ArtDonatella Make-Up

My Makeup Collection (Pic Heavy)

2012-02-10T20:34:00.049Z

I enjoy seeing these types of posts on other blogs, all sorts of collections (especially perfume :)), and so I thought I'll show you mine.

Now my collection is relatively decent in size in comparison to others I've seen around the web world, but trust me, it is more than I can handle anyway!

I keep part of my collection on a shelving unit that I bought from Ikea, some products in baskets (I just love baskets) and some in drawer dividers/compartments. All my makeup is in our office at the moment, where we have our desk & P.C.

In this one we have palettes, I'm a huge fan of makeup palettes, be it eyeshadows only or mix & match, I like to have everything I need in one place (not really 'one' obviously, cause the amount of palettes I have is obscene, but you get the point :))

Next, foundations and some other face care bits and bobs. This is only part of my collection, I keep all my night creams & serums on my night stand, which is an entire different story. Oh, and also note that I have about 7/8 foundations aside from these, in my student kit- not shown here!

One collection I'm not ashamed about is my lipsticks' one (mixed with glosses)! Love every lippie in my collection, and wait: more lipsticks below ;)

My lip balms and lip care products (love this simple, yet cute basket!)

On my desk, I also have a small drawers plastic unit, with five small drawers.

Here I have all my Lancaster makeup

This one is designated for storing samples, some eyeshadow pots and whatever things that don't fit anywhere else

Here I have my blushers, highlighters and bronzers

And this is my drawer of yummy lipsticks a.k.a. more expensive ones, like YSL, Estee Lauder, Stila etc :D

And the bottom one: eyeshadows, mainly pots and singles

Now in this pretty thing I keep all my mascaras and eyeliners. It has three cups/containers that neatly fit into the holder, I bought this from Dunnes Stores for a fiver

That's all folks!!!

Can I see your makeup collection now??? Pretty please with cherries on top? Ah go on then, send us a link :P!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

The Body Shop Chocomania

2012-02-10T12:41:00.000Z

Just in time for Valentine's Day, and celebrating 25 Years of Community Fair Trade, The Body Shop launched their highly anticipated 'Chocomania' Bath & Body Range, on Tuesday 7th February.

I had the pleasure to be invited to their press launch and to celebrate their achievement in the Community Fair Trade, on Monday the 6th. Special guest, Mr. Gaston Vizcarra - Founder of 'Candela', a Fair Trade Organization that supplies Brazil Nut Oil since 1989, was present on the night. He kindly and most of all passionately introduced us to the world of Fair Trade and to the start to finish process of obtaining the Brazil Nut Oil, which between you and me, ain't an easy peasy process ;). It's quite laborious to the contrary!

Photo Credits: T.B.S. Ireland Official Facebook Page

(On the L: Gaston Vizcarra)

Photo Credits: T.B.S. Ireland Official Facebook Page

(Brazil Nut in its raw state - don't be fooled, this is not a coconut!)

Soap 100g RRP: 3.95 Euro

Body Lotion 250 ml RRP: 13.50 Euro

Body Butter 200ml RRP: 18.95 Euro

Contains Community Fair Trade beeswax and honey, cocoa and shea butter, Brazil and babassu nut oil, sesame and soya oil, marula and aloe oil, coconut oil, hemp oil, olive oil and organic sugar cane

Also in 'Chocomania' range:

Lip Butter 10ml RRP: 7.50 Euro

Body Scrub 200ml RRP: 18.95 Euro

Shower Cream 250ml RRP: 8.95 Euro

I had a lovely time, Gaston was an absolute delight to listen to (with his Peruvian accent) and I acquired a lot of new and interesting information, overall a great night.

Now, onto the chocolate lovin' range: well, there's no other way to put it, but this:

Smells so, so yummy, I can feel the pounds piling on (ok not really, but it does smell seriously delish)

I must confess I enjoy using the body lotion more so than the body butter, while the butter is much more moisturising and its effects last longer, the body lotion is a dream to use, very easy and handy: Pump + Apply + GO! That's all there's is to it really. I for one, wasn't disappointed with the range at all. When I first received the press release, I was all 'Ermmm, ok, I'm sure it will smell sickening sweet :( '... but no, it has a very pleasant not too 'in your face sweet' kind of way scent, it's just perfect for chocoholics like ME!

Did you get your hands on some of the Chocomania goodies yet?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Simple Look of the Day: Avon Smoke & Mirrors

2012-01-30T15:21:00.001Z

I thought I'll share with you today's make-up look, using Avon's new Smoke & Mirrors products (which between you and me, I couldn't wait to try).

- I started with a primer on th entire lid up to the brow bone

- I then traced my socket line with Avon's Super Shock Eyeliner Gel in 'Blackberry' and blended upwards

- Applied a light brown colour on the entire lid, stoping at the crease

- I then took the dark brown shade eyeshadow from the Smoke & Mirrors Quad and applied in on the already blended gel eyeliner in the socket line, just to soften the edges a little bit , and softly applied it on the lower lash line as well

- I then took the light minty colour and placed that on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye

- I softly lined the upper lash line with 'Blackberry' and smudged it a bit

- Same Blackberry on the water line

- When the entire look was done, I then applied a white glitter on top up to the crease, to create a more sophisticated look

- Last step: Avon's SuperShock Mascara

FINISHED LOOK :)

On my lips I am wearing 'Purple Hazed' from the same collection

Hope you're having a wonderful start to your week :).

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Collection 2000 Cream Puffs

2012-01-29T13:43:00.000Z

I discovered these on Friday, when I bought 2 for 7.50Euros on offer in Boots: it was love at first sight I tell you. I've tried loads in my life time, bought loads and received loads, and trust me: nothing gets me all that excited anymore. Sure I squeeled when I got the Lancome Genifique Serum (my ultimate favourite serum in the world), and sure I jumped for joy when I received the Avon's SuperShock Eyeliner Gels , but lipstick wise - it's been a while.

These babies were made for ME! No doubt in my mind they were thinking about my own taste in consistency, shades and lasting properties.

Formula - These have a mousse/cream consistency, extremely similar to Bourjois' So Delicate Lip Cream, an old favourite of mine. It just glides on, feels a bit wet when applied but soon settles, and when it does, this baby does not move. It's definitely a long lasting lip product, so, so gorgeous words are not enough. They smell deliciously like creme puffs. I only saw four shades, and I hereby promise to buy the other two plus back-ups for these shades.

THE FINISH - My lips are quite dry in general and these don't seem to be drying them out more so than any other lipstick I use. The finish is matte (no doubt about it), and that's the way I like it. If you're not a matte kinda girl, then these are not for you.

Cannot stress how much I love these, the price is amazing (Boots, here I come on Monday!) and Collection 2000 has made a great impression on me lately, I have a fabulous foundation from them which I must review soon. That being said, these might not be your cup of tea, but as mentioned above, it's been a long time since I fell for a lippie, and it was about bloody time I did! *grins*

Have you bought any of these? Let me know if you love them as much as I do :).

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Avon Smoke & Mirrors Collection

2012-01-28T20:27:00.000Z

Avon has done it again! And by that I mean new SuperShock Gel Eyeliners for us and not only. While the liners make me super happy, this entire collection (launching in February) is well pretty to say the least.

First up, the nail polish....

Now if this ain't pretty, I don't know what else is. A creamy, super fast drying nail polish in the most gorgeously delicate peachy shade ever. No nasty glitter, just a creamy shiny nail polish. Love!

'Apricot Mystery' - 8 Euros

This collection offers us two eyeshadow palettes. They're quite soft and easy to work with, slightly shimmery and most of the shades within are duochrome. Pretty pastel colours, perfect for spring time :).

'True Colour Eyeshadow Quad' - 11 Euros

I received two lipsticks, Purple Hazed - which is an iced plumy colour and Apricot, which is a peachy shade. The consistency of these lipsticks is sheer, soft and creamy, and they smell delicious.

Ultra Colour Rich Lipsticks - 9 Euros

Last, BUT not least...............Gel Eyelinerssssssss

I'm sorry, but Avon makes the best gel eyeliners out there, the best shades, they stay on for ages and they work wonders on the waterline as well. Yes, I love them and I'm not afraid to show it. These two shades from 'Smoke & Mirrors' are AMAZING. You can tell that I've already worn 'Golden Fawn' (pic above), I've worn this all week. Easy to glide-on and blend, very pigmented and mostly, they're reasonably priced. I even remember ordering x3 liners once which were on offer for 3Euro each. The full price for these is 8 Euros, and that's a fabulous price for the quality that you get.

Kids, get those eyeliners, you won't regret it, I simply cannot recommend them enough, I already have six shades in my collection and they're all bang-on-trend.

Overall, well done Avon, cannot wait to see what you have stored for us next.

See anything you like from Smoke & Mirrors?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Sally Hansen Giveaway

2012-01-28T13:32:00.001Z

I promised a giveaway in my latest post with some Sally Hansen goodies, so here we go:

CLOSER LOOK:

See how gorgeous the Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips really are, HERE

Rules:

a) You must be a Google Friend Connect Follower

b) Leave a comment below stating your G.F.C. follower name and a contact email address

c) Optional: You get x2 entries if you tweet about it also (no need though to follow me on Twitter, only if you wish :)). Please tweet the following:

Be in chance to win a Sally Hansen Goodie Bag over at http://artdonatella.blogspot.com/2012/01/sally-hansen-giveaway.html @artdonatella

* Competition Open Internationally

* If you're under 18, please get your parents/guardians permission before entering as a postal address will be necessary if you're the winner.
* The closing date for entry is Midnight, Sunday- 12th February - Winner will be chosen by random.org

That's all, good luck everybody!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Sally Hansen's Cupid Colour Collection

2012-01-24T19:47:00.001Z

Nails of last week to be more precise, even more so, the Sally Hansen Cupid Colour Collection- the entire....on my nails :)...let me explain what I mean.

It's a collection made out of 4 gorgeous, delicious shades, two pinks and two reds as seen above. I cannot (literally) decide which one I like best, but let's just say that 'Red Zin' got a lot of 'Oooh's & Aaaaah's'.

So what does a girl do when she receives x 4 new nail polishes to review? She wears them all at once, that's what (at least that's what 'this girl' did). And the results were amazing, pretty, gorgeous! In fact, I shall start wearing different shades on my nails more often from now on.

See what I mean? Purrrrreeeetty!

The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure retails at 8.95 each and can be purchased in selected pharmacies, department and grocery stores nationwide. See swatches of a few more wonder shades like these, here.

So, which one do you like best? Also, do you ever wear several shades on one hand at once?

P.S. I have some Sally Hansen goodies to give away soon, so keep your eyes peeled if you're a fan of the brand :).

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Free Threading Service from T.B.S. (Ireland only)

2012-01-24T10:04:00.000Z

Here's one for the lovely Irish babes:

On Tuesday 31st January, The Body Shop will be holding a Free Threading Day in support of the Irish Cancer Society. Hats off to you T.B.S., I applaud you :)!

This is a fantastic idea, you get free threading service and you can donate to a great cause in the same time. Now who would not appreciate an opportunity like this?

Only one threading service per customer.

This service is only available in the Republic of Ireland stores.
No bookings required this is a walk in service.
Donations can be made at your own discretion, in stores.

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Glam Saturday Look with M.U.A. Cosmetics

2012-01-23T13:41:00.000Z

I guess that by now everyone has heard of M.U.A. Cosmetics, it's a brand from the U.K. that launched in 2010, and its name 'rhimes' with cheap and cheerful make-up products, with prices ranging 1GBP to 4GBP.

I was having a look in Superdrug the other day and I 'stumbled' upon a basket of reduced M.U.A. Cosmetics products. Now I'm not one to pass this on, so obviously I bought three eyeshadows, priced at the grand 1.25Euros each. That being said, I'm glad I bought these, they are fantastic for the price and not only. Very pigmented, packed with glitter/shimmer (in this case), and let's face it, we all need a bitta' glitta' from time to time :).

This one is amazing! It has a red-ish undertone to it, but with flexes of sivery green on top (hard to explain, but it's oh-so-gorgeous)

Glam Saturday Look:

I have No. 12 on the entire lid applied over a blended black eye pencil base, with No. 30 on the inner section and corner of the eye
+

False eyelashes from Ja'Maal Buster (Sold Out Show)

On my lips I wore the NYC Smooch Proof Lipstain in '490 Persistent Pink' - this is my go-to lip product at the moment, suits every look I've been sporting lately.

Have you tried any M.U.A. products? Any recommendations for me :) ?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

YSL 'Candy Face' Spring 2012

2012-01-16T20:10:00.000Z

Lloyd Simmonds gives us a cosmetic visual feast in other words, this Spring. This collection looks so juicy and yummy and it's filled with 'fresh colours, melting textures and transparent effects', as the press release suggests.

