Hello everybody!


I was nominated by my sassy lady Dawn aka Simply Sassy's Style to do this cool tag. Thank you so much Dawn for thinking of me! You definitely inspire me and I am so glad I discovered your blog.

Here are the RULES of this award:

• Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you
• List the rules and display the award
• Share 7 facts about yourself
• Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated. Optional: Proudly display the award's blog on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.
   

 Do you want to know me better? Ok, here we go:

• I am a pure Libra - undecided, sociable and very patient. 
• I love people, socializing with them, listening to their stories, helping them.  
• I have an unhealthy love for lipsticks, I have a TON of lipsticks and lip products. Yes, I must confess, at this point it has transformed into an obsession.  
• I am dreaming to be a brand ambassador one day. 
•  I love, love, love my blog and my readers. Their continuing support means so much to me, they are my inspiration and strength to keep creating beautiful content. 
• My favorite quote is: ”Life may lead you where you don't expect, but have faith that you are exactly where you should be”. 
• I was always passionate about photography and I would love to step up to the next level and take a professional course.

I am nominating in a random order: 

Lucy --- www.2genbeauty.blogspot.com

Jessica --- beautydelicacy.com

Sahily --- www.prettyinpigment.com

Beena --- beautyandeverythingelse.com

Alaina --- www.skystylecouturelife.com

Antonia --- macnetize.com

Camelia --- www.coltulcameliei.com

Ana-Maria --- www.beautybarometer.com

Deebi --- deebiku.blogspot.com

Ilda --- cosmeticelacontrol.blogspot.com

Yours,

Rally

Hello everybody!


Today you'll find a new review in my ”Review and Swatches” section here on the blog. I am reviewing for you the new Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation.

For me, finding a good foundation is quite a challenge, considering my fair complexion. In the same time, I have to be very careful, because I don't want to look like a ghost, nor like a ”Tiki mask”, not to mention that my new sensitive combination skin requires much more attention than before, when I had a normal with dry tendencies skin. Clarifying that, I have to mention that in terms of foundations, I had a few pleasant surprises both from drugstores and dermatocosmetics brands. I will review those particular foundations in the future.

I ended up buying the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation because I was drawn by the element of innovation and surprise that this product brought on the market. I bought it from my local Wal-Mart and I paid $8.94 (+ tax).

As you can see, Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation comes in a hard glass bottle and has 20 ml or 0.67 FL. OZ.. According to the code on the back of the bottle - the product has been manufactured in May 2014 and has a general shelf life of 36 months. 

(Based on the information provided by Cosmetic Calculator)

Ingredients:
Active ingredient: Octinoxate 3% - Purpose - Sunscreen
Inactive ingredients: Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isododecane, Alchool Denat, Vinyl Dimethicone/ Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Phenyl Trimethicone, Acrylates/ Polytrimethylsiloxymethacrylate Copolymer, PEG -10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Water, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Propylene Carbonate, Aluminium Hydroxide; may contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

An official description of the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation:
”Breakthrough texture fuses with skin. A finish so imppecable, yet undetectable. Our fluid-touch formula with Skin Fusion Pigments is 12x thinner. So thin, it becomes one with the skin, yet so concentrated, it covers flawlessly”. (Maybelline)

The innovative element comes with the packaging of this foundation - the hard glasss bottle has an ergonomic design which allows you to store and carry it easily, but what makes unique this foundation is its exclusive dropper - the tear drop-shapped applicator.

The texture is a fluid one. Normally I do not necessarly mention this is a review of a foundation, but the smell I did not like it at all. I was not expecting a roses and flowers scent, but this product has quite a noticeable alcohool smell.

Now, let me share with you my in-depth thoughts on the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation:

This new Maybelline foundations comes in 12 shades, which is a good thing to see that they tried to cover as much as possible from all the ranges of skin complexions. I purchased the shade ”10 Porcelain Ivory” which is the fairest of them all (like me). I was debating weather to buy this shade or ”15 Ivory”, but I was affraid that the Ivory will look a little darker on me, and with my skin tone every darker drop is visibly right away, so I ended up purchasing the first one. Most probably, my perfect shade will be a mix between these two. Anyhow, this chosen shade seems to be working ok for me.

