Outfit of the Day: Playing around

Hi All!

I wore my playsuit for the first time this Summer on Sunday when the weather was HOT HOT HOT! The last time I wore it was May 2010 in Egypt so know I must have been roasting for me to get this out again. I completely forgot I had it until I was clearing out some old clothes in the spare room.

Playsuit: Bay Trading

Funnily enough this only cost me £1 to buy from House of Fraser, more then likely my best purchase in history. The £1 rail that day also gave me the opportunity to buy a coral tulip dress too.... I adore sales!!

Anyways I spent most of the day in the garden and well, I enjoyed it a bit too much.....

I tried out the fishtail plait and a pop of Impassioned lipstick......

Hope you're all enjoying the weather like me!

Doma-Nikki...x

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Rent The Runway Giveaway!

How many times has this happened to you?

There's a special occasion on the horizon and you've got nothing to wear. So you search and search (and search some more) for the perfect dress. Except you never find it, and you end up settling on a dress that's event appropriate and looks halfway decent because you've run out of time and going naked isn't an option. So once you've donned the so-so dress, it gets banished to the back of your closet - never to be worn again because, frankly, you were never truly in love with it to begin with.

Story of my life. Maybe my problem is that I'm a celebrity - in my own head - who hates to wear the same special outfit twice. Or perhaps it's that getting all dolled up in a fresh frock is so damn fun.

So a few weeks ago as I planned a blog business trip to NYC, I was literally trippin' about my lack of wardrobe options. After an exhaustive search for the perfect ensemble, I was almost ready to settle on this sad sundress hanging in my closet...until I remembered Rent The Runway, a website were you can rent designer dresses and accessories.

Here's how it works: Search the dresses and accessories you love from over 100 of the top designers in the world. Schedule a delivery date. Select a FREE backup dress size for the perfect fit. The dresses and accessories are yours for 4 or 8 days! When you’re done looking cute, put your order in the pre-paid package and drop it in the nearest USPS mailbox. They take care of the dry cleaning.

Since I'm petite with an hourglass figure, finding a dress that fits is the proverbial needle in a haystack. So as I perused Rent The Runway's selection, I opted for the India Paisley Dress from Tibi (left)- thanks to the short length and adjustable straps. The dress also has hidden boy shorts underneath, which was an added bonus. And if you rent a second dress, it's only $25. So I also chose this By The Lily Pond Dress by Yumi Kim (right) - just in case the Tibi dress was a bust. If you're particularly concerned about fit, there are great user reviews - or you can chat with a "fit specialist."

To complete my outfit, I rented these gorge Kendra Scott Danielle earrings in Turquoise. It pained me so much to return them that, this weekend, I broke down and bought them at the designer's website (and scored 20% off with promo code PSW20 - expires 7/5).

Oh...and I forgot to mention that Rent The Runway just announced that they have Lancôme products available for purchase!

The Tibi dress (in the smaller size) ended up fitting great - and, as you can see, I paired it (and my Kendra Scott earrings) with a Talbots cardigan, Aldo sandals and Banana Republic fedora.

I had such a great rental experience that I want to give Spoiled Pretty readers the opportunity to try it too. So I'm partnering with Rent The Runway on a fash-tastic giveaway, and one lucky lady will win a $100 gift card!!!

To enter, visit Rent The Runway and sign up for membership (it's free!). Browse the dress selection, pick your favorite and tell me (in the comments) what you picked and where/how you'd rock it. Be sure to post your email, Twitter handle (make sure you're following @spoiledpretty so I can DM you) or some other way for me to get in touch if you win. To be eligible, you must reside in the Continental U.S.

Contest ends on Friday at 5pm ET. I'll announce the winner then. Good luck!

*A gift card was provided for review and this giveaway is sponsored by Rent The Runway.

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Makeup Mondays With Mario: Red Carpet Glow

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hey Mario!

I think you're so sweet to be giving advice to people! But one thing I have to ask is about the celebrity glow that most celebrities have when they're on the red carpet. I visited a few makeup stores and they all keep telling me to use Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. I did, but it was just so messy and it smudged everywhere, especially on my clothes and it made me look more oily rather than giving me a glow. I'm already tanned so I don't need to get something with color/tint in it – what I want is the shine and the glow.

