SOAP & GLORY LID STUFF "WHAT'S NUDE"

 

I don't know about you and your make up routine but I usually tend to wear the same thing for couple of days or weeks straight and cannot imagine I would use anything different at that moment in time. These items varies from a foundation to a blush but currently I'm obsessed with a certain eyeshadow quad.

The quad I cherish at the moment is the Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in "What's Nude". If you are a lover of neutral eyeshadow and haven't tried this one yet I urge you to go to your nearest drugstore and pick it up. It's one of those fantastic products that everyone should have in their make up collection if only for the travelling purposes.

The quad contains every colour you need for your everyday look including three mattes and one satin shade. All of the shades are really buttery and easy to work with. The white shade "Vanilla" is a little bit on the chalky side but it's not that bad that it would stop me from using it. I still think it's a very nice colour and I find the colour pay off is better than my MAC Vanilla (is that a coincidence they have the same name or what?). I can't say much about the lasting power because I always use my NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base due to my oily lids and so everything last for hours and hours. If I apply it at 8am the eyeshadow is still intact at 9pm. Love it!

To create an everyday light smokey eye I start with applying "Pink T" shade all over my lid as it's a perfect pinky shade to even out my skin tone and it's completely matte. It's the one with the S&G embossing on. You can't see it on the pictures because I use mine a lot and so the text is long gone. I always feel sad when that happens but there's nothing you can do about it if you want to use the palette to its full potential. Next, I reach for the only shade with the satin finish called "Aubersheen" and apply it on two thirds of my eyelids starting on the outside corner of my eye. Btw. this colour is a great dupe for MAC Satin Taupe....just saying :-). Now, let me introduce you to my favourite shade from the whole palette called "Mudhoney". You might think it's a boring colour and it looks like that in the pan but I just cannot express enough how much I adore it! It's the perfect cool toned brown/grey colour for blending in my crease. "Mudhoney" has just the right amount of brown and grey colour that suits my skin tone perfectly. I even read some people use this shade for filling in their eyebrows but I am yet to try it. I will keep you posted. After I'm done with blending "Mudhoney" into the crease I apply "Vanilla" to the tear drop and under my brow bone for a matte highlighting effect and there you have it - a perfect daytime smokey eye. Depending on what I'm doing that day I add a brown or black eyeliner, a touch or two of mascara and I'm ready to go. Simple!

What I also love about this palette is that S&G didn't include any useless foam applicators so the palette is as compact as it can be and as I said at the beginning it's the perfect travel companion if you need to pack lightly. I really can't say enough good things about this palette, it has been my go to eyeshadow palette for the past month.

You can get it for example at Boots during their 3 for 2 offer they run very often.

Have you tried any of the S&G eyeshadow quads yourself? I would love to try more of their products so please don't forget to share your recommendation in the comments section :-)

YANKEE CANDLE IN PINK SLIPPER LADY

Yankee Candle Pink Lady Slipper, 354 g

"A wonderfully soft and sweet spring bouquet, reminiscent of lovely rose petals, jasmine and violets."

I love this floral scent! I am not usually keen on floral scents as I much prefer citrus essences so this was a surprise to me. Yankee Candle in Pink Lady Slipper/Escarpin Rose has a beautifully baby pink colour that you cannot appreciate from the photos as I forgot to take a picture before I used it up. Sorry!

Describing scents is not something that comes easily to me so you might as well have to live with the Yankee Candle description above as I can only describe it as a light floral scent, nothing too intense just as I like it. When you light the candle up you won't notice the fragrance at first, you have to wait several minutes until the scent slowly distributes throughout your flat and then you can enjoy the unobtrusive fragrance. As I said, the scent is not too strong and some might find it even too weak but I prefer it this way. I like my flat to smell after the candle pleasantly and I don't appreciate it to be too overwhelming.

