Celebrate Mother's Day with Pandora

Mother's Day is a modern celebration originating in North America, honoring one's own mother, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day.
  
The modern American holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world." Anna's mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.
  
Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother's Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.
  
In Romania we celebrate International Women's Day and unofficially Mother's Day on the 8th of March. 

We should celebrate our mothers every day, tell them how much they mean to us and shower them with our love. Pandora helps us yet again to express and share our love for our guardian angels, our mothers through a special Mother's Day collection.

Gerovital Derma + Shampoo for sensitive scalp - review

When I went to the Beauty bloggers meeting by Beautybarometer  I received a few products from the new range Gerovital H3 Derma+ to test : the Soothing and Regenerating Mask-cream review here, the Cleansing and Make-up removal fluid face and eyes (almost hit pan, review very soon) and the Shampoo for Sensitive scalp. It is the subject of today's review, since I am about to finish it. 

Oscar night - the failures

Oscar night - the night everybody is waiting for : to see the winners, the losers, the dresses, the hair and make-up, the hottest couples .. the gossip. The stars' every move is scrutinized and commented. And yes, there are failures both in the fashion department and in the make-up and hair. Let's have a look at them:

Take care of your body with Elmiplant

In the winter time I always feel the need to further moisturize; my face and lips, my body and hands and my hair. I always love to try new creams and lotions. And being a beauty blogger doesn't help : my wallet is always screaming stoop! when I empty it in the beauty shops. So yes I am always searching for a good product at a decent price. I was very happy to hear that Elmiplant, a Romanian brand, has launched a new body care range. I love Elmiplant products, especially their make-up removers and face creams. I haven't tried their body care range or their shower gels, so I was glad to have a reason to go shopping again. 

The Body Nutrients range contains formulas that are enhanced with 100% natural ingredients deriving from eco-friendly and gentle production methods that preserve their actives. Cocoa butter, an excellent moisturizer that melts at body temperature gives your skin the nourishment it needs and restores its natural healthy glow.  

Macadamia oil, rich in omega essential fatty acids, supplies nourishment to the skin assuring a smooth & soft feeling. NUTRI MOIST 48H is an advanced moisturizing complex combining the purity of natural ingredients with the power of science, that offers immediate moisturizing and prolongs skin hydration up to 48H increasing your comfortable skin feeling. Here are the new body lotions in the range:

Oscar night - which star shone the brightest ?

The Oscar night - a feast for the eyes for any fashionista, the event to watch for the latest trends in fashion, make-up and hair style. Gorgeous, glamorous ladies, parading in front of the cameras with a bold attitude; relaxed, handsome, elegant men in tuxedos, cameras flashing, reporters interviewing on the red carpet .. a wonderful madness, a night celebrating the silver screen and its idols, a night in which art is shared and recognized, no matter the skin colour, religion or culture.

Spring 2015 limited collection Rock-o-co from Catrice

I love Catrice make-up! I own several eye shadows and for their price point, they are very good. They are decently pigmented, they blend well and they won't get you bankrupt. This spring Catrice rocks!

Bridal Make-up ? A child's play

I think you already know I love to play with make-up. I am fascinated by the magical transforming power of make-up: how a normal person can totally transform into a godess, a vamp or a fresh blushing bride.

Yesterday I took part in my second make-up workshop done by Dana Stancu at Startline Academy (Anastasie Panu street no. 50). I had also participated in the smoky eyes workshop last year. This workshop's theme was bridal make-up.

Focus on ... Lancôme

Celebrating 80 Years of Beauty

For many, many years, Lancôme, the world's leading luxury beauty brand, has epitomized beauty and glamour with a quintessential French touch. Women seeking the finest in beauty look to Lancôme for the highest quality in skincare, encased in timeless style and delivering scientifically proven results.

“Why did I create Lancôme?”,“Because I had seen that two American brands had taken control of the beauty industry. A French brand should be up alongside them.” Armand Petitjean

Lancome French Innocence Spring 2015 collection

The French style denoting elegance, chic, style and simplicity has always enchanted and intrigued me at the same time. The French women live by the less is more principle, their signature style being an efortless, natural, fresh elegant look ... that je ne sais quoi ... that lasts forever. The latest Lancome collection French Innocence is an expression of delicate femininity, simplicity and youthfull freshness.

Get to know me TAG

I received a tag from justanangel.net and since I haven't done a tag for quite a while, I thought it was time for one. So I present you : the Get to know me TAG

Essence news : 2015 Spring / Summer releases

Nude, natural looks are the newest trend in make-up and hair. Essence is keeping up with this trend with its latest products for Spring/Summer 2015. Nude, nude and nude again: various soft nude shades for your eyes, lips and nails are the highlights of the newest Essence products .

