For a while now everyone has been raving about Maybelline mascaras and I just never got around to trying one, even though I knew I should! And then I stumbled across a sale and this beauty was half the price so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try one for myself, and well, let me tell you, it was worth every penny! Even though it's not their newest release I hope that not everyone has tried this by now and some of you may enjoy reading!

To Read List #1

Today I wanted to introduce you to a new series of posts I decided to do which is To Read List! These posts will contain books I recently picked up and am planning to read in the near future. Not only will they may become handy to you if you are looking for some new reads but also it will give me motivation to read some more. It's something I love but I just didn't find the time to do. Hopefully this works out! Also, after I finish them I'll post a seperate review post with my thoughts on it. So this can be a little book club I assume! haha Well, hopefully someone will like it, and if not, I have plenty of posts coming up on other topics :) 

Recent Purchases | September/October

Since I've been working this summer I shopped quite a lot. I've been running out of a lot of necessities and also there's still some makeup I've never had before and needed it in my collection. And that lead me to this post right here, where I will share what I've bought with all of you :) I've already used and tried out some of this stuff so I'm able to give you tiny reviews but if there's anything that interest you, feel free to leave a comment and I will do a review on it :)

Catrice Prime and Fine Illuminating Base | Review & Swatches

As the weather is getting chilly, at least here in Lithuania, my skin has been getting more and more dry. The wind is seriously hurting my face nowadays, which leads to it needing more nourishing with both skincare and makeup. Dry skin also means that face is not as glowy and healthy as it should be. That's where this Catrice beauty steps in! I've bought it a long long time ago and have used it for a few times before but haven't really noticed a difference until recently when I applied it on my friend while doing her makeup.

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash | Review

Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash | €6.63

For the long while I've not been blogging I have attempted a lot of things, one of it is gathering everything for a semi-normal skincare routine, not only to better my skin condition but also to get into the habit of taking care of my skin while it's not too late. And this is where this little beauty steps in. I present to you - Himalaya Herbals Purifying Neem Face Wash. If you've never heard of the brand, here's a little background info. It is based in India and specialises in skincare items with herbs, not using SLS, parabens and other harsh chemicals. All of their products are really affordable but of a great quality! Neem Facial Wash is aimed towards normal/oily skinned people. Although I have dry skin, it is acting very unusual for the past few months and I don't remember the last time I had dry patches or something! And even then, it never made my skin feel thight or uncomfortable - feelings I was left with after using anything else! This facial wash is of a gel consistency and feels great when massaged into the skin. It is very gentle and removes all of the dirt without being harsh. When washed off you are left with shiny, silky soft skin. And who doesn't love it?!  I've been using it for over 3 months now and all I can say is wow! My skin is not as dry as it was before I started and feels much more healthy and hydrated, even if I forget to put on moisturizer after (it definitely happens sometimes, not gonna lie!). What do you think? What's your go-to facial wash?
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Book Review | Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Hello! Today I'm back with my very first book review -  a post I've been planning on for quite a while. I love to read (my latest addiction is actually listening to audio books) and I just wanted to post about it on here to find new reads and talk to fellow readers too! Today I'm reviewing Delirium by Lauren Oliver {you can read more about in on goodreads here}. It is a young-adult dystopian novel.

The action is based in the future, like all dystopian books are. The world is completely different - love is considered a disease - amor deliria nervosa - and is treated when you turn 18. Until then, it is forbidden to talk to opposite sex except your family members. The main character, Lena, is a girl like every other. She has a best friend, Hanna, and both of them are very excited about turning 18 and finally getting the cure - without it, no one feels safe. Love is dangerous for many reasons, the symptoms make you weak, your decisions not reliable and your senses stronger. Also, it leads to heart diseases. The society is so strict about it, that people are convinced that they are better off without love. Both girls trust the society until everything changes when Lena meets Alex and start to feel what love is all about.

