FEBRUARY FAVORITES 2014

Hi everyone =)

Another month is over so that means - a favorites blogpost! =)
This time I'm including some hair products as well because since my hair has changed so much, so has my routine.

So let's start!

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo

 

I decided to finally get another dry shampoo. I have a huge love-hate relationship with dry shampoos but since I don't wash my hair that often, dry shampoo was a must. I tried all the cheap brands in the drugstore and I didn't really like them. After an hour or two, the effect would be gone. Also, I wasn't a fan of the smell. I tried a dry shampoo by Lee Stafford and I really love it! It smells nice and works lovely =)

Miss Sporty Oh My Gem! polish

I found this nail polish very necessary for my life right after I got my purple hair. I had a lot of dye on my scalp so anytime I would brush through my hair with my fingers or scratch it, I would get the dye under my nails :D It looked weird. A purple nail polish totally fixed/hid that =) I loved this one by Miss Sporty, the purple one. I also have the blue one (I love how it looks on the nails but it leaves a blue cast on the nails after removing :/ ) and the red one, but I haven't tried that one yet and I'd love to get my hands on the green one! =)

s.he stylezone mono eyeshadows

I never really noticed stuff in the s.he section but they had a sale on almost everything and I understand now why - they put out products with new packaging so the drugstores were trying to get rid of everything. They have these tiny little mono eyeshadows and they were on sale for 13 crowns!!! Which is around 60 cents. When I swatched them they didn't look to terrible so I bought a few. They are awesome! I found my "everyday" purple eyeshadow. It's so amazing! I will have a tutorial where I'll use a few of these small babies so you can see them in action =)

On the picture, top row, from left: number 060, 055, 070, 005, bottom row from left: 020, 025 (that's my everyday purple), 015, 030.

L'Oreal Gel Intenza liner

I don't know if I mentioned this one in my January favs but I definitely put it in my 2013 favs. But I need to mention it again. I love using it on my lower lash line instead of liquid eyeliner, when I use a pop of bright color on the lower lash line. I also smudge it with that color a bit, so there's not like a very precise line and it's all blended in nicely. (But I still also love it for my waterline and winged eyeliner =) )

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Endless Purple

Ever since I got purple hair, I've been wearing eyeshadows on regular basis a lot more and I tend to always go for something purple. I just LOVE purple and now anything purple suits me :D This creamy eyeshadow is the perfect base for any purple eye look! I love the Color Tattoos and I think I need to get more colors. Although I love the fact that this one is matte and I think only the black one is matte as well (which is love too!).

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo, Aussome Volume Conditioner, 3 Minute Miracle

This is my trio when I wash my hair. I dedicated a whole blogpost to how I wash my hair and all that jazz, you can check it out >>here<<. It leaves my hair smooth, sleek and smelling like an awesome gum for a few days <3 =)

Also, one of my big favorites is that I can finally film and upload in HD! =) I have two more videos that were filmed on my old camera, one sin from the 7 Deadly Sins and something else that I need to finish doing. But after that, ONLY HD videos ^_^

Aaalso, getting my purple hair and a fringe is definitely one of my huge favs! Tomorrow, it's going to be a month since I got it. Read about it here or watch the video:

Also I tried glitter for the very first time and I made a FOTD post about it =) But now that I think about it, I wore it on 1st March :D But never mind :D

What products did you like in February? =) Tell me in the comments =)
Have a lovely day.
Lena

HOW TO: Fix a Broken Palette!

Hey everyone!

I thought I'd share with you something that sort of saved my life / palette :D
I've been traveling kind of a lit in the past month or two and I'm always super scared that my palettes are going to get ruined. I used to take Naked and Naked 2 palette with me all the time because you have soo many options with them! And yes, an accident happened.

On my Naked 2, Blackout and YDK fell out. Also, half of Blackout broke (which totally breaks my heart!) and so you can just imagine the damage it did to my palette. There was black everywhere and it was just to disgusting to clean it up... I didn't have any glue on me but then it hit me... Eyelash glue! :D

So the trick is SUPER simple =) You should clean up the "slot" where the eyeshadow pan was, and also the bottom of the pan so that it sticks as well as possible.

Then just apply a bit of the glue to the middle and let it dry for just a bit, just like you would do with eyelashes.

