The importance of good photography in our life

Our photographs tell us what is important to us. When you ask people what possessions would they rescue from their burning house, one of the most frequent answers is the photo album or a computer  - holding their digital images. It's so interesting that when panic mode hits, you're most likely lunge for you photos rather than for your valuable jewelry. This impulse to save our recorded memories is a powerful force that just show us the important role photography has in our life and our constant desire to distill and imortalize our most precious moments into images.

Photography preserves the most important events and people in our lives. Photos are our personal story, they construct a timeline of our lives, filled with faces and places that we love.  And they allow us to share our life and important moments with others. They allow us to share and communicate, and can convey all kinds of emotions! 

So yeah. Having good photos, that really capture the moment is very VERY important. But not every one can do that. We all have some amador photographer in us. And that's enough for every-day memories, vacations and family gatherings. But for important moments -- moments that you want to capture no only the people but also the feelings -- you have to with a professional photographer. Don't ask you cousin that own a professional camera to take pictures of your weeding. You will definitely regret it! 

So, how do you find the right photographer? It may not be an easy task, but you only have three rules:

1. Find a photographer that matches your style, your aesthetic. Some with the same sense of style as you. Because most likely he will produce something that he likes, and if you have similar taste, you will like it too.

2. Find a photographer who edits well. Editing can really change a picture, the mood and the feeling it conveys. You if you have an editing style in mind you should find a photographer that is capable of delivering that style with consistency. If you don't know what you want, go trough your prospect-photographer's portfolios and see if you like what you see. Just make sure that the photographer you pick has a consistent editing processes, and be sure to communicate the tone and atmosphere you want your photographs to give off.

3. Find a photographer who has a good personality. Your photographer will be everywhere with you. Up in your face all day long. And there is nothing worse than having a photographer who is too opinionated, too boisterous, or too awkward to be around. So find someone you really click with. That is positive and has has an upbeat personality. Try meeting him over a coffee and really get to know him, build relationship with him, turn him into a friend!

And how about where to find the right photographer?

You can google it, ask your friends for recommendations OR you can use Fixando. Fixando is an online platform that makes hiring profissional services very easy, including a professional photographer. It's really easy to use -- you just answer a few questions about what you are looking for, how much is your budget and this information will be sent to all the available professionals registered on this platform. They will then submit their proposals and you can compare the different professionals, check their portfolios and compare prices. Fixando is available in several 

locations, including Portugal. So yeah, if you are in need of a Photographer in Lisbon or Photographer in Porto or a Photographer  really anywhere else in the world, Fixando can help you.

REVITALE Salicylic Acid Scrub Soap | The Amazon best seller against acne

Personally -- and thankfully -- I don't suffer from acne. Never did. Not even on my teen years. But I know that many of you do, and I hope this post can be helpful to you. I saw this product and I immediately thought that I need to do some research on it!  This product is all the rage right now and I've heard it absolutely does wonders for acne prone skin! The only reason I haven't ordered it and tried it for my self is because, well, I don't have acne prone skin or a lot of blemishes, but I thought you might all enjoy reading about it and maybe try it!

It's known that one of the things that helps with blemishes are products rich in Salicylic Acid and Sulfur. And today we can find all kinds of products marketed for acne prone skin. Products that claim to get rid of all your blemishes, from pills to pomades, but not all of them actually do what they promise. And some of them can be extremely aggressive for you skin -- and for your wallet as well!

But one product that I've been reading more and more about is this Salicylic Acid Scrub Soap, from the English company Revitale. It's very cheap and from the reviews I've red on Amazon UK, it really makes a difference! It's currently the #2 best seller in Face Scrubs on it has a 4+ star rating! 

But what makes this soap so special?

The magic of this soap starts with the abundant exfoliating almond and walnut shell particles, that can be very abrasive but work wonders in deep cleansing pores and stimulating cell renewal. Then you have Salicylic Acid (2%) that unclogs your pores and removes dead cells, revealing a clearer, renewed complexion. And to help removing any bacteria and absorbing any excess oil we have the Sulfur. But the treatment doesn't finish here. This soap is also enriched with Vitamine E1 that leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft, nourished and ready to face the world!

It's pink and beautiful and really easy to use, according to the amazon reviews. It ladders up really easily but I did find some complaints about the smell, but hey, it's sort of a medicinal product I wasn't expecting it to smell extremely good. 

I think you can only get it from Amazon -- and unfortunately for Portugal you have to pay shipping -- but from what I've seen it's worth every cent! If you find it somewhere else, please let me know so I can update this post!

Do you have acne? What do you do to control your break outs? 

Have you ever tried a soap like this? 

⇝ This is NOT a sponsored post, I just found out about it and decided to write about it. Just because it's not useful to me, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't share it with you! ⇜

REVIEW | COLGATE MAX WHITE CHARCOAL

All of us feel that our teeth could be a little whiter and a little brighter every now and again, am I right? 