The book sucked me in immediately. I've now read the whole trilogy and I can safely say it was one of the best series I've ever read. I just couldn't put it down! I love young adult dystopian books, they are my favorite genre and even though they might not be for everyone, it was definitely the one for me. The biggest reason why I loved this book so much was that it just seem so real, the symptoms, the cure, the disease, everything feels like love might actually be dangerous! I think that's why in the book everyone believed it - because without actually experiencing real love you can't be sure if it's good or not. "The deadliest of all deadly things: it kills you both when you have it and when you don't."  Another reason was the action. The book was full of it - one thing leading to another, it's a real page turner and I finished it in one day, switching positions on my bed for quite a few hours. The ending left me wanting for more. I'm also really keen on love stories in books so this was definitely the book for me - in all aspects it fulfilled my need for something new, exciting and loveable. That's why I love dystopian novels - they all portray different worlds and I just love to let my imagination free!

If you are looking for the next YA book to read - give this one a go! And if you already read it - feel free to talk to me about it! I love discussing books :)

What's your favorite genre of literature? Do you like to read?

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Essence Lipstick in All You Need is Red | Review & Swatches

Hello, lovely ladies! Today I'm back with a review for you all :) This is the first Essence lipstick I bought (and I'm definitely coming back for more!) and the first and only red lipstick I own. Not that it's my favorite or that it suits me the best but I just haven't gotten around to purchasing another one!

So back in November I needed a red lipstick for Halloween because I was a bloody corpse or something like that and I thought that the best way to draw some blood on my face would be with a red lipstick. This also served as a general red lipstick need because I knew I would get my use out of it even after Halloween for normal application on my lips haha I looked for something that would be moisturizing and wouldn't dry out my lips but also would be pigmented enough to show a real color. I quickly snagged this one up and didn't look back.

The packaging of Essence's "All You Need is Red" is a sleek black plastick with a red stripe. The color of the stripe showcases the color of the lipstick so it's not all the same. One thing I dislike about this packaging is that it's too minimalistic. I would love to get a name written on it or something, because to me it just looks plain. But, for such inexpensive lipstick, the packaging doesn't look childish or cheap at all! I also love the signature e at the top and on the bullet itself, the packaging for these new formula lipsticks are way better than their old one, which looked like cheap childish lippie you would get in a kids magazine. Way to step up your game, Essence!

"All You Need is Red" is a orange-toned red. The lipstick itself doesn't have any glitter or shimmer but due to being soft and moisturizing has a slight shine to it. I would say it is definitely a bright red and it looks gorgeous on the lips. Staying power is not it's strongest, lasting around 2-3 hours before wanishing completely off my lips. I like to put some lipbalm underneath so it may shorten the wear time a little. The pigmentation of this beauty is pretty good, the swatch has 3 generous coats applied but without a lipbalm underneath it's definitely very buildable and can show color after one application. For me personally, this is not the most flattering red. I think with my skintone it looks a little off (or maybe I'm just not used to bright lipsticks just yet) and it makes my teeth look way yellow, which is my only dissapointment. I would love to get another cool toned red, because I think it would suit me better.

Overall, this is a great lipstick for the price. It lasts a while and is very budget friendly. Packaging wise it's not ridiculously cheap looking and would look great in your lipstick stand. The color selection in this range is not the best but it definitely has something for everyone, so I would highly suggest you checking it out!

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My Week in a Nutshell #2

Hello! It's Sunday, which means another My Week in a Nutshell post! I've been getting so much postitive feedback since the first one of these and I love it! I love getting to know bloggers so I though you might enjoy getting to know me too! Everyone knows Sunday is a relaxed day and I just love gathering my thoughts and talking all about my adventures for the previous week. Just think how awesome will it be to read all about in a year or more! That's what blogging's all about, isn't it?