When I was using this fondation, I had to shake it well, due to its fluid consistency and separation of formula, unscrew the cap, allow the foundation to drop onto fingertip and apply it to my face. I must say that I am not a huge fan of the ”tear drop” applicator/ dropper. I prefer better the pump applicator, which allows you to apply the exact amount of product you need. This particular applicator, most of the times, did not drop the foundation, I had to rub it to my fingertip; also as the foundation's wand goes deep into the foundation's formula, when you take it out to apply the foundation onto your fingertips, it comes out with a certain amount of foundation. When you put the wand back into the bottle, that tricked amount of foundation builds up on the bottle's ”neck”, being messy. 

The foundation gave me a small to medium coverage for my combination skin. It glides smoothly when applied on the skin, blends well either using fingers or a brush and gives me a nice, subtle ”no makeup” makeup look. You can build it up without looking cakey or have that wierd ”mask” feeling. It worked ok set up with a mattifying powder, without it my oily zones (T- Zone, chin), started to shine in about 2-3 hours after application. Although on me this foundation looks ok, I consider it more suitable for a normal skin, because it does not offer the complete coverage that I need to feel confident in it. Moreover, this is not a transfer resistant foundation, it will stain the objects that your face will come in contact with like the cell phone, regular phone or your shirt's collar.

Also, I want to mention I was glad to see that this foundation has SPF 20, which is such a great thing to complete your already applied SPF face cream in the fight against sun damage. This is a big plus.
REMEMBER: Even though this foundation has SPF 20, DO NOT FORGET to apply your daily SPF moisturizer, because applied alone, this product does not protect you completely from the sun, but applied in combination with a SPF moisturizer makes quite the team.

The presence of the Alchool Denat in this product's composition did affect me a little. Having a sensitive combination skin is not easy. As I am using and testing more and more cosmetic products, I discover that my skin tends to react differently when it comes to products that contain Alchool Denat. For exemple, I used  face creams that had this ingredient and my skin tolerated the product, there were other cases when I felt my skin dry or I broke out, or I felt a sensation of itchiness. Talking about Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation I felt my skin a tad bit dry, but no other reactions. 

If you have combination skin or acne prone skin, I woulnd't recomment purchasing this product. Personally, I had a love-hate relationship with it, there were aspects that I did like, but there were certainly aspects that I did not like at all. I incline to say that this foundation will not be repurchased.

Let's conclude with the STRONG POINTS and WEAKNESSES of the new Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation:


STRONG POINTS:  

• ergonomic, easy to use packaging

• exclusive applicator/ dropper

• good shade variety

• smoothly application into the skin

• easy to blend, buildable, no ”mask” look

• SPF 20

WEAKNESSES: 

• contains Alcohool Denat - dried my skin

• unpleasant smell

• messy applicator/ dropper

• performs better on a normal than sensitive combination skin

I hope these information were useful to you!

Did you try the new Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid-Touch foundation?



Yours,
Rally

Hello everybody!


My biggest satisfaction to me as a blogger is to see that this small virtual place that I have created with so much love and dedication grows a little bit more every single day, that I am able to provide you with useful information and a smile in the days of sorrow. Your support means a lot to me, I know that I have told you this before, but I will keep repeating it for you, a lot, and this offers me inspiration and strength to keep writing for you, my dear readers.

Recently, my blog achieved 800 followers through ”Google Friend Connect” and 1500 fans on Facebook, all this made me so happy. I was asking you which would be the ”ideal prize” for you and the majority of the answers pointed to a perfume with an unique flavor or body care products, so I had an idea. I was thinking to combine all those wishes with the products from a brand that I personally love and I immediately placed an order. I even teased you with my Instagram photo after my order arrived.

If you are still wondering which brand I am talking about, let me tell you my surprise: the prize will be a body care set from Bath and Body Works. You know how much I love their amazing scents, don't you?

