Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! In case you didn't know, today is the feast day of St. Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian bishop with a reputation for secret gift-giving such as slipping coins into the boots of the poor. Growing up in Poland, I used to put my winter booties out for Saint Mikolaj on the night of December 5th, hoping to find toys in them the next morning (and yes, I would still get my bigger presents on Christmas Eve - it's a win win, am I right?). So I guess this little coincidence now allows me to shamelessly talk about the holidays with you and share what's been on my mind lately.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, like it is for probably 98% of Christians. I have a special fondness for things associated with it, and I'm not really apologetic about it - there's so much hate and sadness in our world that I can't help but feel grateful for those little joys Christmas usually brings me. Twinkling lights. The smell of cold and winter in the air. Baking shortbread star cookies. The feel of fir and spruce branches in my hands. Even the gaudy decorations and glittery baubles. It's fun!

But this year, I'm not really feeling it *shrugs*. I believe it's a whole combination of feelings I've been experiencing lately, and I wish that maybe by naming, stripping them bare and sending them out in the world like itinerant snowflakes, I can get rid of some of my Holiday blues. Shall we try?

Regardless of those superficial moments of festive joy I've mentioned above, Christmas is the happiest time of the year for me because of my family. As some of you may know, me and my husband emigrated to North America over 6 years ago, and all of our family and most of our friends live in Poland. We go home for the holidays every year, and due to my husband's limited time off work and the cost of airfare it's the only time of the year we travel to Poland (although most years, we also see our immediate family when they visit us here in the US during summer months).

At any rate - I don't know about you guys, but my family is pretty high on my life's priority list. This combined with how rarely we get to see them makes Christmas extra special for me. And I'm not saying this year I'm not excited and looking forward to being with our loved ones - but I guess this year more than in the past I feel that our time together is just so limited. Unfortunately, parting doesn't get easier with practice, and every year when time comes to say goodbye for another six months or more, I'm simply heartbroken. I can't seem to be able to shake that feeling this past couple of weeks, and I don't want to think about our Christmas trip's end before it's even begun, but that's precisely what I'm doing.

Another big factor that's been adding to my Christmas ennui is, well... excess. You've surely noticed I've been talking quite a bit about minimalism on the blog this year, not because it's trendy but because many of its ideas are really resonating with me. For someone wishing to simplify their life, the Holiday season seems to be all about things that you must have and that you must do. Shopping for gifts, and shopping holiday sales. Buying the tree and tree trinkets, decorating the house. Christmas party obligations and associated stresses - hair, outfit, hostess gifts. Cooking and baking up a storm. That's a lot of things we may feel forced to do, without reflecting on their value in our lives.

I would say that compared to a standard American family (if such a mythical beast even exists), me and my husband have always been pretty minimalist when it comes to celebrating the season - partly because we can easily simplify as we're spending the holiday overseas. We don't put up a Christmas tree; it'd be a shame to have it go to waste when we're not home for two weeks. I don't decorate our home much, because we live in a small apartment and don't have the space for all the extra stuff. We usually go to one semi-formal holiday party, and we don't keep a large circle of friends we would feel obligated to entertain. I don't even send out holiday cards. I'm the beauty blogger who stole Christmas, am I not?

Yet even the small number of Christmas preparations give me very ambivalent feels. On one hand, I feel incredibly grateful to have the means to purchase nice gifts for everyone in my family. But on the other... I kinda wish we would skip the whole gift exchange. There's 12 people on my list, no kids. It has somehow transpired over the years that I always buy more than one gift for each person - more like two or three. That's at least 30 (?!) different things I'm having to carefully plan and research, purchase in advance, transport in my check-in luggage to Poland, wrap and place under the tree. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy - and money, of course. But what worries me the most is that in the end, I'm really not sure how useful or enjoyable these presents will be for my recipients. As for me, when it comes to surprise gifts, I've come to feel more apprehensive than excited when it's time to open the boxes under the tree, because I HATE receiving unwanted things and feeling ungrateful and wasteful as a result. And for the things that I've requested from my wishlist... I could just as well purchase them myself, couldn't I? It's really starting to feel like the whole gift thing isn't really worth it - for me.