Me, I drink a lot of coffee and even though I brush my teeth 3 times a day, I'm not able to avoid having my teeth stained. It doesn't bother me THAT much, but you know, if there's anything simple that I can do to help tone down the yellowness, I'll definitely give it a shot. I am not a huge fan of those treatments you can do at home -- you know, whitening strips or retainers with whitening goo. I prefer to keep my teeth white by brushing daily with a good whitening toothpaste.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING -- Do you know how most whitening toothpaste, how they make your teeth whiter?? It's by scrubbing the surface of your teeth. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, however this information was passed to me by my concerned dentist: most of whitening toothpastes contain some sort of abrasive agent that literally sands the stains of your teeth surface of your teeth.most of the times you can even feel the abrasive agents if you rub the toothpaste between you index and thumb -- it feels like tiny particles of sand! And sanding of the top layer of your teeth -- the enamel -- can damage your teeth. This will make your teeth more pron to sensitivity to hot and cold. And no one wants that. Since my dentist told me this, I have been paying more attention to what tooth paste I buy, because I've always suffered with some light sensitivity and I deferentially don't want to make it any worse. But I do also still want to have whiter, brighter teeth!

The other day, while browsing the toothpaste section of my local supermarket -- as one does -- I found this toothpaste and it instantly piqued my curiosity! I bought it and started to use it right a way.

This is the COLGATE MAX WHITE CHARCOAL. It mentions "Gentle mineral scrubbing" and it says on the tube that it is "Clinically Proven to remove up to 100% of surface stains". Let's pay attention to this claim -- they do mention "surface stains" and do talk about scrubbing. So yeah, this goes right along with what my doctor told me. But hey, at least they are putting things as they are. It's right there on the box! You are going to scrub the surface of you teeth by using this product. They don't say it like this but you know, it's implied. So if you decide that you do want to use this type of toothpastes, you should be careful! Don't use it every day, just two or three times a week, don't apply too much pressure when brushing. And when you are not using this one, use a toothpaste rich in fluoride.  And this applies to pretty much EVERY WHITENING TOOTHPASTE OUT THERE -- including AP24 - the one that is super famous on social media with all the fake pics.

This one in particular has charcoal. And why is the advantage of charcoal? Well, activated charcoal is known for having the ability to bind to toxin, so it might well remove some of them from you teeth. The charcoal gives the tooth paste a jet black color making it look kind of scary for a product you put in your mouth. It tastes minty, just like regular toothpaste. You can feel de charcoal in it, which is in this case the abrasive substance that will scrub you teeth.

Have I been noticing any differences? Well kind of, but nothing very significative. I've been using this for the past two weeks but only when I brush my teeth at night, before bed. Once a day. ( In the morning and after lunch, I use my regular toothpaste). I feel like this will help me prevent new stains while slowly getting rid of old ones. I don't know if this makes any sense, or if it works, but hey -- that's how I roll. I believe that with a more frequent use you would be able to have better results, but the idea of damaging my teeth really scares me.

Have you tried any black whitening toothpaste? How was it? 

Waxing makes your hairs thinner? Myth or Fact?

Summer is officially here! So we all are starting to face the big summer conundrum of how to deal with all this body hair that is just the most annoying thing ever. I mean, evolution should have taken care of these already, am I right?! Jokes aside, there are so many different types of hair removal available today, that can be hard to decide what to go for.

Me personally -- until very recently -- I'v always preferred waxing above any other method. I feel that it lasts longer than shaving, I can go somewhere to get it perfectly done by a professional, and for me it doesn't really hurt that much!

Body hair removal is ultimately your choice, you decide what is best for you. And of course I advise you to go for a more permanent hair removing treatment, like laser or IPL. And even tho these are cheaper that they were a few years ago, they are not yet cheap. So you know what's your second best option? Waxing! Why? Because indeed, waxing makes your hair grow slower and thinner.  That's not a myth my friends. THAT IS A HARD FACT. There is no guarantee for permanent hair, but waxing regularly can drastically change your hair

Let's just think about what waxing does to your hairs and skin. When you wax of your hairs, you are basically ripping the hair from it's root, damaging the hair bulb. The hair bulb is what provides nourishment for newly forming and established hair. By waxing repeatedly, the hair bulbs get more and more damaged and they are not able to give the hairs what they need to grow. This means that the hairs can't grow properly resulting in thinner hairs, that take longer to grow. Some follicles can become so much damaged that hairs may not even grow there again. 

And contrary to popular believe, shaving doesn't make your hairs grow thicker! When you shave, the blade cuts a sharp edge at what is the hairs thickest point of the shaft. This not only make your hair feel ticket but it also appears darker That's why when you pass your hand on you leg a few days after shaving you feel like the little sharp hairs poking out. When you wax, hairs basically grow with a more rounded edge, so when they break the skin t don't have this sharp edge, and they feel softer and thinner. 

And here is another girly advice: if you wax frequently, buy one of these Roll-on Wax Warmers. They are very inexpensive, the wax cartridges usually cost under 1€ and you can use it over and over again. I own one, and let me tell you, it was the best investment I've ever made! I actually prefer having it professional done but it is perfect for in between appointments touch ups. Makes waxing easy and super cheap.

-- By clicking on the links on this post you are supporting my blog. Please be nice and supportive and click on at lest one link. 

I'd do the same for you. Thank you! --

-- This post was sponsored by Presença de Luxo produtos para depilação a cera --

10 Snacks To Eat While At Work

Trying to eat healthier is a big challenge today. Why? Because of all the fast-food available around you.

If you usually cook at home, you'll find that main meals are easier to keep healthier. But when that afternoon munchies hit, I would often find my self gravitating towards my office's vending machine and all the sugary snacks it holds. 

To avoid these, I've been trying to discover healthy snacks what can I easily bring with me to work. I want to share with you my top 10 snacks... the ones that I really enjoy eating. I also try not to eat more than 200kcal in snacks during the day!