The I ❤ NUDE limited edition collection consists of longlasting lipsticks and a dramatic black mascara to add expressive accents to go with the nude look. In addition, practical brushes and awesome applicators are here to make life a little easier and a charming bronzing powder provides a shimmering finish. Let's see the highlights of the newest Essence products.

Need a little pampering ? Sabon Shower oil is the one for you

If you read my blog I think you already know that I love Sabon! I have tested several of their products and so far none of them was a dissapointment for me! Today I will talk to you about another product : the Sabon Shower oil in Patchouly-Lavender-Vanilla.
 
It comes in a 500ml/17.59 oz. glass bottle (it does not come with a pump, you can buy it separately) and has a valability of 12 months. It is suitable for all skin types: Dry, Normal, Oily and Sensitive. I have to admit the the Patchouly-Lavender-Vanilla scent is my favourite from all Sabon ones. I love it!

It is a shower oil is based on natural oils enriched with pure olive oil, Avocado oil, Jojoba oil and wheat germ oil - all rich in Omega 3,6,7,9 and in vitamin A+D. The scent of Sensual Patchouli, fresh Lavender and sweet Vanilla combines with the vapors of sensual perfumes to make your bath time a time for pampering. SLS and Paraben free.

Beauty and care giveaway - CLOSED

I am very glad to see that you liked my very first giveaway so I will try to organize as many as I can. One of my pleasures in life is to receive presents but also to give them. I am glad when I can make somebody happy, especially you my lovely readers. So here's another giveaway for you, a mix of products consisting of face, body and hair care and make-up.

Products don't work for you ? Suggestions for resquing them

I don't think there is anyone in this world who hasn't faced the problem of having a new product which doesn't suit them. The sollution is often giving them away to somebody else, keeping them forgotten in a drawer or simply throwing them into the trash.

I wrote some suggestions for you to help you resque the products from the trash and at the same time avoiding wasting the money.

Melkior - a magical universe of colour and dreams coming true - swatches

On Valentine's Day, the day in which we celebrate and cherish love, I paid a visit to a brand I knew little about : Melkior. I have received a mascara at a beauty blogger's meeting and I am currently testing it. I will be back with a full review soon. Anyway I won a make-up contest on their Facebook page and I went to have my make-up done and in doing so, to test their products about which I heard so many good things.

Shine like gold in the winter time with L'Oreal Nutri Gold

In the winter time especially we need more hydration, no matter what type of skin we have. So we turn to thicker creams, serums and masks to add the extra moisturization. L'Oreal Paris has just lanched as an addition to its Nutri Gold line two new exciting products :  the Nutri-Gold Extraordinary Oil and the Nutri Gold Extraordinary Oil cream.

Valentine’s Day

Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. Let's find out more about this holiday.

Bring the Spring closer with Maybelline Color Sensational Rebel Bloom lipsticks

This cold, grey weather makes me long for Spring to arrive. And it did, at least, colour-wise with the newest collection from Maybelline: the Color Sensational Rebel Bloom lipsticks.
   
They wanted to launch a pastel coloured collection with a twist : now lips blossom with attitude - unlike regular pastel hued lip colours that have washed-out, pale, dull and translucent undertones, Rebel Bloom utilizes Color Bloom Technology, which uses a white base, for punched up, bright pastels. A kicky burst of pinks, reds & mauves, the Rebel Bloom formula is infused with Honey Nectar to add creamy confidence, comfort and long-lasting power – no more polite pastels!

   

Bold with make-up ? Try Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection

I don't think that there is any make-up lover who doesn't know who Pixiwoos are, or their world-famous make-up brushes Real Techniques. If you don't it's high time you find out. They have an extensive range of great quality make-up brushes, sets or individual to suit all the needs of a make-up artist at a very convenient price.  You can find them here.
  
This year they have lanched a very special, luxury collection of brushes called The Bold Metals Collection.

Garnier's Miracle Sleeping Cream a quick fix for our lifestyle

As I told you before in a previous post , Asia and especially Korea inspires a new trend for 'bouncy' beauty in make-up and also face and body care. It is not about your conventional make-up, face creams and lotions it's all about buying and wearing multifunctional products, with bouncy textures, encapsulated in pillows or cushions. It's all about saving time, the greatest efficiency in the shortest amount of time. The western beauty industry is trying to catch up with the latest launches in Asian beauty. Garnier is one company which is up-to-date with this trend and has launched a special night cream.
    
