Recently I bought 3 NARS Lipsticks on Ebay, because here in Brazil, specially in my city, I don’t have NARS =PPP

The Colours: Belle de Jour, Honolulu Honey and Blonde Venus. All of them are nude shades =)))

Before talk about the colours, lets talk about the impressions I had about the lipsticks themselves. At first I thought them very very dry, hard to pass on the lips. I got really surprised as the lipstick is one of the best buys of Sephora and is the favourite brand of many celebs. As the time goes, though, I notice that they start to smooth out, but if your impatient like I am, you might need the help of a lip brush to pass on the lips, which is going to benefit you in 2 ways: first, its going to smooth out the lipstick faster than you pass directly on your lips and second, when you use lip brush to pass the lipstick the result always looks better and more natural =))

The lipstick quality I can say that’s average to good, considering what I said on the up lines, but its very good as its long wearing, doesn’t disappear in a few minutes. I think that’s why they make it sort of dry. I prefer that way because I hate to keep retouching the makeup, specially lipstick.

Well, now lets go to the colours. Belle de Jour is a light beige that on my lips looked like a bit like a concealer, I like this effect specially with dark eyes or smoked eyes. Honolulu Honey is a light rosy beige that also lights up my lips, I bought it more because of the good reviews I read around some websites, and I don’t regret buying it. Both of them are going to be good to light up other lipsticks or wear with neutral lip pencils, like Spice, from MAC. Blonde Venus is the one I liked the most. It’s a flesh orangey rosy colour, it’s a beautiful mixture of beige, orange and rosy that combined made a perfect nude/natural lipstick for everyday use! Its absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Certainly a BEST BUY for olive and brunette skins like me, as you know I’m NC42, like I said in the other post.

XxX

 Well, over here people consider that the year only begins AFTER Carnival. It’s a Tradition. The whole country, after 1^st of January, lives in a lazy mode, like they are saving their whole energy to spend in 4 days of pure non stop carnival parties. Lots of tourists come over to see one of the most famous things about Brazil and they absolutely love it. Of course, if you come from a cold country of North Hemisphere you obviously going to enjoy the warmth, the burning sun and party environment that involves Carnival. Its pure fun for them and I understand that. But, for me, it doesn’t work anymore. I used to like Carnival, but nowadays I just don’t have patience to crowded places and the hot, sweat people over me anymore. I like the music and stuff, but I don’t like being squashed like sardines in a tin. No, not for me, thanks. Also, Carnival is more like a single person kind of party: you can kiss whoever you want, how many people you want, wherever you want and everything is allowed in that period: sex, fun, kisses. And Fidelity definitely is not a word that belongs to the Carnival Vocabulary.  And as you all know, I’m married =PPP

I love my husband, despite he bugs me to death, but I think that’s the fun of our relationship: he picks on me all the time, for everything, a natural moaner that the most pleasure moments of his days are when he’s got something to call out my attention. But believe me, folks, he wouldn’t be able to live without me anymore, that you can count on =PPP

I have been with him to Carnival parties, he knows everything over here, I introduced him into that world, and he enjoyed, but, like me, we prefer the silence and quiet days that Carnival period give to us, no crowded streets, supermarkets, cinema, etc. Also, the fact that he is a workaholic helps very much =PPP

What am I doing now? As I told you before, I’m getting entertained by Big Brother Brasil show. Some people hate it, but its fun you watch them, its like rats in a laboratory cage where we can watch their behaviors in extreme situations. I like to observe human behaviors, change of personality, mind games, twist evil plans to put down your opponent, anything for one purpose: money. And that just show us where the human being can reach to get what they desire: money, fame and power. Of course there are people that don’t get corrupted by material things and get on the game just playing as themselves and firming their convictions and personality that they got over their life time. Other just over cross any limits to get what they want no matter what shows ahead of them: if it’s another human being or a bag of potatoes, for this person both things means the same.

Who said that reality shows doesn’t show us what human beings are in their essence, after all?

