Book review: Celebutantes by Amanda Goldberg and Ruthanna Hopper

This would be the last book for now, because I'm saving up for a romance novels collection and it's gonna take me at least a month or so.
I thought I would love this book, because it's written by two actual celebutantes. Amanda is a producer's daughter and Ruthanna is Dennis Hopper's daughter. But...no. I haven't seen such superficial characters ever since Plum Sykes' The Debutante Divorcee.
First of all, the main character is Lola Santisi, the daughter of a famous director who's actorholic, meaning she constantly falls in love with actors and they break her heart. The worst of all was SMITH (it's an acronym, they use them a lot, and we don't even know his real name). Lola also can't seem to decide what career would suit her. Her best friends are Kate, an young agent, and Cricket, an aspiring actress. Finally, Lola is asked by her friend Julian to help him break through the fashion world by convincing famous people to wear his clothes.
The Oscars are around the corner and Lola hasn't had any luck and her only somewhat firm client is Olivia Cutter, a self-centered maniac and Lola has to do everything she can to get her to wear a dress made by Julian. She's busy with that, but she does find the time to start something with hot new actor Jake Jones.
And that's basically the story, I don't want to spoil the ending. It's your usual chick-lit material but there were things that seemed to much of a stretch. The constant name dropping (JLo was there, Al Pacino said this, Spielberg did that) and the obsession with clothes were plain boring. There are many brands mentioned in the Gossip Girl books for example, but it didn't seem to me like anyone was about to have a heart atack over a dress.
So, for me the authors tried to hard to impress us, like they know so many people and they lived in Hollywood and bla,bla,bla, but everything just ended up boring. Lola Santisi seems to me just like a spoiled brat (with awful parents, I give her that) and she's attracted to all kinds of assholes. Does she need a psychologist for that? Apparently yes.Read it at your own risk.

Thrift Shop findings

I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up
This is fucking awesome
Well,besides me liking Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, I also like going from time to time to thrift shops hoping to find some nice things. That almost never happens, because I don't know if this is something typical for Romania or just for my town, but the clothes they have here in thrift shops are merely rags. And I say that just to be nice, because I wouldn't want them if they were free, let alone pay for them.
Luckily for me, a friend of my mom,just opened up a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago and she gets nice stuff. Not anything vintage,I mean, there's not going to be a Dior waiting on the corner when you go shopping, but the clothes are very little worn and they don't smell (that is something common for thrift shops too, the clothes smell bad, I don't know if it's from cleaning solutions or storage or what) because she cleans them before she sells them.
To make a long story short, I wanted to show you two jackets I got from there. The first one is a no name brand because someone ripped the tag off, so it only says it's made in Italy.

I like the color, a nice chocolate brown, and it fits me perfectly.The belt highlights my waist and the pockets are real pockets, not just fake ones. The jacket is made of cotton and it was only 4 euro.
The second jacket was a real surprise, not just because it looks so modern with the zippers and the caps, and the silver grey color, but also because it's designer.

It's a jacket made by German designer Gerry Weber, from his Taifun Collection. I couldn't find the exact jacket on the site, but similar ones were about 100 euros. And I got mine for 3!Isn't that a bargain or what? The jacket looks impeccable, it's not worn out or anything, so I think it was a great find.
Now, if I could only fins some nice tshirts to add to my collection this summer, that would be great!

Johnson's Baby Soap with Honey review

Official description: None
Packaging: Paper wrap.
Texture: White solid soap. Has 100 gr.
What it does: So, lately I was having some financial issues (meaning I'm officially poor) , so I switched from shower gels and cleansing gels to soaps in order to save money, but keep myself clean obviously. That being said, when I didn't have a cleanser anymore, I needed something to wash my face with, because otherwise I don't feel clean. I figured, women were using soaps a couple of decades ago, so I should try this and I picked up from my local supermarket the only baby soap they had:Johnson's. I think if it's meant for baby skin, it should be ok for me too. I started using the soap for my face about 3 -4 days ago, and so far I'm happy with the result. My face is squeaky clean, there are no make-up traces when I dry up my skin and I don't have breakouts (other than the usual 3-4 pimples) or other reactions. My face hasn't become too dry, probably because this soap supposedly contains baby lotion, but I wouldn't recommend someone who has dry skin or sensitive skin to use it, because it's not that gentle or creamy like a normal cleanser. It didn't irritate my eyes though, because I've read some reviews from people who said these soaps are not that gentle for babies. Well, I don't know about babies, but for me it's working out ok. The scent is discreet and it smells basically like something clean with a hint of honey and it doesn't bother me at all.
Price: 3.80 lei (less than 1 euro)
Re-buy or pass: Just because it didn't hurt my skin doesn't mean I don't want a normal cleanser. But I would use it instead of an intimate wash because I do find it to be more gentle on the skin than a normal soap.

