Thank You! - GIVEAWAY!!

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Hi guys!

We would like to thank you all for your constant support over these past few months, we really appreciate all your support!!

In order to thank you we are holding a giveaway! Please view the following video to know more about the products that we are giving to you :-)

To win these prizes you have to:

1. Comment on this post:
Stating your name, email address, where you're from and giving us suggestions on what posts you would like to read
2. Follow our blog: www.allthingsfabulousblog.blogspot.com
3. Like our facebook page: www.facebook.com/allthingsfabulousblog
4.Like Aphrodite's Temptations facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/aphrodites.temptations

A winner will be randomly chosen by the use of a random generator.

Giveaway closes on Friday 13th January 2012. Good Luck!

The Fabulous Team xx

Italy Haul!

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Hi All!

I hope you're had a lovely Christmas!!!

Today I'm going to share with you a haul from when I was in Italy!!  I splurged on products we don't find here in Malta!!

First of all I was given this holiday as a graduation present from my parents! We went to the most beautiful places ever mainly in the Garda area! We also went to Gardaland (yay!)

Any ways back to the haul....

I was loking around for a MAC store for ages but I didn't find one in the area I was in so I visited a Sephora store where I found many brands such as Benefit, Urban Decay and... Make Up Forever!

It took me quite a while to decide which brand to go with but I finally decided to invest in a very good foundation and since I heard Nic and Sam from Pixiwoo rave about the Make Up Forever foundation I had to get it together with an Aqua Cream in 16 (fyi it took me a long time to choose the colour!!) which they also love!

Make Up forever foundation in the shade 125

Make Up forever Aqua Cream in Shade 16

I took a photo with the foundation and the aqua cream on in order for you to get an idea of the payoff of these fantastic products!

Unfortunately the beauty section of my haul stops here :-(

Onto the fashion part... I bought a set of earrings surprise surprise from a brand called stellaz and a long cardigan from H & M

I LOVE these earrings they're quite long but that's what I love about them :-D

My lovely cardigan!! The picture isn't quite clear but I have 2 pockets on the bottom left and right hand sides.

Last but not least miscelleanous things:

A cute Cow soft toy from Breise, A heart with Presemolo and his girlfriend from Gardaland and a cute angel from the Christmas Market in Merano!

Hope you enjoyed this post!!

Until next time,

Martina

o.b.o The Fabulous Team!

Lancôme Bi-Phase Review

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Lancôme Bi-Phase Review

Good morning sweets!!

This is my last day at work before the Christmas holidays!! YAAAYY!!

Today, I’m reviewing an eye make-up remover by Lancôme.   J

What it says:

This award-winning phenomenon gently whisks away all types of eye makeup, even waterproof. Simply shake to activate the bi-phase formula that leaves the eye area perfectly clean. The lipid phase lifts off eye makeup, while the water phase contains special emollients to refresh and condition skin without a greasy residue.

Lifts off all types of eye makeup, even waterproof mascara, while conditioning the skin. Leaves eyes feeling cool and refreshed, with no oily residue. No wonder there’s a cult following.


OPHTHALMOLOGIST -TESTED FOR SAFETY
Ideal for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers

What I have isn’t actually the full product. It’s a 30ml bottle. I bought it as a travel kit from a Catamaran. The travel kit also consisted of a Lancôme eye-liner pencil and Lancôme Hypnose mascara. (for about € 35.00)

I simply love this eye-make-up remover!! It’s the only one that didn’t sting my eye – at all!!  Leaves the skin around my eye really moisturized , not dry and itchy, like some do. It does leave a little greasy residue (unlike they said), but not that it bothers you. I liked it actually! 

Would definitely recommend this! Will definitely buy the full version in the future!

Hope this helps babes!!

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team!! xxx

Easy exercises and some weight loss tips [especially for the festive season!]

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Easy exercises and some weight loss tips [especially for the festive season! JJ  ]

Forget grueling diets and punishing exercise regimes!! These simple lifestyle changes will get you trim and toned for the party season and the Ney Year ahead J

Personally, I try to go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week and diet-wise, I’m vegetarian , so I try to cut back on white bread and sweets!

Here are 5 simple exercises that easily slot into your daily routine (a couple of them can also be done on your office chair during lunch break!!)

