine how many things we learned.

We had a very delicious break and tasted the most delicious raw sweets from Rawana. We also took photographs, had a nice chat and after that there was a surprise for each one of us.....We received diplomas! Yes, each and every one of us got a diploma for something that she's the best at. I personally am, ladies and gentleman, the best tipper and also very proud of this. 

The surprise series didn't stop there, as we received many bags with cosmetic goodies. Lots of them. I have already tried a few of them and will review some very soon.

 And this is what we received: