Lipstick Wardrobe's SUMMER wishlist!

Gah, I can't believe spring is gone already!
Predictions say it's going to be a scorching summer this year- excited much?

In all honesty, I'm not a summer kind of girl, though I'm determined to do my best and be 100% prepared for when showing (plenty of) skin is ultimately inevitable. If only breaking free from such insecurities was an easy task...

But that's another story ;)

So, here are a few of the things I have my eye on at the moment!

1. The Body Shop Spa Fit body scrub: one simply needs a good quality body scrub, come summer. This one is supposed to make skin look and feel firmer, plus it smells of citrus (score!). Although, being aware of a few reviews claiming it's not that exfoliating, I'll try my luck at asking for a sample...

2. A neon yellow nail polish: look at this picture of a french manicure with neon yellow tips- gorgeous! Surely there are dirt-cheap neon nail polishes out there, but I'd love to try the ones by China Glaze. Anyone know of a store that stocks China Glaze?

3. Maybelline Color Show nail polish, Go Go Green: if its promo pic is true to life
- green chartreuse - then I gotta have it!

Onto my lipstick lust list:

DEPECHE MODE live in Athens; 10 things I learned

The highlight of May, THE concert of the year, his hotness performing on stage-
it finally happened!!!

Last Friday Martin Gore's band performed live at Terravibe stage for us greek Depeche Mode fans, and I was there! Heart in hand, it was a concert that was well worth the money, time spent and effort; one that I can proudly recite in years to come.

Here's everything I learned from this experience:

1. Terravibe is much more concert-appropriate than the O.A.K.A.. Fact. It's just so much nicer to stand on a green space with pine trees all around and enjoy the fresh air, than having to spend 4+ hours on a cold stadium. The sound was crystal clear and the big screens on either side of the stage had excellent picture quality.

2. A lot of people complained about the crowded entrance. We did experience a bit of trouble going through the front gate, though I should point out that the the exit was pretty smooth with minimum crowding.

My everyday FOTD!

Hello beautiful people!
Here's a short post on what I slap on my face every day ;)

Above all, I'm a creature of habit. There's nothing I hate more than standing each morning in front of a mirror with a bag full of makeup products, trying to make a decision on what to put on my mug to disguise the "I don't wanna wake up!" look...

Of course, I enjoy experimenting with makeup- though nowadays I only do it on evenings when I have time to spare and indulge into each step.

Since I'm a renown lazy **s, I've been following a quick&easy routine that translates to a natural face with a certain piece de resistance. That means: a light coverage foundation worn with a bit of bronzer, eyes bare from eyeshadow, and a kick-ass red lipstick...

My skin saviour: Avène CLEANANCE K

I rarely feel compelled to write rave reviews on skincare products,
though today I must give credit where credit is due.

It's rare to come across a skincare product that meets all criteria for an A+ rate; one that is comparable to high-end skin treatments but without the hefty price tag, with top-notch ingredients that actually WORK. For me, the Avène Cleanance K lotion is one of them.

Note: I want to stress that this is my personal experience with the product. Not everyone is going to get the miracle results that I did, so please keep an open mind while reading this review; unless you share the same skin problems that I used to have, in which case you might find it pretty helpful ;)

So, what was my skin like?

In short- oily and prone to blemishes by nature, and yet dehydrated, with awful dry patches that any foundation would accentuate them even more, making my face look just nasty. I tried every trick in the book to get rid of those dry patches, including rich moisturisers and hydrating masks, strong face scrubs and exfoliating pads- nothing seemed to work...

That all changed when I started watching DermTV, the Youtube channel by dr Schultz who is a famous dermatologist from New York (thank you Dimitra for the suggestion!). He always goes on and on about how beneficial glycolic acid can be on nearly every skin type, and rightfully so.

Here's a little wiki info on glycolic acid: it belongs to the α-hydroxy acids family (AHAs), and it's a chemical exfoliator which "loosens" the glue that holds the dead skin cells clinged the surface of the skin. It thus improves the appearance and texture of the skin, while it can also reduce wrinkles, acne scarring and hyperpigmentation. It was first used during in-office treatments by dermatologists, though now one can find over-the-counter skincare products that contain glycolic acid (with a lower percentage that should make the product safe to use at home).