Italy Bound

I'm off for a few days to Italy, a short getaway trip with my boyfriend, to celebrate our birthdays. Mine is April 27 and his is April 29! We're heading to Piemonte, a lovely wine region, where the famous Barolo wine also comes from. Piemonte is also known for its truffle mushrooms, so I hope to eat a lot of homemade truffle pasta while I'm there! Hopefully we'll also get to do some wine tasting, I'm planning to buy some Barolo for sure.

We'll be staying at a charming, country inn that was recommended to us. It's called the Osteria Del Maiale Pezzato and is located in Sinio. We'll be taking some trips around the region and explore this lovely part of Italy. Hopefully the weather will remain pleasant!

I'm taking my filming camera with me so hopefully I'll remember to film as much as I can, and will upload that on my second Youtube channel. I'll "see" you all in a few days when I get back! Now to finish up my packing...Toodaloo :)

Awful product: Syoss Heat Protecting Spray

I bought this heat protecting spray about a week ago, hoping this would be a dupe of the Tressemé spray which I bought and loved in Canada. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take that back with me to Switzerland because my suitcase was too full, but the design and appearance of this Syoss spray had me hoping it would work instead. Similarly as the Tressemé, this one can be purchased at drugstores and is inexpensive, and has the same convenient spray head.

Oh how wrong I was! As soon as I sprayed it the first time, the smell of alcohol overwhelmed me. I hadn't bothered to read the ingredients, but discovered that indeed the second ingredient is alcohol! What the hell?! How on earth is that supposed to protect your hair from heat damage? If I wanted to dry my hair out, I'd just spray alcohol on it! This does absolutely nothing like the Tresemmé spray, the latter of which is very nice and works like a leave-in conditioner. This is just awful!! My hair felt dry and crunchy after using this. Alcohol in a product that is supposed to protect your hair is just wrong. Schwarzkopf, hang your head in shame.

Another product that will be dumped down the drain. It wasn't expensive, but still, what a waste of money. The bottle is convenient though so I might just make my own leave-in spray using some of my L'Oreal Professionel conditioner diluted with water.

If you're interested in knowing what hair products I actually do like, check out my latest video below.

What's a really bad product you've tried lately? Leave a comment!

Illamasqua Body Electrics Review & Swatches

I've received some samples of the Illamasqua Body Electrics Spring/Summer 2010 collection so I thought I'd show you what's coming up. Click on the pictures for full size.

L to R: Bronzer in Burnish, Bronzer in Writhe, 4-Colour Liquid Metal Palette

Clockwise from top left: Enrapture, Surge, Solstice, Phenomena £29.50

Top to bottom: Surge, Enrapture, Phenomena, Solstice

Bronzer in Writhe £20

Bronzer in Burnish £20

Top to bottom: Burnish, Writhe

Nail Varnish in Jo'Mina £13

L to R: Illamasqua Jo'Mina, Illamasqua Wink, OPI Done Out In Deco, China Glaze Grape Pop

4-Colour Liquid Metal Palette (£29.50)

This is the product I was most intrigued about since I've never tried out the liquid metals from Illamasqua before. I would characterize these as cream eyeshadows or cream highlighters. The colours are really pretty, Surge and Enrapture being my favorites. Surge I'd describe as a tarnished silver olive, Enrapture a coppery rust, Phenomena a silver, and Solstice a tarnished gold shade. I was a bit surprised at their texture, they are very slick and to get a true colour payoff as you see in the pan, you need a generous application. The problem, however, is that because they are rather slippery, if you apply too much product especially on your eyelids, they crease. I wouldn't recommend these to people who have oily eyelids, and I wish the texture was a bit drier and more intensely pigmented. I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this product.

Bronzers in Writhe and Burnish (£20)

I was provided with both bronzers in the collection and found the colours of these are fairly similar. Both are golden tones with a satin shimmery finish. Note that these are not just spray overlays, the product is shimmery throughout, but does not contain glitter particles, a plus point to me. Writhe has a noticeable red undertone, whereas Burnish has more of a golden-tan undertone. These bronzers are very pigmented so if you have fair skin like myself, a light hand and a stippling brush is required. These would work well on darker skintones as well.