1. Voile de Blush / Jelly Blush - a water based gel blush (sounds delish), available in four shades at 38 Euros

2. Rock Candy Palette - x 4 harmonious eyeshadows in one compact (x 2 pearlized & x 2 satin finishes) at 55 Euros

3. Volupte Sheer Candy Lipsticks - four luscious shades (red, purple, pink and tangerine) at

31.50 Euros

4. Rouge Volupte Perle at 32 Euros

5. Ombres 5 Lumieres No.13 at 57 Euros

6. Manucure Couture No.8 - at 38 Euros

Let's take a closer look at one of the Volupte Sheer Candy Lipsticks, and to be more precise, let us admire No. 8 'Prune Frappee' (Iced Plum)

Unlike Rouge Volupte, the packaging of this is silver instead of gold, but equally stunning. This applies quite sheer, smells fruity delicious and even tastes candy-sweet when you lick it (off your lips that is, trust me I did NOT lick the lipstick - that's my version and I'm sticking to it!:D).

It is super moisturizing and has a glossy finish and because of its sheer consistency- you can apply it on the go, especially this particular neutral shade. To me, it's like a luxury lip balm with tiny flexes of glitter running through it. It is indeed a very soft and natural shade, just perfectly complimentary to a dramatic evening eye makeup.

Collection available in stores now. Have you seen it yet, if so, what are we loving?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

NYC Goodie Bags Winners

2012-01-09T19:06:00.000Z

Hey there my lovelies, apologies for the delay in announcing the winners, hope you don't hold this against me :). If you're not on this list, please come back as I still have some fabulous goodie bags to give you guys (left from December :)) with products including Avon, Vichy, Sally Hansen, etc.

Without further ado, here are the lucky winners:

1. Katryn

2. Max

3. Ruthie

4. Demonicsmurfette

5. Chloe

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Please send me an email with your postal address as soon as possible, to artdonatella@gmail.com

Thank you to everyone that entered the competition, I wish you the best of luck for the future giveaways to come :D!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Barbara Daly Oil Free Foundation Review

2012-01-08T18:07:00.000Z

I love Barbara Daly for Tesco range. I have a gorgeous highlighter from this brand plus one of my favourite lipsticks is from BD. It's a cheap and cheerful brand, even their concealer is fab, being a serious dupe for Benefit's Boi-ing Concealer, highly pigmented stuff.

I spotted this foundation in 'Ivory' after Christmas and it's my perfect shade.

First Impressions: It comes in a 29ml, sleek thick glass bottle, it looks rather expensive and neat. The bad thing about it is that it doesn't come with a pump, instead it comes with an applicator/spatula, I do love my pumps in a foundation, so this is a small minus for it.

Barbara Daly says: "A light and silky formula that glides on smoothly for a long-lasting, satin finish. Contains a 'soft focus complex' to help minimise skin imprefections. With sun filters;SPF12. Suitable for normal to oily skins."

Final Impressions: The consistency is indeed light, oil free and glides on smoothly. The coverage is medium, but very buildable to a full coverage without becoming cakey. It is lightly scented, but nothing overpowering or disturbing, to me at least, and it doesn't bother me since I don't have sensitive skin. It sets on my skin beautifully and I love the fact that I can build it to as much coverage as needed. My skin is normal/oily (oily T-zone & chin and normal cheeks), and I do get about 4-5 hours wear from it without needing touch-ups, and powder performs beautifully on top. The fair shade I use 'Ivory' tends to oxydize (darkens in shade) a bit once applied, but if I use a primer underneath, I found this can be fixed easily :).

All in all, I think this is a fabulous foundation and priced at 9.50Euro, I will defo repurchase it. It's not my favourite foundation of all times, but I belive that it does its job perfectly. The thing I most like about it is the light, runny formula that doesn't sit in your pores or block them, and which doesn't accentuate your flaky patches (when you forgot to exfoliate), the perfect word for this is: a glide-on foundation.

In my opinion, a great product that's worth investigating further.

Here's a before and after pic, so you can see how it performs:

Have you tried anything from Barbara Daly? Any recommendations for me???

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

My New Year's Eve FOTD

2012-01-02T00:40:00.001Z

Happy New Yeeeeeeaaaaarrrrrrrrrrr, my lovelies!!!

On New Year's Eve we had a few friends over and we had a great time altogether, it's been a while since I had a sleepless night and trust me: no eye cream can 'fix' a sleepless night ;)! Tomorrow is my last day off :( and then back to work I go, I cannot believe that we're in 2012 already. I wish you guys all the best for the freshly started year, lots of health, happiness and prosperity!

I thought I'll show you what makeup I wore on the night, so here goes:

Of course I opted for a statement lip, but I also accentuated the eyes a bit more, with glitter and all that jazz. The foundation I'm wearing here is a Barbara Daly for Tesco foundation (will review soon), and the lipstick could only be the world's most beautiful red lippie:

Inglot's '408 Matte'. Earrings are from Penneys (Primark).

How was your New Year's Eve, and more importantly, what make-up did you wear on the night? Please link me if you have a post or a photo done, I would love to have a cheeky look :D.

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

When blending just doesn't cut it...

2011-12-30T18:17:00.002Z

Hello, hello :)! How are you keeping my darlings?

I am keeping well (in case you were wondering), I hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa brought you all the goodies you had on your lists. My husband was hospitalized for a few weeks, so that's what Santa brought me: my hubby back home, which is the best gift ever!!!

Moving on from the 'serious' stuff and onto more shallow side of things (Man, I missed worrying about shallow stuff!), today I thought I'll show you a little trick that you guys might already know, but still wanted to share with you, just in case. If you love your smoke eyes but sometimes feel that blending the hell out of your brush just doesn't cut it, or else you have a crappy blending brush (like in my case, ahem), here's a little simple trick to help you in those 'tough' times:

Step 1: Apply your medium-dark shade on the entire eyelid, and go above the crease

Step 2: Apply the darkest shade on the outer corner of the eye in your usual 'V' shape

Step 3: To achieve the perfectly blended look with no hassle, take a matte light colour eyeshadow (skin toned works the best) and apply on the edges of the medium shade- up to the browbone, leaving some space for the lightest shade, as usual (see below)

Step 4: Smudge an eyeliner on the upper lash line (the NYC Showtime Glitter Eyeliner in 'Black' is amazeballs), apply your lightest highlighting shade on the inner corner and under the brows, and then mascara.

And there you have it...the perfectly blended effect ;)

In case you missed me, cause it's been a while let's face it, here's a mug shot for your entertainment with the finished result:

And that's that! Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, so exciting! I already know what I'll be wearing, but by God what make-up am I going to do? Decisions, decisions....

I will announce the NYC goodie bags winners shortly, my sincere apologies for the delay to everyone that entered the competition, December hasn't been my best month I'm afraid :(...

I might do a quick post showing you my outfit & face of the day tomorrow, just for the craic :D!

Have a lovely night babes, Man, it's good to be back!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

A little update...

2011-12-18T00:19:00.000Z

Hi lovelies, hope you are all keeping well.

Just a quick post to say apologies for not updating the blog in weeks, I'm just going through a difficult time right now, but hopefully it will all be well in no time :)...

On a more cheerful note, Christmas is almost here and I truly hope that you are all having a wonderful time organizing, decorating & most of all shopping :D. I'll see you all soon! x

Lots of love,

ArtDonatella

xoxo

'Artsy' Santa's Giveaway No.1 CLOSED

2011-12-03T21:15:00.003Z

Yayyy, it's December! Love this month, my favourite month of the year, love snow, love Christmas trees and boy do I love Christmas pressies! Hands up everyone who feels the same, I see ya, I see ya!

So here's the deal peeps: Throughout the month of December, I'll be giving away lots of goodie bags and treats to you lovely lot, just because 'tis the season to be jolly, la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-laaaaaaaa'. I have a bunch of sponsored goods for you, which hopefully will bring some of you a little extra bag under the Christmas tree.

So let's start with this week's giveaway, which comes packed with NYC Cosmetics goodies.

To WIN one of x 5 GOODIE BAGS like the one above, from New York Color, all you have to do is:

a) Be a GFC or Networked Blogs Follower

b) Leave a comment below stating your GFC/NBF follower name and a contact email address

c) Optional: You get x2 entries if you tweet about it also:

Be in chance to win an NYC Goodie Bag over at www.artdonatella.blogspot.com @artdonatella

* Competition Open Internationally
* If you're under 18, please get your parents/guardians permission before entering as a postal address will be necessary if you're the winner.
* The closing date for entry is Midnight, Saturday- 10th December - Winners will be chosen by random.org

So there you have it, good luck everyone!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Spring Goodies from Lancome

2011-12-03T20:02:00.000Z

In anticipation to Spring 2012, Lancome brings to the market on the 1st January 2012, a delicious colour collection created by Aaron De Mey, Make-Up Artistic Director for Lancome, who also happens to have the most gorgeous hair ever, just google him and you'll see what I mean :). Back on the subject, this collection was inspired by the beautiful rose garden at the founder of Lancome, Armand Petitjean's family home in Les Vallieres, on the outskirts of Paris.

'Roseraie Des Delices' with its pastel colours and soft milky shades immediately makes us think of delish macaroons and barley sugars, and comprises of:

La Roseraie Blush Palette - RRP: 45Euro

With this was kind of 'love at first swatch', such a gorgeous peachy pink shade, very soft and well pigmented, with a glittery highlighter on the side, the perfect pick-me-up cosmetic 'tool'.

2. Les Yeux Doux - Eyeshadow Palette available in two colours: Vert Tandresse & Rose Romance - RRP: 45Euro

3. French Touch Absolu Lipstick - Shades: 314 Rose Candy, 316 Cotton Candy & 318 Sweet Marmelade - RRP: 30Euro

4. Color Fever Gloss - Shades: 386 Green Petal, 387 Tangerine Petal & 388 Rose Petal - RRP: 20Euro

Yes people, there is a green lipgloss in there, you ain't seeing things! 'Green Petal' Colour Fever Gloss is especially designed to give a frosted finish to the lips, can be used on its own but also on top of a lipstick, weird but kind of in an interesting way, isn't it?

February 2012 will also bring us a new foundation from Lancome, a long wearing one, the 'Teint Idole Ultra 24H', which comes in a huge range of 18 shades and priced at 35Euro, I literally can't wait to try this. Full review, swatches and further details to follow in the upcoming weeks.

Anything caught your eye yet, and are you intrigued by the green shaded lip gloss? I know I am!

Yours. ArtDonatella

xoxo

Skin Types

2011-12-02T19:10:00.000Z

Hello everybody, hope you're keeping well, healthy and happy.

I haven't been feeling all that well this week, it was an awful one, but thank God it's over!

Most of you might not know this, but I started a collaboration with NYC Cosmetics (Coty) back in October, meaning I write an advertorial for them almost every month in 'U' Magazine, where I share some tips & tricks that I've mostly learnt in make-up school. Every month I get my un-edited version up on the NYC Cosmetics Ireland Facebook page in the 'Beauty Diary' section, so feel free to like and follow their page should you wish to have a cheeky read from time to time. I must however point out that 'U' Magazine has edited my first two pieces (October & November), so here's my original October piece, which hopefully you'll enjoy reading. :D

First lesson: Skin Analysis

A beautiful make-up application begins with a beautiful skin! Whether it’s problematic or not, the correct diagnosis of your skin type is the absolute starting point.

Oily skin – Your skin appears dull, sallow and shiny (on the T-zone, cheeks and chin areas), usually with uneven texture and enlarged pores, thick and can present blackheads (comedones) and blemishes (papules and pustules). A thorough but gentle cleansing routine is required for unblocking clogged pores. Good news for you: your aging process is slower than in the case of dry skin.

Dry skin – Your skin appears thin with fine lines, with no visible pores and may look and feel tight, even flakey at times. Can also be dehydrated and sensitive. Aside a gentle cleansing routine, the moisture content in the skin must be kept under supervision with serums, rich moisturizers and hydrating masks to be used on a regular basis. Wrinkles appear faster in your case, so the early use of a cream with anti-ageing properties and protection from UV rays, are mandatory.

Normal skin – Jackpot! You are lucky enough to have a beautiful even-toned skin, which feels and looks healthy and supple, smooth and even-textured, you are one star that needs the ‘normal’ skincare routine, with no issues to focus on. Yaay!

Combination skin – Generally, you have an oily T-zone with normal or dry cheeks. If your cheeks don’t show characteristics of dry skin (see above), you have an oily/normal combination skin. You should use a cleanser designed for all skin types or combination skin on the entire face, while further concentrating on the problematic areas such as the usual oily T-zone.

Once this step is established, you are then ready to treat your skin and enhance your natural beauty through make-up. Obviously healthy skin is vital, so the minimum SPF15 in your daily routine is not to be neglected!

That was it, have a great night everyone!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick 'Peace'

2011-11-24T21:34:00.000Z

I'll be showing you a gorgeous, gorgeous lipstick today. It's actually so beautiful I'm surprised it took me so long to post about it. I've had this for a while now, priced at circa 7Euro in Boots, this lipstick range is simply amazing. And the shade, would you just look at this shade?!

These lipsticks are very light in both consistency and colour pay-off, so don't be intimidated by the 'strong' look of them, they're delicious. This shade especially is a gorgeous peachy pink, just the perfect angelic, innocent shade, a mix between lipstick and lip balm, with a glossy effect...sounds complicated, but it's really this simple: a super moisturizing, cool and innovative lippie. In my opinion, everyone should own one of the lipsticks from the '17' Mirror Shine collection, you won't regret this purchase :).