Then just press the eyeshadow pan down and hold it for a few seconds so it sticks.
I have no idea how long is this going to last, if the glue is going to be any help in a long term sense, but it's sort of like and emergency thing. If you're traveling and this happens, I'm sure you'll have an eyelash glue with you and it if falls out again, you can use something more durable later at home =)

I hope you liked this quick tip!
Have a lovely night,
Lena

FOTD + OOTD: Goth Party

Hey everyone! =)

I'm here with another FOTD post with a small extra - OOTD =)
Me and my boyfriend were going to a party so I decided to take a few pics of my makeup because I was trying out something special for the very first time - glitter! And we also took photos of our outfits =)

I was struggling with finding the best light so I don't really have the best photos.

So let's start with makeup!

I wanted to keep the look sort of "neutral" so that the glitter won't overdo it. I did a very simple black smokey eye, that fades into a hint of purple. I did a pop of color under the eye, I used Urban Decay Chaos from the Vice palette. It's the most awesome matte blue in the entire world <3

I lined my top lash line with liquid eyeliner as a base for false lashes, and I lined my bottom lash line with gel liner and smudged it a bit with that blue eyeshadow.

The glitter that I used is by Stargazer, in UV Purple. I applied a bit of lash glue to my lid and then applied the glitter with my finger. I didn't have a spare brush to use for glitter and I've heard glitter is very hard to get off brushes so I think fingers were the best choice :D

I LOVED how the glitter totally changed the simplicity of the whole look . =)

For the lips, I only used Revlon Kissable Balmstain in Honey. It's my go-to when I want the focus to stay on the eyes but I don't want to have bare lips.

And now for the outfit.

Corset - DraculaClothing

Skirt - Terranova

Tights - opaque black ones: Tezenis; spiderweb ones: eBay

Boots - Demonia

I hope you liked this! If you'd like to see more "face of the day" and "outfit of the day" posts, let me know in the comments! =)
Have a great day =)
Lena

FIRST IMPRESSIONS / REVIEW: Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder

Hey everyone =)

It's time for another first impressions post =)
This time I'm going to talk about a compact powder by essence from the all about matt! line. I am very pale so a powder without color (or a white color) is absolutely a must for me.
There are two powders from this line, this one is the compact one. I tried the other one because I used to use Kryolan's Translucent powder before but I'm having troubles getting hold of it and I bought the essence one for sort of like a temporary solution but I like that's so easy to get and so cheap. Obviously the Kryolan one is better quality but the essence one isn't that bad at all. When I was out of it, I wanted to get a new one, only to find out that they were out of it in the drugstore I went to. They only had this compact one. The only difference between them is that this one is a compact. The product should be the same.
Now, ever since I started using a "powdery" powder, where you have the actual powder that is not pressed, it completely changed my world. I found it easier to set my face, and it wouldn't get cakey and all weird. That's number one reason why I wasn't very happy about trying out a compact again. But it was all they had and I really needed a powder, so I gave it a shot.

WHAT DOES THE PRODUCT SAY:
At the back, it says that is is an "extremely smooth fixing compact powder for a matt and natural finish all day long. helps to blend blush and foundation colors together. fixes make-up when applied as finishing powder for all skin tones"

PERFORMANCE:
I was sort of surprise with this powder. I used it with essence kabuki brush and I think it worked very well. Just as the not pressed one. I think it is easier to use a brush with compact powders and not a powder puff because the brush sort of breaks down the powder and then is a lot easier to apply. I would worry that with a powder puff, it could go on very uneven and cakey.
I really like the finish, it gives a nice, matte finish, just as is says on the back of the packaging. Also, my foundation is a tiiiiny little bit too dark for me (but it's the lightest one I can find in the drugstore :D) and since the powder has a white/no color, it helps balance that out which I love. BUT just to be clear, it isn't literally a white powder. If you're familiar with Stargazer's White Pressed Powder, THAT is a white powder =) If you apply it heavily it leaves you with a beautiful white face. This one does not do that so it definitely is for everyday use =)
I also used it to blend out my eyeshadows. Whenever I don't apply my eyeshadows too high or only slightly past the crease for an easy everyday look, I like to take my brush that I use for highlight under the eyebrow and apply the powder all around the edges. That way, if I apply a bit more, I get a highlight and a blending color all in one =)

WHO IS IT SUITABLE FOR:
It says on the packaging that it is suitable for all skin tones but I would say that people with darker skin tones or women of color would get a bit of a whiter cast from it. But I think light and medium skin tones can definitely get away with it. If you're looking for a setting powder, not a powder that will give you extra coverage, I think this could be a great product for you =)

HOW DOES IT FEEL:
Actually, after I apply it to my skin is feels nice and soft and it doesn't look like I piled on tons of powder, which is always great news when it comes to powders =)

HOW MUCH DO YOU GET:
You get 0.28 oz or 8 g of product. With the non-pressed one, you get 11 g. I don't remember if there is difference in the price, but I remember the compact one was around 80 CZK (= 4 USD). But you obviously lose some product with the non pressed one because it sometimes gets very messy and gets everywhere.

