Best primer

After trying out 6 of the best high end primers out there, along with other 3 less well known face primers, I am now ready to share my opinions and my journey to finding the best makeup primer for combination to oily skin.

While I wouldn't say I have oily skin, my skin can look oily after applying certain lotions and creams, and my makeup starts melting after only few hours. Because I don't like blotting my face or re-applying powder during the day, both I cannot seem to find the time and because I don't like the powdery look I get when re applying my powder for the second time, I have been on the search for that primer which is able to lengthen the staying power of makeup on my face. While I haven't found one that makes my makeup last all day, I can definitely recommend two that can make your makeup last longer than what it would usually last.

But before let's start with a list of all the primers I have tried. The list includes the following:

1. Body shop, both the one for oily and dry skin

2. Stage primer

3. Sisley instant perfect

4. Smash box photo finish colour correcting primer

5. Smashbox photo finish oil free primer

6. Makeup Forever HD Green primer

7. Benefit the Porefessional

8. MAC Matte Primer

Primers 3 and 5 did not do an amazing job in covering my redness. And I am still on the lookout for a great anti redness primer to use during the Winter. The Smash box oil free primer was good but I feel I need to try it again before being able to compare it to the Benefit and Mac ones, which are my favourite ones for lasting properties. I have tried determining which is the best but I love them both equally. In terms of size they are practically the same, but while I bought the MAC one in Santorini while the Hondos shpping centre was having a 25% sale, the Benefit one was much more expensive. I would repurchase both, and I usually alternate them. In terms of pores coverage, I have not noticed a difference either.

If you know me a little, you also know I never stop looking for something better. In fact, I look forward to trying out the following primers:

 

the Nars skin smoothing face prep

the Nanoblur optical skin cream

the Hourglass veil mineral primer

the Bourjous Happy Light Matite'

the Dr. Brandt Pores no more

the Benefit Stay Flawless Primer

the Too Faced Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing face primer

the Face Stockholm Primer for perfect skin

Have you tried any of the above primers? If yes, let me know which you suggest me to try first.

And also don't forget to share which is your favourite primer.

STAY FAB

Santorini

Unbelievably beautiful views, romantic yet casual atmosphere, relaxed and friendly surroundings, great food, good shopping and the perfect place to unwind and make unique memories. This is how I would describe Santorini in just a sentence. And if the words were not enough I am sure the following images will remove any doubt.

 

 

Best time to go to Santorini is in my opinion May and June. Winds can be very strong so going in Spring and Autumn might not be the best option. Moreover, most hotels are closed during Winter. July and August. AJuly and August can on the other hand too busy, which means lower chances of finding a great restaurant and more crowded pool area and streets.

 

How to go: you can either go by plane; so you would have to take a flight to Athens and then a second one from Athens to Santorini. You might want to take a cruise which stops in Santorini and then take a plane on the way back home.

 

Where to stay: if you are not too fussy like I am, then you might want to check out Angels & Stars Suites and Spa.

 

Where to eat: without doubt at Argo, Archipelagos, Fanari, Yiaourtaki and il Gelato D'oro in Fira, Galini Cafe in Firostefani and Floga in Oia. From my research I would also recommend Penelope's Taverna in Pyrgos, Mousiko Kouti in Megalachori, Red Bycicle Cafe and Skala in Oia,

 

Where to shop: Hondos centre, Imerovigli pharmacy and Fira streets

 

What to do: relax in your hotel, take the time to read, write, draw or do any other hobby you might have; spend quality time with your significant other or with your friends; try local food and wine; browse the streets of Fira both in the morning and at night; walk from Fira to Imerovigli; visit Oia.

 

Have you been to Santorini? If yes, would you return? And if no, would you go?

 

STAY FAB

Korres review

 

If you follow my blog, you might have already read my Santorini shopping post in which I shared a few tips on where to shop for good skincare products while in Santorini. Today I want to review Korres, since this is a brand I have rarely heard of before visiting Greece. And I am so impressed with the quality of the products I got, that I cannot but share them with you, so that if you get the chance to buy these you do so because they are really good products at affordable prices and made with natural ingredients.

