[MOST PLAYED] April Most Played

Sono in ritardissimo per parlare di #mostplayed, ma meglio tardi che mai, non credete?

Questo mese ho principalmente riscoperto vecchie glorie, ma ho anche un paio di chicche niente male di cui parlarvi. Iniziamo subito!
Ovviamente questo post è parte del #TeamMostPlayed creato da goldenvi0let. Sul suo blog troverete tutte le info su come unirvi al nostro team (e su come avere dei fantastici biscottini :) )!

[MOST PLAYED] March Most Played

Hello everybody and welcome back!

It's time for #mostplayed, again. This month I have some pretty amazing things to show you, some new things and some products I rediscovered from my stash.

Of course this post is part of the #TeamMostPlayed created by goldenvi0let. Check out her blog to learn more about it (and join us for some cookies!!) :)

Ciao a tutti!
 Tempo di #mostplayed, di nuovo. Questo mese ho alcune perle da condividere, alcune nuove scoperte ma anche alcuni prodottini che ho riscoperto nella mia collezione.

Ovviamente questo post è parte del #TeamMostPlayed creato da goldenvi0let. Sul suo blog troverete tutte le info su come unirvi al nostro team (e su come avere dei fantastici biscottini :) )!

[MOST PLAYED] January Most Played

Hi guys, welcome back!

I can't believe it's already February. This first month of 2016 was a good one for me: I graduated and the company I currently work for decided to renew my internship, so I will be working here for another six months. I couldn't be happier and I hope that February will be just as good and full of amazing experiences.

This month I tried less makeup products than usual, but I still have some pretty amazing favorites to share with you. As always this post is part of the #TeamMostPlayed created by goldenvi0let. Check out her blog to learn more about it (and for some cookies!!) :)

SKINCARE

I have combination skin, a little bit oily in the T-Zone and more on the dryer side on the cheeks. Those past months, however, my skin has been acting up and was really dry all over. Every foundation I had was clinging to all the dry patches and looking awful, until I tried the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream as my daily moisturizer. I've had this one in my collection for a while but never tried it because I was scared that it was too rich for my skin. As soon as I tried it, though, I fell in love. It's moisturizing and gentle on the skin, it doesn't make me look or feel greasy or oily and it's overall a really good base for my foundation. I only have a sample of it but I will probably buy the full size as soon as I use this up!

Another Antipodes product I've been loving lately is the Aura Manuka Honey Mask. This was like a breath of fresh air for my skin: after using it my face felt really hydrated and smooth. I use this mask at least twice a week and it's the most amazing thing ever. If during winter your skin gets extremely dry, this product is worth trying!

MAKEUP

A couple of weeks ago I bought the Catrice liquid camouflage High Coverage Concealer because in my mind it was really similar to the Urban Decay Naked Concealer. I still have to figure out if those two products are actually similar, but I can safely say that the Catrice one is really really good. It's moisturizing on the undereye area, it's high coverage and doesn't settle into the fine lines badly. I notice a little creasing after 7/8 hours of wearing but every single concealer creases on me at the end of the day, so it's not really different from the more expensive ones I own. Again, it's worth a try, especially for the price. I believe I payed less than 4€ for it, so you can't really go wrong.
At the end of december I also rediscovered another product from Catrice, the Eye Brow Designer. The shade I have is 020 Date with Ash-ton, which is the perfect ash tone for blondes. The pencil is hard enough to draw little hairs and mimick real brows and again the price point is perfect.
For my eye makeup I used the Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette a lot. It's the first palette I grab when I don't know what to do with my makeup or when I don't really have much time. I usually use at least a couple of colors; if you like warm tones, this palette is perfect for you. The shadows are extremely pigmented and blendable; it's a mix of my most used shades, perfect for everyday.
The Kiko Moon Shadow Water Infused Eyeshadows are also great. Those are stick eyeshadows perfec for when you want a fast smoky eye or for when you can't be bothered to do your makeup. It's a one step product and it comes in different shades, so you can find the most suitable to your likes and needs.

Let's talk about lips, shall we? In the past weeks I used Nabla's Diva Crime in Underground like crazy. I am completely in love with this dark rich shade and the formula of the Diva Crime is probably my all time favourite. It's easy to apply, the color is pigmented and creamy, the lipstick stays on for hours and it's extremely comfortable on the lips, too. After a couple of hours the color "dries" and becomes more matte and even more beautiful. If you haven't tried the Diva Crime yet you totally HAVE TO, and again you wont regret it.
At the end of 2015 I discovered the NYX Liquid Suede. These are the most comfortable liquid lipsticks I tried: upon application the color is creamy and rich and it dries to a semi-matte finish without drying the lips. I just ordered some more shades, but my most used is Cherry Skies.

