Tuesday 31 May 2011

Review Batiste Blush dry shampoo

A while ago I discussed my Batiste coloured dry shampoo, but at the same time I also bought other products from their range. They aren't easy to find in Belgium, so I ordered them on ASOS and decided to try a few differents ones from their line. Today I'm going to discuss their "Blush"-product, which gets the most praise... I consider dry shampoo to be a must-have product. It's quick and easy when you only need a little bit of touching up and/ore volume.

Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo is an essential beauty product that will leave your hair smelling fragrant and looking fabulous in seconds.
Batiste Blush has a beautifully delicate fragrance and is perfect for in between washes.

First up: the fragrance. It has indeed a nice floral scent - I can understand why people are fond of it. Most dry shampoos smell awfull. It works just like a dry shampoo is supposed to work: spray onto your hair, massage and brush it out - finished and your hair looks freshly washed. The only problem for me is that this sprays a white mist and it's really necessary that I brush it out thouroughly, otherwise my hair turns out grey... If you're a brunette like me, personally I think you're better off with the coloured dark version. Nevertheless, this is still a good product and if your hair has a lighter shade or if you don't mind brushing - go for it!
Monday 30 May 2011

Some polish...

After my Catrice topcoat, I was in desperate need for a new one and so I decided to go for the Seche Vite this time - 'cause I haven't tried this one yet! I also bought the Restore version, after reading all the horror-thickening stories... And as always I couldn't resist ordering a few polishes along with it...

Not too much, I've been quite a good girl. I ordered Essie "Lion Around" from one of the previous collections and OPI "Tickle-my-france" which I've been lemming for a long time! All polishes were bought from beautyzone on Ebay. So, you know what this means... there will be NOTD's coming!!
Friday 27 May 2011

Product Praise Shu Uemura 20 Pony Brush

Shu is a brand I kinda ran into accidently while browsing an English forum. I hadn't heard that much of it before. There' s one store in Belgium but I haven't been there yet - on my list though. I actually checked some of their products while I was in London and made a mental note of a few things I wanted. Shu is mostly know for their eyelash curler but they also offer great quality brushes and today I'm going to talk about one of them... which has been in my kit for more than a year.

Made with Pony hair, this brush is ideal for powder face color application.
The soft, flexible bristles are best for sharply defined cheeks and precise, delicate shading.
Also suitable for applying face powder.

It's the 20 pony brush intented to be used for blush or face powder. First up you can see the handle is quite short in comparison to other brands such as MAC. But, honestly, this handle is just perfect. The longer the handle, the more I seem to grab it at the starting of the brush. Apart from being short, it's also a bit bigger than normal handles, again a plus because it works so easily.

The bristles have a roundish shape that is maintained easily, but I also use the brush guard for it just to be sure. The bristles look very soft and indeed, they are... I really hate all that brushes that appear to be soft and when used on your hand are soft but then, when you put them on your cheeks... horror! That's not the case with this baby, this is such a lovely soft brush, much softer than a MAC brush. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and because it's not that big it works very precise. It picks up the colour nicely and blends out like it should. A tiny downside to this brush is its price, which is around 50$ but -to me- it's totally worth it. I'm really trying to invest in some decent brushes because I do notice the difference in applying my make-up. This one is defintely on my recommend-list!

The goods: soft!!!!, short/easy handle, blends well, picks up colour nicely

The bads: price

Overall a great brush that I really commend. It will cost you some, but you get a decent luxurious brush in return that will last you a long time... Just try it and I think you'll love it!

Thursday 26 May 2011

Pippa's modula handbag: yay or nay?

Last week while browsing my regular news I ran into Pippa sporting a new handbag. I love handbags and am always on the lookout for a new one, but sadly enough I have an expensive taste... so I don't often buy a new one. I wasn't really expecting much from Pippa, but she surprised me - a lot!

The bag is from Modula and is in a colour called Shark, a nice grey one but it's also available in black and tan. The pricing is around 150£ which is do-able, it' s not over-the-top expensive like let's say Chanel :)

The bag has grab handles and also a shoulder strap which you can detach. It has golden hardware and to me, it looks just stunning - a perfect bag for summer...


