Štirje še vedno aktualni trendi / Four current trends continue - or an experiment in Google Transfer

First of all, hello again :) My (beauty) writer's block has (hopefully) ended. 

Second, happy Easter to those who celebrate it :) 

You may or may not know that I am Slovenian, born in Ljubljana (which was at the time of Yugoslavia, now Slovenia (not Slovakia ;)). When I decided to give this blog a go, I contemplated about its' language. My English is decent, but I was having trouble with it not being in Slovene, because ... well, it's my mother tongue. But I decided that I wanted to write in English, because I believe it's more practical that way, because nowadays English is close to being an universal language. And if someone ever comes over to this blog who doesn't speak Slovene, well, s/he would get to understand what I'm trying to say :) As for Slovene visitors, well, I apologize if it bothers them, but I hope you will forgive me that the majority of posts are in English. 


And now to the article... :) After this long intro, I decided to reclyce an article I had written for a job application about five trends (in Slovene) and used a tool I sometimes use - especially when searching for a phrase - Google Translate or Google Prevajalnik. I wanted to check if the meaning translated into English. (And words or phrases that do not translate very well, are also highlighted. So my two pence about Google Translate - handle with care and caution!)

1.  CoverBOY

Slabše znano dejstvo je, da v zgodovini ni bilo nenavadno, da so ličila nosili tudi moški. Ameriška znamka ličil CoverGirl je sicer ledino zorala že z izbiro ameriške komičarke Ellen DeGeneres kot svoje »dekle z naslovnice«, lani pa so kot prvega moškega oz. fanta z naslovnice izbrali sedemnajstletnega Jamesa Charlesa, ki ima tudi svoj YouTube kanal. Preko luže je sicer čedalje manj nenavadno (juhu!), da moški nosijo ličila, kar  predstavljajo YouTube zvezdniki PatrickStarrr, Manny MUA ali Jeffree Star. Ličenje je bilo sicer tudi domena moških, a rezervirano za (bolj ali manj rock) zvezdnike. Tudi metroseksualci naj bi ličila nosili nevpadljivo, medtem ko nova generacija moških nosi »full glam makeup« in je tudi ponosna na to. Novi časi so morda končno tu, čeprav tu mogoče ne pomeni nujno (še) Slovenije. A upamo lahko! J

Less known fact is that in history it was not unusual that the makeup worn by men. American makeup brand CoverGirl did groundbreaking oral already with a choice of American comedienne Ellen DeGeneres as their "Cover Girl", last year as the first man or boy on the cover selected seventeen James Charles, which also has its own YouTube channel. Through the puddles did less and less unusual (woohoo!), that men wear makeup, which represent YouTube celebrities PatrickStarrr Manny MUA or Jeffree Star. Make-up was to run the domain of men, but reserved for the (more or less rock) stars. Even metrosexual makeup to wear understated, while a new generation of men bear "full glam makeup" and is proud of it. New times might finally here, even though there may not necessarily mean (yet) Slovenia. But we can hope!

2. Make up gobice v (skoraj) vseh pojavnih oblikah / Make-up sponges in (almost) all its forms

Skoraj se zdijo kot iz pradavnine dnevi, ko je povprečna ženska uporabljala samo in izključno svoje prste za nanos ličil. Umetniki ličenja so sicer takrat že uporabljali profesionalne čopiče in tudi trikotne gobice za nanos ličil, slednje so bile dostopne tudi pri nas. Originalni Beautyblender, ta magična roza gobica, ki jo je izumila Rea Ann Silva leta 2002, je do svojega statusnega simbola prišel tudi z vzponom YouTubea. Vsak profesionalni ali amaterski umetnik ličenja ga (z razlogom) priporoča. Mnoge kozmetične firme so izdelale svojo verzijo gobice, kar je hvalevredno, saj je original vseeno zelo drag. A v zadnjem času izstopajo novi in novi načini za nanos podlage in drugih ličil. (Pri tem ne štejem čopičev, ki so področje čisto zase.) Gobice se pretvorijo v obliko tulipana, diamanta ali »naprstnika«. Svojih petnajst minut slave je imela silikonska gobica (katere prednost naj bi bilo, da ne vpije podlage) ali njena cenejša zamenjava – košček silikonskega vsadka za nedrček. Sedaj pa se med načine nanašanja ličil želita vriniti tudi kondom, napolnjen z vodo in tampon.

