MAC Dita Von Teese Lipstick

Hi dolls,

Hope you had a jolly Christmas and that you enjoyed/are enjoying your holidays! Santa was very generous and gave me some Elvis memorabilia (will show you another time), books and MAC's new Dita Von Teese lipstick! Grazie mamma ;)

It's a well known fact that red lipstick is a lady's best friend and an absolute must-have item for a pin up girl. You can get away with no eyeliner and no blush but the lips must be painted red darlin'! The other day I took some selfies and thought ''Ugh. I don't look retro at all. I look so blah.'' Obviously it was because I had forgotten to put on my red lipstick!! I know, I know, you have to be happy in your own skin, but a little red lipstick never killed anyone. Well, certain shades do knock 'em dead....

Speaking of such shades, as described on MAC's official site, this recently launched, Dita Von Teese lipstick is ''a vivid red lipstick for the seductive spirit.'' Here is the lovely packaging; half of Dita Von Teese's beautiful face 

is on the box and her signature is engraved on the actual lipstick:

In these pictures, for some reason, the lipstick looks almost brick red or orangey but in reality it has a pinkish-red hue to it. My skin tone is olive but I think this color lipstick will suit most skin tones. It's very flattering, both shade-wise and texture-wise. It's a matte lipstick so I'm impressed by how creamy and smooth the consistency is and how long lasting this is on my lips, without drying them. Unlike some lipsticks, this one enhances the shape of your lips!

Pouty lip face a.k.a duck face:

Nostalgic face:

Skeptical face:

Whaddya mean there's no more chocolate in the house? face:

Femme Fatale face:

Ciao bambole,

Spero che abbiate trascorso un felicissimo Natale. Vi auguro ancora Buone Feste! Io ho ricevuto dei bei regalini, incluso questo nuovo rossetto ''rosso vivo'', chiamato Dita Von Teese, di MAC (grazie, mamma! :)). E' un colore molto particolare, che sembra un po' arancione nelle foto ma che in realtà tende sul rosato. La bellissima Dita a creato questo rossetto insieme a MAC per ''spiriti  seducenti'' come indicato sul loro sito :D E infatti è un bel rosso retrò, che credo stia bene su quasi tutte le carnagioni. Pur essendo matte, soprendentemente la consistenza è cremosa e non ha per niente seccato le mie labbra! Inoltre, la duratura è ottima. Ho provato numerose espressioni e sono arrivata alla conclusione che questo rossetto mi piace molto. Sayonara labbra ''nude''! 

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There, I tried out all sorts of expressions and have come to the conclusion that I really like this Dita Von Teese lipstick by MAC. It's a glamorous, retro shade of red that is noticeable but not over-the-top and it's definitely not a trampy red. Personally, I find it a wearable red lipstick, that you can put on during the day, and not only when you paint the town red at night. This lipstick and my Rimmel Mayfair Red Lady lipstick are going to be my staple tubes. Sayonara naked lips! 

Happy New Year everyone! Buon Anno a tutti! 

Skoshbox - A taste of Japan at your doorstep!

Are you ready for a virtual taste of Japan? Put on your tastebelts seatbelts!!!

Skoshbox (www.skoshbox.com) is a monthly subscription box, full of hand-picked, authentic, Japanese goodies including candies, chocolates, cookies, savory snacks and accessories. Some of the snacks in a Skoshbox are all time favorites and classics that will transport you to a traditional Japan while the other quirky, novelty snacks will plunge you into a modern, continuously innovative Japan. To make the experience even more fun, there’s also the thrill factor: each month, the contents of a Skoshbox is a surprise! I’m all for suspense, especially if you get to eat it in the end! Any of the items found in the boxes you are about to see can be purchased individually on Skoshbox’s website. 

The first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful packaging. I almost didn’t want to open the boxes but you know, curiosity and hunger got the best of me....

The aqua blue box is the regular sized Skoshbox while the yellow one is a bigger version, called Dekabox. ''Sukoshi'' means ''a little'' while ''dekai'' means ''huge'' in Japanese, hence the names of the boxes :)

The regular sized Skoshbox contains from 8-11 snack samples. October’s Skoshbox contains a total of 9 items and as you can see, the box comes with a very helpful description card, including an ingredient list, in English.

 A closeup of the items inside October's Skoshbox:

Munch time! 

Meiji Torotto Choco-Bites: the moment I placed one in my mouth, I knew we were soul mates! These are like little morsels of fudge brownies with gooey chocolate inside. It says 'doesn't melt, in your hands, even in summer'' in Japanese on the package. Isn't that incredible??

Kimchi Senbei: these mini rice crackers are packed with spicy flavor. I tried a couple and somehow ended up eating the whole package. Go figure!

