Skinade Competition - Win 30 days of Skinade

Skinade…Sounds like Lemonade doesn’t it? I think it’s more like Gatorade for the skin. Or even Lemonade for the skin works I guess because I love lemonade. My point is, Skinade is a new drink for your skin!

Benefits : Drinking Skinade on a daily basis results in firmer, more even toned, hydrated, radiant, youthful and healthier looking skin. It reduces fine lines and wrinkles and repairs connective tissue, so you’ll also benefit from stronger, healthier and faster-growing hair and nails.

Observed Results:

4-6 days – skin gets softer and more hydrated

10-14 days – noticeable differences. Uniform, smoother, radiant and glowing skin.

2-4 weeks – skin becomes firmer and fuller with a noticeable reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.

4-6 weeks – greater skin elasticity and further reduction in fine lines and wrinkles.

I haven’t tried this drink myself so I’m not sure if the above results are really that fast but that’s what they claim. This post however, is about an opportunity to try Skinade for free. Skinade have a survey on their website where the entrants can win a 30-day supply of Skinade (£90 value). All you have to do is answer a few questions and fill in a few details that will allow them to contact you if you win. I found this really interesting since this is the first I’ve heard of a skincare drink instead of a skincare product. The science behind it is pretty interesting and cool as well ( I read it but didn’t want to put it in this post since I thought it might be boring for everyone to read. I think the this drink seems worth a try and if you win and receive it for free then let me know if it works for you! If you like it I might try it out and review it on the blog too.

All you have to do to enter is click here and answer some really short questions. You can also click on the picture below to enter the competition. 

Studio Gear CC Cream Review

I've had a lot of posts on this list of posts to write and publish. Most of them involved me trying things on my face and that's one of the reasons why I haven't gotten to writing them. Recently my skin decided to go crazy with hormonal acne and so I spent weeks without makeup because I didn't want to aggravate it. I think this little break from makeup was good for me because I feel like I've got a fresh perspective on things suddenly and I've started liking shades I never liked before! Anyway, before my train of thoughts completely derails, let me get to the point. The acne also left quite a few spots. They're not very conspicuous but if you look at my skin up close you can definitely see more spots than I dared to count. While some bits of newly discovered skincare have been working wonders on the healing process, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to review some BB Creams and CC Creams that I had been putting off reviewing for a while. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis and I use the BB and CC creams regularly only on days like these where my skin has been acting crazy. This Studio Gear CC cream is the first CC Cream I've tried (been obsessed with BB creams for a while though) and I actually quite like it.

                                  

The packaging isn't anything very different. Just a standard tube with a little sticker that indicates the shade (mine's in the shade "natural"). It's available in 3 shades - Linen, Natural and Wheat - which isn't a lot but I don't think that creams of this kind really need that many shades since they blend in beautifully with a huge range of shades.

When you first squeeze out some of the CC Cream, it's going to look like a weird white with tiny beige dots in it. The first time I decided to use this product I was being quite absent-minded and felt startled at the color! Hahaha. The tiny beige dots are beads packed with pigments that burst as soon as you apply pressure on them and they mix with the white cream base. I think this allows the cream to adapt to the shade of your skin to a certain extent and voila! it looks like the picture below.

Watching the cream change colors and then blend into my skin perfectly is probably my favorite part of using it. It just feels like magic even though I know why it changes color. The cream blends in really well and is best applied with your fingers since the pigment beads need the slight pressure to release pigments. Studio Gear claims that it's very hydrating but I don't really feel very hydrated or dry. I just feel normal which is great for me because it just feels weightless on the skin. The coverage is wonderful! It doesn't completely conceal all the blemishes but it minimizes them really well. It can be layered to increase the amount of coverage but if you add too many layers it does look cakey. This isn't much of a problem according to me since it has better coverage than the usual tinted moisturizer and doesn't need many layers. Here are some pictures so that you can see the difference.

It's definitely enough coverage for using everyday and with some concealer probably even enough to wear to an event but that's just me I guess. Let's just ignore the complete lack of makeup and the messy hair in the pictures now and listen to me talk about this wonderful little CC Cream. I love everything about it except for the smell. It just smells very very odd but after using it for a day or two I got accustomed to it and it doesn't bother me anymore. I also just found out that since Studio Gear received a lot of great response for this CC Cream they've started a subscription service. It allows you to select a specific interval if and when you choose to subscribe and at the end of that interval they send you a notification about the shipment of another tube. If you aren't done with your tube yet you can easily change the interval and they never charge you without your permission. You also end up saving about 10% on your purchase I think. It sounds wonderful for avoiding those times when you run out of products and then can't find the time to stop by a store to pick them up again. Although the idea is lovely and fascinates me, I don't think I'm going to subscribe right now because I want to try some more CC Creams. I might subscribe if I don't find a better one but I doubt I'm ever going to be done trying out new products. Haha.

What do you think about this CC Cream? Studio Gear is a new discovery to me but I loved their Smoky Eye and cheek palette and I love this product too so I'm sure I'll try more of their products. Have you tried anything from Studio Gear?


Tanaya <3

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*The product was provided for consideration for a review. The opinions as always are my own and completely unbiased. 

