KIKO Milano Haul

Hey all! As promised, here are more detailed pictures of the KIKO Milano unboxing I posted on my InstaStories a couple of days ago.

I was looking for a replacement angled eyeliner brush and KIKO came to mind. I have other brushes from their collection and have always found them to be of good quality thus I went for it; plus, it's been ages since I last bought anything from them and they have some pretty good offers going on at the moment such as 2 + 1 on products from some 2017 limited edition collections. Here's what I got:

From one of their current limited editions, Metal Fusion I got the Highlighting Drops in 02 Sweet Dreams and the Water Eyeshadow 200. The Highlighting Drops can either be mixed with foundation to achieve a glowy look or else use them as a liquid highlighter which is my intended way of using them. The Water Eyeshadow can be used both wet and dry; wet making the colour more intense of course.

Left: Metal Fusion Highlighting Drops 02
Right: Metal Fusion Water Eyeshadow 200

Next up are more limited edition products, a Lip Liner in 01 Innovative Nude from the Fall 2.0 Collection, a Holographic Eyeshadow Palette in 01 Signature Brown from the Isa Arfen Asian Touch limited edition, a Metallic Lip Colour in 02 Desirable Burgundy from the Into The Dark collection and a makeup pouch from the Tropic Heat collection.

I also got some mascaras which are currently being sold at a discount. I got two Smart Colour Mascaras - 02 Electric Blue and 03 Emerald as well as the Standout Volume Waterproof Mascara to update my makeup bag for summer.

Lastly, I got a Dark Circle Concealer in 09 Light Beige which I have already tried and like and what this haul was intended for - an angled eyeliner brush Eyes 62. 

It's been a long time since I purchased makeup from KIKO or any makeup online for that matter and it felt like Christmas all over again opening the package :)

Milan Haul

As you can tell from the title of this post, I thought of sharing with you what I got from my weekend trip to Milan last week. I didn't buy that much stuff because quite frankly I was a little under the weather when the pair of Gianvito Rossi's I am after were not in stock at either of their boutiques so *shocker* I didn't really feel like shopping.

However, I still managed to score some gorgeous finds. First off, & Other Stories. I'm in love with this brand and whenever I visit a country where they have a store, I just have to visit their exquisitely decorated shops and possibly get a couple of items too. I had already seen their current collection in Munich where on my way out I spotted a gorgeous top which was only available in the larger sizes. I couldn't get this top out of my mind so I made it a point to try and find it in Milan, which I did :D It's a very minimal grey, boxy top with a round collar and it feels so warm! It cost €55. I also got a pair of gunmetal mirrored sunglasses for €25 and a pair of triangle rose gold and marble earrings for €15, both of which I had been wanting for ages.

After visiting the Manolo Blahnik exhibition, I purchased the book which contains pictures and illustrations of all the shoes on display. It only set me back €38 and my coffee table looks much more stylish now ;)

As for beauty, I bought a Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo in the shade 216 Lettre for €34 from Coin in Como where I also purchased two Essence nail polishes (44 On Air! and 68 Free Hugs) and a precise eyeliner brush which were €1.99 each.

Sephora were having some crazy sales where it took every ounce of energy for me to go all out and buy everything in sight. Somehow I managed to resist and only bought this Giorgio Armani lipstick in the shade 102 Essenza which was down to €26.90.

Lastly, from Victoria's Secret, another store that I like to visit when I'm abroad, I got 3 pairs of knickers of course (not shown) and I also managed to find a set of the Scandalous perfume, body wash and body lotion on sale for €24.50. I love the Scandalous perfume of which I had a small bottle but I just can't get myself to fork out €75 for the large bottle (though it's cute so I might give in one day) so this pack was perfect.

Stay tuned for outfit posts and a bonus restaurant experience post from my trip to Milan! Make sure to like my Facebook page to never miss a post and other updates.