Before you judge me as a bit extreme, I should tell you that I do believe it's okay to live a little during the holiday season. I think we should be feeling thrilled about Christmas indulgences, precisely because they're not strictly necessary. It's so much fun to experience things that are over and beyond - that's what makes them extra special, and we're all very priviledged to have that. Maybe it doesn't sound very minimalist to say that anticipating excess can make us happier, but, well, it's true - and I think that as long as we don't make ourselves feel completely overwhelmed and stressed out, it's all good.

So how am I attempting to fight the blues and get into that Christmas spirit? Well, now that I'm 95% done with buying gifts, I did decide to go ahead and purchase a few new clothing items for myself during Cyber Monday sales (I've never shopped Black Friday in store, but I did work retail on Black Friday one year, and it wasn't pretty). Some pieces will replace somewhat worn out staples (a few warm long-sleeved tops, a set of pjs), some are just for fun (a casual jersey dress) - and I'm looking forward to wearing them during the Holidays.

I'd also been contemplating the best way to inject a little bit of Christmas decor into our place, and I was inspired partly by my mom, partly by my fall-themed pumpkin centerpiece shown here, to put together this little arrangement for our living room window sill - it's my version of decorating the mantelpiece when you don't own a fireplace. I decorate our window with fairy lights every December, but this year I shopped around and purchased a bunch of these fir? or spruce? branches for a whopping sum of $2 at a nearby florist. Greenpoint, I tell you - and speaking Polish to Polish shopkeepers doesn't hurt either :) The branches smell absolutely incredible, and since they're just, well, branches, they can be easily composted at the end of the season without having to store another thing in the closet. I laid them out on our sill, added some baubles I had in my stash from that one year we did put up a tree, and voila! A touch of minimalist Holiday cheer.

Other things on my list include baking festive cookies, listening to Ella Fitzgerald's holiday album (well, okay, I'm also partial to some Buble), typing out emails to friends all over the world I usually have trouble keeping in touch with, gorging on tangerines and maybe even watching a seasonal movie or two (please leave your favorites in the comments below!). I also borrowed an easy Christmassy read from my local library - they always set up seasonal displays for kids, but I guess this time they were nice enough to put together a little corner for adults too. Christmas-time mystery seems to be a thing, and I like it. So... are you guys feeling the Christmas spirit already, or are you trying to fight the blues like me? What are you looking forward to the most during the season? I'd love to hear from you!

Peaches and Cream: Catrice Defining Blush in Rose Royce

In my opinion, blushes are one area where the American drugstore has a lot of catching up to do. Apart from my well loved NYX Powder Blush collection, I haven't come across any outstanding blush formulas with an affordable price tag - so I was excited to try out a new inexpensive find I brought from Warsaw, the Catrice Defining Blush in 020 Rose Royce (16 PLN/ ~ $4.50 for 5g/ 0.17 oz, can be found on eBay, but shipping is rather expensive). I'd read a lot of rave reviews of these blushes and really wanted to see if the formula would perform for me as well.

In the drugstore I went to in Warsaw city center (Drogeria Natura for my Polish readers), the Catrice section was pretty picked over, and I believe there were only four shades of the Defining Blush on display (their website specifies there are six permanent shades available in total). I have to say that I really, really like the geometric clear acrylic packaging of most Catrice products, and was sorely tempted by the eyeshadows (singles and quads) as well. The plastic case doesn't feel cheaply made or clunky, but I will say that the hinge on my blush doesn't work very well (stops midway and has to be forced a bit), which makes me worried it may break one day. But you know, it could just be a one-off thing.

And look, look at the back label! This blush was actually made in Poland. How cool! By the way, in case you didn't know, Catrice is a sister company to Essence, which is available in the US at Ulta. That makes me hope that maybe, maybe one day Catrice will come to the US as well. Sigh.

To the touch, this Catrice Defining Blush feels incredibly silky smooth, with that buttery texture we all like to fawn over. It definitely does not feel like a very inexpensive product. While I find it very easy to pick up product from the pan, the soft formula isn't powdery in the least. The blurb on the back claims this blush will smooth out minor imperfections, and while I think that's a bit bogus, it doesn't cling to dry patches or scars like some blushes like to do. I'd say the pigmentation is medium (meaning, not so scary pigmented as to require tapping off on the back of my hand, but pigmented enough to require just one or two layers), and the finish is on the skin is a satiny matte. When you look at it in full sunlight, you can see extremely fine shimmer/ pearl particles, but it just translates as a creamy matte on the cheeks.