XxX

 Everyday I wake up and think that I need to keep being positive. As you all know, I’ve reading the book The Secret and it says all along the book, all the time, that you need to think good things, be positive, believe in what you want and think you’ve received it, feel good, keep faith, and have a happy attitude towards your life. And by doing all that, the Universe is going to work in your favour, giving everything you wish for.

I am doing this as my mantra to keep focused. I want to try to be a positive person, because most of my life until now, sometimes, I’ve always been negative. I use to believe that Murphy’s Law always worked for me with no failure, always there, and not only with the buttery bread that always falls on the floor with the butter side facing down =PPP I mean, if anything gets wrong, certainly I’ll get the bad effects of it.

I’m trying to encourage my husband to help me on this challenge. If he understood a little bit about the book I’m reading, perhaps he would help me. I even gave him the website so he could have a look, but he bookmarked it and didn’t read a single line of it yet. He says he will, but when? I ask myself… Now I’ll try to find the film they made about the book, so I can rent it and watch. I think there’s a point in your life that you need to believe in something to hold on into your life, when it seems hopeless. We all pass through though things in our lives, some people deal with their issues better than others, I’m a person that takes time to lift up after a big and hurtful fall. Life is not easy and flowery and pink, but I was raised in a environment that made me a protected person, that nothing would happen to me and if something happen, I would always have someone to stand for me and sort out things for me. I’m not saying my life was soft: I was raised by authority parents, specially my father, and old fashion man that has always praised for education as the key of success in life. I worked very hard on my school days, studied a lot, and by that having great scores and always getting straight A notes.

When I got in University, things started to change a bit: I felt a bit out of the group, having the feeling that I didn’t belong in there. I was studying Law, that wasn’t my first choice, because I wanted to go to Business Administration, but I didn’t pass in the exam, so it was my first big failure and one that I’ll never forget. I met determinate people, that were equally clever and I thought that I wasn’t as bright as everyone thought I was. It got me hard, my bubble was popped and I saw the real world for the first time: cruel to the ones that wouldn’t fight hard for what they wanted. I started to think that it wasn’t the course for me, so what the hell I was doing there? Easy to answer: Because I didn’t know what else to do, if not trying to fit in… and my head got upside down, I was 17 when I got to University, so what else you could expect from a lost girl in doubt about everyone, everything and herself? Mental Conflicts! I finished my course, worked hard, got good scores (not the best one of the class, but on the top 10 or 15) and the only certain thing that I knew after 5 years of course was that I didn’t want to be a lawyer, I wanted to study to pass in a public exam, to get a job in the government, where the salaries are good. But these exams are very very hard, only the best ones get them and the conflict between not being the brightest or lack of motivation to study hard and give my blood for it comes again. It has always been my fathers dream, have a successful daughter to be proud of and I think I’m failing on this task big time. The people that have hopes on me keep thinking that I have a change, but if I don’t? What am I going to do? So that’s why I need to keep positive, thinking that I can do it, and believe I’ll get it. For now, I’m expecting to get a job, out of my area, but that would help me a lot, even to boost my confidence a little bit.

I know this battle is going to be hard and painful, specially because I’m alone on that field. So I ask for God’s help to keep me going, because it’s a war that is far away from the end.

XxX

 From January to mid March, every year, we have Big Brother. Everytime I say to myself that I’m not going to get involved to the program, that I’m not going to watch, that I’m not going to loose my time, etc. But I contradict myself again and again =PPP Lately is what I’m doing the most in front of the PC: watch Big Brother Brasil, on its 8^th edition… Each year I think is getting more boring, but even thinking that I cant stop watch =PPP Specially because on TV we don’t have any new series or new seasons to watch, they repeat the previous ones, so even worse.

But you must think what a crazy person would do, loosing their time watching any program when you are in the middle of Summer and the sun out there is an invitation for you to go out, go to the beach, swimming pool, get tanned… I tell you: I cant get tanned at all! Last year I started a face treatment that didn’t get right, so now, to get my face back, atleast OK to go out without being embarrassed, I cant get any sun on it. Even in the shadow, if I step out of the house, I have to use sunscreen SPF 60! I know that’s important nowadays use sunscreen, to the sake of your future, but even though I cant use less than 60. So I’m avoiding the sun, full stop.