SO TO SUM IT UP:
+ sets the foundation very nicely
+ doesn't get cakey
+ looks natural
+ VERY affodable

Have you tried this powder? Did you like it? Tell me in the comments down below =)
Have a lovely day!
Lena

MY HAIR DIARIES: What Happens to Purple Hair After 1 Wash?

Hey everyone =)

I'm starting a new series on my blog! =) It's going to be all about my hair. I dyed my hair purple two weeks ago and also got bangs so it's a whole new experience for me to even trim my own fringe, not washing my hair all the time and so on. In these blogposts I'll be telling you more about my journey with purple hair! =) I'll definitely also do hair tutorials/vlogs =)

I decided to do an article I personally miss on the internet =) Before I washed my purple hair for the very first time, I was super nervous because I was scared a great deal of the color would wash out and I'll be the weirdest blonde with purplish undertone :D So I was looking for information about what happens to the hair after the first wash. Since I didn't really find what I was looking for, I hope this blogpost will help you if you're looking for this kind of stuff =)

Before I start, I just want to say, that I washed my hair 7 days after being at the salon. I know it may gross someone out, it definitely would gross me out like a year ago :D My hair used to be super greasy and there were even times when I washed it every day. Before I bleached my hair and dyed it purple, I tried to wash my hair as little as possible which was usually every other day. My third day was usually just too unacceptable and impossible to mask with some kind of a hair style. Yucky, greasy hair. I've been in a love-hate relationship (mostly hate) with dry shampoos so that wouldn't solve my third day problem.
Now that my hair was bleached I think it got dried a bit and so I think that's why it lasted the whole week.
I was very curious (but also super scared!) to wash the hair and see if it would last for another week. I thought at the salon they used some extra awesome shampoos and stuff on my hair that cleaned it sooo perfectly and I wouldn't be able to do that at home.

Have you watched my vlog about how I got my purple hair? You'll also find pics how it looked like before washing =)

WHAT I USED TO WASH IT:
I had just bought a new shampoo and a conditioner because I had some cheap junk at home that I was sick of and I didn't really feel like it cleaned my hair all that well. I bought the Aussie shampoo and conditioner and also the 3 minute miracle.

I only used the shampoo and the conditioner and decided to skip the 3 minute miracle because I was afraid to expose my hair to too much water :D

HOW I WASHED IT:

I made sure I didn't do any harsh movements and rub in the products extra gently. I also used the coolest water I could bear. I mostly concentrated on my roots because that's where I had the most of the hair spray I sprayed in during the whole week.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

This is how the hair looked like when I dried it and styled it. I'm thinking of doing a video on my "hair routine" because it's a lot different from my regular "no-routine" that I had before :D 

As you can see, the parts that were more reddish got washed out a bit more. But the parts with the bright purple stayed very vibrant even after the first wash. I was pleasantly surprised =) My hair felt SUPER smooth and sleek AND it smelled awesome for like 4-5 days :D The Aussie shampoo smells like a gum. I know that's not something everyone will like and I'm not always that crazy about strong smells but this is just soooo awesome! :D And the fact that the smell lasted for such a long time is just impressive when you don't wash your hair that often! =)

And yep, it lasted for another whole week :D I'll do a post with the second wash hair next week =)

Hope you liked this!

Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see in this series =)

Have a lovely day ^_^

Lena

Get Ready With Me For a Photoshoot

Hi everyone =)

In my last video, my hair vlog, I showed you a few pictures at the end and today I have here for you a tutorial for that makeup that I was wearing in the photos =)

In case you haven't seen my hair vlog, here it is:

And here's the makeup tutorial:

THE LIST OF PRODUCTS:

EYES:

Dermacol eyeshadow base

Kryolan Supra Color in White

120 palette

s.he eyeshadow in 025

Sleek i-Divine Ultra Mattes V2 palette (white, black, purple under the eyes)

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Endless Purple

essence liquid ink eyeliner

L'Oreal Gel Intenza gel liner

FACE:

Benefit They're Real mascara

Benefit Rockateur blush

LIPS:

Watch my "Ultimate Red Lips" tutorial

Hope you enjoyed this!

