Beauty ponders

A couple of weeks ago when I was driving I looked in the mirror and oh no -horror- panic - between my eyebrows I could see 2 expression lines (as they are called) appearing or slightly formed. The foundation I was wearing made it very clearly... When I came home I checked again in the bathroom but it was less clear in indoor lighting. Since I have (very) dry skin, I know I'm prone to early wrinkles but I always moisturize intense to delay this, which works like a charm on my eye area by the way. As it's best to prevent or treat at an early stage I began browsing online for a spot treatment on local areas because hey I don't need it all over my face. My search ended with Avène, a brand that I'm fond of.

Eluage concentrate recommended for furrows of the visage for a visible smoothing effect. Complexion is more radiant and facial features softened. Thanks to its non-greasy peachcolor texture, the concentrate is very pleasent to use. Package in airless doser bottles. Use in the evening on spot areas only. Dab in until absorbed.

Warm welcome to my new followers (20 is coming close)! Feel free to comment on an article if you have something to add, I don't bite you know ;)

This is a new catagory "VS", which means I'll be comparing 2 similar products. These could be low, medium or high end and I'll be explaining which one I prefer along with pros and cons! A high end product isn't necessarily the best one out of the bunch. Today I'm going to talk about eau micellaire from 2 medium end lines. Both products are available online and in most pharmacies, price range between 10-15euro for 500ml (smaller versions also available).

I love using eau micellaire for various reasons: make-up remover, refreshing morning routine etc... My expectations are simple: removing make-up easily, don't make my vision blurry, don't dry my skin, nice scent, don't irritate my skin... Maybe it's not as simple as I initially thought!

Taaj:
L'eau micellaire de l'himalaya is an antioxidizing and tonic make-up remover. Its composition is based on plants extracts of Chamomile, Rosemary and Green Tea. It is particularly adapted to sensitive skin by its soothing properties. It softly cleans and tones up your skin. The result is a detoxified, luminous and revitalized complexion.

Critical me:
Simple packaging, I like brands that offer 500ml bottles, it's much cheaper than those 200ml and I don't run out of it as quickly. When opening the bottle and using the product you are immediately aware of the scent, it's very present and pleasant. The Green Tea and Rosemary are certainly in it! It removes face make-up easily and has a bit of an hydrating effect. Downside: eye make-up isn't keen on this one, I get blurry vision from it and sometimes it even irritates my eyes :(. So I ended up using this one strictly for my face.

Bioderma:
At the cutting edge of innovation, BIODERMA has pioneered micellar solutions. Specially formulated for sensitive, normal to dry skins, the Sensibio H2O micelle solution gently cleanses face and eyes. It removes water-resistant make-up.The micelles contained in its formula effectively micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the skin’s balance (soap-free, physiological pH). Soothing and decongesting active ingredients prevent the feelings of irritation often caused by cleansing.

Critical me:
I bought this product after watching Lisa Eldridges video on skin care where she really recommends this one, after doing some reading online I wanted to try it... Packaging is also simple, 500ml again (yes!). There isn't a particular scent I'm aware of with this product. There's a tiny hint of scent to it and describing it as "fresh" is as close as I get! Removing make-up is easy with this one, even my eye make-up, no blurry vision this time! Again, a bit hydrating which I like.

Winner:

Off course the Bioderma one, it does what I want this product to do and the lack of more scent to it doesn't disturb me, this one is a keeper in my bathroom box! Give it a go!

A gorgeous white smile can make your look absolutely picture perfect... But it can also trash it down. Reason why I pay good care for my teeth: cleanse 2 times a day, floss once in a while - it makes the difference. And I also like Aloe Vera, so when I bumped into this product from LR Cosmetics, how could I not resist it?

Tooth gel with 43% aloe vera gel for active dental and oral care for sensitive teeth and gums. Thorough cleaning of the teeth without attacking the enamel.

Packaging is simple but stylish with the green referring to the plant (look at the wind it), it's 100ml and I paid 5-6euros. The product itself is also green and looks like a moisturizer gel, no fancy coloring for this one! Don't let the color get to you, the smell is great: minty fresh!