Book review: Amanda's Wedding by Jenny Colgan

Hi,kitties!
These days, I'm all about reading, so it's no surprise I have another review for you. This is my second Jenny Colgan book, as I read West End Girls a couple of years ago and I liked her writing, so I went for another of her books.
Amanda's Wedding is a classic chick-lit (well, obvious) about a girl named Mel, who's the typical hot mess we find in these books. She's unhappy with her job, her roommate, Linda, is a little weirdo, her boyfriend Alex, a wannabe rock star went to the US without even telling her and to make things worse, her frenemy, Amanda is getting married. Amanda was the popular girl at school and she's like from the Mean Girls movie, so Mel and Fran, her childhood friends can't even stand her. To make things worse, Amanda is marrying Fraser, Mel's crush from college, so she's even more upset.
Luckily, Fraser's brother,Angus, is a really good guy and Mel likes him a lot, but Alex, her "boyfriend", returns unexpectedly from the US and he's acting like nothing happened. And poor Mel is still head over heels in loved with him and she forgives him.
Jenny Colgan is not that good at describing funny situations or building strong characters or things like that, but what got my hooked on her writing is the dialogue. Her characters have sarcasm and witty remarks all the time, so I find the book to be amusing, even though there are some British humour things I didn't quite understand. If you like Amanda's Wedding, give West End Girls a try too, because it's about two crazy sisters and I liked it even more than this book.
Byeeeeee!

Book review: I Don't Have A Thing to Wear by Judie Taggart and Jackie Walker

Recently, there was a fabulous promotion on libris.ro and I got 3 books, for 5 lei (about 1 euro) each plus free shipping. I think I've read my share of classic literature and the other books on promotion were mainly chick-lit and self help books, so I chose this one because honestly I need help and I need it badly to reorganize my wardrobe.I'm not a teenager anymore, and all I seem to have are inappropriate  clothes, so I was hoping fro some tips.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see that the authors weren't snobby and they don't tell you to buy expensive clothes, to have few things, but high quality, but I really found some helpful tips and next week-end I'm going to start reorganizing my closet. The book offers lists, tests and tips on how to figure out what type of body you have, what your true necessities are and so on.
I personally am going to begin with giving away anything that doesn't fit me anymore, clothes I don't have were to wear, or clothes I just don't like, but I got them on sale or things like that. And believe me, I have plenty of those. I see cute dresses all the time in window shops, or elegant dresses I think I like, but the truth is I don't have were to wear them. So I'm going to buy 3 or 4 pairs of perfectly fit jeans, basic shirts and some casual jackets to combine them all the time.
Anyways, despite some negative reviews I've read about this book, for me it was a great help and I think if you don't have a natural fashions sense like me and your wardrobe is a mess, this books is definitely helpful.

My 90's Boy Band Crushes

Every teenage girl has celebrity crushes and I was no exception. Being a 90's kid and an early music lover, I've gone through the whole boy band craze and today I got caught up in nostalgia while I was browsing through some old cds. I wasn't into actors when I was like 13-14 years old, my thing was always for singers. There's something sexy about a hot guy with a sensual voice, ya know? So, here are my "imaginary boyfriends" from when I was growing up.
J from 5ive

He was the bad boy of the band with the piercings and the tattoos and of course I was attracted to him. he was also the one who did the rap parts.My favourite song from 5ive?If Ya Gettin' Down



Ashley Parker Angel from O-Town

I know now he looks like a living Ken doll and he's totally not my type anymore, but don't judge me, I was young and blond guys with baby blue eyes seemed really hot!



Kevin Richardson from Backstreet Boys

He was older, more quiet, dark and handsome. You know, I bet still waters run deep in his case and he got some skills. If you know what I mean. Just look into his eyes and you'll get what I'm saying. I also liked how he would dress in black most of the time.



So, this are my top 3 crushes. I also loved listening to NSYNC, British bands like Westlife, Take That,Blue, Boyzone or European ones like Caught In The Act or A1 (well A1 is technically British to, I think), but while I loved many of their voices, none of them seemed physically appealing to me.
Well,these were the days before One Direction and co...I miss those days.

