Category Archives: Cosmetics


by 4 Comments

Bath and Body Works Forever Red Perfume Review / Обзор на парфюм Forever Red из Bath and Body Works


 

708261f3dc69122ef04638c178834f97

This is a review I wrote for one of my friends here on WordPress back in January, I am only publishing it now, hope this is a helpful review that will prevent you from buying another unnecessary product out there! 

Mary from Budget Grad Student has recently asked me to review one of the products she received in her Influenster Cosmo Vox Box. Which I agreed to do! Unfortunately with all the holidays and somewhat hectic work schedule, I am only able to do it now. I actually think it’s better this way, because I’ve been using this fragrance for almost 2 weeks now.

Of course every girl loves perfume, but not all perfume is good. And even though “Bath & Body Works travels the world to find the latest trends and most beautiful scents. They never rest in their commitment to bring the world’s newest freshest fragrances for body, hand and home” I was a tad bit disappointed in the scent.

The sample came in a cute little 0.25 oz/7 ml bottle, which made it super portable and easy to carry around, which I did! Took it to work almost every day!

2012-12-29 20.06.32

To me the scent was very sweet and floral, turns out my nose wasn’t all that wrong! Here is the Overview you can find on the website:

Our most luxurious longest lasting fragrance blends opulent notes of fiery red pomegranate and delicate peche de vigne, a rare and fleeting French peach. Soft petals of red osmanthus give way to notes of addictive velvety marshmallow and a surprising finale of rich vanilla rum that leaves an unforgettable impression.

  • Top Notes: Fiery Pomegranate, Rare French Peach, Luminous Apple
  • Mid Notes: Red Peony, Night Marigold, Red Osmanthus
  • Dry Notes: Rich Vanilla Rum, Velvety Marshmallow, Oak Wood

Marshmallow! That explains it! Mary, you would’ve totally had a headache!

Now long lasting factor was something that I was looking forward to! Not a lot of fragrances last on me, but after trying this one, I have to say one thing:

I had fragrances from CVS pharmacy, that lasted longer!

And even though the scent decided to stay on me for only two hours or so, it did make it way into my head, and gave me a headache as well!

Then I discovered that the perfume itself cost $44.50 (of course it comes in a 2.5 oz bottle!), add a few more dollars and you can afford a really nice Lancome or Estee Lauder fragrance.

All in all it wasn’t very long lasting and too much Vistoria Secretish to me, I’d definitely think twice, even thrice before purchasing this scent! There is so much more one can do with 45 bucks!

Don’t forget to check out Mary’s blog and let me know if you’ve tried this fragrance!

Cheers,

Z

Недавно одна моя знакомая блоггер – Мэри с Budget Grad Student попросила сделать обзор на присланный ей продукт. Многие из вас знают про сайт Influenster.com и про коробочки пробников, которые они высылают абсолютно бесплатно. Я конечно же согласилась. К сожалению со всей этой праздничной суматохой пост выходит только сегодня, но лучше поздно, чем никогда!

Так вот Мэри пришла так называемая Cosmo Vox Box, в которой находился пробник нового аромата от Bath and Body Works Forever Red. Дело в том, что у нее аллергия на запахи, они вызывают у нее головную боль, поэтому обзор делаю я.

Какая девушка не любит парфюм. Но духи духам рознь. И, хотя, Bath and Body Works заявляют, что “они ищут новые тренды и самые утонченные ароматы по всему свету, что их миссия принести в ваш дом новые и самые свежие запахи”, я была немного разочарована в их последних духах.

Пробник пришел в милой 7 мл бутылочке, это позволяет носить его с собой в сумке, что я и делала!

Мне запах показался сладким и цветочным, и как оказалась, я не ошиблась! Вот как описывают аромат сами производители на сайте:

Наш самый люксовый и стойкий аромат сочетает в себе нотки огненно красного граната и утонченного peche de vigne, редкого и мимолетного французского персика. Мягкие лепестки красного османтуса придают запах притягательного бархатного зефира. А в самом конце как будто сюрпризом раскрывается глубокий запах ванильного рома, оставляющий незабываемое впечатление.