Me and my boyfriend have been using it for a few weeks now. When you begin to brush your teeth everything is similar to other products but after a few minutes the taste and gel itself fades away whereas with other products you get a foamy effect, this one has very little foam to it. I've tried using more product and this helps a bit. Overall it's ok but not spectacular you must have it! I won't repurchase it because for this price I expect more, especially considering the main ingredient is aloe vera.

To end with a plus: this is a good one for sensitive teeth, if it's hard for you to find one that doesn't hurt your teeth, this could be the winner!

If you read my report yesterday on the goodiebox, you remember I took some new polishes out of it and off course I was very eager to try them, as I always am with new goodies!

First up in NOTD is Catrice Pebble Beach. To be honest, this is my first Catrice polish ever, yes I know, shame! But I've only been into nails for a bit more than a year, before that I used to be a diehard nailbiter... I never want to go back to that stage in my life so continue to the polish itself! The polish is from a limited collection from Catrice, Oceana that was released this spring - look at the cute bottle. You might still be able to find it, although it can be tricky.
It's a matte polish so this means no base/top coats. A big advantage is that matte polishes dry very quickly so I love using them when I'm in a hurry and don't want a -failed nail-... I applied 2 coats of the polish, application went very easy and it dried quick, as expected. The color is between grey and blue, although to me in real life it looks more blue than it does on the picture.
The downside of matte polishes is that they chip faster than regular polishes. But this one seems really solid - after 3 days it still looks splendid! A big plus for Catrice, going to get me some more of them polishes...

Which Catrice polishes do you own and what do you think of them?

The goodiebox is well known in Belgium and the Netherlands, but not in other countries so here's the heads up. The goodiebox is a special concept developed by beautytreat.nl: a box full of make-up/skin care travels around the country from girl to girl.

To receive it you have to enlist yourself and when you do receive it, you are supposed to take out the things you like and put stuff in it you don't use/no longer want. This way you can make someone else happy and also yourself because the box is filled with so much goodies you'll always be able to find your likings... There are some ground rules like don't put products in it that are almost empty, try not to make it too heavy etc...

I ensigned 2 months ago and when I got the message I was the box nest destination I was really enthusiastic. Receiving the box already made me go --wow--, didn't expect the box to be this big... Look at it and look what's in it...

Going through this bunch took me some time... My boyfriend said I was just like a kid in a candystore :). The boxes are filled with everything you can think off and with a variations of brands from budget to high end... This way you can try some products you are keen on and all you have to do is trade in!

Curious to what I took out of the box? Here they are!
-black make-up bag
-Minaralissima: eyeshadow nude and fox
-MAC eyeshadow frisco
-Eyemajic
-samples Estee lauder + hair serum
-Essence nail tips
-polish Catrice pebble beach
-polish OPI suzi says feng shui
-polish Illamasqua caress
-Yves rocher body lotion
-Yves rocher: mask and night cream cure solutions
-Clinique illuminator 03 blush

I'm especially happy with the polishes from Catrice and Illamasque, they were pretty high on my wish list. And I've been wanting to try this range from Yves Rocher so also pleased with those! And in returin I put this in the box, I'm not going to enlist everything :), just let your eyes wander! I hope I can make someone else happy with it!
What do you think of this concept?
Would you ensign yourself?

Beauty magazines: once in a while I buy them so I have reading material during breakfast time. Couple of days ago I had such a breakfast and read a remarkable tip that I want to share...


Normally you use shampoo, then conditioner/mask, rinse deep and done! Even though a conditioner and/or mask is great for your hair, it comes with the downside that it weighs your hair down. Lately I've been getting this a lot and it's bugging me, I like my hair to be 'big'. Not using conditioner/mask isn't an option, the horror my hair becomes then. In the magazine they advised to do this in reverse: mask/conditioner and then shampoo. They claim it will have the same effect without weighing your hair down...


Worth a shot, doesn't cost a penny so yesterday I pampered my hair in reverse. And I must say, it has more volume to it than usual. Only tiny downside, it's not as soft as usual. Hope this has a continuous effect to it!

Are you going to try this one?

First of all, welcome to my new subscribers, hope we get to 20 fast!

