New YouTube Video! Yay! I finally managed to resume making videos! Go me!!

So this is what I pretty much do every morning, to take care of my face! At times I slightly change the products, for example when I don't have breakouts or blackheads (because this routine does work, so there are times when I am free of those!) I am using a different foundation. Actually I am rotating 3 or 4 foundations, function of the state of my skin and of whatever I will be doing that specific day. For example, if I am to go out and be out or busy for a long time, I would use my Estee Lauder DoubleWear.
It took me years and years of trial and error to get to this skincare formula. I used hundreds of products and these are the ones that really work. Well, they do work for me, anyways.
So I am gonna break down the video here and explain more as I prefered to make it without talking. And talking needs to be done! :))
I am starting with cleansing my face, I try not to use water but in the days when I have a breakout or when I was out somewhere polluted or with alot of dust (then I use the Effaclar Gel Moussant Purifiant for Oily Sensitive Skin and rinse it off with water), and only in the evening of course, cuz in the morning the skin is supposed to be clean from the night makeup removing process. So I clease the excess oils with La Roche Posay's Effaclar Purifying Lotion for Sensitive Oily Skin (they seem to have a real pleasure in changing the names of their products, though, last time I bought it was named Lotion Micellaire.. but is sure the same product). After that, I apply a toner (Effaclar Lotion Astringente Micro-Exfoliante, aka Exfoliating toner, which is also from La Roche Posay and made for acne-prone skin). Yes the La Roche Posay products are GREAT for acne prone sensitive skin, the best products I have ever tried and I did try hundreds, believe me! They are not some fast remed that will cure your acne in  day but they do work great in time when used right and regularly and they prevent all skin problems because they are so gentle (not drying or harsh) but effective.
Next step is the eye cream, which I use religiously at times even 3-4 times a day, and it sure works because I am 32 and I only have a few very fine lines under my eyes, while everyone else I know my age already has goose wrinkles at the corners of the eyes and little bags underneath... In the video I was using Avene Ystheal + which is great, but I also use La Roche Posay "Redermic +" for Sensitive Eyes (which I have, grr!). Next, for when I have any spots or pimples, I apply Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Spot Treatment gel on them. This is a great product but you must apply it before your face cream or it won't be as effective anymore.
To prevent and treat the fine lines, I apply (only locally) Diadermine Intense Age Repair Day Cream, but I cannot say this is an amazing product, is good but I guess any other anti-wrinkle cream would work because I pretty much use it to prevent the wrinkles, I am not sure how it would work if one would actually have those wrinkles and would wanna get rid of them. I apply it on all expression fine lines, around my mouth, between my eyebrows, on the forehead, etc.
Now time for the main face cream, and this is a fab product, good as spot treatment, blackhead prevention and correction, hydrating and also a great foundation base. It even helped me with the cystic acne, little nodules that were forming under my skin and I wasn't even able to pop them! Grrr. I know is not good to pop them but I was doing it.. So I apply Effaclar DUO Correcting and Unclogging Anti-Imperfection Care all over my face. Vichy has got such a cream too, anti-imperfections, but I used it for a few months and is not even by far as good, it was kind of drying my face too much and sucked as makeup base.
The next step is the foundation, that I cannot go out without because I am paranoid about the spot marks and other ugly lil shadows that I have on my face. In the video, as it was specially made as acne prone skin care, I am using my Clinique S.O.S. Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup, which is a fabulous foundation, lasts long and doesn't get greasy, but it does get a bit patchy at the end of the day, unless you take care of it with blotting paper or powder. It has a great effect tho, sure prevents spots and blackeads and keeps the ones that already exist under control. I don't like to use it when my face is clear tho, I rather use my Chanel Matt Lumiere then, looks a bit more *fancy* :)
Last step in my routine of making my face look as good as it can (except for the makeup) is the concealer, and my absolute all time favorite would be the Helena Rubinstein Magic Concealer. Excellent product, has a great finish, doesn't crease, doesn't run, stays put all day and doesn't dry the eye area. is really fab! And you can believe me because I have tried a few tenths of concealers too! lol. Of course when needed I would add concealer on the visible spots too but this time was no need for that, the foundation did a good job.
So that's about it, now if I would wanna go out looking like a *good young girl* I would be only putting on some blush and maybe some tinted lip balm, and that would be about it. I am not too much into the *good young girl* look tho, so I add alot more makeup to that! haha
Well, I hope some people find this useful, and if you do, please comment and ask more, if you wanna know other tips and oppinions!
oxox
Roxana

Spring Flowers and boring OOTD :)

Been out for a walk, and took pics of the beautiful spring flowers that everyone has in their little gardens (everyone that owns a house with a little space in front of it). I love them!