Garnier's Miracle Sleeping Cream - Its innovative, self-smoothing texture envelops the skin and visibly helps reduce the appearance of signs of fatigue during the night.
FROM THE 1ST MORNING: SKIN LOOKS DE-TIRED

   
It's innovative, self-smoothing texture envelops the skin and visibly helps reduce the appearance of signs of fatigue during the night.

Beauty trends at the Grammy's

As I wrote in the Spring - Summer 2015 Couture beauty trends post, the stars on the red carpet at music's greatest award ceremony The Grammy, have sparkled and wowed in the most glamorous dresses, showing the latest trends in hair and make-up. Here are the highlights:

Gwen Stefani with a slightly different make-up look (sans her signature hot red lip) showing a  more subtle nude lip and neutral makeup.

Tired of receiving the wrong gifts? Pick N Dazzle to the resque!

I don't know about you but in the past I happened to receive gifts that were not really my style or taste. You know, somebody who doesn't really know you, they don't ask you or your family/friends about your tastes and they bring a gift ... And it's not for you, you thank them for their thoughtfullness and put the gift at the back of a drawer never to be opened again. And time passes and when you clean out your room, it gets thrown in the trash. A wasted gift ...

Problem: gift somebody I don't really know
Sollution: Pick N Dazzle

Eva Green and L'Oréal Professionnel a match made in heaven

Eva Green has been signed as the new international spokesperson for L'Oréal Professionnel. The actress - perhaps best known for her role as Bond Girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale - will be the face of the brand's 2015 launches from February.

Fight the skin's aging process with L'OCCITANE IMMORTELLE DIVINE RENEWAL PROGRAMME

... Forever young,
   I want to be forever young ... Alphaville sang in a song

One of humanity's greatest wishes is to turn back the clock, to stay forever young and beautiful. Our body and skin grow old with each single day that passes and we try with the latest discoveries in science, research and tehnology to stop it or at least to delay its effects.
   
It is a scientifically proven fact that the skin's cells are continuously regenerating themselves each 28 days (4 weeks). Due to our lifestyle filled with stress, pollution and other external factors, this regenerating cycle of the skin becomes slower and slower and in time the skin becomes older and older.
   
So we fight the aging process by taking care of our nutrition, our health, by having an active lifestyle filled with sport and by taking good care of  our face and body. L'Occitane en Provence has devised a programme through which we can regenerate our skin in only 4 weeks by associating a very concentrated essential immortelle oil in active molecules (neril acetate) and a complex mix of active ingredients from maquis. After the treatment the skin feels regenerated and glows from within.

Hot bargain! Vichy

I like to keep in touch as much as possible with beauty news and of course share it with you my lovely readers. For all of you Vichy lovers out there there is a great promotion currently running:
    
When you buy a face care product ( Liftactiv Supreme 50ml, Liftactiv Serum 10 30ml, Neovadiol Gf 50ml, Idealia 50ml, Idealia Life Serum 30ml, Aqualia Thermal 50ml, Aqualia Thermal Spa 75ml, Normaderm Total Care 50ml, Normaderm Anti-Age 50ml) you will get as a free gift the Vichy face care routine composed of : Vichy Termal Water 50ml and the hydrating cream Aqualia Thermal 15ml, all in a lovely limited edition collection box.

 You can find out the pharmacies where this promotion takes place here . 
 To find out more information about the promotion or any other Vichy products you can find them on Vichy's site.  Until next time,

Tell your story with SMOKY STORIES from Bourjois

Bourjois is a brand that I love! I was and still am a long time buyer of the blushes and eye shadows. I love their silky texture on my skin and all the lovely colours that they have. They are very good quality products at a convenient price. They always come up with very interesting and inovative products. But let me tell you something about the brand.
..............................
A BRAND BORN INTO THE WORD OF THEATRE AND THE PERFORMING ARTS
In 1863, Bourjois was born on the great boulevards of Paris in the theatre district, at a time when France was the world's second leading economic power. The actor Joseph-Albert Ponsin was the company's first creator; he prepared makeup and perfumes for actors and actresses in the comfort of his own home. In 1868, Ponsin entrusted his entire activity to Alexandre-Napoléon Bourjois. The company blossomed in the hands of Monsieur Bourjois, who made it internationally known.  

The first creations were waxy makeup sticks in many colours, with amusing names like Jealous or Lovesick, specially created for theatre, by Joseph-Albert Ponsin, a genial visionary, part actor and a great cosmetologist. His cosmetic palette broadened rapidly; the refinement and variety of his makeup brought success that extended beyond the circle of actors and actresses. 

