The BEST Strapless Bra Ever [Review]

Are you big busted and tired of spending huge amounts of money on 'miracle' strapless bras, and then get tired of hoisting it up all night long? Or of bras which do not give you enough support?

Have you always wanted to buy pretty strapless gowns or tops but always shied away from getting them because you were scared or not comfortable of wearing strapless bras?

Then read on to find out which bra saved my life [ok that's a bit melodramatic - but big boobed ladies will know what I mean]

The solution to all your strapless problems is this baby here - the Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless Bra!

Wonderbra? I hear you say. Aren't those meant to make your boobs larger? But no! This strapless bra goes up to a G cup and it works like no other strapless!

The reason is that on the inside of the cup it has this sort of 4 spoke / handed shape which feels exactly as if you were holding yourself up with your hands.

So you can jiggle, dance and even do cartwheels with this Wonderbra on without risking of falling out of your bra.

It honestly feels [and looks] like you are wearing a normal, strapped bra.

It is a great piece of engineering!

Since it has 'hands' this bra is non wired and the smooth/seamless cup means that you can wear the slinkiest, tightest of tops without the seams showing.

It also offers great support and uplift. Believe me when I tell you that I was quite wary of trying this on, but now I cannot stop singing its praises.

It comes in black, nude and lace.

Hope you found this review helpful.

Much love,

Lola

xoxo

What Not To Do On a First Date [Random Stuffs]

Although I've been in a relationship for a couple of years now, I do wonder if the dating game has remained the same, especially when I see friends going on dates. I really really loathe dating [and please don't mention blind dates, eugh!]

So this afternoon my friend [who is single] and I decided to compile a list of dating do's and don'ts [but this post will be solely dedicated to the don'ts - which for some reason outweigh the do's] 

Do not talk about your ex

Do not talk about sex

Do not declare your undying love to your date

Do not reveal strange OCDs

Do not speak of your want of a relationship

Do not drink too much wine 

Do not get drunk

Do not fish for compliments

Do not cry

Find the balance between talking/listening

Do not talk about religion and politics

Do not text more than once to confirm date

Do not use your mobile phone

Do not wear slutty dresses / suits if you're male

Do not talk about illnesses 

Do not try and cuddle / canoodle 

No dirty jokes

Do not pig yourself with food 

Do not fidget

Do not check the time more than once

Do not be a smart arse

Do not complain 

Do not discuss family matters / personal stuff

Do not wear too much makeup

Do not play around with your food 

Do not order messy foods

Do not bring your kids with you

Do not cancel at the last minute

Do not flirt with other people

So that's the list that we came up with. Do you agree with us? Or anything else that you would add? Let me know!

Love,

Lola

xoxo

26 Facebook Stereotypes [Lifestyle | Random Stuffs]

I was feeling quite bored on this Sunday morning / afternoon, and after hours spent scrolling [and re-scrolling] my Facebook news feed I decided to dedicate a blog post to a couple of stereotypes which form part of my Facebook friends. 

I'm sure that you have a couple of these among your online friends.

This is meant as a humorous post - so please don't get offended [although I'm sure that by next week I will have less than 414 friends]

Here goes!

1) The Selfie Queen [or King]

This girl/woman/boy/man actually litters your wall with selfies - but not taken on different occasions mind you. All of them are all captured on the same day - so same outfit, makeup etc but with different poses. Can't decide on which photo to upload? Simple! Upload them all.

2) The Narcissist

This specimen 'likes' their own photos and their own status updates / posts.

3) The Born Again Vegeterian

Once a meat lover, this specimen wants us all to know that he/she no longer kills animals / eats meat. Most of the time they will upload photos of slaughtered animals to put us off our bacon. It's ok if you're vegetarian, just don't post it all over my wall. 

4) The Religious Being / Non Religious Being

As the name implies. this person likes to share posts related to religious stuff. Most of the time they will also share posts similar to 'Share this if you love Jesus, don't share it if you love Satan!' On the other hand the non-religious being loves to share funny or ironic posts which relate to religion. 