Turkey Ham. A great snack option! It's low in fat and low in calories but you should always go for the ones without nitrates. Just roll up a couple of slices and eat them with some crackers.

Boiled eggs. One egg contains around 70 kcal and around 6g of protein, which means that it will make you feel pretty full for a while.

Sliced (light) cheese. Like the turkey ham, it's healthy, light ande each slice has on average 80kcal! But be careful with how many slices you have! Two are probably more than enough.

Sweet potato chips. Air fried sweet potato chips are the perfect snack! Full of nutrients and high in fiber!

Avocado. Avocado is a great source of fiber, and will make you fill full for a long time! Sprinkle some paprika on top for some extra flavor.

Celery or carrot sticks and Humus. Hummus is dip made of chickpeas and olive oil and tahini, very light and very fulfilling. It's great to dip crunchy vegetables such as carrots or celery or even cucumbers.

Almonds. 12 almonds have around 180 kcal, making it an awesome snack. Just bring it already portioned to work, or I'll bet you will eat the whole pack in one afternoon.

Yogurt. Yogurts can be high in protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics, which can enhance the gut microbiota. These can offer protection for bones and teeth and help prevent digestive problems.

Queso fresco. Simple cheese, made only from drained curdled milk. Packed with protein and calcium is a simple snack since it is low in calories and fat.

Protein bars. Store bought protein bars. I prefere the ones with chocolate because it tricks my brain into thinking that I am eating a candy bar. But they have less sugar, and they actually make you feel full. My faves are from Prozis -- Protein Snack in the Belgian Chocolate flavor. Not very expensive, and really good.

 

-- I also take CLA as a supplement,but I'll talk about it later --

Do you bring your own snack to work or do you feed of the vending machine?

NEW IN MY CLOSET | MANGO

-- I'm not the biggest fan of shopping during sales season. The stores are crowded, the clothes are all pilled up and I can never find my size. But what I've been doing is: whenever I'm shopping around and I find something that I like but that I feel it's too expensive, I add it to my wishlist on the store's app (Mango's and Zara's even allow you to scan the bar code on the and it will open the product right on the app). When the sales arrive, I look trough my wishlist, I check the new prices, and I buy what I still like and still want!

Oh and I payed of these using a 25€ Mango gift card that I bought for 12€ trough SixthContinent ! -- 

Tips & Tricks | How to chose the PERFECT Sunscreen

Choosing the right sunscreen can be an overwhelming task -- or at least I know I used to feel overwhelmed when I had to choose a sunscreen. There are so many brands, so many different types, so many different options that I've ended up wasting money on sunscreens that were truly awful. 

I've done some light research on how sunscreen works, and what is best for my skin and I've decided to share that with you. Please feel free to correct me if you find anything wrong on this post -- I'm not in anyway professionally qualified to be making this suggestions but I have a background in science and I have some understanding in how these things work.

SPF is not the only thing that matters!

A good sunscreen should protect you from UVB radiation -- the one that gives you sunburns -- as well as from UVA radiation -- the one that goes deep into your skin causing photo-ageing, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles, degradation of collagen and also skin cancer. 

However, when we look at a sunscreen we usually only the SPF factor. And when you see SPF 30, the 30 basically only refers to the UVB protection factor. There's usually no information about UVA. Here in Europe, the regulations say that UVA protection should be at lest one third of the the UVB protection. This means that a SPF 30 sunscreen is at least a 10 on UVA protection. But if you take a look at any sunscreen bottle, you won't find this information on it because most brands don't descoser it. You know that it has to be at least one third of the SPF and that is it. 

Also, when you apply a SPF 30, you know, the SPF starts to go away after a while -- that's why you need to reapply it. And of course the higher the SPF, the slower the decay rate, the better the protection! HOWEVER, there's no need to by sunscreen with extremely high SPF. 

Sunscreen with an SPF higher than 70 is generally only slightly better than SPF 50-70. Picking a sunscreen with a SPF 80 or 90 may just cause you to spend extra money for a product that is really no better. As the SPF numbers increase beyond 50, the amount they protect only increases very slightly. For instance, a SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV-B rays, while a SPF 100 blocks 99% of UV-B rays.

Water Resistant is also a bullshit label that brands put on their products to trigger you into buying a more expensive product. As soon as you go into the water, the sunscreen on your skin will loose its strength. You always need to reapply your sunscreen after taking a swim. Always!

Oh and btw, do you know how much product you should apply? We should apply 30 ml of product on your skin and reapply that exact same amount every two hours. 30ml corresponds to one shot-glass. No one really applies that much sunscreen, which means the actual SPF we have on our bodies is lower than advertised. Also, if we applied 30ml every two hours that bottle of sunscreen that usually lasts you the whole summer, would be only enough only for one day.

Different products for different parts of your body.

You should at least have one sunscreen specific for your face and one for your body. And both should be appropriate for your skin type. You can find all kinds of sunscreen, including sunscreen specific for you face even with anti-aging agentes.

Regarding of whatever type of product you chose, I recommend that you chose one with 50+ SPF for your face and at least 30 SPF for your body.

Also, if you have a scar or a skin wound that is recovering, you should always consider applying a hypoallergenic sunscreen right over that patch of skin to help protecting it a little more. New skin is forming, new cells are growing. The skin is trying to heal, and is much more sensitive. So it's much more likely to get sunburned! You can get post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, which can cause the scar to go from pink to brown AND you can also increase your risk of skin cancer! 

