[30 Day Drawing Challenge] Day 2 - Favorite Animal

''Why, oh, why is my favorite animal all fluffy and hairy?'' that's what I was thinking while drawing the cat hair. With all the blabbing about cats, that's been going on for years on this blog, I couldn't fool you that my favorite animal is a fish, right? *in Ace Ventura voice* Alrighty then. It's a cat.

Here's a reference photo of this feline creature. That's right, I can not draw a (more or less) realistic cat from my memory. I suck. This drawing was made using regular + colored pencils and a black marker.

Are you also joining the 30 Day Drawing Challenge? Link to your post of Day 2 in the comments. You can also post about your Day 1 in my previous challenge entry. I'd love to see your work.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Essence - Galactic Black

... the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead is blurred today ... are you ready to scare off the spirits from the other side? *awkward silence* Meh. I don't care about his Halloween stuff, but everytime I get to wear a dark nail polish with a purpose (or not), I'm in!

Essence, Galactic Black, 2 coats

Galactic Black is one of the new shades from the Essence Colour & Go line. It doesn't look too special in the bottle or on the nails, but if you know how to appreciate a nice black polish that isn't just black, then this one is made for you. I actually like it a lot. It has soul - now that we're all about this Halloween stuff, it kind of makes me think of the spirits trapped in a bottle of darkness. Too weird?

No, I'm not going out today. This was made just for you.

Happy Halloween!

EDIT: My Halloween make up was (of course) inspired by the Zombie Boy aka Rick Genest. <3 See THIS tutorial.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

[30 Day Drawing Challenge] Day 1 - Yourself

This won't end well... =)

Based on some of your comments on my previous post, saying I should try the 30 Day Drawing Challenge, I decided to give it a go. I won't always do my best (like I didn't for today's photo), but the important thing is that I'll commit and draw every day. Even if it's just a little drawing.

For Day 1 I had to draw myself. I hate drawing myself and that's the main reason I picked this photo from my Feathered post as a reference. It's a bit over the top, black and white and most of my face is either covered or isn't in the photo at all. My cup of tea ... 

This was my first time using the Letraset Promarkers. I combined them with my favorite drawing techique - pencil. This drawing was made quite quickly so I'd rather call it a sketch instead. Hope you didn't/don't expect too much from me, this is as good as it will get. XD

I sincerely invite you to do this challenge with me.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Trouble Maker

Let's try this again - nail polish VS eyeshadow: Trouble Maker edition.

Trouble Maker is a very special polish. I don't know exactly what color to define it as: maybe grey with golden and blue shimmer flakies? It really is something else ...

Essence, Movie Star, 2 coats + Lumene, Trouble Maker, 2 coats

Here's a close up. You can see the little blue and golden particles... Isn't it magical?

It was quite hard to do a matching eye make up. I don't own any eyeshadow that would represent Trouble Maker, so I had to pull out the big guns - my 120 eyeshadow palette. A little combining and layering and this is what I ended up with:

Products used:
* Beauty UK Metallic Sparks in Grey (as a base)
* 120 Eyeshadow Palette
* Essence Eyeliner Pen in Black
* Essence Black Mania Eye Pencil
* Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

To be completely honest, I don't know if I'd be able to recreate this look. I used a lot of different shades: grey-ish for base, golden for highlights, blue-ish for depth... But it does look quite like Trouble Maker, doesn't it? Mission accomplished. =)

What do you think of Trouble Maker (polish and eye MU)?

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Weekly Sum-Up #9

Can you believe it's Saturday again? Days go by so fast ...

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I'm so very happy to tell you that wee one came home from the hospital today. Thank you for all your kind words and healing vibes! :***

This is a photo of her from the hospital. She got visited by the Red Noses (Clowndoctors) and what better way to show she really is a bit like her auntie - she hates clowns. XD But you gotta admit, that red nose looks adorable on her, right? It's just like my nose when it's cold outside. Hee hee

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That gold glitter crackle nail polish, I was dying to get my hand on, is finally mine, thanks to Nail Stories! She was so kind and sent me her bottle and another bottle of 17 Cosmetics Magnetize nail polish. They're gorgeous! I only have color drops for you today, but I'm gonna show them to you in the next week or so.