5) The Now You're in a Relationship, Now You're Not

This being changes their relationship status every single day. In a Relationship. Engaged. Single. And so forth.

6) The I'm Going to Remove my FB Profile

Yep, I've seen my fair share of these in my lifetime. They declare that they do not need Facebook, they delete it for a couple of days/weeks/months, but after a while you see them back on here again. There is no escape from this hell hole!

7) The Combined Profile

Oh yes. You know these - the ones who are in a relationship but choose to use only one profile between the two of them - often combining their names into one. Inevitably you will never know who you are talking to, which may result in fights/making a fool of yourselves.

8) The LOLer

This person only comments by using just one word - an acronym - and yes, you guessed it. It's LOL. Not. It's like a free pass - they use it to make fun, or to sympathise with you. 

9) The Instagrammer

Most of the time this person records every minute detail of his/her life on Instagram, and of course shares it on Facebook. They take pictures of their food [mostly], their drinks, chocolate, their purchases, etc. 

10) The Hashtagger

#selfie #igdaily #love #summer #nofilter

You get it. This person practically hashtags EVERYTHING. Some of them even take it to the next level and they #hashtag#like#this#because#thats#how#they#roll.

11) The Gamer

Sends you game requests ALL THE TIME. Even if you do tell them that you never play that game - or even if you never send them any requests back.

12) The Animal Lover

Post animal photos all day long. We get it, you love animals. We love them too. 

13) The Gullible

Share this post to win a free iPhone 6! Press like to win a Caribbean Cruise. No. It ain't happening honey.  

14) The Quiz Taker

Take this quiz to find out which movie star you are. Or which character you were in a past life. Bleh. It's ok to take these type of quizzes - just stop sharing them [or stop sharing so many of them]!

15) The Complainer

Complains about everything! The country, his/her life, the weather - anything ticks this person off.

16) The Change Your Profile Picture Every Day

Yep. And if you do not get enough likes or comments, change it again.

17) The Happy Family / Couple

These lovebirds always write on each others wall - 'Oh I love you! Thanks for being there for me' and 'You're the one for me' etc etc. Can't you just send these messages by pm or messenger? Get a room!

18) The Quoter

They share motivational quotes all day, everyday. Sometimes, they even use them to caption their profile pictures / photos.

19) The Tagger

This person [or pages dedicated to shops most likely] tag you in stuff/photos that you really don't care about. Stop doing it!

20) The I Can't Wait For Friday

Come Sunday, this person will start complaining for the week to be over. Does nobody here love their job?

21) The Liker

Similarly to the Loler, this person only communicates with you by 'liking' your updates or your photos. But rarely ever constructs a sentence.

22) The Video Sharer

Hey! I want to share with you that I'm listening to this song! How cool am I? I'm also listening to this, this and this. Seriously, is there a need to share your whole playlist on Facebook?

23) The Transformer

This is the guy who has a photo of a car as his profile picture.

24) The I Never Bother Talking to You, but Hey! I'm in this Competition and I Need Your Vote

Your mobile pings. You get a private message. It's from this girl or boy who you barely know, or barely talk to each other, but she/.he is taking part in a competition and she/he needs you to vote for her/him. Pretty please.

25) The Stalker

This person spends all day stalking persons, liking all their photos and status updates [old and new]. Sometimes they even stalk people who they're not even connected with. 

26) The Hey! I Have a Social Life

This woman/man loves to show us how popular / full their lives are. Going to the beach. Going to pv. Having cocktails. Boarding the plane. Going Shopping. Heeyyyyyyyy! I lead such a busy life.

As for me, I believe that I am a mix of several of those mentioned here.

Love,

Lola

xoxo

I'm Lipstick by Pupa Milano in Shade #306 [Review]

Red lipstick has undoubtedly become a staple in many a beauty cases, and with so many shades and brands to choose from, you can be sure that you will find your perfect shade and finish.