NOTD: Beauty UK Salon Professional no 83 Wow That's Pink

This is my last Beauty UK post for now and I wanted to show you this gorgeous pink color. The name itself got me thinking it might be great, but the shade is like an almost neon pink, which I find to be very suitable for summer. Needless to say I love this color! I applied two coats here, because just one coat is kind of sheer. It staid on my nails for about 2-3 days, which is something usual for me. If I wear short nails I can get by for about 5 days, but if my nails are longer, just a few. It has a shiny finish and some mauve reflexes, which I don't know if you can see in the picture.I got this nail polish from beautyukcosmetics.ro and it was 15 lei (about 4 euro). I would try other shades too.

Beauty UK Baked Blusher review

Official description:

Baked mineral powders refined into a pressed blush formula to provide a sheer, luminous veil of colour. Colour builds lightly, layer after layer, without heavy coverage to enhances the cheekbones with a luminous, pearlized shimmer. Choose from 5 fabulous shades.

Packaging: The packaging is nice and sturdy, the typical black one with the company's logo on it. On the back side it also has a retractable brush, but it's really tiny, so I don't use it. I think it usually come in a box which I didn't get because there are no ingredients listed or other information besides the shade.
Texture: It's my first baked make-up product I have, so I don't know if it's supposed to be so...dusty.

What it does: This is also a product I chose from the giveaway I won and it's my biggest disappointment. The eyeshadows and the bronzing pearls are not that pigmented, but I can work with that, as for this blush...The color just doesn't show up on my face and I'm on the pale side. I got no 01. Candy Shop shade and I thought it would be a nice pinky shade. It looks good swatched because I used my fingers to rub the product in, but with the brush I just have to use it multiple times to get a little bit of color.

Price:24 lei (about 6 euro) from beautyukcosmetics.ro
Re-buy or pass: I wouldn't buy this because there's simply no color pay off.
Disclaimer: By winning a giveaway I wasn't conditioned on posting positive reviews about the products, actually I wasn't conditioned on reviewing them at all, so this is my honest opinion!

Beauty UK Eyeshadow Palette review

Official description:

Make a fresh statement everyday with our best selling 10 eye shadow combo palettes - as featured in Vogue.

Packaging: The eyeshadows come in a nice,sturdy case. They also have a double sponge applicator, but I like to use brushes instead. There's no mirror, but it's not something so bad, because I usually don't look in those tiny mirrors when I do my make-up.They all have 10 gr together, so they're rather tiny. You get 10 colors.

Texture: These eyeshadows are very satiny, but you have to apply them carefully because they tend to have a bit of fall-out. In this palette they are all shimmery shadows.
What it does: Moving on with the products I won at the giveaway, I wanted to try some eyeshadows too, but they didn't have them all on stock and I didn't want the palette with the nudes, because I like to have some colors too, so I chose the no.1-Pastels palette. One eyeshadow came broken, but that's because of the Romanian postal service since they tend to handle packages without any care whatsoever. It's a nice collection of eyeshadows, you get 3 brown shades, a white highlighting shade, a lilac shade, a pink shade, two blue shades and two green shades. These eyeshadows are rather sheer, so you don't get that much pigmentation and they are all shimmery, but I like the fact that they look so good on the eyes, like from a distance you look like you have some make-up on, and you can see the colors only if you get closer. I used them with primer and they staid put for about 7-8 hours, meaning a typical working day and that's what I want. I must say on the website they looked bigger and I was surprised to receive a small palette instead, but I do like the colors very much. I would say these are great for beginners and for people with little make-up skills like myself, not for those who usually do elaborate looks and that are looking for very strong pigments.On my hand I swatched without primer the brown from the top row on the left, the dark blue, the golden shade next to the brown one, the pink, and the green shade next to the pink one.

Price: 24 lei (about 6 euro) on beautyukcosmetics.ro
Re-buy or pass: Honestly, I'm glas I didn't pay for this palette because I didn't think it was this small and it's not like it's something I can't live without. I'm glad I gave it a try, but I don't think I would buy another one.
Disclaimer: By winning a giveaway I wasn't conditioned on posting positive reviews about the products, actually I wasn't conditioned on reviewing them at all, so this is my honest opinion!

Beauty UK Bronzing Pearls review

Official description:

Pots of petite pearls to give you a summery glow all year round.

Packaging: The bronzing pearls come in a plastic container with a black lid and the logo on it. They have some sort of a brush included, but honestly I didn't even try to use it because tiny brushes given for free are almost never good at anything. It doesn't seem like it, but there are 15 gr of product inside, and I say that because when I first saw them I thought there was too little.