And my boring Outfit of the day. I know that when I like something I wear it non stop for a while untill I get bored. That something, at the moment, are my C&A jeggings, my pretty colored shoulder bag (with Afro pattern), the red Infinity scarf from Zara and the Fishbone shoes that look like Converse with a orthopedic sole, which makes them incredibly comfy! The only added thing is the white jacket, that is also Fishbone (from New Yorker) and looks great with a waist line or without one! :)

xoxox
Roxana

Rimmel 60 seconds nail polish - Thumbs up!

This polish is one of my favorites, lately, if not THE favorite! I love the color cuz it's so special, deep dark blue with pinkish undertone and sheen, it's named *Blue Me Away* and is the No. 809. The color payoff is great as well, and the bush is quite nice too, but what I like most about it is that it really dries fast (not 60 seconds as advertised but well, way faster than normal polish) and it lasts and lasts and lasts...Here it is:

Thumbs up for this one!
oxox
Roxana

I am advertising my bloggy! I want it to get some love!!

Why do I follow myself??

Lol that is so weird, I still have to get used to this Blogger site, I wanted to send a message to one of my followers and I found myself following me! Oh well, maybe that would be helpful cuz I will be able to check the notifications and emails from a follower's p.o.v. But is freakin funny! ROFLMAO

Anti-stretch marks products

These are the products that I have been using so far to prevent the stretchmarks:
Frei massage Oil
Bio 100% Jojoba Oil
Bio Lion Ying Coconut Oil

So far I saw absolutely no stretch mark (I am 25 weeks along and the belly is quite big!) but well, I cant say they worked untill after birth, when I will make a inventory of the damages! haha
When I found out I was pregnant I started using a special stretch mark cream from the Pharmacy that costed 20 Euros and it was probably good, for a patient person with a numb nose, but I for one couldn't stand the fact that it would not get into the skin but after hours and hours (worse than an oil!)and its SMELL! OMG dunno wether it was because of the pregnancy hormones but that smell was making me SICK!! And was sticking on every cloth! These oils smell okay, especially the "Frei" one (smells like Mango) and they all cost under 5 euros each! I also had a Bio Argan and Jasmin oil, but I finished it, I will probably get a new one after these ones finish because it was the best smelling one, and just as good as these others. The coconut one is good for chapped nipples too, dunno why I got that, cuz all the girls I know had that problem after delivery but oh well.. the coconut oil fixed them in 2 days. And I heared you can even use that on your face if you have eczema or some dry patches, because it absorbs so fast and doesn't leave the skin greasy but also hydrates amazingly. And the Jojoba can be used for many other things to, you can put a bit im your hair balm or even in the shampoo, in your body lotion if is not hydrating enough, and so on. I love multi-purpose products because I always forget to buy the products I need before they run out so I find myself in situations where I have to be really creative with what I have!
oxox
Roxana

Current obsession - infinity scarves!

Okay so what are Infinity scarves? Well, they are scarves that never end! Because their ends have been sewn together! And they are great because you can just wrap them around your neck without worrying about tieing them and about them being too tight or too loose or one end too long and another too short and all these things that usually happen with scarves. You can wear them looped once, twice or even three times, for a cozy and chic look! You can even wrap them around your shoulders as a shrug! I love multi-functional accessories!
Here are mine, the red one is from Zara Men (was around 20 euros) and the flowery one is from C&A (I guess it was 12 euros):

And this is how I styled the red one today:

Top is from H&M
Leggings - C&A
Shoes - Fishbone at New Yorker
Zara infinity scarf
Letaher Jacket - Pimkie
Handbag - Tamaris (dunno if they make these handbags but that's where I bought it from)
Sunnies - Bijou Brigitte