One of the latest red lipsticks to join my ever growing lipstick brigade is this I'm Lipstick by Pupa Milano* in the shade #306.

This I'm Pupa lipstick comes in 40 shades [though locally we get 30 of the shades 100-109, 200-209, 300-309], and you can check all the range by clicking here.

I'm is also interactive! If you click HERE you will be re-directed to the Pupa website which gives the opportunity to check out which shades best suit which skin colour, hair colour and lipshade. 

All the lipsticks in this I'm Pupa range come in chrome packaging which is very sturdy and which I quite like, plus it offers a welcome change from the standard black tubes that we normally see. 

My only criticism about this packaging is that the label on the underside of the tube only has the shade number, and therefore if you have more than 1 of these lipsticks you would have to open all of them up to find the one that you want. 

I love how the Pupa logo is engraved on the bullet though!

These lipsticks are super, super creamy and lightweight - they are applied in seconds straight from the tube - and I'm sure that even makeup newbies will not find any problems in using these.

The finish of this lipstick is kind of in between a matte and a cremesheen - it starts off as slightly glossy, but then mattifies over time as the glossiness wears off.

Having said that, these go on like a dream and they do not dry out the lips. I'm obsessed!

They are super pigmented and the swatch you see above [and below on my lips] is just one swipe.

This has a light, sweet vanilla smell [quite similar to MAC lipsticks] 

Since this is a really creamy lipstick you do need to apply this more often than you would apply a long lasting one, say about every 3-5 hours or so.

This shade I have though, since it is red [I believe] leaves my lips nicely stained and therefore the lipstick colour fades off my lips gradually [and so you are not left with that horrendous ring around your lips].

Photo taken in natural lighting without any editing

I would give this product a 4 out of 5 [and that's only because I'm not a fan of the sticker without the corresponding shade on the lipstick tube].

The price of these Pupa I'm lipsticks is €12.45* 

You should definitely try them out! - And I really can't wait to try out the I'm Shades which form part of the Paris Limited Edition - the shades are to die for <3 Perfect for Autumn.

Of course, for my fellow Maltese and Gozitan readers, you can buy the I'm range from selected outlets and pharmacies across Malta and Gozo:

You can also follow the Pupa Milano in Malta facebook page by clicking here

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Yves Rocher Sheer Botanical Lipstick with 100% Cherry Oil in #32 Rose Cocktail [Review | First Impressions]

You know how earlier this week I blogged about the French brand Yves Rocher right? If you didn't read my introductory post than I suggest that you do so by clicking HERE

One of the items I was kindly gifted was this Sheer Botanical Lipstick* in the shade #32 Rose Cocktail.

I wanted to start out by reviewing this product since at the moment there is a 30% off on this in our Maltese stores - and yes, they have just been launched in Malta! [but keep scrolling till the end to check out the price - you won't be disappointed!]

Packaging is made out of plastic and it is cherry coloured [to match with the 100% Cherry Oil infusion I bet]. Even thought it is plastic it does snap shut with a satisfying click. 

You also get the name of each shade together with a similar coloured label on the bottom of each lipstick tube.

The colour I chose, Rose Cocktail, is one of 12 available shades and is a light pinky shade.

As the name of these lipsticks implies, the colour payoff of these is very sheer - i.e. you need a couple of swipes to get the colour to properly show off on your lips - but this is not a bad thing. After all, the payoff is supposed to be sheer.

This means that this is a perfect lipstick for those ladies out there who are scared to use highly pigmented lipsticks. 

Of course, these can also be worn for work, for shopping, by the beach, or where ever else takes your fancy. I, for example, have been using this daily for daytime use, especially since it has great nourishing properties.

Photo not edited so you can see the shade Rose Cocktail as is in natural lighting

The best part of this Yves Rocher lipstick is that it is made out of a 100% Cherry Oil, which

1) makes this lipstick smell utterly and totally DIVINE, and 

2) makes your lips super soft 

I swear, I keep re-applying this lipstick because of its taste and smell! Mmmm, yummy!