And yes, I like Twilight, I love Stephanie Meyers writing skills... I enjoy the movies with the gorgeous cast but prefer the books any day, that's just me. When they announced a makeup line I was intrigued, could it be any good? As a fan of this saga I just had to have an item of this collection...

The collection contains everything a normal make-up collection does. Interesting is that the eyeshadow palets are named after the characters. All the products have a bare tree design and gold ingraved, this already make it have a "dark look".

And what did I get? I got the Mortal Glow blushing creme. There are 2 shades available: adrenaline and swoon. Adrenaline are warm and cool pinks blended, swoon are nudes. I bought the adrenaline which you can see on the left.

A breakthrough blend of mousse and cream blush that glides on effortlessly and finishes satiny smooth. Each blush hand blends three distinct colors to create a “mélange” that forms a pattern unique to each individual blush.

Packaging is nice. The colors in the blush are really hard to get on camera, this was the best I could do. It says that it's a cream-mousse but the context is softer than other cream blushes I've used. It's more on the mousse-side than on the cream-side. You can chose to use all the colors from the mousse or a part of it. The upper part contains peach colors and the lower part are more pink colors. Application is really easy, just use your fingers and blend, works like a charm. And then you get the effect underneath. Look closely and you'll see that the left contains more pink and the right more peach. Oh and yes, it's shimmer all over the place... I consider this product to be a highlighter and not a blush.

Now, what happens if you put this on your face? You don't want to be looking like a shimmery clown. First off, use the product sparingly, just a little bit will give you that lovely glow. And secondly blend with your fingertops. Look at my glowing skin (only wearing the Mortal Glow - don't mind the nasty mosquitobite - I've got them all over me).

If I apply it in the morning, in the evening it's still there - big plus for not gliding off my face. I consider it to be a lovely product, better than I expected and I must say I use it often. It's easy and fast to apply, you don't need much product so it's going to last some time. Overall worth the purchase if you are a Twilight fan and want something from this collection.

Price is in between: I paid about 15euros for it, I ordered it from beautybay.

I enjoy giveaways a lot... Who doesn't like to receive beauty products for free? It's like Christmas in the middle of the year. So here's what I'm cooking on...

What kind of giveaway?
A goodiebag containing various products and various brands, including some I mentioned.

Who?
Anyone, all over the world will be able to enter this giveaway.

When?
I have 6 subscribers now (thank you) and I want to do this as soon as I get to 20. Spread the word I would say!

Unwanted facial hair... yes some of us have it and absolutely loathe it. I'm a member of this group, my upperlip has a mixture of tiny white and black hairs that I like to have gone. Normally I use a tweezer but it's an aggrivating job and I tend to get enough of it fast.

When I read about this product, my spring it, I was a bit sceptical, but as I'm always open to new beauty stuff I ordered it (http://myspringit.com/)... Arrived pretty fast and nicely packed. My boyfriend had no clue what this product was meant to do, as no one would I guess.

Using it is very easy, you have to bend it in a u-shape and swirl it up and down. It requires a bit of exercise in the beginning but you quickly get the hang of it, there's a tutorial video on their website, have a look at it. Now, I've also read it wasn't supposed to hurt that much. But oh my gosh, first time using it, it hurted a lot -damn liars-, I have sensitive skin. Just think of the effect of a tweezer but way worse. Luckily it lessens the more often you use it. I like the fact that it removes a lot of hair in one swirl, it goes a lot faster and is really easy to do. I'm happy with my purchase!

I have a hard time finding a foundation that suits me... I've already tried several but there always seems to be something wrong. For reference, I have dry and sensitive skin. My problem with most foundations is that when applied they look gorgeous but after an hour or so, they get all cakey/powdery on me, horrible... And when I'm lucky enough to ran into one that doesn't have this effect, I get spots from using it. Don't you just hate that?

Then I read about Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer, having great coverage for a moisturizer. Surely this would be great for my dry skin. Nothing to lose so I went and got it...

The color range isn't great, 7 shades available and most of them are very dark. Picture from karlasugar.net, great site for swatches.