1. Bedside tummy trimmer

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place your hands behind your head. Lift head, neck and the top of the shoulder blades off the ground, with your chest curling in towards the stomach. Hold the lift for a count of 50, while you breathe deeply.

Once you get to 50, slowly release back down. Repeat the exercise 2 more times. As you get stronger, squeeze the abdominals even harder during the 50 count hold.

2. At-your-desk-toner

Sit on a chair with your back straight. Squeeze your glutes as hard as you can – imagine you want to press yourself up to the ceiling by squeezing hard. Hehe sounds funny! Anyways, hold the squeeze for a count of 3and release.Repeat the exercise 20-30 times. As the muscles start getting firmer, you’ll feel more of a lifty in the muscle when squeezing and that’s a very good sign, no? Haha!

3. Lunch-break thigh presses

Stand behind a chair, hands resting on the back of the chair for support. Lift your heels high of the ground In front of you, then turn feet out (by the side), bringing the heels together whilst maintaining the lift (they should look like a small V).Now bend your knees so that you lower yourself down 3-5 inches and then lift yourself back to starting position. You’ll feel the exercise in the thighs. Repeat the move 25-50 times. Bring it on!

4. Night, Night bingo wings!!

Stand up, awing your arms behind your back as high as you can. Hold them in that lift. Now straighten the arms (still behind you) and turn the palm upwards facing each other. Start pulsing the arms in and out – as if you want the thumbs to touch each other) in a 1 inch motion 150 times.

5. Telly-time arm toner

Extend both arms out to the side at shoulder level. Turn palms towards the back wall and then move the arms further back so they’re slightly behind shoulder level. Start pulsing the arms back and forth in a 1 inch motion 100-150 times. The exercise works the upper arms and shoulders and you’ll start to see results in just a week apparently. . Awesome!!

When I’m at the gym, I start by doing 10 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the treadmill. Then, I go on the mats and do this awesome Tracey Anderson (trains Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakira, Kim Kardashian and others) abs workout … I only do till 4:53. I’ve learnt them by heart! I highly suggest trying out her videos… they’re so good. .

Now off to the 10 ways to weight loss:

1. Avoid white carbs and processed food.  Eat food in it’s natural form; brown rice, brown pasta and brown bread and loads of veggies!!

2. Get more sleep. When the body is sleep deprived , it produces a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates appetite . . not good!! It also produces less of a hormone called leptin, which suppresses appetite!  That’s why we snack more when we are tired. So get some proper shut-eye girls!

3. Have fun with your friends. Sounds unrealistic?  As not all body fat is equal – some actually helps you burn calories rather than store them. It’s believed that being sociable, triggers the release of a brain chemical that can increase the body’s level of energy-burning fat. Hmm .. good to know!

4. Drink up! Drink at least 1.5-2 litres of water a day (more if you exercise). Green Tea is good as well – full of anti-oxidants.

5. Eat more sugar . GOOD sugar, that is! When our blood sugar drops, we lose our ability to control desire and go for the wrong foods. Try low GI snacks like blueberries  and nuts. I love baby carrots dipped in hommous!! I also love pumpkin seeds.

6. Read food labels.  I always read the labels and choose products with less salt and fat plus to see if there are any animal products.

7. Switch hands. I’ve just read about this last week. If you struggle to resist snacking, eat with your non-dominant hand (for me, the left hand). If we have a habit of eating food in a certain way, we will persist regardless of our appetite or how good it tastes. Consciously switching hands disrupts your behaviour and brings your attention to what you’re eating.Interesting . . .

8. Choose your lunch companion wisely. Now I’ve read about this many times. . . When we dine with men, we eat fewer calories than when we eat with women. What’s more, scientists say that eating with skinny friends who have big appetites is worse of all because it encourages us to think we can ea more too. . . L

9. Change your shoes. Now this is a good one!! Always go shopping in comfortable shoes! That way you can spend longer on your feet without your legs and back getting tired. All that extra high street traipsing should help you shift the pounds without you even noticing. Yayy JJ

That’s all for now! Hope this information helps! Please leave any questions or comments down below

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team

Rhassoul cleansing clay

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Rhassoul Cleansing clay (although on the product, it's written as Ghassoul)

Hello Eveyone :):)

As I have told you in a previous post, I love Soap Cafe shop! All the natural products and lovely good-smelling soap . . .I'm sure everyone would! The shop has recently moved and on Monday, I had some free time and decided to go check out the place.
 Awesome as always of course! Charlene, the shop  owner is very friendly and so helpful. She really knows her stuff...impressing!!