 

Let's start with the Korres Milk Proteins 3 in 1 Cleansing Emulsion......After trying various milk and creamy eye makeup removers/cleansers, I can easily say this is my favourite so far. First of all I love the brand name, the packaging and the prices - just under 14 euros for 200 ml. And Korres claims to be a natural skincare brand, which is always a plus for me - since I am sensitive to chemical and very strong scents. The back of the bottle states that .....'Korres Milk Proteins emulsion gently cleanses, tones and moisturizes: it removes face and eye make-up, sebum and dirt, allowing the skin to breathe.' While I totally agree with the fact that this product is a great eye and face make-up remover and can double as a cleanser, if you like your cleanser to have a creamy consistency (I prefer a gel consistency), and I also agree with the fact that it leaves your skin moisturized but not greasy, I am not sure about the toning properties. It might however be that the ingredients used in this emulsion promote skin toning. While this product is not fragrance free, its scent is not too strong and doesn't bother me at all.

 

Korres Fluid Gel Cleanser with White tea......I have tried to love this product, but unfortunately I don't. While I like its scent, every time I have been using it I felt the need to re-wash my face with the Dr. Organic Tea Tree Face Wash. You might know by now that I love cleansers that give me that squeaky clean feel, leave my skin refreshed and remove all the oil which might have formed during the day or night. And that feeling I am talking about I only get it with the Dr. Organic Tea Tree face wash. However, if you are looking for a cleanser which is not creamy and not too liquid, but which foams just a little and if you have more of a dry than combination to oily skin like mine, this product might be perfect for you. It is not however the perfect cleanser for me, although I will give it a try during the colder months and see how it performs.

 

Korres Pomegranate Moisturizing Cream-Gel...This is the star of the show in my opinion. It gives the perfect blend of creamy moisturizing and cooling and toning effect/feeling when applied. For 18 euros, although it comes in a 40 ml container, I think it is relatively cheap for how good it is. And you only need a tiny amount on each area of the face. I use this only at night, and as the lady in the Imerovigli's pharmacy said, it's the perfect moisturizer for the Summer months. I usually rarely moisturize in Summers, or use a very light lotion, because my skin can feel very oily. But this cream-gel is perfect because it is cooling while moisturizing, and doesn't leave any greasy feeling. If you are slightly dry, you might want to use this in the morning as well. And if you are oily you might want to use this in Winter too. In fact the back of the container says 'Oily to combination skin'. The scent, while stronger than the milk proteins emulsion, is very nice and I also like the pink glass packaging. Usually creams like this would start at a price of 30 euros and go way up to hundreds of euros.

 

Korres moisturizing hand cream with organic almond oil & calendula....Because I like calendula and I know almond is very moisturizing I was immediately attracted to this hand cream.When I travel I am always looking for a new hand cream to try, since my hands are constantly dry. The packaging is so cute that it won me over. However, I must say that I am not very impressed with this hand cream. I don't love the scent and I do not think it is very moisturizing. If you are looking into buying a calendula hand cream you should go for the Dr. Scheller Calendula hand balm.

 

Finally but certainly not least is the Korres lip butter in Jasmine scent. While I am never attracted to floral scents, when I smelled this in the Imerovigli's pharmacy I knew I had to have it. It was the perfect scent, not too rich and sweet but yet resembling caramel. And the texture was so creamy and smooth, without being too sticky, that I couldn't wait to try it on my lips. Unfortunately, they only had a tester as the product is no longer being stocked in Santorini. So you can imagine my sad reaction, and even better my delightedness when I came across the same lip butter at the airport in Athens, just before boarding. So I immediately grabbed it and now I can enjoy it every day. The back of the product says...'A buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish.' I totally agree with this. And I think this is perfect for Summer, as it is not very thick. However, I thought it would be more moisturizing. I have yet to find a lip butter that stays on for hours at night. So if you have one product to suggest, please do so in the comments below.

 

With most of these products being huge hits for me, I cannot but recommend the Korres brand to anyone looking for inexpensive natural skincare products, which are also good for sensitive skin. I am definitely looking forward to trying out more Korres products, including an eye cream/gel and another face cream or serum.

Have you tried Korres? Which is your favourite product?