It should a product that you enjoy using!

Don't go buying a fancy-schmancy, expensive sunscreen that you can't stand because it has a very intense smell, or because it's hard to apply and leaves you all sticky. You should spend your money on something that you are going to enjoy wearing! It should make your skin feel light and nurtured and protected! 

My recommendations. Personally, I really enjoy Vichy's Sunscreen. They are not the cheapest but I think that they are really good, they feel really light on my skin and don't make me all sticky. My favorite line is the Ideal Soleil Bronze, that not only protects you skin but also helps you get tanned faster. Regarding Drugstore brands -- I'm really impressed with the new Garnier Solaire Sensitive Advanced line!

REVIEW | NARS Orgasm Blush

If I asked you to think of a blush, I bet that the first one that will come to your mind is this one -- NARS Orgasm Blush! This blush is so popular that an entire collection has been built around it. And even being a kind of an old product -- I think it first came out in 1999, so 20 years ago! -- this blush continues to attracting a legion of fans, including me! 

NARS products are known from being very high quality, very pigmented and with very awesome names. I mean, they are bold enough to have a blush called Orgasm and another called Deep Throat! I mean, it's not the typical cute name you would expect! However, these edgy names go really well with the overall look of the product. I absolutely love the packaging! The compact is thin and lightweight and has a little mirror. It feels really solid, high quality, and it is made of matte rubberized material that makes it look super edgy and cool!

Orgasm is a peached pink blush that is perfect for a everyday use. The thing about this blush is that is looks good on every skin ton e due to it being the perfect hybrid between pink and peach with some gold shimmer for some added glow. The pink undertone naturally looks great on lighter complexion, while the peachy undertone and gold shimmer gives some additional warmth. On darker skin, the peachy gives a pop of brightness while the gold makes the skin glow!

When lightly applied, this beautiful blush gives you a very natural rosy look and a subtil shimmer. It's just pink enough to give you a real 'blush', giving you just a healthy, cheeky glow! It's not too prominent or overpowering. It's texture is very lightweight, very easy to apply. It's just perfect in every sense.

I absolutely love it and this NARS blush is now part of my everyday make up routine! And I think it's going to say there for a long time!

If I asked you to think of a blush, I bet that the first one that will come to your mind is this one -- NARS Orgasm Blush! This blush is popular that an entire collection has been built around it. And even being a kind of an old product -- I think it first came out in 1999, so 20 years ago! -- this blush continues to attracting a legion of fans, including me! 

NARS products are known from being very high quality, very pigmented and with very awesome names. I mean, they are bold enough to have a blush called Orgasm and another called Deep Throat! I mean, it's not the typical cute name you would expect! However, these edgy names go really well with the overall look of the product. I absolutely love the packaging! The compact is thin and lightweight and has a little mirror. It feels really solid, high quality, and it is made of matte rubberized material that makes it look super edgy and cool!

Orgasm is a peached pink blush that is perfect for a everyday use. The thing about this blush is that is looks good on every skin ton e due to it being the perfect hybrid between pink and peach with some gold shimmer for some added glow. The pink undertone naturally looks great on lighter complexion, while the peachy undertone and gold shimmer gives some additional warmth. On darker skin, the peachy gives a pop of brightness while the gold makes the skin glow!

When lightly applied, this beautiful blush gives you a very natural rosy look and a subtil shimmer. It's just pink enough to give you a real 'blush', giving you just a healthy, cheeky glow! It's not too prominent or overpowering. It's texture is very lightweight, very easy to apply. It's just perfect in every sense.

I absolutely love it and this NARS blush is now part of my everyday make up routine! And I think it's going to say there for a long time!

REVIEW [YOUZZ] | MYLABEL Q10 Day Face Cream

Not all products work for every skin type. And unfortunately, this time I got to try a product that did not work for me. When I got my hands on this product, I was super excited and eager to start using it!

This is the MyLabel Q10 Day Face Cream -- Q10 CREME DE ROSTO DIA -- with hyaluronic acid, vitamine E end the famous co-enzime Q10, It's targeted for skins over 30 years old and it's ready to help you prevent those inevitable fine lines that start to appear. 

I'm not 30 yet, but I am almost there, and I do include in my routine some anti-aging. This day-cream is supposed to keep you face all moisturized and nurtured, helping with elasticity and even helping in preventing sunspots.

It's beautiful and it feels so luxurious! It's pastel yellow, and it has a very light and smooth texture! It has a very intense sweet smell that, to be honest, I'm not very fond of, but that's just personal preference.

So what happen? Well, I don't know. But this product did not work for me. I feel like this product is TOO rich, and my skin usually doesn't do well to very rich products. It made me all oily and it made me break out like crazy. I never had acne, or a skin very pron to pimples. But I used this face-cream three days in a row and I was feeling super greasy all day long and I have break-outs on my chin and on my forehead. I was so greasy, that whenever I would just my fingers trough my forehead and I could fell all the grease in my fingers. As soon as I stopped using it, and went back to my regular routine, most of that yuckiness went away.

I'm so sad. I really wanted to love this product! 

But just because this din't work for me, it doesn't mean that it won't work for you! We are all different, our skins have different need and different responses to products and maybe this product is exactly what you skin needs!

It costs 2.99€ and you can find it at you local Continente -- if you are in Portugal, obviously.

