Carmen Bota

During the past few years I had to do makeup not only on myself, but also on bridesmaids, brides, sisters and mothers and pretty much for every event. Today I'm gonna be talking about the key products that I can't be without when someone comes to me for a makeup. You know, those products that will make your makeup stay in place for 12 hours. You heard right! My clients never ever complained about their makeup falling apart so let's talk about this today.

#Quick tip: Apply your eyeshadow primer and then apply over a thin layer of foundation. This will make your eyeshadow lasting power even greater!

e.l.f Eyelid Primer $1

A primer should do two things: create a flawless surface in order to make the foundation set the right way and make the face makeup stay in place for hours and hours. To be honest, I've never tried high end primers because I already found the right ones that are, obviously, cheaper but great: Avon MagiX Face Perfector and e.l.f Mineral Infused Primer. If I were to choose between these two, I would choose the one from e.l.f, as I feel that it creates a much smoother surface for the foundation which is what we are looking for.

#Quick tip: Always, always, start your makeup on a cleaned and properly mosturized face.

This product will set your makeup by creating a fine, flawless film on it's surface. It also helps you apply better the bronzer/blush/highliter and also helps in applying the eyeshadow. I always apply powder on the full face, including the eyes and in my opinion it's an absolutely essential product. Here, you can choose really any brand of powder, the important thing is to choose a translucent one. I've tried and liked: Max Factor Loose Powder and Lancome Absolue Poudre .

#Quick tip: Try applying powder under the eyes before you start doing your eyes makeup. This way, if your eyeshadow falls down while you're applying it, you can easily clean that all up by removing the powder with the eyeshadow altogether.

Max Factor Loose Powder $14

Lancome Absolue Poudre $57

This is the final step that will make your makeup stay in place for over 10 hours. I can't be without this one and I always make sure I have enough product for my girls. It should not only keep your makeup in place, but also reduce shininess, reduce the powdery finish and set everything in place. My favourite for years has been and still is e.l.f Studio Makeup Mist & Set Spray. It contains good ingredients such as Aloe Vera, Green Tea, cucumber and Vitamins A, C and E.

#Quick tip: Apply the mist on your entire face&neck, not only will it set your face makeup but will also prevent your eyeshadow from creasing throught the day.

e.l.f Studio Makeup Mist & Set Spray $3


As you can see, there is beauty on a budget!

What are your beauty essentials when it comes to long lasting makeup?

Where from: Amazon

How much: 1,58₤ - 2₤

Hi my dear friends, how you've been?

Today I'm gonna talk about a ring that I received from BornPrettyStore. You must already know how much I love accessories and this feeling will follow me forever! Now this ring is something I like to wear on a everyday basis, it's fun, cute and eye catching. I love the bold shape, it reminds me of those punk rock bracelets I used to wear when I was a teenager, haha! It goes perfectly with a casual and comfy outfit, maybe even a messy bun to go along. It costs $1.99 on BornPrettyStore website and the shipping is free worldwide.

Where from? Born pretty Store website

Exact link: here

Also check out the updated nail art section here

And don't forget about the discount using the code below

What do you think? Would you wear this ring on a everyday basis?

Oh my gosh! How did the week pass so quickly?! How have you been, guys? 

I was so busy last week. If you're following me on Instagram, you probably know that I'm on a little project righ now: redecorating my room. I've changed everything apart from the colour on the walls and some furniture pieces that I'll be changing some other time. I discovered again how much I love these kind of projects. Not only they are time&money killers (hahaha) but they are so much fun! I'll tell you more in a next post, I'm thinking it will be like a 'room tour' post!

So, in the first picture you can see the view from my office! I don't even know if I should be glad or sad to be working in an office 5 days per week. Some days, when it's very hot outside, I love being in my office as here is always a little cold so in the summers it's perfect being here. At the office I always wear cute little earrings and lately I've been loving these ones from h&m. I bought these cuties last week on a 'quick shopping therapy'. I have them also on soft pink which is my favourite shade of pink and one of my favourite colors. To show my love for pink shades, I bought also that lovely lilac nail polish from Rimmel London, 60 Seconds range which is my newest love. I'll do a separate review on this one. Aaaand I shall not forget about my wall butterflies. New post coming soon, also. About the white roses, I got them from my boy. They look so nice on my new dressing table! I absolutely love having flowers in my room as they are so cute and cheerful. 

To make the most if this weekend, we went to a pension outside the city, we got a little tanned, ate a delicious bowl of icecream and enjoyed the sun. This is our first escape this year so it was like a blessing! In the last picture there's a snap of the newest episode on 'Pretty Little Liars'. I love this TV series although I did took some episodes to get me caught in the story. 

How was your week, friends?
Leave your lovely comments below!

I bet you weren't thinking that I may name these shades 'naughty' and 'nice' (relates to both shades). Well, I didn't too! I am not a very big fan of lipsticks, but I love seeing them on others of course, especially on my girls when they come to me for a makeover! Well, these two babies have changed my world. They made me reconsider my passion for lipglosses which is a very big deal for me. I always found a great interest in Maybelline lipsticks, as they had plenty of shades to choose from, were very affordable and had a nice quality. Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks are pigmented, creamy, last for about 3 to 4 hours on my lips and they wear off nicely. They are not very long lasting, unfortunately, but what more can you ask for when you have such a nice colour, pigmentation and hydration! I would best describe them as sexy and soft, they surely are on my top favourite make up products. I have two shades: 530 'Who wore it redder'(a hot pink shade) and 310 'Mad for Magenta'(a pinky-mauve shade, also very hot :). Overall, I do like these two babies and I am quite sure I'll use them all summer. Check out the swatches and tell me what you think!