What I got for Christmas & Munich Haul

I haven't done a haul post in a while but Christmas gifts and the things I bought in Munich provided the perfect excuse for me to finally sit down type such a post and of course take lots of pictures to show you the items in the best way I can :)

Starting with Christmas gifts, I got some of the best gifts this year, most of which had been on my wish-list for quite some time. Here I will be showing you the fashion and beauty related gifts as I don't think it's any use to show vouchers and such.

Going from left to right, first is the Tommy x Gigi small felt pouch in navy and white which my boyfriend got me :) This has been on my wish-list as soon as it was released and he had already bought it for me for Christmas. It also features a grey felt anchor and a navy pompom and of course the Tommy x Gigi logo in gold metal. The chain strap and hardware are also in gold. My brother also gifted me with a very chic clutch bag from Accessorize which features embellishments, embroidery and a satin lining on the inside. You will soon be seeing more pictures of these beauties in outfit posts I have planned.

My parents were kind enough to buy me a pair of new Dolce & Gabbana spectacles from Optika as I needed a new, stylish pair. You have already seen them multiple times of course. and I have gotten many compliments on them from friends, family and even people on the street.

Lastly, a pair of double stud of earrings from I AM thanks to my boyfriend who had to gift me a secret santa gift :P Here's the story behind all this...every Christmas, my boyfriend's family have this little secret santa 'do where each one of us gets the name of the relative they have to buy a gift to (the usual way this works). Anyhow, the names are drawn by an outsider (a colleague of his cousin) so they really don't know anything about relations or so and as luck would have it, my boyfriend had my name drawn :P Luckily for me, he remembered I had shown him these earrings and he got them for me like the fabulous boyfriend he is :)

Now, I shall move on to the things I got from Munich, starting with clothing. One of the first shops I look for when I am abroad is H&M just because we still don't have any of their stores open here in Malta. I was mostly interested in the beauty section (I shall show you what I got from there later) but of course, I did have a quick browse in the clothes' department. I bought mostly tops as it was too stressful to keep removing layers and layers of clothing just to try on the new stuff. Left to right, a basic green short sleeve top, black lace top (came with a black silk cami), grey merino wool mix sweater, ruffle printed blouse. I also got a pair of leggings to use during my pilates classes.

Next up is Zara, from where I picked up this super comfy pair of flat Chelsea boots, this green roll-neck knit and this printed pair of trousers. Lastly, for clothing, I have this Tommy Hilfiger blouse which my boyfriend bought me as a vacation gift. I just can't wait till summer to wear it!

Of course, I couldn't resist getting a few accessories seeing that most of the shops were already at 50% sale. I got the biggest scarf of all from H&M and the best thing is it was only €3! I love the colours and prints on this one - of course expect to see it soon in an outfit post ;) I also got some hair ties. From Mango I got this set of silver and marble bangles and from Accessorize, I got this gold clutch bag which will definitely come in handy when wedding season hits. Another one of my favourite stores abroad is & Other Stories. While I love their style, most of their designs fit me too big but their accessories section is to die for. I picked up this little pochette which I can see myself wearing with so many different things!

Finally, the makeup and beauty items! As I told you before, I really wanted to go to H&M for their beauty section. I had first tried their products earlier last year when I visited Barcelona and I found them to be of very good quality so I quickly compiled a list of the things I wanted to get. H&M nail polishes are some of my favourites around. This time I picked up Olive Grove, Rock Oyster, Tender Greige and Prismatic. Next I got two blushes - Cameo Brown (cream) and Cameo Pink (powder). I also got an Overnight Lip Rescue and a Clean Canvas Lip Scrub which smells absolutely delicious! I was really curious to try the Glitter Glue and the Do-It-All BB Cream Leave-In Hair Perfector so I got those too as well as this travel sized brush and some makeup sponges.

Lastly, I have two products which I picked up from KIKO - Glossy Dream Sheer Lipstick 206 and the Unlimited Double Touch Lipstick in the shade 119. I'm really curious to give these a go and see how well they last of course.