Высокие нотки: Огненный Гранат, Редкий Французский Персик, Яркое Яблоко

Средние нотки: Красный Пион, Ночная Календула, Красный Османтус

Сухие нотки: Насыщенный Ванильный Ром, Бархатный Зефир, Древесина Дуба

Зефир! Теперь все понятно! У Мэри точно была бы головная боль!

Аромат был также заявлен, как стойкий, чего я очень ждала! Не все ароматы на мне держатся, но попробовав этот запах, могу сказать только одно:

Now long lasting factor was something that I was looking forward to! Not a lot of fragrances last on me, but after trying this one, I have to say one thing:

I had fragrances from CVS pharmacy, that lasted longer!

And even though the scent decided to stay on me for only two hours or so, it did make it way into my head, and gave me a headache as well!

Then I discovered that the perfume itself cost $44.50 (of course it comes in a 2.5 oz bottle!), add a few more dollars and you can afford a really nice Lancome or Estee Lauder fragrance.

All in all it wasn’t very long lasting and too much Vistoria Secretish to me, I’d definitely think twice, even thrice before purchasing this scent! There is so much more one can do with 45 bucks!

Don’t forget to check out Mary’s blog and let me know if you’ve tried this fragrance!

About these ads


by 7 Comments

Blog Make-up Sale/ Распродажа косметики


Hi and welcome to my very FIRST BLOG SALE!

As some of you may know I used to work in cosmetics, and even though that stage of my life is over, the makeup reminds me of it everyday. Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to forget, I am trying to downsize! Plus it’ll be an awesome opportunity for you to try some products for cheaper.

Everything I am selling has only been used 3-5 times, some of the items are brand new and still come in packaging.

Here is how it works:

- Leave a comment under this post including what items you’d like, your full name and your email address that has to be linked to your pay pal account!

- If you are in the Twin Cities area, make sure to mention that, so we can do a simple cash and carry.

- If you are from out of state/area or international, please expect to pay for shipping, unless you are buying over $50 – then I’ll pay the shipping!

- The sale is FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis :)

Have a great weekend and Happy Shopping!

Z

PS. Please spread the word! Tell your friends and family!

THE LIST OF ITEMS THAT SOLD:

Pixi Palette – sold

Sephora Moonshadow Baked Palette – sold

Rimmel Blush – sold

Maybelline Color Tattoo (both) – sold

2013-02-06 23.33.34

2013-02-06 21.19.48

2013-02-06 21.18.00

2013-02-06 21.16.48

2013-02-06 21.13.55

2013-02-06 21.10.02

2013-02-06 21.07.41

2013-02-06 21.04.19

2013-02-06 21.03.02

2013-02-06 20.59.12

2013-02-06 20.55.43

2013-02-06 20.52.29

Всем привет, сегодня на моем блоге стартует первая распродажа косметики!

Многие из вас знают, что я раньше работала в косметическом отделе и косметики у меня накопилось море. Я решила устроить эту распродажу для того, чтобы освободить место в комоде и дать вам шанс попробовать продукцию по недорогой цене! Все эти продукты мне очень нравятся, но я не могу их все использовать.

Если вас заинтересовал какой-то продукт, оставьте пожалуйста комментарий под постом и укажите ваше имя, какой продукт вы хотели бы приобрести, и имэйл, к которому привязан ваш PayPal. Если вы живете в Миннесоте, то продукты я могу передать вам при личной встрече, чтобы избежать возни с почтой! Пересылка будет бесплатной, если вы купите продукты на сумму более $50!

Всем отличных выходных и удачного шоппинга!

Женя


by 4 Comments

Christmas Tag!


I was tagged to do this Christmas tag by Luchessa! Thank you, dear, for tagging me! Here we go:
images-2

1. Which  Holiday do you celebrate? Christmas, and then Russian Christmas (January 7th!), just because one Christmas is never enough! There was also a time in my life when I celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas!

2. What are you doing for the holidays this year? Going to Wisconsin! Enough said!

3. What’s your favorite holiday drink? Anything caffeinated with peppermint in it, preferably from Starbucks ;)

paperless-cards-feel-better-tree-christmas-ecards-someecards

4. Candy Cane or Gingerbread men? I was going to say neither, but definitely Gingerbread men as I think more about the question. They are easier to chew :)

5. What’s your favorite Holiday/Christmas song? At work – All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth!

But the one that really get’s me in the spirit of Christmas is – Oh Come all Ye Faithful

6. What’s the weirdest gift you’ve ever received? Someone once gave Sam and me a Christmas ornament that said “Our First Christmas 2010″, we got married in 2011, and the people who gave it to us came to our wedding! So I think it was a re-gift.

images-3

 

7. Have you ever made a snowman? Yes, many times! I think growing up in Russia it’s a winter MUST! I also made a miniature one last year for a girl I used to babysit!