Toss The Gloss - A Book Review

So I announced that I would be doing this blog’s first ever book review quite a while ago on Instagram and if you follow me on Instagram you might feel like I’m a terrible person for not posting this sooner. However, let me explain myself. I think the fact that this review has taken so long reflects how I feel about this book. That isn’t to say that I didn’t like this book because I did! It just means that this book isn’t one I would go crazy and let everyone know about instantly because it’s the best book I’ve read in a while. It’s a great book and for my readers that fall under the 50+ age demographic this book is a must-have. The best part of the book for me was the glimpse into the inner workings of the beauty industry that you get as Andrea Robinson tells you about her experience. Her experience in the beauty industry is so entertaining to read that I would buy this book just for that! She started the whole "Nakeds" revolution so without her our beloved naked pallets by Urban Decay probably wouldn't have existed. We would all be stuck wearing bright and unflattering makeup. She was also the former Vogue beauty editor who has also been president of Ralph Lauren Beauty, president of Tom Ford Beauty and chief marketing officer at Estee Lauder so you know you're taking a sneak peek into the beauty industry through the life of the ultimate insider. That's what excited me the most about this book and I wasn't disappointed.

Other than that aspect, the book has loads of tips for your makeup routine no matter how old you are. Being much younger that 50, I still learned so much more from this book and it’s my go to book when I feel like I’m making some mistake with my makeup. It teaches you how to correct application problems, how to choose between different shades, formulations, textures, brands, etc. However, if you’re under 45, you need to be careful and know when the tips apply to you and when they don’t because some parts of the book are pretty specific to the 50+ demographic. Overall, it’s a wonderful read but not something I would feel the need to rush out and get. If you’re 40+ though, that’s right 40+ not 50+ in my opinion, you should definitely rush to get your hands on this book. As the aging process starts, I’ve seen many beautiful ladies start hiding behind layers of products and this book helps you enhance your natural beauty and look younger without all those products. Here are a few pictures of my favorite illustrations from the book that I felt like just fit in with this post.

I just felt so proud of myself arranging beauty products around the contents. Hahaha. Products: Marks&Spencer Lip Butter in Coconut, Bourjois Paris Blush Pot in Brun Cuvre, Maybelline Cheeky Glow in Creamy Cinnamon, Sweet Princess Mascara, Nars Lip Gloss in Orgasm, Studio Gear CC Cream

So would you be getting this book? It looks pretty good just to decorate as well I think and that's mainly what it's doing right now - sitting and looking pretty on my desk along between the boring other chemistry and calculus books. Let me know what you think of the book in the comments below.  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin' , Facebook, Instagram, GFC or Google+.

Tanaya <3

*A pre-release copy was sent to me for review. However, all the opinions are honest and not influenced. 

The Bags I've Been Dreaming Of Recently.

The Celine Trapeze: There’s a reason this bag is at the top of the list. It inspired me to do this post. I’m so obsessed with this bag right now that I’ve started having dreams about it. In the most recent one (I don’t remember it very well) the world was ending but I suddenly owned this bag and felt really calm. I know the dream makes no sense but the point is that I now really really need this bag! And I have a few color combinations in my mind that I need to have it in. So even if someone offers me one for free in another color I would not be happy. The one with the pictures here is at the top of my list of color combinations. I just love everything about it! The front closure clasp especially. I think this bag has a beautiful clasp.

The Bloomsbury Bag by Burberry: I fell it love with this bag the moment I saw it all over my instagram feed as Burberry posted pictures of it on their instagram at the same time that it was shown on the runway.  The darker one in the pictures here is my favorite! The purple version of it in the third picture is excellent as well. And then the other one is a close second. I can’t help but be specific when it comes to bags. But look at that detail! These Bloomsbury bags are all so unique and beautiful.

The Prada Saffiano Tote: This bag is an old classic but I never really lusted for it until I saw one in this color. It’s such a beautiful dusky pink. There’s also a brighter pink and a paler pink available but this one is right in the middle and it’s so perfect. I just don’t know how to express what I feel about this color with this bag. Just look at it.

The Dolce & Gabbana bag #1: I’ve wanted this bag for the longest time out of any of these. I even used it in my Fanny Crown outfit post (which won a contest so this bag must bring luck) and I just think it’s gorgeous. It has the whole baroque/classic greek and roman theme going on and the contrast of pretty plum flowers on a cold monotone background is wonderful.

The Dolce & Gabbana bag #2: It’s the perfect bag for spring-summer. I don’t think it’s possible to find a better bag for this season. The shades of green and yellow just make it look so bright and the gold chain and lock add elegance so that we all remember that it’s Dolce & Gabbana.

Celine Boston Luggage Tote: Aaand I’m being overly specific again. I need this combination of white/creme and black. I have seen a few grey and fuchsia suede ones that look wonderful so I wouldn’t mind those. Under no circumstances would I settle for the plain black one though. Isn’t plain black just over-used in bags nowadays? This bag has the perfect wings (unlike the Celine Phantom Luggage which I think has huge weird-looking wings) and is so wonderfully structured.