Nail Varnish in Jo'Mina (£13)

I haven't applied this to my nails yet (will do so tonight) so I cannot comment on application yet. But the colour I would describe as a bright medium purple with a slightly red undertone. The picture is not entirely colour accurate, purple seems impossible for me to photograph. You can see it in comparison to some other purple nail polishes I own, so far I don't know a dupe that is comparable in colour. As you can see, it is quite a lot brighter than Wink, which Illamsqua released with their spring nail varnish collection. You can see a swatch of Wink here.

You can check out the rest of the Body Electrics collection on Illamasqua's website. Illamasqua products are also available at Sephora.com in the USA, as well as various other store locations around the world.

Keep on the lookout for future videos using these products! I filmed one already using one of the bronzers and the liquid metal palette.

Jewelry Giveaway

I'm giving away a beautiful handmade necklace and earring set this week, the prize was generously donated by Auviana on Etsy. This lovely necklace and earring set will be given to one lucky winner through my Facebook site, selected randomly using random.org.


How you can enter:

1. You must become a fan of my official Facebook page. Click here to go there now, and hit "Become a Fan" beside my username on the top of the page.You can also add my Facebook application to get automated updates when I release a new video.

2. Click on the "Discussions" tab at the top of the page, and go the official giveaway thread I have created there. Enter yourself in the giveaway by leaving a comment in that thread. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON ONLY PLEASE.

This contest is open worldwide, all ages, and the winner will be announced on May 3, 2010 directly on Facebook. I will notify the winner through Facebook!

Good luck!

If you're interested in the jewelry by Auviana, visit their store on Etsy!

Hakuhodo Love

I cannot stop raving about Hakuhodo brushes. I've since acquired a few new ones, maybe I shall post a picture of them here. I've always had a thing for makeup brushes, and I can appreciate any product that is made with meticulous care and quality control. I worked at Rolex for a while, so I could see first hand that quality comes at a price.

I saw that Hakuhodo have now uploaded their company profile video on their website, so I thought I'd share that with you, since this wasn't available when I made my initial video on their brushes. At about the halfway point, the video shows how the actual brushes are handmade in Japan and what techniques they use to bind and roll the brush, and sort the hair by quality. The attention to detail is incredible!

HAKUHODO FUDE BRUSHES from HAKUHODO USA on Vimeo.

If you haven't seen my review video, you can check it out here. And of course, Hakuhodo brushes can be purchased online through their website, or at upcoming makeup artist tradeshows such as IMATS or The Makeup Show in NYC.

The latest Fashion

My mother resurrected some old drawings I did when I was a little kid, I think I was probably about 9 or 10 years old when I drew these. I present to you the latest fashion trends according to MissChievous! These must be appreciated in full size for ultimate lols (click on the image to enlarge.)

Hot damn I had the fashion going on! Never mind that all the body shapes resemble more that of a Barbie doll wearing a bondage corset, but come on, fashion designer in the making? My favorites? The skating outfit. I mean who wouldn't want to hit the ice in hot pink skates and wearing a Mrs. Santa Claus outfit with a Dalmatian spotted shirt underneath? Other favorites are my skimpy and revealing (bordering on whorish) bikinis and the cheerleader outfit complete with pompoms. LMAO!

Which outfit is your favorite?

Hair update

This is just a nonsensical blog post really, but I filmed a video today for my favorite haircare products and I just liked how my hair was looking. I admit it's starting to look pretty wild and unruly and I should probably get a trim soon; it's at that weird stage where the layers are starting to look wonky. But sometimes I think this can also look kind of cool! I'm currently trying to grow out my top layers, I still want layered hair but I want the top sections to be longer so it doesn't look so "mushroom-y".

I was looking at some pictures a few days ago on my external harddrive and I found some old hair pics. Whenever I look at these I want to go back to this style...

These were all taken during my student days in Montreal. I had the best hairdresser there, the likes of which I'll probably never find again. His name was Benoit and he worked at Salon Pure, but later left. If I could clone Benoit and have such a hairdresser again here in Switzerland I'd not hesitate a second to go for more edgy looks. But for now I'm trying to go for a more streamlined look.