Almost seem like very ancient days when the average woman used solely with their fingers for applying makeup. Make-up artists have otherwise had already used by professional brushes and triangular sponges for applying make-up, the latter were also available with us. Original Beautyblender, this magical pink sponge, which was invented by Rea Ann Silva in 2002, to his status symbol also came with the rise of YouTube of. Any professional or amateur artist makeup by (a reason) recommended. Many cosmetic companies have produced their own version of the sponge, which is commendable, since the original is still very expensive. A recently the new stand and new methods for coating substrates, and other makeup. (This does not count brushes that clean the area themselves.) Sponges are converted into the form of a tulip, diamond or "thimble". Their fifteen minutes of fame had silicone sponge (which preference would be that they do not absorb base) or a cheaper replacement - a piece of silicone implants for your bra. Now, however, the ways of applying makeup wish to insert the condom filled with water and a tampon.

3.     YouTube zvezdniki, ki izdajajo .. knjige / YouTube celebrities, issuing books 

Ne samo na področju ličenja, tudi zvezdniki iz drugih vertikal tega družbenega omrežja, izdajajo svoje biografije, knjige z nasveti o boljšem življenju idr. Lilly Singh ali Superwoman, bo konec tega meseca izdala knjigo z nasveti, kako naj osvojimo življenje, ki bo bržkone šla za méd mèd njenimi enajstimi milijoni oboževalcev samo na YouTubeu. Njena prijateljica Grace Helbig je do zdaj izdala dve, Hannah Hart , Tyler Okley in Miranda Sing pa eno knjigo (a slednja je dobila tudi svojo serijo na Netflixu, trenutno se snema druga sezona). Med umetniki ličenja pa naj omenim Michelle Phan med Američankami, na britanskem otoku pa sta sestri Pixiwoo lani izdali eno knjigo (kot tudi DVD), njuna svakinja Tanya Burr  pa dve. Lepotna blogerka in youtuberka Fleur de Force je izdala dve knjigi, ki se osredotočata na bolj luksuzno življenje, Lisa Eldrige pa knjigo o zgodovini ličenja. Ne smemo pa pozabiti na Zoe Sugg, bolje znano kot Zoella, ki je sprva pozabila omeniti, da knjige, izdane leta 2014, ni napisala sama. A vseeno se trend izdajanja knjig zvezdnikov, katerih primarna popularnost ne temelji na pisani besedi, ne ustavlja.

Not only in the field of make-up, including celebrities from other verticals of the social network, publish their own biographies, books with advice on a better life, etc. Lilly Singh or Superwoman, the end of this month published a book with tips on how to conquer life, who will probably go for honey among its eleven million fans only on YouTube. Her friend Grace Helbig has so far issued two, Hannah Hart, Tyler Oakley and Miranda Sing but one book (but the latter has been given its own series on Netflix currently filming the second season). During the make-up artists, I should mention Michelle Phan among American women, on the British island are sisters Pixiwoo last year published a book (such as DVD), their sister-in- law Tanya Burr and two. Beauty blogger and youtuberka Fleur de Force has published two books, which focuses on the more luxurious life, but Lisa Eldrige book on the history of makeup (?). We must not forget to Zoe Sugg, better known as Zoelae who initially forgot to mention that books published in 2014, did not write itself. Yet the trend of books celebrities whose primary popularity is not based on the written word, do not stop.

4. Rožnato zlata barva / pink gold color

Pantone je barvo rose quarz sicer (skupaj z nebeško modro) izbral za svojo uradno barvo preteklega leta, a popularnost rožnate zlate barve ne pojenja. Nina Šušnjara je nedavno oblikovala steklenico za vodo (in obeskom) te popularne barve, tudi nakit tako visokega kot ugodnega cenovnega ranga se v velikih količinah (še vedno) prodaja v tej barvi (o kateri se sprašujem, če ni pravzaprav bronasta?). Ne glede na to, kako ji rečemo, pa ostaja trend v letošnjem letu. 

Pantone's color of rose quarz otherwise (with celestial blue) chosen for its official color of the previous year, but the popularity of pink gold color is not subsides. Nina Šušnjara recently formed a bottle of water (and key-chain) of the popular colors, including jewelry as high as favorable priced in large quantities (still) sold in this color (about which we wonder if it is not actually bronze?). No matter how we say it remains a trend this year.