It claims to burn for 40-50 hours which I can neither confirm nor confute. However, I can honestly say it requires countless of long evenings to burn this lovely candle down.

The only negative I found is that you cannot burn the candle down completely. As you see from the photo above there is still quite a lot of wax left and it breaks my heart I cannot use it. The wicks are that big you use them up and there is still wax left at the bottom of the tumbler below their level. It is such a shame because I can see the wax lasting for couple more hours.

If you are into floral scents that are not too sweet or heavily scented this one is for you. I can highly recommend it for the upcoming spring season.

NEW IN #1

I am starting first of my planned series called "NEW IN" where I am going to show you my new purchases and the reasoning behind the purchase of each product. As you can tell, it will not be a review in a sense of sharing my opinion on the performance of each product but just to make you aware of the future reviews coming.

Today, it will be more hair related post as I think they need a lot of love and care due to the drastic change I am going through currently.

1. REDKEN Extreme Strength Builder (250ml)

This is a product which was highly recommended by Kate from gh0stparties. She bleached her virgin hair to white blonde few weeks ago (or is it months already?!) and says that it really saved her hair. Since I am in a phase of going back to my natural colour from a very dark red, I need to incorporate as much as help to my hair routine as possible and this seemed just like the right product. The fact is I am also just about to run out of Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme (review is already in the works) and this seemed like a good option.

2. Dr. Rewinn's Renunail Nail Strengthener (30ml)

My nails are in desperate need of some strengthener and since O.P.I. Nail Envy Original did not seem to help much in this department I decided to try this HG of all beauty bloggers. I expect it will transform my nails from weak and brittle to super strong and healthy...which just reminds me I should do something about my diet too to make it more healthier in order to help my nails. What do you think I should start eating/drinking? I'd appreciate any suggestions.

3. KMS California Tame Frizz Taming Creme (125ml)

After seeing Rosie's Blow Out tutorial on her lifestyle blog The Londoner last year I knew I had to give it a go as I always envied her hair. The hair is picture perfect on each and every photo of her. How does she do it?! Well, the answer is in the blog post and even though I have not quite mastered the blow out technique yet I have added the taming creme to my beauty cabinet to help it a little bit. It claims to smooth out frizz, flyaways and protect the hair from the heat. I am excited to try it.

4. REDKEN Extreme Anti-Snap (250ml)

Yet another hair product recommended by Kate from gh0stparties. This time it's a product that should prevent breakage, split ends and should keep the hair healthy. I hope this product will help me to grow my locks longer even though I am still destroying it by all the bleach and colour.

DR. LIPP ORIGINAL NIPPLE BALM FOR LIPS

Dr. Lipp original nipple balm for lips 15ml, £11.00

From one of my previous posts you know I am constantly on a hunt for 'the' lip balm. I tried various drugstore lip balms and even though I liked them they were not exactly what I was looking for. My lips are on the dry side most of the time and that is why I hardly ever wear a lipstick or any lip colour for that matter unless it's a coloured lip balm/lip butter type of product. Last year, I decided to invest in a couple of more high end and hyped products to see if they will be any different.

First up is the Dr. Lipp original nipple balm for lips which falls in the category of multipurpose balms. I am sure most of you have already tried or at least heard about this product. It is very popular in the blogosphere and also between the make up artists. It is 100% natural and as it says on the tube made of one ingredient only (Medical Grade Lanolin, in case you are interested).

It claims to be odourless but I can smell that typical scent of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. Unfortunately, it is not the scent I am very fond of. The product itself is a yellow balm that comes out a bit thicker than I expected and I do not recommend using it outside in the winter as it gets even thicker and is very difficult to squeeze out of the tube.

It does stay on the lips longer than a regular lip balm but it feels too sticky for my liking. If you have chapped and dry lips like me you will not enjoy applying this due to its thick consistency. Therefore, I save this for overnight use only as I do not want to accentuate my dry lips even more. I cannot say I would be blown away by the results. To me, it feels like it just stays on the surface and does nothing in the long run and so my hunt for the perfect lip balm continues.