What do actual celebrities use to get that awesome Brazilian glow (face & body)? I really hope you have the answers!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks in advance,
Mona

Hi Mona,

Achieving that red carpet glow that you and so many others love may require some trial and error. Celebrities and their makeup artists use many different products and techniques to get the skin glowing. There is no specific product that we all use. Personally, I tend to mix and blend a few different things together because this allows me to create a custom blend that perfectly fits each individual client.

There are a few things you should always take into consideration before you get your glow on. For example, skin tone - darker or olive tones look great with a golden glow. Pale, lighter skin looks best with a pearl-ish glow. Do you want any coverage with the glow or just some shine? The Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs provides superior coverage and a beautiful, even glow when applied and blended correctly.

Since you're not looking for something with color, you may want to try using a highlighting product in a powder form like Eye M Glam from giella.com, applied with a big brush. This will feel the lightest on your skin and you can easily mix it with your favorite body lotion and apply with your hands.

Also keep in mind that the glow you see on the red carpets is heightened by all of the amazing lighting/cameras, etc. Try having someone photograph you in a similar lighting to the occasion so you can see how the glow looks on you before you go out. I almost always do this because what we see with the naked eye differs from how the camera captures it. You will, most likely, need to add some more glow after looking at the photo or blend some of it out if you went overboard.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,

Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

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Stila Cosmetics Semi-Annual Online Warehouse Sale

Didn't want my Spoiled Pretty gals to miss out on up to 80% off Stila products. Act fast because some items are already sold out!

*All sales are final. Pro Artist discounts and promotional codes cannot be applied to sale items. Stila Bucks cannot be used on sale items. Sale ends Friday, July 1 at midnight PT.

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Phyto Friends and Family Summer Sale

Show your hair that you care...and check out the Phyto Friends & Family Summer Sale. While you're there, be sure to stock up on some of these Spoiled Pretty-approved products:

• Phyto 9 daily ultra nourishing botanical cream
• Phytomist instant hydrating conditioner
• Phytodéfrisant botanical hair relaxing balm
• PhytoSpecific Vital Force Shampoo restructuring shampoo
• PhytoSpecific Vital Force Cream Bath restructuring mask
• PhytoSpecific Moisturizing Styling Balm styling cream
• PhytoSpecific Relaxer

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Review: Joe Brown Hitched Dress

Hi All!!

I was recently given the opportunity to review an item from the team over at Joe Browns which you may or may not know is a website that offers something unique and different to any other clothing catalogue out there.

Whilst looking through the site to pick something that would fit in nicely in my wardrobe, I came across a lovely summer dress....

As you can see it is a hitched dress in a funky blue and white print that is perfect for Summer. Currently priced at £15.95 in the sale!!

I was given the opportunity to review this item a couple of weeks ago, and it arrived speedily once ordered. I have been wanting to wear this since then but due the the weather not being able to make it's mind up I haven't really had the chance. But I finally got the opportunity to wear this yesterday to the beer garden in the HOT weather; and got some compliments on it....

Here is a closer photo.....

The style of the dress isn't really something new to me, you may recognise this style in the previous 'outfit of the day' post from Easter weekend? I love these designs and I think they compliment my figure. It's nice that Joe Browns offers some cool designs with some of the dresses available for shoppers.

Overall I would recommend this website as a place to shop and also the dress *thumbs up*


Doma-Nikki....x

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Update on Celebrity Makeup Artist Kelly Robertson & Chemo Diva

Congratulations are in order to Celebrity Makeup Artist Kelly Robertson!  Recently, at Nineveh Makeup Ministries, we posted a last-minute request for your support/vote for Kelly's amazing makeup ministry, Chemo Diva, through which, at absolutely no charge, she supports women who are going through chemotherapy treatments by offering pampering beauty treatments. These include the application of semi-permanent makeup from her Celebrity Lipstick line, including eye brow color.  Since hair is often lost during chemo, this treatment can make a world of difference in a woman's confidence during this difficult time.

