A Happy New Year !

     May the New Year 2015

     Bring you joy, make all your wishes come true,

     Be full of happiness, kindness and forgiveness!

     May you and your loved ones have A Happy New Year! 

Business Cards are a blogger's best friend

When I attended one of the workshops for beauty bloggers organized by Ana Maria from Beautybarometer I found out how important it is for a beauty blogger to have at all times in the purse a business card with all the contact information to give out at the events so that everybody can find out who you are and what you do.

I  hadn't really considered the business cards to be so important for a blogger until I took part in several events and I felt the need to present somebody a card with my contact information and I didn't have one! It was really frustrating for me! And I realized I had to order some business cards for me and fast!

There is a vast variety of shapes, models, colours and other decorations you can choose from when ordering your card. Your business card is very important : the image it portrays echoes your own so you have to make a good impression even  with a simple card. The model you choose is very personal, it should represent you who you really are and what you do. So don't think about money if you really want to be different, choose what makes a lasting impression!

Searching through the ocean of companies who sell business cards I found one that caught my eye: Carti de vizita de Lux . It sells luxury cards but what I like about them is the fact that they are different and interesting! You cannot go unnoticed with a card like that! The cards can be made unique and interesting through a variety of methods: using metalic folio over a matte card, painting the edges of the card, using transparent and semi-trasparent plastic for the cards, cards cut in special shapes, embossed cards, multilayered cards or ones with raised print and many others. Interesting right ? Yes, they are expensive but I think they're worth it if you want to stand out from the crowd!

I especially liked the ones called Carti de vizita multistrat . Look at this one: so cute and elegant. Very me!

Oh yes! Another shower gel: Fa Greek Yoghurt with Almond

Since I hit pan on one of my older shower gels I thought I would dig another new one out of my stash. It is a newer addition to the Fa brand : Fa Greek Yoghurt with Almond , which I received for testing at the Beauty bloggers meeting by Beautybarometer . But let me tell you something about the brand :
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Since the birth of Fa in 1954, its inspiring products have been liberating vitality in consumers by giving them freshness for body and soul. Over years Fa expanded into the main body care categories: deodorant, shower gel, foam bath, soap and body lotion, which won the admiration of consumers.

The 50s  In 1954, a "Fa"-ntastic new style fine soap is born in Germany. It not only cleanses, but cares for the modern woman’s skin. 
The 60s  Fa is giving a new image with groundbreaking campaign in 1968: the iridescent lime green and yellow soap is given the wild freshness of lime. A woman with long, blond hair, on the beach in the Bahamas becomes the leitmotif of the campaign. The most expensive and admired advertising concept of the era increases the market share considerably. 
The 70s The Fa family is born. In addition to the deodorant spray, the bubble bath promises revitalizing freshness with ingredients which are particularly skin-friendly and provide care to the skin. The Caribbean freshness of the Fa line is now sold in 46 countries around the world. 
The 80s The Fa line is consistent with the spirit of the time in every way. The products are dermatologically tested, pH-neutral and the deodorant is free of CFC. The lime Fa is joined by a steel-blue sister: Fa soft, with special ingredients for skin which needs more intensive care. 
The 90s Fa is extremely successful with "The Spirit of Freshness". Fa combines exquisite, aromatic fragrances from all continents of the earth with care substances. A pleasant feeling for body and soul. The new Fa Body Splash line is aimed especially at the young, trendy and sport-oriented target groups. Its innovative packaging design in the form of beverage cans makes the line unmistakable. Fa introduces "Fa MEN", a complete body care line especially developed for men. 

2005 Fa is back! With brand new products, Fa now satisfies more individual consumer benefits: more feel good freshness and skin care, more innovative fragrances , more power. The 2005 product range is more innovative than ever: and the claim "Fa Feel good Freshness" is rolled out worldwide, starting with a huge campaign in spring 2005. 
2006 Fa launches the unique and innovative Yoghurt line. Its assortment ranges from fresh to sensitive variants intensifying the "Fa Feel good Freshness" claim. The Yoghurt line is popular with consumers all over the world and enjoys unparalleled success. 
2007 Fa is inspired by the power of nature. The natural ingredients are brought into the everyday lives of consumers with the launch of two natural lines: Natural & Soft and Natural & Pure. 
2008 Fa enhances the caring qualities of its products by adding more caring ingredients. Now the Yoghurt line contains more than 50% of Yoghurt, which intensively cares for the skin leaving it irresistibly smooth and soft. 
2010 Fa launches the new Fa washing line with precious Gelée Royale. The soft and creamy formula provides intensive care even to the most demanding skin. The scents of honey with almond blossom or moon orchid are sensual and intriguing. Fa rolls out an innovative antiperspirant line Active Pearls. Its unique and innovative formula provides consumers with a reliable 48 hour protection and unique long lasting fragrances.