I absolutely love this handbag, too! It is so cute and edgy at the same time, is best worn with something leather or rock-like, i.m.o, althought it goes great with other outfits as well. As I said, I bought it from the Tamaris shoe store, and it was around 50 euros. They do have very cute handbags there but I can't find any label on the inside so I'm not sure is made by Tamaris. The patters on the outside is newspaper cuts with Marilyn Monroe pics and articles, decorated with lather straps and big silver studs, and the inside is leopard print. Who would have thought these 3 so different patterns can be combined? Very surprising and so amazingly trendy and nice! Besides, it is so lightweight and easy to wear, and roomy too! I luv it!! This handbag is definitely *me*!

oxoxox
Roxana

The new Rouge Coco Shine from Chanel and OOTD

Very nice weather these last few days on here, I am happy cuz I can finally dress lighter and nicer! I promised myself I won't buy too many clothes anymore untill after I give birth unless they are clothes that can be worn regardless of the shape of the belly (aka, something that can be worn loose or cinched with a belt) because I don't like to have things that I don't wear in my wardrobe, and only for about 3 more months it wouldnt be worth the money! Remains to be seen if I can help myself from buying! This is actually a challenge, trying to come up with new outfits and looking pretty as pregnat, with pretty much only what I already have in my wardrobe!
Here is what I wore today:

Long sweater: Victoria's Secret (from a few years ago!)
Brown lace tights from C&A
Suede beige boots - C&A
Brown and coral-pink striped jersey dress - Tally Weijl
light coral scarf- Bijou Brigitte (I think... cant remember well)
Tote bag - Louis Vuitton
Sunnies - Fendi

Also, I wore the COCO Sheer Lipstick from Chanel, no 61, *Bonheur* (I love the name as it means "Happiness", in French). I love the texture cuz is so glossy and light and the color is very nice too, is definitely not a very long lasting lipstick (I guess that's why they don't even call it "lipstick", but "lipshine"), but is very nice and spring-y/summer-y, so to say! Is very hydrating, not sticky at all (so no hair stuck on your lips in more windy days!!) perfect for someone addicted to lipstick and lip balms, like me. I HATE having dry lips, it gets me crazy, greasy hair and dry lips on myself could make me become a beast cuz they make me feel horrible! That's why I always have lipstick or lipbalm and dry shampoo with me! Besides, with this lipstick especially, it is so "chic" to have it in your purse and from time to time to take it out and refresh your lips, because the packaging is niiiice and stylish!
Here is how it looks:

Pic was taken in the natural light to be as accurate as possible. Very nice sheer pinkish berry shade, with subtle glitter in it, Im totally lovin it!
oxoxox
Roxana

Chanel Black Pearl (no 513) Nail Color

Okay so I tried the new Chanel polish that I bought for my bday, and I can tell you what I liked and what I did not like about it, now, after 5 days of wearing it. This is how it looks, I wanted to take a pic in natural light so I did it in the car but I guess the gray board is taking away from its real shade:

It is a dark grey with a pearly sheen and with some greenish-blueish tones, it actually does look like a black pearl. If applied in one coat is very see-through but can be nice if you are into the more subtle look, only that it can get streaky if you are not careful when applying it, but I guess that's nothing bad for a polish that wants to make your nails look like a pearl because the uneven aspect is okay in that case. I applied 2 coats here with a transparent base and no top coat. It didn't dry too fast and the brush is the classic one, long and thin so you have to be careful with it. I prefer the new ones that are shorter and wider, i will show you what I am talking about in another post. I have been wearing it for 5 days and now it's really chipped at the tips of the nails even if my nails are not long and I was careful not to scratch things or wash dishes, lol. So I can say I am not very pleased with its resistance on the nail. It is a pretty color but I will not buy Chanel nail polish again cuz apart from the special color (which gets fast copied by other (way cheaper) brands anyways), I see nothing special about it to justify the 22 euros price!
But I will definitely be using this one for a while cuz the color is really nice and anyways, I have to use it now, for all that money! haha

oxoxo
Roxana

R.I.P. Lucky (Norocel)

My sweet fury Persian that died at the age of 10... that would be 70 in human years. But still, is hard to loose someone even if old and even if not human :( I hope Liz Taylor addopted him up there in heaven (if she is in heaven :-p) and now he is purring on her lap :)

I miss the times when..

