Saturday, 6 December 2014

Top 10 Favourite Perfumes




Hello everybody! Welcome back to my blog! :)

This post is dedicated to women's best friend (after diamond, of course!): PERFUME.
Not only is perfume one of the most powerful weapons of seduction, it also helps us achieving a certain level of uniqueness and enhance our personality, it is literally a "signature" that will make us be remembered. The choice of the perfume we will wear is in fact very personal, this is one of the reasons why we should never buy a one as a present for someone else (unless they told us exactly what perfume they like).

Let's start by saying that I usually prefer sweet, gourmand perfumes, especially during the cold months.
Here is a list of my all time favourite perfumes! Some of them are ideal for this time of the year and others are more suitable for the hot seasons. 

Nina by Nina Ricci
This perfume is probably the best on my best-list. I love its fruity, citrus scent, with a tiny bit of spice. And the bottle is absolutly adorable!


Fior di Vaniglia by Helan
I bought this eau de toilette in Italy and from the moment I tried it on in the shop I absolutely fell in love with it! If you don't like very sweet, gourmand scents, this is definitely not your cup of tea!! It's pure vanilla, extreamly sweet but not overwhelming. It's really cheap and lasts all day long!


Jour by Hugo Boss
This perfum is"clean", there is no better way to describe it! It's ideal to be worn in work or in a formal occasion as it smells very professional but feminine at the same time. Nothing too sweet, very discrete and elegant.


Dolce by Dolce&Gabbana
The name of this perfume (Dolce, italian word for "sweet") perfectly reflects the personality of the person who, in my opinion, would wear it. It's a light, floral scent, with a hint of citrus blossoms, ideal for the spring. It comes in a wonderful little bottle, simple but very classy.

Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears
Ever since it came out, I've always loved this scent. Very sweet, a bit exotic, perfect to be worn everyday.


Bonbon by Viktor&Rolf
No other name could have been more appropriate! Extremely gourmand and long-lasting, it feels like wearing melted caramel on your skin! And by the way, look at that bottle! ;)


Parisienne by Yves Saint Laurent
Berries, berries and more berries! This perfume is very fresh, fruity and floral. 
The notes of wild berries and raspberry make it the n.1 scent for spring - summer.


Possess by Oriflame
Seductive, misterious and exotic are the first words that pop into my mind when I think of Possess. The notes of ylang-ylang are a real bust of sensuality. If you're going out on a date this is the perfume you're looking for!


Chloe by Chloe
Chloe is very sophisticated, and it immediately makes you think of innocence. A "good girl" perfume, slightly powdery but in the meantime very fresh, elegant and unique.


Roberto Cavalli by Roberto Cavalli
I've heard many people saying that that they prefer wearing this perfume in winter... Well, to me this is liquid summer in a bottle! It reminds me of hot sand in the desert, the heat of the sun in July.... sweet, balsamic and intrigant.



I hope you enjoyed this post, please let me know in a comment if you own one of this perfumes and which ones are your favourites!

°°Michelle xx



Wednesday, 3 December 2014

The Miraculous Properties of Tea Tree





Good morning girls! Hope you are all doing well!

If I were to choose my absolute favourite between the wide range of essential oils on the market, I would have no doubt: my answer would be TEA TREE.

I stumbled across it unintentionally in a health-food shop, last year, and I couldn't live without it since!

First of all: what exactly is TEA TREE OIL?
Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca Alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. Its smell is really fresh and strong. Tea Tree Oil is toxic when taken by mouth, yet has several properties if involved in our skin care routine. It is known for being an incredible antimicrobal, antiseptic and antifungal, and it's a valid natural option effective in a variety of dermatologic conditions including acne, dandruff, athlete's foot, nail mycosis, herpes and other skin infections.

My experience with Tea Tree Oil
Tea Tree Oil has been a great revelation for me! It really helps drying out spots and helped improving the health of my skin within a few weeks of use.

My Tea Tree Oil Essentials


Dr.Organic Tea Tree Skin Lotion 200ml (€7.90)
This is meant to be a body lotion, but I frequently use it on my face, especially when I have lot of imperfections. Its texture is very rich but it soaks into the skin instantly, without leaving any oiliness or shine (I have combination skin).



The Body Shop Tea Tree Essential Oil (€8.95)
It can be used directly on the imperfection without drying out the skin. I'm not trying to tell you that the minute you apply this on your spots they will instantly disappear, but in helps them healing quicker and prevents scars.