You stepped up to the task and helped Kelly WiN!

Thank you everyone who helped, and congratulations, Kelly!

Kelly's website is: www.CelebrityLipstick.com

If you know a Makeup Artist or Beauty Company that is doing something to give back or make the world a better place, please let us know so that we can honor the individual or company!

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Urban Decay Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara

A few weeks ago, I signed my son, Westley, up for swimming lessons at the local YMCA - and this morning was his first class. Since I'm a new mom and busier than ever, I decided to multitask and test a new beauty product while we got our swim on.

Urban Decay Cannonball Ultra Waterproof Mascara's light gel formula has been rigorously field-tested in the ocean as well as the sweat-drenched gym. The exclusive Japanese formula refuses to budge. A special microcrystalline wax works with the dense, fuzzy brush to increase seductive length and volume, without ever flaking off and compromising your lashes' natural feathery texture. Mermaids can now sing their siren songs with abandon, and high maintenance types can cry all they want.

I quickly swiped on a coat before heading out the door and prayed that the product delivered on its promises. And while Westley and I were splashing around and dunking our heads under the water, I kept hoping that I wasn't having a Tammy Faye moment. But as my mom used to say about school, "It's not a fashion show." Thanks Mom, for always putting things into perspective.

Anyway, when I returned to the locker room and found a mirror, I was pleasantly surprised. My mascara looked freshly applied with no smears or smudges. And even as I vigorously dried my face with my towel, my mascara didn't budge.



This is me, post-swim. My natural lashes are so stumpy, they don't usually show up in photos.

If you're looking for a volumizing formula, this isn't it. But if you want a mascara that adds good length and delivers natural-looking, you-but-better results, this is a great choice. But if you buy it, you'd be wise to invest in a good makeup remover. Coincidentally, Urban Decay's Melt Down Makeup Remover is also new.

Both are available at urbandecay.com and Sephora.

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Help!

Hi All!

I've noticed recently that I can not comment on other peoples blogs or follow interesting blogs! Can anyone help me with this?

Basically when I go onto anyones blog, when I click to comment it asks me to choose a profile which is google account. I type my comment, click post and then it asks my to log back into blogger.com.... and I am already logged in?!

So when I do log into blogger, I try to post the comment, but it STILL asks me to log into blogger?!! I don't know what else to do, I seem to be going around in circles with this.

Also if I want to follow a new blog I have to log in, it's like I never stay logged in on other peoples blogs. There is never any option anymore for me to follow blogs.

I don't know what to do and I don't want people to think i'm being rude because I read so many different blogs on a daily basis and I do want to comment on so many different posts but blogger won't let me!

Any ideas?


EDIT- I have downloaded Google Chrome and will use this for the time being when using blogger.com. Thank you so much for the comments to help me figure this out and to Laura @ Liparazzi who advised using GC! I can comment only on blog's where the comment option opens into a new window.. so still struggling on commenting on some blogs :/ Better then nothing I guess!

Doma-Nikki....x

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Peep My Polish: OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise

Peep my polish. It's OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise from the Texas Collection. This photo was taken on Sunday, as the polish was drying. Craziest thing is that it's now Friday and my mani looks EXACTLY the same. Not a chip, smudge or imperfection in sight - which is extremely rare for me. I'm kind of rough on my nails and I do dishes like it's my J-O-B, so I'm lucky if a manicure survives two days without a ding.

I did this manicure myself, so I'm feeling pretty proud of my paint job. I think the recipe is why it's held up so well. Here's are the deets:

1) Apply Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat.
2) Apply Zoya Anchor Base Coat.
3) Apply two or three coats of OPI Austin-tatious Turquoise - it goes on very sheer, so layer to achieve desired opacity.
4) Apply Zoya Armor Top Coat. You're supposed to re-apply every two days for "for extended color wear" - but to be honest, I didn't and my manicure still looks perfect.

What shade are you currently rocking? I'm always looking for my next nail polish color - so share in the comments section below!

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Review: H&M Silk Smooth Foundation

I was recently travelling for a while, and at one point, my luggage got lost, so I had to buy new things to get by for a few days, until I got my luggage back.

