Steal the fashion style

When it comes to fashion, most people seek for inspiration in famous people. Their outfits always get some attention, even if they're the most simple combinations ever. Here's the first of "Steal the style" fashion posts.
Note: Link to each item and prices is below each picture.

http://www.polyvore.com/no_70/set?id=170639384

http://www.polyvore.com/no_44/set?id=148117788

http://www.polyvore.com/no_88/set?id=177126009

http://www.polyvore.com/no_46/set?id=150456574

http://www.polyvore.com/no_98/set?id=179122747

http://www.polyvore.com/no_14/set?id=141797265

Like it? Dislike it? Which famous person should I pick next?

Mani Monday: Shattered glass and hologram

It's summer here in Europe. What type are you? Partying all day and all night or long walks along the beach? Maybe both? Well, this manicure will look great no matter whether the light from reflector or the moonlight hits it. You'll own the place.

Note: Video in the end :)

I used:

• turquoise nail polish #40 play with my mint by Essence
• protecting base coat by Essence - I don't think mine is still in production, but I'd suggest this
• the gel top coat by Essence (no lamp needed) - couldn't find exactly mine, but this is it
• black holo stripes nail art stickers by Essence - find similar here
• holographic nail foil - can be ordered here

Process:

• base coat first
• one thin coat of turquoise nail polish - let completely dry
• another coat of turquoise nail polish - when almost dry, add foil cut into triangles and gently tap it into the polish with your fingers (watch out for all the edges to be attached to the nail)
• add stripes between every piece of foil
• add top coat and let dry

This video was filmed 5 days after doing my manicure. Look at all that shine!
P.S. I only saw this video after posting it. It looked better on my phone and on my computer. But you see the shine, right?

So, how do you like it? Yay or nay for these days?

Essence eyeshadows

I haven't put on make-up on my eyes in about 5 years and then, one day, I saw these eyeshadows in the Essence aisle and I chose these three I thought would go great together.

#20 rosy happiness, #07 you better mauve!, #21 keep calm and berry on

Packaging! As always, Essence has really simple transparent containers for quite large amount of powder in there. They are really easy to open, but won't open by accident in the bag. Also, what you notice immediately after opening it, they are not just pressed in there. All eyeshadows have some pattern, but the new "the velvets" collection has this amazing and cute pattern looking like a knitted blanket.

First impression! In the store, I thought they were really pigmented and good matte products. #20 and #21 have just a bit of shimmer in them, but that's almost not visible. When I tried them on at home, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with both how they applied and the pigmentation. However, I did it on my bare skin. So, next time around, I applied an eyeshadow primer (or you can do it with just a regular primer) and the result was completely different. They held on pretty great and the primer really pulled out all the pigment. They are also really blendable and buildable. I applied them with sponge applicator and the first flat brush I could find, so you really shouldn't have any trouble with better brushes.

Wear test! I went to a fancy dinner and I decided it would be a good time to put these three to a test. I had my primer on and then I packed them on. They were holding great for about 6 to 7 hours which I think is amazing for about $2.

Do you own any of their eyeshadows? What are your thoughts?

Mani Monday: Pink, pointy and French

I got myself new stencils (which you can read all about here) so I wanted to use them. As I usually do all my manicures without any special tools (including stencils), I wanted to start small so I chose this easy pointy version of French manicure.

I used:

• base coat
• pink nail polish #55 be awesome tonight!
• colorful rhinestones

Note: I took these pictures a week after doing my manicure, so that explains the missing rhinestone and chapped nail polish (on my pointer finger). Also, I broke my nails that week so that really wasn't my nail week. :(

• ♥

This really didn't turn out as I thought it would, but it's not too bad. What do you think?

10 things I always have with me

There are some things I always have in my bag no matter the size of the bag. Some are really just essentials for me to live but others are now more of a habit. I'm glad though, because these stuff can always come in handy.

• mobile phone with headphones

I don't think I need to explain this one. Music is so important to me so I like listening to a radio (yes, radio as I love to be surprised if I hear some of my favorite songs) where ever I go and I don't want all people to listen what I'm listening. It also comes in handy when I have full hands and somebody's calling me, although I prefer talking with a phone next to my ear.

• keys

Although I live with my parents, I'm often home alone. I either have to lock my house when I'm leaving or unlock when I'm coming home. I've had this next to me for the last 15 years.

• wallet

Of course. I need to have my money with me. Also credit card (cause I never know if I'm going to run out of money), driver's licence, public transport card,... I have too many stuff in there and I don't use most of it, but I feel so secure when I have it all next to me.

• tissues (+ wet tissues)

Dry tissues are an absolute must! I sometimes, if I have a larger bag, throw in wet tissues too. These are perfect for public toilets where there is no paper (ever!), if you spill something, if you're sick,... And it's a curse: if I go out without tissues, I'll definitelly need some...