KIKO SMOKEY DEFINER EYE BRUSH NO.212

During a long weekend in Milano last July, I popped into the KIKO Make Up Milano shop as it was completely new to me and since I love all things make up related it was almost compulsory to pay the shop a visit and of course, I did not leave empty handed!

 

I bought a fantastic quality cream eyeshadow and two make up brushes and you are going to get to know the first one today.

 

The full name is KIKO Smokey Definer Eye Brush No. 212 and is made of natural hair that does not shed. It has very short but dense hair and is very lovely to work with as it is not too harsh on the eyes. If you have sensitive eyes (like I do) you do not have to worry. It softly glides over your eyelids and does not do any damage like some of its cheaper pals. 

 

As the name suggests, it is great for defining the smokey eye look and that is also the way I use it. Yes, sometimes I use brushes for different jobs than what they were actually created for. I am guilty but I am sure I am not the only one out there or am I? When I create a smokey eye look I do not opt for a black gel/liquid liner to line my upper and lower lash line lately but reach for a black eyeshadow instead. It is more suble in my opinion and I love it at the moment. What is your favourite way of wearing a smokey eye look? I would like to know.

 

Overall, I think this is a great brush and you cannot beat it for the price of £10.90 and since KIKO is slowly opening its shops around Europe it is also becoming easier to get hold of. If you do not have a shop near you can always shop online at kikocosmetics.co.uk

AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES TRIPLE RENEWING MOISTURIZER



 

Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturizer 50 ml (£54)

 

In 2012, my friend was lucky to receive an offer of two facials for the price of one from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Prague. As you can imagine having a facial done at the Spa of the Mandarin Oriental is a luxury experience and therefore, is also very expensive. However, due to this offer we were able to afford it. Yes, we would be able to afford it even without this offer but I would never get my head around paying £100 for an hour of facial. I rather spend money on a thing or experience I can benefit from for longer than one hour or a day.

 

Thanks to this wonderful offer, I have found the best moisturizer I have ever used! At that time, Mandarin Oriental Prague was only using Aromatherapy Associates brand products for their spa treatments and it is where I got introduce to this brand and this moisturizer in particular.

 

Aromatherapy Associates Triple Rose Renewing Moisturizer is part of the Essential skincare range. Aromatherapy Associates is not a 100% natural or organic brand but their products do not contain parabens, SLS, petrolatum and mineral oil. The only dissapointing fact for some might be that alcohol is the second listed ingredient on their website of this product. Despite this fact, I love this product!

 

Before I started using this moisturizer I only used products from the drugstore. I want to state that I have nothing against drugstore moisturizers, however, my skin did not like them very much. I have an acne prone, oily and dehydrated skin that just needs more. And Triple Rose Renewing Moisturizer delivers. I use it morning and night and my skin was never happier before. It makes it smooth, soft and hydrated. It is great for night as it has more time to work its wonders but I also like to use it in the morning as it is a fantastic moisturizer to put under your foundation.

 

The packaging is lightweight and travel friendly. It's a plastic tube with a pump so it is very easy to get the amount you need without wasting the product. There is nothing not to love about this product for me.

 

If you fancy giving it a go, it is currently on sale at beautybay.com for £45.90. I might need to buy a bottle myself as my third bottle is slowly running out. 

 





SEBASTIAN PROFESSIONAL POTION 9

I bought the Sebastian Professional Potion 9 on a whim when in TJ Maxx in London this April because I knew I will soon start the process of going from dark red hair back to my natural colour (light brown) and it will destroy my hair a lot even though I'm doing it in phases. Therefore, I thought this will help me with the situation my hair would be in.

It claims to be "an ultimate versatile styling cream infused with nine botanical extracts to help restore lost moisture and rejuvenate the healthy look of your hair".