Tea Tree Facial Wipes 
These wipes are very gentle on the skin and perfectly remove every trace of makeup. They leave a nice fresh feeling on the face after use.


Beauty Formulas Australian Tea Tree Shampoo & Conditioner (€4.99 each)
Wow! These two products are to be kept handy in case of dandruff or itchy scalp. They're amazing! The conditioner is also very nourishing and will keep your hair healthy and well hydrated.



Is Tea Tree Oil included in your daily skincare routine? What other products would you girls and boys suggest? Looking forward to your replies!!

°°Michelle xx

Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Penneys (Primark) Christmas HAUL


Hi Lovelies, welcome back to my blog!
Yesterday I was in work and suddenly started getting exited about Christmas. Girls, you should have seen me. I was running around telling everybody how happy I was to be off on Tuesday 1st of December (today) so I could have put up my Christmas tree and all my decorations. 
This morning I woke up and realised it is NOT the 1st December and there's not going to be any Christmas tree sooner than next week. I was traumatised, but I didn't let myself be put off. I grabbed my bag and went to Penneys (Penneys in Ireland, Primark in the rest of the world). 
I wasn't really in the mood for proper shopping, so I just focused on items to put around the house and decided to leave the nice wooly jumpers and scarves for the next time.
These are a few little thingies I've picked out, hope you like them! :)

Glittery Notebook (€2.50)
I love it because it's finished with a layer of varnish and you don't end up having glitters everywhere!
I will keep it handy and write down all my ideas for new posts on JuicyWoocy ;)


Cozy Socks Xmas Edition (€3.50)
The softest pair of socks I've ever had in my entire life. They are very thick, perfect to be worn at home instead of slippers. 


Red Candle and Food-Jar Candy Cane Swirl Candle (€3.00 each)
I absolutely love to light a candle in a cold winter evening, so I've picked out this Red Candle (it lasts up to 70 hours 0.0) and the little Candy Cane Swirl one, an incredible blend of vanilla, cream and sugar. 


Golden glitter Snowflakes (€2.00 for 9 pieces)
I think they look amazing and I will definitely buy some more to put on my Christmas tree. 


Twig & Berries Love heart (€3.00)
Christmassy, but not too much! It's altrady hanging on my wall!


38x38 Canavas (€3.00)
"Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favourite"


Bells Love Heart (€2.00)
Isn't it CUUUTEEE! Probably my favourite item of them all! It's a wire in a love heart shape with little red bells all around :)



What about you? Are you getting the Xmas feeling too? Do you have everything ready?


°°Michelle xx



Sunday, 23 November 2014

Curl 'em up with NO HEAT!



Hello everybody! Hope you are having a wonderful day! ;)

How many of you girls wake up every morning with zero time to get dolled up and still would like to walk out the door with an acceptable appearance? Well as far as I'm concerned, It's good enough if I have time to put on some makeup and gulp down a cup of coffee. As a result, I completely ignore the horrible state of my hair, leaving the house with a boring ponytail or an anonimous bun.
No girls, this is not the way it should work!!
Stating the facts that I hate spending precious hours of my life blow-drying my hair with the brush and I find curlers the most annoying and uncomfortable thing in the whole world, here is an effortless and easy way to get fabulous natural-looking waves that doesn't require any source of heat.

All you need is a plain soft hairband!

1- Slightly damp your hair (not too much,we don't want it to be soaken). To emphasise the wavy effect, you can also apply a stilying product for curly hair.



2- Comb properly and wear your hairband. All the hair must stay UNDER the hairband (see picture below). (1)How I look  - (2) How I feel :D

  
                             

3- Starting from the front, section the hair into small locks and wrap each one of them around the hairband.


4- Now jump in your pajamas and let your hair get fabulous overnight! (PS: For your own sake, due to the ridiculously funny appearance of this temporary hairstyle, I wouldn't suggest you to share your bed with any person that could possibly take a sneaky pic of yourself and post it on Facebook! :D )



5- Gently remove the hairband and apply a bit of hair-spray to hold the curls all day long!



ET VOILA'!! 

                               





Let me know how you get on!!

°°Michelle xx

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

8 Tips to face a Bad Day



This is the way it goes: you wake up in the morning and get that feeling. You HATE. Hate your hair, hate your spots, hate the world. I'm talking about one of those days when nothing could go worse, when you grab a cup of coffee and spill it all over your brand new blouse, when you try to pretend you're having an amazing day walking around like a model, slip on a dog poo and break your wrist.
Sometimes we just can't help it, we let our day get worse and worse without even trying to change it.
Here are 10 Tips for you that probably won't turn a horrible day into the best day of your life, but will definitely make it a bit better!