I also got Femme Noir package: eyeshadow in Night Sky, lip gloss in Very Berry and black Liquid Liner. Thanks for the lovely swap, Nail Stories!

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With all these blog challenges going on, I finally found one, that would actually be perfect for me. Should I? Would you join me?

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Now that I'm done watching True Blood, I can focus on other series. I found out about American Horror Story on a couple of blogs and I thought I should check it out. I've watched the first two episodes and it's quite OK. It gets Marilyn Manson-ish every now and then, but I like it. It reminds me of those based-on-true-story ghost series from Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

''A family of three move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means of reconciling their past anguish. They move to a restored mansion, unaware that the home is haunted.'' (IMDB)

If you're into scary stuff, I recommend you to see it.

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Today is the start of the 3 day Lord of the Rings marathon. I don't know why I'm so enthusiastic when the movies I like are on TV. I can watch them anytime I want, but it's so much better when it's on TV. Why is that? Am I just weird or are you the same?

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No other words are needed here ... RIP, Marco!

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Posts of the week:

I'm still not over snake nails. Griberli knows how it's done.

Biba convinced me I need Smooth Sailing in my life.

Wanna see what cute and elegant nail art looks like? Copy THAT, copy cat.

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Thank you for looking and commenting!

Catrice - Sir! Yes, Sir!

You know how I sometimes say the pictures of a certain polish don't do it justice? How it looks so much better in real life and that you have to see it to believe it? This is not one of those cases. Sir! Yes, Sir! (oh, what a weird name!) is very photogenic since it looks way better on photos than it does in reality.

Catrice, Sir! Yes, Sir!, 2 coats

I saw this polish on different blogs a couple of times and it quickly became one of the polishes on my wishlist. I wanted it badly! This summer I finally saw it in a Croatian store, but it looked nothing like I thought it should/would, so I didn't buy it. After that I saw it again. And fell in love with it - again. ''The next time I see it, it must be mine'', I said to myself. And so it was.

It doesn't wow me. The fact I wanted it so much fascinates me. It's nothing special, really. Military green of a troublesome application and not the best formula. *yawn* I know what you're gonna say - it looks pretty and edgy, it looks just fine. Yes, it does, but only on photos...

If you're one of the Sir! Yes, Sir! owners: what are your thoughts about it? And if not: does it convince you?

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Essence - Feels So Good (Love Top Coat, Re-Mix Your Style TE)

Here's another Essence top coat from the Re-Mix Your Style Trend Edition. This one gives a rose shimmer to the polish base and is called Love Top Coat aka Feels So Good. I swear this is the last top coat from this trend editon I'm gonna show you. I was thinking of getting Rock Top Coat as well, but I changed my mind in the store.

Essence, Galactic Black, 2 coats + Essence, Feels So Good, 1 coat

It doesn't look too special, right? But wait... If I take a photo from a different angle...  voila:

Now it looks special! I thought this was gonna be a regular rose shimmer top coat, but I was wrong. This honey is a shadeshifter. It's a shy one, but it's a shadeshifter nonetheless. The combo with the black base looks exactly what I wanted my LA Girl in Rockstar to look like. See the similarity between the color drop below and the photo above?

I'm not too fond of pink/rose shimmery shades, but this one got my attention. I think I'm keeping this one. =)

What do you think of this top coat/combo?

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Essence - Waking Up in Vegas (Dance Top Coat, Re-Mix Your Style TE)

I've had this Essence Dance Top Coat for a while now and I think it's time for me to show it to you. As you probably know, this is one of the top coats from the latest Re-Mix Your Style Trend Edition and is called Waking Up in Vegas.

I couldn't take my 'signature' photos, well, I could take them, but the flakies didn't show up like they do in real life, so I changed it up a bit. I know you won't mind as long as you can look at the pretty flakies, right?

Catrice, Sir! Yes, Sir!, 2 coats + Essence, Waking Up in Vegas, 1 coat

I think this polish is a good substitute for Nubar 2010 or Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure since it costs less than €2.00.

What do you think about this flakie goodness?

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Etude House Petite Darling Nails HD Beam in Mystic Purple (PP904)

Here's a polish I layered Essence Pop Coat over.