Last but not least, a step out of my comfort zone made of peachy blushes with this Madina Prisma Blush n.05. The texture is amazing, it lasts on the skin all day long and the prisma formula gives a nice sheen to the skin without being glittery at all. After buying this shade I went out and bought more, so I will probably write a post about them soon!

That's it for January! I hope this month was good for you too. Let me know which products you liked this month, I can't wait to hear from you and try some new stuff!

[MOST PLAYED] 2015 Most Played [LIPS]

Lipstick is my favourite makeup item. In 2015 I bought way too many lipsticks and loved way too many formulations, but today I'm going to show you a selection of the best ones that I tried.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks

I'm not the biggest fan of lipsticks that come in a stylo bullet, but the Revolution Lipsticks are really good. I only own a couple of colors, my favourite is Turn On, which is a mauvy/pinky shade, a "my-lips-but-better" kind of shade. The darker shades are really nice too, but they go on a little bit more "glossy" for my taste, so I usually blot them or use a light translucent powder to make them more matte.

Nars Audacious Lipsticks

Probably the best lipstick I've ever tried. I only have one shade but I plan on buying more. Those lipsticks are matte but yet extremely hydrating on the lips and they last forever without fading. The shade I own is called Raquel and it's a perfect nude shade that doesn't wash me out like most nude lipsticks. The Audacious line is on the pricey side (30€ each lipstick) but they're amazing and you wont regret buying them!

Nabla Diva Crime

Probably the "drugstore" version of the Audacious lipsticks. Those lipsticks are lightweight, full coverage and completely matte on the lips. They're not drying at all and they feel velvety and comfortable after the application. I like them also because if they start fading you can re-apply the product straight from the bullet without it looking strange or gross on the lips. The shades are amazing and extremely pigmented. My most used one is Alter Ego, but I also used Underground a lot.

Sephora Rouge Lipsticks

Another drugstore favorite with an immense shade range. Sephora has some pretty cool lip products: those lipsticks are really easy to apply, moisturizing on the lips but they also last for hours. The finish is not completely matte - it's more of a satin finish, which makes it easier to re-apply throughout the day.

Sephora Cream Lip Stains

Old favourite of mine, my best and most used red ever. The Sephora Lip Stains are amazing liquid lipsticks that feel comfortable on the lips but with a full coverage and matte look. The shades are not many and I wish they had more colors -especially darker ones, but it's worth mentioning because it's a budget-friendly alternative to the more expensive liquid lipsticks that came out this year. The shade I wore the most is Always Red.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipsticks

I featured those liquid lipsticks in my "15 beauty discoveries of 2015" because I love them a lot. As I said in my previous post, these are not the most comfortable lipsticks to wear if you wear your lip products all day long, because after 5-6 hours they tend to fade (it depends on the shade), but the result on the lips and  the shade range make it worth trying them. 

Mac Lipsticks

Trusty old Mac lipsticks. In 2015 I was so overwhelmed by other brands and I didn't really buy many Mac lipsticks, but I can't lie, I like them too much. My most used one is Flat Out Fabolous, that I used to death during summer. 

That's it for lips, but I still have my Most Played Eye products to show you! Which lip products were your favorites in 2015? Something I need to try? Let me know! 

[MOST PLAYED] 2015 Most Played [FACE]

Hello everybody!

Today I wanted to show you my most used face products of 2015. Base products are my favourites, I love trying out new foundations, new bronzers and especially new blushes, but I managed to narrow it down to my very favourites of the year. Thanks to goldenvi0let for the amazing idea of #TeamMostPlayed!

Makeup Forever Hydrating Primer (36,00€)

In 2015 I discovered the amazing world of primers. I didn't like them because I tried the wrong ones, so after finding out that Makeup Forever was coming out with a whole range of primers and after hearing Jaclyn Hill raving about them, I had to give them a chance. I decided to buy the Hydrating version because my skin was acting up and was a lot drier than usual. This primer is amazing and I still use it a lot, especially with long lasting foundations: it helps making the product stick to the skin without enphasizing the dry patches on the face. It also helps giving the foundation a nice and healthy look throughout the day. It's totally worth the money if you have dry skin or need an extra boost of hydration, especially during winter.