Let me tell you a secret- I will be the last person on a planet who will be able to tell you if the product adds/restore moisture in you hair! Unless the change is really dramatic I will just not notice the difference.

I have been through the fourth phase of lightening my hair recently and I am somewhat close to my natural colour or at least I think so. My hair is damaged, dry and very hard to comb through.

I use this potion on towel dried hair before I brush them with my Tangle Teezer. Even though I am not able to report on how the product restores moisture in my hair I am glad to announce this product acts as a great detangler! I love how it makes my hair smooth enough to run my Tangle Teezer through it without any damage. The product itself looks like an orange kind of a gel and has a really nice smell to it. As you can see from the pictures I got it in the old packaging and I have to admit that I like the new packaging more.

Would I repurchase it again? Probably not. Even though the product smells nice and work well as a detangler for dry hair I am not convinced. And since I have just received a package with the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme and Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator I ordered recently, I will give these newbies a go now.

BARRY M GELLY HI-SHINE NAIL PAINT IN PRICKLY PEAR

I AM IN LOVE!

I am in love with the colour, with the consistency, with the finish! I am in love with absolutely everything this nail polish has to offer.

This lilac colour is a really pretty shade that I didn't have in my collection before. It's the perfect pastel spring colour but I don't care and wear it in summer too! Who could blame me, just look at it - plain gorgeous!

As much as I love the colour there is something more intriguing about this polish and that is its longetivity. This is my favourite thing about it! First you have to understand that I have very brittle nails that break and peel very easily and way too much often. Therefore, I was amazed by the staying power of this polish. I admit I used the O.P.I. Nail Envy Original as a base coat and Essence Studio Better Than Gel Nails as a top coat but these never worked that well with any other polish. Usually a nail polish last on me two days and after that it turns into a chipping hell. Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Pain in Prickly Pear lasted on me five days without a chip in sight!

Thankfully, I bought two more colours on my April trip to London which I haven't tried yet but I hope they have the same staying power.

Bloglovin'

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/7595159/?claim=n3bjdxwv49e">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Hi all

I apologize for this spam but in order to claim my blog on Bloglovin' I have to post this here.

Thanks for understanding!

COLOURFUL KIYA

LONDON SHOPPING HAUL

As promised, I am sharing my London haul with you. My initial plan was to buy primarily clothes (jeans in various colours - understand dark blue and black :-)), spring/summer jacket, comfy flats or ballet shoes, various tops for summer etc.) rather than make up and cosmetics but somehow I ended up getting only few bits of clothing. Not that I am complaining but I expected more. It seems the style in fashion these days is not exactly my cup of tea and I have to wait for the next season.

Nevermind, what I didn't spend on clothing I spent in the drugstore, so no regrets there :-)...well, maybe I went a little bit overboard. But since I don't visit London all that often anymore (and due to the new postal regulations we can't order aerosol sprays within the EU. How annoying is that?!?) I think I deserved to splurge a bit more than usually :-). As you can see from the list below there is a good selection of skincare, haircare and make up. Of course, you can expect reviews of these products later on my blog and I think you wouldn't be surprised if I tell you that I haven't tried anything yet as I would like to take pictures of unopened and not used products first....ok, I have tried the Barry M Gelly H-Shine Nail Paint in Prickly Pear already because I just couldn't wait any longer. I think you understand, don't you :-)?

 

You can find the full overview divided by categories below. (Disclaimer: If you can't find products from the picture in the overview below, it's because I have also bought presents for my friends and mum but I only lists products I bought for myself.)

Skincare:

Purity Made Simple Cleanser 90ml - Philosophy

Hydraluron 30ml - Indeed Labs (highly recommended by Caroline Hirons on her blog. I see myself giving in and buying more stuff recommended by Caroline as I find her blog very informative and I also love her approach to testing and sharing all the nitty gritty details of all the products!)