#Youzz #YouzzPortugal #MyLabel #LoveMeMyLabel

REVIEW | GARNIER Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Protecting and Hydrating Mist

SPF is very important in our lives. Regardless of being commuting to work in sunny Lisbon or sunbathing in the Caribbean, winter or summer, we know that sun protection should always be in our minds – and most importantly, in our skins!

But we all fail to re-apply, or even apply in the first place SPF because of its inconveniences: stickiness, heaviness and some times interference with your make up. I'm definitely guilty of that! I often don't apply sunscreen in the morning simply because it's an extra step and I don't want to get my hands all greasy.

So I have been on the hunt for the perfect sunscreen. One that takes little space, is easy to apply and that you can take away with you on a daily basis! And I think I've honestly found the most practical SPF around and perfect for us city folks that are always on the run -- and that can also be applied on top of makeup!

Garnier recently launched here in Portugal the Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Face Protecting and Hydrating Mist with SPF 50 (what a mouthful!). A super light sunscreen that can actually go over makeup! 

It's truly amazing: super light and supper efficient. It dries instantly without a hint of heaviness, greasiness or stickiness in sight. And it comes in a tiny tube perfect for caring it around on you hand bag!

You just shake it well, close your eyes and mist away. It's a very fine mist that lightly covers you face, it does not leave a white cast on the skin, and it does not affect the makeup that you may have applied!

The product is defined for sensitive skins, and it has a very very VERY light floral fragrance that just goes away almost instantaneously. Also, because it's a mist, its application make you fell all refreshed! It feels really good when you are out in the sun and you apply this fresh product that not only cools you down but is also protecting your skin!

I've became a huge fan instantly. A handbag sized SPF50 spray that you can use to top up your sun protection is just perfect! It's super practical even if you have kids or you play a lot of outdoor sports! 

I would also recommend this product for man that have a bald-spot and don't want to apply regular sunscreen on their head -- because you know, hairs and all. Guys going bald usually have big issues with getting sun burned on the top of their head and I think this product would be just perfect for them! 

MyLable Skin Care [YOUZZ]

Usually I'm a sucker for high-end products, BUT good skin care doesn't need to burn a hole in your wallet. I've been trying out these MyLable goodies and so far I'm really enjoying the experience. MyLable is the in-house beauty products brand for the Portuguese supermarket Continente. These are super affordable and very high quality. I have been using the Q10 day-cream on my face and it smells really nice and feels great. As for the gigantic tub of moisturizer, it feels really nice on my skin, it's not sticky at all and it makes my skin feel really soft and nourished. And OMG the Olive oil body lotion is just so luxurious! It is super smooth and just feels amazing on my skin. And do you know what the best part is? This double pack only costs 1.99€! 

I'm going to keep using these products and eventually write a full review about them. But in the meanwhile, tell me: Have you tried any MyLable products? What's your favorite MyLable product? What other products should I try?

#MyLable #LoveMeMyLable

REVIEW | ORIFLAME Giordani Gold Iluminating Pears

If have been around for a while, you probably remember that I had - a long time a go - a sort of partnership with an Oriflame Consultant. She was a super nice girl, help me set up a giveaway and gave me few products to try. And at the time, I chose the products I wanted to try, and I chose products that I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed by. And I remember that the products were good, but just OK. Not mind-blowing, not life changing, just OK.

And a while back, a friend of my mom's showed me the catalog, and she pushed me into buying this and honestly -- What a waste of money!

These are the Giordani Gold Iluminating Pears. For what I noticed from the catalog -- and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong -- this Giordani Gold line is supposed to be Oriflame's high end line of products. They look more fancy and are more expensive. These light-diffusing multi-coloured pearls are hand-crafted in Italy and ideal for accentuating and freshening complexion -- or at least that's what the brand states.

-- without flash --

They are in fact, really pretty in their little black and gold jar. The pearls are in 4 different shades -- like color correcting shades -- ice-white, peach, green, purple and a nudy-shade. And the idea is that you swirl your brush around, pick up some products and apply it as a highlighter or even as an all over the face powder. But here's the thing -- I don't think that the glow is enough for it to be used as highlighter, and I think that all over the face it's just too much... You can see from the pictures I took. The one without flash -- it just casts a super with shadow on my skin, and on the one with flash you can see that it gives a really light glow only on some parts. And this was really fully packed on my harm. I masked a small area of my arm with little hear sticker so you can clearly see the difference where I've applied the product, and even though the glow is really pretty in the picture with flash, I hate how it looks in person! It just makes me look white pale. 

-- with flash --

This was not a cheap product -- yep, this thingy costs 31€! And I feel that, for THAT amount of money I could have bought a much better product, with higher quality and much better performance. I was already kind of expecting this, but yet I gave it benefit or the doubt and bought this product. I thought that because it was from the more premium line, it wouldn't be a failure, but I guess I was wrong.

What do you think?

ZOMATO GOLD FOR 18€!

 

Zomato Gold is on sale!!
The anual membership is now costing 24€ which is a bargain! Plus, if you use my code CATYOL you get 25% off - which means you'll only pay 18€! I've just renewed my membership. Don't let this opportunity pass!

New In My Closet | My Furla Play

I absolutely love My Furla Play Metropolis with the super ornamented and intricate pink suede flap. It's just so beautiful, and detailed and I loved. These jewels were placed one-by-one by hand in Italy and they are just so stunning! However, I'm so scared that they might come off that I don't wear this bag as much as I would love to. I'm so scared to ruin it that I barley take it out of the house. You can see in the next picture how intricate the placement of this jewels are, and you can also see the little thingy that holds one of the big gems sticking out -- It got caught on my jacket and it just opened! Thankfully, I was able to push it down and it's like nothing ever happen!

