How to pick the right lipstick

Did it ever happen to you to go to a store to buy a new lipstick (well, or just go to a store AND buy a new lipstick! among others... ) and after you wore it a few times to discover that it was not the right choice, and to end up throwing it at the bottom of a drawer, or to give it away (usually to your mom)? It happened to me many times. I won't talk about color now (in drugstores it's a wonder if you DO manage to pick the right color, with that light, but that's another story), but about the things these so-loved lip products should or should not contain!

You have to carefully read the label and see what the ingredients are. I know, not all lipsticks even have those mentioned, but it does make a difference if you at least know what to look/ask for. Some sales assistants DO know these things.

I gathered a few rules from my own experience, and I will share them with you below, but I would be grateful and happy if you would share what works for you, as well, with all of us, in a comment! :)

- It is important that in the cold season to look for lip balms and lipsticks that contain vitamins A and C, but also Alpha-Hydroxy acids (AHA), that work against the wrinkles and fine lines.

- If your lips are chapped, the lip balm (that you must apply before lipstick!) should contain camphor, because it calms the sting.

- Be careful when you find the Phenol in the list of ingredients! It can be found especially in chapsticks. It usually leads to dependence; even if on the moment it moisturises, later it will make the skin very dry, and a new application will be necessary (I used to have this problem for years and thought there was something wrong with my lips!!)

- The Isopropyl Alcohol and the Petrolatum contained by lipsticks are also very bad: they clog the pores and cancel the UV protection.

- Another ingredient that is bad for the lips is the Capsaicin, which is a synthesis substance from hot pepper, that is found in lip plumpers.

Also, I will share 7 more little secrets that you should know, for having sexy lips:

1. This one is common sense and well known, but worth being re-mentioned: DRINK LOTS OF WATER!

2. Do NOT lick or bite your lips! This will hurt your lips and make them dry, sore, and can create crusting and scaling!

3. Take off your lip makeup with soft movements and appropriate makeup remover, every evening (morning would be good, too!)

4. If you have sensitive lips, avoid consuming condimented foods, or citrus, because that will give you a burning sensation and will dry your lips.

5. Try every lipstick you buy in REAL light, otherwise you will never find the right shade for you! If you have acne or skin problems, don't use bright reds, because that will focus attention on the problems!

6. The dry air in your house can be bad also for your lips! Use an air humidifier!

7. As a natural treatment, wipe your lips with raw cucumber slices, or rub some Vitamin E on them.

I hope this post helped, and as I said earlier, please share your own tips in a comment, if you feel like it! 

Thank you for reading! Have a fun day, keep smiling!

oxox

Roxana

How to take care of your lips

I've been meaning to write a post about lips for a while now, because I personally am addicted to all lip products, I just love to pamper my lips, but at times it becomes a bit annoying, always having to wear some kind of chapstick, so I have been doing a little research as to why would that happen to me, and I found a few more interesting things, some that I already knew, some that I did not, and I wanna share it all with you now!

We are laughin, speaking, frowning and pouting or sending a flying kiss - all these things that we do are making our lips more sensitive and more prone to wrinkle forming. The lips have less sebaceous glands than the rest of the skin, so they need more care. Not many of us give them the right type of care, though.  Even if we use a moisturizing lipstick (I personally can't use any other kind!), we forget to cleanse them properly, we wet them (yes licking your lips can be sexy but is bad for them if done too often!!) or we forget to protect them from the sunrays! All these mistakes lead to an unhlealthy aspectof your lips. But if you want to have sexy looking lips even after the age of 40, you have to follow a few easy steps:

First - take PROPER care of your soup coolers!

The first step would be EXFOLIATING. 
 

At least once a month, the lips have to be freed of the dead cells and of the dehydrated skin. Use an exfoliating cream with very fine abrazive particles and gently massage. This way, you are stimulating the blood circulation in your lips. But be very careful, the skin on the lips is about 5 times more sensitive than the rest of your face. It is very important that after the exfoliating process, you use some moisturizing products based on shea or coconut butter. Those have a regenarating effect, calming the irritated skin, preventing the wrinkles and protecting againt the UV rays. If you want to use a lip contour cream, try to apply it twice a day, especially on the upper lip, after cleansing your face (morning and evening). That will define your lip contour, will boost the cell activity and the collagen production, so your lips will become firmer. 

Are you always temped to wet your lips when they tend to get dry? Give up on this bad habit! All you do by licking them is to dehydrate them even more, because of the high salt content in your saliva. For such moments, you have to keep in your purse or pocket a protective and nourishing lip balm. 

Advice: Try to avoid as much as possible putting foundation or powder on your lips (I know, I know, some make-up artist recommend that you do that so you rlipstick lasts longer- but they don't mention NOT to do it every day). Those are going to dehydrate your lips! 

Second - make your smackers pretty!

Your lips can get dry in any season. The pollution, the wind, the air conditioning, they all have a bad influence on them. You can prevent them from getting dry by using your lipstick correctly. Which lipstick, aside from the color that it gives to your lips, it has to also protect them from sun and wind! Before lipstick, always apply a protective balm (or any kind of chapstick, for that matter, but for some, you will have to wait a few minutes before applying the actual lipstick, for it to set into the lips and allow the lipstick to be applied). Ver very VERY BAD for the lips are the non transfer lipstick formulas. They dehydrate like hell, because of the petrolatum in them. If you want and need such a lipstick, look for one with emolient properties. But during the winter, use ONLY very hydrating formulas. 

Advice: If your lip dryness persists for a very long time and nothing seems to help, you should go see a dermatologist!

That's all for now :) More posts to follow about how to pick the right lipstick and how to keep your lips happy!

I hope this helped! Thank you for reading me, and if you want to read more posts by me, please subscribe to receive updates by email (is free, of course) or follow me with Google Friend Connect! (links on the left)

Stay prety, keep smiling!

oxoxox
Roxana

Shiseido Perfect Rouge

I tested the PK 307 shade of the new Shiseido Perfect Rouge, and I am inlove with it! It is fabulous! I looked on the Douglas website though, to find it, and the PK 307 they had there was a totally different color... hopefully that was just because of my monitor settings, or would be weird!! I will go look for it personally in their store.

But untill then, there's a pic of it!

Great color, blueish undertoned soft pink, perfect for cold skin tones like mine. I worn it more than half of the day and it lasted perfectly, so creamy and lightweight, not sticky and without drying my lips, which I rarely can't usually say about a lipstick! I hate having dry lips!! I will definitely buy this one and maybe more shades of it!

oxox

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

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