Recipe for Stress Free Wedding #1 - Zovko Hoteli

Boyfriend and girlfriend sitting in the tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g...

A little more than a year ago I got married. I've been with my wonderful man for 5 and a half years before we tight a knot.

May 23, 2014 is one of the happiest days of my life. We started planning the wedding in November, 2013. We've put alot of planning into that day. There was quite of drama during that 6 months but it was all worth it! I will tell you a little about my experience with planning a wedding and mention some of the people and places, besides my wonderful man, that made my wedding day perfect and stress free.

First order of business was finding a wedding venue that had a beautiful interior, offered awesome food for the wedding diner and, if possible, reasonably priced. We looked all over Zagreb for a perfect place. After six failed attempts we visited Zovko Hotels in Sesvete. And we fell in love!

Situated on the east side of Zagreb and easily accessible by car or taxi but away from traffic jam in the center off the city seemed like a good thing to start with.

We arranged a meeting with the hotel manager. The person in charge of the wedding organization in Zovko was waiting for us, willing to answer all of the questions, even those we didn't know we had. The place looked amazing, the food that they offer was just what we looking for (and my hubby being a "foodie", we were looking for a lot) and the price was more than reasonable. I was in love. Plus all of the above, they have their own light show, all kinds of decorations and more than imaginable number of color schemes for the venue (table cloths, napkins, ribbons, chairs, vases, displays, candle holders, oh my..)

 

Zovko wedding team consists of well trained and professional waiting staff, receptionists, great chefs and the Queen that makes happen. There was no table that had to ask for anything because as soon a bottle of vine or water or juice ran out there was instantly one to replace it, thanks to hard working staff. The food was so delicious, freshly made and of the highest quality. And I am so thankful for it.

Buffet in the lobby for the guests that were waiting for us. Mmmmm..

The lady that keeps everything perfectly running is the most engaged, organized and wonderful person. From the second we entered the meeting to arrange the venue business till the day we left the hotel as a married couple, she made us feel like the only couple that is getting married in Croatia. She dealt with the florists, the bakers, photographers so I didn't have to worry about anything except coming to my wedding. Till this day we get holiday and anniversary texts from her. I thank you Maja from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget everything you did for us and I am your FOREVER FAN!

If you are on the look out for the venue for your wedding, business conference, christening or graduation party I highly recommend Zovko Hotels. This is not a sponsored post. This is written because of the perfectly perfect experience Zovko Hotels and their crew made my wedding reception to be. And I will be forever grateful.

Talk to you later,

Our table

Cheers!

Maria xo

Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream Review

Soft hands are dreamy!

My line of work involves washing my hands like a very dedicated germophob, and not only with a soap but usually I am rubbing my hands with different kinds of antibacterial substances more than 30 times a day. And my hands feel it. Flaky skin on my palms or between my fingers are found on my hands more often then not. Sometimes my skin is so dry it cracks. Cray cray!

There is a lot of  affordable hand cremes available in drugstores all over Zagreb. Most of them will give you a temporary relief and make your hands smell nice. If you don't have dry skin as I do, you have so much to pick from. But I needed help for reals.

I dread those hand cremes that clump up while you rub them in. Do not appreciate those ones that just sit on your skin and don't really do much besides make you feel oily and dirty. So I started my little quest for a moisturizing non oily non clumping creme that sinks into your skin fast. I was trying all kinds of cremes and finally, thanks to one of my good friends, found my holy grail day creme.

Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Cream is tha BOMB! It is the creme that fits all the necessary requirements. It is one of the most moisturizing cremes I've tried. It smells divine, sinks into your skin momentarily and no clumps what so ever.

This is what the company says about the creme:

 "Truly a gift from nature, this ultra-rich hand cream is enriched with three exotic butters - jojoba, cupuacu and macadamia to pamper hands that are dry from everyday routines. Burt's Bees natural hand cream melts into skin to moisturise and soften without a greasy after-feel.  Antioxidant-rich grape seed and sunflower oils nourish for soft beautiful hands, naturally. Your hands will be thoroughly delighted."

The cream is made of 99% natural ingredients: water (aqua, eau), simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) butter, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, glycerin, beeswax (cera alba, cire d'abeille), stearic acid, theobroma grandiflorum (cupuacu) seed butter, macadamia ternifolia (macadamia) seed oil, glucose, fragrance (parfum), sodium borate, xanthan gum, sucrose stearate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, honey (mel, miel), rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, tocopherol, beta carotene, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase

You get 73,7 g of product in a squeezy tube. The price is around 13€. It is kind of pricey but it is worth every cent! You can buy it in Müller stores in Zagreb and all around EU or online on Amazon, feelunique.com or burtsbees.com

There are much more expensive cremes but this is by far the best one I've tried! My hands feel soft and beautifully scented. I repurchased it for the third time now and will continue to do so. Hope this helped sombody. If you have any questions I'm here for you. 