That's quite a lot of bags I think. What do you think about my list? Do you have any bags on your list that you would like me to check out? Share the bag-love in the comments below! And then go follow me/my blog on all these other internet-place-thingies: Twitter, Bloglovin', Facebook, Instagram, GFC, Polyvore and Google+. I hope you liked this post. I'm doing a post other than a review post after so long and it feels awesome! It was so much fun compiling this list and all the pictures in it so I hope you had fun reading it as well.

Tanaya <3

Majestical Jewelry Review

I can't believe that it's taken me so long to do this review. This has been a very busy semester with lots of traveling. Anyway, I'm finally doing this review so yayyy! A while ago I received this elegant looking bad from Majestical Jewelry with a beautiful and delicate-looking pair of silver earrings.

I love how they come with a little sating pouch to store the earrings in since I'm always in need of such jewelry pouches. The earrings are really lightweight, have a wonderful sparkle to them and look quite glamorous I think. While I love how they look on their own and on me, they're not my style at all which was the only disappointing thing about them. I would rather go for some bright colored or pastel colored pair because that's more my style and they have loads of them on the site! So if you like that kind of colorful statement jewelry, they've got you covered as well. The website has pearl, precious stones and fashion jewelry so it's quite a huge range. I do love this pair and I keep reaching for them when I'm accessorizing but I never end up wearing them out because they're just not for me. Here are some pictures of how they look though.

What do you think of them? Do you like these earrings? Pretty aren't they? I found this pair on their website so that you could find them if you wanted this exact pair. Just click here to have a look. You should also have a look at the rest of their collection on their website. Tweet me a picture if you buy any jewelry from them because I would love to see! If you don't already, you should follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin' , Facebook, Instagram, Polyvore and GFC because that would make me very very happy.

Tanaya <3

*The earrings were provided to me for review. The opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

Giveaway! - The Fanny Crown Voucher.

This is my first giveaway! I would love to do a bigger giveaway for you guys but this blog is only about 8 months old now and I feel like I'm not at the stage to hold a big giveaway yet. However, I created an outfit post using a fanny crown dress as my inspiration and the outfit I had created ended up winning a €50 voucher! I was ecstatic that my outfit had actually won something so huge considering fanny crown had received entries from all over the world. I then had an idea (which I think is brilliant but that could just be me. Haha ). Instead of using the voucher myself, I wanted to give the voucher to one of my readers. Now this giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and so all of you can enter! The rules to enter are very simple. Complete each of the steps and leave your Facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/google+/gfc usernames below in a comment so that I can check. It might be slightly inconvenient and I apologize if it is but it would ensure that the giveaway is fair.

Requirements for Entries:
1) Follow this blog on Bloglovin'
2) Follow this blog on gfc
3) Follow this blog on Twitter
4) Share a tweet about this giveaway and tag @Thesecretlife_T #giveaway and leave the link to the tweet in your comment.
5) Follow me on Instagram
6) Like my blog's page on Facebook
7) Tell me which dress you like the best from the fanny crown site. (Either leave a link to the dress or tweet me a picture)
8) Don't forget to leave your email address in the comment so that I can contact you when you win! :)

This giveaway is open till April 14th so that's about a month and I will pick a winner from among the comments below and send an email to the winner on April 14th.

I'm so excited for this giveaway and I hope you are too! Go ahead and enter and spread the word.

Tanaya <3 

Pretty Pink Tips - Nail Update!

A nail update after so long! This time it's not just glitter on a plain base coat. I decided to try an all pink french tip manicure. Focus on the word "try". I'm terrible at making those straight edges so I did the best I could.I wasn't conscious of this before because I thought my nails looked adorable and I was happy with them. Then, a few days ago, Maybelline regrammed this picture of my nails and someone left a mean comment criticizing it. This was the first time I came across a mean comment since I started blogging and instagramming so I was taken aback and started criticizing my own pictures and nails. That was until I realized that there are people  it so that actually like what I write, click, post, etc and they understand that I'm not a professional nail artist or anything. I just do it because I like to paint my nails and share it with you guys on my blog so I shouldn't let mean comments affect me. Basically, I just wanted to say thank you to all those of you that follow this blog and my instagram account and continue to read all the randomness that pours out of my brain onto the posts. Thank you for liking it and giving me the courage to post more on this blog and ignoring that one mean comment.
Finally, let's talk about the nails

I loved this look so much! I kept redoing it every time it chipped so that I could wear it for longer. It's supposed to be quite simple actually but it took me a while to do the tips because I kept messing up (nail art newbie).

The base coat is Maybelline's Colorama Cremoso in Nude. It looks quite different than in the bottle but it's a pretty pinkish nude. The tips are Cairuo Fragranced Nail Paint in Rose. It's a deep pink with a nice fragrance. I like some fragranced nail polishes and this one is nice at first but gets quite overwhelming after about 10 mins. I bear it for the color though. 

So do you like it? It took me a while to write this nail update but I instagram pictures of my nails as soon as I've done them so you can see them all on Instagram. Please find me and follow me on instagram at tanayadream. Also tell me what you think of this nail look, fragranced nail polishes and these colors in the comments below :)

Tanaya <3

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