So I decided to buy the plain flap, that matches the rest of my bag, because I thought that this way I would get more uses out of it... And yep, I've been using my pink bag all the time and I am so happy. Best decision ever! I only spent 60€ on the flap and basically now I have two bags. I can wear the simple one to work, or just going out with friend, and the very ornamented one whenever I'm feeling more fancy.

-- Bag -- Suede flap with the Jewelry -- Simple Flap -- 

EAT | Hottie, Lisbon

American junk food ... You know what it is? Of course you do... Of course you've all seen in every single american movie all these wonderful things like Mac'n'Cheese, Ribs, Chicken Wings, Nachos... Yeah, but what about actually trying out one of these calorie bombs? Have you ever had the opportunity to tasted it any of it? No?! Well, but now you can try all these and more at Hottie!

On Rua de Santa Marta, Hottie is the most American restaurant in Lisbon! Forget those fake diners out there. That's not American food. Hottie is American food.

This space is very small - emphasis on the small! - but very interesting. It only has place for 15 people, divided among two tables and 3 seats over the counter. The decoration is very simple and it is clear that they tried to maintain the original architecture of the space that used to be an old style bakery - the counter, the window, the marble walls are all very charismatic ! But what really draws your attention is the red neon sign with the name of the restaurant, casting a reddish light at the door, as if we were entering a super naughty place.

I called in advance, trying to book a table, but when we arrived there was no table for us. Let's face it, with only 15 seats, I do not blame them for trying to serve as many people as possible. The guy who greeted us was super super friendly and invited us to sit at the counter, where we waited about 10 minutes for our table. These 10 minutes gave us opportunity to explore the menu and really choose what we wanted to eat. The menu is totally 'MURICA, and although the descriptions are in Portuguese, the names of the dishes are in English. It's just junk food. It's not too big but it has something for everyone. As a starter, we had some Cheesy Nachos, we also asked for Chicken & Waffles and BBQ Ribs. As side dishes we opted for  Mac & Cheese and French Fries. And of course, no meal is completed without dessert, so we ordered a Lemon Meringue Pie - my usual favorite dessert. Despite being junk food, all dishes come with carefully plated on little tin plate with the restaurant logo. Super adorable and what a nice touch.

Cheesy Nachos. Tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese and guacamole. This dish is not necessarily American, but has been adopted by American culture and is much appreciated as snack. The chips were crispy and had lots of cheese. I liked it. I also liked that the chips did not have that typical triangular shape - they were kind of rounded - which makes me think they home-made and not store-bought!

Chicken & Waffles. Fried Chicken. Yes, chicken fried on top of a sweet waffle, with maple syrup to drizzle on top. This is a typical dish from the southern states, and is included in the so-called Soul Food. I was crying for more! The chicken was super well fried, super juicy and full of flavor. And the waffle, OMG,  was super tasty, crispy, well cooked. Really Delicious!

BBQ Ribs. Two ribs, topped with handmade barbecue sauce, perfectly well cooked. The flesh was falling from the bone and it was just delicious. And I'm not even the biggest fan of BBQ sauce! But this one was divine, it was not too sweet nor too acid.

Mac & Cheese. It was very good.  VERY GOOD. The dough was al dente and you could taste the cheese but the flavor was not overwhelming. It was very good. Guys, it's noodles with cheese. You can never go wrong with noodles and cheese. 

French Fries. These were so good. Just out of the fryer, sprinkled with salt and rosemary. Really simple but perfectly done. And the perfect side dish for the BBQ Ribs, to  help you clean out that yummy BBQ sauce from your dish!

Lemon Meringue Pie. I love lemon meringue pie! It's my favorite dessert. And this one was so good that I'm considering going back there and just to have a coffee and a slice of this pie! The center of this tart was creamy, with an intense lemon flavor, perfectly balanced by the base which was slightly sweet. And on top,  slightly chard meringue, gooey and lovely. It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

I absolutely loved Hottie and I'm dying to go back there.! Loved the space, loved the simple but modern decor, and absolutely loved the food. It's cheap, it's good, the staff is friendly and you will leave feeling like a ball.

I'm going to make Hottie my new canteen!

New Nespresso Barista Creations [YOUZZ]

I am the type of girl who loves a nice warm latte or a yummy cappuccino in the morning. There's something just so heart-warming about the combination of coffee and milk, don't you think?

So when the time for buying a new Nespresso machine came I opted for one that would allow me to make this drinks at home. But even tho Nespresso has a couple of machines that let you heat or froth your milk, they don't have specific cups to use with milk. Well, they didn't have!

Nespresso just launched a new line called Barista Creations that allows to fix a latte, a cappuccino or a macchiato like a pro! These three new cups are going to be part of Nespresso's permanent offer --there are not just a special edition! -- and these were specially developed to be mixed in with milk!

- Chiaro: Inspired by the baristas of Brooklyn who value the natural sweetness of lighted roasted coffee, this smooth blend of Arabicas from Kenya and Indonesia, has a natural caramel and sweet biscuit notes.