STARTING IN 1863, BOURJOIS DEVELOPED THE SPECIFIC BAKING PROCESS: THE LITTLE ROUND POT WAS BORN
How do you achieve a very fine and silky powdered texture that dusts the skin with soft, transparent colour?  Combine a careful amount of of powder and water, mix it delicately, pour it into rounded moulds and put it in the oven to bake...this is the principle behind a complex recipe that Bourjois has been improving since 1863: add a few grams of shimmering mother-of-pearl, let it bake a bit more, depending on the effect desired. One hundred and fifty years worth of experience guarantees a certain expertise in preparing makeup!

Java rice powder was launched in 1879 and was designed to lighten skin and leave it silky-soft: women adopted this idea immediately and Bourjois then extended to the mass market in many countries. A steam factory was built at Pantin in 1891. In 1897, it sold two million boxes of Java rice powder worldwide. Product information was translated into five languages.

Makeup for cheeks, for eyelids, rice powders, polishes, lipsticks and Indian tablets that were the ancestors of mascara, as well as "perfume extracts for the handkerchief," "perfumed sachets to put inside slippers," toothpastes, hair lotions...and even a "Hungarian pomade" to help arrange a gentleman's moustache! The offer of beauty products was extremely broad and each piece was elaborated by paying very careful attention to detail, all the way to its presentation in the sales catalogue.

With the invention of the Bourjois "mini" range in the late 19th century, cute and practical with modern-style designs, Bourjois was the pioneer of the “makeup on-the-go" concept.
Initiating "story-telling" marketing, Bourjois told about the adventures of "Babette" in 1924. She was a young and elegant imaginary woman, who was the ambassadress of Pastel perfumes and makeup in all the leading newspapers for six years.   

CLEVER, FEMININE PRODUCTS THAT SIMPLIFY BEAUTY
Amongst others, Bourjois invented the Coup de Théâtre mascara, the first double-ended mascara and Suivez Mon Regard, a loose powder eyeshadow in a clever box that delivers the right amount of powder onto the built-in brush. Ingenious products that make beautiful accessories : each product is carefully designed to make them easy to use and a pleasure to carry in your handbag!

A WIDE RANGE OF COLOURS
Did you know that the Bourjois catalogue includes over 400 shades and that 100 of these are renewed each year?!

The Bourjois teams - product managers, packaging engineers, formulators -- are 90% female! They make every effort to design high-quality products: they are creative, expert, careful about details and have the cutting-edge expertise necessary to propose top-performance innovations at an accessible price.    source: bourjois.co.uk
..............................
The latest boast from Bourjois : they have launched a range of subtle and easy to wear colours both for day and night called Smoky Stories.

I confess I am addicted to ... Inglot

I have to confess I am a late bloomer, regarding Inglot. I have heard of course about them, that they have an amazing quality in all their products, especially eye shadows, eye liners and lipsticks - that they are pigmented, resistant and gorgeous. And still I avoided the Inglot shop ... maybe it was my wallet which was very afraid of getting empty ... Anyway one day I saw on Facebook they had a sale, it was a lovely sunny day so I decided to pay them a visit at their Baneasa shop. I live in Militari, sector 6 Bucharest , the shop is quite far away ... so I  have to be really motivated to go that far ...
  
As soon as I entered the shop I felt like entering a magic kingdom ... of beauty and colour. It was amazing, so many things from make-up to nail polish, tools and many others. Bliss! Anyway I swatched some eye shadows, pigments, blushes ... I knew from that moment on that I was already addicted ... So I left with a few products that I will show you today after testing them for a few months or so (I have paid them another visit and bought some matte eye shadows, I will tell you about them in another post, after testing them for a little longer). But first a little about Inglot.
...........................
Founded over 30 years ago in a small town of Przemyśl, INGLOT Cosmetics is now one of the world’s leading manufacturers in colour cosmetics. INGLOT currently has a presence at all major beauty happenings and events around the globe, from the runways of Fashion Week to the stages and sets of TV and Broadway musicals.

The international expansion began in 2006 with the opening of the first franchise store in Montreal, Canada. Fast growth and development of the company soon resulted in becoming available in nearly 70 countries on six continents. At the moment INGLOT can be found at about 500 boutique stores, stands and retail locations internationally in most prestigious places, such as Times Square and Chelsea Market in NYC, The Dubai Mall, Westfield London, Plaza Carso in Mexico City, Dundas Square in Toronto and many others. INGLOT salons are also located at popular department stores including Macy’s in USA, Sears in Mexico, Edgars in South Africa, Sogo in Malaysia and Falabella in Chile. 