Today Fa is one of the best-known brands in the world of body care and a leader on the European market. Its products can be found on the shelves in regions such as the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America . source : http://en.henkel-mea.com

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Fa Greek Yoghurt with Almond is a shower cream , a thicker formula enriched with yoghurt proteins. It comes in a 250 ml plastic recipient and it has a valability of 12 months.

Masticspa Mastic Hand Cream - review

Another winter, another hand cream in another bag ... Due to the cold temperatures I feel the need to moisturize continuously (especially my hands which are very sensitive to cold and wind). I have already one of my all time favourites L'Occitane en Provence 20% shea butter hand cream which I love but I need more.

I often feel the need to apply a hand cream and if I change my bag and I forget to switch all my contents into the new one I am left without a hand cream ...Oh no! What do I do now?? Well, I buy a new one of course! Fortunately I didn't have to do that - at Beautybarometer's beauty blogger meeting I received a new hand cream to try : Masticspa Mastic Hand Cream . Lucky me! A new hand cream to the resque! Let me  tell you something about the brand:
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Mastic Spa – the only cosmetic line based on mastic, a timeless and treasured Greek wonder ingredient that for centuries has provided those in the know with astonishing health and beauty benefits – has a comprehensive range of effective and unique natural beauty products.

Mastic Spa is a one of a kind company – a product of both tradition and the latest research. The key ingredient to every product made by Mastic Spa is mastic, a legendary substance in Greece, which has been celebrated for centuries.

Mastic is the legendary and mysterious elixir that seeps from the mastic tree, found in the southern region of the Greek Aegean island Chios, and nowhere else in the world.
Mastic has been known since Antiquity for its medicinal properties and for its therapeutic benefits for the skin. Thanks to modern scientific research, we now have a better understanding of how mastic works its magic.

Mastic Spa products range from the very first product and best seller Masticdent toothpaste to luxurious shampoos, fragrant and colorful bath and body treatments and effective facial skincare. Mastic has been scientifically proven to have strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. In combination with other natural ingredients, mastic oil provides superior cleansing, hydrates skin and hair, slows the effects of aging on the face, aids in the healing of burns and scars, and protects the teeth and gums.      source : http://oliveoilspa.com
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Let's go back to the hand cream. It comes in a plastic tube of 100 gr./3.38 oz. of product. It is a moisturizing hand cream. Rich with mastic oil and plant extract, this hand cream strengthens and protects the skin. The allantoin calms the skin, Vitamin B softens it and soothes irritation.

Lookfantastic Beauty Box December 2014

Something new for today: as an early present for myself I ordered Lookfantastic's beauty box. I was very curious to see what the box was about, especially when the boxes from the months before were very interesting.
    
So I present you : Lookfantastic Beauty Box December 2014. It costs 15 pounds (plus the shipping 8.99 pounds for Romania), in total 24.23 pounds. Yes, I know very expensive but I thought I deserve a little bit of pampering! And I consider it to be a Xmas gift from me to me.
     
It arrived in the right amount of time and in perfect shape.

My favourite Xmas decorations

May your Christmas be filled with peace, love and joy! 

I wanted to write today since I couldn't be parted from you my lovely readers! So I'll keep it short and simple: I will show you my favourite Xmas decorations. Some of them are old, inherited from my parents or my grandparents (which I will pass on to my children) and some are new bought by me these recent years.
    
I wanted to start a tradition of my own at Christmas time so I decided I would buy one decoration per year, something really singnificant and special. I feel really happy about it and I could definitely pass this tradition onto my children later! If you want to see what traditions we have for the holidays read this tag: http://beautyinfiveminutes.blogspot.ro/2014/11/holiday-traditions-tag.html
     
This is my Xmas tree this year: small and cute.