I know what some of you are going to say - I picked out such a 'Monika shade'! In the store, having read the shade name, I was under the impression it was going to be a pink rose color, but in fact, it's more of a dusty pinky apricot on my complexion. Either way, I love it. With my current fair winter skintone, it gives me a peaches & cream type of look, and pairs incredibly well with the Revlon lipgloss in Coral Reef, which I'm trying to use up (that's what I'm wearing in the photo below).

L-R: Catrice Rose Royce, bareMinerals The One, NYX Mauve, Tarte Dazzled

Compared to my other natural rosy shades, you can clearly see that Catrice Rose Royce has a more peach than browny red undertone. It's the closest to the bareMinerals READY Blush in The One, one of my most favorite blushes in my collection.

Overall, I can't say enough good things about this Catrice Defining Blush. Some of my blogging pals asked me for European product recommendations in the past, and this has now shot to the top of my list. From the beautiful shade, the texture, to the lightweight but longlasting effect on the cheeks, Catrice hit this one out of the ballpark. I probably won't be able to resist a couple more shades next time I'm in Poland! Do you have any firm favorites among brands that are only available in Europe?

What's In My Travel Make-up Bag

Every December, me and my husband fly out to Poland to spend Christmas with our families. It's just such a magical time of the year and there's no way we could miss being with the loved ones, with our heaps of delicious Polish food, Christmas carols, crackling logs in the fireplace, and of course, mountains of presents under the Christmas tree.

This year I'm actually flying home quite early, and as you're reading this post, I'm in the midst of packing my suitcase and counting the time until the departure for JFK airport. I usually dread flying, but since we moved to the East Coast, Warsaw is so much closer than before - just one 8-hour flight away! But anyway, while I'm packing I thought I'd show you what's in the make-up bag I' bringing with me (you can also check out the contents of my last year's carry-on pouch here). Shall we take a peek inside?

I recently got this 'Beauty on the fly' bag from Sephora so that I could stop using those ridiculous ziplock baggies; I'm not planning on packing my make-up in my carry-on, but I wanted to show you the design and how roomy the bag actually is. First off, let's start with base: I like to travel with smaller and/or more compact make-up products, so I chose the small bottle of Face Atelier Ultra Foundation, Bobbi Brown Corrector for under eyes and Becca Compact Concealer for blemishes. I was thinking for the longest time about taking a mineral foundation as well for days when I don't need as much make-up, but decided against - in the case my skin will be behaving particularly well (which it never does during the Holidays), I could try to sheer the foundation out with some moisturizer. I also packed a travel size of Stila Convertible Color in Lillium, my natural warmer blush option and an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused to set everything.

For my eyes, I decided to overpack my eyeshadows a bit; I feel like I haven't played with eye make-up enough recently and hopefully with some holiday downtime, I'll have more time to experiment while I'm away. I filled my small Z Palette with a lot of shimmery neutral Fyrinnae shadows, Rouge Bunny Rouge Unforgettable Oriole and Eclipse Eagle, one cool matte brown from Inglot to blend out edges, and a La Femme blush in Flamingo Pink for the more vibrant, cool-toned blush option.

I also REALLY want to take my bareMinerals The Finer Things palette although I realize it's probably a bit of eyeshadow overkill. We'll see if I have enough space to squeeze it in! I'm also taking a NARS eye primer, a Laura Mercier Caviar stick in Grey Pearl for lazy days, some eyeliners (fun colors from Sephora and a boring black from GOSH), and a sample size of black mascara. I forgot to include my brow pencil in the photos, but that obviously has to come as well.

Lastly, for lips I've managed to be quite restrained and only pack three products: a Guerlain Rouge Automatique in Shalimar for a cool bold pink, a MAC Viva Glam V for a pinky neutral, and a Fresh Sugar Treatment lip balm in Passion for a sheerer juicy red. I might also pack a neutral lipgloss like Clarins Lip Perfector in Rose Shimmer in my carry-on for shine and hydration on the go.

And that's it! Well, ok, I realize it's actually quite a lot of make-up - but I'll be gone for about three weeks and also need to be prepared for Holiday parties, family gatherings, theatre outings and similar special occasions. As you can see, I like to still have options when I travel, especially for my eye make-up, but otherwise I try not to take colors that are very similar or that I know I don't like wearing often. I'll focus on making an effort to take lots of photos while I'm in Poland and I'll be posting them on my Instagram, or maybe I'll even eke out enough time to write an actual blog post - well, apart from regular blog programming I have scheduled for you when I'm gone.