8. What is your favorite winter fragrance? Definitely Miss Dior

Miss-Dior-300x300

9. What is at the top of your list this Christmas? Sewing books I posted about a couple days ago!

10. What is most important to you about holidays? Spending DRAMA-FREE time with my family!

I am going to tag all of you my lovely readers to answer all of the questions, and I’d really like to tag the following bloggers:

Megan 

Angelica

Katherine 

Lena

Elena

Anna

Lauren

And once again, please feel free to do the tag and link your post in the comments below!

Happy “End of the World” Friday!

Z

 

 

 

 

 

 


by 11 Comments

Kiss Ever PRO Lash Starter Kit Product Review


I am going to be honest with you – I am not a huge fan of false lashes. So when I received my complimentary Influenster VoxBox 2012 Kiss Ever Pro Lashes were the last thing I’ve tried. Don’t get me wrong, I have used falsies in the past, but they were individual ones, that you simply add to the corners of your eye bunch by bunch. These lashes were a full strip!

I made sure to read the instructions and watch a video (the package says that there is a video on the Kiss website , but I couldn’t find it, so I ended up finding this one on YouTube) because I really wanted these to work!

I did have high hopes for this product, the reviews on Influenster were 97% positive! Everyone wanted to give it an A. Plus the product description intrigued me: Made from highest quality human hair. Use with Kiss adhesive for optimal results. Latex free, odor free, waterproof, flexible formula for 24hr hold, easy applicator. The only thing that concerned me was the price – $4.99 seemed too cheap to my “I used to work in cosmetics at Macy’s”. But let’s see how it worked out for me:

Before:

Getting Ready:

 And after:

I think it looks super tacky, the color is too dark, even after I put a coat of mascara over my natural lashes.  The base to which the falsies are attached seems too thick, it makes you look like you are wearing a thick eye liner. The glue smells like Elmer’s (I am a teacher, I know :) ) And I honestly thought twice before applying it, because the smell really stopped me at first! The applicator (which was supposed to make it easier) made it really hard for me to apply the lashes. I looked at myself for about 2 minutes in the mirror, then took it all off! Applied another coat of Lancome mascara, and that was it :) I will probably never use these lashes again!

Let me know what you think of that product! Cheers!

Zhenya


by 6 Comments

Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox 2012


Blogging, just like everything in life comes with it’s own perks. Today I am sharing one of mine – the Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox 2012. I’ve recently received it in the mail. It was sent to me from this amazing website – Influenster.com . I highly recommend that you give this website a shot, especially if you are beauty/skincare/makeup obsessed, or just like free stuff :) Plus the website has a new updated interface, which is way more user friendly, the reviews are easy to find and are honest, because they are written by ordinary people, just like you and me!

So what was in my box?

 

I was kind of upset because I didn’t get a bonus item. Select members got either a Vitabath Fragrance Mist or a Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin. I really wish I would’ve gotten the latter, I’ve been dying to try that line. I guess I’ll just have to splurge and buy some of the products. Thankfully that line is available at Target!

Here is my super cute miniature candle, the box also included a $10 coupon on a 3 wick Bath & Body Works candle, but since I’ve already done all of my candle shopping for the season, I think I am going to hold off on that one! Let me know if you want that coupon and I’ll mail it to you!

 

Another thing that I have tried out of the box, and probably what I was most excited for was this NYC palette, which includes 4 eyeshadows (2 matte, 2 shimmer), a primer and a creamy illuminator. I used it to do my makeup on Friday!

 

I have also tried the EBOOST powder, mixed it with my water and drank it last night! That thing fizzes up!

 

I don’t think I’ll be purchasing this anytime soon, because a box of 20 pouches (single servings) is $28! Airborne serves the same purpose, and is much more affordable! If you are looking for a good Airborne knock-off try CVS brand, I’ve tried that and Target brand and I can definitely say that CVS is much closer to the real thing than Target!