So, what are your thoughts about this article? Which are your favorite trends or do you dance to the beat of your own drums? 

New in my Beauty World, no. 1

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. But I have been swamped with work. But all through August and September I've been buying new stuff, so I decided to write a post about it.

Skin care 

Uriage Hyseac A.I. Anti-Blemish Care (40 ml), Caudalie Grape Water (200 ml), Avène Thermal Spring Water (150 ml), Catrice Prime and Fine Multitalent fixing spray Prime and Fine (50 ml)

I decide to give another skin care brand a chance (and it was on sale on lekarnar.com) as I ran out of LRP Effaclar Duo+. I haven't been using it for too long, but so far I feel like it's more hydrating the the LRP one and it doesn't "burn" as much as Duo+. For a more detailed review I want to use it for a longer period of time.

Now, as you may see, I currently own quite a lot of (some kind of) water in (some kind of) a spray. What started it all was pure vanity. I saw a picture of myself in full make-up gear, foundation, powder and all of the shabang and noticed I looked cakey. (Birthday cake editon, that is ;)) So I dediced to buy the Catrice fixing spray. As this didn't eliminate the cakey-iness entirely (but I felt that the makeup did last longer) I dediced to buy the Avene Thermal Water spray. My face didn't feel cakey at all anymore, but the image in the mirror suggested otherwise. So I decided, that my problematic skin deserved the best of the best. But my wallet disagreed a little, and so I compromised and got the Caudalie Grape water. I think it works well, and I like to put it on my skin after the acne-fighting treatments, but in full honesty, I only used it once, as I didn't put full makeup face on much lately. 

Jojoba oil

As far as my knowledge goes, jojoba is supposed to be a great oil for acne prone skin. I must say that I agree, as it doesn't feel as oily, but on the other hand I mostly use it for taking off my eye makeup. It leaves a bit of an oily residue (what a shocker, I know) but nothing major and I think that my lashes appreciate it. 

I also used it as this trick (that I saw on Wayne Goss's, Pixiwoo's and Tati's YouTube channel) for a more natural looking foundation - the trick is to mix a drop of (any) oil into your foundation. At first I was like "nooooo", because I am oily in the T-zone, but I tried it with the new foundation and the feeling was glorious. The foundation didn't feel like a foundation at all. Unfortunately, the VM (Vanity Monster) struck again, because it didn't look as good in the mirror as it felt. Oh well, at least the beauty economy gets something out of it ;) :)

Face

Essence Camouflage 2in1 Make-up & Concealer and Rimmel Stay Matte in Translucent

I like this foundation quite a lot, especially because it's more yellow than the Colorstay one, and the price is amazing (4.19 € if i remember correctly). But I think that it oxidizes a little bit on me.
And I also finally found the Rimmel pressed powder in Translucent (thank you makeup gods), as Rimmel is now available in Slovenia (thank you, gods, again). I like it, as it doesn't feel cakey (yeah, I know, my obsessions with the birthday sweet is real :D )

Eyes 

Trend it up Contour & Glide Kajal 051

The first of the bunch is (also a new brand in our country) Trend it up. I liked their lip liners so much, I bought this eyeliner too. It didn't impress me as much as the lipliners, but the color is beautiful, a mixture of dark blue and purple. I found that it glided off my undereye a bit, but maybe I shoul've used more powder under my eyes, because there weren't any problems on the upper eyelid. And the price is good, 1.99 € at the DM. 

And now, the Kiko invasion :) 

Kiko Eyeliner Waterproof Mascara (in blue)

I bought this mascara, because a) it was for sale b) I was on a hunt for a budget waterproof mascara c) a girl can never have too much mascaras and d) I didn't notice it was blue. Because of the latter reason I didn't wear it as much, though it is a pretty decent formula, but I will keep it in my stash if I feel more adventurous with my evening eye makeup looks.

Kiko Smart Eye Pencil in 801, 803 

I must admit that I bought the 801 shade in late spring, but I liked the formula so much that when I visited their store in Gorizia, I bought another shade (803). At first I thought that it would suit me so me, as it is a bit darker, grey-ish (with a hint of a purple undertone) but it does not. The formula is the same though, smooth, but not too smooth so it doesn't budge. I use the 801 shade primarily to outline the lover lash line and it works great, as it is not too dark nor too light. It has a little shimmer/shine to it, but to me that's not a problem. 