One of the things I had to buy was a foundation. I didn't want to spend too much on beauty products at this stage, since I knew I would be getting my regular makeup bag back very shortly, so I just went in to the closest H&M, and got some of their stuff, among them this H&M Silk Smooth Foundation:

This is the second time I try any beauty products from H&M (someone gave me a rather horrible H&M lipgloss several years ago, so that was the first try) and I have to say I am rather pleasantly surprised. The foundation looks great on, and your skin feels great too, after you apply it.

The only downside is that it doesn't seem to be available in very many shades (at least they were not sold in the store I bought mine in, if they are), but I was lucky enough to find a shade that suited me anyway.

So yes, if you ever find yourself in a pinch, do try H&M's beauty products! They are both cheap and good, believe it or not!

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Philosophy Shower Gel of the Month at QVC

Exciting news, fellow Philosophy fans...

QVC just launched the Philosophy shower gel of the month collection! Featuring a new shower gel every month, available exclusively through QVC, the collection is a year-long celebration of the qualities often found in loved and admired women. In 12 irresistible new scents, each month features a theme that resonates with that time of year and is available for that month only.

The collection launches this month with Lively Lemon Coconut, a scent that celebrates the optimistic woman with a sunny spirit. Infused with the tropical essence of refreshing coconut and lemon, this shower gel (which can also be used as a shampoo or bubble bath) inspires us all to look on the bright side of life.

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Schick Intuition Limited Edition Handles

In a few weeks, I'll be heading to Miami to report from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim. And being the Type A personality that I am, I've already started writing a packing list. In fact, I've already started sequestering products in preparation for my travels.

One thing I've already set aside is my beloved Schick Intuition Razor. It's perfect for traveling thanks to its "Skin Moisturizing Solid," which lathers and hydrates while you shave. Since you don't need to take along a separate can of shave gel, this baby takes up minimal real estate in your toiletries bag. And here's the best part: it delivers the closest shave I've ever experienced with a razor - stubbly stems, begone!

Knowing how much I love the Intuition, Schick recently sent me a sample of the razor's latest incarnation. For a limited time, the Intuition is available in three fun designs: Naturals For Sensitive Skin With Aloe and Vitamin E (green); Moisturizing Care Pack Duo (polka-dot pink); and Pomegranate Extract (pink swirl) - which is coming with me to Florida.

The great thing about these handles is their long shelf life. After the Skin Moisturizing Solid has worn away, you keep the handle and just pop on a new blade. I love me some Intuition (if they ever discontinue this razor, I think I might cry). As with most razors, replacement blades can get kinda pricey - so my tip is to stock up when you have a coupon or when they're on sale. Personally, I buy in bulk at Sam's Club.

Schick Intuition Limited Edition designs are available at drugstores and mass market retailers, now through September.

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On my beauty wish list right now

Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum, I've tried it before and absolutely loved it. It's a great product!

One of Boots no 7 eye creams. I haven't tried them yet, but I have a feeling they are as great as the serum, so I really want to!

Crabtree & Evelyn Lily perfume. Another product I haven't tried yet, but I have been dying to for a long time already!

A real, professional makeup case.

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Finding beauty products and make up cheaper: A guide to Ebay

While I love beauty products and make up, I find that many products, especially from the better known brands, can often be quite expensive. This is why I have come up with several ways to find these products for cheaper. I buy things online, in online stores like Strawberrynet, I buy stuff in tax free stores on airports when I travel, but most of all; I try to find the products I like on Ebay.

I am a huge fan of Ebay otherwise too, and I buy everything from clothes, shoes and books there, but I have found that Ebay is especially convenient when you want to buy small things, such as beauty products, because the shipping costs are really low, and often even free, no matter where you live in the world.

Another great thing is that you can find pretty much anything on Ebay, so no matter if you like luxury brands like Chanel or Dior, or more unknown brands, you will be able to find everything you could ever want here.