Anyways. So, I bought a sample size of base oil with drops of an essential oil (forgot the name  . . ) to try and ghassoul clay.

Rhassoul clay, found only deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, has been used for over 1,400 years as a natural beauty treatment for skin and hair. Even nobles in ancient Rome and Egypt took advantage of this remarkable beautifying clay.Cool...!
 This clay has a unique ability to absorb tremendous amounts of water, which makes it ideal for cleansing and detoxifying the skin.
But perhaps the best part about Rhassoul clay is what it doesn't contain: no petrochemical derivatives, no synthetic preservatives, no surfactants or artificial colors ... all of which are common in all commercial soaps  and cleansers. YAAAYY :):)

 I was looking for a scrub and she suggested this one because of my skin type (combination). I bought it for  € 7.00.

This product comes in a 200 grams plastic tub. It has no smell. 

Basically, it can be used as a scrub mask and also for the hair!!  She said that to use it as a scrub, I have to add a teaspoon of clay  to a little water (always water first).
She also suggested to add some sugar and/or some oil (like olive, almond or coconut).

To use it as a mask, simply add the clay to a little water. Apply top face and neck and leave it for about 10-15 minutes.

I have tried it yesterday and discovered that the less water you put, the better. Otherwise, It may come too liquidy  and then, you would have to add even more clay.... and then you'll end up with too much product. It's not good to waste  ;)

I left it for 10 minutes before washing it off with water. My face felt a bit tightened a little after applying it. It was a little uncomfortable, but beareable.
I removed it with 2 facial sponges. I left them a but wet as it's a bit  difficult to remove otherwise. If you don't have facial sponges, you can just splash water and rub your face with your fingers.

And voila'!! Super soft and smooth skin. I love this stuff. It's genius. And natural :)

I highly recommend this product!! Also, go check out Soap Cafe and take a look at her site : http://www.soapcafemalta.com/

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team XOX

e.l.f 4th Birthday Haul!!

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Hey all!

So I take it you all realised by now that I'm a sucker for e.l.f cosmetics even more so when a great code comes out!

If you're a fan of the UK e.l.f facebook page, you would know that they had they're 4th Birthday and were giving a free gift worth 15 pounds/ 17.50 euro which wasn't launched on their site (back then) and so being the curious and motivated by surprise gifts person that I am I made an order!

Received my order just in time before I went on holiday!!!!

What I ordered plus my lovely Mystery Gift......

The packaging is so pretty right?

The inside is pretty awesome too!

You get 32 eyeshadows both matte and shimmery, a bronzer, 2 blushes, shimmer, eyebrow cream and powder, 6 lip colours and 3 applicators!

My actual order consisted of the following items:

2 lipsticks from the new shades that elf got- Charming and Flirtatious! I got these after seeing Dyna's post on her blog!

e.l.f Natural Radiance Blusher in Blushing (new colour)- I'm a bit obsessed with these blushes, affordable and simply amazing!

Custom Compact- I've been wanting this since it's much more easier to carry around make up especially when travelling

What I bought to fill it up with: 2 blushers in Shy and Coy (actually bought glow but received Coy by mistake) and 2 new shades in the eye shadow collection- Driftwood and Aubergine

This is how I filled it up... proved to be very handy on my holiday!!

And last but not least....

The Beauty Book which is not for me... find out soon why I bought it :-p

As like last time, Denise still HASN'T RECEIVED her parcel from E.L.F. . . . and she doubts if she will . .

That's all from me, hope you liked my haul, if you would like a review, swatch etc of any of the items comment below!!

Till next time

Martina

o.b.o

The Fabulous Team!

Essense - My Skin cleansing wipes review

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Hello again my lovelies!!

This time, I'm reviewing my favourite cleansing wipes so far - Essense my Skin refreshing cleaning wipes!

They have 2 types of wipes ;    Refreshing cleansing wipes (lime and cucumber)   - the one I'm reviewing today
                                                and
                                               Caring cleansing wipes (pomegranate and bamboo)

What it says on the product:

Skin care that you can see, feel and smell!