Talk to you later, 
Maria xo

Halo Eyeshadow Glam for Green Hooded Eyes

I love me some glam!

Having green eyes myself, I always love to play with reddish browns and purples on my eyes. But usually glam eye makeup is such a pointless thing to do on my very, very, very hooded eyes.  All the beautiful transitions and all the blending work is visible only when I close my eyes. That is cool, but it is a bit hard to go out with my eyes closed. Am I right?

As I like having my eye makeup visible I like doing it in a "halo" style. "Halo" means that the darker or the stand out color is placed in the inner and outer corner of the lid and pulled up quite high towards the brow, and the other color or colors are placed in the middle of the moving part of the lid.

Here I was using two eyeshadows: Reddish brown for the inner and outer corner of my eyes and a champagney sparkling one in the middle.

This is a more time consuming makeup look. It took me around 40 minutes to get my face glammed up.

Lets get going:
After my moisturizer soaked in, for my base I used  Eveline Cosmetics Art Scenic Covering and Smoothing Foundation in Naturalny. It really works good and my skin is having a good day so I didn't use any kind of concealer. I used Essence Big Bright Eyes jumbo pencil in Nude as an under eye highlighter. As a setting and mattifying powder I used Essence All About Matt fixing compact powder.

I contoured my face just a teeny tiny bit with Nyx Powder Blush in Taupe. Don't get confused by the picture, original blush packaging was broken so I depoted it and put it in an empty Guerlain eyeshadow palette compact with a mirror. For a blush I used Essence Blush Up in 20 Pinky Flow.

 For my eyeshadow base I used Mac Paint Pot in Soft Ochre. My darker eyeshadow of choice was one from a palette my mom bought me in Austria some time ago. It is a matte warm brown. On the free of color, middle part of my lid I've put L'Oreal Color Infaillible semi pressed pigment in 001 Time Resist White and as a highlight in my inner corner to open my eyes, I used ma fav Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadow in 120 Satina Van Der Woodsen.

Got my eyebrows on fleek with Essence Brow Designer pencil in 05 Soft Blonde and brushed them through with a spoolie brush. I got Mac Eye Kohl in Fascinating in my waterline.

I forgot to take pictures of my lashes but they are Red Cherry Lashes 415 (I think, I threw away the friggin package) and Duo adhesive glue.

 And finally, on my lips I used Essence Lipliner in 12 Wish Me a Rose and Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in 02 Beige Trench.

I hope you like the look. If there is any Q I would be more than happy to answer them.

 Talk to you later,
Maria xo

"Late for anything" / Morning Makeup Look

Can we skip Mondays?! Cuz I don't need them..

I am not going to talk about my hiatus right now, but I will eventually. Today I'm going to give you one really really quick make up look.

This is my going to look when I'm late and I need to have my face on. I'm late most of the mornings because of those 5 more minutes snooze button. Work, quick coffee with my girls, running some errands: works perfect for those!
Quick, easy and cheep as no other. But afterwards I look presentable and not like a public hazard.

Lets jump into it...

I wake up and, after an everyday struggle of getting up, brush my teeth and try not to fall asleep on the toilette. Then I put on my skin care and get to my mirror, still hating life and mornings and clocks.
Try not to skip your morning skin care. Even it means you won't have time to put on your makeup, you will protect your skin from increased environmental exposure (sun), sweating, bacteria, dryness and other irritations.

For my face I am in love with  Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation. Enough coverage and a glow for perfect looking skin. Brilliant!! I bounce it on with Hello Beauty Makeup Sponge. I dust my t-zone and my under-eyes with Wet'n'wild Coverall pressed powder in Fair. It sets everything and it gives a subtle highlighting effect. Awesome!

Than with the same brush I used for the powder I warm my face a bit with  Catrice Sun Glow matt bronzing powder in 030 medium bronze. I use Essence Blush Up powder blush in 20 pink flow to put some pink back to my cheeks with an old essence blush brush that I love. It is black and pink!!! Lovez it!

My brows get some love and shape from Essence Brow Designer pencil in soft blonde. And now that I have only 10 min left until I have to leave I usually decide to skip the eyeshadow but today I decided to trow the darkest brown into my crease from the Essence Quattro eyeshadow quad in 05 to die for. I almost always put the inner eye corner highlight with Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadow in 120 Satina Van Der Woodsen because I have these small hooded eyes that need help with looking like they are opened and awake.

Mascara L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga and an eyelash curler make my eyes existent! So that is unskipable for my "I look decent" look.

On my I have one of my favorite lipliner-lipstick combo: Essence Lipliner in 06 Satin mauve and Deborah Milano Rosseeto Atomic Red Mat in 04. Such a low maintenance lip.

And that is it. I am out the door.

Talk to you later,

Maria xo