I was wondering, once again, why social media took such important place in people's life. Letting alone the fact we all like to know about each other's accomplishments, dinners or travels, I still don't understand why I'm a better blogger if I share my post 3 times a day on every social media available to date!

Why I'm a better writer if I share a bit of the text on twitter, facebook and whatever page you may think of right now... why I'm a better photographer if I spend endless time adding filters to my blog photos on instagram... why I'm more successful if I interact with people I don't know!

Blogging, everyone knows what that is, a trend?! Many would say, but to me it is a way of expression, a personality explosion on internet, a way of sharing information on subjects we care about, a friends maker, a opportunity giver and a lifestyle. 

For the past two years I've been dealing with blogging on my shoes, I've met a lot of blogs through out the journey and some I just left to whoever is interested in them, others I keep as treasures. Blogging is what it is, a way of communication that's being over explored by opportunists and slowly destroyed by consumers. 

More than a place to share it's become a place to trade, I read your blog if you read mine, I'll comment if you comment on me, I'll share if you share... and the essence is disappearing...

Money aside, it's nothing to do with sponsored posts within the limit, honesty is essential and I will no matter what keep reading a blog if it carries honesty in it, but the fact someone expect me to read their blog in trade of them reading mine is a bit over the limit to me.

After 2 years I've been thinking about making an introduction to the blog, a little bit more about myself and what I intend with this space. It's been a while now and probably sounds unappropriated time to do this but I feel like it will give you another perspective and keep you a little bit closer to me.

The two sides of a face, is how I named this post, for some reasons, one being my love for makeup and the different ways I use it personally.

It is no new that I want to be better each day, build something out of this passion, become a makeup artist if you will. I want not to leave my mark in the world but become better at what I enjoy doing each day, for me, for my descendants. If my fight for these dreams mean something to me they sure will pass something to whoever knows about them. Even so, this is not all about it.

H&M has been one of my favourite places to buy clothes from, affordable and cute things that actually suit my not so usual taste so when I heard about them doing a proper makeup line I was wowed!

First off I was not expecting that much of a choice of product and colour and since I was tempted to buy everything from the store I forced myself to grab just a few items, all for eyes! How shocking right! I know I don't need more eyeshadows nor eyeliners but they were so pigmented and I couldn't resist! I'm hunting for their blushes and matte lipsticks now!!

The packaging is white, gold and black which makes it look fancy for a clothing makeup brand, if you know what I mean! Having an enormous range of different shades the eyeshadows were what blown me away the most! You can find different finishes, even full on glitter, different shades from neutrals to bold blues and greens and all very pigmented! I swatched almost every single shade and the buttery consistency is equal to all of them - impressed!

On the eyeliner department I decided to go for 2 pencil liners one in a copper shade and the other in a plum shade, both perfect for Fall! The liquid liner I got is a black with silver glitter that unfortunately doesn't show off as much as I'd like it to when dried on the eye lids! But that can be a good addition to a not so adventurous makeup lover to wear on night outs!

Overall the line is very good for the price as for what I've tried so far and definitely one to keep an eye out for future tries!

Thanks for reading,

Extra post today as I am feeling like saying a lot of things about a certain subject. Hopefully you will have some good words for me!

I recently turned 20 and as you may or may not know I live in England since February this year. I am a strong believer that people shall fight for their dreams and I am currently trying to do it myself, but...

I am 20. I have poor work experience as you can expect and believe me or not I have applied for quite a few jobs now. The stigma of 20year old people knowing nothing about life starts irritating me. I for sure know a lot less than my father or my mother, a lot less than my 30 year old friend or a 65year old lady but when those were my age what did they know? More than I do now? It is quite hard to believe as the world is getting easier to know for the past years. I have no experience working in beauty besides on myself and couple of friends so I need and very politely ask for people a chance to prove I can give them a bunch of good things. But they often refuse giving me that opportunity of getting experience, which if happens all the time I am going nowhere in life.

Well, in a world ever so growing of university graduated people I, with a level I can't even classify in England for sure am going to the back of the list. It is good to know people studied but school has never given me experience to go outside and make it work at first attempt, I need the kindness of the people and my ridiculous effort to get a job that may not even be up to my professional expectations, I am talking the minimum here.