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, business-serious like, here's my 'boy', Milko, in yesterday's newspaper- The Irish Times, with a gorgeous professional model in a photoshoot styled by the one and only, Rosemary MacCabe:

Apologies for the crappy pic, once I receive the original shot, will post it in the sidebar :D

Awwwwwwwwww! Isn't he just handsome?

Have a great Friday tomorrow, everyone!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

30% off The Body Shop

2011-11-22T20:31:00.001Z

Attention Irish peeps! This Friday only, 30% off all The Body Shop products across stores in Ireland. Thinking of investing in those Vitamin E range, or perhaps Shimmer Cubes Eyeshadows? Now's the time to do so!

Now ain't this a fab reason to start stocking up on those Cristmas pressies?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

How to: Make-up Brushes Care

2011-11-21T22:13:00.001Z

Evening peeps! I know, I know, been missing in action for a few days, things have been hectic & busy to say the least...this plus a massive lack of inspiration and loss of mojo , kept me well away from my keyoboard :( .

I must begin this post with a confession: "I freaking love make-up brushes" and all I want for Christmaaaaaas, is youuuuu* ('*' = Sigma Professional Kit from Cloud10Beauty), so if you're reading this Santa, you know what I want :D.

So, I'm gonna share with you a few simple yet effective tips on how to care for your make-up brushes, some of you may already know them, either way I hope you enjoy reading this.

TIPS & TRICKS:

1. Let's start with how many times you should wash (not disinfect/clean) your personal brushes. They have to be washed once a week to keep them in top condition.

2. In between uses, always clean them with a brush cleaner. If you can't afford investing in a good brush cleaner, a great tip is to buy surgical spirits and get an empty spritzer bottle (i.e. Lush Tea Tree Toner), and mix 40 % spirits with 60% water, and you have your formula to disinfect those babies between uses. This is a tip I learnt in make-up school, and I'm cleaning my brushes like that ever since. If you have sensitive skin, give this a go, and maybe lessen the dose of spirits if any issues come up.

Surgical spirits can be quite expensive in pharmacies (I actually bought a 75ml for a fiver - rip-off!!).

Try to get a huge bottle from a salon suppliers, like this one from Sally Salon Services:

1litre for c. 8 Euro - bargain!

3. Always wash your brushes with baby shampoo, because it has a milder formula and it doesn't contain as many chemicals as your regular shampoo.

4. Never wash them whilst holding the bristles vertically under the water jet, because water will get into the base of your brushes and will dissolve the glue that holds the bristles together, which basically means throwing them in the bin :(...as they're fairly pricey, that's the last thing you want. Instead, work your shampoo into your bristles and keep them horizontally under the water jet.

5. You guys all know that your foundation brush is a royal pain in the bum to clean. Well, I learnt another abso-freaking-lutely fabulous trick in make-up school: REMOVE OIL WITH OIL, yes sounds silly but get your baby oil out and apply a small amount into the palm of your hand and work the oil into the bristles while gently removing the foundation deposit with your fingernails (gently please, love those brushes!), repeat the process and when everything is removed, you can then go to the next step, which is baby shampoo.

6. After you washed all your brushes, gently tap off the excess water (don't tap the hell out of those brushes on the base of the sink, that's just violence :P).

7. Another great tip: The drying process is also very important: place them on the kitchen or window counter to dry, with the base of the brush not touching the counter (right, really bad explanation guys I know, please see below). This way, the water will drip down and will not stay into the base therefore disolve the glue. Oh, and never dry them with a hair dryer either, or God forbid placing them on the heater to dry, your brushes will be RUINED!

And there you have it! That's all I can think of right now, but if something extra pops into mind, will make sure to share it with you guys!

Do you have any tips to share with me? Would love to know :).

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Christmas Offers :)....Oooh-La-La

2011-11-17T20:30:00.000Z

My inbox got 'filled' with news about incoming Christmas offers today, which can only make me oh-so-excited, especially because I see so many stuff I actually want....oh boy, here we go again!

Wanna see for yourself? Of course you do, here they come:

Yves Saint Laurent

1. Belle D'Opium Gift Set (EDP 30ml + Body Lotion 50ml+ Shower Gel 50ml) - RRP: 52Euro

2. L'Homme Libre Gift Set (EDT 60ml + Travel Size 10ml) - RRP: 59Euro

3. Beauty Icon Gift Set (Touche Eclat + Luxurious Mascara + Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skincare Brush) - RRP: 80Euro

Lancome

1. Christmas Beauty Box - when you buy any Lancome products worth 35Euro, you can get this for 49Euro, and it contains: Bi-facial 125ml, Galateis Douceur 50ml, Tonique Douceur 50ml, Genifique Serum 7ml, Genifique 15ml Day, Genifique 5ml Eyes, Luxury Eye and Face Palette, Mini Mascara Hypnose, Mini Mascara Hypnose Precious Cells, Mini Mascara Hypnose Drama, Mini Crayon Khol, and three shades of L’Absolu Rouge lipstick, all inside a luxurious vanity case.

2. Gift with purchase (the sleek black cosmetic case above) - free with any 2 Lancome purchases, one to be skincare

3. Lancome Visionnaire Gift Set - (Visionnaire 30ml + Genifique concentrate 7ml + Renergie Morpholift RARE Day 15ml + Renergie Morpholift Night 15ml) - RRP: 70Euro

4. Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate 30ml Skincare Gift (Génifique Concentrate 30ml + complimentary 7ml + Génifique eye cream 15ml) - RRP: 80Euro

5. Lancome Hydra Zen SPF 15 50ml Gift Set (Hydra Zen SPF15 50ml + Hydra Zen Day SPF15 15ml + Hydra Zen Night 15ml + Genifique Concentrate 7ml) - RRP: 50.50Euro

6. Lancome Tresor Midnight Rose Gift Set (EDP 50ml + Mini Hypnose Mascara + Mini Colour Fever Gloss + Mini Ombre Absolue) - RRP: 54Euro

1. Lancome Hypnose Mascara Gift Set (choose from Hypnose Doll Eyes, Hypnose, Hypnose Drama or Hypnose Precious Cells mascara + complimentary bi-facial 30ml + a mini Lancôme khol black crayon) - RRP: 25.50Euro

2. Lancome Juicy Tubes Gift Set (Fraise, Lychee, Pamplemousse and Marshmallow Electro) - RRP: 22Euro

3. Lancome Christmas Cracker (Bifacial 30ml + Genifique 7ml + Visionnaire 7ml + Hypnose 2ml, original black + Juicy Tube 7ml + Absolue Rouge 1.65ml Shade 06) - RRP: 44Euro

4. The Luxury Advent Calendar - 24 luxury samples - exclusive to Brown Thomas stores: - RRP: 90Euro

ROGER & GALLET

Limited Edition Scented Candles: Bois D'Orange & Fleur D'Osmanthus - RRP 22.50Euro / each

Oh Gosh, I want EVERYTHING! Anything caught your eye? I for one love the Genifique set (a gorgeous, gorgeous product), the Hypnose Doll Eyes Set and the L'Oreal Luxury Advent Calendar, is that too much to ask do you think????

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

The Powder Power & Two FOTD's

2011-11-14T21:30:00.000Z

Ka-Boom! Now that's some serious title for such a light post :).

I almost never wear powder. While I can totally understand the use of it, I find that my base almost always cakes when I use one. For the past few days, I've actually been using a face powder, it's the Avon's 'Ideal Flawless' Pressed Powder in 'Fair', which is fab by the way and will launch in February 2012.

What I'm actually trying to say here, is that my face never looked so flawless in real life and in photographs, as it does when I'm using a face powder...here's my Saturday's & Sunday's FOTD to prove it.

Saturday

Sunday

Wearing my beloved Rimmel Colour Mousse Eyeshadow in '012-Mocha'

(an eyeshadow that will soon be discontinued, so I am advised by Coty - at the moment I can't find these anywhere and I'm truly devastated I never got a back-up for this :( )

The complexion looks much, much better with powder, and the foundation stays put for longer, a thing I already knew in theory, but not in practice. It almost looks photoshopped, but you should already know by now that I am 100% against Photoshop, I am a much too honest person to 'fake' my results, and to be honest I don't appreciate bloggers that photoshop their photos either (unless it's for artistic purposes & not tutorials).

Now that this is out of the way, are you using powder everyday? And how's that working out for you?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

My Best in Beauty 2011

2011-11-11T21:13:00.000Z

We're in November, meaning we're *this* close to ending year 2011, and so I thought I'll show you my choices in beauty, my most used and loved ones, my most 'can't live without' (Drama Queen) products for this year. So prepare yourself for a very cheesy love post, there's no other way with this really!

Here we go:

Priced at a mere 8 Euro, this little joy bringer was my most purchased foundation throughout the year. I highly recommend this to people looking for a long lasting foundation, great for oily and combination skin, '25 Hr' Foundation by Rimmel gets x 2 big thumbs up from me!

Another awsome product from Rimmel, this pot of 'gold' is by far my favourite eyeshadow ever. Don't be tricked by the mousse formula, it it amazing, long lasting, fabulous shade, easy to blend and highly pigmented! Cannot.praise.this.enough!!!!! See full review here

Next, lipsticks. Sorry, but being a lippie freak, I can't settle for just one, so I have three in different shades:

Pink: Rimmel Colour Show Off in 'Shocking Pink' - swatches here

Nude: Estee Lauder Signature Lipstick in 'Venetian Rose' - swatches here

Red: Inglot '408 Matte' - swatches here

Bronzer wise, it had to be The Body Shop's Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder. A gorgeous matte formula, not too orange, not too muddy-looking, perfectly natural for my fair complexion (which reminds me, I need to buy a new one).

The surprise of the year, I give you my multi-purpose beauty weapon. NYC's Sparkle Eye Dust in 'Champagne' has been my loyal companion ever since I purchased it for c. 2.99 (yes, that's right). See swatches here. I always have it in my student make-up kit and use it constantly, as an eyeshadow, highlighter on the cheekbones, cupid's bow, nose bridge....everywhere! Love this, would not be without it!!!

My old friend L'Oreal Voluminous in 'Black' is always there for me and it is my most purchased mascara ever (not just for this year).

Sally Hansen did not dissapoint with their overly-hyped claims for a long lasting nail polish that incorporates both base and top coats. Great selection of shades, I am their fan for life :).

Swatches and shade selection here

Ahhhh, Liz Earle! Love you, I am never letting you go, you have 'saved my skin' (S.M.S.) and gave it brightness, health and all that jazz :D...Thank you! Review here

And this brings us to the end of My Best in Beauty 2011 Awards, with a recognition of the everall best beauty brand of the year:

RIMMEL LONDON

Hands down Rimmel, you did not dissapoint me quality wise, expectation wise and most of all, price wise!

Tell me, what is your best beauty brand for 2011?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Competition Winners :)

2011-11-11T19:53:00.001Z

First of all, many, many thanks for all your entries, I actually felt sad at the end of it all because it's so darn hard to choose a winner yourself. While I struggled to name the winner of the Twitter Competition, the First Prize was an easy one....

Twitter Prize Winner:

...................Peniam

"Because it's a divine feeling to make a masterpiece painting my face without being Rembrandt ;)"

Prize No. 1 Winner:

.....................FitznBitz

"Mom do you really use ALL this makeup?"

"My son genuinely said that to me and he's only 5 - I was gobsmacked/embarrassed. He also mentioned that he has 2 boxes of toys & I have 4 boxes of make-up! Eeeek! Guilt-trip.com!"

(Undoubtedly the winner, even my brother agreed on this)

****CONGRATS, girls!!!****

(please email me your addresses if you see this before I email you :))

For everyone else that did not win this time, stay tuned in December, loads of competitions and giveaways to come!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Latest Redken Releases

2011-11-10T21:58:00.000Z

'Tousle Whip 04' soft texturizing cream wax together with the 'Full Effect 04' all over nourishing hair mousse, are the latest additions to the Redken 5th Avenue NYC range.

Redken 'Full Effect 04' - 15 Euro- is a volumising mousse that can be used on the length of the hair as well, packed with yummy nourishing ingredients, designed to care for your hair. With cotton extract for volume, UV filters and Vitamin E for colour protection, this leaves hair feeling nourished and full of body, but most of all manageable. A thing I mostly hate about hair mousses is the sticky, yucky feel of the hair after use and with this, it must be said, this DOES leave hair soft while still having the volumising properties of the general hair mousse. My favourite hair mousse by far!

The 'Tousle Whip 04' - 17 Euro - is a light cream wax providing that tousled texture to the hair, with a satin matte- finish. While it doesn't provide the usual strong hold as other waxes do, this little pot is designed to give that 'rebellious' look to your hair, without leaving it feeling crunchy and tangled. I haven't tried this just yet, but it looks (and smells) lovely, so will report back as soon as I have my mind made up on it.

What's your favourite hair mousse?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Avon 'Shine Attract' Lipstick & 'Ideal Flawless' Foundation

2011-11-08T22:54:00.000Z

Good evening my lovelies, how are you keeping?

I'm back with a 'launch' post from none other than Avon. Come February 2012, Avon will be bringing to the beauty market two brand spanking new products, the 'Ideal Flawless' Liquid Foundation in 16 shades and the 'Shine Attract' Lipstick in 10 luscious shades.