Original Nipple Balm for lips - Dr Lipp

Reve de Miel Lip balm - Nuxe (as recommended by Laura from buynowbloglater, previously known as Lollipop26 here on blogosphere and youtube)

Hydrating Eye Cream 80% Organic (15ml) - Botanics

Scrub Acrually (200ml) - Soap & Glory

Allergy Spray SPF 30 (200ml) - Piz Buin

Make up:

Photoready BB cream (30ml) - Revlon

Water Fuse BB (50ml) - DJ Jart +

Silk Creme Foundation (35ml) - Laura Mercier

Foundation Primer Oil Free (30ml) - Laura Mercier

Stippling Brush - Real Techniques

Fix + (30ml) - MAC (I bought the travel size because it cannot be bought in Czech Republic and I still don't understand why when you can buy the regular size everywhere)

Lasting Perfection Concealer no. 1 in Fair - Collection 2000

Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer no.1 in Naked - Collection 2000

Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer no.2 in Natural - Collection 2000

Big Fake Ultimate False Lash Effect Mascara in Brown/Black - Collection 2000

Apocalips in Celestial - Rimmel

Powder Blush in Suede - Sleek

Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Natural Pink - Revlon

Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Cool Beige - Revlon

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Greenberry - Barry M

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Prickly Pear - Barry M

Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Grapefruit - Barry M

Absolutely Shore nail polish - Essie

Haircare:

Plump it up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion (200ml) - VO5

Plump me up Dry Shampoo (200ml) -VO5

Dry Texturizing Spray (75ml) - Oribe (as recommended by Anna from Vivianna Does Make Up)

Hot Off the press (200ml) - Paul Mitchell (as recommended by Tiffany from Make Up by Tiffany D)

Big & Bouncy XXL Volume Dry Shampoo (200ml) - Baptiste

2x Dry Shampoo original (50ml) - Baptiste

Dry Shampoo original (200ml) - Baptiste

Backcomb In A Bottle (200ml) - Umberto Giannini Glam Hair

Ever Straight Brazilian Kerating Therapy Anti-Breakage Serum (100ml) - Organix

Luxurious Volume Blow Dry Lotion Root Booster (25ml) - John Frieda

9 Potion Wearable Styling Treatment (50ml)- Sebastian

 

LONDON CALLING

Yes, I was in London last week and had an amazing time!

The main reason I went was because my friend is pregnant and I wanted to see her before she gives birth. She is in her fifth month and still looks amazing. She hasn't gained much weight yet and so she's still really thin only with a bump :-). It really suits her.

But as you can imagine it wasn't all about a pregnant friend. I had other reasons to go as well. First of all, you should know that I used to live in London in the past. I fell in love with the city but my family situation made me move back to Prague after two years living there. Even though it's already more than four years I still love to visit the city, friends and do the compulsory shopping.

I spent my trip visiting friends, enjoying the food (miss you already, Wagamama!) and shopping, of course. I will share my "mini" haul with you in one of the next posts.

One of the days, we went to Camden. I love the place. I hardly ever buy anything there (except food obviously) but I love a stroll between the stalls and inhaling the atmosphere that you can't find anywhere else. Camden is a unique place and everyone has to feel great there no matter what you wear and what colour your hair is :-).

If you read the "About Me" section you know I love ballroom dancing and so one of the most important stops was at Shaftersbury Theatre to see Burn the Floor show with a friend of mine. Thankfully, my friend was able to get the tickets for £25 each (stalls!) which saved me money for the shopping part of my trip. It was a fantastic show full of latin and ballroom. The atmosphere was incredible and I still cannot believe how much energy the dancers had throughout the whole show! The show lasts two hours and the main attraction was a couple from the Stricly Come Dancing, Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor. They were fantastic and it was great to see them dancing live. However, I have to admit my eyes were more drawn towards the other dancers. For me the star of the show was Janette Manrara who started the show and also involved the audience. She was just perfect! If you're into dancing I highly recommend you go and see the show!