Do you pack light or are you a make-up overpacker? What is your system for packing cosmetics and skincare? Let me know in the comments!

Make-up Haul: The Best Things Come in Twos

I've been doing a little bit of damage recently; nothing major, but shopping in Poland over Christmas and some minor drugstore purchases have managed to accumulate enough for me to post a small make-up haul - just to make up for that recent empties post, right?

Setting up those multi-product photoshoots is always a lot of fun - I like to play with colors, shapes and textures (that short sentence should come with a warning 'confessions of a beauty blogging nerd').

First up, I picked up two of Sephora's Nano Eyeliner pencils in 'Azur Blue' (no.16) and 'Nuage' (no.14) for $5 each - a review with swatches is coming up very soon.

Then, a long while ago (in October!), I purchased these two Sleek Make-up Mineral Eyeshadow palettes in 'Au Naturel' and 'Oh So Special' from a Polish online beauty retailer Alledrogeria.pl and had them shipped to my parents' address; I had no problems whatsoever with my order and can safely recommend it if any of my Polish readers are looking for a good source of Sleek products.

I was also craving another nude blush, and after successfully resisting Tarte's Exposed, I settled on NYX Powder Blusher in 'Raisin'; but buying just one on eBay is so not effective cost-wise that I had to get another one, 'Spice'. So, by paying more, I actually saved more - a typical case of female logic, my husband would undoubtedly say. Again, photos and swatches of my entire collection of NYX Powder Blushers coming soon.

Obviously, I could not ignore the hype any longer and gave into Revlon Lip Butters; this is 'Peach Parfait' and 'Berry Smoothie'. I don't think I'll spam the blogosphere with another review, so my quick thoughts are that these are not moisturizing at all, but they have a nice shine, good selection of shades and are very wearable. If you manage to find a good deal on them and like the colors, you could definitely do much worse.

And lastly, two odd ones out: a Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation in the shade Light Vanilla (no.51) and an Inglot Freedom System eyeshadow no. 467 Double Sparkle; fortunately, not overly shimmery/glittery at all. I was impressed with my make-up restraint in Poland - I got some cute clothes and accessories (would you like to see my favorite purchases?), but in the make-up department, nothing really caught my eye. I think I might be maxxed out when it comes to Inglot shadows now.

There you have it! Overall, I'm starting to feel a bit saturated with make-up shopping for a while (says she after getting a few more things in the last week...). I think I'd maybe like to focus more on clothing/ accessories for some time; so many things in my make-up collection are not getting enough love while I sport the same outfits over and over. What are your thoughts on make-up hauling? Are you lusting after the Spring releases or are you done for a while?

Hauling in Warsaw: Nail Polish

The last part to my little Hauling in Warsaw series... But don't be sad, my dears, of course I picked up some things in California and I promise to show and tell :) Now, onto the nail polish goodness: many Polish cosmetics brands make fabulous and cheap polishes, and I couldn't resist getting some of the old favorites and trying out new ones. What I noticed this time is that Polish brands are really on top of their game, releasing trendy shades just as fast as American brands, and I haven't seen that before!


In the photo we have: 1 Inglot Nail Enamel, 2 Vipera Jumpy Nail Polishes, 2 Wibo polishes from 2 different lines and 1 Essence polish (it's a German grand, btw) which was accompanied by a teal glitter top coat, but I only grabbed the base color.


I've already used 4 of them and only didn't like Wibo Express Growth polish no. 328 (apricot) in terms of application: it was thick, bubbly and streaky, but I used it in a very hot weather and think it deserves another chance.


Just look at that shimmery gorgeousness! These mini Vipera polishes in no.145 (purple with blue duochrome) and no.120 (emerald green) were around 4 PLN each ($1.5) and their only fault is that ridiculous name. I feel like half the time Polish cosmetic companies use English names just because they like the sound of it, without knowing what they actually mean. Anyway, I've only tried the emerald green flecks so far, looked great in 2 coats and lasted pretty well too.