Moving on, this week was rather exciting. Just like previous week, we had amazing weather, sunny and a tad bit warm (+8 degrees). We also had a Day of Restoration of Independence of Lithuania on Tuesday which meant no school and a little free time! Given that, we talked to one of my class mates who owns a car and went on an adventure. We drove to a nearby resort type town. It's small and I used to live there in the summer when I was little so the main idea was to visit all of the places I went to as a kid and see how they've changed. The town is gorgeous, it has Nemunas flowing nearby, dividing it into two towns, one in the woods on the other side and one regular. The city also has a few large mounds which we climbed and took some pictures with the amazing view of sun and the river. Truly breathtaking! I loved our little adventure, we all drove home exhausted as we spent the whole day there. I would love to discover more places like those!
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I went to school, skipped a lot of classes because the weather is too great to sit there haha I have so much responsibility as it's coming closer and closer to the final exams. I actually can't wait to be done with school! I really want to go to uni/college and study things I like.
So how was your week? Anything exciting?

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Wishlist #4 | March

Hello! For quite some time, I haven't bought anything beauty wise. I haven't worked for the past few months which meant no money. But now, I'll be getting paid at the end of this month so I figured out a wishlist of all of the things I want to buy this month. Most of these are skincare, because I ran out of most of my things one by one and they all needed to be replaced with something new, something better. Thank God for people reviewing things - this way I get to read a ton before making my decision on what to buy and what to wish for! I usually have to be careful as I have dry, acne-prone skin. I don't want the blemishes but I also don't want to dry my skin out even more. If you know something that would suit my skin type, let me know! Now, onto the wishlist :)

• Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water

I'm super late to the all Micellar Waters game as I have yet to try one, but I think this is a good choice! I've read many reviews saying it's amazing, great at removing makeup, suitable for dry skin and soothing. As soon as this hits the stores here I'm definitely picking it up to try! If you've written a review about it, link me up ;)

• Catrice Pure Shine Colour Lip Balm

I've swatched almost all of these numerous times while searching through a drugstore but never actually picked one up! The colors are definitely gorgeous, so many suitable for spring/summer season. It's also pretty shiny and moisturizing so it's a win-win ;)

• Garnier Express 2in1 Eye Makeup Remover

Another one of the new Garnier launches. I'm in a terrible need of a great eye makeup remover, all of the ones I've tried never removed all of it! (especially Catrice Eye Liner Pen, it leaves a blue line and I can never get rid of it!) Heard great thing about it so decided I should give it a run (:

• Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

I've recently noticed how huge of a pores I have, especially on my forehead and around my nose. This is said to be somewhat similar to Porefessional by Benefit for a fraction of the price so I'll definitely be on the lookout for this! Let me know if you've tried it!

• L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara

Another great new launch. I love bold, big, voluminous lashes and this aims to deliver exactly that! I have pretty nice lashes so when I enhance them with a good mascara my entire looks seems to tie together perfectly. I just want to try it so badly!

What's on your wishlist? Have you tried any of these?

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My Week in a Nutshell #1

Hello! A bit of a new post today, this being mainly beauty blog and all, I still wanted to have some kind of lifestyle post every week. I want this blog to be a happy place for me and a place for me to ramble on about anything and everything that I like, so I decided to take the plunge and write it up. Let me know your thoughts on it all! Do you enjoy reading/writing about  life? :)
This week hasn't been the most exciting week at all but it was rather busy. I've worked for the majority of it, having to days free and it was pretty exhausting. If you didn't know by now - I work in an advertisement company as a promo person - doing tastings and presentations in supermarkets for various other companies. Our work time is usually 3 hours and even though it doesn't seem like a lot but waking up at 6am, going to school for 8 hours and then going straight to work is pretty tiring. I do love my job, it's pretty fun and I don't have to work long hours! Enough about that!

Today was a date kinda day. Me and my boyfriend couldn't meet up on Women's Day because he had to go to his aunt's birthday but today he surprised me with tulips and milk chocolate with oreos and I couldn't be happier! We went for a walk in a pinewood until sunset and just wandered around the woods for a few good hours. As I live in the city centre I'm used to always being in the city environment so it was rather refreshing going out to somewhere fresh and calm. It was so quiet and nice to be alone and enjoy our time together before the start of the new week with school and practices and work taking up most of our time :) We had a great time, walking and taking pictures of the most random things! I do enjoy taking pictures of him, though, he is very handsome ;) We just laughed all the way trough and joked around, I love that we have a similar sense of humor! As spring is approaching slowly but surely I believe we will have more days like this in the near future :)
I'm feeling so happy at the moment, without any stress. I know that Tuesday we have a day off from school because of a national holiday so I try to focus on that and not on hating Monday...
How was your week?! I'm really nosy and enjoy reading about other's life, so link me up to your posts!