The only thing that didn't get crossed on my To Do List is a visit of the Holocaust section in the Imperial War Museum. I plan to go there for about five years now as I am really interested in the World War II. Unfortunately, when we got off the tube at Lambeth station we found a notice saying the museum is being renovated and therefore, will be closed till July :-(. What a shame!...on the other hand this might be a perfect excuse for another visit later this year ;-). We'll see. Anyway, since the museum was closed we decided to become tourists and have a walk on the Southbank from Big Ben towards St. Paul's Cathedral. The weather treated us good as it was sunny and quite warm so we really enjoyed ourselves.

Yeah, I know. It might look boring and like we did nothing special but since I lived in London for two years I have already seen most (if not all) places there are to see for tourists and much more. Therefore, I usually spend my time around Richmond, Clapham Junction (places where I used to live) and the city centre (mainly for shopping purposes and not sighseeing, to be honest). Sometimes, when I have no particular plans I like to get on a random bus, listen to music and just look out from the window enjoying the architecture and the Victorian style that we don't have in the Czech Republic. It's so different and (I hope you won't think I'm a weirdo) I love to look into people's windows to see how they decorated their place. Yes, as weird as it sounds I like to do this on most of my trips.

COLOURFUL KIYA

LAZY DAY EYESHADOW BY CATRICE

 

 

No, Lazy Day is not the name of the eyeshadow even though the title might suggest it :-). I called this post lazy day eyeshadow because I feel this is the perfect colour to be used on my lazy day when I cannot be bothered to play with eyeshadows and want something that I can quickly spread over my lids and go. Yes, I do have days like this. Most of the days I do enjoy a little make up session in the morning but there are also those days when I just don't want to spend a lot of time putting my make up on and rather sleep in.

 

From one of my previous post you might remember this was an impulsive buy. I went out to get the Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara and ended up getting the Catrice eyeshadow and a blush as well. So here is my opinion on the eyeshadow.

 

The full name is 340 Ooops...Nude did it again! (does the name also reminds you one of Britney Spears's songs :-)?!) by Catrice. Maybe you might be interested to know Catrice brand is owned by the same company that produces Essence cosmetic brand. It's a pretty beige colour with a sheen to it. I like the fact it's not completely matte because the sheen brightness your eyes and makes you look more awake. It just doesn't look that dull :-). It's not definitely as bright as a highligther but can be used as such if you would like to opt for something more subtle. The eyeshadow stays put the whole day with the help of the primer. Unfortunately, I haven't tried it without the primer yet as it became a routine for me to use the primer before using any eyeshadow so I cannot comment on the staying power without it.

 

I usually use this eyeshadow all over the lid ( sometimes even with a little bit of MAC Sable or MAC Satin Taupe blended in the crease) when I am aiming for more natural look or add a brown or black eyeliner if I want more bold look. To be honest, I am sporting these two looks for almost full three weeks now, I think that explains a lot :-).

 

 

For better reference I compared it to the Virgin shade from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Catrice's 340 Ooops...Nude did it again! is more on the beige side whereas UD Virgin has white undertones. I like both colours but I have to admit if I wear UD Virgin all over the lid I feel it's too much so Catrice eyeshadow feel more natural to me. But hey, that's just my opinion :-), so if you'd like to see the comparison for yourself check the photos below and let me know what you think. If you can't figure it out from the text - Catrice is on the left and Urban Decay on the right :-).

 

COLOURFUL KIYA

 

 

 

TIFFANY COLOUR?....NOT QUITE!

I always thought this Models Own nail polish in Jade Stone colour is the perfect "Tiffany" colour. I couldn't be more wrong.