I'm contemplating getting it because I like it a lot but on the other hand a lot of people will be carrying it and I'm not big on being a sheep... Nevertheless I have to decide, as it's only available for pre-order at the moment and won't be remade afterwards. What do you think?
Wednesday 25 May 2011

Catrice in Wonderland hauling

Finally 'Wonderland' from Catrice has arrived at my local store (talk about being late much) and I decided to have a look but in the end I came home with a few things I couldn't resist. Check the packaging, cute butterflies!!

I bought 2 polishes - I'm a fan of Catrices polishes and let's face it, a girl cannot have enough polishes-, there also was a 3rd reddish colour but I didn't like it that much. I got the Lavenderlicious (lilac) and Miracle in Heaven (blue holographic-something) - both priced at around 2,5euros. I always look at polishes first, don't know why. Then my eye caught 2 lovely powders: firstly the eye shadow highlighter in Fairy Dust (around 3euros) and secondly the highlighting powder in Fairy Dust (around 4 euros).

The highlighting powder contains 10g and is a peachy shimmer, but very subtle. I didn't have a highlighter like this, so I grabbed it as it was the last one left. Then the eyeshadow highlighter at 2g, at first it appears a bit darker and golden but when swatched it definitely suits as a highlighter, a very lovely colour that would suit anyone.

Have you already bought something from this collection?
Tuesday 24 May 2011

Review Biosilk Silk Therapy

I have long hair, which needs a lot of conditioning. I have hair that frizzes easily, which needs a lot of treatments. Safe to say my hair isn't the easiest one out there, but I try to manage (as we all do). Most of all I hate it when my hair becomes all frizzy... But luckily, there are some things you can do to prevent it from happening. While I was browsing and looking for the perfect item I ran into Biosilks Therapy getting much praise so I bought a copy and it's been with for more than a year now...

Leave in replenishing & reconstructing treatment
Ideal for all hair types
Fills any voids in cuticle layer and helps repair split ends
Provides incredible shine


The packaging is very simple and yet somewhat elegant. I bought the 50ml one, it's available in larger sizes as well but if it's just you using it, this one will already last you a long time. You have to press the top to open it, it's only a tiny hole which is easier for distrubuting the product. The product has a thick siliconebased structure and has a wonderfull scent, a bit sweet and fruity - I love the scent! I use about 2 drops for my entire hair - the back of the product recommends 5 to 10 drops but that's too much and will make your hair look greasy. I put the drops on my fingers, then rub my fingers/hands so the product is lightly spreaded, then I first go through the roots of my hair and afterwards through my entire hair. It's not a good idea to start spreading the product at the top of your hair, because it's quite greasy. Afterwards my hair looks shiny, healthy and the frizz is mostly gone. In the next hours the product lingers on and will continue to protect your hair from frizzing. I haven't noticed this product working on my split ends, but then again I don't use this daily. I only use this when I think my hair needs a boost or when it looks frizzy.

The goods: scent, lasts a long time as you only need a tiny amount, hair becomes shiny, stops frizzing, price (online)

The bads: can be too greasy when you use too much, haven't noticed it working on split ends

Overall I consider this to be a very good product and I enjoy using it a lot - it's definitely one of the better serums out there. The price is somewhat inbetween, you can buy it at salons but also online - I bought mine at strawberrynet for 15$. I've been using it for more than a year. If you have dry and frizzy hair that needs a boost, look into this one, you won't regret it.
Monday 23 May 2011

Pan, anyone?

A few months ago I did a review on Dandelion from Benefit. I was pretty excited about it and recommended it, now after a few more months of usage I can safely say this has become one of my alltime favourite blushes - I always seem to grab it, even though I have other blushes that I like. It has such a subtle effect. Anyway due to a lot of use I've hit the pan... And this is something because it's my first product ever to hit pan which I wanted to share with you. I'm not big on powder items, I'm more of creamy person if I have the choice.

How about you? Have you recently hit pan on something?

Friday 20 May 2011

Avon hauling

This week my Avon stuff came in and as always I ordered a few lovely items, on a discount....

I ordered 2 mascaras: Supermagnify which I've used the last months and really like + Superenchant, their newly released one. Then 3 polishes ltr: Perfectly Flesh, Viva Pink, Rose Quartz - all great for summer. On the right a brow pencil in Slate and lastly underneath a clear lipgloss with SPF15.