There are some things you should keep in mind however, when you shop on Ebay, especially if you buy cosmetics and beauty products, in order to really get good deals and not end up with bad products, so here are some tips I have learned along the way while shopping on Ebay, regarding this:

Always check the size

This is something that can be rather tricky, because a lot of products that may seem cheap on Ebay, are actually not. Instead, you are getting a very small version of the product, and not the full size. This can even be the case even if the picture in the auction in question is of a full size product, it could still say somewhere in the description that it is actually a travel size or trial size. So always make sure you understand what size you are getting, so you don’t end up paying too much for a really small product!

If you want to compare the prizes on Ebay to the prices for the same product in your local store or in an online store, also make sure you compare the prices for the same size, since most products are available in several different sizes.

Check if the product has an expiration date

As you are probably already aware of, a lot of beauty products and cosmetics have expiration dates. You do not want to buy old products or products that are about to expire very soon, since you might not have time to use them before the expiration date, and products that are too old, could easily give you allergies or a rash or something. So always read the description to find information about expiration dates, and if no information is available, send a message to the seller to ask about it. Better safe than sorry!

Look out for fakes

Not a very common problem when it comes to cosmetics, but there are plenty of fakes out there when it comes to fragrances, so if you are thinking of buying any fragrances at all, keep this in mind.

Check the seller’s feedback

This is the best way to make sure you are dealing with a reputable seller. I personally only buy from sellers who have over 99 % positive feedback from previous customers, and I also prefer sellers who have previously sold the exact product I am interested in or at least other products from the same brand. Most sellers on Ebay are okay, but sadly, there are some crooks out there too. So its always best to check these things carefully to be on the safe side!

(the pic is from In Style)

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Online Makeup Sensation is 5 Years Old!

Well, this made me feel old (and like I need to step my game up)...

Madison Hohrine of Hurst, Texas, is an expert at applying lipstick, applying blush to the contours of her cheeks and applying mascara to her eyes.

She is such an expert, in fact, that millions of people are logging online every day to watch and learn from one of Madison's makeup tutorials.

What they see when one of Madison's videos pops up may surprise them.

Madison is just 5-years-old.



To watch Madison's makeup tutorials, visit her YouTube channel.

Source

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Shoetopia Week at Ideeli

On Sunday, flash sale site ideeli.com kicked off its first ever "Shoetopia" - a week of shoe sale events, giveaways and more - followed by the launch of the ideeli Shoes Facebook tab on Monday.

Now, even though Shoetopia week is half over (oops, my bad) - there are still opportunities to get your shoe shop on.

Shoetopia Highlights:
• "Shoe Pick" of the day: In addition to multiple daily events, ideeli will have a special 1-item shoe pick of the day (June 19th – June 24th). Each day the "it pick" shoe will be given away via Twitter.
• "One Shoe Five Ways" Giveaway: ideeli will host a giveaway on Friday June 24th, curated by blogger Anna Bassham of Shoe Smitten. The beautiful and versatile pair of shoes will be styled in five different looks featured on the ideeli Shoes Facebook tab. One lucky winner will receive the pair of shoe featured in Anna's five styled looks along with a $500 gift card to spend on ideeli.
• "Sandalmania" sale: ideeli will host a blow-out sandal event to end Shoetopia week on Friday, June 24th at 12pm ET

ideeli Shoes Facebook Highlights:
1. Toe-to-Toe: The ultimate shoe style face-off. ideeli puts two shoes in the ring, and you vote on your favorite.
2. Shoe Candy: A series of editorial features that showcase what’s hot – and what’s not! – in shoes. From fall trends to celebrity shoe looks-for-less, ideeli's editorial team will cover it all.
3. ideeli Shoe Sale RSS Feed: Stay on top of the latest shoe sales with the ideeli RSS shoe sale feed, featuring up-to-the-minute deals from the site. Click on "Buy Now" and go direct from browsing to buying.
4. The Shoe 411: Your daily shoe snapshot, highlighting fun tips, trend updates, and some of our favorite shoe maven style quotes.

Ideeli membership is free...click here for an invite, courtesy of Spoiled Pretty.

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My take on Black Barbie

Hi All!