 

STAY FAB

Makeup 2014



2014 has been a great year for makeup. I got to try several products, bought while on vacation or abroad for work. And I also bought a few bits and pieces while shopping in Malta. To the side is most of my makeup (I have a few more primers, powders, lip products, eye pencils and many nail polishes). For some of you might be a lot and for many others might be a little. Few weeks ago I decided to purge all the makeup which was either old or I was not using. Some of it I threw away and other pieces I gave to my mum and sister, most of them eye shadows. I have been wanting a naked palette for so long, that when I finally got one (I got the Naked 1), I stopped using anything else. My favourite shades, on which I have almost hit pan, are Virgin, Naked and Buck. I love a neutral eye with just some countouring in the crease and a bright lip for Summer or a darker one for Winter. Above you can see all my makeup packed and that's in fact all the makeup I took with me on Holiday in Santorini last June. So this makeup is perfect for the Summer months, for work, the weekend and for vacation too.

 

My makeup favourites at the moment are the Bioderma tinted face lotion with SPF 50, the pore fessional primer, the bobbi brown concealer duo (which I completely used up). My favourite mascara is still the Deborah Milano Definitive Volume & Curl. For powder I like both the Sephora 8hr wear mattifying compact foundation and the Max Factor Creme Puff in 05 translucent. My favourite lip products for Summer are the L'Oreal Paris Caresse in 401 Rebel red and in 07 Cheeky magenta and the Revlon Colourburst lip gloss in 006 Strawberry . This Summer I have been wearing the Revlon scented nail polish in 060 African tea rose. During the past month I have also been loving the Makeup Forever Mist & Fix under my MAC Matte primer. The two together make my makeup last longer.

 

Here is me wearing most of the above makeup.
 The sun washed it out a little. But you can still see that is a very natural - almost no makeup look.
This is exactly my kind of makeup look - something fresh, young, easy and quick.

 

Since I have been using most of the bove products for so long, I am ready to share my opinions on them. So get ready for a few reviews. Also feel free to ask me questions about any product you might be interesting in trying out.

 

Share in the comments below which are your favourite makeup products for 2014 so far...

 

STAY FAB

Santorini Shopping

If you like me love shopping, you can agree that shopping can even be ten times better in a picturesque location. Santorini might not have the high Street shops we are used to, or all of the popular designer brands, but it definitely has the charm which you are not going to find anywhere else. I am sure all those husbands who hate shopping will love it here because of the views, especially those who are into photography. And while you are not going to find Forever 21 or Sephora, there are many boutique shops selling very sophisticated and Island appropriate clothing and shoes, as well as many shops selling handbags and jewellery. If you are into makeup then you will love Hondos center, which is a small shopping mall in the heart of Fira. Here you can also find high end brands like MAC, Estee Lauder, Dior and much more. And if you want to get your hands on the skincare goodies below, including amazing products like Korres, Caudalie and Apivita, you should head to the pharmacy located in Imerovigli's main road close to a few supermakets and bus stops.

 

To reach the pharmacy in Imerovigli you can either walk up the main road on the right side of the Island, or walk up the caldera side and admire the views and take a few pictures. The path is not the easiest, with loads of stairs, but is so worth the effort - especially since you get to see several hotels, villas and apartments and a few restaurants and cafes, all ofering great views. This is the path we took on a Sunday morning, right after breakfast, as we wanted to wonder around our hotel Angels & Stars. And little we knew we would step into this small pharmacy stocked with the most amazing products. I think we spent an hour inside it. And the best part of this little shopping haul, is that I got to take pictures on my beautiful patio with one of a kind background.

 

What about you? Which was the best location you shopped at in terms of views and charm? Share it in the comments below.

 

STAY FAB

Oia

After writing about Fira, Imerovigli and Firostefani, is now the time to tell you about Oia.

Oia is the highest city on the Island of Santorini. Hence it is well known for the best views and sunsets. And while I loved Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira and would return, I cannot but agree with the fact that Oia is very picturesque. First of all it feels more touristy than Firostefani and Imerovigli, but is definitely less busy than Fira. Moreover, as Fira it has many streets with shops, cafes and restaurants. Here, however, the prices are higher both in restaurants and boutiques.

