31/10/2013

Oasap Giveaway

Today's post will be a giveaway! I'm happy when I'm able to do things like these for you - it's a nice way to say thanks for reading my blog  

oasap jumper giveaway

12, 3, 4, 5

OASAP, one of the most popular online shopping websites, has kindly offered to gift one of my readers with one of the jumpers that you can see in the photo. All you need to do to enter the contest is to fill the Rafflecopter form below, it's super easy! I hope you enjoy this giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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25/10/2013

50 facts about me

1. I did rhythmic gymnastics for almost 10 years.
2. I could embroider my life away - if I ever fail at university, I want to work as an embroideress. Seriously!
3. My favourite author of all times is Jane Austen, I know her books by heart :)
4. I could never be a vegetarian. Meat is definitely my favourite food! Also, it's one of the few things I eat. I have very difficult taste in food :(
5. My favourite make-up products are lipsticks. I own way too many!
6. I have iced lemon tea every morning for breakfast.
7. I'm Italian, but pasta makes me sick. Weird, I know!
8. Flowers make me genuinely happy. My favourites are peonies :)
9. I'm a bit OCD about my room - I need everything to always be in place!
10. I absolutely love fashion and I would love to work in the industry. Working for a fashion magazine would be a dream come true (why am I studing Law though? Nobody knows)

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11. I have always loved reading. I read my first book without pictures at the age of five and I still have it in my library :)
12. I have an iPhone 4s and it's my favourite thing ever, haha!
13. I have been to Switzerland, Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Croatia, UK and Ireland so far.
14. I never, ever wear brown. I think it's the most unflattering colour ever!
15. I love learning new languages.
16. I moved to Rome, Italy in mid-September to attend university.
17. I have a younger brother called Giorgio. People say we have the same voice!
18. My favourite singer is Florence Welch. I love her music and her sense of style too.
19. My favourite poet at the moment is Eugenio Montale. He's Italian of course.
20. I'm completely arachnophobic. I could cry if I saw a spider on tv.. imagine what I would do if I saw it in my room!

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21. I love animals with all my heart, especially dogs. But as I said before, I could never be a vegetarian! :(
22. I don't eat shellfish. I don't eat much fish at all actually, but I love smoked salmon!
23. I am a morning person. I get sleepy after 8pm, haha!
24. I hate rain with all my heart and I don't see how people can like it!
25. I'm very bad at small talk - I never know what to say.
26. I think I look much younger than I actually am.
27. On that note - I don't ever want to become old!
28. I hate horror movies. Why do people like to be scared??
29. I have often been told that I look like someone from the 18th/17th/16th century. Basically it seems like I'm not from this century!
30. My favourite movies are Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, Atonement, John Wright's Pride and Prejudice and The Virgin Suicides.

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31. I don't watch much tv at all.
32. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check my Instagram and Twitter!
33. I love blogging. I opened my first blog when I was only 11 and it was like a diary for me.
34. I hate going to the beach - I hate the sand, I hate being half naked in front of strangers, I hate the dirty water.. :S
35. I am so romantic I think it might be an issue.
36. I have never smoked and I never will. I just don't see the point in it.
37. I don't drink alcohol, partly because I don't like the taste of it and partly because I don't see the point in getting drunk. I like to be in control of myself!
38. My favourite painting of all times is Primavera by Botticelli. I saw it in real life twice and I could have spent the whole day looking at it!
39. I can't do my nails for the life of me. I think they look awful, but I can't do anything about it!
40. I've been reading Vogue magazine since 2005.

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41. I always try and watch movies in their original language.
42. I once won a Marc Jacobs bag on a Twitter contest!
43. Two of best friends I've known since I was 3 years old, the other two since I was 11.
44. My mum wanted to call me Rossella.
45. I have recently caved in and switched from an old Acer laptop to a MacBook Pro, and I couldn't love it more.
46. Sometimes I wish I was a man just so I could wear beautiful sartorial blazers. 
47. I own a sewing machine, but I like hand-sewing better.
48. I wore braces for most of my life. I finally removed them earlier in June and now I have great looking teeth, haha!
49. My dream in life is to have a brilliant career and to be known as a well-read woman.
50. I think that the only type of jeans that fit me are second-skin ones. Other ones just make me look fat!

20/10/2013

Rimmel Moisture Renew in Notting Hill Nude

Rimmel Moisture Renew Notting Hill Nude

Rimmel Moisture Renew Notting Hill Nude

There are a few reasons why I got this Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in 720 Notting Hill Nude: #1, because I needed a good nude lipstick to pair with intense eye make-up looks; #2, because Lily Pebbles blogged about it; #3, because I had seen the movie 'Notting Hill' just a few days before discovering this lipstick, so I totally wanted to get it just for the name. LOL

Anyway, the main reason why I got it was because I was looking for a pretty nude lipstick that wouldn't wash me out. It's quite hard to find one, as I have a very light complexion; this one, though, works just fine. The Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Notting Hill Nude is a browny light pink that is just one or two shades lighter than my lips. As its name claims, it has a creamy, moisturizing formula which makes it glide smoothly onto the lips. It's not glossy, but it's not matte either - it has more of a glitter-free satin finish. 
As for staying power, it's pretty average - it will stay on the lips for about three hours, and after that it will start fading out evenly. I think this lipstick is perfect if you are looking for a natural nude pink that won't make your lips look like you've put concealer on them! It would also make a great 'highlight' lipstick to put on the center of the lip over a darker one. 

