Tom Ford Wild Ginger I Love You!

Yes I have just confessed love to a lipstick but I feel comfortable with you guys. You wouldn't judge would you?

I have longed to get this baby since forever and it has been on both of my lipstick wishlist posts(first and second). I finally caved at Dubai Duty Free on my way to Estonia and I think this will be my favorite summer makeup purchase of the year. I have worn it a lot and you can see me sporting it every other day in the vlog as well.

Wild Ginger is a super vivid orange red. I can only repeat myself here but the quality of TF lipsticks goes above and beyond. I mean its certainly a splurge item and due to price can only be placed in the luxury category of makeup but at least its totally amazing.

When reading reviews of Wild Ginger I noticed it seems to translate a little different on everyone. Its pulls more tomato reds on some skin tones and more orange on others. Im happy to report the orange hue is definitely there when I wear it. Its very pigmented and the lasting power for such a creamy consistency is great. I generally do a touch up 5-6h in but often thats not even necessary. Many reviews say the staying power is not all that so I'm not sure if my success has to do with the next purchase.



The lip liner. With such a look-at-me shade I want the lips to look and stay perfect. So the hunt for perfect liner started promptly after Wild Ginger was mine. And when I say promptly I mean at the very same Duty Free. I really did try to find a match at Mac or any other brand that was a bit more budget friendly but in the end the perfect liner was of course at Chanel counter. I could have been a sensible person and waited til I arrive back to Dubai and have much more options but what fun would that be? Instead I just bought the Chanel Le Crayon Levres in 56 Orange Intense. I actually haven't had one regret purchasing this. Its a perfect match and smooth to apply but stays put for ages. It has a great quality brush on the other end and it comes with its own sharpener. And as mentioned I think it really adds hours to the staying power of the lipstick. I also choose to have a memory of a goldfish when it comes to dwelling on the price.

This duo is making me very very VERY happy.

Do you own a Tom Ford lipstick? Which shade is your favorite?

New York Shopping List Makeup

So there is not long left til New York. We are talking less than a month and the excitement is real people!
I have been before since my sisters used to live there but its 3 years from the last trip to my favorite city and I miss it dearly.

Dont you worry the above products is just a few from the long long list I have been putting together. And in true Virgo style I have separate list for skincare and for lipsticks. I will of course not get everything on all the lists but I like knowing what I'm looking for. These 6 products have been on my mind for a while.

1. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation (Link)- I have never had this and I have always wanted it. I have chosen countries to live in poorly cause they often dont stock NARS and I'm scared to order online as I dont know which shade will work best. NARS is coming to Dubai in October but there is no way I can wait that long.

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Link)- It says you can define your ideal brow shape with Brow Wiz. I want to do that!

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hours Blush in Natural Beauty (Link)- I love the formula of this blush I have it in a nude pink shade called Exposed. Its so long lasting and I keep reaching for it over my other blushes. This rosy red shade is missing from my blush collection.

4. Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish in Dusty Rose (Link)- ohh I dont know. Its a foil finish eyeshadow that had a rose gold finish. Does it need more explanations?

5. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (Link)- I love eyeliner and I use it most days of the week. Even if I dont feel like using eyeshadow a little eyeliner will often be there. I also love the videos of Claire Marshall from Hey Claire and she has raved about this liner numerous times. This is one of the first things that will go into my basket at the holy day that will be forever refereed to as The Visit to NYC Sephora.

6. NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione (Link)- Yeah lets just say one of the NARS stores in NYC is gonna get hit bad. You can believe me this is not the end of my NARS wishlist. But its high on the top of it. Based on swatches these new eyeshadows that you can use dry or wet look pretty amazing. 

 Me and my sisters are discussing of doing a little spa day in Mario Badescu and I am still not decided if I should focus my shopping on a new pair of shoes or a new handbag?

Also makeup wise please do suggest amazing you-must-buy-this products I should be looking out for while in New York? And is there anything on my list you have tried and it didn't impress you? 


Recommendations are highly appreciated. 