1-It's a s**t day... face it!
Simple as. As one of my friends says, a bad day only last 24 hours. There is no point in getting upset: look at the mess around you and have a laugh, it will get better!

2-Surround yourself with positive people
Treat your bad day as a special one. No negative people are allowed, just funny-easy-outgoing-smily creatures.

3-The 3 positive-things-list
Grab a pen and a sheet of paper. Think of 3 positive little things that have happened to you today and write them down, nice and big. And if nothing pops into your head...... then think again!! Now stick it to your laptop, your fridge or your mirror and have a look at it everytime you walk by.

4- Perfume it up!
Something that really helps me when I'm having one of those days is to surround myself with a scent I like.  No matter if you spray yourself with your favourite perfume, light a scented candle or have a nice bubbly bath. All you need is a good, soothing perfume. Try to believe!

5- Smile to the world
Force yourself to be kind. I work at the front office in a hotel and sometimes i feel like smiling and being polite are the last things I want to do, but my job forces me to do it... and believe it or not it instantly makes me feel better!

6- Fresh air
It may sound stupid, but try to take a break and go for a little walk. Look at the nature around you, breathe in a bit of fresh air!

7- The rythm of your day
Come on now, turn off that James Blunt CD your playing over and over. It's not helping you. Put on something happier, something that makes you smile.

8-Colours
Take off your back, dull T-shirt and wear something different, like a nice yellow jumper. You may feel like Tweety at first, but having a laugh every time you think about it is definitely a good start to improve your day! :)

Hope you have a wonderful day! :D

°°Michelle xx

Monday, 17 November 2014

Snow-white teeth: Homemade Recipe!



Welcome back everybody!!
Today I'm going to show you how I make a natural whitening mouth-wash with simple ingredients we can easily find in our kitchen.






Unfortunately my teeth are not naturally very white, although they are really healthy and I've never had any issue such as cavities etc. This is probably the reason why I've never really considered the option of getting a professional whitening done, I would be afraid of ruining my mouth's natural balance with the chemical substances used.

So I came out with a little recipe that's not expensive, it's natrual and it REALLY WORKS. you will start seeing the first results after only a few weeks of use.

I start by putting the following ingredients into a little cup:
-1/2  teaspoon of baking soda
-2 teaspoons of white vinegar





I allow the 2 ingredients to react for a few minutes and then I add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.

After brushing my teeth, I rinse my mouth for about 15/20 mins with this solution (I know it's a lot, but it's worth it!) 

I would highly recommend this method rathen than rubbing the bicarbonate soda directly on the teeth because it reduces the chances of progressively ruining the enamel.

Don't forget to let me know if you use bicarbonate soda in your daily mouth care routine and how you usually whiten your teeth in a comment!

°°Michelle xx


Tuesday, 28 October 2014

Nutty for the Coconut!

Hello Beauties!

Today I'm going to introduce you to my hair's best friend, one of the best products I've been using recently, Cocowel Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.




I have found this little treasure on the cooking oils shelf in SuperValu for €6.90, and I've decided to buy it to make a nourishing mask for my hair.... I ended up using it for EVERYTHING: as a body lotion on very dry skin, to heal little cuts or bruises, to hydrate the skin after a manicure or a pedicure and as a face wash to gently remove my makeup (it could also be used as a replacement of cooking oil, but seen that I'm a disaster at cooking, I'll leave this to the experts :)!)

Cocowel is 100% pure Coconut oil and contains 48% Lauric Acid and 7.5% Caprylic Acid, It is GMO Free, Gluten Free, unrefined, cold-pressed, unbleached and suitable for vegans.... What else could we ask for?? :)

Here is what I do: I slightly wet my hair and pat it dry with a towel,
 Cocowel comes in a creamy consistency that melts at 20-25 degrees, so all I do is I place a table-spoon of product on the palm of my hand and let it melt.
I then rub it onto the ends and leave it in for at least 30mins. In order to keep my hair fluffy and voluminous, I avoid applying it onto the roots.


Time to rinse it out!! I like to use my favourite shampoo to wash away the mask, and repeat it a second time to make sure every little residue is gone.
Last but not least, I apply a very small amount of hair-conditioner and rinse it out with lukewarm water until my hair is squeaky clean!

Don't forget to let me know if you've tried it or if you are going to!!!

°°Michelle xx



Sunday, 26 October 2014

BioVegan Mon Amour.... DAY & NIGHT!