So last week I popped along to the launch of these beauties, an event hosted by the one and only Jackie Tyson , yep that gorgeous make-up artist we always see in the Avon catalogues, also known as the Chief Make-Up Artist for Britain's Got Talent & previous X Factor Live Shows. She is just as gorgeous and lovely in real life as I imagined her to be.

The 'Ideal Flawless' Foundation (15.50 Euro) comes in 16 shades. That's just music to our ears, from the lightest to darkest, we will have six shades for fair skin tones (from neutrals to pinks and yellow based), six shades for medium skin tones and four shades for dark complexions. Designed to cater all skin types (including mature skin as Jackie advises), this foundation is "a blend of multi-shaped pigments that allows the light to pass through, reflecting natural skin tone to provide a flawless, natural looking base" (Quote from Press Release). Best applied with fingers, this formula that required four years in the making, promises flawless yet natural results.

In other words, the consistency is light, feels quite mousse-y to me and spreads like a dream. It provides a medium coverage that is buildable to a full one. I'm really impressed with this formula, I find that I need to have a well exfoliated skin before applying, and that a setting powder is a must for me particularly, to keep that natural glow of mine at bay.

The 'Shine Attract' Lipsticks (11 Euro) are just yummy looking. I mean look at them: yu-mmy!

The centre of the bullet is a lipstick that provides both colour and lasting results, while the outer clear gel gives the lips the lusted moisture and shine. These apply quite sheer while the clear gel is infused with Vitamin E for a smooth application and moisture.

Swatches:

And a shot of me wearing the the Ideal Flawless Foundation in 'Light Pink', plus the 'Shine Attract' Lipstick in 'P302' (in the catalogue, the shades might have names instead of numbers)

Do these appeal to you at first glance?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Christmas Scents and Latest Releases

2011-11-03T22:01:00.000Z

What's the best thing about Christmas? Is it snow (we do get that here lately), Christmas tree, Christmas puddings??? Nope, it's shopping! Shopping for people you love, shopping for yourself (the best kind), it's all about shopping.

Now we all know I can be quite a perfume freak, and my ideal presents are always makeup and perfume...So here's a rundown to what's new and exciting for Christmas, scent wise. All of these are already in stores, being released on the market this autumn.

Annick Goutal

Limited Edition 'Noel' Candle - 45 Euro

Annick Goutal 'Eau D'Hadrien'

NOTES: Cypress, Grapefruit, Citruses, Sicilian Lemon

In other words: a citrus cocktail, a unisex fragrance, such a distinctive scent I can still feel it. This is the type of 'freshly squeezed citrus juice' scent that you can't really confuse with others, very unique and outstanding.

Bvlgari Man

The Silver Limited Edition EDT-100 ml - 75 Euro

This is the same scent as 'Bvlgari Man', only jazzed up in a bigger silver bottle, which looks quite festive but still manly :). My husband has the original bottle and it's a gorgeous, sexy, quite warm scent. There's something very comforting and familiar in this perfume, and it's not just because my hubby is wearing it :D.

Bvlgari 'Mon Jasmin Noir' EDP

NOTES: Top: Citruses, Lily-of-the-Valley Heart: Jasmine Base: Musk, Patchouli, Virginia Cedar, Nougat

EDP 25ml - 42 Euro

EDP 50ml - 74 Euro

EDP 75ml - 95 Euro

Issey Miyake 'L'Eau D'Issey Or Absolu' (Absolute Gold)

EDP 50ml - 78 Euro

NOTES: Top: Osmanthus, Candied Apricot, Lotus Middle: Jasmine and Lily Base: Amber and woody notes

Narciso Rodriguez 'Essence in Color'

EDP 50ml - 76 Euro

NOTES: Iris, Rose, Musk & Amber

Narciso Rodriguez 'For Her'

EDP - 50ml - 76 Euro

NOTES: Top:Rose & Peach Middle: Amber Base: Musk, Sandalwood, Patchouli

Van Cleef & Arpels 'Feerie Rose Des Neiges'

EDT 50ml - 67.50 Euro

Fruity, musky floral scent

Tart cranberries, Pear, Lychee, Pink Peppercorn, Magnolia, Peony, Blackberry, Rose, Cedar, Tonka Bean, Musk and Sandalwood

Oh, and the bottle IS just as gorgeous as you see it in snaps!

See anything you might want to add to your Christmas list?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

My Halloween Look - Kitty Brucknell Inspired

2011-10-31T17:11:00.000Z

I love Kitty! There, I said it! She is totally entertaining, creative, mad looking, crazy personality, dead-interesting to me...my kind of artist. While I know a lot of you out there loathe her, I don't care, she is a star in my opinion, not my favourite contestant, but I love her nonetheless.

Today, I'm sporting an inspired look from her X Factor 'Rock Week' performance, a look that I absolutely adored on her (I practically couldn't stop staring at her make-up), and whoever did her make-up on that day, is one amazing make-up artist!

Kitty Brucknell (X Factor UK)

While my look is not exactly the same as hers, has the same basics except the shape slightly changed and the materials used. Hope you enjoy this...

Step 1:

- Start with a basic cat eye look on bare eyelids, just Urban Decay's Primer Potion

Step 2:

- Aplly a matte black eyeshadow on a cotton bud, and start dotting the desired shape as above

Step 3:

- Again with the same cotton bud & black eyeshadow, start dotting in the shape (also spray the cotton bud with some water in order to get different shades on black)

Step 4:

- Take a clean cotton bud and apply a matte white eyeshadow, as above

(again, use this wet & dry)

Step 5:

- The fun part: you need black (purple-y black) & white glitter (these gorgeous ones are from StarGazer) and after applying a glitter gel over the eyeshadow, start placing these on top

Step 6:

Mascara :)

FINISHED LOOK:

And this is the look I'm sporting right this minute :)...I'm not going anywhere, but I kind of feel very rock-chick like and ready for Halloween night!

Enjoy your night everyone! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha (scary voice)

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

NYC Winter Collection - 'Cut Crease' Make-up Look

2011-10-29T22:23:00.000+01:00

And back after watching the X Factor, that was quite a long 'New York minute' wasn't it?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my first very own 'cut crease' eye make-up look, stay tuned and hope you enjoy this :). First up, let's take a look at some swatches of the new NYC make-up collection, shall we? (God, this reads like a video presentation, doesn't it?):

The customized eyeshadow palettes are just fab! First of all, there's a tiny plastic cover on the eyeshadows describing you the exact use for each shade & texture in part. More importantly, each palette comes 'armed' with a cream highlighter and a primer, which is just fabulous! A combination of matte and shimmery finishes in each palette, these are truly versatile in this regard, allowing you to play around with shades and textures.

The Smooch Proof Lipstains are again, a great addition to the NYC family. They apply quite sheer, a thing I personally quite like because it means they're buildable, and the last thing you want in a lip stain is a massive amount of colour, amount that you cannot take away....because well, they're stains :(. These are water-based formulas enriched with Vitamin B for a non-drying result, which I must say it works :D!

The Blushable Creme Sticks. So, so yummy looking, love the texture. Cream towards mousse-y consistency, very soft and blendable! This is a winning product that I absolutely love :).

I also received four glittery eye pencils in my goody bag which at first I though they'll be drying and hard to work with...on the contrary, these are quite soft and easy to glide on the eyes, so impressed with their pigmentation too!

I guess that at this point, you guys can tell that I'm actually really impressed with NYC, which I believe, for this collection particularly, they've 'upped the ante' quite a bit. Well done and here's for nice makeup at some really nice prices :D! *I actually sound like their Spokesperson, but I truly love this cheerful brand.*

CUT-CREASE MAKE-UP LOOK:

Step 1: - Apply the light shade of shimmery eyeshadow all over the upper lid

Step 2: - Now take a small tipped tapperred blending brush and apply the light brown eyeshadow ('Crease 1' above) creating the usual 'V' shape on the outer corner of the eye and bringing it way into the socket line

Step 3: - Blend - not upwards, just keep the concentration of the light brown in the crease and outer corner only

Step 4: - Build up the intensity with the dark brown shade ('Crease 2' above) on top of the already applied light brown, and blend the same way

Step 5: - Neatly trace the upper lash line with the black glitter eye pencil, drawing a subtle flick at the outer corner of the eye

Step 6: - Apply the cream highlighter into the inner corner and onto the brow bone

Step 7: - 'Showtime' mascara on the upper lashes only....and you're done!

FINISHED CUT-CREASE EYE LOOK:

LIPS:

Smooch Proof Lipstain in 'Persistent Pink'

FINAL RESULT:

Ta-daaaa! Please excuse:

a) Sad look on the model's face :( (not intentional)

b) Wet hair - yes people, I'm this ccccccc-curly in real life

Oh, and also wearing the creme blusher in the above pic :D

Hope you enjoyed this!!!

Does anything appeal to you from this collection?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

New York Color Autumn/Winter Collection

2011-10-29T20:03:00.001+01:00

Another day, another event...

I was thrilled to be invited to the launch of the autumn/winter collection from NYC on Wednesday evening at the Morrison Hotel in Dublin, together with some stylish fellow bloggers and beauty writers.

I personally am a massive fan of NYC for their great mascaras, beautiful and on trend nail polishes, and most of all- their Sparkle Eye Dusts, which are a MUST in my student make-up kit, especially 'Champagne' which I highly recommend buying. I am also a fan of their prices, oh yes I am, and you can't blame a girl for looking to get quality for less, I am all bubbly and happy whenever I find something for 3.99Euro that works just as well as a high end brand product that's five times more expensive.

The winter collection is about eye palettes, pen lip stains and cream blusher sticks. See below:

NYC Individualeyes Custom Compact

(For Green, Brown & Blue Eyes) 3.99Euro

NYC Smooch Proof Lipstain

(Shades: Berry Long Time, Champagne Stain, Forever Fresia, Persistent Pink) 3.99 Euro

NYC Blushable Creme Stick

(Shades: Plaza Pink & Big Apple Blush) 3.49Euro

Now don't they look delicious? I came home with these babies and I was so excited to try them, especially the blusher stick which looks fantastic!

I had the best time, thanks to Coty for organizing such a warm and pleasant event, and for their kind invitation :).

Swatches & Tutorial on the blog in one New York Minute, so watch this space!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

T.B.S. '4 Step Smoky Eyes' Palette

2011-10-28T23:16:00.001+01:00

'Silver Black' came home with me on Tuesday, together with some other goodies. I literally could not wait to try this palette because it looks so sophisticated with such great shades and textures.

The palette comes accompanied by a very, very good quality mini brush, in fact the best I've seen in an eyeshadow palette, they're usually awful to say the least. Cruelty-free bristles, I can see myself taking it out of the palette and using it on a daily basis that's how good the brush is. A mini eyeliner pencil is also included, which is quite handy because literally everything you need for a smokey eye look (well, minus mascara) is in the kit.

SWATCHES:

The two lighter shades are cream formulas, the 'Ice White Base' is very shimmery (can also be used as a highlighter in my opinion), and the light grey one (Silver Highlighter) is pure glitter, so, so lovely if that's the look you're going for. The dark grey eyeshadow ('Marble Grey') is shimmery with satin finish and the black one ('Charcoal Black') has a matte finish (love :)). And here's a tutorial for a basic evening, smoky eye look:

Step 1: - Start by applying the included eyeliner pencil all over the eyelid, thereby creating a solid base for the eyeshadows to come, and also to add depth to the look

Step 2: - Take a blending brush and blend out the edges of the eyeliner

Step 3: - Using the enclosed mini brush, apply 'Marble Grey' eyeshadow all over the lid and on the lower lash line

Step 4: - Using the same enclosed brush, apply 'Charcoal Black' into the crease and on the outer corner of the eye ('V' shape) and blend (with a blending brush) inwards and outwards, to smooth any harsh lines & edges

Step 5: - Apply 'Ice White' on the inner corner of the eye and brow bone

Step 6: - Now take some 'Silver Highlighter' on the brush and apply on the upper lid, while stopping at the outside corners & eye socket, just enough to create a more luminous eye lid

Step 7: - Mascara....and you're done!

FINISHED LOOK:

The quality of the eyeshadows are well worth the spend in my opinion. The brush is amazing, the formulas are outstanding, even the mini eyeliner pencil is great! I am thinking about getting the brown palette as well. since that looks even more amazing and much more my style. Overall, really impressed! Oh, and I also bought a fabulous red lip pencil on the night, which I'm dying to show you guys :)...

Does anything appeal to you from this collection?

Yours. ArtDonatella

xoxo

The Body Shop Winter Collection Event

2011-10-28T22:42:00.000+01:00

I was thrilled to be invited to the launch of 'Smoke and Sparkle Make-up Collection' at The Body Shop on Grafton Street, on Tuesday evening. I met the lovely Andreea from YourBeauty.ie beforehand, which kind of put me in a great mood, ready to get the 'party' started :).

I must say it was such a great evening, the shop was buzzing with excitement, laughters, chats and the 'occasional' make-up swatching :), The Body Shop team sure knows how to throw a great event :). Also, any chance to see the lovely Karim Sattar again, who is a star, an amazing make-up artist and a hoot to be around with.