First of all I want to say no this is not about Nicki Minaj, as much as I love her unique style and MCing, this post is about the Black Barbie, you know the plastic kind. As a young girl I played with Barbie, Cindy and Ken. I had a doll house, cars, furniture and clothes upon clothes.

Out of my full collection I owned one black barbie doll. You may think 'so whats the big deal' and your right as a child I more then likely wasn't all that bothered that I only owned one black barbie. Actually scratch that, who remembers Cricket? My mom searched high and low for a black version in the UK and I do believe she bought it on a trip to visit family in Canada. Anyways back to the point, I think if there were more dolls of many different race when I was younger I would have wanted them in my collection but that was never an option. This is the point of my post, when I was a girl there was no option to own so many different dolls which are all so appealing nowadays.

I have noticed more recently that there seems to be more and more barbie dolls of different races, and I like it! If I was a child now I would thrive on owning so many different ethnic barbies.

Times are changing and I wanted to show you these photos of some fabulous creations...

To think I missed out on playing with those fashionistas!



Doma-Nikki...x
All images sourced from Tumblr

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Review: Pupa Professionals Smoothing Foundation Primer

I've never been a person who uses tons of different products at the same time, so using primers is actually something that is rather new to me.
But one of my friends was raving so much about the Pupa Professionals Smoothing Foundation Primer that I decided to give it a try, making it the first ever foundation primer I ever tried.

This primer is available in a clear version, a green version and a purple version. The clear one is suitable for all skin types, while the green one will combat any redness in the skin and the purple one will correct any yellow tones you might have.

I got the clear version myself, and found that it worked really nicely, much better than I had thought in fact. It does smooth out any bumps or wrinkles or lines you might have, making your skin appear really smooth and flawless.

You use the primer before adding foundation, of course, but I found that you can use the foundation even very shortly after having applied the primer, so there is no need to wait a long time in between, which I think is great. You also just need to apply very little of this product, so even though it might seem a bit pricey for "an unnecessary product" (it did to me!), you will be using it much longer than you think, so it is still worth your while, I think. No-one will be able to tell that you are using a primer either, which makes the product even better!

I am pretty sure I will be getting the Pupa Professionals Smoothing Foundation Primer again, if no-one recommends a different foundation primer before that. I am totally loving it!

About Pupa: Pupa is an Italian company that makes products for your face (including make up and skin care), body as well as fragrances and bath products. The products are available in over 70 different countries.
This happened to be the first Pupa product I tried as well, and I have to say that this brand managed to impress me immediately! I will definitely be getting some more Pupa stuff in the future!

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"No one wants to marry a frown..."

Hi All!!


... the above quote was posted on Facebook the other night by someone and it made me think how true it is. And in my case I don't think I smile enough, in fact I can be thinking about the happiest thing in the world but I am actually frowning or squinting. Anyone else notice this? Maybe it's a concentration thing but I must stop it, not only because it's not too attractive but I don't want predominant frown lines hehe.

Anyway, I saw these images to remind everyone to smile...

Have a good day ♥


Doma-Nikki...x

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Review: Clarins Hydra Quench Cream

I have combination skin, which means I can have both very oily patches and very dry ones. While finding the right products for the oily parts of the skin has been no easy task, it has been equally hard to find a good product for the dry patches, since the skin can also dry out even more when you use products for oily skin on combination skin.

At the moment, I am trying Clarins cream Clarins Hydra Quench Cream for the dry patches, and it is working wonderfully. The cream really is very good, and hydrates the skin fast, since it is so effective. So you do not need to use it for a long time to see results, and the product also lasts for a very long time, since just using a small amount of it is enough.

This product is actually for dry or very dry skin, but you can use it on your dry patches when you have combination skin as well. I imagine it works even better for those who actually have dry skin, though, since this who the product is originally made for.

This cream is however not suitable for wearing under make up, if you ask me, since it will only make your skin look oily and shiny. Instead, I recommend you to use it right before you go to bed and leave it on during the night for best results.

Besides Clarins Hydra Quench Cream, I am quite a big fan of Clarins other products as well, so I am not really surprised that Clarins has managed to create such a nice product...

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