Another blog recommendation

Heard of StumbleUpon.com from friends about a month ago, and am now addicted to that website.
Came across this website just now, and it has a lot of good beauty tips. Just another small recommendation.
http://www.chercabulasmindbox.com/2009/05/out-of-ordinary-beauty-tips-that-work.html

Shopping

Prom at my school is late, so I didn't get my shoes before today. But now I have them! And I'm so pleased with them!

I also passed by Kookaï to get these two pieces:

Now I'm ready for my professional life, :) So excited! Tomorrow I'll sit down and write my motivation-letter in order to search a job at a beauty counter!

The Allure American Beauty Survey

Just stumbled upon, again, this article, and I thought that I should share it with you. Allure has made a beauty survey, comparing women's view on beauty to men's, and it's really quite interesting!

It's short, so I seriously recommend you read it, if for nothing else just out of curiosity.

My worst makeup miss

I am pale with big lips. Therefore, and maybe by no surprise, pale lipsticks make me look like I'm dead.
I have to say that the best way to avoid makeup mistakes is to stay to your natural colors. Like for me, I have very pigmented lips, so it just looks strange when I all of a sudden don't have any at all!

I don't have much else to tell you about this, but please feel free to share your makeup mistakes down in the comments! :)

Take the opportunity to shop a little this weekend!

For Memorial day, many companies offer great deals online!
These are a few of the ones I've come across:

• Free shipping from HauteLook.com on $50 orders
• Great gift with purchase on $34 skincare or foundation orders from ÉstéeLauder.com
• 20% off all orders from NeoStrata.com
• Buy one get one 50% off, 33% off, etc., from Crabtree&Evelynn.com

Enjoy this weekend now, and take care!

Gucci Guilty

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1JBGFcw0jPk/TGrEeoJLIiI/AAAAAAAAAU0/pJg9-K4Y1EU/s1600/Gucci-Guilty.PNG

Got my little sample size of Gucci's new scent, "Gucci Guilty." It's at least new here in France, and you could sign up to getting a free sample from Sephora before it is released in stores.

Sephora.com describes the fragrance as being...

Made for the woman who shatters expectations, this fragrance imbues a feeling of power, a sense that she can attain whatever she wants—even the thrill of the forbidden. A sheer, floral-oriental fragrance, it opens with a bright burst of citrus and a dangerous hint of black pepper. This arresting introduction gives way to full-throttle femininity as its heart pulses with fruity and floral notes. The fragrance dries down to a rich, ambery base with notes of patchouli. The overall effect is young, stylish, and eminently wearable—a daring edge of sexiness and sensuality that captures the essence of Gucci.

Notes: Mandarin, Pink Pepper, Peach, Lilac, Geranium, Amber, Patchouli.

Style: Daring. Rich. Sexy.

As of now, I can't feel the pepper, and I wouldn't be aware of the citrus unless I knew it was in there. But there certainly was some sort of lighter feeling to it in the beginning.
Base notes are usually felt all throughout the time the perfume is on, but in this scent, they (amber and patchouli) are dominant the whole time.
I honestly didn't expect to much out of this, because I'm not a great fan on Gucci's scents, but this one is AMAZING! It is indeed very rich and sexy, feminine and yet not too strong.

I will update this post once I know the lasting time of the scent!

Want some good skincare advice from a REAL specialist?

...Then I believe that you should stop by DermTV.com with Dr. Neal Schultz, a dermatologist who, when he's not seeing patients, makes YouTube videos.

He really knows what he's talking about (duuuh...), and if you've never heard of him before, I recommend you go and look up if he has made any videos on your specific skin issues. It might be very useful.

Shopping after exams

I still haven't taken my last exam (it's tomorrow morning, after that I'm totally free), but I still felt that I had to celebrate being done with biology. Therefore, I went shopping Friday, which was wonderful.

If you have seen the new (or new here in France at least) MAC "Surf, Baby!" collection, they have come out with a lipstick in the color "Hibiscus." According to myself, my perfect lip color. So I started my round at the Sephora on Champs Ḗlysées where they have a MAC counter in the back of the huge store. But they were out of it :(
So I went and looked for a dupe, and found one that suited me quite well. And since I have a limited budget, I chose one from the Sephora line (in R08, Firework, but I can't find it on the American website).

Without flash

With flash

Without flash

With flash

I also came across l'Oréal's eyelash serum, and though I don't really believe in these things, I am trying everything to be nice now that prom and graduation is approaching.

Then I moved on to do some clothes shopping, but I'm not including it in here (as this is a beauty blog). But of course, let me know if you want me to start blogging about fashion as well!
I'll keep you updated on how the products work out!

The sun is here

Except for the very sudden return of chilly and gray weather last week, we Parisians have been spoiled with summer weather for about a month now. And today, finally, I got to spend two hours (at least) outside, studying for my IB chemistry exam on Monday.

I have started wearing sunscreen this year, but only covering my face and neck. As many of you might now, it is hard, even for skincare enthusiasts, to start wearing sunscreen at my age. I usually find them way too oily, sticky or drying, so I was never motivated to use mine, though I do own one. The best solution, in my opinion, is to get a day cream with SPF in it, so that you don't miss or skip protection.

Anyways, I got to spend a lot of time out in the shining, hot sun without any protection on my skin. What most people have a hard time understanding is that I don't react to the sun, and the same thing is true about today's "tanning": I don't burn, nor do I tan, I stay pale as before. Ok, I do react to our frienemy, but very slowly. And that also motivates why I skip SPF.

BUT, and this is a big but, I don't recommend doing what I do, at least not on a regular basis. When I'm on vacation, I am careful with my sunscreen. Don't forget that specialists recommend that you spend 15 minutes outside WITHOUT protection, since your skin wants as much sun radiation to start producing vitamin D. And the danger is not if your walking outside without SPF, it is when your actively tanning that you really should consider the dangers (because you usually spend time in the same position, so that the same areas get sun on it).

Take care, and take care of your skin!

Picture source

How my skin is doing

In the middle of my final exams period (for those of you who don't know, I am in my senior year of high school), I thought it REALLY was time to update you on how my skin is doing soon 3 months into my Exuviance routine.

Due to my "exciting" exams starting now on Tuesday, I have been going through quite a lot of stress. As a consequence, my skin has had a lot of breakouts on my cheeks and my chin. Now though they have healed and my skin is mostly just a little red, but whatever, no one has perfect, even skin!

My skin still is much smoother than before, and, though I do have a little uneven skin, my skin has a more even skin tone and texture.

I do believe that Exuviance has done a lot of goodness for for my skin, but that, of course, doesn't mean that it will do the same for you. Since skincare is my big, big love, I still am open to new things, and I will see when I'll try something new.

Till then, or rather till next entry, have a wonderful beginning of May!