Onto the metallic goodness... I got Inglot no.962 (metallic grey with a hint of purple) still having in mind that Les Perles de Chanel collection from spring this year; I've got Revlon Black With Envy to dupe the Black Pearl, and I remember there being another lighter grey pearl in the eyeshadow palette that I thought would look great on the nails in the fall/winter season. The Wibo Extreme Nails no.99 is a winner in terms of ease of application (flat brush) and longevity; I had it on my nails for 10 days (sic!) and while it wore out at the tips, it still looked pretty decent. It's a rather interesting shade, with tiny flecks of silver glimmer and bigger ones of copper shimmer.

Let me know if you want to see any of those up-close on my nails. What polishes have you been hauling lately - bright summer shades or darker fall ones?

Hauling in Warsaw: Make-up

While in Warsaw, obviously I couldn't stop myself from picking up a few products... My excuse was that 1) Inglot is so much cheaper in Poland, 2) I needed some motivation to study. So here goes!

I mostly got make-up from brands which are not easily available to me in the US, like Inglot, Bourjois and Catrice. I also got a Chanel Rouge Coco... just because I really wanted one, and it was duty free.

Isn't it pretty?

I bought six more Inglot eyeshadows, 4 matte from their new range and 2 shimmery ones (AMC Shine). I used to steer clear of their matte finish, thinking it was the worst in terms of quality; but the ones from this new range of shades are super soft, buttery smooth and well pigmented. I got the square shaped pans this time, intending to put them in a Z Palette. I'll write a separate post with swatches on these new acquisitions so that you'll be able to see them in action.

I also decided to try Inglot cream blush, this here is shade no. 88. It might have sweated a bit in transit, but it's a lovely rosy brown with a satin finish. It's a cream to powder formula, my favorite for the oily skin. The Bourjois Bronzing Powder no. 52 is the result of reading too much Suka & Spice, and yes, it is amazing (both the blog and the bronzer).

Last but not least, lipsticks! Are you wondering where that third lippie came from? I got the Rouge Coco in Sari Doré (no. 76) in the SeaTac duty-free, Catrice Ultimate Color lipstick in Call the Ambulance (no. 120) at a Warsaw subway station drugstore, and the Rouge Coco Shine in Monte Carlo (no. 62)... in the woods. I found it laying on the trail in the Olympic Peninsula this past weekend, and decided to take it. It's barely used, so I guess it should be fine after sanitizing, no?

That's it for the make-up, I wasn't actually that bad. There's still the third part of my hauling in Warsaw coming, which consists of some pretty pretty nail polish. What do you usually bring home from your travels?

A Sunday Trip to Mazovia

My blog's stats are telling me that not all of you, dear readers, are acquainted with Poland and Polish culture; otherwise I would probably be writing this in Polish. I don't often mention here much about my heritage, but when I've had, many of you seemed to be genuinely interested. This is why I've decided to share my Sunday trip and show you some beautiful places in Mazovia, which is a central region in Poland where I had lived before moving across the pond.


On Sunday, me and my parents first headed out to Żelazowa Wola, the birthplace of Polish pianist and composer Frederic Chopin (this is especially for you, Citrine!). We'd all been to the museum when still in school, but let me tell you, a lot has changed since then. The Chopin's family mansion and the surrounding garden are well maintained and beautiful at this time of the year, and small strategically placed speakers play beautiful music composed by Chopin as you stroll between the trees.


Then, through fields blooming with red poppies and blue loggerheads, we drove on to Nieborów to see a barocco palace and a park, which used to be owned by one of the most powerful noble families in Poland, the Radziwiłłs. The palace is unique in that it retained its original decor and furnishings and wasn't plundered during WWII, unlike most Polish historical sites. The park features many ponds and alleys, but most of all, beautiful old trees, like the plane tree in the photo below.



We then had to make a stop for dinner, which was traditional Polish cuisine, something we don't enjoy that often. I had delicious pierogi with lentil and minced meat filling, yummy!


The last place we visited was Arkadia, a romantic English garden founded in the 18th century by Helena Radziwiłłowa. The most interesting aspect of the park are faux ruins, like the aquaduct pictured below, which were all the rage at the time. Walking through the park, we managed to burn off some of that pierogi we had earlier!


The trip was fantastic and I'd recommend it to anyone visiting central Poland and especially Warsaw, since it's so different from the hustle and bustle of the capital. I was supposed to be studying for my exams on Sunday, but I'm glad we escaped to the countryside, it was lovely and peaceful.

Let me know if you liked this little peek of Poland and whether you'd like to see more, I could sneak in some photos of Warsaw if you like!