So, this Summer, at home, watching Big Brother Brasil and laughing with some stupid people that’s got in that program =PPPP

XxX

 Yesterday I got some stuffs from MAC that I have ordered to a friend. As you all know, I don’t have MAC counters here where I live, so I have to order to friends to buy for me. I got a Studio Fix Powder, a Select Cover Up Concealer and 3 Lipgeleé Glosses. The glosses were from an old collection that was still selling and I couldn’t miss the opportunity: She-Boom (bright fuchsia) Sugar Shock (dark pinkish red) and Lil’ Sizzler (coral with glitter).

I have to say, the more I buy and use lipgeleé, the more I fall in love with them. They are not gluey like Juicy Tubes, which I also love. They are too liquid, actually, which I thought weird at first, but I got use to it and start to like the texture. I definitely have now a huge list of lipgeleé to buy in future =)))

My Studio Fix was something that was on my list quite some time. Everybody loves it, and by the reviews that I read, I knew that it was what I was looking for. The problem was that I didn’t know my colour and I was so afraid of buying the wrong one. When I went to UK last year I tested in the counter and found out that my skin colour is NC42, but at the time they didn’t have that colour in stock. Bad for me. =((((

The Select Cover Up is a concealer that I was looking forward to try. Its smoother than the Studio Finish one, which I like, but I needed a liquid one to my dark yellowey circles. I usually buy lighter colours than my complexion, to light up the area, so I bought the same colour as I use my Studio Finish, NC35. In future I’m going to buy the NW35 one that I tried and also looked good on me. Its difficult my situation because I need several different concealer’s colours depending on how the situation my eyes area are on the day. And also because I’m a concealer freak =PPPPP

So, I loved all my purchases and already waiting for the other ones I made. Each day I love MAC more and more, no wonder is the favourite of celebs and makeup artists. =)))

XxX

 Sorry, folks, I have disappeared but its because I’ve been a bit down these days. On 18^th was 5 months that my father passed away and its painful. Life goes on, I know, but it just hurts so much… Anyway, as I don’t want to cry on the keyboard again, lets change subject.

Lately I have been browsing a lot of jewellery websites. I confess I love branded stuff, just a shame I’m not rich enough to buy everything I want =PPP

I love CK jewellery. Last time I went to UK I bought 4 rings, and I just didn’t buy more stuff because I ran out of money =PPP Just after xmas, on a sale, I purchased 2 more for less than half price and yesterday on ebay I won a bit of another ring. I also love their necklaces, bracelets, earrings, but my favourite is buying rings. I like the clean style of CK jewellery, you can go anywhere and you never get wrong. I also like pieces made of stainless steel, I think it’s modern and a good option when you cant buy gold jewellery ( I prefer white gold).

I also like Swatch jewellery because of its funny part. Not all of them catch my eyes, because some of their jewellery is too childish. But I loved a colorful effect crystal cluster kind of ring that I even put its image as my wallpaper =PPP

Certainly, a glamorous choice is Swarovski range of jewellery. I saw on their website about 4 rings that I fell in love with. All of them expensive, but breath taking. I still going to get my husband to give atleast 2 of them until the end of this year =))) =PPPP

But nothing takes away the diamond’s place. They are the girls best friend!!!! I have some pieces on sight over here but I’m still crossing fingers to get a good job (or my husband gets a great job too) so I can afford them. But as I’m building up my confidence in thinking positively by reading the book The Secret: I think, I feel, I believe and I get it =))))

And at the moment I’m entertaining myself watching Big Brother, we are on our 8^th edition… we have had better ones, but its always funny you spy once in a while. Its still in the beginning, only one is out already and the second one will be leaving tomorrow.