As a side note - if you have extremely chapped lips I would advise to exfoliate them prior to using this lipstick because it does kind of stick to dry patches on your lips.

And as for longevity, since this is a very sheer, glossy lipstick, you do have to re-apply quite often - between an hour or two depending on if you have eaten, etc. But of course, this lipstick is a pleasure to apply and quite a treat for your lips, too!

Taken in natural lighting, no flash.

Taken in natural lighting, no flash.

Below are the other shades which are available in this line;

Photo thanks to Yves Rocher Malta Facebook Page.

Now for the price ...

Normally these Sheer Botanical Lipsticks cost €15.80, but at the moment there is an ongoing offer at our Maltese stores where you can get them for €11.20 [with 30% OFF!]

For more information, follow the Yves Rocher Malta facebook page by clicking HERE.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Love,

Lola

xoxo

TONYMOLY Egg Pore Blackhead Out Gel [Review]

This Tony Moly Blackhead Out Oil Gel is part of a three step system which helps remove pesky blackheads.

I don't know the price because this was gifted to me, but I'm sure that a quick search on Google or Ebay will tell you. 

Of course let's start out by saying how freaking cute the packaging is <3 It comes in an egg shaped, plastic container which is quite on the large side, but as seen above you only get product in the bottom part of the shell - that is, 30ml.

It also has a yellow plastic seal [not pictured] which does not exactly fit in the bottom part, and makes a right mess if you try to fit it in. So I just threw it in the bin. There.

Apparently this TonyMoly gel has eggy properties in it [which help tighten pores], but don't fret, because this has a really pleasant lemon-y scent which I love. It is also oil based.

Once applied to the skin, it turns from clear to foamy because it reacts with the nasty sebum on your nose, or wherever you apply this [I use it mostly on my nose because I have open pores there and I can get blackheads really easily]

The yellow bits supposedly exfoliate the skin, but they are not abrasive/harsh so perfect to use on sensitive skin.

To use, you apply a small amount on your nose, let sit for 2-4 minutes, than lightly massage it in for another couple of minutes. When finished, rinse with water.

This is what I think about this product: I love how my nose feels after I use this - much tighter and cleaner, but of course it does not remove all of your blackheads completely [I find that no matter what 'miracle' product you buy, it won't remove all of them regardless of its price tag]

It does give it a matte finish even though it is made out of oil.

Of course, I don't know if by using the whole 3 step system you would get better results.

The cute thing about this Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Out Gel is that when finished, you can knock the yellow part out and plant a small plant / flower in it - how cool and environmentally friendly that is <3

So, that't it for today, I hope you find this review useful, and do tell me what you use for your blackheads, if anything at all!

Love,

Lola

xoxo

Brand Spotlight | Yves Rocher Malta

Today's post is about a very well known brand - Yves Rocher, which of course is renowned worldwide for its excellent products.

Although I'm sure that this brand does not need any introductions, I thought of dedicating a whole blog post about it since I will be reviewing a number of items by Yves Rocher, and therefore you can familiarise yourselves with the brand before I start posting my reviews.

First and foremost - Yves Rocher was founded in 1959 in France, by, you guessed it - Yves Rocher. 

A botanic by profession, he produced ointments and later cosmetics and started selling them by mail order from his family's attic. His products were received with great enthusiasm, and after three years of selling by mail order he opened his first store. Now the brand is available in more than 80 countries. 

The main ingredients in the majority of Yves Rocher products are plants. In fact, their belief is that just as plants are 'alive', so is our skin. Both plants and our skin adapt and are ever changing, making plants 100% ideal to use as skin care products. 

Therefore, according to the company, in order to 'protect it [our skin], repair it and stimulate it, it is best to offer it active botanical ingredients that are easily and naturally assimilated.'