Season's Greetings !

May you have a Merry Christmas
Filled with love and cheer
With all your loved ones
And A Happy New year!

My very early Xmas present : Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye-Con No.7 The Starlet - review and swatches

Today I have a very special treat for you : a high-end palette from Marc Jacobs : The Beauty Style Eye-Con No.7 palette in The Starlet . For over half a year since I had seen this palette shown in one of my favourite Youtubers Tarababyz , I had wanted it badly. So badly that I searched for reviews and Youtube videos daily. Yes I had it bad!! The colours seemed so different and interesting that it was my favourite of all Marc Jacobs palettes, even over The Lolita - the ever favourite of all neutrals lovers!

So when I had the opportunity to travel to Italy in a project, this palette was on the very top of my long, long list of thigs to buy. Of course I raided continuously the Sephora.it and its shops in Rome where I was going to arrive during my trip. And yes I had searched through around three or four Sephora shops until I finally!!!! found it, the last one in the shop!! And YES!! it was mine!!!!! I felt sooo happy!!

My Xmas Tag

  Ho, ho, ho!

  This Christmas time I really want

  Santa to bring me quite a lot :

  Fun, joy and lots of love

  And blessings from up above

  To my loved ones family and friends

  And the wishlist never ends.

  Santa I was really good this year

  Hurry up and come quite near

  Oh I hope you're young and fit

  Down the chimney you will fit

  I will sing you lovely carols

  You'll be here for many hours.

  

 My wishlist is here so you'll better hear :

 Fill my Xmas tree with Pandora jewellery

 All high-end perfumes will dissapear

 In my room to magically appear

 Make-up, creams, masks and other things

 You will bring for my blog testing.

 Make my blog shine like a star

 On the beauty calendar

 Grow it slowly day by day

 So the end will be ok

 My readers to enchant and attract

 So they'll be back for the next act

Nivea Aqua Effect Cleansing Milk - review

I have had this cleansing milk for a while and I'm hitting pan: I think, holding it upside down, I still have enough for one use or two. It is the Nivea Aqua Effect Cleansing Milk (the older version of the bottle). It comes in a plastic recipient of 200 ml of product and it has a valability of 12 months. It was tested under dermatological and ophthalmic supervision.

The life in pink : Chloé Roses de Chloé

... Quand il me prend dans ses bras
    Il me parle l'a tout bas
    Je vois la vie en rose

    Il me dit des mots d'amour
    Des mots de tous les jours
    Et ça m' fait quelque chose (Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose) ... 

I am nostalgic today. In this grey, misty day I need to see life in pink, to feel that every dream can come true, that every love story will end in happily ever after, that good can be found in every person around me. I need to see the light around me chasing the darkness away. I need to feel happy, sunny, cheerful and carefree.

So I turn to one of my favourite perfumes Chloé Roses de Chloé . It is so pretty, feminine and light that it boosts my mood immediately. I adore both the packaging and the bottle : dainty, femine, sexy, demure, light, happy and carefree. 

One of my all time favourite concealers : Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-place concealer

I have to confess I adore the Estee Lauder brand! I have really bad dark circles and so far the concealer is the best I've tried!

I think that the Double Wear range is a godsend for all of us oily/combination complexions!! I cannot live without the concealer and I am desperate I'm hitting pan!! I try to scrape from the recipient the last precious drop!! It is so long lasting and it covers amazingly my lovely dark circles! I get depressed thinking I will finish the concealer...I also love the Double wear foundation, again light on the skin, natural looking if moderately applied and blended, buildable up to full coverage, very long lasting! LOOOOVE! 

Also new in my make-up routine is the Sumptuous Extreme Volume mascara, which also starts to become an addiction for me (review soon!). But let's find out who is the woman behind this amazing brand :

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Born for Beauty

The niece of a Hungarian chemist, Estée was trained in the art of face creams at an early age. 

Josephine Esther Mentzer was born in New York City. Her parents, Rose Schotz, a Hungarian beauty, and Max Mentzer, a Czechoslovakian businessman who carried a cane and gloves on Sunday, called her Esty, which was changed to Estée when she enrolled in school. 