Their winter make-up collection is made out of: the '4 Step Smokey Eye Palette' ('Silver Black' and 'Golden Brown'), a selection of four mini lip glosses 'Mini Hi Shine' (new shades) and the Sparkler (comes in pink and gold).

4 Step Smokey Eye Palette - 23.95 Euro

Mini Hi Shine - 17.50 Euro

The Sparkler - 19.95 Euro

Karim at work :)

....while some of us are having fun :)

YourBeauty.ie , Me & Cornflakegirl (Paula)

TO BE CONTINUED....(with swatches & a tutorial in a few minutes)

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Avon Holiday Sequin & Shine Collection

2011-10-27T22:30:00.000+01:00

A collection launched this month, Avon's 'Holiday Sequin & Shine' is all about glitz and glamour. I was lucky enough to receive (don't hold that against me :D) a great deal of products from the collection, for review purposes, and I have to say that all-in-all, I'm really impressed.

True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in 'Glitz and Glamour' - 11 Euro

The impressive thing about these eyeshadows is the staying power. They literally last all day on the lid, and they don't crease either. Somehow, I'm telling you- once applied, they stay put! They're not too powdery in formula, which means no crazy fall-outs, they're somewhere in between satin and powder finish, except the blue shade which to me looks quite satiny. To Be Continued (below)

Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel in

'Gleaming Gold' and 'Mercury Metal'

- 8 Euro each

These apply quite sheer, so a minimum two-coat application is in order. Fortified with diamond dust and acrylic, these will give you a 10 days lasting result, as Avon states. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to try them properly, but will keep you guys posted on the results in due course.

Glazewear Sparkle Lip Gloss in 'Violetta Sparkle' &

Glimmerstick Diamonds Eyeliner in 'Flashy Copper'

8 Euro each

Ahem...Please allow me a moment to confess something. You all know I'm a beauty snob when it comes to lip glosses, I am just not a fan and I can be bitchy towards them sometimes :(...however I ADORE this particular lip gloss!!!!!!!!! Such a perfectly natural shade and such a perfectly 'bang-on-on-the-money' formula, it blows me away! Not oily, sticky but just in the right amont, I actually feel my lips more plumped after using it, and because it's a natural shade and close to my lip colour, I can even cheat and outline my 'God given' lip contour....'Violetta Sparkle' I LOVE YOU! And I will defo get a back-up for this to use in my 'pro' kit (I'm such a show-off :P).

The Glimmerstick however, doesn't impress me much. I don't know if it's the shade or the consistency, I just apply it but I can't get a visible result with it. While soft and easy to glide on, there's something about it that doesn't click with me personally.

DAY MAKE-UP LOOK:

- Light shade of eyeshadow in the inner corners and brow bone

- The purple shade on the crease and outer corner 'V' shape

- & Glimmerstick on the upper lash line

+ my beloved 'Violetta Sparkle' *winks*

Yahooooo, love this lip gloss!

FINISHED LOOK:

So, do we likey???????

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Lancome 'Visionnaire LR2412' Review

2011-10-27T20:50:00.000+01:00

This product was the most raved about beauty product I've ever witnessed...people apparently came in from the UK to purchase this beauty weapon in Brown Thomas Dublin, and it was sold as easily as 'fish & chips'...

I still remember, the very first day The Daily Mail website published an article about Visionnaire and Kate Middleton using it, it was pure madness, my pageviews went ballistic!

For a beauty product that launched in July 2011 (worldwide launch in Ireland :D , to which I also had the pleasure to be invited to), it was going to be a massive success. Just to give you an example, we all have our most-read beauty post, mine was the one about the launch, and to give you an even more amazing fact, I just checked my status and the second most viewed product on my blog has 848 pageviews, while Visionnaire (most viewed post ever!), has ......6,708!!! Yes people, that's since July this year!

I received my press sample (sounds fancy :P) in the first week of September, more than a month ago. Priced at 70Euro and packed with unique yummy ingredients, I was overly-hyper to trial the new *IT* product!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The Bottle - No need really to describe this beauty, but I'll do it anyway. Comes in a sleek, expensive looking, light (in weight) glass, aqua container, it's the ultimate 'accesory' on your night stand, it just screams: 'look at meeee! I'm a stunner!'. The lid comes off and it's 'armed' with a pump dispenser that releases just the right amount of product.

Consistency and scent - A milky shade serum, with tiny, barely noticeable light reflective particles, doesn't feel runny when applied, instead feels creamy and luxurious. It has a beautiful, the most gorgeous scent ever, very fresh and clean, like most Lancome skincare products would have.

Results and final thoughts - This is a skin corrector that tackles issues like uneven skin tone, wrinkles and pores. I am 27. I am in that particular stage where I need to start looking after my skin properly, and that involves an anti-ageing skincare routine. I have combination skin (oily/normal) and I have no wrinkles/fine lines whatsoever *yet* (oily skin ages better than dry). I find my skin to be fairly even-toned with no pigmentation issues.. The only problem I have is enlarged pores, which is one of the signs that also indicate my skin type. I must say that in this regard, I have noticed a reduction in size therefore texture of my pores. I must also admit that my skin is left feeling supple and soft when I use Visionnaire, a win-win situation.

All in all, I would consider myself a fan! If this little gem is doing fab things on the depper layers of my skin (which they say it does), that my friends, I cannot tell. That's the tricky thing with skincare. The results are mostly visible, but not miraculous.

That being said, if you get the chance to, I would definitely recommend sampling this corrector, it's a beautiful product. I can't pronounce myself as yet if I would purchase this myself, firstly because it's rather expensive for my wallet, but should I see changes (for the worse) in my skin once I stop using it, I will for sure purchase it, for I have seen more expensive beauty products out there than 70 Euro. Also, I tend to notice how great a product really is, once I stop using it and the problems appear/come back.

Hope that this was somehow helpful to you, and apologies for the 'essay-length' post. Have you tried it yet?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

'Black Swan' Halloween Look

2011-10-23T16:42:00.000+01:00

Back with another Halloween tutorial for you lovely lot, hope you enjoy this :)...

I started with a very light shade of foundation, and a white matte eyeshadow under the eye area, towards the temples. A sharp contouring under the cheekbones was required, temples and around the jawline, focusing on creating a slightly more prominent bone structure. My face is long in shape, so I had some serious contouring to do to get the desired effect. No blusher was used in this look.

EYES:

Step 1: - Start with a basic shaping with a black kohl pencil, and use your eyebrows as a guide. Don't worry about the neatness of the lines just yet.

Step 2: - Get an angled brush and with an eyeliner gel, start contouring the desired shape, and begin feathering the outer corners towards the temples & hair line

Step 3: - Start filling in the eyebrows and most of the eyelid, again, no need to be neat. Don't go completely jet black, just create a base colour, also use different pressured applications in strokes.

Step 4: - Get a matte white eyeshadow and start feathering, leave the upper lash line bare

Step 5: - With another angled brush, get a shimmery grey/silvery colour, and start feathering :D...you can also use some blue eyeshadow, to create textures and shades. Also apply the same silver shade on the upper lash line.

Step 6: - To achieve the blood-shot eyes, get a matte red (or a blusher, lipstick) and line the lower lash line, mixing it in with the black eyeliner and underneath it

Step 7: - Add mascara and black eyeliner on the waterline, and the eyes are done! :)

LIPS:

Step 8: - Line the lips with a red lip liner and fill in the entire lips with same

Step 9: - Red lipstick, the brighter the better

Step 10: - Apply some black eyeshadow with a lip brush on the outer corners of both upper and lower lips

FINISHED LOOK:

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

The Importance of Being...Made-Up

2011-10-17T21:18:00.000+01:00

Confidence can be a bitch sometimes...especially if you don't have it! It's like one of those days when it's lashing rain and you forgot your brolly home :(...I am one of those people who sometimes forget it, and who sometimes just don't have the self-confidence to be at their best in everything they do!

This doesn't relate to anything that has happened to me lately, but instead is a general state of mind and being. I have some days where I just don't feel pretty enough, or slim enough, or good enough, and it all has to do with my sh**y self confidence. Everyone has those days.

And this is where make-up comes in: I could honestly not excel in anything without it, however shallow this might sound, I don't care! If I look my best, I feel my best and do my best, and that is the truth! At least thank God I have a cure, for if it wasn't for them magical 'tools' we call foundation, mascara, blusher, etc, I would be all over the place and nowhere, that's how important this is to me. You would never catch me outside without my make-up on, no Sir! I know there are a lot of girls out there like me, but in the same time a lot of girls have enough confidence to keep them going without pilling on the paint, or simply because they are beautiful without it (lucky peaches!).

Make-up is make-up (well, duuuh!), but what's more important is the confidence you get from other people, like your husband admiring your figure, your friend admiring your hair, your colleague admiring your outfit, like you lovely lot leaving me the nicest comments anyone could ever ask for! It's a confidence boost, and this means so much to me on a personal level, I feel better, bigger, brighter, whenever I read your lovely comments that make me stop and analyze: "Yeah, I guess I do have nicely shaped eyebrows, hell, I never noticed", and so on and so forth!

This blog has tought me how to be a better version of 'me', and I have all of you to thank for (might sound cheesy, but it's true)! I've achieved loads with your help and even if sometimes you say nice things just to make me feel good and don't 100% mean it, I still appreciate a 'nice lie' more than 'the ugly truth'. That being said, of course you won't always be the best in everything, but it's extremely important to try and aim for that 'best', and not put yourself down because someone else out there might have this job already, to make you feel like you're not worthy. So I say let's not forget our brollies home next time (because it's Ireland and it's always raining) and let US. make US. feel good about ourselves!

Thank you for being my weekly therapists, for reading, for commenting, for caring enough to participate!

How's your confidence lately?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

COMPETITION (not giveaway) CLOSED

2011-10-16T21:10:00.003+01:00

I've been planning this competition for a long time now. I was thinking about holding a make-up look competition, but since I don't have that many followers I was afraid that I wouldn't have many entries to chose the winner from. So I came up with a better idea for now (although I will be holding a make-up one in the near future).

But first, here are the prizes to be won:

Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum 60 ml

+ Jimmy Choo Perfumed Shower Gel

(worth circa 100Euro) - courtesy of KGA

This is a fabulous prize, I'm sure you all agree! I have to mention that the perfume itself is not sealed for the simple silly reason that when I received this in the post, my husband opened it to see the bottle, bless his little curious heart! If you're fine with this, then read along!

I am well aware that not everyone that follows my blog has a Twitter account, hell I've only had one for a few months, so not a bother. For this beautiful prize, you don't have to tweet.

CONDITIONS FOR ENTERING 'PRIZE 1' (please read carefully -this is a competition, not a giveaway):

1) You MUST be a GFC follower of this blog (so sorry 'Bloglovin' followers, but there's no way I can verify if you're subbed or not :( )

2) You have to create a pitching slogan describing your relationship with make-up or why you love it so much.

Example: "....because two full drawers of makeup need no further explanation"

3) Please also leave your email address and GFC name in the comment

That's all you have to do! Get creative, get your inspiration guns out and aim for the prize. BEST COMMENT WINS THIS! I will personally chose the winner, so best of luck, can't wait to read all your comments! Oh, and enter as many times as you wish!

Sally Hansen 'Airbrush Legs' in Nude Glow

Calvin Klein Splendid Color Nail Enamel in 'Garnet'

Calvin Klein Splendid Color Nail Enamel in 'Mad Red'

Avon Glazewear Sparkle in 'Glimmering Bronze' (courtesy of Avon)

Avon Glazewear Sparkle in 'Shimmering Amethyst' (courtesy of Avon)

(worth circa 50 Euro)

The conditions above are also applicable in this case, but you also have to tweet about it (no need to follow me on Twitter though, my blog ramblings must be enough for you lovely lot :D). In other words, you are eligible to win both prizes :D!

So, you would have to TWEET: Win Jimmy Choo Perfume, Sally Hansen, Calvin Klein & more at www.artdonatella.blogspot.com @artdonatella

Let me know in the comment if you tweeted as well.

In conclusion:

Best comment wins 'Prize 1'

Best comment that tweeted (or second best tweeter comment, in case the winner of 'Prize 1' also tweeted) wins the 'Twitter Prize'

* Competition Open Internationally

* If you're under 18 please get your parents/guardians permission before entering as a postal address will be necessary if you're the winner.
* The closing date for entry is Midnight on Monday, November 7th - Winners will be chosen by me

Oh God, I hope this is not too complicated. Hope everyone is cool with the conditions above, any questions, let me know below.

Good luck kids!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Halloween Doll Look

2011-10-16T17:27:00.000+01:00

Thank God for Sundays and spare time! I am back with a crazy Halloween look again, hope you enjoy this and here we go:

Main products used:

Matte Inglot Eyeshadows in 318M (White) & 383M (orange)

Elizabeth Arden Eyeliner Gel & Active False Eyelashes

Step 1: Apply the white eyeshadow all over the lid and on the lower lash line, feel free to go way below the lash line with this look

Step 2: Apply the orange shade from the crease of the eye upwards toward to brow bone, leaving a space for highlighting underneath the brows

Step 3: Apply white eyeshadow under the eyebrow

Step 4: Apply the eyeliner creating a flick on the outer corners (use a thinner brush for the inner corners, as seen in the products list above)

Step 5: Mascara

Step 6: Apply a full strip of false eyelashes on the upper lash line

Step 7: Apply a full strip of false eyelashes under the lower lash line (leave space between)

Step 8: Apply a second strip of eyelashes on the upper lash line if need be (I needed an extra one)...and you're done! Lips wise, I went for a sheer orange lipstick (Stila 'Lip Shine Colour in 'Charlotte'), I didn't want to leave them bare.