XxX

 Well, that issue happened a couple of months ago. I’ve had a Health Insurance, called SUL AMÉRICA or  SULAMÉRICA since I was 12 years old. I’ve never had problems with it. Over here in Brazil you pay your HI monthly. I’ve always paid mine on time, because despite the fact I hate go to the doctors you never know what can happen to you tomorrow. So, as you all know, the second half of last year for me was a complete mess, because of my father’s death. So in August, with all that happening to me, my head burning, everything out or order and in complete grief, I forgot to pay that particular month of my HI. See, once again to tell you, I’ve always paid mine on time. So, in October I went to São Paulo and only got back in the end of the month. When I came back I saw that my HI had sent me a “special” bill saying that I haven’t paid August and I had until 20^th of October to pay it. Of course, I went to the bank straight away to try to pay it, but it was too late and the bank didn’t accept my payment. So the following months, September and October the normal bill of the HI kept coming and I paid them. So in November when I noticed that the bill hasn’t come I called them and what did they say? THAT THEY HAVE CANCELLED MY HEALTH INSURANCE! I got completely mad, I needed that to go to my doctors as I wasn’t feeling well at all, I explained all that have happened to me in the past months and that in August my father died and everything else. So the attendant said to me to fax a letter explaining all that to the department so they could analyze my case. I even faxed a copy of my father’s Death Certificate so they could see I wasn’t making up!  A month later after the deadline they have given to me to give an answer I called them and they said that they analyzed but they didn’t consider the facts so my HI was still cancelled.  Not satisfied with that I went online in their website and sent another complaint, this time I wasn’t so polite and said that that HI company disgusted me for treating their clients like that and all sorts. Another month later (this month, about 10 days ago) the attendant called me and again said “sorry, still got cancelled”. So I said a lot of horrible things and threatened them to go on the internet and those HI associations to tell my story and how disgusting they are.

So now, here in my blog, is the first step of a crusade that I’m going to do against that health insurance company. So, if you are Brazilian and have Sul América HI be aware what they can do to you, how they treat their insured clients and be aware that when you need them the most, they WILL turn their back to you. Am I over reacting? I don’t think so, people, because as you could see I had major reasons to have skipped that payment and my HI level wasn’t the cheapest one, quite the opposite! So you can have an idea, I’m about to sign up with another HI company, also as good as I THOUGHT SUL AMÉRICA WAS and signing the second best level of HI covering, I’m going to put my husband as a dependant, so we can both be insured, and I’m going to pay even LESS the price I was paying for me alone in that old HI company crap! So you can see, those rip of BASTARDS after 14 years with them they didn’t even consider give an exception for the sake of the events. So no, I’m not over reacting in my anger, disappointment and disgust towards that SUL AMÉRICA. And I hope people can read my story and be aware of these facts I just said and really consider that before willing to sign up with them or still keep them as your HI company. I highly consider you change for another one RIGHT NOW!

XxX

 And my sleeping disorders keep kicking on… I’m sleeping too much and when I wake up, I’m tired. I mean, real tired! I think I don’t have much energy to burn, I’ve started my diet about a week ago or more, so I feel weak. Well, I feel lighter, but weak. So weak I cant exercise… I don’t like this feeling, but I think its normal when you are on a diet that your not allowed almost anything apart from veggies and jelly.

Well, you might think I’m getting crazy and got this diet out of my little twisted head. But I actually went to a dietician and was her who gave me my food schedule. In all diets there are things you are allowed to eat freely, and on mine are only things I don’t like: coffee (I don’t drink often because gives me headaches and heartburn, too much caffeine makes me sick), tea (I hate tea, any tea, I refuse to drink tea), jelly (ok, you can go on that until certain point, where you cant stand look at it anymore, that’s my case), water (the doctor said to me to drink ATLEAST 2 liters per day!!! If I manage to drink one I’m happy!!!), veggies (yeah ok, I was raised in a family that never liked vegetables, so they simply didn’t make part of my whole life! So do you really think I would start liking them out of the blue? No, I hate!), lemonade (made with the real fruit I like but I cant drink freely as I wished, its too acid and gives me stomach aches) and diet coke (that one, for the same reasons as the lemonade, but instead of too acid, its too fizzy).