I really enjoyed shopping in Munich especially with the really good sales they have going on at the moment but I am really looking forward to visiting Milan in two weeks from where I hope to bring my first pair of designer shoes home :)

Which were your favourite items?

Flormar Cosmetics | Haul & First Impressions

A couple of weeks ago, I finally found some time to visit the recently opened Flormar store in Paola along with my makeup partner in crime, Marija.

The shop is very centrally located and we didn't have any difficulties finding it at all. I really liked the store setup - all sleek and very professional looking and the colourful products really stand out against an all black background. Having said that, lighting in the shop is very good even if you want to try, say, a foundation shade. After ohhing and ahhing over all the beautiful products, I settled on a few picks to try out the brand.

I have used most of these products already and thus I can share a few first impressions. Starting with the nail polishes, so far I have used three out of the four nail products that I got and two of them fit this year's choice of Pantone Colours of the Year, Serenity and Rose Quartz. I think I nailed the shades with Italian Travertine (pink) and Cookie Monster (blue) which were just €2.95 each. I have also been loving the Calcium Gel Base Coat (€4.50) as my nails have really improved in strength now that I have switched to it. Now I look forward to see how the CC polish performs. The latter was one of the products that really stimulated my curiosity and I was happy to see it comes in different shades of nude to match every skin tone. I have the shade 004 Pure Beige and again this was €4.50.

I also got the much hyped about MatTouch Foundation and I could immediately see what the hype is all about as soon as I tried it in the store. I got the lightest shade, M308 Fair Ivory which is still a tad too dark for me but I made it work with some lightening drops. The foundation offers high coverage so I do recommend a light hand with it as it can look cakey. Building up coverage is key with this foundation so do take your time blending it in. I'm a big fan of the frosted glass bottle too as I think it adds a touch of sophistication, also the pump dispenser makes for easier control over the amount of product you pump out. This foundation costs €12.95.

Next, I have the Twist Up Lipstick in the shade Raspberry (€7.95) and this is probably my favourite product from the whole haul. I like the concept and colour as well as the colourful packaging though I would have preferred if the lipstick went all the way down so as not to damage it when replacing the cap. This lipstick lasts for a good number of hours and it has the same vanilla smell as MAC lipsticks.

Another exciting product is the High Performance Rotating Volume Mascara. As the name implies, the mascara starts rotating at the push of a button to give you more volumised lashes. I really like the novelty of it and I admit I am always excited to use it!  I like the results with this mascara and even though it is not waterproof, it does last me throughout the day. At €15.95, it is the most expensive item in this haul.

Lastly, I have a limited edition (?) Dazzling Eye Shadow (€9.95) from the Fatal Attraction collection. I got the shade 05 Action which is a sort of metallic brown with burgundy undertones. I really like the outer packaging of this eyeshadow with the felt design and the houndstooth embossed motif in the eyeshadow pan itself. I'm not keen on the actual packaging though cos it looks a little cheap. The pigmentation of this eyeshadow is insane! The same can be said for the lasting power so I am really happy with it.

Overall, I have formed a very good fist impression of Flormar and will be returning there soon as I already have my eyes on a few more pieces. If you haven't already, I encourage you to go pay the store a visit and I can assure you you won't be disappointed. The staff are really helpful and that completes a fantastic store experience!

Flormar is located right opposite Sunlab in Paola, next to Eurosport in Antoine de Paule Square. Also, don't forget to like their Facebook page to keep updated :)

January Collective Beauty Haul

I have been very good at sticking to my clothes buying ban this month but not so much when it comes to makeup - I did buy a few new things to add to my collection, because you know, I don't have this and I don't have that in my overflowing makeup drawers.

I placed an order on the KIKO website as they were on sale and you know how it goes, I 'needed' a few things. I got a CC Blur Skin Trainer for which I have high expectations, a lip scrub which I have heard very good things about, a Mixing Solution, Nail Lacquer Thinner, two eyeshadow sticks and some eyebrow products which I totally love and shall review shortly.