I had chosen for you the ”Endless Weekend” scent - ”An exhilarating blend of raspberry lychee sorbet, sun-kissed magnolia and vanilla sandalwood” - which I hope you'll like. The packaging of these products is absolutely adorrable, it got me from the first moment I saw it, and along with those dazzling scents to take you away in an "endless weekend", full of beautiful memories, peace and relaxation.

 The prize consists in 3 ”Endless Weekend” Bath and Body Works body care products:

• Endless Weekend Shea & Vitamin E shower gel 
• Endless Weekend Shea & Vitamin E body lotion 
• Endless Weekend fine fragrance mist

There will be one winner chosen randomly.

I truly advice you to READ CAREFULLY THE RULES and to fill out the Rafflecopter form down below. There are some MANDATORY REQUESTS that you need to complete in order to be entered in the giveaway: like my Facebook page, follow me through Google Friend Connect, share the giveaway on Facebook and leave a blog comment. There are also OPTIONAL REQUESTS that you may or may not complete, but they are giving you more points. Gain as many points as you can to have more chances to win the prize!

Just a small note, where you are required to answer a question not necessarly blog related, please leave your comments in the section down below, then push the button ”I commented”.

At the ”Terms and Conditions” section (down below) at the Rafflecopter form you can see the Disclaimer of this giveaway. Please read it carefully!

This giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY - all my readers, from all around the world are welcomed to participate. New readers are welcomed too. Don't hide the fact that you are new here! We'll welcome you with open arms and with lots of interesting things to discover.
 
 
I wish you the best of luck! 

Yours, Rally!


 
Bună tuturor!


Cea mai mare satisfacție a mea ca blogger este să văd că acest mic spațiu virtual crește câte puțin în fiecare zi, că reușesc să vă ofer informații utile și câte un zâmbet în zile mai puțin senine. Susținerea voastră, am tot repetat-o și o voi repeta mereu, înseamnă enorm pentru mine, îmi conferă inspirație și putere de a scrie în continuare pentru voi.

De curând am trecut de pragul de 800 de urmăritori prin ”Google Friend Connect” și 1500 de fani pe pagina de Facebook a blogului, lucru care mă bucură peste măsură. V-am întrebat care ar fi premiul ideal pentru voi, m-a bucurat să vă citesc gândurile; răspunsurile predominante au făcut referire la un parfum cu o aromă inedită, sau produse de îngrijire a corpului, așa că mi-a venit o idee. M-am gândit să vă ofer un set de produse cosmetice cu arome inedite, produse care încă nu se găsesc pe piață la noi în țară. V-am oferit și un mic indiciu pe Instagram de îndată ce a sosit comanda.

Dacă încă nu ați ghicit despre ce brand este vorba, hai să vă dezvălui surpriza: premiul constă într-un set de produse de îngrijire a corpului de la Bath and Body Works. Știți bine că eu sunt un mare fan al acestor produse și nu mă mai satur de aromele lor extraordinare. 

Am ales pentru voi aroma ”Endless Weekend” - un amestec antrenant de șerbet de zmeură, magnolie, lemn de santal și vanilie - care sper să fie pe placul vostru. Ambalajul produselor este adorabil de-a dreptul, m-a cucerit de cum l-am văzut și sper ca, alături de aromele îmbietoare din compoziție să vă poarte într-un weekend perpetuu, cu amintiri frumoase și relaxare deplină.

Premiul constă în 3 produse Bath and Body Works ”Endless Weekend” de îngrijire a corpului și anume: 

•   Un gel de duș cu Shea și Vitamina E 
• O loțiune de corp cu Shea și Vitamina E 
• Un mist (parfum)

Va exista un singur câștigător ales cu ajutorul programului random. 
Vă rog mult de tot să CITIȚI CU ATENȚIE CERINȚELE acestui concurs și să completați formularul Rafflecopter de mai jos. NU VĂ GRĂBIȚI! Premiul nu fuge nicăieri. Există CERINȚE OBLIGATORII de îndeplinit pentru a intra în cursa pentru premiu, dar și CERINȚE OPȚIONALE, pe care puteți sau nu să le îndepliniți, dar acestea vă oferă posibilitatea de a vă crește șansele de a câștiga setul Bath and Body Works, cu cât faceți mai multe puncte.
  