FINAL RESULT:

***Please come back here later, I have a super competition for you guys :D!***

Thanks for reading everyone!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Sally Hansen 'Salon Effects' Real Nail Polish Strips

2011-10-14T23:31:00.001+01:00

Hey chicks! It's really late and I should be in bed right now, but no Sir!....I'm blogging my fabulous fingers off :D!

Something interesting came my way today, and that's the Sally Hansen 'Salon Effects' Real Nail Polish Strips, made with real nail polish (have no clue how, this looks like pure science to me).

Now, I'm not a nail person, but a make-up one. Sure, I'm lucky enough (with the help of Sally Hansen nail strengtheners) to have long and strong nails, but care wise, I only file & clean them, apply nail polish and base and I'm good to go. I don't tend to experiment with nails and I've never tried any strips either, so I was intrigued to receive these in the post. I would have not bought these for myself I must admit, because I'm not high maintenance in this regard and I like my simple nail polished nails :)....but having said that, these strips yokes are amazing!

Available in 9 patterns

You get two packs of eight sizes each, some of them are really big-

but no worries, they work wonders anyway

Pattern: '240-Check it out'

Application:

Measure and peel off the protective layer, and then tear of the end (Step 1). Now peel off the nail polish strip which has an adhesive base and neatly place it on the nail, concentrating on the middle section of the nail, and even out the edges (Step 2). The strip is dry (hello crazy science!) Next, file and shape with the light pink coloured part of the nail file (the nail file has three different sections of shades and textures) and once it's neatly shaped.... you are done!!!

FABULOUS RESULT:

Boooo-yaaaa!

Great stuff, isn't it? As I mentioned above, some strips are really big in size, but just clean the edges with the wooden stick provided in the kit or with a cotton bud soaked in polish remover and that's that!

I wanted to wait and see how long these would last, but I couldn't wait one minute to show you guys the results. I shall keep you posted about this matter, they say it should last up to 10 days, so we'll see about that. UPDATE as at 26.10.2011: THIS DOES LAST AT LEAST 10 DAYS, I KEPT THESE ON FOR 9 DAYS AND MOST DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE LASTED ON FOR LONGER. GREAT RESULT, NO TOP OR BASE COATS USED! Also, it's removal is a bit tricky, kind of like the glitter nail poslishes we're all used to, it's harder to take off! x

Ladies, I know they might look scary, but if I can do it, you most certainly can as well. Because my nails are long I don't know how these would work on shorter nails though :(.

Price: 8.95 Euros - available in selected pharmacies, department and grocery stores nationwide

Have you tried them yet? Are you tempted to try them in the future?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Cleopatra Halloween Look

2011-10-09T19:30:00.000+01:00

As promised in yesterday's post, I experimented with my brushes and makeup today, for a Cleaopatra Halloween look, which hopefully you will like...This took me ages to do, but I had so much fun in the process, loved every minute! So here goes:

Main products used (mainly from The Body Shop):

The Body Shop Shimmer Cube in 'Green Light'

Bourjois Round Pot Eyeshadow in '03'

StarGazer Gold Glitter

The Body Shop Eye & Cheek Palette '02' (Christmas 2009 collection)

EYES:

Step 1: - Shape and fill in the eyebrows, to start off with a clear and well defined eyebrow shape (go wild and exagerrate with the thickness and darkness)

Step 2: - Line the eyeshape above the crease with 'Pure Turquoise' from the Shimmer Cube

Step 3: - Fill in the space above the created line towards the browbone, with same shade

Step 4: - Underline the arch of the brow with a lighter green shade, in this case 'Mint Green' from the TBS Shimmer Cube

Step 5: - Contour the crease bringing it out outwards toward the end of the brow with a royal blue, like the Bourjois no.3 eyeshadow shown above

Step 6: - Add a shimmery/glittery golden colour on the eyelid (Copper Beam from the TBS Christmas palette)

Step 7: - Go wild with graphic lines: Apply the eyeliner with a dramatic flick on the upper lash line, whilst thickening at the outer corners, and also underline the lower lash line (bringing this way into the inner corners and also flicking it outwards)

Step 8: - Take out that gorgeous gold glitter and after applying a fixing gel on the desired area (over lid, browbone and inner corner), generously, but with caution, place the glitter on top

Step 9: - 100 coats of mascara :P

Step 10: - With a white matte eyeshadow, gently fill in the gap between the two lines on the outer corner of the eye....and you're done with the eyes!!!

LIPS:

Step 11: - Contour the lips with a red lipliner

Step 12: - Fill in the entire lips with the same lipliner, to have a proper base (with better staying power)

Step 13: - Add on a red lipstick (with orange undertone)

Step 15: - Place some of the same glitter used above, on the inner part of the lips

FINISHED LOOK:

Love how this turned out, I must admit! Sure it's far from perfect, but practice will improve it.

Hope you enjoyed this post, and pretty please let me know in the comments (if you wish),: Which look are you going for this Halloween? I'm so, so curious :D!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Update and Look of the Day

2011-10-08T23:30:00.000+01:00

Hello my dear, sweet friends! Long time no blog and if you missed me, I'm so sorry! I'm awfully busy these days, I had an exciting week with some pretty exciting news and future projects, which includes my very own first photoshoot next week for the styling class I did, which will come to an end with the photoshoot itself :(...I will be styling two looks for this with a professional model and photographer, which is crazy exciting for me.

I had my make-up class today and with it I missed the launch of the Beaut.ie's 'Gorgeous to Go' book by Aisling McDermott, which was a bit sad, but having said that, I shall not be missing the next book's launch....Congratulations to the Beaut.ie girls, well done, well done! ;).

After a few good hours of theory, we got down to business into our practical session. As it turned out, I had no girl to practice on today (uneven number :(), so I created a 'special occasion' look on myself, and I went for a Cleopatra inspired look (a toned-down one), for Halloween.

Now please note, this was inspired by Cleopatra and not close to being as dramatic as the proper look should be, but who knows? Maybe tomorrow I shall experiment more...

My finished look...why so glum?

Once I got home after a few good hours, I actually noticed that this is a great look to wear on a night out, with neutral lips (after the had lipstick worn off):

A good look without the shiny forehead that is :(

I hope you guys are all keeping well, healthy and happy! I plan to do a Halloween look tomorrow for the blog and for my entertainment of course, let's just hope I'll have the time to actually keep my word this time :)!

P.S. I loved Craig & Janet's performances today on the X Factor, they absolutely 'smashed' it! Who's your favourite?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Something to inspire you...

2011-10-06T15:19:00.000+01:00

Have you heard of Tamara Mellon's (OBE, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Jimmy Choo) daily digital journal on Tumblr?

The above was created to mark the launch of Jimmy Choo's first fragrance, and it basically comprises of tips and addresses from herself and her close friends (stylish friends that is!). This began on September 21st (first day of Milan Fashion Week) and ends today, but surely you would want to take a peek at their style tips, beauty secrets and most of all their inspirations...and when I mean 'their' I mean:

Jessica Szohr, actress
Crystal Renn, model
Olivier Giugni, floral designer
Martyn Lawrence Bullard, interior designer
Colin McDowell, British fashion writer
Eva Lorenzetti, founder & CEO vivre.com
Simon de Pury, leading art figure
Vinoodh Matadin & Inez Van Lamsweerde, fashion photographers
Patrick Duffy, restauranteur/nightlife
Marcus Samuelsson, chef
Tory Burch, American fashion designer & CEO of Tory Burch
Satya, founder of Satya Jewellery
Olivier Polge, perfumer
Prosper & Martine, co-founders of Assouline publishing

Yep, that's what I thought! Stylish contributors, my stylish friends!

Click the link below:

www.adayathrilljimmychoo.com

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Sunday Fun-Day :)

2011-10-02T22:00:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies! Keeping well?

I wanted to share with you how I spent my Sunday (my only day off work and courses), so if you're interested keep on reading :).

It all started with my phone alarm at 8.30 a.m., set up to give me enough time to put my slap on and head out to the RDS, where the Professional Beauty Event took place. I got there at about 10.30 and left at exactly 12.00, whilst meeting the fabulous, sweet Mags from Emerald Eyeliner , which was oh-so-lovely, as always.

Wanna see what I bought? I did well, I bought some stuff, didn't hurt my wallet that bad, but I did bruise it a little bit.

(5 items for 10 Euro)

I bought three eyeshadows from Bourjois and their famous 'Delice de Poudre' bronzer, plus a fabulous purple (NOT blue, as my camera wants to show it) nail polish.

The main reason I was 'desperate' to attend his expo was because I wanted to get new brushes from Crown, and while I went there decided to get a brush set, none of them impressed me for I found the eye brushes within the sets to be mediocre, so I settled for buying them individually. I needed some good eye brushes, the tools are crucial for a good eye makeup application, you can have the best eyeshadow in the world and the application would still be poor without a good set of brushes. I will do a review on these individually hopefully soon :). I also got a brush cleaner and a set of disposable mascara wands.

The last items I bought were a Decleor Mattifying Lotion for 10 Euro, three glitter pots from StarGazer and a setting gel, plus a very pigmented rusty red eyeshadow, also from StarGazer .

After that I came home and took a cheeky nap (haven't had those bad boys in a while :P) and when I woke up, I cooked and worked on my homework for next Saturday's makeup course. I had to create an evening a smoke-eye look, and again the lovely Andreea was my model. Here's what I created, I'm really happy with the result :D.

Isn't she just gorgeous? Like a doll :)!

Many thanks to Andreea for letting me 'experiment' my looks on her, she's a fabulous girl in all aspects!!!

And then it was the X Factor: I'm so disappointed in Louie Walsh for choosing Goldie for the live shows, what on Earth was he thinking?

And that's that, I shall be ending my evening with another homework (for the styling class tomorrow - mood board), and some brush cleaning. Should you want a tutorial on the smokey look I did above, let me know below and I shall be happy to oblige :)

Good night everyone!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Elie Saab 'Le Parfum'

2011-09-28T22:58:00.000+01:00

Elie Saab is a couturier that creates for the ‘womanly women’ and I’m sure we can all agree on that based on what we see on catwalks. His dress designs are pure art and my friends, his first perfume (launched in August 2011) makes no exception: it IS pure art in a bottle!

“A fragrance which expresses a radiant femininity and which includes the duality of my world: the light of the Middle East and the modernity of the West.”

This perfume was created as an ode to light, a remarkable ode that is embodied in not just the perfume itself, but in the heavy glass, cut like crystal bottle also. The simplicity, transparency and light reflecting ability of this strikingly elegant and feminine bottle, makes this my favourite perfume bottle ‘of all time’ (as Kanye West would say).

The fragrance opens with a fresh note of orange blossom, which later on develops into a bouquet of jasmine and patchouli. “The tone of the white flower bouquet is filled out voluptuously by a cedar woody accord, which gives the floral notes a new density. The trail unfurls, infinitely elegant and enveloping, borrowing its addictive notes from rose honey”.

I can recognize the orange blossom opening in this, and even after it dries down, I can still feel a hint of it in the background. A very warm fragrance, sweet yet fresh, there’s something quite ‘welcoming’ in this perfume, elegant yet in approachable. The woman that wears this knows how to be classy, sexy and feminine, knows how to laugh and has the kind of warmth that makes her the perfect company to be in (and yes, I am talking about myself here a little bit J )

I even look exactly like the model herself , don't you think? :P

As you must have guessed it by now, I absolutely adore this perfume, it is in my top three favourites (out of my 20 something perfume collection), such a delicate scent, I’ve been wearing this non stop since I got it and I don’t think I would ever be without it.

I would most certainly recommend everyone to go out and sample this if you haven’t already done so, you have to at least try it, who knows? You might fell in love with it, like I did J.

Prices: 50 Euro for the 30 ml, 75 Euro for the 50ml and 102 Euro for the 90ml bottles.

Disclaimer: This perfume was sent to me for review purposes, honest opinions as always, based on my personal preferences and taste.

Have you tried this yet? I know a lot of people love it, and then I know one particular person that doesn't (my sister-in-law).

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

La Roche-Posay Respectissime Volumizing Mascara

2011-09-27T22:30:00.000+01:00

Here's the thing: I was sent this a while back for review purposes and I didn't get around to try it properly. You know, with the summer gone and all that jazz: who needs waterproof mascara in the autumn/winter time? Well, I actually do (watery eyes and all), but what better time to try this than when you're sporting a bitchy old cold or flu? And I sported this, with pride I might say (NOT), this weekend and yesterday :(...yep, that's right: runny nose plus teary eyes plus 'miss-sneeze-a-lot' stunt and you've got yourself a proper 'no makeup' dilemma! It ain't easy I tell you!