INGLOT succeeded in combining the latest scientific technology with intense and vibrant colours. Every product consists of high-quality ingredients and is being sold at fair prices. All INGLOT cosmetics are produced within the European union and 95% of them are manufactured in INGLOT's own state of the art facilities.

A wide range of colours and an impressive variety of products is something that makes INGLOT stand out of the crowd. The range consists of over 1,500 colours with over 450 ways to improve your lips, 600 ways to enhance your eyes, and over 300 ways to portray your face, while the extremely rich collection of nail polishes consists of up to 400 shades.

The jewels in INGLOT's crown are its famous Freedom System, which gives the freedom to assemble custom designed palettes to meet any beauty needs, and the revolutionary O2M Breathable Nail Enamel that ensures oxygen and water vapor permeability. O2M Nail Enamel was created specifically for health reasons – not only is it fashionable and good-looking, but also leads to healthier and therefore even more beautiful nails. 

Moreover, INGLOT constantly cooperates with world-renowned makeup artists and colour consultants to bring the latest colour, texture and form to the market.       source: inglotcosmetics.com
...........................
This is the entire shopping spree :

4 months anniversary : Max Factor Giveaway - CLOSED

Today my baby blog turns 4 months. As a thank you to all of you my lovely readers I prepared a giveway with Max Factor : a beauty pack containing the Lasting Performance foundation and the Creme Puff powder.

4 months anniversary!

    Today Monica's beauty in five minutes turns 4 months. Four wonderful months! It is a blog made with a lot of love, passion and hard work. I know I have a lot to learn, I always want more from myself to turn all my dreams into reality. I want much more from my blog too. I love to live by this quote by Pamela Vaull Starr:   

“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.
        Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”  

     So thank you to all of you my lovely readers for taking your time to read my blog.
     I promise I will always try to bring you interesting new content to enjoy.
     I would love to hear more from you, to let me know what type of posts you prefer. So don't be shy and write to me in the comments down below! Don't worry if you think your English is not good enough! It doesn't matter! Communication is the key of success nowadays! It would give me no greater pleasure than to read all your thoughts and ideas! It would mean a lot to me!    
     So keep me in your hearts as I keep you! Have a lovely day!

Feel the Happiness with Gerovital

Happiness is such a personal thing. You can choose to live your life being happy or being sad or dissatisfied about everything. Happiness can be found so easily in the smallest of things: a bright sunny day, a perfumed flower in a vase, the lovely song of the birds outside, the loving hug of a mother, the sensual kiss of your loved one and so on ... It is important to find your moments of happiness, to live and cherish them forever. You can also achive happiness with the newest launch from Farmec.

The company will launch in February 2015 a new face and body care line beautifully named Happiness. The products will be available in stores and online in February. Here are the products in the Happiness line.

FACE CARE :  

Refreshing moisturizing mask  9.5ron
The mask contains Raspberry extract and Aquaxyl, for a balancing moisturizing effect, and Vitamin E, having a protective antioxidative effect.

Gift love with Sabon on Valentine's Day

You know I love Sabon. I think they are very good quality products with amazing packaging and good service. I also think you cannot go wrong with Sabon products as a gift or with their gift sets. Just look at them! They look amazing! I present you with only a small selection of gift sets, the rest you can see in stores or online.

MAJESTIC LOVE set - 50 ron (promo)/25 dollars
Rich lathering "shower cream" in Patchouli Lavender Vanilla 35ml
Ultra hydrating "body lotion" in Patchouli Lavender Vanilla  35ml

Spring - Summer 2015 Couture beauty trends

I like to browse late in the night online fashion and beauty magazines to keep up to date with the latest trends in beauty and make-up. So without further ado I present you:      
                                        Spring - Summer  2015  Couture beauty trends
make-up : pretty, natural, romantic look with flushed cheeks and barely contoured eyes, minimal brows and eyes contouring, lips left bare or done with a subtle slick of gloss (or models go onto the catwalk completely make-up free, as they did at Marc Jacobs)
hair : boheme look with braided hair, often adorned with flowers or other ornaments - a flash of gold or silver

Spring is here : The Body Shop Poppy Make-up Collection

I love spring with its love for life, fresh green plants, colourful flowers and soft shining sun. It makes me feel good, fresh, ready to face the greyness of daily life. As I told you before The Body Shop has launched a newly limited edition called Smoky Poppy, full of sensuality, colour and charm.You can read about it here. To complement the range The Body Shop has also launched a make-up collection.