My only apology is that I never owned anything from Tiffany&Co. at the time I bought this pretty polish about two years ago. But it looked exactly like the mint colour that the Tiffany boxes are made of in my eyes. So in order to prove this claim I had to travel to a different country to find the Tiffany&Co. store....OK,OK, I admit it! This is a very poor excuse for travelling to Florida since Tiffany & Co. opened their store in Prague only a month later :-). Anyway, let's get back to the nail polish story.

So after I indulged myself with a gorgeous Tiffany&Co. necklace and brought it home nicely packed in the little mint box I realised that the colour is definitely not a dupe - such a shame! Even though it's not the exact dupe I love the colour. It's a pretty mint green shade, exactly the colour I like. When I first bought this nail polish the consistency was just great. One coat of this polish is enough to get the opaque finish you want. However, I think the second layer can always fix any inconsistency you might create by sloppy application (yes, I am talking about myself and my wonderful painting skills and not yours obviously ;-)) . So I always put two coats of any nail polish to get better results but it's entirely up to you. If you posses better skills than I do, one coat will do for you :-).

Unfortunately, having this bottle for almost two years (...and not exactly stored in a dark and cool place) the nail polish is thick in consistency and difficult to apply now. Therefore, I will be looking into other mint colours for the spring and try to find the best "Tiffany" colour dupe. Essie Mint Candy Apple and Essie Where's my Chauffeur? are currently on my wish list. Do you think any of them will be the right shade?

COLOURFUL KIYA

WEEKEND RAMBLINGS I.

Hey all! I have decided to fight against the spring fatigue and started my Saturday at 8am at a yoga class. You should know that I am the last person who would like to get up at 7am during the weekend for exercise. I wouldn't call myself the most lazy person on the earth anymore but I am still not a fan of exercise and getting up early in the morning. However, one of my friends showed me a great place to go on Saturday morning last year and I used to go quite regularly until Christmas. But due to the lack of energy, light and sleep I stopped going. With the latest sun rays I decided it's time to go back and join my friend again. I really do think this is the perfect type of class for me as there are usually 3-5 people maximum and the teachers are wonderful. They know a lot about yoga and all its pros and cons and since there are only a few participants they have enough time to show us what we're doing incorrectly and fix it. The fact that they can work well with a complete beginner like me (I don't think I will ever move from this phase :-)) and someone who is used to doing yoga 5-7 times a week is also a bonus. Me and my friend are actually trying to persuade our company management that we need yoga classes at work and would love to recommend the trainers we know from our place. Let's hope they'll understand a yoga class is a must in the office environment ;-).

And since I am back at yoga we have decided to go back to our other habit - a brunch. Yes, after most of our yoga classes we go for brunch (it's a little reward for making it to the class really :-)). This time we decided to try the Lime & Tonic experience for the first time and bought a brunch at Bella Vida Café in Prague which is only five minutes walk from our yoga class. We paid only a half the price of the regular brunch there and were really satisfied with the food. We could choose from a variety of brunch meals and opted for the English breakfast with Dammann Fréres tea, fruit and vegetable juices and a selection of tiny but delicious desserts. As an extra bonus you get the view of the riverside and the city centre's historical momunents. It's a lovely place with nice interior, even better food and very kind service. I have to admit that I am really glad we had a good experience with Lime & Tonic because I have already purchased another experience - Triple Asian Tasting Menu in Mandarin Oriental. Can't wait to try it as one of my yoga mates tried this experience twice already and plans to go back again. I believe it will be an unforgetable experience!

To finish our morning we went to see the Spring "Dyzajn" (Design) Market by the National Theatre. I have to admit that I didn't expect to see so many people, visitors nor exhibitors, because the temperature was below zero. However, there were many stalls with various products including clothes, hair accessoriess, bags, earings, necklaces, stationery and food. All were handmade and mostly designed by the sellers themselves. Markets like this are great opportunities for these creative people to show what they can do. I always envy anyone who is capable of creating new things with their own hands because I cannot do anything. I am always thrilled when I can sew a button back to its place :-).

