Summer is just around the block and we are now more than happy to be wearing skin-flaunting clothing in the warm breeze with lots of bright accessories and natural, glowing skin. Dive into the fashion world and see what colours and lines are swimming around in here for our make up and beauty looks for Summer 2015! For the ones that are ready for a head start, here's my top wearable Summer beauty trends that everyone's following this season!

This it the biggest trend out there right now has to be top 1 on this list! This trend actually became rather big last year in America and Australia, and it has since come to Europe and Malta and many friends and acquaintances have been asking what these tattoos are, whether they are permanent, how they are applied and where they can buy them from here on the Maltese islands. Luckily, I am here to answer your questions.

Since it is a fairly new trend in Malta, it unfortunately cannot be found anywhere like the typical henna which is much more common, therefore, if you are settled on getting a metallic temporary tattoo, then all you have to do is find your favourite designs, buy them and apply them. It works exactly like the temporary tattoos we used to get as surprises in sweets when we were children - adding some water, leaving it to set for 10 minutes and peeling off, and voila' you have some beautiful skin jewellery/make up. It can last up to 1-2 weeks but you have to be very careful with it and not scrub your skin too much in the specific area or else it can come off much sooner.

It's great to be able to experiment with these tattoos since some are statement designs and others are dainty lines and crosses that could be added to look like rings, bracelets, arm cuffs and necklaces. I would recommend buying them online because foreign websites seem to have a much wider variety in styles, sizes and shapes of these temporary tattoos. I would have a look at Lulu DK, Tattly, ShimmerTatts and Flash Tattoos. If you are not keen on purchasing items online, then Parfois in Valletta have a basic set that can help you decide if this trend is for you.

Next up is our most natural look. This is an easy-to-wear look for hot Summer days, however it has to be done right. The most important factor with this look is the condition of the skin, so your skincare routine has to be spot on, as well as drinking lots of water to keep yourself and your skin hydrated. Skin has to look fresh and dewy, with just enough colour to bring out your best features. There are multiple ways of going about this particular look, some include a never-ending list of products, however today, mine is probably the most basic look you can find, and the easiest to wear if you are in a big rush to go off somewhere. I would stick with these 3 steps :

1. Moisturize your skin with tinted moisturiser (preferably with added SPF to protect your skin against the sun's rays!) to give your skin the moisture it needs while also giving slight coverage to any blemishes and/or pigmentation you may have. Once done with this, add a little bit of cream blush or bronzer, whichever you prefer. 

2. Add a light coat of mascara to darken and lengthen your eyelashes and,

3. Slick on a protective SPF lip balm on your lips for a pretty glowing sheen...

... and that should be it! If you tend to have oily skin then I would recommend sticking with powder-based products rather than liquid and cream. On the other hand, if you tend to have dry skin during the Summer, I say go for liquids and creams instead of powder-based items, to make your skin look even more hydrated, you can add just a hint of highlighter to your moisturizer to give it that extra glow.

Let's step it up a notch! Blue is the new black. This look is all about expressing yourself and your individuality while representing a woman who is not scared to try something new and its definitely seen as optimistic and fun. The blue colour can be used in any way that you like, either as a mascara or eyeliner as seen on Cara Delevingne and every Elie Saab's model above respectively, or even as blue leather strips as seen in Fendi's latest shows. The trend has been seen on catwalks for Fashion Weeks all over the world for this Spring/Summer 2015, and it is beyond a beautiful colour for any eye, especially brown-eyed beauties everywhere.

Since there are a variety of blues that can suit you, it would be best to research what skin tone you have and what colours to wear best with your eye colour. The shape of your eye also makes a huge difference when it comes to creating an eye look so definitely have a look into this and choose what would be the best option for you. I recommend 3 blues which would most likely suit everyone and that's : Teal, Neon Blue and Navy.