During an event hosted by the Make Up Store, I picked up a Smoothing Primer Powder and a Lip Pencil in Burlesque and they were kind enough to give me the Grass Microshadow as a gift. I have only tried the powder and all I have for it are words of praise!

Lastly, I went to MAC to pick up some things from their current collections and I walked out with Oh Lady! Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick, a Foiled Eyeshadow from the Faerie Whispers Collection in Fly By Twilight and a mini Fix+.

So that's it for this post, I hope you enjoyed it and maybe got inspired to get some of the things yourselves :) Watch out for some exciting posts and news next ;)

What I got for Christmas & London Haul

I feel so bad at the moment cos I really don't have a lot of time on my hands to sit down and blog as much as I'd like to with all that is happening in my life right now. Thus here is my late 'What I got for Christmas & London Haul'.

I will start with the Christmas gifts I received first. So our consultant doctor at work gave each of the girls at work a Marks & Spencer body lotion and chocolate (which I ate already of course!). Next we had our own version of Secret Santa between my shift colleagues and I was gifted with this pretty set of dainty stud earrings in rose gold and a card wallet which I absolutely love!

We also had a Secret Santa with Mario's family and this silver bag is right up my alley when it comes to special occasion accessories as I don't really fancy flashy sequins and stones so thank you to my father in law :) Mario's family gave us some vouchers for home ware seeing we are moving in together in a few weeks and we also got a set of bath towels.

My Mum & Dad really spoiled me with a pair of Charles & Ron Marilyn jeans which fit like a glove and I can't wait to wear them! Lastly, my amazing boyfriend bought me this Carvela Kurt Geiger bag while we were in London as we had agreed that we shall be buying our Christmas gifts for each other while on holiday. I love how I can pair this bag with loads of outfits and it fits so many things! 

The last Christmas gift I have to show you is this River Island eyelet midi dress from my brother. I love how this looks on me and it is a very versatile number as well.

Christmas Gifts

London Haul

Luxury Beauty Buys

Onto what I bought from London, which actually isn't as much as I thought I would buy (yes I am looking at you in the eye stupid exchange rate), starting with the luxury beauty buys.

I bought this Scandalous perfume miniature (£8.50) from Victoria's Secret as part of a larger underwear haul but of course I will not be sharing any pictures of that here. I also decided to try this Facial Peeling from Onsen (RRP £99.99, £59.99 with offer) which I shall be reviewing very soon here and the lady also gave me a body lotion sample.

I walked into MAC in the hope of finding the Ellie Goulding collection but it wasn't out yet; however, I did not leave the store empty handed as Odyssey lipstick (£15.50) caught my eye. It is a satin finish and is a sort of magenta-plum shade. Also from MAC, I purchased the Dita von Teese lipstick (€24 including shipping) online and I found it waiting for me when I got back from my holiday.

Drugstore Beauty Buys

Next I have some drugstore beauty buys from Superdrug and random stuff I got from Primark. I got some hair ties in black and brown, a brow and lash comb and a travel container set which were £1 each. I also got other random bits and bobs such as hand sanitiser gel, a lint roller, mini jar candles and scented tea lights, cotton discs and socks. Also from Primark, I got some exclusive Montagne Jeunesse masks and Hask Keratin hair masks for £0.90 and £2 each respectively.

Superdug had some really cool offers going on and I got myself some nail polishes from Bourjois (£5.99), Revlon (£6.99 each), Essie (£7.99) and Models Own (£4.99). I also got a travel sized version of the Tokyo dry shampoo from Colab (£1.99) and I got a free compact mirror and HD lipstick with my Revlon purchase apart from the fact that the Matte Colour Balm was free on a 3 for 2 offer.

Lastly are the fashion items! So I finally found not one but two hats that actually fit my tiny head! The cloche hat is from H&M and I bought it for £14.99 while the floppy one is from Primark and I bought it for £8. Also from Primark is the blush laser cut floral motif belt which was only £2 and the bag behind it was actually another gift from my parents but somehow I ended up photographing it with the belt.