Before I went home I stopped by in a drugstore and bought the newest addition to the mascara's world and the raved about Clump Defy mascara from Max Factor to try out, a skin tone eyeshadow 340 Ooops...Nude did it again! and a coral blush 020 Rose Royse from Catrice. Once I try them on I will let you know how I like them. I could humbly say that I will most likely love the new mascara because I already love Max Factor's Fusion one (which belongs between my favourites, to be completely honest) but let's wait and see.

 

 

I wish you a lovely Monday!

colourful kiya

THREE WINTER LIP WONDERS

Happy Monday!

I called this post Winter Lip Wonders even though it's almost spring. The products mentioned below I use all year round but I got the most of them especially in the winter time when my lips are more on the dry side and that's why the winter in the title.

During my search for the best product available out there I have tried loads of lip balms from Carmex through Nivea through Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (yes, I do love my Rosy Lips even though it didn't make it to the top three) to a random no brand products but found the following work the best for me. So here they are.

C.O.Bigelow Lavender Salve

One of my all time favourite! This is my go to product for night or to use when my lips are having especially dry day. Only a tiny amount of this salve will moisturize your lips like nothing else. I keep this on my bedside table and apply it every night before I go to sleep or whenever I feel my lips need a good hydration. I bought this little lip wonder on my trip to the US last summer and since there is so much product left in the tin I am yet to explore where I can buy it in Europe. Any suggestions? And yes, it does smell of lavender :-).

 

 

Burt's Bees Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm

Another cheeky purchase from the US :-). Before this Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm I have already tried the Burt's Bees Lip Balm in Mango which is also a fantastic product but I just think that this one suits my dry lips much better. In my opinion, no lip balm stays on your lips for hours...couple of minutes to half an hour - yes, but no longer than that. And so this is one of those that last the longest (together with the C.O. Bigelow). It feels very nourishing on the lips and is another favourite of mine also because it doesn't have any smell to it.

 

Labello Hydro Care Lip Balm

This product made it to my overview only because I keep it in my office and use it every five seconds. The truth is that I am not the biggest fan of this lip balm but since I work in the office with an air condition I just need to have something to put on my lips after each cup of tea or a glass of water I finish because my lips are drying really fast and so this little buddy has its place in my drawer at the moment. I don't know if it's the product itself or just me trying to keep myself hydrated all the time but I don't think the lasting power is any good. What do you think?

 

 

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

If you're not as lazy as I am you will definitely appreciate this fantastic scrub. I have to admit I absolutely love this scrub, it tastes great - just like the name suggests it really does smell and taste like bubblegum. I love it and the best thing about it is that you can eat it. Ok, you shouldn't (it's called scrub and not strawberries after all) but since it's a Lush product, it's completely natural, suitable for vegans and so it's safe for your body. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier I am rather lazy when it comes to peeling your lips and even though I absolutely love this product I usually end up using my toothbrush on the lips when brushing my teeth. It's just way faster than looking for this little jar and scrubbing it on your lips.

So now you know. This is my list of the top three winter lip products I am loving right now. Next on my wishlist is Dr Nipple Original Lip Balm and NUXE Reve de Miel Baume Levres Ultra-Nourrissant Utra-Nourishing Lip Balm. After reading quite a few amazing reviews I am very intrigued to try both of them. We shall see which one will make it to my lip balm collection first.

 

 

If you have any other suggestions for lip products for very dry and chapped lips, please let me know. I am always opened to try new things :-).

 

Love,

 

colourful kiya 

 

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF COLOURFUL KIYA

Hi all,

It is a pleasure to welcome you in my blog world. You are about to explore the things I love.

I will take you on a journey showing you what I enjoy the most and you will soon discover that it might be as colourful as the rainboiw – from beauty through food and dancing to travelling. This is only a selection of my favourite things which I am about to share with you all.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you here more often!

Love,

COLOURFUL KIYA