As always, also some body care but Avons body care can be tricky: some things are pure love while others are pure hate - just check my reviews if you're in doubt of ordering something. I now ordered the new scent of Bubble bath called Almond Blossom. And then 2 foot items: the white jar being a shea souffle and the grey jar are pedi-peel pads. Now that I'm talking about it, I haven't done a review on foot stuff - mental note to do that in the future!!

Recent purchases from you, do share!!!
Thursday 19 May 2011

Product Praise the Brush Guard

A product thatI use weekly and couldn't imagine living without anymore... that's what the brushguard is to me. I got to know it more than a year ago and ordered it along with a Coastal Scents offer - bristles sticking out everywhere was getting on my nerves and I read this was the next best thing to solve my problem. I was so impressed by it that I wanted more (the package I ordered contained 6 guards and let's face it, a girl owns more than 6 brushes). I then ordered from their home site as they offer cheaper shipping.

The Brush Guard is a flexible, breathable sheath that slips over a brush’s handle and over the bristles to give makeup brushes the best possible protection.
Only The Brush Guard allows brushes to dry bristle-down so water can’t damage the ferrule. The brush dries in perfect shape and lasts longer!
With The Brush Guard in place, makeup brushes can go anywhere safely.

The brush guard comes in 4 different shapes: xtra small (eyeliner), small (eyeshadow - home site claims this fits a blush brush but don't believe it), medium (blush/foundation), large (powder/kabuki). You can buy a variety pack containing all of these guards or you can choose which ones you use more often in a simple pack. Each pack costs 5,5$ and international shipping comes at 3$. I've purchased 4 packs: 1 variety, 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large - I now have a total of 23 of these guards as in each pack the number is different. When I wash most of my brushes all these guards are being used. You can always switch days washing your brushes and buy only the variety pack, that's also an option, but at such a low price I decided to go for quantity. Mostly because I'm lazy and when I'm busy washing my brushes I like to have them all done at once...

You can easily slip the guard over your brush and over the bristles, use one motion. The guard is breathable, meaning there are tiny holes in it, it's kind of a special structure - this is why it's important to use one motion, otherwise the bristles get caught in these holes. After having washed your brush, put the guard on and put it upside down in a glass to dry. This way the water can't damage your handle and the bristles stay AND dry in perfect shape with none of them sticking out.

I love this product and recommend it to anyone. If you have some expensive brushes this is the perfect way to maintain them. It's cheap, effective and best of all, it lasts forever and doesn't need replacing within the next couple of years...
Wednesday 18 May 2011

Review Rosebud Salve

A while ago I talked about Rosebuds strawberry lip balm and told you I wasn't too impressed by it. Today I'm going to talk about their original salve, which I've been using for quite some time.... I originally bought it because Rosebud is simply everywhere and most people adore it. I can be such a sheep sometimes *laughter*, I always want to try it for myself to see whether I share the crowds opinion or not!

This cult-favorite, multi-purpose lip balm has been popular for over 100 years. An Old Family Standby Since 1895, this world-famous salve has been re-discovered by Hollywood stars and makeup artists. Rosebud Salve is still a favorite to aid in the relief of chapped and dry skin, blemishes, diaper rash, and detergent burns. Rosebud Salve is also a wonderful lip moisturizer and natural looking lip gloss. It moisterizes dry lips, calms and heals irritation, and soothes the sting of minor burns. Try dabbing on dry elbows or knees to condition, and relieve dryness. Also an excellent remedy for the treatment of diaper rash. The original flagship product, Smith's Rosebud Salve remains our top seller. A glossy, non-sticky, non-waxy, texture makes this balm stand out. Only a dab is necessary, ensuring that one tin lasts a very long time! Mix with lipstick for extra shine. During allergy and cold season, dab on a dry, irritated nose to relieve discomfort.