Before you ask: So why cant you eat a fruit? I reply, what fruit? I’m not allowed EAT any fruit only DRINK their juices and only ONE glass per day! At night I suppose to eat only soup but this part of the diet I cant, I tried for 2 days, but I don’t like soup and they don’t fill me up, so I repeat the breakfast meal instead (which I’m allowed but only after 10 days you started this diet).

No wonder I’m always in a bad mood!!! Starvation makes me moody, and with no energy on my body, makes me tired and sleepy = good combination!!! When it gets to my PMT period, whole crap better no one be in front of me!!! I’m too tired that I already caught a flu, throat ache and headache. But I want to loose weight, and if the wish comes with I want to loose weight NO MATTER WHAT, I guess I have to stop moaning and just keep my feelings to myself. But as the blog is mine at least I can say these things over here. I’m an impatient bugger like my husband loves to say to me, but I just wish I could get thinner FAST!!! But I guess things cant come right here, right now =(((

XxX

 I was looking forward this collection, because of course, I love Nudes! But I didn’t write about it before because I wanted to look the colours properly, so I searched and I found some blogs with swatch pics.

I have to say that I still don’t know if I am disappointed or not with it. Clearly the makeup items I love the most (lipstick and gloss) were the ones I was impatient to see… but I don’t know anymore. I think they didn’t pay attention much to the girls who have pigmented lips. The first 3 shades, 1N, 2N and 3N are almost colorless for pigmented lips and tanned skin. The 4N is the only one, so far, that I can tell it will work for people like me. The 5N shade is a nude for dark colour skins, and I thought it would have more a bit of mauve in it, but its too brown looking in the pictures. The 1N people are saying that’s almost transparent, who likes translucent colorless only sheer lipstick, that’s the one. I kind of like it as well, but for pigmented lips, is it going to work? I’m not so hopeful. For pinkish lips, the 3N will look lovely, but I don’t know for pigmented ones…

The glosses I loved the shades 1N (creamy light beige - people, I’m using my particular description of the shades, I’m not using the MAC ones), 2N (creamy light rose - similar shade of the 3N l/s) and 3N (neutral beige/brown with golden pearl). I think its easier you get right with glosses, because they are sheerer and lighter than l/s. The 4N I thought very dark for me, but it’s a beautiful nude colour for darker skins.

I consider myself I light to medium tanned skin colour person. My perfect complexion in MAC is NC42 and NC40 in the winter. So for me the medium shades are going to work much better.

The eyeshadows I liked all the colours, its impossible to pick just one. I think I’m going to get 4 or 5 shades: Modest Tone, Remotely Grey, Rich Flesh (I was looking for a matte brown like that for ages), Neutral Pink and Nanogold to light the brow bone, specially. The favourite Paint Pot was the Groundwork.

As the N Collection for the skin I liked the idea of natural Mineralize Skin Finish, but I just got more attracted to the normal ones: Warmed (bronzed colour - I expected a bit more of golden shine in it, but it doesn’t have much) and Light Flush (light pink perfect to highlight the cheeks).

Anyway, these are my first impression of the N Collection so far. I need to analyze carefully first before I do any orders, because I don’t have MAC stores in my city: I either ask my friend to bring for me or I order online to be delivered in a friends house and sent to me via post.

Please, MAC, bring your gorgeous store to my city!!!! =PPPP

XxX

  Well, as I said in the first entry about makeup, I love nude lipsticks. But also I love nude shades in all sort of makeup: I’m a fan of all nude complexion! That’s why I’m looking forward the new MAC collection, N, that’s going to be all about nudes! I also have been finding so many beautiful shades of beige lipsticks on ebay that I’m getting crazy!!! Whats funny about that is most of the beautiful shades I’m finding with asian sellers, so now I make a question: Why only in the Asian countries they launch the most interesting nude shades? =PPPAnyway, I have bought 2 more nude lipsticks, apart from the Chanel #30 Rêve, that I told you in the first makeup entry: Chanel Rouge Allure #29 Troublant (Limited Edition and the same collection of the Rêve one) and YSL Rouge Pure Shine #25 Natural Brown, of The Naturals Collection, only launched on Asian countries =(((( I’m also intending to buy other 4 lipsticks, but I’ll just tell you their names when I actually buy them =PPP