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The Goodreads Tag

Hello, lovelies! For the longest time I wanted to do some kind of tag, since I haven't done any in months. I saw this on some blog a few weeks ago I immediately thought it will be the one :) I personally really enjoy visiting goodreads as I'm a real book-worm (you can find me here) and also it's really easy to find new reading material and keep track of what you've read! Challenges are a great way if you want to get into books more, because goals always makes you want to try more. If you're new, I would also suggest joining groups where you can meet lots of like-minded people (I also love book of the month suggestions and forums in groups, where you can all read a book and then discuss!). It's a wonderful website for all of you book lovers, so I would highly suggest you to join ;) Enough rambling for now, onto the questions!

• What was the last book you marked as "read"?

The Elite by Kiera Cass. It was a wonderful book, full of action with a love story and I'm a sucker for love stories! It was the second book in the series, the 3rd one is coming out in May and I can't wait!

• What are you "currently reading"? 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. It is interesting enough for me to keep listening to it but not as much as others I've read (listened to) recently. 

• What was the last book you marked as "to-read"? 

The One by Kiera Cass. It's the third book in the Selection series which I mentioned in the first question :)

• What book do you plan to read next?

I'm thinking about Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The problem is I can't remember what happened in the second one so I'll have to find a summary or something so I could read it. Also, I read the first 2 books in Lithuanian so listening to the third one in English might be a little difficult. Not that it's the first time haha

• Do you use the star rating system? 

I do, but I almost rate the book I've read 5 stars. I'm not a pro at reviewing books so I think I like them all haha I would really like to start doing book reviews on my blog and after getting so much positive feedback about it I think I will in the near future, it will help me learn to enunciate my thoughts better.

• Are you doing a 2014 Reading Challenge? 

I am. I set my goal to 20 books and so far I've read 4 :)

• Do you have a wishlist? 

I don't, but I often look through my suggestions on goodreads and mark 'want to read' the ones that I think I would enjoy.

• What book do you want to buy next? 

I don't buy books. I either take them from a library or download a .pdf or an audio version. 

• Do you have any favorite quotes? Would you like to share a few?

I don't actually. I don't really know why.

• Who are your favorite authors? 

Some of my favorites are Stephen King, Sandra Brown, Harlan Coben and Sophie Kinsella. I have a wide variety of genres I like to read as you can see ;)

• Have you joined any groups? 

I've joined a few Young-Adult themed groups. I adore young adult books, they are my favorite to read and I love the challenges and suggestions they put in the groups.

• Are there any questions you'd like to add to this TAG?

I think there's enough ;)

I really hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts! I would really love if some of you would do it. If you do or have done it before, please link me up, I would love to read it!

Do you like reading and visit Goodreads? What are your favorite books/genres?

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Essence Silky Touch Blush in Adorable | Review & Swatches

Hello! March is here and with it comes the beautiful season of spring. I'm very excited about the pastels, bright lips and nails and fresh faces. Spring is one of my favorite seasons because it starts to warm up after winter and the sun finally shows up again! Even though it still feels like winter here I know it's coming to an end. Today I wanted to share on of my most used blushes - Essence Silky Touch blush in Adorable. I never paid much attention to Essence blushes, even though I hadn't owned any blushes then but after hearing the lovely Andrea rave about this I decided to look into it some more. When I saw it in the store I knew I wanted it!

Essence Silky Touch blush in Adorable is a soft baby pink blush, leaning more towards the warm tone on the skin. The blush itself is very silky and not at all chalky, which I love. It applies evenly and looks gorgeous on the cheeks! It doesn't have any shimmer and is completely matte but gives a nice fresh look to the skin.