The product promises:

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a sheer, lightweight moisturizer with SPF 20 & a hint of color that can be used in place of foundation for a natural appearance while adding a healthy glow to your complexion. Moisturizing formula hydrates skin, softening & easing fine, dry lines. Leaves a natural, dewy finish. Features an antioxidant vitamin complex that acts as a free radical scavenger to protect the skin from even the most aggressive effects of the environment. Extremely long-wearing, stays colour true & wears evenly. Add SPF and sheer finish to the skin by mixing 50% Tinted Moisturizer into your Foundation (1.5 fl. oz./40ml)

The product comes in a tube, love this, is simple and yet sophisticated like all Laura Merciers products. Getting product out of it is an easy job but don't squeeze too hard or you'll end up with too much of it. The scent is ok, not too artificial but I can't recognize anything in it.

Product itself is very runny (what did you expect otherwise) and applies easily. You can use a brush or your fingers, it's all the same. Just make sure you blend enough or you'll see the streaks of your fingers/brush.

The product leaves a dewy glowing finish which I'm very fond of. The coverage is good, it covers my minor flaws and a bit of redness as well... It can be compared to a light-medium foundation coverage which is a big plus for me. It doesn't cover freckles (pic underneath). Add some concealer on certain spots for a more evened out tone.

In the morning I use my regular moisturizer, once that has sunk in I apply Laura Merciers just as I would apply foundation. This product is perfect for me: the color suits me, it covers the things I want it to cover, it doens't get cakey on me, it has an SPF of 20 and best of all I don't break out from it... I've been using it for a couple of months now and this is my HG product for summer... I give it a 5 star recommendation!

Price range is around 40$, available in several stores but you can also purchase it online. There's also an oil-free version available if you have combination-oily skin.

I like nail polishes, I don't like my nails bare and I like to change colors regularly... depending on my mood. This one is again with OPI from my latest transdesign haul. On a sidenote, I have some Essie polishes on its way to me -excitement-.

The polish is called Aphrodite's Pink Nightie. Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love, this polish truly embodies her. It's a soft and yet intens mixture of pink and purple, a hard to define color (also hard to get on camera, it's a bit darker than it shows on the pictures).

I used 2 coats to get the coverage I needed, 1 coat is too sheer for me but can be sufficient if you like to have the colors softer. Application is a bit more difficult, this polish requires a somewhat steady hand. If your streaks are not aligned and somewhat messy it shows with this polish. You can see it a bit on the picture above on my pink. But then again I'm a perfectionist on nail polish, it might not bother you :).

This is a very lovely color for this time of year or for a nights out, it's a glamorous color that should be in your stash...

I'm a huge fan of shower gels and stuff, I have way too many but I love buying them. Usually the scent wins me over and I give in... To me, a shower gel doesn't have to have a price tag.

While I was shopping in Aldi, a discount store, I saw one of their weekly offers being a peeling gel in 2 versions -regular and sensitive-. I immediately spotted the pink packaging of the sensitive one, opened it, my nose liked it and then I put it in my bag... Price tag: 2euro, if I recall correct.

You get a 200ml tube for this price, quite good. Packaging is simple, but I like it. On front of the tube it also says it contains shea butter and jojoba oil, lovely ingredients to me! On the back the product doesn't claim much, only that it will eliminate dead skin cells and transform you skin into soft moisturized glowing skin. Exactly what a peeling should do.

The product is white grainy with some pink spots in it, if you look at the swatch you can see a couple of them. As I said, the product has a nice scent: shea butter with a hint of rose in it. I've been using it for a few months now, it does its job well although it could be more grainy but for this price tag I'll just use a bit more :). I have sensitive skin and my skin didn't get irritated by it.
Sadly I'm running out of it and Aldi only offers it once a year so I'll have to wait a few more months to get it again, I'll be buying more this time to stock up for a year...

Are there products you stock/have stocked upon?

Yesterday I had to go foodshopping and I couldn't resist popping into Kruidvat which, if you don't know it, is a random store that especially has the most common brands of hair/beauty/make-up and random others. I didn't have a lot to spend so I kept it in budget range, less than 10euros alltogether. Now, let's have a look at what I bought!

• I needed a new deo. I chose this Sanex one because it's for sensitive skin and the scent was pleasant. I don't buy the same deo often because I get tired of the scent after a while.
  