I miss the time when I was making my own clothes out of my mom's (or out of any piece of fabric I could lay my hands on), because I had no money to buy new ones, nor really nice places to go shop at (at the time I was 16-17-18 years old, my country was still recovering after communism. No, I was not born in Germany, but that's where I've been living for a long time now). Now don't get me wrong, I don't miss not having money, but I miss the feeling of happines I was getting when after working a whole night on a certain thing without a sewing machine (once started, I had no patience to leave it off my hands untill it was ready) and then wearing it the next day (or maybe for a party) and having my friends ask me *Where did you get this from???*. Let alone the fact that it was unique and really my size, lol. Now I do have money to go buy things but I don't have anymore time to make them myself, nor patience, cuz nowadays is all about speed in our lives :( That's sad... Oh well, at least for my daughter I hope I can make some little cute unique things :) Untill she grows up a bit and starts throwing them away and asking for money to go shopping! hehe
oxoxox
Roxana
PS: I got these nice memories watching the videos of the amazing GiannyL (www.GiannyL.com.) Of course, she is much better than I ever was or will ever be with my DIY, so she is a great inspiration!

New addition to my Chanel makeup family!

Somehow this "handsome guy" made his way onto my bathroom cabinet shelf!

His name is Chanel Mat Lumiere, and is a fabulous foundation! That I have been chasing since ages (in this case, months means ages!) because I could never find the right shade! All the shades seemed so yellow-ish, and I need pinkish beige! This one is the perfect match for my skin, the shade is called No 42, "Petale"! Whatta sweet name :) I have been wearing it all day and I only had to blot it once (my skin gets very oily in the T zone throughout the day so I always have blotting papers with me everywhere). I am impressed, is alot like my Estee Lauder Double Wear but feels way lighter! The coverage is not as full as with the Double Wear but I prefer it like that, especially now that it's very sunny outside and any foundation can look like a mask if you don't apply it in a thin and carefully blended layer. And I can always use concealer for the areas where I need more coverage. I love the way it looks on my face, is dewey but matte, if that can be, and also very very lighweight! I heared the girls at Pixiwoo (http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo) raving about the Chanel foundations for a long time now but I was always like... *oh well their skin is perfect, they don't have anything to hide, like I do!* But now that my skin got a bit better with the pregnancy (Thank God!) I thought I have to give it a try! I was so frustrated cuz I couldnt find the shade, untill now!! Yay! Expensive, of course, but I am already used with the idea that my face and my feet need EXPENSIVE stuff. Face cuz I have sensitive acne prone skin on it, and the feet cuz they always get blisters in most shoes unless they are very soft and well made. Oh well :)
Done with this post :) oxox
Roxana

First bday present!! (from someone else, other than myself)

I just got the first comment on my blog! Wow! I am thrilled! means people DO read it! Yaaay! Now this means I MUST work on it more! Happy!!! :D

Pregnant outfit of the day (24 weeks)

Oh my, 3 posts in one day, there must be something happening to me! I think it's the spring time and the beautiful sunny weather! I went out for a walk and finally have been able to wear something else than winter jackets, that I am so sick of!! I culd have dressed even lighter but it takes a while for me to understand it is actually WARM and no need for lots of clothes anymore. I was hot in these!

Pink shirt and Infinity red scarf from Zara
Multicolored sweater that I LOVE, and multicolored ethnic pattern shoulder bag, from artesanal little no-name shop (love buying unique things from little manufactures)
Jeggings from C&A
Wedges that look like Converse sneakers, from Fishbone (at New Yorker)

And look what I see all around the place I live. I love them, I grew up in a place where all there was to be seen was concrete and dust and cars... compared to that, here is like Paradise!