Have a lovely day =)

Lena

What Happens When You Dye Red Hair Purple

Hi everyone! =)

I'm so happy to tell you that I changed my hair! =) I got it as a present from my boyfriend for Christmas and I finally had the time to actually go to a salon and get PURPLE HAIR =)
In addition to the color change, I also got bangs. I've always loved how bangs looked on others I was just too afraid to have them done because I feel like it's such a huge commitment.

Here is a vlog I put together about my hair change.

I got it done in Alternative Studio in Prague - www.hair-stylist.cz.
If you want to get dreads, funky hair color or anything that's a little more unusual than the "regular" hairstyles and you're in/around Prague, definitely check them out! ^_^

I loved being in a hair salon after years =) Last time I got a trim was in summer 2011 and my last "bigger" visit was when I was getting an up do for my prom, which was almost 4 years ago. I always dyed my hair at home, at first my friend did it for me and that I learned it along the way so having someone do it for me was like the perfect vacation =) I know going to the salon can get very expensive but I personally would be completely terrified of bleaching my long hair at home. Also, they use higher quality products so your hair gets like a big pampering day :D The difference is also in the products they use to bleach your hair. The bleach in the drugstores is different from the bleach they use. I explained all about this in the video. (So if you skipped it, you should go back and watch it! :D)

So my hair was a darker red before bleaching and I had that color for a year now, before that I had a brighter red. I last dyed it 3-4 months ago. It's always good to wait if you're going for a different color to let the your color wash out as much as possible. I heard a lot about red being hard to get out of your hair so I was really curious about the result.

(both pictures taken by Dominika Sirna, November 2013)

So there is the process I went through - it lasted for 6 hours! :D
1. First they bleached my hair with Wella Blondor bleach combined with 4 and 6% developer. They used 4% on the roots, and 6% on the rest. They also wrapped it in aluminum foil so it could build up more heat.
2. When they washed it out, instead of conditioner, they used Seal and Lock to neutralize the hair HP
3. Then they blow-dried it, cut it (I also got bangs!) It was funny to see myself as a blonde (my friend said the color was more of a "pumpkin" color :D check out the pictures below! :D)
4. They used Subrina Mad Touch dye in Mystic Purple. Now, I have never dyed my hair with Directions of Special Effects or any other crazy hair dye but my stylists told me that Subrina is much better than Directions (I've heard SOO much about that brand!) because: it has more of a gel-like texture so it's easier to apply it to your hair without making a mess; it lasts for a longer time; is more afforable.
5. Then they just finished the bangs and then they also curled it! =) Which was very new to me, since the only curls I get is after sleeping with braided hair :D

Here are some photos from the salon:

With tons of aluminum foil in my head! :D

Pumpkin hair! :D

Straight...

... and curled! =)

This is how it looked like the next day in the daylight =)

So: If you dye your hair red and want to bleach it, you won't get the perfect blond color after one bleach. Also, my ends are bright purple as well - I used to dye my hair black like 4 years ago so some parts still had black like somewhere deep inside and even my stylists told me that black is easier to get out with bleach than red. Obviously, as you can see in the photos, where I had previously the red hair dye, the color is not as awesome and vibrant as near my roots. That's just what happens when you dye hair that had red pigments in it =) It's hard to say exactly what color it is, it's something in between purple-red-pink :D It also depends on the lighting and the way you perceive colors! :D Nevertheless, I LOVE how it turned out =) It's something different, no one else is going to have exactly the same thing as I do =) But my stylists told me that when I dye it more, it'll get more purple and after a while I'll have a one solid color and I'm super excited about that =)

So don't be afraid to experiment with your hair even if you used permanent hair color in it before! =)

I'm planning to do like some sort of a "hair diary" and tell you about what happened to the hair after I washed it, how I like to style it and so on =) Definitely subscribe to my youtube channel because there will be more of hair videos in the future =) You can find all my social media buttons on the top of this blog, right under the top picture.

Thanks for reading and watching ^_^
Have a lovely evening.
Lena