BTW, my obsession about nudes is so huge that today I bought 2 l/s of the same colour, because the shade got out of the store’s catalogue. It’s the same Brazilian store I bought my red l/s, Boticário, the name of the shade is Demi Canela, a sheer beige/brown colour.  I love it, so I asked the salesgirl seaches for me in all stores and she found them =))) I got so happy!

But its important to tell you that the nudes have different shades: the orange-peach nude; the beige nude; the rosy-mauve nude and the brown nude. A perfect example of the 4 shades you find in the Limited Edition Nude Collection Dior launched: the Dior Addict Ultra Nude. I absolutely loved the collection, so I bought all four lipsticks. Here they are:

*orange-peach nude: #540 Stripped Orange;

*beige nude: #220 Skin Beige;

*rosy-mauve nude: #380 Undressed Mauve;

*brown nude: #520 Naked Brown.

Each one of them matches with an specific skin colour or lip colour. Because we cant forget our lips has got different colours: some of us have rosy lips; other has got reddish lips; others has got brownish lips (my case); others have got beige lips. Depending on your lip colour, the lipstick can get completely different shade as you see in the tube: that’s why you need to try some nude shades until you find the one that matches you. Or, if you want to wear all shades, you simply use foundation or concealer over your lips, to “erase” them and make them a complete neautral colour, and then you can apply any kind of shade you wish! Luckily all shades of the Dior Ultra Nude Collection fit on me, I think its because it’s a sheer collection, so with sheer l/s you hardly get wrong. The pigmented l/s are the ones you need to be careful.

I can give you some other examples of gorgeous nude shades separated by the categories. I hope you like my suggestions =)) Here they are:

1) orange-peach nude:

*Chanel Rouge Allure #30 Rêve;

*MAC Lipstick in Freckletone;

*YSL Rouge Rouge Pure Shine #27 Natural Honey;

*Chanel Rouge Hydrabase #41 Sahara Beige;

*Bourjois, Pour La Vie, #44 Beige Eternel;

*Revlon Super Lustrous Flashstone.

2) beige nude:

*MAC Lipstick in Jubelee;

*L’Oreal Star Secrets Aishwarya Beige;

*L’Oeal Made for Me Naturals (an excellent collection as well) #240 Dune (this one has got a touch of gold);

*Lancôme Rouge Absolu #270 Ambre Cuir;

*Bourjois Pour La vie #43 Beige Chic

*Clinique Long Last Lipstick #03 Creamy Nude.

3) rosy-mauve nude:

*L’Oreal Glam Shine Cream #100 Sweet Nude;

*Clinique Moisture Sheer Lipstick Sweet Violet;

*Lancôme Rouge Attraction #200 Beige Nude;

*Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Blushing Nude;

*MAC Lipstick in Hug Me;

*Chanel Rouge Allure #06 Silhouette.

4) brownish nude:

*Shiseido 05 Macadamia Beige;

*Shiseido M3 Natural Brown (matte);

*Guerlain Divinora Matte #482 (I believe that this one is out of catalogue, but worth checking);

*L’Oreal, Made for me Naturals collection, #231 Sepia/Silk;

*Dior Rouge #515.

P.S. I believe there is a sub category of brownish nudes: the brown-grayish nudes - this one are very dangerous, so I suggest you wear a neutral lip liner to balance the shade or apply other l/s shade, such as rosy-mauve nude one, to look healthy and not a corps =PPP Examples:

*Bourjois Lovely Rouge, #06 Praline Desiree;

*Lancome Rouge Absolu, Romance Satin (LE).

I think I have passed to you all the secrets that I use in a daily basis with my nudes. I hope you all enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed write it =)))

XxX