Life Lately- Estonia Vlog #1

Yes your eyes are not mistaken. I actually vloged!!

Before getting to this point there was a whole process of doubting if I can and should. Then convincing myself I will never know how to use iMovie. Then convincing myself that nobody will ever find it interesting to hear my Estonian accent English on camera. All the same time loving my
friend Simone's vlogs and wishing to give it a try.

So the vacation in Estonia seemed like a perfect opportunity to start. I had a lot of fun filming it and I hope you enjoy it as well. I got so into it there will even be a #2 next week! I dont think I will vlog in Dubai after that but I will most certainly try my best to vlog in New York at the end of August. So maybe I can be a sort of travel vlogger.

Please excuse that only after I filmed all the clips did I realize my camera video quality had been set on the lowest possible (such a rookie mistake!). I have managed to get it a bit better (had no idea how to do it so did an abundance of googeling) so do choose a higher quality from YouTube options once you start watching.

Let me know what you think and have a lovely Saturday.

A Holiday Haul That Was Not Supposed To Happen

First of all sorry about the radio silence. I have been on a vacation in Estonia for a week and it has been amazing. I have barely opened my laptop. I couldn't tell you I'm off because I wanted to surprise some of my friends and they read the blog.

Anyway I will tell you more about my vacation soon. This post is about the things I bought while in Estonia. I was not supposed to buy anything as the New York vacation is in less than a month but you know how it goes..sometimes (read:always) you dont have willpower to resist.

Clothing & Accessories

- 2 new stripey tops from Lindex. Its a Swedish brand that has very affordable prices and I love their basics. I always pick up some tshirts while in Estonia. This time I was all about stripes so a basic cut tshirt and a comfy cotton top with 3/4 sleeves.

- I haven't found anything in Dubai H&M for about a year. I almost never go in anymore because the layout and the stock just dont interest me the slightest. The H&M in Tallinn is a brand new and huge store that has great displays and pretty things catch your eye much easier. I picked up this pink dress that will be perfect for work and requires minimum effort to look put together. I will try to take some outfit pictures soon.

- I obviously had to go to my sisters studio and do some damage at New Vintage by Kriss HQ. I came home with a black agate necklace called Metal is My Muse. I have the same style with a green stone but just love the black with gold as well. I also got some opal earrings and a plain golden necklace I will have engraved.

Skincare

- Lumene Gradual Self Tan Lotion is something I always used when I lived in Estonia. Its a Finnish skincare and makeup brand that has lovely natural ingredients and loads of good products. I like the gradual tan lotion as it builds up slowly and fades evenly. It is paraben free and smells nice. Excited to have it in my stash again.

- I wrote in my last skincare post that I didn't put enough thought into the last toner I bought and ended up purchasing a alcohol containing Clinique one that is just way too harsh. I picked up the REN Clarimatte toner to replace it. Its alchokol free but has all the good stuff like glycolic and lactic acid and salicilin. Very much looking forward to give this one a go.

- Khiels Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado was on my wishlist for awhile and I picked it up at airport Duty Free. I have been using it for a week and absolutely love it. Its perfect if you have fine lines and dry skin under the eyes.

- Joik soy wax scented candles are one of my absolute favorites. Its an Estonian brand and I always pick a few up because I cant resist. This time I got the Strawberry's & wine scent.

Make up

 

- I havent been to Estonia for a year and during that year something awesome has happened. They have started selling Real Techniques brushes here! Who knew!? After convincing my sister to get the Blush brush I stood umm-ing and ahh-ing at the stand for ages. I ended up leaving with the Starter Set for eyes. So overexcited about this one!

- I ran out of my Healthy Mix Serum while here so decided to switch it up and get a bottle of Bourjois Happy Light instead. I have had it before and like it just as much, its just a good staple and does the job nicely. 

- saving the best for last of course. I allowed myself a sneaky Duty Free purchase at Dubai Airport and Tom Ford Wild Ginger is finally mine. My-oh-my is that a beauty. I have been wearing it most days and have so much love for the orangery red shade, the fancy packaging and the perfect formula. I didn't have any lip liner to go with it and even thou I made an effort matching it to Mac ones in the end the closest shade was from Chanel counter. Whats a girl to do? The girl is to buy that Chanel lip liner (shade 56 Orange Intense).