Ramune Bottle Candy: Ramune is an old school Japanese soda. The original soda tastes similar to 7UP or Sprite and these pill type, tart candies taste just like the carbonated beverage!

Nama-Ume Candy: these hard candies are filled with gooey plum jam. They taste salty and sour, just like umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums). Umeboshi are real good for you.  That's why I quickly ate all three candies ;)

Blueberry Plus Bar: A wafer filled with milky, blueberry cream.  I'm always used to eating chocolate or vanilla filled wafers but this one was surprisingly good!

Chocolate Pie Stick: The name speaks for itself...a flaky crust surrounding a delicious chocolatey center.....how chic too! Not a candy bar, but a pastry bar :)

Kajiri-Cho Soft Candy: This chewy candy is bursting with grape soda flavor! I love grape soda and I love candy so this one is irresistible. You have to try it!

The Dekabox (below) is twice the size of the Skoshbox (above)

and weighs about 1 lb (0.5 kilos!!)

      October’s Dekabox contains 11 snacks plus one accessory item:

Closeup of the contents of October's Dekabox:

Sakupan - Choco Monaka: Monaka is a Japanese traditional wafer and this one comes in the shape of a panda, filled with mousse-y milk and white chocolate. Yum! I'm not a kid anymore but I love fun shaped snacks!

Sono-Manma Peach Gum: They look like normal little gum balls but they are sooo peachy and tasty! Two of the balls are sweet while one is deliciously sour.

KitKat Bake (Cheesecake): Love these! Perfect for sweet tooths. You can bake 'em in the oven for a few seconds but I couldn't wait, so I ate them right away!

Animal Grip Eraser: Looook at the little black kitty. This one goes right on top of my pencil but I don't want to use it because it's too cute!

Ika - Peanut Mix: These are squid senbei (Japanese rice cracker) balls filled with peanuts. I used to eat these when I was little, with my ojii-chan (grandpa) and I still love them. Squid might scare you but trust me, the flavor is very subtle!

Suppasugiru Ume: these are super sour gummy candies. I love sour but if you're not used to it, take baby steps; one piece at a time! It says on the pack that, a bag of this equals your daily vitamin C intake. Enough said! :)

Otona - Zeitaku Chocoball: These are delicious peanuts covered in premium, dark chocolate. A classier, ''adultier'' version of M&Ms. 

Lotte Koala's March - Wata Ame: I used to eat these as a child so they make me very nostalgic!! These are bite-sized, koala shaped cookies, filled with a cotton candy flavored cream. Too cute and addictive! 

As if the contents of the two boxes above aren't enough to feed your appetite, here are more snacks which you can purchase separately at Skoshbox:

Glico Cream Collon: Don't worry, these have absolutely nothing to do with anyone's colon!!! Collon are wafer-like ,flakey pastries filled with a super sweet, vanilla cream. Again, once you start, you can't stop!

Glico Bisco: these are finger licking, buttery biscuits with a creamy filling. 

DIY Choco - Banana Kit: I'll show you the inside of the pack another time. There are little marshmallow type banana candies that you dip into a chocolate sauce and adorable sprinkles! Ah, they come up with the cutest things in Japan! <3

Panda Corn Puffs: I was expecting a usual corn snack flavor but these were something else!! They're tantalizingly salty and sweet at the same time. I almost finished the whole bag until I realized I had to take a picture of them! You can tell how passionately I was holding the bag, as it's all wrinkled up :))

Ciao a tutti! Spero che vi sia piaciuta la degustazione virtuale di tutte le sfiziosità contenute nei Skoshbox. Skoshbox è un servizio in abbonamento che spedisce una volta al mese una scatola di dolciumi divertenti, spuntini deliziosi e anche accessori giapponesi DOC. Ci sono due opzioni: il Skoshbox e il Dekabox (quello più grande) ma si possono anche ordinare i prodotti singolarmente e c'è davvero l'imbarazzo della scelta sul loro sito: www.skoshbox.com

Grazie a Skoshbox, potete avere un assaggio del giappone a casa vostra!

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I’m extremely impressed by the fun selection, quality and variety of the strictly Japanese products offered by Skoshbox. The service is also fantastic. If you love Japan and you love snacks and if your palate just loves exploring new sensations, I can't think of a better Japanese snack subscription box than Skoshbox.