So yes, as any 'normal' woman wants to do when she's ill, of course I felt the need to slap on something on my face, anything, and in this case I had to settle for mascara...and I settled well :D.

A little comparison between the mascara wands (Rimmel & L.R.P.)

There it is, the waterproof mascara hero that saved me from looking blah this weekend (well I still looked 'blah', but with great eyelashes :P).

First things first, the tube is very sleek, elegant and expensive looking, and by that I mean it does a little 'pop' sound when you screw the mascara wand back into the tube...obviously you guys have no clue what I'm talking about here, therefore will drop this and move to my next point: the wand. This is a hard bristled one and can feel quite scratchy when applying, but by all means it does not bother me at all. It's what they call an 'anti-friction' brush system that allows the wand to offer volume and definition in one, and all this mambo jumbo sounds great to me, because it works! I abso-freaking-lutely love the brush, separates very well and coats even the tiniest eyelash to begin with.

The formula of the mascara is very waterproof (well duuuh!) and I mean it stays put. There is no chance in hell you can remove this with a normal remover, it must be oil-based, they recommend using La- Roche Posay's 'Physiological Eye Make-up Remover' which has an innovative integrated removal system, especially designed for this type of formulas. Me? I use baby oil, and it does the job quite well.

The best thing of all is that this mascara is buildable. You do not want spidery eyelashes from one application, especially with waterproof, you want control and that's exactly what this baby gives you. You can adapt your look according to your desire, which is perfect.

All in all, I love this! It's fragrance free, paraben free, works well on senstive eyes and contact lens wearers alike, and anti-flaking hold (no joke).

This retails at 17 Euros and can be bought in pharmacies nationwide, in stores now.

I would love this in a normal formula, the brush is just excellent and should L.R.P. bring one out, I would defo be sold on this one, it's just fabulousss!

Now, is it weird that I use waterproof mascara during cold winter months? Do you ever use waterproof mascaras?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

September Purchases

2011-09-22T19:41:00.000+01:00

Not many, just two :( ... My budget would not allow me more at the minute and if I'm honest, the last thing I need right now is more make-up, really, truly! And can you believe I got home from work and managed to snap a few photos (in crappy lighting in all fairness) for today's post? Yahoo, that is *A* miracle :D.

I got two bargains this month, one eyeshadow and one lipstick :). First up, No.7 'Stay Perfect' Eye Mousse in 'Plum'.

It's this pretty baby here, such a gorgeous shade, I can hardly express it in words. A deadly shade for green eyes, just the perfect plum. It comes in a tiny squeezy tube of 5ml, and retails for c.12.50 Euros. I personally had a No.7 voucher in my possession, therefore only cost me about a fiver :D! Nice, eh?

It's a mousse eyeshadow (of course), glides on really effortlessly and it's easy to manage, giving you enough time to blend and play around with it. I however huuuuuugely disagree with the name of this product. While 'Stay Perfect' to me would suggest a fairly good staying power of the product, this one kind of disappoints in this regard, it is not as good as Rimmel's Colour Mousse, I repeat: it is not as good! (I sometimes feel like an ambassadress for Rimmel London, that's how much I love this brand :D). It doesn't turn into an eyeshadow after drying, instead it still feels and looks creamy. I do love the shade of it and I wouldn't complain too much in this department, I guess it can be used as an eyeshadow base just as well :).

Now, the second product purchased.....shock-horror, a red lipstick :D! Who would have thought? Hehe

Gosh Soft'n Shine Lip Balm in '41 Kiss'

I saw this a while back on Viva Adonis and I knew I had to have this. While it is called a 'lip balm', trust me, it's a moisturising lipstick rather than a lip balm, you can see for yourselves how pigmented this is. And it is very moisturizing, and it's a blue toned lipstick, and it's red...seriously, how many red lipsticks does a girl need? This was reduced half price in my local pharmacy, while it retails at 10.50, it was reduced to 5.25 Euros.

No.7 'Plum' on the entire eyelid (no other eyeshadow used)

& Gosh 'Kiss'

And of course, a super pouty mug shot:

Trust me, you wouldn't recognize me on the street without my pout,

it's a camouflage thing really :D hihihi

How many red lipsticks do you own? I own circa 10-15, not sure, but will count!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Avon 'Little Dot' Limited Edition Fragrances

2011-09-15T20:24:00.003+01:00

First of all, 'Happy 125th Birthday' Avon!!!

To cellebrate its anniversary month, Avon created some limited edition treats and one of them would be a trio set of fragrances called 'Little Dot', which are the reinterpreted versions of Avon's first ever perfumes :).

The packaging is deadly! I seriously ran around the house with it showing it to everyone. I'm so easy to impress it's unreal :D. So sleek and expensive looking, and ready for display, the perfect gift idea. Now, what's inside, it's even more impressing:

No.1 - Hyacinth; No.2 - Rose

No.3 - Violet

I have to say that I am obsessed with hyacinths and their scent and I have been hunting for a perfume to embody this, but you all know how things work, sure there might be hyacinth in the multiple ingredients used in a perfume, but it's almost never noticeable (to my nose at least :P). Well not with this one, no Sir! My nose can strongly agree and 'scream': "Hey, dude! It's bloody hyacinth in this yoke!"

Because it is pure hyacinth and pure violet scent and all that jazz. And I love it! Now when firstly applied (no spray nozzle on the bottle, just a screw on top -which is a pitty really), a beautiful scent starts to blossom in a few seconds after application, and the flowers start to get shape. Hyacinth is obviously my favourite and it's a very elegant and feminine scent, and optimistic as Avon would describe it. Rose on the other hand is not as transparent as Hyacinth, I actually don't recognize the smell, I just don't see it! And it's my least favourite out of the bunch, not impressed with this one, but you on the other hand might love it :). And finally Violet , which is the household's favourite! Everyone in my house (and by everyone else I mean three persons) seem to love 'Violet'. I love this one too, it's so delicate & powdery, feminine and much sweeter than Hyacinth.

The size of one little dot in my hand :)

12 ml /each

The best thing of all? You can play around with these and layer them to your liking, they're fabulous for customizing your fragrance each morning ;).

Price: 19.50Euro

And just to keep you guys informed, to mark the company's support of the 'Help Beat Breast Cancer' cause, Avon is launching a range of exclusive products in this regard. You can help by purchasing one of Avon's pink products:

Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Baking Set - 7.50 Euro (all proceedings go to ARC Cancer Support)
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Compact Mirror - 6 Euro (25% of donations go to ARC Cancer Support and rest to non-profit projects)
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Pin - 2.50 Euro (5% to ARC Cancer Support and all remaining profits to non-profit projects)

*** The 'Little Dot' set was sent to me for review purposes, honest opinions as always, swear to God :D! ***

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Look of the Day: Plum Lips

2011-09-12T20:00:00.001+01:00

Hello there! I know I promised this post for yesterday, but didn't get the chance to keep my word, so apologies for it.

I don't often wear plum/purple lips but instead opt for wine colours see Stila Sonia or Models Own 'Blackberry' . Since plums are big this autumn, I thought I'll give it a go, and you know what? It's not bad, it's not bad at all :).

Please excuse the mad looking bed-hair, believe it or not, it's at its best here :(

So to me, it's all about fresh/flawless skin in this look, and the plum lips of course. So I started with a Lancome Eclat Miracle Serum of Light as a base, which is a 'Radiance Booster' serum, to give me the proper fresh looking canvas. I used my trusty Rimmel 25 Hr Foundation on top and the berry coloured blusher from Revlon 'Merlot at Night' (see swatches here). I chose this darker blusher to somehow keep the lips harmoniously 'blended' with the cheeks...of course I had to blend the blusher in like a mad woman, if not I would have sported some seriously Russian doll cheeks for your entertainment, this stuff is crazy-pigmented!

In my humble opinion, highlighter should not be missed in this look, very and highly important, so that was applied on my cupid's bow and on top of my cheeckbones, to create the dewiness that the base requires. And that's how you cheat your way into a young/fresh looking base. I used my trusted Lancaster Sunlight 'Natural' Palette as an illuminizer, which works wonders.

For eyes, I kept it simple and shimerry...but not the 'in your face shimmery', but the transparent one (if you know what I mean). For this is best to use a pigment rather than eyeshadow because it's lighter and not as heavy and obvious as an eyeshadow. I used my trustee Isadora Mineral 'Rose Quartz' Palette, which was perfect for what I was aiming for. A light / white pigment shade was used on the browbone and inner corner of the eye, and a light swipe of taupe from the same palette, on the eyelid, and that was it. Oh, and then mascara and the lipstick, of course :D.

As I've seen on catwalks (in photos of course :P), plums lips are kind of painted in the same way, on the same fresh canvas, sometimes with minimum mascara (brown) and no eyeshadow or a flesh toned one, and in my opinion that's the way to do it...obviously you can adapt it anyway you wish, but all-in-all, keep the base flawless!

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it's not a tutorial as such, nor am I an expert, I just wanted to try this look and share online, the way us girls like to do it nowadays :D!

Be honest now, do you sport plum/purple lips, and how?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Feeling Autumnal :(

2011-09-10T20:30:00.000+01:00

Yes people...it's September. My front yard is already full of fallen leaves, while beautifully coloured, they're sadly spread across the cold ground.

Feck it, it's not like we had a crazy hot summer on our hands this year, but along with the shortened daylight comes the crappy lighting, not useful for blogging purposes. And along with autumn come darker lips, darker nail polishes and stronger perfumes. Which is not a bad thing considering I own 'J'Adore' Dior (not that I would ever be without it) and Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel. It's ok, not a bother.

So I thought I'll show you kids what comes out of the boxes and drawers once Autumn kicks in, and my friends...Autumn has kicked in (at least for me :( ).

Nail Polishes:

Out go the bubblegum pinks and purple polishes, and here come the golds, dark & sultry purples, wines and bordeaux...shades like:

From L to R: - Nails Inc. 'Rengents Palace'; Sally Hansen 'Gilty Pleasure', Sally Hansen 'Plum Luck' & China Glaze 'Sugar Plums'

Perfumes:

Heavier, sweeter scents like 'J'Adore', 'Coco Mademoiselle', 'Midnight Poison' by Dior, Dolce & Gabbana 'The One', etc...goodbye raspberry scented Dior 'Addict Shine', summer flavoured Agatha Ruiz de la Prada 'Gotas de Color' and fruity fresh C.K. 'One Summer'...you shall be missed :(.

Lipsticks:

From L to R: Inglot '408' Lipstick; Barbara Daly 'Rose' & Catrice Purple Passion Lipstick in 'Berry'

Again, darker for me personally. No more corals, pinks (I will still rock the pink out of my Rimmel 'Shocking Pink' though no matter the season), but overall will be sporting dark rosey shades like Barbara Daly's 'Rose', warm browns, matte reds and plums / purples, which are IN and BIG this season!

As I said, it's not that bad, just look at this pretty shade (Nails Inc. 'Regents Palace'), now how can one be sad while looking at these? Nope, not me...loving it!

Now for tomorrow, fingers crossed a September makeup look will follow, actually one will defo follow, it's decided :D!

What are your autumnal products to keep you going? Or is it still summer where you are (you lucky sod!)?

15 weeks to Christmas...that's all I'm saying :(....

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Helloooo! Anybody there?????

2011-09-08T20:27:00.094+01:00

I'm just gonna go ahead and pretend that this is not my first post in six days and that I haven't been missing in action for quite some time now,ok? :D

How are you lovely people? Doing your thing, are you? I'm doing all right, thank you very much for asking. Between my hectic schedule and my loss of mojo (which I seem to lose every so often lately), I thought I'll break the ice and post a little update for you lovely people, if you're interested.

I had my very first homework in both courses (well, not really my 'first' people, I did went to school & stuff), in which I had to do a mood board for the styling course and a skin analysis/day makeup look on a model (my beautiful, future sister-in-law), for my makeup course. Wanna take a peek? Here we go:

Oh My God, I just accidentally published this up to here for a good 15 min., morto! If you saw this, apologies....s**t happens :D

Meet my gorgeous model, Andreea! She has *some* flawless skin although she's annoyed at having freckles (which I love by the way), but she's agreed to let me practice all my skill-ness and awsome-ness on her. Fair play to her, so young yet *so* brave!

Obviously, I had to do a day makeup look which involved all the tricks like primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, etc., but in a toned down manner...just enough to enhance but not to mask. This makeup look is among my favourites because there's no crazy fake eyelashes involved, foundation lips (eeughh) or Lord knows what else. And that's how you find out that I'm not a fan of fake eyelashes (during daytime) & foundation lips (as in no-time, never, no, ehhh no-no - unless it's an editorial/catwalk look). But that's just me...

I only used matte eyeshadows on her eyes, as we've been instructed (apparently shimmer during the day is not as cool as matte, for the ITEC crowd :( ) and everything else well blended and harmoniously complementing her natural beauty. I really enjoyed applying makeup on someone else (thank you Andreea!) and look forward to the next assignment. And I must admit I am still c**p with eyeliner, I cannot bloody do it! I don't know how other people do this, I must practice my fingers off until I get this one right!!!

That was my so called 'news' post, I must admit I have a few bits and bobs I plan to review on the blog, if I could just get around to do it, that would be awsome!

