Carmen Bota

So we went to dinner today to a nice Japanese restaurant across the strees. We usually go every month to a nice dinner in town, on the pay day of course, because what better way to celebrate this than spending money, really?

I had some kind of vegetables pizza (yes this was made entirely from vegetables, no flour added). I was craving for pizza anyway, but Alin wanted sushi so we went there to satisfy his craving. It was delicious, but it also had an ingredient I'm not a big fan of: ginger. Apart from this, excellent.

Alin had sushi, of course. We shared plates, of course, like we always do. He's more adventurous than I am, so he always orders food he never tasted before and I'm more the kind that sticks with pizza, pasta and stuff like that. BUT I did taste the sushi and I really liked it. I can't believe I never ate that before!

Next time we'll to go a Lebanese restaurant, we heard the food is great.

That's about it, let me know where do you like to go out to dinner, share some ideas!

I hope you're ready for a new Iherb haul post, cuz' I've been dying to show you what I've got. I actually made two orders this month because I had last minute thoughts about some products and I told myself, what the hell, this must be my Iherb order month, haha!

Firstly, I am thrilled to say I have a favourite sunscreen and that is the Kiss My Face SPF 30 reviewed here. My first order included 2 tubes of this, the Neutrogena cleanser and the lipbalm. Now this order was 5 days late and since I am now using chemical exfoliants at evenening I really couldn't be without sunscreen. Luckily, my friend from Dia's Pretty Things saved me this time and made me a present: a tube of this exactly sunscreen!

Since I'm completely changing my skincare routine, I really wanted to give the Neutrogena Gentle Hydrating Cleanser a chance, especially since everyone seems to love it. I have nothing to say about it right now, I haven't used it yet since I am currently enjoying the Balea Med Sensitive Gel.

The Sierra Bees lipbalm is lovely. I have really dry lips and I have tried every lipbalm out there without results. This is a really good product, my lips are moisturized and I don't feel the need to be constantly applying it because the effect is long lasting. It doesn't feel greasy, nor has a bad smell. 

The reason why I made a second order is because I wanted badly to try the Alpha Hydrox Oil Free Treatment 10% AHA. I removed this product like a thousand times from my cart. Seeing so good results with Paula's Choice Liquid exfoliant, I wanted something more for my face. I've only used it once, I want to incorporate it slowly in my beauty routine so I'm starting with once a week. The first morning after using it my face was glowing and I hope I'll like it on the long term use.

The Kiss my Face SPF 30 Spray was a last minute purchase. I want to protect my skin from the sun without spending a lot of money on SPF products so this was a nice choice, considering that  I am addicted to their moisturizer.

As you can see, I am beginning to order from Iherb more and more. My cart is actually full at this moment. That's about it, I hope you enjoyed reading my post and please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Because my hair's been through a lot in the past few years, I've learned how to take care of it without spending a lot of money on an arsenal of expensive products that, probably, don't work on anyone. So for my shampoo I went for the Syoss Oleo Intense one which is kinda good for a drugstore shampoo, especially if we consider the price and the quantity.

When I bought the shampoo, I also got the Shine-Sealing Conditioner. I use to apply a generous amount of this on my hair, from the roots to the ends and leave it to do it's magic for a few minutes. I must say, I am not afraid to use this conditioner on my roots because it doesn't make my hair greasy and it's excellent at detangling.

For my after wash party, I always, always go, without exception, for my Kerastase Nectar Thermique Polishing Nourishing Milk. I love this stuff, it makes my hair shine like crazy, it protects it from heat and my hair it overall amazing when I use it. It's one of the products that it's worth the price, trust me.

I also recently bought this curling cream from Balea, but I've only used it 2-3 times so far so I don't know if I like it already or not. I did notice however that my hair got curlier these days, but still, I don't know if it's the product or the fact that I cut my hair shorter a week ago.

Between the washes I go for the Batiste Dry Shampoo, but for the past few weeks I barely used it (may be the shampoo?). I like the Original one more, but the Blush version is ok too. Once a week I use a coconut oil mask, mixed with a few drops of Vitamin A oil. I let that sit on my hair for a few hours or an entire night, depending on how much time I have for that.

This is my hair today. I'm so happy that I finally managed to bring back it's shine! It's been a journey to get here, but I won't stop trying out new products. I will definitely try new shampoos and conditioners, but I won't change my Kerastase Nectar Thermique Milk or my Batiste Dry Shampoo.

Have you used any of these products? Let me know what you think!

Lately I've been on a continuously 'bad skin day' because I recently started breaking out like I used to when I was 12. Lucky for me, my patience is getting paid out because my skin looks better and I also am very careful with what I put on my face. It's not lie that I tend to stick with products that are safe and that give me the glowy effect without killing my bank account.

Nonetheless, the first product I love is the Kiss My Face SPF 30 Sunscreen. You can find a detailed review on my blog, I actually just ordered another two tubes from Iherb. It's so hard to find a high SPF product that actually suits the skin's needs! This is the perfect combination between mattifying and hydrating, has lots of beneficial ingredients and doesn't break me out.

My second product is my foundation and my favourite is Accord Parfait from L'Oreal. It's perfect for sensitive, acne prone skin because it's lightweight, has a nice formula and medium coverage. I usually apply any foundation with a damp makeup sponge like the Ebelin ones or with a damp beauty blender.

The last product for a perfect face is actually the Sleek Face Form in Light which I've been using like crazy lately. The blush is to die for, the highliting powder is incredible and the contouring powder is a perfect match for my skin.

These three products altogether are my perfect combination for a radiant, nearly flawless skin.

What is your perfect match?

It's been such a long time since I last reviewed a lipstick! Today I'll tell you a few words about one of my new favourite lipsticks, the Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Bois de Rose no 18. This was actually a gift from a friend and when I first saw it I didn't think that I'd ever like it.

This is a rosy beige shade with gold sparkles in it, a perfect combination for summer days. It's hydrating, has the perfect formula that stays nicely on the lips and fades evenly hours later. Although you know I'm a 'red lipstick girl', I think that this shade is actually perfect for everyday wear. You can't really go unnoticed when you wear this. What I like the most about this shade particularly is that I can wear it without my eyes or face makeup and still look nice and awake, unlike the red ones that (speaking for me personally) require wearing at least mascara.

I think this shade is also perfect for wearing it at the office and it can become easily your favourite shade of lipstick because it suits every skin tone out there! Nonetheless, this lipstick has it all: the perfect color, the perfect creamy texture, the elegant packaging and the durability. It looks brilliant on green eyed girls with light skin tone (that would be me) or on blue eyed ones because it really makes the eyes pop.

To make this even more interesting, it doesn't dry out the lips and it smells like my mom's old lipsticks: classic and elegant.

What do you think?