Im flying back to Dubai tomorrow so will be on track with regular posts before you know it. Expect to hear all about my vacation.

Life Lately #11

This week went past faster then ever. Somehow it was weekend before I could even blink but I do have a few photos of my favorite moments.

- a few weeks ago I decided I miss yoga too much and made my way to Yoga Room Dubai for ashtanga classes. I go 3 times a week and absolutely love it. I do enjoy bikram and that was my yoga of choice for many months but now I just could not make myself enter a +42c room when its so scorching hot outside. Ashtanga is awesome and I cant wait to go again tonight. Im always in such a great mind set after a class.

- the beautiful lanterns are spotted after a sheesha session in Movenpick hotel again.

-Mr. Mate the border collie finally got his summer cut. He looks like a puppy now and I love that they always tie a bandana around his neck after he is done with grooming. He also smells like roses (we do ask them usually to go light handed on the dog perfume they use but generally he smells flowery for a few days after). There is a cool mobile dog grooming concept here- a pink van comes to your house and inside it is a fully functional dog grooming salon. Hopefully the shorter cut will make it a bit easier for Mate to handle this desert summer.

- We had a lovely dinner party at a friends place who lives on 35th floor of a highrise in the Marina. I made a brave face for the picture but to be honest I did feel a bit queasy that high up. The views are amazing but I'm way too paranoid to ever be able to live that high. I instantly have scenarios from fires to earthquakes run through my mind and prefer to stay closer to the ground. Have you ever lived in a highrise?

- ahhh.. and then the most perfect Saturday arrived. It was hot but not too humid and we were determined to have some book + pool time. We drove to the beautiful Desert Palm resort and laid in their temperature controlled infinity pool for hours. A while back I actually made a whole post about Desert Palm and you can read it here. It was absolute bliss. I also started a new book Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene and its great. So if you are on the look out for a easy reading and witty novel do check it out.

Enjoy your Sunday and do let me know what you have been up to. x

Polished / June

Whats your favorite beauty items?

 I always get the most excited if I have a new lipstick or a nail polish post ready to share. However I have am trying to put a stop to my excessive nail polish hording. The wake up call was when I arrived home with two new O.P.I polishes only to realize I already owned both of them. So I try to be more selective of what I buy and actually choose colors I end up using ( I know that sounds like the only sensible way to do it but I promise that was not always the case with me).

Laura walks into Sephora and notices a dark blue or a bright green nail polish. Laura swoons over a pretty bottle and is determined she will start wearing those colors from now on. Laura buys not one but both of the nail polishes. Laura returns home and keeps using only pastels and reds/pinks.

True story.

Anyway let get to the good stuff- the polishes that ruled my June.

 Essie / Watermelon- hands down prettiest summer shade from my polish collection. The first word that comes to my mind when describing it is juicy. Its a mix of raspberry pink and red and must be the hardest color to photograph as of date. It either comes off too red or too pink and I couldn't get it to show its true deliciousness. So I urge you to go check it out at the counter next time. Application is a breeze but the staying power is so-so. I think it chips faster than my other Essie polishes. Since I adore the color I dont mind the shorter wear time that much but its something to note. 

 Barry M / Rose Hip- I have said this before but Barry M Gelly formula is freakin fantastic! Staying power is totally there, the price is great and their pastels are by far the easiest formula to work with. We all know these kind of white based pastel pinks can be a pain to apply (I am talking to you Essie Fiji!!) but Rose Hip is opaque in two coats. Minimal effort for a high gloss smooth finish and such a great soft girly shade.