Max Factor Facefinity Primer 

This is my budget-friendly pick for this cathegory. This primer was part of my collection since the beginning of the year, but I only started using it in Spring. The Facefinity Primer is completely different from the MUFE one: as the name suggests, this helps the longevity of the makeup and it also provides SPF20, which is always a bonus, especially if your moisturizer doesn't have SPF. It's totally comparable to the more expensive primers like the Smashbox ones in terms of performance, so if you're looking for a good primer definitely try this one.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (26,50€)

I think I've gone through at least 10 bottles of this setting spray in the past years, no kidding. This is the perfect ending to every makeup: it keeps your makeup looking fresh and flawless all day (or all night), it gets rid of the powdery look and makes everything blend better together. I tried other ones but this is still the best one. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Foundation (34,90€)

This has been my favourite since the day it launched: it's a light and weightless foundation perfect for everyday use if your skin doesn't need a lot of coverage. It gives a natural and radiant finish that looks like skin and makes people wonder if you've just returned from a vacation. I usually set my T-zone with powder when I use this foundation, but if your skin is dry you'll be able to wear it even without powder.

Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation (36,00€)

You'll see a pattern in my foundation picks, I'm sure. My skin is pretty good even without makeup but I'm pale and sometimes I look a little bit dull, so what I look for the most is radiance and luminosity. This Benefit foundation gives a medium coverage with a radiant finish that lasts all day. It also has SPF so I can skip the extra step in my morning routine. 

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue (28,90€)

My holy grail, my top favourite of 2015. This is my perfect base, people always compliment me for my skin whenever I wear it. Again we're talking about a medium coverage base that gives a natural and healthy look. It's a gel formula so it also provides hydration and it's perfect for people with dry or combination skin. I have combination skin and the Complexion Rescue always lasts all day on me with just a bit of powder on my T-zone, so you should be safe. Definitely try it if you're looking for a new base, you wont regret it!

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer (19,20€)

Another all time favourite of mine, I love this concealer. It doesn't crease on my undereye area and it provides a full coverage, perfect for dark circles but also for random spots on your face. Sometimes I use it as a foundation -kind of making my own tinted moisturizer- especially when I only have 10 minutes in the morning to get ready.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Towards the end of the year I discovered other concealers that I've been really liking a lot, even more than this one, but I've used the Fit Me Concealer almost all year long, so I had to mention it in this post. The formula is a little bit drier than the MAC one, but the lasting power is just as good. It's a nice concealer both for the undereye area and the rest of the face.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless Loose Powder (29,00€)

I heard so many good things about this powder from fellow bloggers, so I decided to try it and I'm glad I did. I don't particularly like loose powders but this one is worth the extra time I need to apply it. It keeps my skin matte but not flat and powdery, locking in foundation and concealer all day long. I didn't notice a big difference on my pores but to be honest it's not my main concern. 

I bought the Soap and Glory Solar Powder (£11.00) when I was in London in December 2014 and I've used it for at least 8 months straight. I'm pretty fair and it's not easy for me to find the perfect shade of bronzer that doesn't make me look like I'm an orange alien. This is perfect to bronze up the skin. It has two different shades, so you can customise your perfect bronzer. I've used the Solar Powder until I found the Kiko Perfecting Bronzer. This product was part of the Rebel Romantic collection (in my opinion one of the best collections Kiko has ever made). I like this product for the same reasons as the Solar Powder: the shade is perfect for my light complexion, the product is really blendable and it lasts all day on the skin.

As for blushes, I feel like I've been using so many different ones this year, but I always go back to the same shades. My perfect everyday blush is Urban Decay 8 hours Afterglow Blush in the shade Fetish (29.90€). I've discovered this product in the second half of 2015 but I've used it a lot. When I don't know which shade I want to wear, or when I have heavy makeup on my eyes, I always go for this blush that gives my cheeks a natural flush. Another favorite of mine is MAC Blush in Peaches (23.00€). As the name suggests, this blush is a nice peachy shade. It's intense and long lasting, but do not be scared, you can build the intensity so you can both have a natural look or a more intense one. Last blush I loved and used a lot this year is Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta (35.00€). The thing I like the most about this blush is that it lasts all day without fading. Even after 10 hours my blush is still perfect and I am planning on buying more shades of this formulation.

And that's it for face products! In the next days I will show you my faves lip and eye products, so keep an eye on the blog :)

Let me know which were your favorites face products of 2015, if there's something I definitely need to try, I can't wait to read your comments :)

[MOST PLAYED] November most played

Novembre è stato un mese rapidissimo: non scherzo quando dico che mi sembra di aver festeggiato Halloween giusto ieri, e ora siamo già in modalità Natale. Che ansia. Brrrr.