Next are these two joggers from Gap which were on sale for £7.99 each and I bought them to wear for my night shifts were tend to go for something more comfortable. The silver based earrings are from H&M and I love the enamel colours on them. They were £3.99.

As for clothes, I was really happy to see a lot of small sizes available but it was disappointing to see that some of them still were too big for my petite frame. Nonetheless, I still managed to buy some exciting pieces.

Zara is the only store where everything I purchased was on sale and they are probably my favourite pieces. I got this flower print crop top which was only £17.99, the anchor print shirt was £12.99 and the trousers were £19.99.

H&M is probably one of the first stores that I look for when I am abroad because I really like the quality and style of their clothes. I was sad that I didn't find the new makeup line though but I am determined to find it the next time I am abroad ;) So I got a few tops from there and the prices were as follows (left to right): £14.99, £19.99, £29.99 and £10.00 for the shirt which was on sale. Shift dresses are staples in my wardrobe so I got this grey one for £24.99 and I also got this super cute skirt for £24.99 as well.

Primark is always full of people who seem to go bonkers with all the cheap priced items the store has to offer so the first time we went there was a little too chaotic for my tastes and I only ended up buying the random stuff above and the navy and cream shirt (£10) which caught my eye while we were in line to pay. We did visit again on Sunday to buy luggage and socks which I remembered I had to stock up on and since the atmosphere was much calmer, I had all the time in the world to browse the store for some basic pieces. I got myself two more blouses, two knits and a faux suede skirt. The monochrome blouse and the knitwear were only £6 each, the burgundy blouse was £10 and the skirt was £8.

Lastly, I have my River Island online order which came home while I was abroad as well. I bought the black embellished collar shirt in a separate order but I liked it so much I decided to buy the cream one too. I also bought this black Victoriana blouse because it is something different. All three shirts were on sale for €25 each.

That was one long post! Hope you enjoyed it guys and I hope I get more time to blog again normally soon!

December Collective Haul

I meant to publish the December posts before departing to London but I didn't manage for I was all over the place for the whole month of December so here is the third post for the day to show you what I bought. There will be a separate post for what I got for Christmas and all the things I bought while in London so do watch out for that in the coming days.

First up are the fashion items as I do not have that many for I tried to save money to spend in London. I got this River Island bag and scarf from their online sale as they were really a couple of nice bargains and I can get a lot of uses out of them.

I also treated myself to one of the Ganutell scarves from local designers Charles & Ron and I have already worn it a couple of times and got a good number of compliments on it. I admit it is a little pricey for a scarf but there is nothing wring in splurging every once in a while ;)

I also bought this set of earrings from Accessorize mainly because of the large snowflakes which are my favourites from the whole set and I also bought this dainty gold Fossil necklace from Sunlab.

Moving on to the beauty items, I want to share with you what I got from the Pupa Milano Christmas Collection Stay Gold! Of course I couldn't pass up the Diamond Dust and Golden Plumage nail polishes so I got those as well as this beautiful burgundy Multiplay Eye Pencil in shade 67. I was also given this cute lip shaped I'm keyring with my purchase :)

I also have something from each of this year's The Body Shop Christmas collections - Glazed Apple, Frosted Plum and Frosted Cranberry and I also got a bottle of Lightening Drops to adjust darker foundations.

I placed an order on kosmetik4less.de along with Marija from Pocalocca and I got some items from Essence & Catrice which I cannot wait to review for you guys. I also bought a backup of the La Roche Posay Ultrafine Scrub and a bottle of China Glaze Don't Get Elfed Up from their Christmas 2015 collection.

More nail stuff from Born Pretty Store which includes new nail art decorations, a new stamper and scraper and a stamping plate, some nail vinyls, chrome nail polish, holographic nail polishes and a makeup palette and spatula set.

That's it for my December haul ladies! Keep your eyes peeled for the London haul ;)