You can get your Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Notting Hill Nude off LoveCosmetics for just £1,95! What do you think about it? Have you ever tried any other lipsticks from the same line? 

15/10/2013

Remington Pearl Pro Curl

Remington Pearl Pro Curl


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It's been a few months since my hair has looked pretty au naturel, and I reckon it might be because I stopped using the Avon Advanced Techniques Argan Oil products. I ordered them again so hopefully my hair will get back to how it was, but anyway! I have always wanted to try a curling iron of some sort and after browsing the internet for days in search of a good unexpensive one, I found it: the Remington Pearl Pro Curl 33mm curling wand. I got it off Amazon for €40, which is not too much for a good quality hair styling tool. It has a 32mm diameter, so it's perfect to create loose waves on my very long hair.

The Remington Pearl Pro Curl comes with a very nice golden pouch and a handy protection glove inside. This curling iron is supposed to have a ceramic and real pearls coating. It definitely looks professional and sturdy, and it has a little digital display which shows the heat temperature. It heats up very quickly and it goes up to 210°, but I find that 190° work best on my hair to create perfect waves. The first time I tried it I almost cried - I swear my hair had never looked prettier, even when I had it styled at a salon! I was jumping around everywhere and asking my family if they liked it or not, and too bad it was late at night otherwise I would have gone out and asked strangers too!

I absolutely love my Remington Pearl Pro Curl - I find I have to restrain myself from using it too often! I think it's super easy to use even for a curling iron-newbie like me. It takes about 20 minutes to do my whole head and I'm always happy with how it turns out!

Remington Pearl Pro Curl
Before / after

Excuse my pjs and my stupid naked face. In the first photo you can see my freshly washed without any product in it - it looks awful. It's neither straight not curly, it's frizzy and it looks dull even though it's silky soft at the touch. Look how shiny it looks after curling! I love it! 

Do you use curling irons? What's your favourite hair styling tool? :)

14/10/2013

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

For today's post, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Karadium, a new Korean cosmetic brand that is about to launch on Cosmetic Love. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you will know that I absolutely love Asian make-up and I'm always excited to try new brands!

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

The Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes have the prettiest, most girly packaging ever. They come inside a little silver cardboard box with a cat design on it - the same that you can find on the actual blush compact. Inside of it you can find a little brush with very soft and thick bristles. It doesn't feel cheap at all like some other brushes that often come with powders. The compact also has a mirror, which can always come in handy, and a little plastic separator. I find that's much more convenient than the usual plastic sheet separators!    

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

I wish I could read Korean - unfortunately, there's no English on the packaging nor I can find any good info about these blushes online. I'm sure we will find out more about Karadium once it will launch on Cosmetic Love!

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

Something that you notice straight away when opening the blushes is a faint rose scent which I personally don't like (I prefer my make-up unscented or vanilla-scented), but I know lots of people will appreciate it.

Karadium Ribbon Marble Blushes

10/10/2013

California dream

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I remember one afternoon -I was about five or six- when my mum and I counted my Barbie dolls: they were almost 100. Quite spoiled, I know! I used to absolutely love Barbie's, so when I saw this sweater on Chicnova I knew I had to have it. Statement sweaters have been a trend for months now, but I had never seen anything like this one before! I got mine in a size M and it fits me perfectly - it's slightly oversized but not too baggy, and it comes down right to my hips. I think it will be the perfect sweater to wear on lazy days at university paired with skinny jeans and a pair of Converse, or just to lounge around in the house. 

Did you use to play with Barbie dolls when you were little, too? :)

05/10/2013

Today I want.. #19

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Now that Summer is gone (sigh!), what best way than to bring it back with a lovely smelling body butter? I've been lusting over this Korres Fig Body Butter - I bet it smells amazing! I actually am not keen on the taste of figs, but I love their warm, sugary scent. I've never tried anything from Korres either, so I'm very interested in discovering more about the brand.

I've always wanted to try an Annick Goutal perfume. There is something about their names -the one I put in the collage is called 'Ce Soir Ou Jamais'!- and their packaging which is so intriguing! The perfumes from her range are so expensive, so I think I might go for a set of minis like the Annick Goutal Collection Perfume for women, which includes some of her best selling scents like Eau d'Hadrien, Eau du Sud and Petite Cherie. I feel like getting such expensive fragrances in full size can be tricky sometimes, so why not get a collection of miniatures to try out first?

Being a job-less student, candles are not the first thing I can spend my money on, but if I had to treat myself I'd get this Lollia Wish Petite Perfumed Luminary candle. It's descripted as a blend of 'warm Vanilla Bean and Rice Flower delicately frosted with sugared pastille', with notes of Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Amber woods.. sounds pretty much like the perfect candle to me!

I just realized I have already included the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint in one of my recent wishlist posts... this must say something about how much I want this product! I'm debating whether to get the minis for £15 or commit to the full sized bottle.. help! My skin is looking terrible at the moment - sometimes I feel like putting on a 100% full coverage foundation, sometimes I'd like to go out with nothing but a BB cream on and let the universe see my flawed skin. I don't know what to do!

On this subject, I kinda want to try the Glamglow. It's a mud mask that is supposed to be a miracle worker, I've seen tons of positive reviews about it but I'm scared my skin will react badly to it. Have you tried this? What do you think about it?