First up is the tin, I love their retro packaging/colour/font. I'm not the biggest fan of jars because of hygiene but it's ok, although I prefer a stick or tube. You can see that my tin has already been heavily used because of the white cracks on the side. I often put it in my purse, with this as a result. When opening the tin, you immediately smell the roses - the scent is quite strong. The product itself looks very greasy, this is mostly depending on the temperature. Be careful when it's very hot, because you'll wind up with way too much product on your fingers. You only need a tiny amount to put on your lips to leave a nice transparant film. The product has no particular taste. Sadly enough I found it not very moisturizing on my lips, it leaves a film but it doesn't hydrate them so if I have chapped lips this product doesn't help me. You can also use this product on dry/irritated skin. I have used it on dry skin and it works indeed moisturizing but personally I found it a bit too greasy for this purpose, I prefer using a cream on my skin. Nevertheless if you only have this on hands, it's good to know you can use it. I've had my tin for more than a year now and I think I'm about 2/3 far in it, it definitely lasts a long time.

The goods: scent, great as lipgloss, price, lasts a long time, retro packaging

The bads: can be too greasy (for skin), not very moisturizing on lips

Overall I find this a very basic product that works best as leaving a lovely gloss on your lips with a nice scent to it. You can also use this before using a lipstick or a gloss, I know a lot of MUA's do this. Some people claim this is their HG lip balm that works wonders on chapped lips but it doesn't for me. Nevertheless I enjoy using it and when I finish this I will probably purchase the tube-version because I like the nice sheen it gives your lips. This product is available in several stores but it's best to purchase it online.
Tuesday 17 May 2011

Product Praise Paula's Choice Skin recovery hydrating treatment mask

Over the last half year I've purchased quite a lot of products from Paula's Choice and some of them have become a big favourite of mine whilst others aren't worth the repurchase, you can check my other reviews here. Today I'm going to talk about -probably- my most beloved product from her and that's her moisturizing mask.

Drench your skin in this lush, emollient-rich moisture treatment for an incredibly soft and radiant feel. This unique blend of rich plant oils, plant- and vitamin-based antioxidants, and essential fatty acids and lipids give dry skin just what it needs to replenish itself. Can be used as a mask or an intense moisturizer.
Reduces inflammation and irritation
Rinses easily from the skin
100% fragrance-free
No coloring agents
Available at 16,15euro through her webshop.




The packaging is very simple and basic. It's a tube and you can screw the top off. Each of Paula's products comes with a seal, which I like because of hygiene and preserving ingredients. None of her products contain fragrance and are animal-cruelty-free. The product is creamy and quite thick but spreads out easily and feels surprisingly light on the skin. It doesn't leave you with that heavy feeling thick moisturizers often give. At first the product feels a bit sticky on your skin, like masks always do, but after a few minutes it sinks in and you're ready to go to bed... It has no scent at all, which doesn't disturb me. I've used this versatile product as a mask and as a moisturizer, but mostly I use it as my nighttime moisturizer. My skin loves it and feels/looks incredible soft afterwards. If your skin is in need for hydration this gives a good boost. It doesn't irritate my skin, again a big plus. I've also used when my skin was a bit red and it instantly soothes it and reduces the redness. On top of that this product also has a nice pricing at 16euros for 120ml.



The goods: packaging, no fragrance, thick creamy texture, hydrating, non-irritating, reduces redness, versatile (moisturizer/mask), price

The bads: can be a bit sticky, only available online

I love this product, it's a must-have for dry skin and has really helped getting my skin through winter. I'm already on my second tube and will continue to buy this over and over. There are so many good points to this mask that the bads are hardly worth mentioning, if your skin needs hydration - try this and you won't be disappointed. Great quality for a great price...
Monday 16 May 2011

Campaigns of Chanel

You know, I always love Chanel's campaign pictures. Same goes for their videos. It all looks stunning and luxurious which makes me want to splurge on them... good marketeers behind them for sure. Recently I read something interesting, which I'd never thought about. The pictures on their home make-up site are available to everyone. Even though it's a slide-show you can just use your right-click and save the picture - may seem silly but it hadn't occured to me to try this. It has wallpaper proportions and that's what it's been doing now, I'm enjoying looking at my desktop... I love the first picture, especially her polish...




Friday 13 May 2011

Some online shopping haul

You all may have seen/read that blogger had some problems the last few days and today I suddenly noticed that yesterdays post had gone into oblivion so here it is again...

It's time for another haul, it's been quite a while *because London doesn't count* and meanwhile I've received some lovely parcels, with even better stuff inside it... Curious?