• lip balm - post here

I don't know how this became a must have, but I don't remember the last time I went out without it. I like to put it on in both winter and summer, no matter the time or the place. It gives my lips some hydration and care, along with shine and a bit of red pigment.

• at least one hair band and few hair pins - post here

My hair is a problem especially if it's windy. I usually eat half of my hair, there's always hair in my eyes. To prevent this, I always carry a hair band and few bobby pins so I could style my hair pretty quick and easy.

• a lighter

I am not a smoker, but it became a habit of mine to carry a lighter in my bag. It usually serves my friends who are smokers, but don't carry their lighters around. I think I used it only twice, but I still believe this will have its purpose sometimes!

• pain killers and plasters

I always carry pain killers, but I usually use them only during my period. However, I've been a medic among my friends so I provide them with pills if they need them too. I always carry them because you never know when the pain will strike. Also, considering all my shoes make blisters on my feet, plasters are absolutely necessary in my bag.

• USB flash drive

This became my essential when I started college because there's always something to print out or something a professor will give you. Since everything these days is computer related, USB is a really good thing to have. It's so small and so useful.

• gums

I personally love chewing gums and I carry them primarily because of that. But they do come in handy after a lunch. My favorite are by Orbit, and that would be green and white ones.

These are my essentials. Which are yours? :)

• ♥

My eBay jewelry shopping list

Since I discovered eBay few years back, I've bought so many stuff from there so I might not include everything here, but I'll do my best. I love eBay for buying especially jewelry since it's basically the same as the stuff I can get in my country and it's super cheap.

Note: There are more eBay jewelry in my collection, but I couldn't find it as listed anymore so I didn't include it here. Also, I've written the exact product I bought next to the link. Some of these links are by the exact seller I bought from, some are just holding the same stuff.

And! I do not own any of these photos, those are all screenshots of the links below the pictures.

1. Acrylic Womens Rose Flower Faux Pearl Shining Rhinestone Crystal Bracelet - white
2. Women Girls Ethnic Upper Arm Bracelet Vintage Arrow Open Bangle Armlet Arm Cuff - gold

1. Fashion Metal Vintage Gold/Silver Plated Triangle Dangle Long Ear Stud Earrings - gold
2. Hot New Fashion Women White & Black Enamel Triangle Dangle Earrings Hook Jewelry

1. 1 Pair Elegant Green Crystal Rhinestone Ear Drop Dangle Stud long Earrings
2. Women Fashion Jewelry Silver Plated Double Beads Crystal Stud Earrings Popular - black

1. Fashion Oval/Teardrop/Heart Gemstone Bead Pendant For Necklace Chain Jewelry - No. 17 Moss Agate
2. 2 pcs Sparkly white clear crystal silver Brooch pin Aircraft Airplane Jet flight

1. Hot Fashion Jewelry Crystal Chunky Statement Bib Pendant Chain Choker Necklace - green
2. Fashion Charm Women Chain Flower Bib Choker Pendant Statement Necklace Jewelry

1. Fashion Pendant Chain Crystal Choker Chunky Statement Bib Chain Necklace Jewelry - No. 10
2. Hot Women Lady Gorgeous Pretty Crystal Flowers Bib Statement Necklace BD5U

1. Exotic Gorgeous Retro Vintage Style Oval Stone Earrings Ear Stud Women Earrings - leopard point
2. Fashion Womens Lady Elegant Pearl Rhinestone Ear Clip Ear Stud Earrings Jewelry - silver

1. New Fashion 1pair Women Lady Elegant Crystal Rhinestone Ear Stud Earrings
2. 1 Pair New Fashion Women Lady Elegant Crystal Rhinestone Ear Stud Earrings

1. 4PCS/Set Rings Urban Gold Plated Crystal Plain Above Knuckle Ring Band MiNi Ring - silver
2. 5pcs/set Mid Midi Above Knuckle Open Ring Band Gold Silver Tip Finger Stacking - gold

1. Girl Big Pearl Pendant Long Necklace Fashion Vintage Style Rhinestone Crown
2. Hot Antique Bronze Crown Pearl Pendant Charming Long Chain Necklace

1. Womens Elegant Gold Chain Braided Rope Multilayer Bracelet Handmade Chain BA2U - brown
2. Hot Fashion Crystal Rhinestone Cross Love Infinity Stretch Beaded Bracelet Gift - silver cross, silver love, silver infinite

1. Hot Adjustable Vintage Angel Wing Gold Plated Opened Crystal Ring Lovers Gift
2. Women Gold Tone Curved Mirrored Metal Choker Collar Mottled Necklace

Do you like my jewelry? Would you like to see more eBay posts? Comments below :*

DIY: Bookmarks

I'm almost sure you've seen this many times, but I loved the idea of my own unique bookmarks so I did them and decided to share them with you. Also, if you're a passionate reader, this might be the right thing for you. (And yes, I'm a fan of Danielle Steel.)