Nowadays we learn from home but the thing is the paper still gets the main part in a job, I can be as good as a person who studied but I didn't learn that in school so I have no chances against it in a job appliance, which makes me sad. I don't have the money to go on a makeup course at this moment, I am yes 20 years old but I work to feed myself, pay an absurd amount of money for a house and that's barely it. I don't want to say someone is less or more than me because they have the help of their family to achieve some things in life. I had it myself till now and CHOOSE not to have it from now one. Is a choice that I am proud of and for sure everyone makes their choices based on what they want to achieve for their lives according to their needs and possibilities. I admire people who fight for their dreams no matter what they are! We are talking about life goals. Mine is to work in the makeup world so I am asking for a job that gives me experience where I give them my knowledge back, that for sure is not that little if you think well about it. I learn new things everyday as I am connected to the beauty world more than I even care to admit and didn't need school to make me love it!

20 years of life doesn't mean I know nothing about it, I have studied Arts and Pastry and I've been in the beauty community for 7+ years. I have my own life experience that for sure taught me a whole lot of things that help me on a daily basis as a professional and as a person! Does that make me someone who knows nothing? I am a very interested girl when it takes to things that I like, I spend hours trying to get better at it and find new ways to do it. Does that make me a 20 year old who knows nothing? I don't think so...

But tell me what YOU think.

Disclaimer: this is an opinion post, I am sharing my own vision on the subject here as I've been experiencing it.

Thanks for reading,

Starting with face! I just finished Catrice All Matt Plus face powder that I absolutely loved and replaced by Catrice Prime and Fine Mattifying Powder Waterproof (review here). I won't repurchase it since I've found a new love for the Waterproof powder but still if you want a good powder try this!

Kiko is and has always been one of my favorite brands, I have tried a lot of their products and I can't remember once I got disappointed! No exception for the 3D Lifting Concealer! I have it for the longest time and I love it but I don't think they sell it anymore which is a shame! Great product for under eye area, it helps brighten it up! 

Halloween being one of my favorite seasons of the year can't be passed without a good movie! If you follow me for some time you probably have noticed how I love everything Tim Burton and Halloween. But I'm not a horror fan at least when it takes to the big screen.

My movie suggestion starts with, of course, my favorite movie of all time:

QuizUp is my favorite game of all time. 

First of all I learn so many things! It has so many topics related to everything you can ever imagine! Think about one thing and go for it.

Another amazing thing, you play with people from the entire world! You can add them as friends if you want and also exchange messages!   

It has also the option to challenge and with every game you win points. At the 10th level you get a title that you can use and every title is related to the topic you're playing. The game has a 10 second setup for each question so your points will depend on the time you take to answer. 

There are so many amazing things about this game I can't even write them all!

The only downside is that you have to be connected to internet but let's be honest, nowadays we have internet everywhere so it's not that bit of a problem.  

Last Wednesday I shared with you some tips to help you decide whether going or not to University (read here). So here's what happened to me.

To start  off, , I decided not to go to University when I was almost finishing my High School exams, I still did my best and left pretty happy with the results. I first balanced what I liked to do, what I wanted in the future and if University was a path to take. Concluding it was definitely not a thing for me I applied for a Pastry Course where I fortunately got in. 

It takes time to make such decision, do your research, think about it, think about the options. Keep always in mind it's a time for yourself and don't go for other's opinions! 

My point in sharing with you my experience is to make you see that University is not the only path to take, it's not the only thing that'll make you feel fulfilled. You can always apply to University if someday you want to do it but now remember you have a sea of options so take your time to do your research and make your decision.

If you're already in and don't feel great about it you can always quit. 

Don't waste your days in something you don't believe! This applies to everything in life!

Thanks for reading,

Starting with what matters the most, you can choose your own path! 

Talking personally, I decided not to go to University but we'll talk about it later. But here's some steps I followed before making the definite decision:

  

I know it's not easy to let down your parents if you don't want to go to Uni or to ask them to go when they don't have the chance to give you that, but always remember University is for everyone, at every stage of their lives.