• Essence Lash and Brow gel: I already have one of these but it's almost empty, hence the new one, a lovely budget product!
  
• Essence Nail Art: I saw a tutorial on nail arts with this product and decided to give it a go myself because of the cheap price, if I don't like it - at least I haven't wasted a lot of money on it If I succeed in 'arting', I'll let you know!
  
• Essence Sunclub Lipgloss SPF6: colors 02 beautiful bronze and 06 terracotta sunset, I like the packaging: the grey area under the opening is a sun and the golden closing lid with the -e- engraved on top gives it a luxurious look for the very low price. I'm always on the lookout for a nice lipgloss.

When I got home, or should I say in the car, I tried the lipgloss 06 sunset and you can see the result on these pictures, it makes my lips a bit darker... So far liking it. A more detailed review and better pics will follow :)

Sidenote: my eyebrows are a mess, I'm going to have a treatment and have to bear them a bit more wild than my likings

Remember my haul from transdesign? Today I felt like going nude polish. As I already stated I'm a big fan of nude polishes - I love their elegance and modesty, it just screams "me"! As it's still sunny I chose the lightest color from the ones I ordered, being "Sand in my suit".

Application went smooth and after 2 layers the coverage was, surprisingly, good enough for me. This is a huge plus because most nude polishes I owe acquire 3-4 layers which can be messy sometimes.

On to the pics:

It's a champagnebeigekind of color with a subtle shimmer that becomes visible depending on the lighting. I'm fairskinned and the combination is great, though I think it will work its charm with any kind of skin. This will surely grow into one of my favourite nude polishes, each time I look at my nails I'm loving it even more and more!

Do you also like nude polishes, which ones?

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a lip balm freak. You know these products that you can't stop purchasing even though you clearly have enough of them? This is the one for me. I'm always in need of a new lip balm and have a hard time saying no. Usually I appease myself by saying "it's too cheap to let it go". If you know this feeling, raise your hand (and I think everybody who is reading this has raised her hand).

Now, I'm not going to bore you by reviewing classic lip balms that every beauty addict has, I decided to opt for some hard to come by balms I own. This means this is just the first wagon from the lip balm train :).

On to the brand, Nuxe is a French pharmaceutical brand, from which I've tried several products over the last year. The prices are midrange and in Europe you should be able to find it easily. Within this brand they have some sublines, e.g.: 3 Roses care, Nirvanesque and Rêve de Miel. Rêve de Miel literally translates from French into "Dream of Honey". This refers to the scent and yellowish color of the products.

The product promises:

Effective by nature: with this extremely nourishing and repairing fragrance-free balm that contains no preservatives or artificial scents and has no sticky effect, most damaged lips are supple and soft.
Precious benefits for my skin: thanks to this amazing balm, damaged lips will instantly be soothed. Its luscious texture and its sweet taste of Honey and Grapefruit turns applying it in truly blissful moment.
Star active ingredients: Acacia Honey and Shea Butter nourish and intensely repair. Grapefruit Essence provides a nice sensation of well-being.

The product comes in a glass jar that looks plain on the outside. When you open it, you'll notice it looks just like cream pots you owe. This has a downside: if you are 1/3 through the product the jar is more difficult to obtain product from. The balm looks pretty thick and yellowgoldish with a hint of shimmer in it.

When looking at the swatch you can see its thick texture and the shimmers become clearer. Keep in mind I took this picture outside when it was +30degrees, you can see the product melting from the heat...

Before applying the product you have to get some out of the jar and this is not easily done if you have long nails like me. I'm not a fan of this jar system!! Applying is easy, rub it softly around your lips. At first you'll notice the product is bit granular but it quickly melts onto your lips. Afterwards your lips feel wellmoisturized and the scent lingers on, I really adore this honeylike scent. It makes your lips glow and depending on the light the shimmer becomes visible. Excuse my messy hairdo :)

I like this product a lot, especially the scent, but I don't like the jar. I might repurchase it in the future, if I run out of new lip balms I want to buy -lol-. I bought it in an ICU-store but you can also buy it online through cosme-de. Price is between 10-15euros for 15g.