The haircare video with my favorite products should be coming up soon on my Youtube channel.

Exotic Arabian Smokey Eyes

On Facebook, some of you said you wanted to see a more dramatic prom look, and some others said they wanted to see another Arab makeup look. I decided to combine your suggestions (Become a Fan on my Facebook page to have input in future looks) and came up with this little number. The eyeliner is decidedly in tune with the Arab makeup style, and the soft smokey eyes use a lot of glitter and shimmer which would be perfect if you want to stand out at a special event, such as prom, or something else entirely.

This was hard! The eyeliner is the trickiest part. If you're a total beginner with using liquid or gel eyeliners, I'd say skip the complex design and just go for a single, swooped wing on the outer eye and do some more practicing before deciding on this look for your special night out.

Face
Illamasqua cream foundation, Ben Nye concealer, Bobbi Brown Peony Shimmerbrick, Barry M Natural Dazzle bronzer, Benefit High Beam

Eyes
MAC Mauvism Paint, Essence Colour & Shine e/s in 03 Wear It, Rimmel Colour Rush e/ s in 101 Glam Rock, MAC Carbon e/s, MAC Dazzlelight e/s, MAC Vanilla e/s, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, La Femme white cake eyeliner, MAC #42 lashes, Essence black eyeliner, Essence glitter eyeliner in light blue

Lips
Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in 108 Pink Pearl, MAC Wonderstruck Lustreglass

Nails
Essie - Tart Deco (is actually more orange than in these pictures)

3-in-1 Look for Prom

Prom season is in full swing, as many highschools celebrate their junior and senior proms anywhere from April to June! I'm going to be doing a series of prom looks on my channel, and to kick things off I'm going to show you a 3-in-1 look, where one basic look can be adjusted to give three unique looks!

The first one is the toned down, natural look for those wanting to just look like an upgraded version of themselves. For the second look I used a bright pink lip to give a fun and edgy look. For the third and last look I applied a black winged eyeliner and applied bright red lipstick to go for an easy but glam pin-up look. I hope you will enjoy one of these looks and find it useful for your own prom.

Face & Cheeks
Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Ivory, La Femme blush in Pink Velvet, MAC Shimpagne MSF, MAC Studio Finish concealer

Eyes
MAC Bare Canvas Paint, NYX eyeshadow Trio Nr. 15 (Aloha, Mink Brown, Deep Bronze), L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, MAC Vanilla eyeshadow

Lip Look #1:
Gosh Darling lipstick, NYX Smokey Look lipgloss

Lip Look #2:
Rimmel Indian Pink lipliner, Barry M Dolly Pink lipstick

Lip Look #3
Rimmel Lipstick in Scream, MAC Red Enriched lipliner

Nails
Essence - Purple Diamond

Music
Adam Cantor - Meteor Shower

Perfect Arches! Eyebrow tutorial

I get so many questions about my eyebrows in general, and have updated how I define them so I thought this was a good time as any to make an updated video!

Products used:

MAC Brows in Lingering
Margaret Astor clear mascara (works like brow gel)
Illamsqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Brush: Afterglow Cosmetics angle brush (synthetic)

My favorite tweezers are by Tweezerman.

Nailpolish in this video is Orly Snowcone.

Win Skincare from Helena Rubinstein

Watch my video to see how you can win an exclusive new product from Helena Rubinstein, a high-end luxury cosmetic brand. Up for grabs are 30 Prodigy Powercell Youth Grafter Serums, a brand new anti-aging product yet to hit stores. This contest is rather unique because the winners are invited to not only test the product, but to also share their reviews with Helena Rubinstein and the readers on Facebook!

CONTEST RULES

You must be a Fan of the official Helena Rubinstein Germany Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/helenarubinstein

Then fill out the form for the contest on the Facebook site, click send! 30 winners will receive a full sized bottle of the Powercell Serum to test at home.

The contest ends April 14, 2010.
The winners only will be notified by email on April 15, 2010.
Starting on April 16, 2010, the packages will be mailed out.
The contest is open worldwide, all ages.