The majority of the products are paraben free - and they are not tested on animals. 

They have also formed the Fondation Yves Rocher [check out their website by clicking *here*] where the goal behind the foundation is to plant 50 million trees by 2015.

The company  is also harvester, botanist, manufacturer and distributor all of its own products, making it a unique business model. This means that we can benefit from really affordable price tags.

It is no wonder that Yves Rocher is the Nr.1 favourite beauty brand in France, and 4th favourite world wide [the brand was assessed together with a staggering 600 other brands - which is no mean feat! coming 4th].

In Malta we are lucky enough to have 3 stores - in Sliema, Valletta and Paola. The Paola store also has a Beauty Spa, where they offer a number of services - from facials to body massages to waxing [and that includes also male waxing!] Prices starts from as little as €2 [my mum had her eyebrows and upper lip done and they did a really good job].

The range that is offered by this brand is incredible - perfumes, cosmetics, hair care, body care, and of course skin care. I will leave you to a couple of photos I took of the Paola store - and I will let the photos speak for themselves because the store is super cute and the packaging is to die for. 

Check out the Yves Rocher Malta Facebook Page by clicking HERE

You can also follow them via Twitter by clicking HERE.

Keep posted for upcoming Yves Rocher reviews!


Love,
LoLa

xoxo

Meet BalbCare Professional Nail Care | Waterless Manicures and Pedicures [Nail Care | Event | Workshop]

Last week I was invited to a workshop which introduced a new product on the local market - BalbCare. The event targeted people who either work in the beauty industry, or, like myself, are professional nail technicians.

Truth be told, I had never before heard about this product - but I was highly intrigued by the fact that Balbare is a revolutionary system which offers waterless manicures and pedicures.

Waterless I hear you say?

Well, yes.

But, introductions first and foremost.

BalbCare is infact a small, purple, package [pictured above] which contains a pair of polyethylene gloves [or socks for pedicures] filled with a special mixture/lotion, plus a handy disposable orange stick and nail file. This means that BalbCare is super hygienic because you only use them once, after which you them throw away once you're done. The fact that you do not soak your hands in water also means that you are less prone to attract any germs/fungal infections [especially if the manicure/pedicure utensils are not properly sanitised].

Btw, BalbCare was first introduced to the Brazil Market, and is now a worldwide success - especially in countries like America and Australia. Around 100 BalbCare manicures and pedicures are done every single minute, can you believe that?

What makes BalbCare one of a kind is the special formula or ingredients which are found inside the glove/sock;

Tea tree extract having anti-fungal properties;

Skin softener;
Calcium nourishing natural nails;
Keratin strengthening natural nails and supporting their growth;
Polymer R236 Balpharm developed by the laboratory, which is the perfect base for all kinds of nail polish;
Allantoin which is a natural anti-inflammatory and exfoliating ingredient;
Extract from the tree Hammelisa considered a natural ingredient for soothing;

You can read more about this product by visiting their website by clicking HERE.

At the workshop we had the opportunity to test this product out on each other, and my partner in crime [whose hands are pictured above] was Lara from Every Beauty Addict's Bible.

It was a blast, and I must tell you that your hands feel super amazinggggg once the manicure is done! Plus the result is visible upon the first application.

You can get a BalbCare Manicure for only €5 [in Malta and Gozo], how affordable is that? Plus, it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish, so you'll be in and out in a jiffy.

I'll leave you to some pictures of the event;

Karolina explaining about BalbCare

More in-depth lecturing 

Testing it out on Lara

... and Lara returning the favour :)

For more information and updates check out the BalbCare Malta Facebook page by clicking HERE,

Check out my nail page Nail Candy by Lorraine too!

Ask for a BalbCare manicure or pedicure at your local nail salon, you might get lucky :)

*** All photos are the property of Raymond Muscat | Email: muscray@gmail.com unless they have my watermark on them or stated otherwise.

Would you be interested in BalbCare?

Love,

Lorraine

xoxo