Water Eyeshadow in 218 Grapefruit Pink

I almost forgot to put this beauty in. I wanted to buy the right orange-y shade (although this is more of a orange-pink colour) for a long time, and when I saw this one in the store (AND on sale), I got it. It is also supposed to be a wet and/or dry eyeshadow. I am planning to do a separate post about it, because I want to see if the colour theory is correct, meaning if this color will make my blue-grey eyes pop :) Maybe I will in the upcoming future buy a straight up orange eyeshadow, who knows? (Although for any red/orange/pink eyeshadow look I do believe it's better to follow the queen (aka Lisa Eldridge) and beforehand cancel all the red out of your face, which for me is a huuuuge task.)

Lips

Essence Colour & Care Lipstick in 01 Don't be shy and 03 life’s my runway

 You wonder why I bought two of these? Well, the 03 shade started it all and I love it. I think it's the perfect Y-L-B-B (your lips but better) shade. It glides on my lips, and the texture (of this particular shade) is soooo nice. And the smell is yummy. (I am very sensitive to smell, but this just smells so good, not too sweet. I am not, however,  that good at describing scents ;) The price, you ask? Well, if I remember correctly, 2.79 € at Mueller. 

So, as I liked it so much and is budget-friendly, that was the perfect excuse reason to buy another one. I chose the pink one, and I thought that it would be perfect for me. But I don't like it, mostly because of the texture, it sort of sticks on my lips and is patchy. And the color doesn't suit me that much either. 

Liquid lipsticks (all imported (: ) 

Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain – Watermelon Slice 09

I thought that this would be the perfect summer shade. But as I am pale, and don't have the whitest teeth on the planet, it just looks too fluorescent. The swatch looks more muted, but compared to the Aura ones it is more pigmented. But again, I won't wear it, but I have yet to decide if I will invest in another shade. The scent is a bit too strong, but again I have to try it again, before I pass it on to my cousin. 

Aura Absolute Matte in 602-Ring a Bell and 603-Sooner or Later

Well, these are nice. The 603 shade is a bit more pigmented than 602, but for a liquid lipstick around the 5 € mark I think they are very good. The 602 is a bit on the drying side or maybe I just need to be more patient with the drying time. But as they were a gift (thanks, mom). 

                                   

Lipliners

Trend it up Contour & Color Lipliner in 420 and 440

Well, this may be the most longlasting lipliner I own. And the price is fantastic (1.99), so I think I will buy more colours, if not all. I find it is a little bit drying, but if it last that long, I don't mind it. Really really nice. 

Swatches

Brushes

Ebelin dwo-sided eyeshadow brush

I bought this at DM for a couple of euros because I noticed that my Essence brushes are leaking color, when I clean them thoroughly, and am on a budget. I use it to pack on shadow, but the larger side sheds like crazy, but the smaller side doesn't. I do want to save up and buy the Real Techniques eye starter set (or something like that), because I think I really could use more eyebrushes. But until then, this will have to do :) 

Wow, this piece took longer to write and is also quite long. Hope you made it through :) And if you did, what is your favourite new makeup purchase?

Thank you for reading ;) :)

Review - Lancôme Grandiôse mascara

 First of all, bare with me on this one. This is my first attempt at a review-style-piece :)

One of the things I love about makeup is its' ability to accentuate (and correct) one's features. One of my best features (if I do say so myself :)) are my eyes/eyelashes. When I was younger, they were really long (straight, but long), blond and quite thick. Almost every mascara did the trick of making them ... well, nice and prominent. But now, after being a little bit older and having a bit of challenges with thyroid disease and other stuff, they are not as thick and long, but most of all, it takes a special mascara to "oomph" them up. I am also almost incapable of not messing up other places that are not my lashes when applying mascara. Also, my lids are, how can I say, a bit thicker at the lash line. (And after this loooong introduction here is the review itself...)







And for all these reasons I really appreciate that the wand on Grandiôse mascara is quite small, so that I can reach all the lashes without completely ruining the before-hand applied eyeshadow.