Today, as I promised in another article, I'm going to talk about my favourite brush cleanser. I used to clean my brushes with baby shampoo or the Shu Uemura brush cleanser but I noticed these products don't always fully clean them to that sparkling new brush look, which was what I wanted! I started browsing around, stumbled on this product and decided to give it a go... Now I cannot live without it!

Here's what the product claims it will do:

Make your brushes last longer by proper cleaning and conditioning. Just like your own hair, brushes benefit from moisturizing treatments. Our famous conditioning brush soap based with vegetable oils keeps natural hair and synthetic fibers smooth and elastic.

The product comes in a round tin and looks like any regular soap you may have. When opening the tin, you will immediately be aware of the citrus scent. I really like the scent, it's not too strong but still present. The weight of mine is 85 g and I can honestly say it will last you a long time. I've had mine for a few months now but as the pictures show you hardly see I've used it...

To show you how great this product is I'm going to clean my foundation brush from Shu Uemura with it, which is in desperate need of a cleansing routine, just look at the poor thing!!

First I wet the brush, circle it around in water a few times to remove the heavy 'dirt'. Then I take the brush, put it in the middle of the soap and circle it around a few times so I have enough product on it.
I then put the brush in the palm of my hand, again using circular motions to allow the product to spread through the bristles of the brush. I also massage it into the bristles if I notice there's still dirt left in them.
After the massage, I put the brush in water and remove the product by using circular motions. Then, remove excess water, form the bristles in their original shape and let it dry... I put it in a glass upside down, using the Brush Guard -review is coming soon-.

And when it's dry you get this effect, a brand new brush!! Isn't this lovely??

I bought the product through http://heatoncooper.co.uk/, it costed £9.80 and their shipping costs are fair. They also have the product available in another version, which costs £2.45 if you like to keep it budgettary. If you intend to purchase this product, let me know what your opinion on the product is.

In "testing" I'll keep you up to date on which long-term products I'm testing and whether their promises come true or not... so you know if it's worth purchasing!

In my opinion lashes are important in any look, they make your eyes pop and light your face up. They complete your make-up and so on. My lashes are normal, not too short but not long either. They could use a healthier look, hence this purchase. In the past I tried Revitalash for several months, this wasn't a big hit so I want to be realistic with this one and not expect too much of the product.

The product costs about 16euro and is available in several warehouses. It promises to deliver longer, fuller and stronger lashes within 1 month. This is possible because of the Provitamine B5 and Prokeratine, both are supposed to encourage your lashes to grow. They advise using it in the morning and evening.

I'll be starting the use this evening and will post the first impressions, comparison pictures after a few weeks, fingers crossed...

Left to right:

• Tapered Blending E40
• Pencil E30
• Eye Shading E55

Group shot, looking fabulous:

As you can see I still have room to order more brushes... which is never a bad thing! Of course I will put up a review once I've tested them thoroughly!

Next week a product that will make your brushes look sparkling new, stay tuned!

Remember my strawberrynetorder? I got a free Pixi Lip Booster along with it and it's time to share my results!

I could choose a color and opted for the number one which is the left one on the picture above. It comes in a lovely pink box, all girly and such.

Lip booster is a moisturizing treatment gloss infused with technology to plump lips. With continued use, skin-hydrating peptides build skin's natural collagen production creating a moisture cushion, achieving a smoother less dry lip. Contains Maxi lip ingredient, jojoba seed oil, vitamin E and aloe vera. Fresh strawberry flavour.

It has a special operating system to it. At the top you can see a brush and by turning the bottom round and round you get the product on the brush to apply it. On the swatch you can see it is thick and has a beigebrowngolden undertone to it.

The brush applies easy on the lips and the scent reminds me of candy with a hint of strawberry in it, which is way better than those artificial smelling lip glosses!! Due to the products thickness you may get a boost on your lips but I didn't notice it on mine.

After applying it you have shimmery lips and the golden undertone is nowhere to be seen, sadly enough. To make things worse, the product is very sticky which is a big no-no for me.

The product costs about -wow- 20 dollar, but I wouldn't spend it on this one.

PS: as you can see I bought a new camera, yes -joyful dancing- so pictures will continue to improve and will also try a video some time soon