Let’s face it, there are some things that you can only find in Japan and the founders of Skoshbox knew this. That’s why they deserve a huge ''Arigatou gozaimasu'' for creating Skoshbox. Now we can say ''there are some things that you can only find in Japan...and in a Skoshbox!!!'' :)

Sayonara for now ~

Kawaii Box Review - September 2015

Being half Japanese, I have an affinity for all things kawaii. It's like a magnetic attraction. What is kawaii?? It means ‘‘cute’’ in Japanese (^__^) You can pretend not to be attracted to them, but kawaii items are irresistible, whether you're half Japanese or not!!! The perfect box to quench your thirst for kawaii is: Kawaii Box!

I’m positive you’ve heard of Kawaii Box or you’re already subscribed to it or that you will subscribe to it. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about (tsk tsk), Kawaii Box is a monthly subscription service that sends subscribers a box of 10-12 handpicked, kawaii, Japanese and Korean items. These boxes are all the rage! They are brimful of kawaii-ness….they’re full of kawaii surprises to be more exact. Yes, because each month, you don’t know what exactly you’ll be receiving but rest assured that it’ll be 100% adorable in the form of stationery, plushies, snacks, accessories and much more! The not knowing what exactly to expect is what makes these boxes so exciting! It's like watching a thriller, but instead of a maniac around the corner, there's a box full of kawaii goods, ready to startle you! 

I’m now going to walk you through the joy and excitement that a Kawaii Box brings. When I received my Kawaii Box, I wanted to rip it open and shower myself with the goodies but for you guys, I had to maintain some self-control:

I'm not acting. This is my genuine reaction upon opening my Kawaii Box ;)

My chihuahua was very curious too!

Ta-da! Here is the contents of Kawaii Box - September 2015 edition 

There is also a card with a list of everything inside the box:

1.) Cute Egg Plush - this chick is sooo soft

2.) Moomin Mini Pouch - super soft and perfect for my coins!

3.) Kawaii Toast Squishy Charm - irresistibly squishy!!!

Just look at these faces! 

4.) Kabaya Fish Gummies - these are good! Fruity (not fishy!!) and chewy

5.) Caplico Mini Ice Cream Candy - crunchy wafer outside and soft chocolate inside..yum yum! It says ''contains calcium'' in Japanese :)

6.) Alpaca Pouch - very spacious...I'll be storing my makeup here 

7.) Cute Animal Birthday Card - one of my Scorpio friends will receive this soon

8.) Neck Stretching Bunny Pen - will use this to write in number 7 ;)

9.) Kawaii Foods Sticker Set - smiley mushroom, smiley broccoli, 

smiley bacon.......need I say more?

10.) Fragrance Beans. Watch out, socks!

11.) DIY Bracelet Kit - kawaii and fun :)

The ice-cream snack was very amusing

.....and tasty!

Essendo metà giapponese, ho una certa affinità verso le cose kawaii...un attrazione magnetica. Credo che quasi tutti -a prescindere dalla nazionalità- siano attratti dal kawaii. Ma cos'è kawaii?? In giapponese, vuol dire ''carino''/''adorabile'' ^_^ Esiste una scatola perfetta per i maniaci del kawaii: il Kawaii Box. Di sicuro avrete sentito parlare di questa compagnia...forse voi fans dell'oriente siete già iscritte al servizio o forse vi iscriverete! Nel caso non abbiate mai sentito parlare (gasp!), Kawaii Box è un servizio in abbonamento che spedisce una volta al mese, una scatola piena zeppa di oggetti, accessori e merendine giapponesi e koreani. 

Come avete visto dalle foto, nella scatola di Settembre, ci sono 11 oggetti kawaii. Uno più divertente dell'altro! Ci sono i charm in peluche, un porta monete, un kit per creare braccialetti, delle gommose a forma di pesce (al gusto di frutta, non di pesce ahah), degli adesivi spiritosi, un biglietto di compleanno, una penna a coniglietto....Mi è piaciuto molto la varietà del contenuto di questo box e la cosa fantastica e che se ti iscrivi, non sai mai cosa esattamente ti arriverà. Saprai solo che la scatola sarà piena di sorprese kawaii! E' un ''suspense'' molto piacevole!! 
Ci sono vari tipi di abbonamenti e la spedizione è gratis in tutto il mondo!
Per maggiori dettagli, potete dare un'occhiata quì: www.kawaiibox.com

Restate sintonizzati sul mio blog per una sorpresina da parte mia e di Kawaii Box! 

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 So there they are. 11 kawaii items! I’m so very pleased with Kawaii Box. I loved the variety of the cute, useful items I received and the service is excellent. There are different subscription plans (for more details, visit: www.kawaiibox.com) and hear ye, hear ye: shipping is free, worldwide! You will also be kindly sent a tracking number to check the status of your box. I checked mine every hour. Can you blame me?? A Kawaii Box is full of surprises and cuteness! Speaking of surprises, stay tuned for a little surprise from Kawaii Box and me! :)

Sayonara!