You'll need (everything is optional - depends on what you'll do):

• needle pins
• buttons
• paper clips
• rhinestones
• beads
• jelly cord (remember this?) or shoe laces
• thread
• glue
• strip of decorative paper

Process:

• decide which style you'll do because you don't need all of these to make one bookmark
• the button bookmarks: I placed a button onto the paper clip or I pulled the button through the paper clip and glued it together
• the green flat bookmark: I placed a needle pin inside the strip of this green decorative tape and glued all around so the pin wouldn't move

I especially love the pink one with the black "fur" button and the green one with the paper and small bead. It looks weird like this, but it's supper cute once it's in the book (see the first picture) and when only the bead is out.

And that's about it. Are you a crafty person? Will you try this?

Which one do you like the most?

Mani Monday: Orange(ish) + nail polish review

As I got new Essence nail polish #57 ice cream party (post about me buying it is here), I had to try it out. I was super busy these past few weeks so, unlike usual, I only had time to do the simplest manicure. I chose this perfect spring color which turned out to be much prettier in person than here.

The coverage was amazing and I only used one coat of it. It lasted me for a week (could have lasted longer but I took it off) without a top coat. If you're into romantic, calming colors, I'd say definitely give this one a chance.

Do you like it? Will you consider buying it?

Greasy hair eyeshadow hack

I'm sure we all have some eyeshadow that's just there and we don't use it. If not, go on and buy some cheap one matching your hair. Why? Because it's the best thing to have when you have greasy hair or if you have small amount of hair. It can also help you with hairstyles when your hair is up.

She eyeshadow (no shade on my packaging)

First things first. I had this weird emo/all-black phase when I was still in elementary school, so I bought this dark, black eyeshadow (yes, I was "emo" and I loved glitter haha). I found it a couple years later and, of course, I'm not using that on my eyes. It was then that I got the idea not to throw away almost full container, but to put it to a better use.

I don't use it often, but it comes in very handy when I have greasy hair because when I do, my hair looks not as thick as usual and then the greasiness is visible even more. To cover this all up, I apply an eyeshadow to my scalp where my hair is parting. This immediately makes my hair look cleaner and thicker. Another bonus thing you can do is to apply dry shampoo before doing this. That way you get the full effect.

Also, I've seen people using it when they put their hair up to create an illusion of baby hair to frame their face. And it works! When you pull your hair up, the most likely place to be left out of hair is the upper side part (next to the forehead). You just apply a bit of eyeshadow there and it will create an illusion of hair.

This maybe looks like it's not a perfect match (cause it's not). But I promise you it is not as visible in person as it is here. Also, glitter eyeshadows are not the best option, but they work just fine.

That's all. Will you try this hack?

Spring make-up haul

As I'm weak for all the pretty and colorful stuff, me going into my local drugstore was a big mistake. Or the best thing ever? I got so many stuff I actually divided this post into two according to products I bought. Here's what I got.

Note: I'm not the professional make-up artist (I won't even say I'm that good at all of this), so I'm not going to spend a million dollars on make-up. Essence is my go-to brand as I find them a great balance between price and quality.

Nail polishes. As you were able to see, I'm a huge nail art lover so buying these two bright and spring colors was a done deal. Peach one is #24 indian summer and the turquoise one is #40 play with my mint. They are both by Essence and each was about $2. The sparkle one is by S-he. I needed a good glitter polish and I hope I found one. It's #110 and it was about $3.

Hair bands. I'm sure you've all seen this rubbery elastic twisted hair bands that are supposed to be better for your hair as they do not pull your hair as much as a regular hair band would. I bought these dark brown ones as they go great with my hair. I'm a bit skeptic as I love high ponytails and I don't think they'll provide enough support, but we'll see. I got five of them for $2.50.

White eyeliner. My friend sparked the interest with talking about this and bigger and brighter eyes so, when I saw this, I had to have it. It's waterproof gel eye pencil by Essence. I have to admit I'm pretty curious how this is going to turn out. I got it for $3.

Blush. It's mosaic blush by Essence. I immediately fell in love with this one as it has three colors which I find is more natural then just one pink one. We'll see. I also loved the look of it because it's not flat, but has like little pyramids. I payed $4 for it.

Highlighter. I never used this, but I love the idea. I also tried one by Essence, but it was creamy and I didn't know how it would apply with a brush (although I did try it on my hands and it looked amazing). I chose this High glow by Catrice. I loved how the packaging looks and how shimmery it was on my hands. I got this one for $6.

Concealer. This one in a stick form is Mastertouch all day concealer by Max Factor. I got one for Christmas and I just loved it. I got this one because I ran out of my old one and it's definitely worth repurchasing. It costs $8.50.

Concealer palette. It's All I need palette by Essence consisting 5 most important colors for color correcting. They are all creamy so I'm curious how it's going to apply but I loved the idea of all the colors in one place. Also, the packaging is cute and practical. It costs $4.50.

Do you like anything you see? Have you tried any of these?