O mică paranteză, la cerința unde sunteți rugați să răspundeți la o întrebare ce nu este neapărat legată de blog, vă rog să-mi lăsați răspunsurile voastre în secțiunea de comentarii a blogului, după care apăsați butonul ”I commented”. 

La secțiunea ”Terms and Conditions” (partea de jos) a formularului Rafflecopter veți putea vedea Disclaimer-ul acestui giveaway. Vă invit să-l citiți pentru mai multe informații!

Concursul este deschis tuturor cititorilor blogului, nu contează că vă aflați în România, Spania sau Australia, oriunde v-ați afla, vă puteți înscrie, trimit premiul peste mări și țări dacă l-ați câștigat.


Mult noroc! Să curgă înscrierile!


A voastră,
Rally!


UPDATE:

It is time to announce the winner of this ”Endless Summer” giveaway. I want to thank you all for entering this giveaway, I was overhelmed by all those entries. It was nice to read all about your summer fun activities. You can check the Rafflecopter form down below to see if you won. 

Congratulations dear winner! Please contact me in 48 hours to claim your prize on contactrallybeauty@yahoo.com

Este timpul să anunțăm câștigătorul acestui cool ”Endless Summer” giveaway. Vreau să vă mulțumesc tuturor pentru că ați participat într-un număr așa mare. M-am bucurat să vă citesc gândurile și ceea ce v-a marcat vara aceasta. Câștigătoarea a fost afișată mai jos, în formularul Rafflecopter. Nu fiți supărați dacă nu ați câștigat, vă mai pregătesc și alte surprize pe viitor. 

Fiți alături de Rally's Beauty Highway în continuare!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello everybody!                                                                              Bună tuturor!

How was your Sunday my dear friends?                               Cum a fost Duminica voastră dragii mei?

Mine looked like this:                                                                      A mea a arătat cam așa:

(the source)

I saw the movie ”Blended” and I laughed so hard, as I haven't done it for a while, that I bursted into tears. It is such a good comedy, a must watch with your family or friends, definitely it will cheer you up in a moment. There is no doubt that Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler were the perfect couple for this movie. I am highly recommending it to you.

Am văzut filmul ”Blended” și am râs cu o atâta poftă cum n-am mai râs de multă vreme, mi-au dat și lacrimile. Este o comedie spumoasă, neapărat de vizionat alături de familie sau de prieteni, izvor de bună dispoziție. Drew Barrymore și Adam Sandler fac un cuplu pe cinste, vi-l recomand cu căldură.

  

On this hot weather a little sweet treat is welcomed. My favorite is the M&M's milk chocolate Breyers ice cream. It's a blast!

Cu o așa vreme călduroasă mereu am poftă de ceva rece. Înghețata mea preferată cu bomboane M&M's de la Breyers mi-a fost alături la o mică desfătare. Mai are rost să spun că e delicioasă?

I received in my mail the 20th anniversary mega-issue from InStyle magazine and I couldn't be happier. I could read this magazine all day long. Happy Birthday dear InStyle!

Revista mea preferată, InStyle mă surprinde în această lună cu un mega-număr cu ocazia aniversării a celor 20 de ani de existență. La Mulți Ani revistă dragă, te-aș citi cât e ziua de lungă!

 If I could, I would buy lipsticks all day long. I already know what you are going to say ..., but everybody has their own guilty pleasures, let's face it. I saw this Wet' n' Wild lipstick at Cora - Vintage or Tacky - one of my favorite youtubers and I had to have it. This particular shade was so hard to find, I end up visiting 5 Walgreens before I've got it, but now I am proud to say that Wet' n' Wild - 965 Cherry Picking is part of my collection.