One of my all-time favourites is the red lip. Both spanish reds and ruby reds were seen on the runways for this spring/summer from Carolina Herrera to Trussardi and Dolce&Gabbana. I think it looks extremely sophisticated and pretty much suits everyone I know and both matte and shiny looks were seen, so feel free to choose any texture of your preference. I personally love moisturising tinted balms for their (obvious) moisturising effect, mattes (for the non-shiny effect) and lip stains because they look rather natural so to speak, and don't transfer onto glasses and clothing. However, a glossy finish can look extra chic on a night out paired with shimmery gold eyes, so consider all options, and go for the one you like best. 

Last but not least, the classic smokey-eye comes along in full swing with sensual shades of black, brown, mauve and grey to suit everyone's complexion. This is a perfect look if you want the attention drawn to your eyes. All the smokey looks differed in every show from natural-looking to extremely intense, and so this gives us the freedom to really experiment with any smokey-eye look we want to go for this Summer. Mauve was a big statement colour at Guy Laroche and really brings out the green in hazel eyes, so if there are any hazel-eyed ladies reading this, give it a try and see if it helps!

That's it for my top beauty trends for Summer. I am aware that there are many more common looks that were seen on the runway such as exaggerated cat eye looks and colourfully-dyed eyebrows, however I wanted to keep this list wearable to the general public. If any of you have any questions regarding make up application, product suggestions, etc. feel free to ask and I will answer asap, besides that I will be back with more beauty posts in due time, until then keep an eye out for a Roman post headed your way.

I have recently gone on a shopping spree on the world wide web to stock up for the coming months. I bought some new accessories, clothing, books and of course makeup, and that's why I'm writing this review today. I heard many good things about MUA (also known by the brand's full name 'Makeup Academy') and decided to try it out for myself. The brand is not available in Malta unfortunately, so I browsed their website for everything I needed and other little pretty things too. The first thing I noticed was the price! £1/€1.30 for a lipstick is unbelievable and all of their products don't exceed €10, I thought that the product couldn't be that good for such a low price, but I did do my research - read some others' reviews and watched tutorials with MUA's makeup being used and it seemed like a safe choice to give it a shot. I came to the conclusion that if the make up was in fact rubbish, well then at least I wouldn't have spent a fortune on it.

I'm guessing most of you have heard of Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette, which is quite pricey considering MUA have the exact same palette called Undress Me Too for £4. Comparing the two, all I can say is that Urban Decay's eyeshadows are more pigmented, however since I have quite a light skin tone, the pigments in the Undress Me Too palette are more than enough to stand out on my eyes, and that makes me content with my choice of repurchasing this palette once it finishes.

Undress Me Too is made up of 12 neutral eyeshadows with a mix of matte and shimmery shades ranging from the lightest natural pigment to a very dark black. It's perfect for lighter looks during the day when you are out and about doing some errands or at work, as well as creating a more defined, darker look for during the night.

I have been in desperate need of purchasing more lipsticks lately since many of mine seemed to finish all at once, and I took the opportunity to order lip colours I haven't owned previously. I have a particular liking for matte lipsticks, I love the fact they are not gooey/sticky and their colour seems to last longer on my lips, for this exact reason I purchased two matte lipsticks from MUA : Lilac Belle and Peachy Keen. As their names suggest, they are lilac and peach in colour, respectively. Since Winter is slowly fading and Spring will very soon be here to greet us on this Mediterranean gem, I wanted to make sure I had light, fresh colours to add to my lips to match with many beautiful upcoming fashion trends (post will soon be out).

Besides these two matte lipsticks, I also opted for a classic shiny lip colour - red. I already have a common Russian Red and wanted a darker version of it for some bolder looks. The one I have purchased is Shade 1 and although it is not a matte lipstick, it is not a sticky type either - it has more of a shiny but moisturizing effect, and I like that since my lips do seem to get quite dry if I don't exfoliate them regularly (the wind in the current months doesn't help either). Next up on my list is the Wild Berry colour - late according to seasonal trends but cool nonetheless in my books, then again I could buy all the colours available at the price of £1.