Kisses and spring flowers,
Roxana

Princess Bday gift on a budget

Sooo tomorrow is my 32nd bday, and I am kind of tight with the moneyyy! I hate that, it doesn't usually happen this bad but with the whole pregnancy stuff and doctor fees and things to buy and all that... I guess is normal to be a bit (or even morethan a bit) tight with the money! I always like to buy presents for myself on my bdays, because the people around me, as sweet as they might be, either have absolutely no idea of what I like, even if it's SOO simple (makeup, books, plushies, skincare, people!! That's ALL!) either forget, so I end up with flowers and sweets (scary!) and some things for the house that I never use. So being on a budget this time I couldn't afford too much but at least I bough only expensive little thingies that made me feel better than buying a bunch or cheapies!
Here is what I got, from Douglas:

The actual things I payed for are these, the rest being samples that my friend/sales assistant at Douglas, who is always so sweet, gave me to try on:

So I got myself the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch in no2., medium. I loooove this product, always loved it, but is pretty expensive to afford on a regular basis. There are other concealers and highlighters that can replace it pretty good, I will make a post on those sometime. Second thingy was the Black Pearl nail polish from the new Chanel collection, which I saw on some YT guru's nails and loved. I had to have it! Never had a Chanel polish because 22 euros is a bit too much for a nail polish in my oppinion, if it would have been at least a foundation or a concealer, would have been ok, those are the things that it's really worth splurging on. But I can't wait to try it on later today!! And the 3rd, that I wasn't supposed to get, cuz on my list was a foundation (of which I couldn't find a matching color for my skintone so I gave up) is the new Rouge Coco Shine in no. 61 *Bonheur* The color and the name were irresistible so I had to have this one too! Looks amazing! I had Rouge Coco Mademoiselle a while ago, the matte texture, but I somehow lost it :( I am still sad, it might be in one of my over 50 handbags tho, I shall look sometime when I have a free... half a day! lol
And from my friend at the counter I got a sample of Lancome Genefique serum plus a sample of renergie Lift Volumetry regenerating face cream! I will try these tonight. I am using anti-ageing serum from La Roche Posay, for acne prone sensitive skin, but I always wanted to try Lancome Genefique, and also, I wanna try the Estee Lauder regenerating serum in the little brown bottle. I also got 2 samples of Belle de Jour - masque de Lotus blanc from KENZOKI... these things are sooooo expensive! They better be good.. or better not, cuz if I love them I will have to buy the actual product! A sample of Shiseido lipstics in a very cute pack with a tiny cute lip brush! So nice! A little pot of Clinique All About Eyes eye crem, which is great, I had the big one before, and was nice. And 2 lil samples of perfume, Gucci Guilty (which I love, is awesome, but I still can't give up my Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche yet), and Dolce & Gabbana - The One, which I used to have and is a bit too sweet for my taste.
That was it, I am a happy girl today :D
Kisses,
Roxana

Snowman in March

I took pics of this little guy that I made, to post here, but I forgot, so I am posting now, is anyways still cold outside! lol
I followed the tutorials of amazing tjw1963 on YouTube (of course) and I learned how to make AMIGURUMI! I love it!! Always been wondering how these lil cute toys are made and now I finally could make one myself! I don't have too much time to dedicate to my hobbies but I am struggeling to make some time!
Here is the link of her amazing channel, if anyone liked crochet as much as I do, she is the best teacher ever! Or for me in case I ever forget the link... lol
http://www.youtube.com/user/tjw1963
I am hoping to make more toys like this before my baby girl arrives in July, and also, some little cute baby clothes and booties! Theresa has got tutorials for those too! I know I can always buy and I will buy a ton of lil clothes for my lil Princess, too, but well, is always sweeter when seeing her wear something I made, especially for her!
Here is the little amigurumi snowman that has been in my Christmas tree and now is in my book shelf, I couldn't toss him away in the Xmas ornaments box, in the basement! lol

Kisses,
Roxana

OMG I HATE renovating and refurnishing!

SO SO SO hard to do and ANNOYING!! At least I got to thow away a sack of junk... I always swear Im not buying any new accessories and lil shits, and I always end up adding more! I must be sick! So many so many of EVERYTHING and when I wanna dress up or do my hair or who knows what ... I feel I don't have what I need! Do other women have the same problem?? Please tell me YES! lol
I already feel like an alien!
Glad it's over tho... for a while, at least! WHEW! PEACE!!

It's a GIRL!!

My baby is a girl! I found out like 5 days ago at the ultrasound, but as disorganised as I am I did not have time to post it :) I am so happy, can't wait for her to grow up so we can go shopping together! haha! I hope she will get to like all the girly things that I do!! Well, first of all I pray to God that all will go well and that she arrives safe and healthy, and that I get through all this in good shape and in one piece so I can be a good mommy for her! hehe