Etude House, Mystic Purple (PP904), 2 coats

I was almost absolutely sure this polish will be rather sheer and that I'll need to layer it over some other shade or use at least 3 coats to get an opaque finish. I'm glad I was wrong. This baby covers with 2 close to perfect coats. The application was easy and very nice. I like everything about this one. Well, almost everything - I only wish the bottle was bigger and the price was lower. The quality of this polish blew me away and I really have nothing bad to say about it. Isn't the shade just wonderful? Mysterious indeed.

Price: ~ $6.00 for 7 mL

Where to buy? Ebay.


Here's an eye make up look, that's just as mysterious as the Etude nail polish above. I got this Meow Cosmetics eyeshadow sample in Accident from a fellow blogger Swatch Freak - thank you so much, girl! - and I had to try it out.

Products used:
* Urban Decay Primer Potion
* Meow Cosmetics in Accident (foiled)
* Essence Black Mania Eye Pencil
* 88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette (black for lashline)
* Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

Isn't it just awesome? Accident is one of the shades from the Meow Cosmetics' Friday the 13th collection. It can only be purchased in the month of October and on every Friday 13th. Interesting, huh?

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On a completely different note: Half of my family is ill (me included), but we'll all be fine, I guess. The thing that really hit me was the fact that my little niece's bronchitis got worse and she had to go to the hospital. She's just 2 years old ... it breaks my heart. I would appreciate if you could send some healing/good vibes our way. We need it. Thank you!

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Essence - Just Can't Get Enough (Pop Top Coat, Re-Mix Your Style TE)

Yesterday I asked you to guess my manicure. I must admit it wasn't really fair of me, because it wasn't one nail polish - it was a layering of two polishes. I wanted to show you the base color first, but I just can't keep you hangin'. =) Smaltoitaliano and Gnoma were right, it's Essence Pop Top Coat from the Re-Mix Your Style Trend Edition.

This is what I said in my Weekly Sum-Up post #7, exactly a week ago:
''I wasn't completely sure about the Pop Top coat, so I just left it in the store.''

I'm so glad I went back and bought this top coat! The moment I put it over my Etude Mystic Puple mani (I'm gonna show it to you in my next post), I thought of a polish I wanted so badly but never got it - Nubar Jewel. I wanted to see if you'd see the same thing, so I asked you ... and here's what you said:
* Most of you said it's either OPI My Private Jet or Color Club Revvvolution.
* Three of you said it's either Nubar Gem or Jewel. That's what I wanted to hear. =) I know they're not exactly alike, but it's close enough for me.
* Two of the ladies said it looks like Impala Na Mira 3D and Nfu Oh 14.

Etude, Mystic Purple, 2 coats + Essence, Just Can't Get Enough (Pop TC), 1 coat

It doesn't look as stunning on these photos, because I couldn't capture the holo effect of the top coat. This photo shows it much better. It's foggy here, so I can't show you what it looks like in the sun. Maybe some other time.

All in all, I'm sooooo glad I got this top coat. I do have a problem with it's name or better yet - names. It should be just Pop Top Coat and we'd all be happy. I guess it's named after Black Eyed Peas song Just Can't Get Enough, but I'm not 100% sure.

What do you think about this top coat? Would you buy it if you had the chance?

Thanks for looking and commenting!

You're Beautiful!

I'm in love...

Wanna guess my mani?

Weekly Sum-Up #8

The weather got colder (finally!) and we all like to stay inside, where it's warm and cosy. Aishila has a special place beside the radiator and on it. She keeps ''migrating'' from one place to another, based on how warm she is. She spent most of the summer outdoors and now she barely goes out. I don't mind. I like it better when I know she's safe and sound.

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Now that I've read all the George Martin books I could get, I started reading J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobit. I don't like his style that much, but I'll try to read it anyway. The movie won't be out until the end of year 2012 and I'd really like to read the book first. I guess I have more than enough time.

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Those of you who follow me on Twitter know how much I love Neil Patrick Harris. Especially as a How I Met Your Mother character Barney Stinson. His quotes are, well, legendary. =D

''It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!''

NPH lives with David Burtka who plays Scooter in HIMYM. They have twins together - a baby girl and a baby boy. <3 Here's a cute video of Neil talking about their twins. What's not to love about him?

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I really needed to buy some tops - for sleeping. XD I know. I don't wear pajamas and I love to sleep in a nice top. My sister said some of these are too nice for bed though. Well, I got 10 tops for 10€ (1€ each) so I don't really care where I wear them. Here are some of them.