“The first beauty I ever recognized was my mother,” said Estée. Some of her earliest memories were of her mother’s grooming ritual, which revolved around applying rich creams to her face and hands to keep her skin soft and smooth. “Hands [are] as telling as any written pedigree,” Rose would tell her impressionable daughter.

While her father owned a hardware store where Estée would arrange window displays, she was more interested in taking after her uncle John Schotz, a chemist. He had taught her to cleanse her skin with oils rather than harsh soaps, and to mix up batches of his unique, all-around skin cream. “It was a preciously velvety cream, this potion, one that magically made you sweetly scented, made your face feel like spun silk, made any passing imperfections be gone by evening,” Estée recalled, and she soon dubbed it the Super-Rich All Purpose Creme. It was her first glimpse at something that provided “the power to create beauty.” 

“Success depends on daring to act on dreams,” according to Estée, who turned a homespun cream into a global cosmetics empire. Estée built her company with the perfect mix of know-how, dedication, persistence, passion, family commitment–and a lot of free samples.

In 1946 Estée officially launched her namesake line with four hardworking products—The Cleansing Oil, The Creme Pack, her uncle’s Super-Rich All Purpose Creme, and The Skin Lotion. She was her own publicist, often showing up to beauty parlors around New York City to perform makeovers while women sat under the hairdryers.  

Estée believed “3 minutes is all beauty should ever take.” She created quick routines for makeup and skincare, which she eagerly demonstrated on women—at every store where an Estée Lauder counter opened, while riding on a train or an elevator, or simply walking down the street. She loved nothing more than transforming a woman’s look with her personal touch, and doling out bits of advice along the way. 

After Estée’s “millionth” request, Robert Fisk, the cosmetics buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue, finally agreed to place his first order of her product—$800 worth,  to be exact—in 1946. To announce her arrival at the upscale department store, Estée sent out elegant white cards with gold lettering to inform the store’s preferred-customer list that she would be offering a free cream-based powder with every purchase. Within two days, the entire stock was sold out—and the industry’s “gift with purchase” marketing concept was born. 

Convinced that European women were as “face-conscious” as they were “fashion-conscious,” Estée launched her brand at Harrods in London in 1960, after years of charming its buyer. Next came Galeries Lafayette in Paris. The brand would expand into the rapidly emerging markets of Moscow in 1981, and Shanghai in 1993. Today, Estée Lauder is sold in over 150 countries across the globe.  source: esteelauder.com

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Drawing its inspiration from such a fascinating woman the Estee Lauder brand is associated with the highest quality in products, femininity, class and timeless elegance.

But let's go back to my miracle worker the Double Wear Stay-in-place concealer spf 10 in Light. It comes in a plastic recipient of 7ml/24oz. of product with an applicator, making it easy to apply onto the skin. It has a 24 months valability.

yes it is very abused

QI cosmetics - a Romanian 100 % natural brand

On Wednesday 10th of December I participated at the launch of a new Romanian natural brand : QI cosmetics (you can find them here : http://qicosmetics.ro/). It is a Romanian brand who values nature and respects and fulfills the needs of its clients. All their products are 100% natural, in a concentrated and efficient form. All the products are manually prepared in small quantities.

New in town: Anca Radulescu's professional make-up brushes

I took part last night at a beautiful event : the launch of the first professional make-up brushes line done by a Romanian make-up artist : Anca Radulescu (and yes she is married to Mihaela Radulescu's brother and she is her make-up artist).

In a lovely atmosphere, full of beauty and art lovers we eagerly awaited for the brushes to be revealed. The event was opened by Mihaela Radulescu with her usual charm and joie du vivre, she presented the story of the event and the team that was behind it. Of course since we are talking about Mihaela Radulescu we should mention charity : both Anca Radulescu and a team of art students created drawings and paintings to be sold or auctioned for the ones in need. Then the lovely and emotional Anca Radulescu finally revealed what we were looking for : the professional brushes!

Smokey make-up? A piece of cake

On the 29th of November 2014 I was a pupil again at Startline Academy (Anastasie Panu street no. 50), under the supervision of my lovely teacher the talented Dana Stancu. She is an experienced make-up artist and beauty blogger (you can read her blog here : http://danamakeup.blogspot.ro/) and I felt really happy to learn the secrets of the make-up trade from her.