Don't feel pressured to make a decision, it's your future and the most important thing about it is YOU.  

Thanks for reading,

To create a blog is simple, anyone can do it. Keep it up for as long as you wish is other thing! 

I started blogging because I felt the need to give my opinion about some products I own and show the world what I like not only in makeup but also in books and art categories. 

I really enjoy doing it but how much blogging affects my life?!

I came with this thought some time ago while trying to take some pictures and none would be as I wanted. Blogging is not easy and I knew it better after some months of creating content to share. This part of my life takes hours of my days when I write, when I take pictures, when I research or when I'm in a writers block. 

Blogging can be an escape or a full time job, but even as an escape it will always take time from your life!

 

It's easy to fall in disappointment when it takes to some products whether they can't work for you or they just are not what they seemed to be. I definitely had that feeling a lot of times before getting into blogging but now I know the best thing to do is always read a lot about something before buying it! But even looking at some reviews I can get disappointed sometimes so I always think about the options!

(illustrative image, don't take the products as reference)

 Here's some tips: 

I always keep in mind if that product is going to be at some point in life used or if someone will like it better than I do! I just trow away things that are in bad condition or have expired! 

Hope this tips help you!

Thanks for reading,

My camera... an Olympus fe  12 megapixel bought in 2009..  You may have noticed how technology has changed, and a nowadays 12mp camera is no longer that bad. Mine is awful, the quality, the options and the longevity. Nothing seems to work right and it makes me wanna trow it away. 

For the times where your actual camera sucks or breaks and you're waiting to get a new one you can't just stop living. If you're a blogger you know how pictures are important and without a camera we're left with minimal options.

Here's some methods you can use for those times where you can't have a picture of your own:

You can always opt to talk about things that don't need a direct picture such as:

• Music taste;
• Reviews on movies or books;
• Share experiences;
• Do wishlists;
• Share links you love; 
• Quick tips...

Thanks for reading,

  

Since makeup is the main theme it is important to clarify some things, at least my point of view on them. This blog is not about me, 'Mary', is about what I love, makeup. Yet everything is directly involved in my life and if you're a blogger you know how it rolls. 

The quote I posted above is so important to take in because it can make you realize how important is to makeup your mind before your face. There's no makeup in the world that will make you pretty. You ARE pretty with or without a layer of face paint. Makeup is something that helps us get more confident about ourselves when it takes to our supposed flaws. If you think you look prettier with it, it's fine but remember that beauty comes from you not from a cosmetic! 

Accept yourself, go look in the mirror and stay positive about YOU. Don't compare to anyone, it's hard I know I keep doing it but at the end of the day I remember that I'm unique and no one is like me. 

Hope this little chat helps you figure out how beautiful you are from inside to the outside no matter any flaw you may notice, in the end it's all about what you think about yourself, what you show to others. 

If you believe in your beauty everyone will notice it! This is your body and the most important thing in life is to feel comfortable in it. Take care of you, you're beautiful!

Thanks for reading,

I decided it's the right time to share with you my experience of living away from my parents due to college or other related situations.

First off keep in mind it's not easy yet it's not awful. It depends on the way you feel about your parents and how you feel about yourself. Since I'm talking personally it makes sense to explain in my own terms.

When I finished Secondary School (what you call High School) I decided it was the time I was waiting for to become independent. As you may have imagine it's not all rainbows and flowers. The thing I noticed and I still struggle with is you never became 100% independent from your parents, they still pay all your stuff, the house you live in, the food, the school and everything that involves money. Your parents are the only source of money you have if you don't work right?! So you survive because they give you all those things and you're not independent as you think you are.

Living away teaches you a lot of things such as paying bills in time, food shopping, dealing with unknown people and your fears (as you can see for the picture above) and those kind of stuff you probably never had to think of before moving. I personally enjoy a lot doing things on my own, of course in time and with responsibility.

Living alone implies responsibility, organization, effort and a lot of nostalgia! The first times can be awesome or awful it depends... For me the first months were amazing, I loved and still love living on my own but now I can assure you I miss them much more since I get more and more time away. At first was those feelings of being free in a certain way and now it's more feeling a bit alone. For the fact I'm really lucky 'cause I didn't have to live alone, I live with a friend where I study and I live with another friend where I take my internship so I'm grateful for not being completely on my own. 