This is my first time using a cream blusher, embarrassing I know, I can't believe I hadn't tried it sooner! Luckily, I am extremely pleased with the results this £2 baby has given me. To begin with, my skin is of a normal complexion however during the winter months it does seem to get drier around my cheeks because of the harsh weather, because of this, powder blush has not been doing me any favours at all, if anything it has given the impression that my skin is very dry and made it more noticeable. I chose MUA's Cream Blusher in Blossom which is a very pretty pinky-peach tone that goes perfectly with my skin tone. "It creates a soft dewy finish for sweet blush perfection" , just as its description states! Loving it.

This primer has an interesting consistency to it of being rather watery when first squeezed out - turning into a velvety finish on the skin once it is rubbed in gently, creating a very smooth texture, evening out the complexion. It can be worn alone or under foundation. For my days at work I prefer wearing it alone because I like having my skin light and fresh, as for my little outings here and there, that's when I put it as a first layer before adding any foundation, and it really helps the makeup stick to my face and last twice as long as usual. Bought for £4, highly recommended!

I have bad luck with felt liner - whenever I purchase one, it goes missing within a week - I don't understand how or why, but I have my fingers crossed that this one will triple its lifetime in my hands! What I like about MUA's Precision Felt Liner is that although it is not the thinnest tip I have seen, it is in fact very precise in its lining (hoora!). It is not waterproof as far as I know, however it is very long lasting, which is great for me because my eyelids are always getting moist and in return smudge everything everywhere - this liner does not budge! Keep in mind I have not swam nor had any shower with the liner on, and my best bet would be that it would run, so be careful if you're planning to wear some on a night that you plan to cry on - you don't need any more reasons to cry. Rejoice for paying only £2 for this elegant pen!

Last but not least is my Baked Merged Trio Eyeshadow Palette in Legendary. This palette is made up of three gorgeously-blended, shimmery colours that are perfect for a golden, smokey-eye look. The pigments in these shadows are quite literally 'legendary', they are very beautiful to look at. They sort of remind me of planets with craters, but that's probably my imagination taking over. There's a mid shade to start off with by applying it on the lid, a lighter shade to highlight the brow bone and inner corner of the eye, and a darker shade to define and line the crease of the eye and lashline. What is great is that the lightest shade from the trio is light enough to highlight other parts of your face with, and the fact that they are baked eyeshadows mean that they can be used wet and dry, depending if you want to go for a more natural or intense look (using eyeshadows when they are wet will help pick up many more pigments and so the colour will be more dramatic). It is a very nice palette to use for a look when going out with your friends for some cocktails on a summer evening or also a great look with an all-black/all-white outfit on a winter night, pair with a dark berry lipstick for the ultimate demeanor. A bargain for £3.

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So, that is my review on all the products I have received until now from MUA. All I can say is that I am impressed by the quality of the brand's products and for such a low price! It is absolutely incredible, if you haven't tried any of their products I highly recommend you do. I am a full fan of MUA and will definitely be ordering more of their products very soon. 

P.S. I would like to ask if any of you female readers use tinted moisturizer? I have tried many brands and ALL of them turn out to be too dark for my skin colour and tone, and that's when I choose the lightest tint available! Help? Is there any brand that you have heard of that is good, or one that you use that you find moisturizing with slight coverage?

Recently, I was lucky enough to have won a pack of Anatomicals products, these included 3 body cleansers, 2 shampoos and 1 conditioner. I had never tried this brand before so this is a simple review of the products I have tried until now.

The first thing I have to mention are the scents. These products definitely satisfy my olfactory receptors (nose buds). What I love most is that these smells smell so real - the rose scent smells exactly like a rose would, and the mango smells exactly like the original juicy mango that you would devour would smell like. I also noticed that the smell was quite long-lasting on my skin, and most scents waver off me within 1-2 hours (perfumes included), so overall I was very happy regarding this.

My favourite out of the lot is probably the Make Your Scalp Yelp! Head Lock Shampoo. It's perfect for Summer with it's fresh mint scent and it left my hair squeaky clean! However, if you are interested in a moisturising and softening hair shampoo I would suggest to go for the Peachy Head Peach Shampoo for Suicidal Hair instead, since it has a better conditioning effect.