And finally there is a 1.5 oz tube of Not Your Mother’s Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream, Kiss Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit and Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin – I will dedicate separate posts to those two products, though I am kind of skeptical about the pins, maybe it’s the fact that I have rather fine hair :)

So there you have it, my Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012! Did you get a box? What was in it? What do you like or dislike about it? Do tell!

Zhenya


by 4 Comments

This week, that week, what week?


I have been taking my lunch breaks in Mill Ruins Park:

 

Looking at the world from a different perspective:

 

Sharing my orange with a bee:

 

Met up with my friend Amy, I haven’t seen her since 2007!

 

Finally finishing my 3 week long lipstick testing for L’Oreal, and getting my reimbursement! YAY!

 

I’ve also been working on a lot of DIY’s here, so be patient with me! Also, some exciting news and announcements coming to my blog, hopefully on Monday!

Have a fab weekend!

Xo,

Z


by 15 Comments

What’s going on?


I quit my Beauty Advisor job at Macy’s to go be a toddler teacher. I couldn’t be more excited! Imagine working Monday through Friday, having weekends and holidays off. Oh, wait that’s how you all live and function out there. Anyways, I am one of you now! My husband couldn’t be more excited too!

We are also trying to decide whether to stay in our current apartment or move. After we saw the other available apartments in our building, my hopes went kind of down. We currently live in an apartment facing the highway, and I can’t sleep on top of the highway anymore, but we have a lot of sunlight throughout the day, the ceilings are high, and I have a ton of storage space. One of the apartments we saw yesterday was all carpeted, that immediately made me feel claustrophobic. The other one was nice, but the bedroom was facing the dumpster, there was no ceiling light in the living room, and no storage space. And they want $800 a month for those? UGH I am frustrated at the moment. So if you live in downtown Minneapolis and know of a great 1 Bedroom, let me know! Thanks!

I also decided to splurge and take advantage of my Macy’s discount for one last time, and get some stuff for myself (and tomorrow we are shopping for Sam). So I got some Origins!

 

I got Modern Friction and Clear Improvements, have already tried the first one, love it! The samples are of  VitaZing, which I own the full size of and LOVE! and Plantscription Anti-Aging serum! I also got this awesome Origins Mug, and you can decorate it the way you want to! That inside piece comes out and you can stick whatever you like in there :) I tried Modern Friction last night and it’s amazing! The idea is kind of similar to Clinique’s 7 day scrub, but the ingredients are completely different, and so is the effect! Skin is more radiant and soft. Plus it’s not as harsh as Clinique’s scrub, and has a nice scent (as you know all Clinique products are unscented). Okay, you probably all think that I hate Clinique now, I don’t, it’s just there are things that work for some and don’t for others!

I think I will write more about why I decided to quit retail later this weekend, there are some things that I just want to share and get off my chest! One thing for sure – I’ll miss my awesome co-workers!

Have a fabulous day everyone and an awesome Labor Day Weekend!

Cheers,

Z

 


by 3 Comments

The September Issue


“Vogue came. It’s pretty big” – that’s the text I got from my husband as I was leaving work today. I’ve been waiting for this issue since the last one came! I am serious! I love the September Issue.

But before we look through it together, I want to share a video with you, it’s 100% true, and I encourage you to watch it, and never ever act like this in a cosmetics department!

And now on to the Vogue:

Look how huge it is, compared to the game case:

 

The cover unfolded, as it often does, and revealed those cool covers/shots from December 1892 andNovember 1949. Yes, Vogue is 120 years old! I quickly cut those out, and am planning on framing them ASAP!

 

Couldn’t ignore this Mila Kunis ad for Dior! Yes, that’s how you become an A list actress!

 

This Dolce & Gabbana ad is so Russian to me:

 

Love the new O.P.I nail polish collection,look at how vibrant the colors are. I also had a ball reading the names! Can I please work as the nail polish name creator?

 

This issue was everything that I expected it to be and more! I am also excited and looking forward to trying this sample of L’Oreal’s BB cream

 

And shopping at Target when these new collections come around:

 

And finally, to top it all off, I wore a $140 skirt to work today, that cost me only $11.50! Yes, thrifting pays off my friends :)

 

What caught your eye in the September issue?

xo,

Z


by 4 Comments

Zhenya’s Monday Ramblings


The not so well known “stars” of Russian Dolls, as well as some other women of Brighton Beach got featured in New York Magazine, in an article “Style Tribes: Russian Women of Brighton Beach”. And while some of these women look absolutely gorgeous in their furs and jewels, this photo totally creeps me out. I want to go grab my torch and set out on a witch hunt! Who’s coming with me?