Dacă aș putea, aș cumpăra toată ziua rujuri. Știu ce veți spune ... , fiecare cu plăcerile sale vinovate. Am văzut aceast ruj Wet' n' Wild la Cora - Vintage or Tacky - una dintre ”youtuberițele” mele preferate și a trebuit să-l am. Nuanța aceasta tare greu s-a lăsat găsită, am umblat pe la vreo 5 magazine până am dat de ea, dar acum - Wet' n' Wild - 965 Cherry Picking a intrat în colecția mea.

I ended up going to Wal-Mart too, huge mistake, the store was so busy, a lot of people running up and down, apparently I forgot that the school was about to start the next day and everybody did their school supplies shopping on the last day. In all that madness, I found these cute notepads, perfect to keep in my bag and for writing my blog ideas any time I have inspiration. All 3 of them - a bargain - $1.

Am ajuns și la Wal-Mart, mare greșeală căci era nebunia de pe lume și o mare îmbulzeală, aici în State pe 18 august a început anul școlar și, nu e de mirare, multă lume și-a lăsat cumpărăturile pe ultima zi. În toată îmbulzeala creată am găsit aceste carnețele foarte drăguțe și practice, numai bune de notat idei pentru blog. Toate 3 m-au costat $1, un chilipir.

This week keep an eye on the blog, because you'll be seeing a review of the new Maybelline Dream Wonder fluid-touch foundation. 

În această săptămână va apărea un review pe blog al noului fond de ten Dream Wonder de la Maybelline. Nu știu dacă a apărut și în România, dar, în cazul în care va apărea vreau ca acest review să vă fie de folos. Așadar, fiți cu ochii pe blog!

Yours,                                                                                                             A voastră,
Rally                                                                                                               Rally

Hello everybody!


As I promissed you last week, today we are continuing my magic adventure in a world of colorful makeup. If you want to read about the first part of this awesome event, I am inviting you to check out this post.

So this is how the second part of my adventure began. 
I was invited to the Inglot Boutique Miami Beach the next day too and being in the full Miami Swim Week, I'd thought to challenge the talented Inglot makeup team to make me a summer look that would successfully resist in a hot Miami sun at a fashion show.

This time the one who took care of my makeup was ”la bella Gina” - as I was calling her - please check her page and her amazing work. As I was explaining her what I am thinking about my makeup, she immediately knew and she decided to create a fun, colorful, makeup look, where the accent was on my eyes.

The products that were used for my makeup:

Gina warmed up my skin tone a little, just like Christina did the other day. She created a colorful summer look, yet natural, ready to be worn in the Miami's hot and humid atmosphere at a fashion show. Maybe you have noticed that I was using again the mattifying powder and after using it for two days in a row, I do like how it worked on my skin, given the weather here in Miami.

And this was my final look.

Isn't that green utterly beautiful? I am so happy that now it is part of my makeup collection.

(the source)

 (the source)

When I am at a makeup session, my blogger's nature comes out and I must ask questions about makeup techniques, products, take pictures, I have to know and to document everything. So, I took advantage that MUA Gina was doing my makeup and I asked her, what makeup products would she recommend for a fair skin tone like mine in this summer season.

Down below you can see her recommendations and the secret key word is - WATERPROOF makeup.

Beautiful people, awesome event

 

My amazing adventure ended with the two fashion shows, part of the Mercedes-Benz Miami Swim Week 2014 that I've attended: one at The National Hotel, where I came to support my fellow beauty bloggers and another one at the W Hotel with the Inglot team.

Beautiful show at The National Hotel

 With the beautiful beauty bloogers (L-R) Sahily and BeeNa

 

Look at all those gorgeous models!

Later at night I went to another amazing fashion show at the W Hotel South Beach. I had a fabulous time with the Inglot team back stage where they did all the makeup for the show, I've met amazing people like the famous artist Anastasia the Great who painted with 24k gold foil, Edward J. Oberle Lopez - the wonderful person behind this event and I had a blast at the show. I couldn't be more grateful for all this!