But since your chance to live with someone you know is not high you have to deal with strangers and it can be pretty concerning, you have your education and others have theirs, there's one thing that can help both of you 'strangers' to get along well - respect. I really hope you can have the time of your life and if you're not fine where you are or don't have a good relationship with your housemates you can always talk to your parents and try another house or another thing. Don't feel the pressure to keep everything for yourself your parents wants the best for you and they will help you go through everything.

There are immensely good things to take from your experience and you'll feel  more capable to deal with life in general (and spiders). There will be times of joy and others of sadness but it's all made up to transform you in a responsible adult. Don't be afraid things will turn out alright and once you're living on your own you'll want to do it forever ;)

Tell me your experience and let me know how you dealt with it!

Thanks for reading,

If you read my blog regularly you know Kiko Makeup Milano turned out to be one of my favorite brands on the beauty world. Great prices for amazing quality, couldn't ask better.

Not a long time ago I picked Kiko Cleansing Eyes & Lips a duo phase makeup remover recommended by NikkieTutorials. It retails for 5,90€ which is a fair price for the amount of 125 ml you get. It has, as normal of duo phase products, 2 different liquids inside of it where one is Transparent and the other is Blue. 

This remover is just amazing! I've tried Sephora and Douglas both were similar but this one I find it's less oilier which I love! All duo phase removers I tried were amazing but this one is so far my favorite. 

As you can see I added some chocolate bars to the picture it combines in colours but also it reminds me of that pleasurable moment where you eat chocolate... it's how I describe removing makeup with this duo phase cleanser. It gives me such effortless moment of joy while living my eye/lip area clean yet not dehydrated.  

'Ideal for removing waterproof and long lasting makeup. Shake well before use. Clinically and ophthalmologically tested. Hypoallergenic = formulated to ensure minimum instance of allergic reactions. Non comedogenic. Paraben free.' 

I won't keep repeating my thoughts on this product but if you have the chance go check it out! 

Thanks for reading,

I'm going to take a break. It's not that I'm in a writer block is more that I don't have enough time to write quality stuff with the same frequency. 

I know you understand it and I'm so thankful for all of you who keeps reading my blog. It means the world to me and I won't give up but as I'm going through my internship at the moment it keeps hard to sit down and give you good articles. 

I have so many drafts that I have to finish and publish but once more, the fatigue takes the best of me. Everything is new and I'm liking it to the point I'm learning but at the same time it keeps me frustrated since I can't seem to do anything else but work, eat and sleep. 

I'll give my best to not give up on blogging for a long time and posts will come but not as many times as you're used to. Things will get better soon and I hope you'll still be here.

Thank you so much for your support and I wish you a good life!!

See you soon,

Tiger - Is a Danish store that I recently found in a mall and I adored it so much I had to share it with you!! It's like Ale-hop but, in my opinion, better! It has cheap, cute and useful stuff that will make you want to stay there for hours! Check their website for an idea of their products! Can't wait to go there again!

The Fault In Our Stars - I read the book and I have a spoiler free post about it here. It came finally to cinema in Portugal and of course I had to watch it with all my friends! It was terrible!!! Popcorn mixed with tears what a way to spend a Saturday afternoon! The movie was amazing although it was modified in some parts which I understand, the story is beautiful and it gave me some reasons to think about in life. I simply loved it and recommend it! 

The Munsters - A show that I wanted to watch for a really long time! It's horrifically hilarious if you know what I mean! I love everything about it, the characters, the house, the concept and the story! Everything is amazing and if you like 'horror' and comedy this is perfect! Give it ago it's nothing related to horror movies is just weird people living in a normal town!

Drop Dead Diva - Broken Heart is how I am. It was the final of finals.. The 6th season was the finale and I didn't have a clue until I watched the last episode and everything went just right you know... nothing to make you anxious about! I then went to search when the 7th Season would be up and found there's not going to be a 7th S... It's my favorite tv show of all time, my heart fell when I realized this sad thing. All the actors are amazing and I'll miss them so much!