BENEFIT THEY'RE REAL MASCARA REVIEW

 When I’m looking for a new mascara I normally just go straight to the Essence counter, as I know that their mascaras never fail to impress.

But the other day, as I was looking at the new Benefit products, my eye fell on something I had never seen before. It’s the They’re Real mascara, that works wonders on lashes.

I bought the small container, as I wanted to test it before I bought the more expensive one, and I most definitely will have to go back and get it. I tried it the next morning, and I was amazed by how long it lasted and how dark my lashes were all day.

I will admit that by the end of the day it was very hard to take it off with just makeup wipes, but thankfully they also sell the makeup remover that goes with it! It feels like it grips onto your lashes, curling them upwards beautifully, without the need of a curler.

I was extremely impressed with this product, that you can buy here.  

Benefit is so quickly becoming my favourite brand, and I ‘m so excited to try other products of theirs.

Do you love Benefit?

Love, Sara xx

ps. you can buy it here

BENEFIT-THE POREFESSIONAL REVIEW

When I stepped into Sephora this time, I knew exactly what I had came for. I walked over to the Benefit stand, looking for the extremely famous Porefessional. The reason behind this: I had fallen in love with the Sephora smoothing primer (  ) and I wanted to try out some different ones.

Aside from the fact that it is maybe the most talked about product on the internet, it really is a miracle.

 It’s texture and coverage is essential for the perfect result. The no-colour scheme makes it impossible to be confused on which one you should be buying, and it really leaves amazing results.

 I’ve never been one to have huge pores or pimples, but I’ve recently noticed a few breakouts, and The Porefessional helped to cover and minimilize them.

 It also helps make makeup last and doesn’t leave a dewy finish at all.

Yes, it can seem expensive, but it’s really an investment. An investment in your skin and your beauty.

Have you ever tried The Porefessional by Benefit?

You can but it here

Love, Sara xx

RECORD AN ALBUM #21

In march 2014 I joined a band. We’re called Sound Chemistry and we play melodic rock music. Singing is one of my greatest passions, and I love the process of writing and creating new content. In December, we decided to record an EP. We already had 10 songs, so we had to pick our 4 favourites to feature on the album. After that, we only really had to decide a name. We had different ideas, but none of them really appealed to us, until my brother (also the bass player) suggested we named it Underground Fairytales. Now, you’re probably thinking ‘Isn’t that the name of your blog?’ I named my blog after the album, with their permission, as I fell in love with it. We spent 11 hours in the studio, recording again and again those four songs, until we felt they were perfect. If you want to check out our sound, we have a youtube channel with these four songs. 

Do you sing or play any instruments? 

Love, Sara xx

NAKEDNESS:NAKED PALETTE 3

How can a product be loved so much? I ask myself that question often, especially when I’m looking at the Naked palette 3. It’s one of the most stunning palettes I own, and I really can’t get enough of the variety of pinky nudes that it offers. They’re all perfectly pigmented, perfect for a smokey eye or just a simple dab of sweet colour. I adore the matte colours, and they are my day to day shades, whereas the more shimmery colours are perfect for an evening out.

Dust and Nooner are my favourite shades, and I love achieving new looks every time I try a new combination of colours. The brush that comes incorporated in the palette is soft and easy to use, making the application absolutely flawless.

All the shades are absolutely beautiful, and even though I don’t think all of them are of daily use, I absolutely recommend it to anyone out there who is looking for a new stunning palette that radiates summer everywhere.

You can buy it here

Do you like the Naked line?

Love, Sara xx

MY SKINCARE ROUTINE 2015

My skincare routine is something I’ve been trying to get right for a long time. I have very strange skin, so it’s hard to know what products to use. But I finally think that I can say that the products I use at the moment are perfect.

To start off with I should probably tell you about my skin. My skin is quite oily, even though I was blessed with quite clear skin, but around my nose area my skin often peels. These are two completely different skin types, so two different types of products as well, but I finally feel like I can say that Kiko came to the rescue.

Kiko has always been one of my favourite brands of makeup, and I never even thought of trying their skincare section. But last month, as I was in the store buying much too many things, I came across the skincare stand, and decided to pick up some products to try out.

To start off with, even if it’s the morning and my face has no makeup on it, I use the Cleansing Eyes(Kiko) with a cotton pad, to make sure my eye have no mascara left on from the previous night.

 Then I use the Cleansing Milk & Tone(Kiko) to remove any foundation or cream. 

 And to finish off the first part of the routine I use the Purifying Pads(Kiko).

I love the feeling of clean skin soon after I wake up, and it’s a great way to brighten your face up straight away.

After having made sure that my face is nice and clean, I apply my Energy Mask(Kiko), that is a detoxifying black mask that cleanses the face nicely from pollution and impurities. After 15 minutes or so I remove it using warm water and a towel.

After that comes the last part: the Cleansing Scrub(Kiko). I apply this, on wet skin, using circular motions with my hands and apply it evenly and then use warm water to take everything off.

At the end of all of these steps my skin feels nice and smooth, and I can see a big difference from before I started.

What’s your skincare routine?

Love, Sara xx

BENEFIT-GIMME BROW REVIEW

Brows are obviously an important feature of your face, so having them on pointe is something I strive for. Recently I was introduced to Gimme Brow by Benefit.

It is a mascara for you lashes that keeps them in place even during a busy and hectic day and fills in any gaps you may or may not have.

 I find that, having blonde hair, the light/medium is the perfect colour. In some lights I think that it may just be a little bit too dark, but all in all it’s the lightest colour they have and in most lightings it looks fantastic.

 The brush is really small, making it super easy to apply the product.

Even though Benefit can be more on the expensive side, all their products are most definitely worth it, including Gimme Brow.

If you ever have the chance to pick one up, definitely do, as it is a life saver and I don’t know how I used to live without it.

You can buy it here.

What do you use on your eyebrows?

 Love, Sara xx

CATERING FOR A DINNER PARTY #30

This year my parents both turned 50. So to celebrate their birthdays we organized two parties. Chiara, a friend of mine, and I, decided to cater for both. The first one was at the end of June, in Italy, with about 100 people. The second one, on the other hand, was more of a dinner party for about 20 people, and in the Uk. We started deciding the dishes one week in advance, and went shopping on the Thursday before the party. On Friday we cooked nearly everything, and I was really proud of the results.

This was the menu for the evening:

Vegetables and dips(hummus and olive and caper dip)

Peanuts

Vegetable crisps

Olives

Zucchini with Philadelphia and salmon

Parmesan and garlic breadsticks

Asparagus risotto in parmesan nests

Gammon

Potato salad

Bean salad

Tomato and mozzarella salad

Vitello tonnato

Various cheeses

Meringues

Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries

Lemon mousse

Chocolate cheesecake

Raspberry cheesecake

Tiramisu

It was an amazing turnout, and the food was absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself. I’m really proud of me and Chiara, as we managed to make all of this and serve everything, even if lots of it had to be done at the last minute!

If you’re interested in any of the recipes, just let me know down below and I’ll write some food blog posts soon.

Love ya, Sara xx