- Scuro: Taking inspiration from Melbourne baristas -- the masters of robust, but perfectly balanced tastes -- Scuro combines Arabicas from Colombia and Ethiopia roasted in very contrasting manners, to create an intense roasted coffee taste that balances perfectly with milk.

- Corto: This one was inspired by Spanish Baristas and their love for serving expresso with milk! It has a very strong flavor and a dense and creamy texture, perfect for those who prefer just a little bit of milk in their coffee.

Youzz sent me these to try, and I've been obsessed with making cappuccinos and cute lattes ever since. My machine heats up the milk to the perfect temperature -- hot but not too hot to the point where you can't drink it -- makes the most perfect foam and the coffee is just so tasteful! My favorite is the scuro with some sprinkles of coca-powder on top! Takes two minutes and makes me feel like I'm have a breakfast at a nice coffee-shop!

Youzz is a website where you can sing up to try out new things that come in the market and report your experience in your blog or on your social media. Yes, they send free stuff to try! Click HERE to sign up and become a Youzzer!

#Youzz #Youzzer #ManhasBaristaCreations

REVIEW | FLORMAR Color Palette Eye-shadow 006 Pink Desserts

I'm not very adventurous with eye-shadow. I usually don't go for very bold eye-shadow looks. I honestly like to keep things simple and in the neutrals.

I only own two eye-shadow pallets -- one from ColourPop and one from Zoeva. I love them, they are great and beautiful but they are both in the same color ranges. And I felt like I needed a pallet with more color to complemente those two that I already owned. But I also didn't want to invest a lot of money because I know that I'm not going to use it a whole lot. So I thought I would give Flormar a shot. Flormar products are usually very nice. I own bunch of their stuff, and nothing has let me down so far! But I had never tried any of their eye-shadows before. So, I picked up this little 5 shade pallet to try, with a range of pink colors. I always think that pinks look really well on my skin.

So this is the Color Palette Eye-shadow in shade 006 Pink Desserts. It's an eye shadow pallet, with 5 different shades. In this case, it has all the shades you would need to create a look -- a base shade, mid-range shades, and a really dark shade! Every shade is pearlized, they are shimmery, but not glittery. It has light reflecting pigments in its formula to add extra shine, and yes, you can totally notice those.

The pallet it self is nice, it has a nice weight to it. The box is made of a cheap plastic, much similar as their blushes and bronzes. 

The shadows are really nice, but not super super pigmented. But it's buildable. Even the white shows up really nice. I didn't really noticed any differences in the formula among the shadows, they all work pretty much the same... they are all easy to blend. However, the lighter shades have a lot of fall out! I mean, a LOT! 

The shades don't have names, but I've swatched them by order on my arm. I have the shadows fully packed on the stars, and then on the side I did try to kinda blend them and fade them so that you can see how they work in both situations. The color payoff is really nice, and I love the range of pinks. My favorite are definite the two darker ones! They are just lovely and I think they go really well with my skin tone. Also, I was really surprised how well the wight shows off! Gives a nice ice-y shine to a look and it can even be used as an inner corner highlighter. You can really see the pearlized shine of these shadows and how beautiful they are.

-- BTW, how adorable are these swatches?! I'm so proud ahah --

Overall, I feel like this is a really nice eye-shadow pallet, that I can get a lot of use of. It was fairly cheap but the quality of the shadows is far superior to many others of this price range that I've tried before. Totally recommend.

More on Flormar:
-- Extreme Matte Lipstick -- Terracota Blush-On -- Contour Trio --

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First Impressions | PHILIPS Lumea Prestige IPL for home use

Summer is coming you guys! And you know what this means? This means that we are all going to start shaving our legs like crazy-mad girls. I hate having to wax or shaving. I hate hair on my body and I've been wanting to go get a more permanent hair form of hair removal done. I've looked into a few options but they all involve appointments and having to be somewhere on a certain time, and I'm not good with that, so I've just been postponing it forever.

But recently, Philips contacted me and they asked me if I was willing to try an at-home IPL device! And of course I said yes and I was super excited to try this out! Permanent hair removal, at home? It sounds like heaven to me!

So far, I've done what we can call one session, where I used this device on my legs, underarms and bikini-line. Philips say you need 5 to 10 sessions to actually get rid of hair, but I really want to share my first impressions and this journey of hair removal.

So while ago, Philips came out with this super cool device -- called Lumea Prestige IPL. IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light and you've probably heard about this term associated with permanente hair removal. Owning a device like this is really nice, because you can do your own treatments, at your own time, your own pace, in the comfort of your home. Any time of day -- you can do it late at night while watching some TV, or on the weekend. It is just so much easier to be able to get your more permanent forms of hair removal done without having to make those commitments.

This devices is super easy to use and it comes with a little booklet that will help you understated all the details about the process and the product. It's really helpful and I advice you to read it because it explains everything you'll need to know.

With IPL technology gentle pulses of light are applied to the skin and absorbed by the hair root. The lighter the skin and darker the hair the better the pulses of light are absorbed. The pulses of light stimulate the follicle to go into a Resting Phase  and as a consequence the hair sheds naturally and hair regrowth is prevented. It's recommended four to five treatments, every treatment two weeks apart and than afterwords a follow-up phase, with touch-ups every four to eight weeks. I think that with this sort of treatments, you really need to be consistent. One session is not going to give you any results! Not every single follicle is going to be affected by that one treatment so you need to do the treatments consistently over time to make sure that you get all the hair follicles. It will eventually start coming back, and that's why you need to do the maintenance stages that Philips recommends as well.