The workshop took place at Startline Academy, the make-up school I attended, which organizes make-up courses all year round, you can read more here : https://www.facebook.com/AcademiaStartline or here : https://sites.google.com/site/academiastartline/

The theme of this workshop was the making of the smokey eye make-up, which is easier said than done. A well-made smokey eye that can look good and not age a person is very hard to do. We arrived early in the morning eager to find out more. Dana started the demonstration of a classic black smokey eye on a model, giving us detailed explanations and tips on the way.

Out with the old : Yves Rocher Volume Vertige Mascara

As I am about to finish this mascara ( it has first gooped, then it has dried up and has become very difficult to apply, so I decided to let it go), I decided to share with you my thoughts about it. I love Yves Rocher products so I was very excited to try this mascara Yves Rocher Volume Vertige Mascara (if you want to find out more about the brand you can read here : http://beautyinfiveminutes.blogspot.ro/2014/12/yves-rocher-jardins-du-monde-orange.html)

The mascara comes in a silver plastic recipient of 9 ml/0.3 oz. of product and it is supposed to give maximum volume and spectacular curve. 

2 months anniversary!

        Thank you again for taking the time from your busy day to read my little blog. I really appreciate it! This is my little retreat from the daily problems of life, where I can be me, happy and carefree. Thank you for sharing it with me! I would love to hear more from you, so don't be shy! Happy 2 months anniversary!

Yves Rocher Jardins du Monde Orange from Florida - review

As I told you before I simply love to test new things ... I have an extensive shower gel collection and I switch them every day according to my mood. And my mood took me these days of grey sky and bitter cold towards the warm, sunny summer days, when the sky is blue and you feel happy, optimistic and carefree. And yes I took out from my stash my beloved Yves Rocher Jardins du Monde Orange from Florida shower gel. 

I have to say that Yves Rocher shower gels are an important part of my collection: they are fabulously smelling, they wash and hydrate decently and they can be found at a good price (if you shop online, there are always great promotions in all their products). Love them! But let's find out something about the brand:
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It was 50 years ago, in the attic of his family’s home, in the heart of Bretagne, France, that Yves Rocher created Botanical Beauty, based on the treasures of the botanical world and its infinite potential. From the very beginning, he insisted on controlling every step of the production cycle in order to guarantee quality and safety of all products for a respectful and accessible brand.

Harvester: For the past 50 years, we have harvested our own organically grown plants.
Manufacturer: We extract the best ingredients from the plant world and offer you products that are manufactured in our very own factories in Bretagne.
Distributor : We have always distributed our own products (by mail orders, stores and Beauty Institutes, and online) without any intermediaries, to ensure that you get the best of beauty care at the best possible price.

50 years ago, the Yves Rocher brand was born of the vision of a man who believed in botanical-based cosmetics and the democratization of beauty for all women. These two views are the pillars of Botanical Beauty.

Yves Rocher Researchers have a thorough knowledge of botanicals, essential to understanding them, but also protecting them. That is why in 1977 a Botanical Garden was created in La Gacilly. And beyond La Gacilly, Yves Rocher botanists and ethnobotanists travel the five continents to explore the botanical world and discover the most efficient plants for you.

Botanicals are alive. They are packed with vital energy and thanks to their incredible properties, Yves Rocher is constantly creating ever more effective active ingredients that work intensely on the skin.  source: yvesrocherusa.com
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But let's go back to the sweet smelling summer days of warm sunshine and cloudless blue sky. The Orange from Florida is one of my favourite shower gels. It comes in a 200 ml plastic recipient that closes with a sturdy cap. It has a valability of 12 months (it never reaches this deadline, the shower gel is gone in a month or two).

THE ROMANIAN TAG

Today is the 1st of December, the national day of Romania. Great Union Day (Romanian: Ziua Marii Uniri, also called Unification Day) occurring on December 1, is the national holiday of Romania. It commemorates the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, which declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania.
       
This holiday was set after the 1989 Romanian Revolution and it marks the unification of Transylvania, but also of the provinces of Bassarabia and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom, in 1918.