The Happiness Boutique

Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy and spread happiness?
 Well now you can thanks to the Happiness Boutique!

http://www.happinessboutique.com/en/

It's no surprise so many ladies in the blogopshere and the real world are buzzing about this international online clothing, accessories and jewelry boutique. You'll find numerous items from statement necklaces to phone accessories, dresses to bags, all trendy yet with a vintage flair. Quality is very important to the Happiness Boutique as is their mission. Happiness Boutique has a purpose: to make women look good, feel happy and thereupon spread happiness. 

Happiness Boutique is based in Germany and they offer free worldwide shipping. Shipping is very fast and as you can see from the above picture, the jewelry pieces are beautifully and securely wrapped. Each box comes with a business card, a thank you note, an inspiring quote and cute tips from Grandma on maintaining jewelry!

The beautiful necklace I'm wearing below is the Jasmine Flower Necklace, available here. The Jasmine Stud Earrings are available here.  They're delicate, feminine and go perfectly with my tiki-tropical outfits! 
Mission happiness, accomplished! ;)

Buondì a tutti, dicono che la felicità non si può comprare ma ora esiste un negozio dove si può fare!! Si chiama Happiness Boutique, ed è un negozio online situato in Germania ma che spedisce ovunque e la spedizione e gratuita in tutto il mondo. Sono sicura che ne avrete già sentito parlare, tantissime blogger stanno impazzendo per le collane bellissime del Happiness Boutique. Inoltre alle collane, vendono anche vestiti, altri gioelli, accessori, tutti stilosi e con un tocco di vintage. Infatti, come potete vedere la collana e orecchini gelsomino che ho scelto sono delicatissimi e anche di eccellente qualità.

Questo negozio è molto particolare perché ha una missione: quello di far stare bene le donne, che poi si sentono felici e dopodiché trasmettono la felicità, perché la felicità è contaggiosa. Inoltre, offrono una cosa molto carina, il customer reward program (qui), dove accumulando punti, puoi ottenere gioielli e vestiti gratis dal Happiness Boutique. Spero di avervi reso un po' happy con questa notizia! :)

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Happiness Boutique also offers a customer reward program (click here for more details), where you accumulate points and then receive free jewelry or clothing items from the boutique! You can also receive coupons and discounts by subscribing to their newsletter on their website. Hope this news brings you happiness!

So next time someone tells you ''You can't buy happiness,'' tell them to go to you know where.....the Happiness Boutique, of course!! :)

Hey Sailor

No outfit is complete without an accessory and I know just the place 
to go for eye-catching accessories!

http://www.heysailor.co.uk/

Hey Sailor is an online retro style and vintage jewellery and accessories boutique. This shop, based in the United Kingdom, offers a fantastic selection of genuine vintage accessories as well as novel items created by independent designers. You'll find plenty of cute, fun and offbeat accessories, including brooches, statement necklaces, retro sunglasses, scarves, bags, hair accessories, i-phone covers and much much more!

Here is a rockin' vintage guitar brooch from Hey Sailor. Isn't it fabulous? 

^Look, it's Hey Sailor's cute pin!  :)

Dolcezze, sappiamo che nessun outfit è completo senza almeno un accessorio, e voglio rivelarvi un boutique online che vende accessori e gioielli vintage e stile retrò molto giocosi ed accativanti! Si chiama Hey Sailor (www.heysailor.co.uk), ed è situato in Inghilterra ma spediscono anche in italia, tranquille! 

Io ho la loro spilla chitarra elettrica vintage ma troverete anche borse a forma di palla da baseball, occhiali da sole retrò, collane con la scritta ''be happy'', custodie i-phone a forma di contenitore di latte, decorazioni hamburger per le unghia e molto di più. Gli accessori di Hey Sailor sono originalissimi quindi si capisce perché i loro prodotti vanno a ruba. Date un occhiata al loro negozio se volete dare un tocco simpatico e particolare al vostro look! 

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Needless to say, I'm delighted with this brooch. Hey Sailor's accessories and jewellery really add pizzaz to your outfit! Furthermore, the delivery was very speedy and the staff is so friendly and efficient.

Where else will you find a baseball bag, a ''be happy'' necklace, a vintage lipstick brooch, a milk carton i-phone case and junk food nail decals?? Be quirky and quickly grab the objects of your desire at Hey Sailor, before they're gone! Also follow Hey Sailor on FB, Twitter and Instagram, to be notified of new products, giveaways and some serious eye candy (not talking only about jewellery here)! ;)


Online boutique: http://www.heysailor.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/heysailoruk
Instagram: http://instagram.com/heysailorsnaps
Twitter: http://twitter.com/heysailortweets