Dark skin is not suitable for IPL, because there needs to be a contrast between the hair and your skin tone -- because the darker colors will absorb more light, and if your skin is the same color as you hair, the light pulse will be absorbed by the whole area, not only just that little string of hair, and it won't have enough intensity to affect the follicle. By this same reason, this technique won't work if you have really light hairs. Therefore, the very first thing you need to do before starting to use this product is a skin test. The skin test will tell you what is the intensity that you'll need to use your device on. To do the test, you need to press the button with the magnifying glass and hold the device against your skin in the area that you are intending to use it. The recommended intensity will start to flash -- for me, it's intensity 4 -- and to accept and tell the device you are ready to use it you need to press the little check button. If you would like to use a lesser intensity, that's totally OK, you can just use the little arrows to go up and down and select the intensity that you are comfortable with.

The next step is to actually get on with the real hair removal. You take the device and you press it against your skin. If the device is correctly positioned, the is a light on the back, that will go on and you can press the trigger button positioned on the handle. You will see a bright flash and that's it.

The device comes with four different attachments, specially shaped for different parts of the body -- one for large areas, like legs and arms, one for your face, one for your armpits and one for your bikini area. It comes with a battery but in my experience one full battery is not enough for you do to one session but it does work plugged in, so I recommend you do that instead. You can use this device on you face, I haven't because I was scared it would could burn my face but I definitely want to try it.

And now the really important question that I know you are all wondering -- what did it feel like?  Honestly, it's, in my experience, completely pain-free, however you do feel something. You feel a pulse, and a little heat. But no pain what so ever. Not even on my arm pits or my bikini area. I was thinking that maybe I would need to lower the intensity for the areas, but there was no need for that.

I've only done one session, and I can't yet say it works but I know that this technology in general works and the fact that you can do it at home is just perfect. I'll keep using it and I'll keep you updated. And if you have any questions or tips about this product, please leave me a comment!

EAT | Amelia, Lisbon

A while back -- It was almost one year I go --  I went for brunch to the mecca of blogger -- Nicolau. And now I finally went to visit his girlfriend Amélia.

While Nicolau is located downtown, Amelia is literally up the hill, in Campo de Ourique. With just a hand full of tables, and cute and trendy decor, both these places are always full. I mean really full. Full of locals and tourists. I would dare to say that *these* have become a touristic attraction of the city.

Amélia is really cute. Outside, it has the most adorable pink awnings that are impossible to go unnoticed. The decoration in side, is really simple but really edgy. Being Amelia a girl of course all the decoration is very girly with touches of pastel pink. There's a small waiting room at the entrance, with a small couch and where you can find the famous Amelia Painting. You have a big counter where you can sit and eat if you want, and at the back you have two eating areas, one inside and another one outside. The decor inside is really similar to Nicolau's. It's the same style. Really really similar, but still cute.

Amelia's menu has a lot of options. I  don't remember exactly but I would dare to say that it's exactly the same as from Nicolau. We thought about asking for the brunch menu, but we ended up picking up a few of the different things that they offer, so that we could end up with a full table. The brunch menu there costs 15€ is a bit different than the ones I've been having. A side from one juice and one hot drink it include one pancake, a yogurt bowl, and an avocado toast. If you want eggs, you have to pay extra: 3€ for scramble, 5€ for Benedict. It doesn't come with a croissants, or mignardises. And since my thing are really the eggs I just decided to "mix and match" instead of going for the brunch menu. So we ordered: Egg Benedict, Eggs Nicolau, Fit Pancake and Regular Pancake w/ Maple Syrup. To drink I had a cappuccino and my friend opted for a Banana Milkshake.

The service was fast. I guess it has to be since they are always packed. The drinks came first, and they were OK. A cappuccino is a cappuccino. A milkshake is a milkshake. I liked the little personalized sugar packet that came with my cappuccino. It's a cute touch, and it makes a nice souvenir if you don't use it up.

Next came the food, and everything came at once. The eggs were OK. My friend really liked hers but they were not that special. She had Eggs Nicolau - two poached eggs on top of avocado toast sprinkled with turmeric granola. Looked pretty. My Eggs Benedict were average. The hollandaise was OK, the texture as good but it definitely lacked some flavor. The eggs come with some slices of **turky ham** that was as flaverul as a piece of paper, and it's served on top of an english muffin that needed to be toasted for a little bit longer. The eggs were well poached.

The pancakes were both really good and it was definitely my favorite part of the meal. My friends' Fit Pancake has made with buckwheat and it was covered with banana, strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup. Mine, were just regular, simple pancakes hat came with a little dish of delicious maple syrup. In both cases, the actual pancake was not very sweet but it went really well with that earthy-sweetness of the maple syrup. I think this was the best part of the meal. Warm, sweet and fluffy.

Overall, this is type of place that is about good pictures and not good food. And this is the same feeling I had when I went to Nicolau. These places flood your social media feeds with amazing looking food, cute decor, but at the end they serve really over priced average food, that you could definitely replicate at home for a fraction of the price. A really small fraction. It's not bad food, don't get me wrong, but the quality of the food doesn't go with the quality of the space. They have all the trendy clichés on the menu that look awesome and cute on pictures -- chia pudim, bowls, avocado toast, green juice, Matcha... It's a photo op place. I just wish they applied as much attention to details to their food as they did to the decor. We left with some good photos tho.