Anyway, siamo qui per parlare dei preferiti del mese. Mi accodo all'iniziativa del #TeamMostPlayed di goldenvi0let e vi offro alla fine del post una vagonata di deliziosi biscottini per festeggiare questo post *__* Iniziamo! 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

Ho tirato fuori dalla mia collezione questo fondotinta circa tre settimane fa e mi è subito tornato in mente il motivo principale per cui lo adoro. E' un fondotinta leggero e mediamente coprente che garantisce un effetto "naturale" e quasi radioso. Mi piace un sacco per i giorni in cui voglio truccarmi ma non in maniera impegnativa, quando la mia pelle non ha bisogno di tantissima coprenza ma solo di essere uniformata. 

Nabla Crème Shadows

Vi ho già abbondantemente parlato dei nuovi ombretti in crema di Nabla, ma non potevo esimermi dal citarli anche in questo post perché sono stati effettivamente tra i prodotti che ho usato maggiormente a novembre. In foto vedete Caffeine, che sto usando con una costanza quasi spaventosa. Lo applico con un pennello e lo stratifico fino a quando non raggiungo l'intensità che desidero, poi sfumo nella piega dell'occhio -sempre con lo stesso pennello- e in meno di 5 minuti riesco a creare un trucco smoky che dura fino a sera.
Qui potete leggere la recensione e vedere gli swatches dei quattro colori che ho acquistato, mentre qui potete vedere uno dei look che ho realizzato con Supreme. Siete ancora in dubbio se comprarli o meno? Serve davvero che vi dica che ne vale la pena e che di certo non ve ne pentirete? No, vero?

Stila Liquid Lipstick in Aria

Sogno questo rossetto liquido di Stila da EONI, ma in un modo o nell'altro non sono mai riuscita a comprarlo fino al mese scorso, quando su Beautybay ho beccato uno dei kit natalizi più belli di sempre. E' un colore difficile da descrivere, è una specie di magenta/malva scuro, un colore certamente molto particolare e fantastico che non avevo nella mia collezione e che trovo adatto per questi mesi freddi -ma anche per i mesi caldi, su, non prendiamoci in giro-.

Pupa I'm Matt Lip Fluid in 003

I rossetti liquidi di Pupa sono stati una grande scoperta del 2015: si stendono facilmente e aderiscono bene alle labbra, la gamma colori è ampia e molto interessante e soprattutto la durata è molto buona senza che il prodotto secchi le labbra. Questo mese ho usato tantissimo il numero 003 della collezione natalizia Stay Gold, la tonalità Charming Burgundy. Si tratta di un bel rosso scuro dal sottotono freddo che ha quasi dei riflessi magenta. Qui lo potete vedere all'opera. Non è fantastico?

Kiko Perfecting Bronzer in 01 (Light to Medium)
Chi mi conosce sa che sono fissata con i bronzer e sono sempre e da sempre alla ricerca di quello perfetto. Svariate settimane fa ho deciso di provare il Perfecting Bronzer di Kiko, parte della collezione Rebel Romantic, fomentata anche dal packaging rose gold strafigo. Al centro della cialda c'è una cipria perfezionante rosata il cui scopo è quello di donare un effetto mat luminoso al viso. Su quest'ultima cosa ho i miei dubbi, nel senso che non so quanto la cipria influisca sul risultato complessivo del prodotto, ma il bronzer in sè mi piace davvero tanto. La tonalità è perfetta per me che sono palliduccia, non troppo aranciata ma nemmeno troppo spenta; l'effetto è naturale e soprattutto modulabile, in base al momento della giornata o a quanto volete sembrare "baciate dal sole".

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
Signore e signori, il mascara della mia vita, la migliore scoperta del 2015. Questo mascara è FENOMENALE, le mie ciglia sono fantastiche quando lo uso: le allunga, le incurva (cosa che il 90% dei mascara che ho provato fino ad ora nella mia vita non fa) e soprattutto non tende a perdere l'effetto col passare delle ore. Appena l'ho aperto ero dell'idea che la formula fosse un po' troppo "bagnata" per i miei gusti, ma dopo circa 1-2 settimane, quando il prodotto si è leggermente seccato, ho capito che sarebbe stato amore eterno. Se avete delle buone ciglia in partenza vi consiglio assolutamente di provarlo, potrebbe essere una rivelazione anche per voi!!

Ed è tutto, pochi prodottini ma davvero molto molto amati. Quali sono i prodotti che avete invece utilizzato maggiormente voi durante quest'ultimo mese? C'è qualcosa che devo ASSOLUTAMENTE provare? Fatemi sapere nei commenti :)