To apply this blush I use a simple blush brush and it looks great. I think it would suit lots of different skin tones because it's neutral and gives just a flush of color across the cheeks. I would say staying power is not it's strong side - it stays on for about 2-3 hours before dissapearing. I like to touch my face a lot during classes so maybe I'm to blame for this? I don't really know.

In my opinion, it's the perfect blush for upcoming spring and all year-around. As it's a staple I use it every single day and love it's finish. This little pot will last me quite some time, because brush picks this up greatly and none is wasted. It truly lives up to the Silky Touch name, it really is silky to the touch! It is really cheap and works great for the price, so I would reccommend this to anyone!

Have you tried Essence blushes? What do you think?
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Nails of the Day | Catrice 'Dirty Berry'

 hello! sorry for taking a huge break from blogging once again. I didn't even mean to, my blogger's block just kept dragging on and I kept coming up with reasons for me not to blog. I feel like I've neglected it but I'll try my best to get back. I even made a blogging schedule weeks ago but school work and my job kept me off it.

on the brighter note, I wanted to share with you all this little gem I bought recently! I saw this polish searching in the Catrice sale box and knew I had to have it. I've been wanting a good holographic polish since last winter when they hit the stores and were really popular!

Catrice 'Dirty Berry' is a grey toned lilac holographic nail polish. it leans more towards the dark side and in my opinion is perfect for autumn/winter (which is coming to an end!) but for me, the holographic aspect is also appropriate in the spring, because once the sun hits it it becomes the most gorgeous lilac full of multi-colored tiny teeny glitter particles. (it kind of shows in the pictures above).
what attracts me the most to this polish is the fact that it looks super festive and glittery but is not hard to take off! one of the reasons I hate putting glitter polishes is because they are a pain to get off but with this - it's not a problem at all!
as with all Catrice polishes, this lasts for about 3-4 days on my nails with a top-coat. it's not impressive but they have great selection of colors and types of polishes so I don't really mind. I have a few I bought on sales and they were up to 80% off which I love, because I'm all about saving money :)
the brush on their polish is huge and covers the whole nail really well. I can get away with one coat of this but I like to add one more for longer wear time.

I wore this polish on New Years Eve this year and loved it, it just screams party for me! if you fancy holographic polishes I would highly suggest you picking this up, I promise you'll love it as much as I do :)

have you tried any of Catrice's nail polishes?

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Catrice 'Made To Stay' Longlasting Eyeshadow in Lord of the Blings | Review & Swatches

 hello! another little review coming your way ;) I bought this cream shadow pot a little while (mentioned it in my haul here) and ago and had a few weeks (or a month) to test it out and be able to let you know!

catrice 'made to stay' cream eyeshadow in lord of the blings is said to be "Elegant, shiny metallic cream eyeshadow that are long-lasting and convincing. Easy to apply, the intensively pigmented texture seems to melt on your eyelid without settling in the crease or smudging. All day and all night long." In my opinion, it does live up to the claims. It is very pigmented, and a little goes a long way. it can be  a bit hard at times and if I pick up a little too much it's hard to blend out evenly. I prefer using a brush because the pot is narrow and my nails get into the product.

I would recommend definitely putting a primer under because even though it claims to be crease-proof it really isn't. I skipped a primer one time and it creased in about 2 hours. while wearing a primer it can stay up to all day with no creasing or smudging.

this champagne cream shadow also looks great as a base for similar eyeshadow because of all the 'bling' it really makes it pop. I would recommend this especially to blue eyed gals as myself because it makes them pop like no other! I received a ton of compliments on my eyes while wearing it.

overall, I love them. I really want to get my hands on more colors, they are cheaper than maybelline color tattoos and great alternatives :) the pot is high quality with secure lid and the product is not prone to drying up. if you can get your hands on these, I would highly recommend you checking them out!

have you tried catrice cream eyeshadows?

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