Good enough for a nap, right? ;)

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Did you know you can curl your hair with a sock? I didn't know it either until I saw the video. I tried it out last night before going to bed and I must admit it's a pretty clever techique. My hair was already curly (I should have comb it first) and it doesn't look best, but it's working. And the most important thing is - it doesn't bother me when I sleep. I shall try it again.

What do you think of this sock-hair-curling method? Would you try it?

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I'm sure you all know Rick Genest, the Zombie Boy from Lady Gaga's Born This Way video. I saw this post by Make Up Savvy on Dermablend featuring Rick. You really need to see that video. It's amazing. FYI: I like him better with the tattoos. I'm weird like that. He's hot anyway, don't you agree?

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Posts of the week:

If you're into loose eyeshadow pigment, you really need to follow this blog - Swatch Freak.

I've never seen candy corn in real life, but this candy corn inspired look by Siryn looks amazing.

Linda from Copy That Copy Cat made the best pop art nails ever.

Ulmiel is torturing me with swatches of the LA Girl Addict polishes is Idol and Intoxicate.

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Video of the week:




Thanks for looking and commenting!

Misa - Turquoise

I was looking for a good layering polish to put over my yesterday's S-he Stylezone 312 manicure. I did a little search in my nail polish database and picked Misa in Turquoise. After I did the layering, I got a flashback. It's almost the same manicure I wore in February 2010. I loved it then and I love it now. No wonder I picked this one.

S-he Stylezone, 312, 2 coats + Misa, Turquoise, 1 coat

I don't really know where this Misa polish comes from. Well, I know I got it in a giveaway, but I've never seen a Misa bottle like this one before. Vintage perhaps? It doesn't really matter. It's gorgeous and it applies like a dream. I haven't tried it on it's own yet and I doubt I will anytime soon. Isn't it awesome?

Do you have a favorite layering combo? 

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Bad Video, Product Placement and Something on Selling Out

Every once in a while I get a sudden urge to post about everything and nothing. It's one of those times, so I won't take it personal if you don't read this mess. =)

First of all, I'd like to say something about press samples and bloggers. Jacie from You've Got Nail wrote a post titled ''Am I Selling Out'' about it not too long ago and it really made me think. Is it really that bad to receive samples and review them in return? I say, if you remain honest, there's nothing bad about it. I can't count the times I've searched for reviews on the internet before buying a certain product - that's good for me, 'cause it saves me money most of the time. And if someone say something is good and it doesn't work for you, that doesn't mean that person is being dishonest. I don't know if it's the jealousy talking or what. What do you think?

Moving on to a bad video. Don't ask me how I managed to see the new Britney Spears Criminal video... it's a long story. The (not so) important thing is that I did see it. If anyone is selling out, it's her. I haven't seen so much product placement since the Lady Gaga Telephone video. And the video is bad as well. You gotta see it...

I mean ... who wears a wrist watch like that with an evening dress? I don't care what the fashion experts say, it just looks bad.

Women used  to go to the bathroom to powder their nose, but who needs powder, when you can wear more perfume. They're gonna know she's wearing radiance, whether they want it or not.

Before miss Spears runs away with a ''criminal'', she acuses a fellow young lady of being a prostitute. Very classy.

And there's another shot of the watch. Oooooh, it's Swarovski? Then it's OK, you can totally wear this with your evening dress. *in Borat's voice* NOT!

The only 'criminal' thing about this video (besides it's title) is how bad this fake back tattoo looks. I can't even find the words...

Store shots are quite popular these days. Rihanna used them too in her new We Found Love video, where she stole some things with her boyfriend, but Britney isn't a woose. She brought her gun and robbed the place.

Citroen should be so proud!

Titanic? No, it's still BS's video.

I'm gonna stop before someone start screaming at me, telling me to 'leave Britney alone!'. That's why I won't comment the music and her singing. *shivers in horror*

Since I already mentioned Rihanna's new video - I guess Nivea and her became BFFs.

BTW: Why does We Found Love remind me of a movie? Ever seen Requiem for a Dream? *hint* I'm not gonna lie, I kind of like it.

P.S: I think it would be fun to cut all of my hair off. I'm gonna hide the scissors, go sit in a corner and wait for it to pass. Damn you, Britney!