The conditioner I received was one of the best I have tried and in fact it had been the winner for the Hair Awards 2014. It makes my hair extremely soft, smooth and yummy-smelling, its scent is cucumber and mint and in my opinion, best used after the Head Lock Shampoo to intensify the gorgeous, fresh smell of your hair.

Now as for the body cleansers, all of them pretty much did their job, the ones I liked best, simply based on scent once again, are the rose-scented one and the mango and papaya one. The lime one didn't really tickle my fancy, because it was quite strong so I might be handing it over to my boyfriend, and he's definitely not picky about body cleansers and soaps so it's the best option in my case.

Most importantly, the company does NOT test on animals and its products are paraben free, smiles for everyone! and I think the product identity and marketing is also very interesting and attractive to customers, so kudos to Anatomicals for being so unique and only wanting me for my body.

It's official! I have been tagged by Mariel at Confessions of a former size 6 and Dorianne at Askdorianne for the Summer Lovin' Tag, so here are my answers:

Dior Addict Lipstick 489 Rose Mirage

Rimmel London 60 seconds 805 Grey Matter

Triangl Milly - Arizona Sunset

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino® Blended Beverage

I don't use fake tan, but I do use Nivea's sun oil spray with Vitamin E that protects you from the sun while letting you tan quicker

Lady (Hear me tonight) by Modjo

Gold stud + cuff earrings, New Look

Zara Woman 92 Champs Elysees Paris Eau De Toilette Natural Spray / Chloé Chloé Eau De Parfum

I am not reading anything at the moment however a month ago I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and fell in love with the movie as well.

For the past 5 years, Summer hasn't really existed for me because of the workload I had. I rarely went out to the beach (and keep in mind, I live on an island that has sun for 300 days of the year as they say), I never could go out to have a drink with friends, never had time to myself or to do any fun activities at all. I can finally say that this Summer has been one of the best I have had in a very, very long time. I am able to enjoy the sun, the sea, my friends, my family, my boyfriend and most importantly myself. So my answer to this question is : I am most excited to actually have a Summer that I can fully enjoy and to wake up smiling each day for the happiness that surrounds me.

I just want to share some cool things I have bought for myself, as well as gotten as presents and freebies from MFWA + Pink Fashion Show recently. Let's go!

1. Refining Lip Exfoliator by LP Skin Therapy

This is an exfoliator/scrub made specifically for the lips. If you get chapped lips, then this will definitely get rid of any dry skin for you, as well as improving the texture of your lips, smoothness and lip definition. I like the texture of the exfoliant itself and its very rich, so you literally only need to use a dab, meaning that this 8ml baby will last all Summer! I also love the strong smell of almond oil it has - reminds me of The Body Shop's Nail and Cuticle Almond Oil which I often use for my nails and have done so for many years now.

2. Nail Polish in 401 Peach/Light seashell by EvaGarden & 805 Grey Matter by Rimmel London

One thing I have GOT to say regarding nail polishes is that I am very picky about colours. My favourite catagories, as I put them, are pastels, neutrals and cool "gem" picks. The nail polish I most often use is the 805 Grey Matter by Rimmel London, there is something about this shade that is timeless. It has a slight dash of blue, making it look pastel enough for Summer and cool enough for Winter. It also goes with absolutely anything, not like red or neon nails for example, which might be too bright for certain outfits. As for the 401 nail polish by Eva Garden, I had gotten it in my goodie bag from the Malta Fashion Awards that just passed. The best way to describe this colour is as a traditional french manicure base. More so than the grey, it's very versatile and classy. Definitely a nice favourite to add to my collection.

3. FURLA Candle

Strangely enough, I had no idea FURLA produced candles! I received this little gift in my goodie bag from the Pink Magazine fashion show. I can't put my finger on the scent - but it's very musky, it could be called musk for all I know! I'm a person who loves the senses, and things smelling nice is a craving I have. I hate things smelling bad, so in turn, I have many candles and incense sticks of all shapes and sizes. This FURLA candle has a relaxing feature in its scent, and I also appreciate the black and white patterned design around it. Very modern with just the right touch of homely.