Rimmel Salon Pro / Hip Hop- Even just looking at it on this photo makes me smile. Isn't it pretty? Its from the Kate Moss collection and I only picked it up last week. I had seen it on some bloggers and made a mental note but never bought it. Mainly cause Rimmel stand is not something I remember to check while on my Boots rounds. I did however check it while grocery shopping at Spinney's ( milk, bread, veggies and nail polish..my kind of grocery list). How did I not know that Rimmel polishes have such a awesome formula? Its almost gel like, high shine and easy to apply and we are talking serious staying power like 6 days straight was a breeze. And the shade.. the bright, tan enhancing, orange toned red that just screams summer. I cant wait to see what other shades Salon Pro has as I am seriously impressed with the formula.

I am pretty sure this summers rotation will be mainly Watermelon and Hip Hop.

Before I forget there is one more nail related buy that I will from now on never be without.

Bourjois Instant Dry Nail Drops have become my best friend. The nails are dry in minutes and the oil is moisturizing for the cuticles. It doesn't break the bank and it works what more can you want.

Whats your summer polish? Are you the girl who rocks a bright shade or do you prefer to stay pretty in pastels?

All Black OOTD

Another summer outfit in all black. 

Living in Europe I almost never wore black in warm months. I remember how much you crave for spring/summer colors and fabrics. I wear white, patterns and colors all year around but for summer months in Dubai I feel most comfortable in all black. The totally unglamorous reason is the swetty-betty situation that desert temperatures and humidity bring.   

This post shows a combo of my favorite black items at the moment. They have won this esteemed title because both pieces are so incredibly versatile. Lets take the River Island strappy top (Link). Its so basic but the straps in the front make it a bit cooler than my normal cami. It looks awesome under a blazer for work or with jeans on a night out. Its super lightweight and I am seriously considering getting a few more colors as I have been wearing it a lot.

The skirt is a classic for me.  Pleated midis are the bomb and I love the ASOS one (Link). I have it in coral as well and it comes in pretty much every color you could want. We are talking bright pink or yellow to more toned down options like this one. I'm sure a pleated midi is not a staple for everyone but they hold a firm place in my wardrobe for years. I just feel so lady like and pretty in them.

The shoes are my trusty heels by DvF. I call these patent beauties my work shoes. They are classic and as comfortable as it can get. I'm gonna put it out there and say that the DvF Anette pumps are one of my favorite shoe style ever. I have them in leopard print and in black patent but unfortunately both options are constantly sold out. I could find them in black suede (Link) and if you are after a classic shoe I can not recommend those enough. My love for this style is everlasting! Its so strong that if I saw another leopard pair sold anywhere I would buy them for back up!

So that's it from the outfit front today.

Well actually I have to confess of an online order that is on the way to me and if you are the same shoe size as me (Eur 38) you might want to consider. The Topshop pink suede mid heeled shoes (Link) are on sale! Getting shoes almost 50% off is like getting them for free if you ask me..

Life Lately #10

Lets see what we can make of the passed week. Cant believe we are already in July. I have started getting excited because its not long til September aka my bday month( yes I get excited 2 months before..I think its totally normal).

- I had the ever so lovely Mr. and Mrs.Buynowbloglater come over for dinner and I made a new dessert. It is soo easy and tasted lovely so I urge you to try. Specially if you dont feel like baking or spending a lot of time preparing. Its blended fresh strawberries mixed with mascarpone, vanilla ice cream and a little bit of whipped cream. Leave in the fridge until you make dinner and add berries before serving. Great summer dessert.

- Thursday night sheesha at Movenpick Ibn Battuta hotel. Isn't it beauuutiful? Paint anything pastel and watch me swoon..

- weekend was a really really slow and sleepy one. I love those. Cats snoozed (love how Yalla stretches her paws out of the bed), Mate snoozed and I almost didn't move from the couch. Got addicted to Catfish TV show (how had I never heard of this before?) and watched season after season.

- I went back to the dark side. Had appointment with my hairdresser Vesna from Pastels Salon and I wasn't sure what I want to do until I sat in the chair. I had been talking for months that I want to be lighter for the summer and thats what we did last time but I got bored of it fast. So back to dark. I didn't want to cut much as I wear my hair up in the summer but color was enough to make me feel all fresh and new. Loving it at moment.