On a more positive note, yayyyy- tomorrow is Friday people! What are your weekend plans?

Yours, ArtDonatella,

xoxo

August Favourites

2011-09-01T20:21:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies! How is everyone this evening? (let me know below :P)

It's that time again, the round-up of all the beauty bits that kept us going throughout the month. And here's my list, should anyone be interested to have a cheeky read :D:

From L to R:

- Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in '110 Pink Me Up' - loved, loved this in August, worn it almost every other day. Take a closer look at it here

- Lancome 'Magnifique' Perfume - Oh my God! I love this so much, it is so feminine, kind of in the same 'family' with 'Acqua Di Gioia' by Armani, sweet yet fresh and clean...c'est truly magnifique!

- Lancome Genifique Yeux - this is a sample jar I received from a beautiful friend a while back and I'm using it every single night. I love the thick velvety texture and I can feel it working its magic. I'll be so sad when this will be over, I just hope I'll have the bucks to purchase the full sized jar.

- Vichy 'NormaDerm Anti-Age'

- La Roche Posay 'Effaclar K' - I bought this a few months ago and I've been trialling it since. It's designed for oily skin and it has the perfect light texture to tackle my skin issues, I use this in the at night time and let it work its magic till morning.

- L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum - This is an excellent product that I must review soon, with before/after photos too...it really does work, it's my second round using this baby and I love it!

- No. 7 Lash Adapt Mascara - I got this at the Beaut.ie Beauty Awards in my goodie bag, and it's fairly a nice enough mascara. It lengthens considerably and also separates my lashes, it's a great product and I've been using this every day since I got it.

- And last but not least, my trusty Essence 'Party All Night' Eyshadow - seriously wearing this a lot! Almost everyday and it's perfect when I pair it with my Catrice lipstick, the perfect combo :D! I already bought a back-up for this eyeshadow, but I must get another one soon, just in case :P.

VICHY NORMADERM ANTI-AGE

'NormaDerm' is one of Vichy's best selling products, a face cream designed for teenagers mostly, with sensitive and acne prone skin. Now, the new NormaDerm Anti-Age would still target problematic skin, but with a twist...the first anti-imperfection and anti-wrinkle skincare, especially designed for women over 30 who still have issues with blemishes, blackheads, etc. and on top of that, the appearence of fine lines and wrinkles :(.

It's a green-ish gel cream texture, that feels very velvety and smooth when applied, and because it's a gel-based it's a fabulous product for oily skin too. I use this in the mornings because I find it to be an excellent makeup base too. I love the feel of it and I've been using this a lot lately, hence it's in my faves post. Will keep you guys updated on this one in due course :D.

Vichy 'NormaDerm Anti-Age' was sent to me for review purposes, it costs 17.50 Euros in pharmacies nationwide, and will be available to purchase starting September 2011. :D

Please tell me this, which was your most worn perfume this month?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Emporio Armani Diamonds Black Carat

2011-08-30T21:22:00.001+01:00

As it reads, new perfumes from Emporio Armani to be launched nationwide in October 2011, a collection for him & her, exclusive to the UK and Ireland.

Oh, don't they look just amazing?

" Black Carat for Women: a floriental, fruity fragrance

Bulgarian rose wrapped in notes of freesia infused with vanilla bourbon and vanilla bean, a contrast of freshness and depth.

Black Carat Homme: A spicy-woody fragrance

The freshness of the citrus-bergamot works with the Szechuan pepper to produce an energetic, vibrant effect. Cocoa bean brings a sophisticated effect of mystery in this magnetic fragrance. A small concentration of intense vetiver adds woody notes of Gaiac Wood and cedar. "

Emporio Armani Black Carat for Her (50ml) RRP €61.50.

Emporio Armani Black Carat for Him (50ml) RRP €53.50.

I must say that the original 'Diamonds' by Emporio Armani is a fabulous perfume, but not on me unfortunately. It just doesn't work with my skin's chemistry, but on my sister in law it's a different movie, this is absolutely fantastic on her. Perfumes usually tend to be more sweeter on me than on her, so my advice would be never to purchase a perfume without trying it on first. Obviously I bought my share without properly testing them, (i.e. Miss Dior Cherie by Dior), just to end up not so much in love with them, which is very sad and we don't want that :(. So I'm very curious to see how the new Emporio Armani 'Diamonds Black Carat' 'performs' in this matter, very curious indeed :D! Did I mention already how gorgeous the bottles are?

Have you tried the original 'Diamonds'?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

First Day of Make-up School :D

2011-08-29T23:03:00.000+01:00

With a twist, no panic attacks, no 'oh, me nerves!', nothing... just pure excitement. And let me tell you, you ain't seen excitement 'till you've seen me during class...

You guys all remember, we all had one! One annoying 'know-it-all' jackass that would just. not. stop. answering all the questions the teachers asked, one chap that just went on and on with their sh*t, one that would ask for more homework at the end of the class just because he/she could bloody do it!

Well, ladies, sadly, my class has ONE of those...and with even greater sadness I must tell you...it's actually ME! Yep, go back and read it again, that's right...me! *sob* *sob*

I know what you must be thinking, I'm that asshole of the wiser kind, that could NOT stop talking during first class! But you see, all this excitement is killing my personality, it surely does, the calm-normal-nice person dissapears and a bloody freak takes over..."Me, me, meeee, I know, I know, pick meeeeee".

Ok, not really but pretty close. I shall try to restrain myself the next time and pray to God someone was missing on the first class, and will have to try and convince everybody that I'm just this cool and calculated person, that's all in all, you know...cool :D!

So, my first makeup class started on Saturday at 10.00 and finished at 17.00, and I honestly didn't want to leave there! We learned the steps on how to do a proper ITEC cleansing routine, all the moves and all the rules involved, hopefully I will make a video about it in the future, to show you what I mean exactly, it's a bit hard to write it all down, better to show it.

I cannot wait to go back next week, God help me be a bit less excited and a bit more normal, like the others :D!

Just to explain a bit what I'm doing there, at the end of my makeup course (two modules), sometime around February 2012, I shall own (God help me :)) and ITEC recognized diploma Level 3 (equivalent to a FETAC Level 6) and a Certificate in Fashion and Photographic Make-up Qualification, and also possess a 15 looks portfolio with the one and only Lili Forberg. Nice eh? Very nice indeed!

That was all for now, I'll keep you guys updated if you are interested in reading all about it. Gotta run cause it's late and I just got back from my fab styling course with the gorgeous Nicole Spain, so I'm dying to get to bed...metaphorically :D!

Good night folks, sleep tight!!!!

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

A Small Giveaway - WINNER :)

2011-08-28T22:11:00.000+01:00

:) :) Many thanks for entering you guys, here's the lucky winner ;):

Congrats, EDEL, will email you in a bit :D!

Enjoy!

Yours, ArtDonatella,

xoxo

Yves Saint Laurent Fall Winter Collection 2011- Intro

2011-08-25T22:08:00.000+01:00

Phew, second post for today, I'm rolling baby!!!

This is a luxurious post, for we are talking pure luxury this time. 'Midnight Garden' is the name of the new collection from Yves Saint Laurent that landed in stores on the 17th August, and something tells me this will not disappoint the brand's fans.

I'll just let Lloyd Simmons here, International Make-up Artist for Y.S.L. since June 2010, to do the intro for you guys, for he sure has his ways with words. Have a recommended read:

" I dreamed of a garden, a hot house garden, steaming under glass mottled with green.

Vibrant and tropical in the midst of winter, it was riotous with growth, great palms, twisted ancient vines and mysterious flowers giving off a heady rock of passion and poison.

There was a fantastical array of insects, glittering, slithering snakes wrapped in branches, their scales shimmering deep teal green and violet in the cold winter twilight.

Many birds, their plumage bright aqua, iridescent green and purple flew about, gorging on the flower laden vines, and the incandescent orange and purple pulp of bloody oranges oozing liquor in the trees and rotting heaps on the verdant floor.

At the pulsating heart of the winter garden was a precious magical flower that bloomed only at midnight, it is dark wine turned a cold blue black by the twinkling northern stars.”

This was the inspiration that gave birth to this collection, one that impresses with breathtaking visuals, you can almost close your eyes and let your imagination run wild and create further details in this already designed scenario... Ahem, back to my keyboard...

Blush Radiance - Half matte, half satin blushes, four squares of yummy-goodness that are designed to 'capture the light and transform it into colour'. These come in six fabulous shades. RRP: 40 Euro

Rouge Volupte Perle - Also in six shades, three 'day' shades and three 'night' ones, from innocent to intense and seductive. As opposed to the creamy opaque 'Rouge Volupte' (my favourite ever lipsticks), these are pearlized shimmery lippies, fully designed to shine with a 'mirror' formula.

RRP: 31 Euro

N° 107 – Impetuous Beige

N° 108 – Celestial Mauve

N° 109 – Brazen Plum

N° 110 – Incandescent Orange

N° 111 – Mysterious Red

N° 112 – Spellbinding Violet

Ombres 5 Lumieres - Five intense eyeshadows captured in one palette 'No.11-Midnight Green', a playful yet seductive combination of dark green, mauve, aubergine, violet and aqua green with matte and moire effects. RRP: 57 Euro

La Laque - Two mesmerising shades, '43 Wintergreen' and '44 Moonlight Blue', created in harmony with all the above mentioned luxuries, these nail lacquers are the perfect accessory for the 'new Eve' that Y.S.L. presents to us this autumn-winter. RRP: 24 Euro

And here's a sneak peek at the '43 -Wintergreen' La Laque which I got sent last week, and get ready to be 'awwwwww-ed' I tell you:

Stunning shade, pure luxury! This retails as mentioned above, at 24 Euro, which is quite *a* price for a nail polish, but if you feel like treating yourself to a fabulous 'I'm-a-good-girl-gift', then this might be the one for you.

The above is the result of a two-coats application, and a Sally Hansen top coat, which would give you a good five day wear, I know I got away with it for the entire week, without having to reapply it, which made me quite content.

Ok now, who loves the visuals for this collection? Is it just me?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo

Liz Earle 'Cleanse & Polish' A big, fat RAVE

2011-08-25T20:25:00.002+01:00

This month was all about skincare, more so than makeup. I am generally reluctant to write about skincare for the simple reason that I have not found anything to really suit me and aid in the healing and improving process...until now! I am confident enough to actually say (scream :D) that I've found my Holy Grail skincare product and the right routine for my skin type. This is a love letter, so if you're not a romantic person and hurl at the thought of reading cheesy 'I LOVE YOU' lines, better look away now and I'll catch up with you later ;).

First things first, you guys already read and heard so many things about this, it is all over the beauty blogs everywhere and everyone is raving about the 'Cleanse & Polish'. In all fairness, Liz Earle has some great PR minds behind the brand that do their promoting jobs very well, having sent this all over the blogosphere for review purposes. And here's the bummer: I don't always believe what I read especially when a product was not purchased by the blogger itself, therefore I was ready to hate it, and I mean it. Never have I been so unconvinced by some blogger's rave post and beauty wise- never have I been so wrong about a product before, but boy was I SILLY! And yes, I stand here 'stripped' (not literally!) and type 'silly' in caps lock for I was a Judas, but now *I can see* and I now believe!

This miracle product has changed my entire skincare routine and my skin's condition. I was introduced to this via an open customer (not blogger) event, a few months ago, where if you went in for a skincare consultation, you received a little goodie bag with a sample of this, one of their muslin cloths and a facial toner. That's how we met and that's how we fell in love :D. I purchased my full sized bottle a week ago or so.

Naturally active ingredients include:

- cocoa butter, Rosemary, chamomile, hops and eucalyptus

The set cost me 15 Euros and it comprises of two muslin cloths and the 100ml 'Cleanse & Polish' Hot Cloth Cleanser.

The consistency is thick and kind of sticky and tacky (think Sudocrem) and smells (to me) like a tooth paste, minty. It is designed to be applied dry over makeup and rubbed into the skin with your fingers, with circular motions. Once applied all over, it starts to dry relatively quickly and you're ready for the next step, the muslin cloth procedure. Run to the bathroom (I do my night-time routine in my bed cause I'm lazy :P) place the muslin cloth under the hot running water, squeeze excess off and wipe the son of a peach off! I do this for ages just to feel that I've cleaned and exfoliated my face very well, and then I wash my muslin cloth with an organic (something) soap, and hang it up somewhere to dry. From time to time I throw my cloths into the washing machine too for a good old wash, just to be on the safe side.

And that's it! Cannot explain in words how much I love this, after using it for over a month. My skin doesn't get irritated at all during the process, more so it feels clean and somehow my complexion looks brighter after this! And my skin NEVER looked better and healthier. I have an oily skin type, with my chin area being a pain in the bum, but not anymore. This is a fantastic product for me!!!

All that being said, I had no idea I can write posts this long, hope I haven't bored you to death, but some things have to be said...I LOVE 'CLEANSE&POLISH' by LIZ EARLE!!!

Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me- for me, it is my honest opinion based on my personal experience, skin type and own taste and preferences. You might feel completely the opposite towards it!

Have YOU tried this? What do you think of it, 'buy it' or 'leave it' ?

Yours, ArtDonatella

xoxo