4. Perfumed Soap by Fragonard Parfumeur

I bought this soap while I was in Paris. It was very reasonably priced for such a prestigious brand and 140g definitely lasts a while. It has a strong floral scent, the most dominant being Violet so it's perfect for Spring and Summer - an amazingly fresh scent and definitely gets you clean!

5. Pencil by Swarovski

Not much to say regarding this pencil by Swarovski, I got this in the Pink Magazine Fashion show just like the FURLA candle. It's very nice being able to say that you have a jewel at the end of your pencil, as well as having 'Swarovski' engraved towards the bottom of it in silver. I don't think I'll use it and keep it more as an ornament on my shelf and show it off every time someone comes over.

6. FRANK Coffee Body Scrub

Oh! Frank, frank, frank. What can I say about this scrub? I bought it two weeks ago, it arrived today and I already scrubbed myself clean with this orange and coffee mixture. One thing I definitely have to mention is that the marketing for the scrub is great - and whoever thought of it is a genius. They basically called the scrub 'Frank', however they also made Frank a flirtatious guy. So basically Frank wants to get you naked in the shower and he wants to scrub you from head to toe making you soft, tight and smooth. He also targets cellulite, stretch marks, acne, psoriasis, eczema and a bunch of other skin blemishes that you may have. He's made in Melbourne, Australia. He's vegan and he doesn't test on animals ! ♡ results after my first try : I smell amazing and my skin is as smooth as a baby's bottom. Looking forward to see if some blemishes I have start to fade after some time, will update about this.

7. Lipstick in 341 Nude Warm Brown by Eva Garden

For those who do not know, I'm a lipstain type of girl, I'm currently using the body shop lip & cheek stain and it's my saviour. However I got this Lipstick in my goodie bag from the Malta Fashion Awards, and I think it's such an interesting shade. I have never ever worn nude lipsticks before, simply because they make me look washed out. The best colours that suit me are cool reds and pinks. However I tried this lipstick and it actually looks very nice, it's not overpowering yet has enough definition and colour to be seen. I noticed it suits me better when I use a bronzer instead of a pink blusher.. for a "summer glow" look, if you get what I mean. It's nice to finally find a nude lipstick that suits me. If you have the same complexion as mine and have problems trying to find a nude lipstick, go ahead and give this one a try :)

8. Smoothing Pumping Lip Balm "Crème De Rose" by Dior

I read so many reviews regarding this lip balm that I could not ignore it any longer. I searched all over Malta, and of course this little island does not have it, however I did go to Chemimart in Valletta and they advised me that they used to have it, however Dior stopped producing them. I asked if there was anything similar, and her reply was: "Not really, I'm afraid... It's one of a kind." Damn, she was right! I went online right away and found a few couple left on sale. The price tag was ridiculous.. I never spent so much on a lip cosmetic before and hopefully never will, however it was worth every penny. This lip balm does everything, it moisturizes, it plumps, it has a velvety instead of sticky feel, it smells of fresh roses, gives a healthy glow of pink to the lips and contains SPF 10. If you find it, and need a lip balm that does exactly what I mentioned, go for it.

9. Perfumed Body Lotion by Burberry The Beat

Mmm I love keeping my body soft and smooth, and I managed to get my hands on this body lotion by Burberry from my Pink magazine goodie bag!

"Burberry The Beat is a sexy, feminine, energetic and vibrant fragrance. A celebration of the girl who lives for the moment, who is effortlesslessly cool."

That basically explains it. Lovely warm top notes of bergamot, cardamom, pink pepper and mandarin. Heart notes of Ceylon tea, iris and bluebell for a floral texture and white musk, vetiver and cedar wood give depth to this sensual scent.

10. Shea Body Butter by The Body Shop

Last but not least, the Shea body butter by the body shop is a must have, for all year round, it's brilliant for dry skin, and it is so rich that one application usually does the job! The shea butter is from Ghana as stated on the container. Beautiful smell once again, and it sinks into the skin easily. Very worth the price and enough to last a long time !!

That's it folks :) I really enjoyed giving you my little review of these products, and if you have any questions, you're more than welcome to give me a shout x