- Husband is back from the work trip which makes me smile. Him and Mate gave me a ride to work this morning and how could a week not be great when it starts in a company as awesome as this.

Hope you are loving your Sunday and the sun is shining wherever you are!
I have outfit posts planned this week that I cant wait to show you.

Get in my Closet Lipstick Edition 2

I am on a fast spiraling path of becoming a lipstick hoarder and I have no regrets. At least it is a product I use a lot(not like the weird crazy eyeshadow shades I buy convincing myself I will SURELY start rocking an orange or a green look!). The ever growing lipstick wishlist is getting ridiculous so I thought I will show you the most wanted beauties. (You can see the first edition of Get In My Closet here).
 

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Incandescente-this is a hot tomato red from the reformulated Rouge Allure collection and I'm dying to try it. I love the original Rouge Allure but this one promises to a bit more hydrating. My current reds collection is mostly blue toned true reds so this warm punchy option is much "needed". I fell in love with it in 2sec when I saw it on Keira Knightley in this post.

Kevyn Aucoin The Matte Lip Color in Forever- First of all I have never tried anything from Kevyn Aucoin and secondly it looks like an awesome pink shade (I have come to this conclusion after looking at numerous swatches online). It promises to be velvety and nourishing matte lipstick so whats not to like.

Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Matte Mandarin- this one has been making the rounds on beauty blogs lately and everyone has only good things to say about the formula. In my mind I have already decided that Mandarin will be mine in the next few days. It does seem like a perfect orange and as mentioned before I'm a bit obsessed with orange lip lately. I have high hopes to cross this one off the list asap.

Nars Semi Matte Lipstick in Schiap- a shocking fuchsia pink if there ever was one. Its no surprise this shade belongs to the top selling list of Nars. Its a special kind of bright and wearing shades like that makes me feel all "try and stop me" confident. I think it will be purchased on the NYC trip in August cause there is no way I can wait til November which is when Nars finally comes back to Dubai.

Tom Ford in Wild Ginger- this one already made the cut in last Lipstick Edition and it is still there at the very top of my list. The orange based red that mesmerizes me again and again. I just haven't been able to part with the pile of cash needed to get it.
 

Do you have any of these shades? I would like to know if maybe some on the list are not worth it? Or am I right and I need them all...

FOTD- Another red lip

When I started with the FOTD posts I was worried about the variety I can bring. Truth is I had every reason to worry cause my makeup look is soo similar all the time. I do play around with eye shadows and I can easily convince myself they are all totally different. In reality we can call them all brown. Also I hope you dont mind its yet another red lip look from me, because lipsticks I looove.

Before we get to the lipstick let me tell you about a gem that came up from the back of my drawer a few weeks ago. Its the Sleek Blush By 3 set that Laura bought back from the UK a few months ago. I have always been a bit scared of cream blush cause I feel I put too much on and then the blending becomes difficult and I dont know how to sheer it out. For that reason I had never actually tried the Sleek set that promises intensely pigmented cream blushes.

So on a random weekend I figured its time to test it and I havent worn anything since- these cream blushes are amazing. This palette is called Californ.i.a 370 and the shade on the left OC is my favorite and what im wearing on the below picture as well. Its a bit red toned soft coral that just looks super natural. Its pigmented but easy to blend and I really think it sticks around longer than my powder blushes. I love it so much! And Sleek is such a win in budget aspect as well. Do try it out if you can.

 The second reason I wanted to post this was the lipstick-the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Red Pepper. I have said it ten times and will keep repeating that anyone who loves a matte lip and bright colors needs to get those lippies in their life pronto. By far the best formula and such a gorgeous shade range. I will be retuning to the Bourjois counter until I have all of them because thats what true love means.

Regarding the rest of my face you can see the used items on the first photo. There is the mix of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and CC Cream. Maybelline Master Precise Ink liner and a most of browns from the Naked 3 blended together.

If you do take anything away from this its a) you need the Bourjois lipsticks and b) if you happen to linger around Sleek counter to try the cream blushes!

If you already have all the shades from them Rouge Velvet line please tell me which one should I get next.