Hello lovelies!!
I've been looking for a good face cream for ages, tried brand after brand and nothing seemed to satisfy my insatiable skin. Then one day i accidentally stumbled across a website called "BioVegan Shop", an Italian website specialised in selling BIO products of different brands, such as Avril, Benecos, So'Bio Etic etc, and here's the autumn revelation, the perfect combo, the couple of the year: Avril Crème de Jour and Avril Crème de Nuit for normal to combination skin!
There is also a richer formulation option available for dry and sensitive skin with apricot oil, which I didn't try because it wouldn't be suitable for my skin type.

The INCI of these two creams is absolutely perfect which is definitely a plus! And the price, girls, is ridiculously cheap considering that we are talking about natural products!

Well let's start from the first one, Avril Crème de Jour.
My skin literally SUCKS IT UP the minute I apply it on my face. NO more greasy residue, NO more shine, NO more waiting ages before starting to do my makeup.




It's a medium-rich cream that gets absorbed as quickly as a sierum, leaving your skin soft and smooth.  It also makes a perfect base for your makeup.
It's lightly scented but not overwhelming and enriched with BIO Macadamia oil.





Avril Crème de Nuit
Have you ever applied a night cream and woke up in the morning as greasy as one of those burgers you buy off the chipper on a night out? Well me too, until I've discoverd this little lifesaver!



Its thick consistency quickly soaks into the skin and delivers, overnight, a good dose of natural nourishment. 
La Crème de Nuit is enriched with BIO grapes seed oil








La Crème de Jour contains 98.99% natural origin ingredients.
La Crème de Nuit contains 98.98% natural origin ingredients.
They are €7.00 each.


Both creams come in a 50ml tub, the only difference is the colour of the packaging, white and purple for La Crème de Jour and white and blue for La Crème de Nuit.

As I said, I've purchased these products online, on www.bioveganshop.it . It's an Italian website and unfortunately they don't send parcels abroad. For all the non-italians reading my blog, you can find the same products on the english website www.ayanature.com/en/68-avril or, if your lucky enough to understand french, check out Avril Cosmetique directly.




°°Michelle xx


Thursday, 23 October 2014

Review: John Frieda Ease Fizz Serum (Original)



Let's admit it: this product is basically bottled silicone!

It promises to eliminate frizz, protect from humidity (funny enough Ireland is probably the best Country in the world for testing it :) ) protect from heat, smooth, hydrate and tame the hair.

For a start, Frizz Ease only gives you the illusion of hydrating your hair but it actually doesn't! 

I have been using it for about 4 weeks and then stopped for a few days, and to be honest I find my hair dryer and more damaged.
If used sparingly though, it gives a really smooth, "tamed" result and will make the blow-drying process easier and quicker.

PACKAGING

It comes in a 50ml bottle with a pump, which I find very handy as you can use the serum to the last drop and you have much more control on the quantity of product you are going to put on your hair.


TEXTURE

Frizz Ease is a no rinse serum and, because of its richness, i like to apply it only on the ends to soaking wet hair in order to keep my roots nice and voluminous. Last but not least, I've noticed that its nice and fruity scent is very long-lasting.


PRICE

I bought mine on sale in Shaws for €4.71, the original price was €7.00.



°°Michelle xx











Wednesday, 22 October 2014

Review: MAC Ruby Woo


F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!! In my opinion, this is the type of lipstick every girl should have in her makeup bag! I would usually go for lighter nude colours but trust me, i'm regretting i have waited for so long to buy it!


COLOUR

It's a deep, very pigmented red with an extremely matte finish that suits pretty much every skin tone and, contrarily to other red lipsticks on the market, it doesn't enhance any yellowness and stains on the teeth.


PACKAGING

It comes in the traditional MAC bullet-like packaging, simple as :) 


TEXTURE

The texture is probably one of the most discussed between all the range of MAC lipsticks. It's really dry and I definitely can't say it glides on the lips, although this carachteristic makes RubyWoo a very veeeery long lasting lipstick that doesn't easily smudge and doesn't require continuous touch-ups. 
Oh and girls..... it smells absolutely delicious!! It's feels like wearing vanilla icing on your lips.



PRICE

€19.50.... Well spent!

THE EXTRA TIP

As for all the dark lipsticks, it would be recommended to outline the lips with a nude/red lip pencil to obtain a more precise result.
RoobyWoo gives its best on healthy, flawless lips. Don't forget to hydrate with a rich lip balm before applying it!