Texture: Well, they're pearls and they are small, but not in a bad way.
What it does: As far as I can tell from the packaging and from the website, there are no other shades available, just an universal one. On the swatch it may look a little dark, because I rubbed a bit so you can see the color, but on the skin, they give that golden glow a bronzer should give. They are shimmery, but nothing chunky, so if you don't mind a bit of shimmer, these bronzing pearls suit almost every skin tone. There's not much pigmentation and I noticed this to be something common for Beauty UK face and eye products. They are similar to e.l.f. meaning they're great for beginners or for those who are going usually for subtle make-up and nothing too extravagant. I myself like it that way so that's why I like these bronzing pearls too.

Price: 20 lei (about 5 euro) on beautyukcosmetics.ro - these were also part of the giveaway I won
Re-buy or pass: I like them but it's not something I would necessarily want to have again.
Disclaimer: By winning a giveaway I wasn't conditioned on posting positive reviews about the products, actually I wasn't conditioned on reviewing them at all, so this is my honest opinion!

On Kitty's watchlist: Gossip Girl

This wouldn't be a girly girl blog if I wouldn't mention one of most girls' favourite tv show: Gossip Girl. I must say, the show is better than the books, which I find quite boring. The characters are a bit different, and the plot sooo much different, but in a good way.
Who doesn't want the glamorous life of Upper East Siders from Manhattan? Private schools, wild parties, haute couture and sexy situations. Isn't that what high school's supposed to be about?Well no, but that's why we have Gossip Girl.
The show revolves around a group of wealthy teenagers. Blair and Serena are frenemies and queens of the Constance Billiard school. Serena is tall, blond and wild and Blair is petitte, dark and frankly a bitch, but they known each other since they were children. Nate and Chuck are the hunks of Saint Jude high school and everything seems to be wonderful in their world until Nate cheats on Blair with Serena and Chuck has a sudden interest in Blair. Dan is the poor outsider who can't believe Serena notices him, and Vanessa is his rebellious ex.
If that got you confused, keep in mind their parents are equally as screwed up, so there are many dramatic situations and conflicts, but also many funny lines.
Each girl wants to be a Blair or a Serena. Although I'm more of a Blair character wise, I like Serena's fashion style better. As for the boys, Nate has those beautiful blue eyes, but Chuck's pervert gaze is...God, he's like a young Christian Grey if you ask me (Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone?).
So what are you waiting for? there are 6 seasons to watch, so get on with it already. You know you want to!
XOXO Gossip Girl :)

GG Movies: The Wedding Planner

Call me a sucker but I love Jennifer Lopez movies because I love romantic comedies and I don't care how cheesy the script is. I think JLo is actually funny and I like her Latino accent.
In this week's movie she plays Mary, a wedding planner who's organising a big wedding. But without her wanting this, she falls in love with the groom-to-be, played by hottie Matthew McConaughey. They look so cute together and although it's not something I approve of, meaning flirting with a committed man, I can't stop myself rooting for them.
I guess the movie is pretty predictable, but it's still a nice afternoon movie, so do enjoy!

Elmiplant Bioten Antiaging Day Face Cream review

Official description:

Royal Jelly is considered one of the most nutritious active ingredients, which regenerates and strengthens the natural protection of the skin.Due to its antioxidant properties, protects the skin against free radicals and assures a smooth texture, reducing fine wrinkles. Complex minerals (Cu, Zn, Mg) energize tissues, while stimulating cell regeneration.At the same time, restores vitality and freshness to the skin and prevents premature aging.

Packaging: Along Farmec and Cosmetic Plant, Bioten is in the top 3 Romanian cosmetics companies, but I must say Bioten has the most appealing packaging. Farmec and Cosmetic Plant have really cheap looking packaging. Bioten uses plastic containers too, but they seem more elegant, like for this face cream. The packaging looks like matte glass from distance, and that's a plus in my book.It contains 50 ml.

Texture: This face cream is very light and it looks and feels like whipped cream. The smell is delicious, it smells like honey and I must tell myself every time I use it that it's not for eating!  