Beautiful, clean skin in no time! These convenient cleansing wipes effectively remove dirt and waterproof make-up. The precious active ingredients, enriched with lime and cucumber, provide skin with moisture and leave an amazing refreshed and clarified skin. The gentle alcohol-free lotion is perfectly suitable for sensitive eyes. Nothing could be easier or more practical! To top it off, the energizing fresh smell makes it all the more fun!

-Use morning and evening, gently wipe face, eyes and neck until all make-up residue is removed. No need to rinse with water. Re-seal sachet carefully after use. Ideal for on-the-go.

After your cleansing routine, use refreshing toner and one of the creams from Essense my skin.

What I think:

These are the cheapest face wipes I have found!! Just €1.69 !
 Now, I most definitely DON'T use them everyday, morning and night, as they suggested. That would be absolutely horrible for you skin!!
I only use wipes occasionally, when I am so tired I don't feel like removing my make-up with cleanser and water... so of course, I would be too lazy to tone and apply a cream afterwards (as they suggested).

Please please please don't use wipes often!! Cleanse - tone -moisture is the best way as an every day routine! (plus scrubbing  and applying an appropriate mask weekly)

The best thing about these wipes is that they don't dry up!! I've had another packet (which I've used up the last one about 3 weeks ago) since August (2011) !!!!  Even when the packet tore up from above, they still remained wet!! I was really surprised . . .

The smell is really good, but this one left a bit of burning sensation in my eyes right afterwards, which didn't last long.

I would reccomend this , but would advice regarding the burning sensation (which really, is not too much)

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions below!

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team XOX

OOTD 12/12/2011

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Good morning everyone :):)

As like last week, we have another beautiful day in sunny Malta!! As you all know, tomorrow is (another) feast, so a lot of lucky people have a long weekend (I'm not one of them unfortunately...)

Anyways. At least, I decided to not come at work in my uniform hehehe. . .

I know it's not the most stylish outfit, but I still decided to post because I love love love this shirt. I know I know, it's not the most beautiful of shirts but it's so comfy :):)  (the make-up is simple as well,nothing elaborate - I love the natural look)

Jeans : Pimkie

Top: Shana

Boots: New Look

Contact lenses: http://www.honeycolor.com/

Lip gloss : E.L.F luscious liquid lipstick in Baby Lips

Concealer : KIKO medium

Blusher : Beverly Hills Polo Club

Eye-liner : KIKO kajal liner

Mascara : Lancome Hypnose

Hope you likey :):)

p.s Don't forget to check out this website for some fashion advice : http://www.allwomenstalk.com/

Denise o.b.o The Fabulous Team XOX

 

GRADUATION!!!

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Hey Guys!!

As you might have read from one of my previous posts I am officially a graduate in Management!!

It was so exciting wearing the Toga and having my hair all neat and going up and getting my degree after four years of hard work!!! I wanted to do this post to share some photos of my special day with you :-)

My first graduation celebration kicked off with my boyfriend's brother graduating! This is the dress I wore which my boyfriend had bought for me as a present last summer from esprit and I paired it with a terranova blazer

First off, my graduation preparations started with my nails! My friend and creator of Every Beauty Addict's Bible  the lovely Lara did my nails!! (photos all courtesy of Lara)

My mobile cover is just a coincidence 

My design was a french manicure with flowers and dragon flies with a light blue tail and light blue gem to match my sash

I had quite a busy week with graduation celebrations! First off I went to collect my make up diploma so I decided to take a photo with my toga holding my first diploma of the week!

On the day of the graduation I spent most of the day with funny looking hair since I had to keep it up as much as possible so my curls stay put!

Looking funny worked because the final result was..........

Unfortunately I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time to take a close up of my make up! I basically did it very natural make up mostly on pinks and dark purple with a hint of light blue and I stuck with natural pink tones for lips and cheeks!

Sorry for the blurry photo! This is me receiving my degree :-D

So, my graduation was very special for me because not only did my hard work pay off but my boyfriend and I actually graduated together so it was extra special for me, these are a few pics we took together :-)

Yes I'm a shorty hehe!

Other Miscellaneous Photos!

My boyfriend is a huge Simpsons fan so I had bought this Homer Simpson soft toy and my very creative mother did this toga and hat!!

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed compiling it because last week was very special to me and it will be a week which I will keep close to my heart!

Congrats to all GRADS!!!!

Until next time!

Martina

o.b.o The Fabulous Team