Баба Яга добралась до сокровищ Кощея Бессмертного (Baba Yaga finally got ahold of Koshei’s treasure)

Last Friday I got sent this amazing L’ancome eyeshadow palette in 302 Violet Sweetheart - as some of you may remember I sometimes do consumer testing projects and surveys for L’oreal, and that’s how I get “paid” for it!

I have also been obsessed with finding workouts on Pinterest and pinning them to my Workouts board! How awesome is that? Oh wait, I’ve also been obsessed with doing them! And BodyRockTV! You all should try it!

Happy Monday everyone!

Doodles,

Z


by 5 Comments

TAG: My Weird Beauty Habits


Hey everyone, how are you? Out of all the possible posts that I can do today, I decided to do this one, and the fact that it’s 4 am and I am awake, speaks for itself! So please forgive me if this post gets a little bit weird, and my mind starts drifting away.

Alright, weird beauty habit number one: I usually wake up in the middle of the night, right around 3.30 am, like today and go get a drink of water, then of course I go check out my face in the mirror, because I want to see if the beauty sleep is working. Does it work when interrupted though? I guess not, anyways that’s when I put more moisturizer on my face, because I feel like my skin is too dry, and for good measure I put some moisturizer around my eyes too! This is what I currently use for my middle of the night beauty routine:

 

 

 

Weird beauty habit number two is more like a confession – I love samples, and small travel sizes of, well of everything! I have about 6 small containers in addition to full size products on my cabinet, some of it is Estee Lauder, some of it is Bobbi Brown, I don’t care what it is, as long as it’s coming in a cute packaging and preferably free :) I am also a sucker for shampoo and conditioner combos. I think I have enough to last me through the next three months without having to buy anything full size, which I am planning on doing. And just yesterday I sat down behind this exact computer, went on my favorite Sweet Free Stuff and got 3 more shampoo/conditioner combos mailed to me. I also love Aveda samples, that come in those cute little boxes – best thing ever! I think I’ll go get some of those tomorrow!

 

My weird beauty habit number three started at work one day, when I was complaining that my hair was too greasy and I needed to go get some dry shampoo. That’s when I was told that Beautiful body powder from Estee Lauder works just like that and even better. So that’s what I’ve been using ever since. Now if you ever come see me at work and notice pink powder on my clothes, know that it’s my wonderful hair emergency go to!

 

And this is what I use at home:

 

Which leads to weird beauty habit number four: I love freecycling beauty products. That’s where Wind Song Body powder in the picture above came from, it was also brand new, and if anyone wants to know it’s $25 on ebay, I just checked :) And yes freecycle is a hit or miss, but a lot of times it’s the latter. I got a huge box of body washes, lotions, etc. about a month ago. Love it, won’t need to buy a body wash or a body spray for the next two years now! Here is a tip though – always check for expiration date, and if there isn’t one – then smell it, if it smells funny, recycle it. I love recycling my old skin care/make up/beauty packages at the Origins counter, they have bins there, so check your local stores!

 

And my fifth and last weird beauty habit that I can think of for today is actually a weird beauty routine that I do when I work out! Here is what I do:

- Put apple cider vinegar mixed with water and lavender or rosemary essential oils on my hair roots, and scalp,

- then I put coconut oil on my ends, which of course means I am putting coconut oil all over my hair ;)

- pull it all in a bun, go run 2 miles or so,

- all this while doing laundry!

Yup I am that good at multitasking :)

(There is a very small workout room in our building right next to the laundry room, so I am kind of killing two birds with one stone, three depending on how you look at it :) )

 

Okay now that you’ve read this post, you’ve all been tagged, so write your own post like that, or simply leave me a comment, I am dying to hear what everyone’s weird beauty habits are :)

And don’t do what I do, don’t write a blog at 4 am :) It’s already 4.40 now, I got side tracked looking up stuff on freecycle :)

Lots of love,

Zhenya

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,876 other followers