What it does: It's about time I started using some antiaging face creams, so I chose this one. I expected it to be more greasy, but it says it's for normal/combination skin so maybe that's why it absorbs fast into the skin so I don't have to struggle with it in the mornings before I apply my make-up. On the packaging it says it's for ages 35 to 45, but that seems strange, because the first wrinkles appear after the age of 25 (or earlier if you have the bad luck to have dry skin). Also, in the descriptions it says it prevents premature aging. Premature. And 35 is not premature, it's natural, so I think it's more than ok if I start using this now. It's paraben free, so that's another plus and all in all my skin seems to like it. The only thing I would have loved is if it had SPF. It's important to protect your skin, even if it's not summer, so it's a hassle to have to apply SPF after this, but I guess you can't have it all at such an affordable price. I do love it, and it's my second favourite face cream after Farmec's. Farmec's AslaVital line is the best there is in Romania in my opinion and call me patriotic but for my face I actually prefer Romanian products because they're great.
Price: 15 lei from the pharmacy.
Re-buy or pass: I'll probably buy it again,because Farmec AslaVital face creams cost double the money so...who knows? I don't give this cream a 10 because it has no SPF, and because I know there are better ones out there.

NOTD: Beauty UK Posh Polish

I just got this beautiful nail polish that I won at a contest sponsored by Beauty UK Romania. I chose some products because I had a voucher and I couldn't resist trying this nail polish first. I'm a sucker for anything golden, so I got this one from the Foil line, shade 01 Olympic Gold. May I just say...wow. This is only one coat on my nails, and the polish is so thick in a good way, it has great coverage, very easy to apply and my nails were dry really fast. I don't know yet how long lasting it is, but I did the dishes tonight so...I don't really care, I'm happy if it doesn't chip for 2 or 3 days.
It's the first nail polish I try from them and I love it. I think it's an absolute must. There's also a silver one in the Foil line that looks pretty interesting.
The nail polish has 9 ml and it costs 21 lei (about 5 euro) on beautyukcosmetics.ro, so it's not that cheap, but so far I think it's well worth it.
Disclaimer: By winning a giveaway I wasn't conditioned on posting positive reviews about the products, actually I wasn't conditioned on reviewing them at all, so this is my honest opinion!

Palmolive Naturals Long and Shine Shampoo review

Official description: I can't seem to be able to find this shampoo on any of the English language sites and mine is from Greece, so I just picked up a couple of words from the French translation on the packaging. Anyways, this shampoo contains olive extract and it's recommended for medium and long hair and it's supposed to make your hair look shiny.
Packaging: Rather plain white bottle with some olives on it. Could it be more generic? Mine is a 400 ml jumbo size one.
Texture: It looks pretty much like a white cream and it has a very pleasant scent. It stays on the hair, so if you don't like scented shampoos avoid this one.
What it does: At first, I was afraid to use this shampoo because in my mind anything that contains olive extract must be for dry hair and on the packaging it doesn't mention anything about that, just that it's supposed to nourish long hair and give volume. Luckily, my scalp seems to like it, since I didn't get any itchiness or dandruff or anything unpleasant. My hair didn't get greasy and I could have staid for 3 days in a row without washing my hair, but I like to feel clean, so I do it anyway any other day. My hair looks shiny and it feels smooth, so I'm happy with the result. The only thing is the volume isn't there. My hair doesn't look to flat or anything (I rarely use any styling products), but it definitely had more volume when I used the Yves Rocher shampoo with hamamelis.But I noticed that most volume shampoos tend to make the hair look frizzy , so I guess I prefer to have smooth hair in opposite to big and frizzy.
Price: I didn't see any Palmolive shampoos in stores, and mine was a gift from Greece so I don't know how much it costs, but Palmolive is an inexpensive brand.
Re-buy or pass: Well, it's not a "wow" shampoo, but I would probably repurchase it if there were any on the shelves.

Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Bar with Warm Vanilla review

Official description:

Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter Beauty Bar with ¼ moisturizing cream is infused with a rich blend of shea butter and melts deeply into dry, dull skin leaving it soft and smooth. Let the abundant, creamy lather and scent of warm vanilla envelop your senses and leave you feeling pampered and renewed. 

Packaging: Regular soap box.
Texture: Regular white soap with the Dove logo on it.

What it does: When I go shopping for body care products in supermarkets I'm always thorn between Nivea and Dove because I love both brands. So now, when I got a little nostalgic and I wanted to buy a soap because I've been using shower gels and creams only for over a year, I started taking each soap on the shelf to smell it so I could decide. The battle was between this one and a Nivea one (which I'll definitely get next time), and the Dove one won because of the delicious vanilla scent. Now, it is a more creamier soap and I don't have to rub it on my skin until I turn red to make some foam, but I do need body lotion after shower because it's just a soap after all, not some miracle product. My bathroom smells like that fresh, clean Dove scent mixed with sweet vanilla after using it and I can still sense a hint of that on my skin even after a few hours. And I love that.
Price: 3,4 lei (almost 1 euro) from Billa
Re-buy or pass: of course I would repurchase this soap. Or any Dove soap at all because I think they are great.