And here is where you find the most expensive hotels.So unless you have a higher budget, although Santorini as a whole is a relatively expensive destination, you might want to stay somewhere else. But you must go to Oia at least once. I wished we had the time to go a second time. And if you go you should eat at Floga. I had the salmon ravioli and they were divine. The crispy prawns looked scrumptious too, and as you can see from the picture above the views are spectacular.

You might wonder why I haven't written yet about Amoudi bay, since Oia and Amoudi bay are usually visited together. We had planned to go around Oia and then go down the 300 stairs which lead to Amoudi Bay. But when we started the stairs, I told my husband I prefered not to go down because they were very slanted and slippery and I didn't want to break my leg the day before my birthday. Plus it was already late and we were both very hungry. So next time we go to Santorini, we will definitely take a taxi to Amoudi bay. And you should too since the restaurants there are well renowned for their fresh fish.

The journey to Oia was really interesting. On the way there we saw many new developments of hotels and villas being built. The roads were also very narrow and the bus was full, so we had to stand all the time each way. So you might prefer catching a taxi, which should cost you around 20 euros each way for 2.

One last thing I would like to say is that Oia would be the perfect place for those looking to relax in a hotel, and going out at night around the hotel without having to walk a lot or take a taxi. Also this is the best option for people who don't like crowds, as Fira gets very crowded. But if you prefer being closer to Fira, then staying here is not advisable in my opinion since it takes about 3 hours to walk to Fira.

Have you visited Oia? Did you prefer it to Fira? And if you stayed in Oia would you recommend it?

STAY FAB

Firostefani

Firostefani was one of the towns I had planned to visit as soon as we would get in Santorini.

 

 Since I knew we were getting to the hotel before 8 in the morning, and with the check in being in the early afternoon I had researched places to go not far from our hotel. And because Cafe' Galini was the place I wanted to had breakfast at, being located in Firostefani, which is about 10 minutes walk down from Imerovigli and 20 minutes up from Fira, Firostefani was the first place we visited right after going through all the check in paper procedures and leaving the luggages at the reception.

 

The walk to Firostefani was one of the most beautiful walks in my life. You know how the first time you see a place or a view it is always the best because you get amazed and also get to compare it against your expectations. At least that's what I do.

This is another place I would consider staying in Santorini, along with Imerovigli and Oia. It still offers great views but is slightly closer to Fira. There are a few hotels, and many apartments and villas to rent in this area. Hotel Galini is one of them. There is also a nice square from where you get to enjoy the view on a bench or while eating out on a table overlooking the sea.....Here you can find a few shops, a place which sells gyros (kebabs) and on the other side of the Island, along the main road, there are more restaurants and stores. But the prettier ones are those overlooking the Aegean sea.

 

Have you been to Firostefani? Did you love it?

 

STAY FAB

Imerovigli

If you are looking for the perfect place to relax while in Santorini, admire the breathtaking views any time of the day and still be within walking distance from restaurants and shops - Imerovigli is the location for you.

With only 10 minutes walking distance from Firostefani and 30 minutes from Fira, staying in Imerovigli will enable you to enjoy your hotel during the day relaxing by the pool after breakfast and may be shredding the extra calories at the gym, and dining and walking to Fira at night. If you prefer you can however, easily reach Oia by bus or taxi, wonder through Imerovigli, or visit the many villages by taking a bus to Fira and then a bus to your town of choice departing from the capital.

While there are many restaurants in Imerovigli, I wasn't attracted by one in particular. So my husband and I preferred walking to Fira every night to have dinner and simply walk while admiring the views - which needless to say are spectacular at night. However, if you are looking for some snacks, drinks and ice cream there are many small stores and supermarkets in Imerovigli. There is also a pharmacy which stocks really goos skincare products like Korres and Apivita. And you can also get your hands on Caudalie here.

If you are looking for a place to stay, and you are not too needy like me, then you might want to check Angels & Stars Suites and Spa in Imerovigli. Otherwise, I am sure you will find another accomodation option in the beautiful Imerovigli.

Have you been to Imerovigli? Share your experience with us in the comments.

 

STAY FAB