1. Bought two nail polishes from Maybelline Colorama range

2. Love the golden one so much!

3. This is how jojoba oil makes my hair look! I have just applied a mask before washing my hair, leave it for an hour then wash and condition as usual.

3. Maybelline Colorama white nail polish. Really pops up!

4. 'Home' sign from Nobila Casa. Really warms up my room!

5. Love these pink loafers, elegant and casual at the same time.

See the rest&follow me on my Instagram!

I was always intrigued by the idea of using a vitamin C serum and by all the positive reviews of products like this. I began searching for recipes and found one that had three ingredients: water, Ascorbic Acid powder and vegetable glycerin. I tried it and the result was a rich Vitamin C serum that I used for a few days in the beginning, until I noticed that one of the ingredients was causing me breakouts. I found out that the responsabile was glycerin so I stopped adding it to my serum and instead use it for my hair.

Now I use only use two ingredients to make my own serum. Well, it's not quite a serum now, it's more like a vitamin C toner, ha ha. So I've been trying this recipe for the past few months and it's been really good so far. It's like 'my own' recipe and it's really efficient and totally inexpensive! All you need is water (preferably distilled), Ascorbic Acid powder and that's it. Below you can find the variations and I personally recommend starting with the weakest one, just to make sure your skin doesn't have a shock when you first use it. I copied the indications from this youtube video (where you can find detailed instructions on how to make your own vitamin C serum).

5% Serum 1/4 tsp. powder 4 tsp. distilled water 3/4 tsp. glycerin
10% Serum 1/4 tsp. powder 2 tsp. distilled water 1/4 tsp. glycerin
15% Serum 3/8 tsp. powder 2 tsp. distilled water 1/8 tsp. glycerin20 % Serum 1/4 tsp. powder 3/4 tsp distilled water 1/4 tsp. glycerin 

So as I was saying, I decided to remove the glycerin from my serum and this is my conclusion. Firstly, I started with 5% serum and after a few weeks moved up to 10%. I'm still on that 10% and I'm very comfortable. I don't feel the need to go further. I personally apply it with a cotton pad, as I apply my rose water toner. I use it let's say...5-6 times a week, only at night. I don't know if it's ok to use it so much, but it didn't harm my skin so far. You can apply a moisturizer after the serum, I don't always do that. I want my skin to breathe at least when I'm asleep. So far I noticed that my skin complexion is brighter, I have very few pimples and mostly when I don't use the serum (I tried not using it for 3 days) and it helped with my oily T zone. Since I started using this serum, I don't feel the need to apply a powder on my T zone and it doesn't get oily as much as it used to. I also don't wear not even a single drop of foundation since I started using this. I make a new batch every week so the product  is always fresh and good to use. I keep it a an old serum bottle, away from the light, in a drawer. When the serum gets yellow, you know that you can't use it anymore so be careful. I am no expert on this, so be careful when making any decision. You are the only one that knows your face and how it reacts.
I personally am really happy with this homemade product and will continue to use it. You can see how my face looks now (I wear nothing, not even moisturizer). I couldn't be happier with the results but don't get too excited and 'read' your face. If you'll give this a go, please return and share your thoughts!

Which one is your favourite? Look forward to reading your responses ♥

In primul rand, e extrem de comod sa faca ceva treaba pentru tine. Daca pana acum aplicam un produs de curatare si trebuia sa masez/curat cu un buretel pana simteam ca e curat, acum peria face totul pentru mine. Curata extrem de bine tenul, fara sa il irite. Perii sunt ideali din acest punct de vedere, suficient de rigizi incat sa inlature ce trebuie si suficient de blanzi incat sa nu "supere" tenul.
In al treilea rand,e un produs accesibil pe care odata cumparat, il ai. Trebuie doar inlocuite capetele o data la 3 luni ceea ce mie mi se pare foarte convenabil pentru ceea ce face.
Am citit o multime de pareri pro si contra asupra acestor produse, daca e ok sa le folosesti zilnic, daca sunt necesare etc. Fiecare ten e diferit si fiecare ten are alte nevoi. Al meu se incarca extrem de repede si usor motiv pentru care ma confruntam tot timpul cu monstruleti si pana acum trebuia sa parcurg multi pasi pentru a-mi mentine tenul suficient de curat incat sa stau linistita. Acum problema s-a ameliorat mult in sensul ca am probleme de genul mult mai rar si sunt genul ala de probleme care dispar intr-o zi, cu putin exfoliant Avene Cleanance si un strop de Brevoxyl.
Spuneam ca folosesc peria cu un gel de curatare. Pentru mine Effaclar e "the perfect one" de ani de zile si in perioada in care nu l-am folosit i-am dus dorul nebuneste. Un singur strop de gel de curatare e acum suficient pentru a-mi curata seara tenul, dovada ca peria asta e si economicoasa! Are trei viteze insa eu mereu o folosesc pe cea mai rapida. Nu plimb mult peria pe ten, mai ales ca nu mi se mai incarca atat de repede. Nu mai port nici fond de ten/pudra, astfel ca tenul respira mult mai bine si e si curatat cum trebuie zilnic.

Voi ati incercat/ati incerca un astfel de produs?

Lots of love

 ~ Machiajul purtat la nunta, zero fond de ten. Doar blush, anticearcan, eyeliner, ruj si mascara

~ Rochita mea

~ Am fost la "How to train your dragon 2". Daca ati vazut deja prima parte, va spun ca a doua e mult mai faina, plina de scene care provoaca lacrimi la propriu sau scene la care mori de ras!

~ Concerte de jazz in Parcul central

 ~ Si bineinteles ca nu puteam pleca chiar cu mana goala!

Cum a fost saptamana voastra?

Lots of love