 

With the beautiful and elegant Charmaine

From L-R: The artist Anastasia the Great, Edward J. Oberle Lopez, Jennesey - Inglot team and Tania Noman 

Inglot Boutique Miami Beach team in action

Animated Wet zone at the W Hotel Miami Beach

With Jennesey - another talented makeup artistist - Inglot team

Lot of people came to visit Inglot's booth

I hope you enjoyed my colorful adventure. 

Until next time!

Yours,

Rally

Inglot's logo pictures - photo credit Philip Talleyrand

Hello everybody!


This week-end could not end better than with a surprise for you, my dear readers.
One Direction fans, Directioners all over the world gather around, I have some wonderful and exciting news to share with you. 

”The world’s biggest pop band debuts a limited-edition cosmetics collection by Markwins International, launching mid-August 2014 at Macy’s and other selected major retailers worldwide. Much like the One Direction band members themselves, this prestige makeup line is fun, bold and a tad mischievous, featuring vivid shades, premium formulas and chic, collectible packaging and components.”

When this funny photo of Niall's Horan hands full of swatches appeared on this Twitter account a month ago, there was a huge media frenzy and everybody was wondering how this new makeup line will look like. This collaboration couldn't be more exciting, taking into consideration that we are taking here about Markwins International - the famous company founded in 1984 , which portofolio includes brands like Wet'n'Wild, Physicians Formula, The Color Institute and is synonymous with high-quality cosmetics at an unbeatable value. 

(the source)

Makeup by ONE DIRECTION:

”A range of makeup and cosmetic products celebrating youth, style, and the uninhibited lifestyle of a new generation. Celebrating life with bold shades, unique formula and infused with limited edition collectable packaging. Makeup from One Direction is fun, bold, often irreverent, with a touch of cheeky mischievousness. Offered at prices that every girl and woman can afford.”


THE LOOKS COLLECTION:

“The Looks Collection” comprises three keepsake tins inspired by One Direction’s globe-conquering albums -“Up All Night”, “Take Me Home” and the latest chart topper, ”Midnight Memories.”

Each tin comes complete with everything you need to show off your personality. Are you a rock'n’ roll girl, a fun party girl or the girl next door? We have just the right collection for you and illustrations to help show you just how to get your perfect look. All your beauty essentials are housed in a LIMITED EDITION collectable keepsake tin with removable sleeve, complete with ONE DIRECTION doodle stencils to decorate your keepsake tin and make it uniquely your own!

Sounds exciting, isn't it?
And now, the moment you are all waiting for - here's a sneek peek of The Looks Collection. Also you can find more details on the official Facebook page - MakeupbyOneDirection.

 

1. Midnight Memories kit

2. Take Me Home kit

3. Up All Night kit

How cute are these packagings? I like them all, but my favorite is the Midnight Memories kit, that red lipstick calls my name.

If you are wondering when these cool kits will be on on the market, the line will be available worldwide starting in the U.S.

US RELEASE DATES:

Macy's - August 11th
Stage Stores – August 25th
Dillards – August 25th
Beauty Brands – August 25th
Lord and Taylor - August 25th

*International release dates TBD.

The price will be announced.

Let's talk about the SURPRISE that I was telling you  at the beginning of this post.  
NOW you have the chance to win a limited edition makeup set before it’s released to the public! All you have to do is fill the form down below.

Giveaway Details: To enter the giveaway you will be asked to fill out your email, like the FB page and post to Twitter. Additional entries can be earned by referring friends, pinning on Pinterest, or liking the Twitter page. The more entries, the higher the chance of winning. Up to 50 limited edition makeup sets will be given away. Winners will be picked randomly and announced by August 5th. This contest is for US & Canada only.

Giveaway Widget Embed Code:

If, by technical reasons, you can't see the giveaway's widget, you can enter HERE.


Best of luck to everybody and keep an eye on the blog, I will be soon reviewing one of these makeup sets.


Yours,
Rally

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