So, the packaging. At its' price tag it better be good. Well, I like it, it's elegant, with the rose and differently designed tube. But then again, it's Lancôme and French and oh-la-la :) (But if I were to pick my favorite design of all the mascaras that I've ever owned, it's the Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Va Va Voom Volume Mascara. But that one didn't do much for my lashes, regarding volume).

So, I decided I would let pictures do the talking, so here are some pictures

My eye(lashe)s without any mascara

Another picture without anything on

One coat

One coat of mascara - closed

Two coats

Two coats, closed

Two coats, again (with me trying not to look into camera ;)

I would love it, if there were a waterproof version of this mascara, but I tried working out and wearing this mascara and it held pretty nicely. The black color could be found in my undereye area, but for a non-waterproof formula it's pretty great. 

After about 10 hours wear and an 1hour workout.

So, why do  I like it? Because I really like the small wand and the volume it gives. The first time I aplied it, I thought "Yes, my lashes are back! :)" It also holds a curl pretty well, and is long lasting. The only thing I don't like, is the price. It is around 30 € mark. It is also available here, in our pretty little Slovenia, which is a plus. 

Would I buy again? Well, this mascara isn't particulary new, but not one of their first mascaras either, and Lancôme has since released the Grandiôse Extreme mascara. And if it's as good as this one, I am very, very interested in it. So I would say Yes, of course, but before I would really like to try the Extreme version (when I will splurge or save the money).

So, dear reader, are you a mascara lover? Do you have specific demands for your favorite mascara? 

Thank you for reading, 

Ivy 

The problem ... with problematic skin

I'm not really completely sure what I want to say about skin with acne and acne scars. After all, I am not an adolescent anymore, so these things shouldn't bother me as much anymore. But they do (sometimes). And by these things I mean people commenting my skin in an inappropriate way. Yes, it happens. Usually those people are promoters of some kind of cosmetics. But once a guy came out to me and said that my skin would be so much better if I eliminated meat from my diet. And children sometimes stare at my skin and than innocently ask me about these red dots on my face. This I actually don't mind as much anymore, because they are children and they are just curious. OK, back to the promoters, there are those who inform me, that my skin has large pores and is oily and that this cream will really really help me. So I nod and smile and take a sample - because I looooove samples (I mean, c'mon, how could you not, it's free stuff :D). Because I know that it's their job and they are usually pretty nice. And they usually say stuff like "problematic skin",  or as mentioned "oily skin",  "large pores" etc. But not so long ago, one specimen of a promoter straight up told me, that my skin is terrible. Listen, I am not pretending that my skin is crystal clear. I have a mirror. :) But it was just her style and usage of the word "terrible" that really ... well.. hurt me. I know that they are just words, and that I should be confident enough to not let it bother me. But it did. And I imagined that if the same person was talking to a teenager, that would be even more damaging.

Did I do anything about it, you ask? Well, I complained to the company. And I didn't buy anything from them. And talked about it thoroughly with my dear family & friends.

What am I doing about my skin? I try to take care of it the best way I can. Sometimes I'm a bit sloppy, I admit. I have polycystic ovary syndrome and the treatment that worked best for me so far were birth control pills. But since I decided to take a break from those, the number of my cystic acne has increased immensely. And I am trying to love myself unconditionally. It doesn't always work, but it is the goal. It helps that I have a man that loves me without any makeup on and I feel comfortable around him. It helps that I do realize that there are muuuuuch worse things in this world to happen to you. It helps that I know that I am so much more than my skin. It helps that (thanks to my inability to wake up earlier in the morning) I was able to go out, to work, among people without a scratch of concealer and/or foundation and feel fairly confident. Will this post help? Well, I don't exactly know, but I just felt that I had to post it :)

Thanks for reading :)

So I wanna be a beauty blogger :)

Yup, that's right. My name is Ivy and I really really really really wanna zig-a-zig-a (https://youtu.be/sZQ2RUFd54o - a little feminism never hurt nobody).

I digress. Yes, I want to start writing/blogging/maybe even vloggin about beauty. Or Beauty. I don't have a definite plan, but I want to write about make-up, beauty and its many different and beautiful (and some not-so-beautiful) facets. But maybe from a point of view of a 30-something woman with "problematic" skin, a few pounds overweight, currently unemployed, but at the end of the day still beautiful, with or without make-up. And trying to be a little bit more confident :)

So, let's start this beautiful adventure ;)