What is expected of the winners:
-The winners are invited to make 3 posts on the Facebook Fansite Wall of Helena Rubinstein with their review of the product.
1st post: Your expectations of the product prior to first use.
2nd post: Feedback after 10 days of use - how does your skin feel and have you noticed any changes?
3rd post: Your final review and decision on the product - do you like it, why or why not?

Good luck!

HOW TO FILL OUT THE FORM:

- On the HR Facebook page, click on the tab at the top labeled "Gewinnspiel"
- fill out the form (English translation is available)
- You must check both boxes on the bottom (Terms of Use) by clicking on the text beside the box, then selecting "Bestätigen" on the page it goes to. This will place an X in the box for you.
- At the very bottom, select "Absenden" to send off the form
- If you filled everything out correctly, you will get a confirmation in red letters stating "Die Nachricht wurde verschickt!"
- Nr. means house or apartment number

(Note: I've noticed that the area for postal code / ZIP only accepts numbers. If your postal code also contains letters, add it to the space after your city and province, and just put a 0 in the postal code area. I will let HR know of the error.)

Helena Rubinstein Contest

 

Following the huge success of the Lancome giveaway, where 110 lucky winners were able to win Lancome gift bags and mascaras, Lancome's sister company Helena Rubinstein, a leading luxury cosmetics brand, has decided to also host a contest for my viewers and readers!

Starting next week I will present to you a video where some lucky viewers will have a chance at winning a luxury, high-end skincare product by Helena Rubinstein. Not only that, but you will be given the chance to exclusively test the new product before its official launch, and be invited to write your unbiased review of the product on their official Facebook Fanpage.

The contest is sponsored by Helena Rubinstein Germany, but again the contest will be open WORLDWIDE! So everyone will be allowed to participate and have a shot to win some luxury skincare products. (The video will be subtitled and English instructions will be provided.)

To join in and already fulfill one of the conditions of the contest, hit "Become a Fan" on Helena Rubinstein Germany's Facebook page. Please use the following link to visit their page:

Helena Rubinstein Germany on Facebook

And make sure to keep a look out starting next week for my video, where you will find all the information on how to participate!

White Queen Alice in Wonderland

When I saw Alice in Wonderland in the movie theatre a while back I immediately fell in love with the look of the White Queen played by Anne Hathaway. I knew I had to replicate her look, so I ordered this wig from ebay that very same evening. I had so much fun doing this look! If you haven't seen the movie, this is how the White Queen is styled in the film.

Stunning! This is my rendition of the look, prepare for some funny impersonations of the White Queen in my video tutorial!

Products used....

Face

Illamasqua Cream foundation CF 135, Jofrika clown white face paint, Ben Nye Contour Nr. 1, Ben Nye Natural blush, Ben Nye Neutral Set powder, Illamasqua Intrigue blush

Eyes

Ben Nye Lumiere palette (white color), Ben Nye Contour Nr. 1, MAC Spiked brow pencil, MAC Carbon, Max Factor mascara, Maybelline white kohl pencil

Lips

MAC Velvetella lipliner, MAC Bing Mattene lipstick, MAC Media lipstick

Nails

Sally Hansen - Uptempo Plum

Huge Makeup Sale! MAC, Nars, Ben Nye, etc

I've been compiling all this makeup over the years, many items which just don't get enough love. So I thought instead of letting it collect dust, I'd sell these items off at bargain prices so they can find new loving homes. To make it a bit easier I've set up an online shopping cart through Yahoo where you can just shop as you would with any online store. All the items come for a pet free, smoke free home. I will ship everything out as soon as payment goes through. I will ship worldwide, make sure to select your country at check-out, it will automatically show you the final shipping cost and add it to the total. At this point, Paypal is the only accepted payment method.

What I'm selling:

Loads of limited edition MAC from Heatherette, Cult of Cherry, Barbie, Style Black, plus permanent collection items.

Nars blushes, lipsticks, eyeshadow duos, bronzers.

Bobbi Brown Shimmerbricks.

Urban Decay palettes.

Ben Nye palettes and single eyeshadow.

Plus loads more...!!

Please click here to go to the shopping site and check it out!

Thanks guys and have fun shopping. All makeup will be sanitized by me with alcohol before being shipped out. I use bubble mailers and lots of tissue and wrapping.