My first order was from fragrancedirect, from which I've ordered a few times in the past (for instance my Britney Spears - Fantasy) and have been really pleased with them. Fast affordable shipping and perfumes all have a nice price -they also offer some other brands for makeup/skin&hair care, worth checking out- the shop is UK based so there aren't any taxes on your items. I ordered Jennifer Aniston's perfume (her debut) because I read some good things about it/it had a good pricing/it's exclusively available in the UK. It's described as a fresh light scent and I absolutely love it!!

Before checking out I was browsing around and saw that they also offer Carmex so I threw in 2 different ones. I've heard a lot about it but haven't tried it myself and because I love lip balms I couldn't let them pass...

Second order was from Paula's Choice. On the left are 2 AHA-treatments with 10% and 5%, my skin has become a lot better since I regularly use an AHA-treatment so I wanted to try these ones. Then the Skin recovery toner, a very mild and hydrating one which I got a sample in the past and liked it - check quickview. A new day cream called Moisture Boost complex SPF20 which I also discussed in this quickview and wanted to try for a longer period. On the most right is my bf's favourite nighttime cream, he has normal to combination skin and loves this.

Lastly, an order from Strawberrynet containing the Chanel Vitalumière foundation in Limpide (this colour isn't available here in Europe, sadly, it's perfect for lighter skin tones as myself), this foundation is very good for dry skin and is definitely on my recommend-list but I'll post a review on it soon. Then also 2 products from the Estee Lauder Veritee line, intented for sensitive skin. I bought the eye cream and the milk cleanser. EL is such a luxurious brand, which makes me want to try a few of their products and hopefully they live up to my expectations.

Have you recently purchased something online???
Wednesday 11 May 2011

Lookfantastic awards 2011

Lookfantastic is an online shopping site from which I've ordered several times and has such a variety on brands, but most of all they carry Becca... And they regularly have a discount and free shipping, all things to my liking. The only downside is their shipping which can take 2-3weeks, but that's not what this post is about.


Each year they organise their beauty awards where they want their readers/shoppers to vote for the best products (choosing from 5 of their jury selected products), you do need a login but that's easily done. Off course, there's a chance to win something, products worth over 800£. I'm sure any beauty addict would like to win this. And it's as they say: you can't win unless you try so I've already voted...
Tuesday 10 May 2011

Review Bioderma Photoderm Max SPF50+ cream

Spring is here, summer is on its way... at least when you're living in Belgium. This weekend the temperature hit 30degrees, say what? Yes, it did and I loved it but when it comes to the sun some caution is on the wise side. Before soaring off and enjoying the sun, protect your skin and keep protecting it during the day. Sun products need to be reapplied in order to have full protection and if possible choose a high factor. I always grumble when I see people taking out their sun care with an SPF of 6... Nevertheless, in the next couple of weeks I will talk about a few sun products that I've used/am using, because it's such an important issue!!

The first one to top it off is one by Bioderma. The main reason I got into this brand is because of their terrific micellar solution. Their sun care line is supposedly one of the better and off course I had to try it! I chose the SPF of 50, as I always do, in cream version for intolerant skin.

The maximum anti-UVB efficacy and unmatched "extreme anti-UVA" performance of Photoderm MAX Cream safely protect against sunburn, prevent sun intolerance reactions and combat premature cutaneous ageing.

A major advance against risks of cell damage, its exclusive patented Cellular BIOprotection® complex* provides optimum protection for the skin cells.

The melting texture of Photoderm MAX Cream leaves the skin feeling comfortable and extremely soft. Perfectly colourless when applied, Photoderm MAX Cream spreads very easily, leaving no oily film or white marks.

Non-comedogenic, Photoderm MAX Cream is water-resistant and photostable. Photoderm MAX Cream is fragrance-free and ensures excellent tolerance.

Ingredients
WATER (AQUA), DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, OCTOCRYLENE, METHYLENE BIS-BENZOTRIAZOLYL TETRAMETHYLBUTYLPHENOL, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, CYCLOMETHICONE, ALCOHOL DENAT., C20-22 ALKYL PHOSPHATE, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE, PTFE, C20-22 ALCOHOLS, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ECTOIN, MANNITOL, XYLITOL, RHAMNOSE, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, LAMINARIA OCHROLEUCA EXTRACT, DECYL GLUCOSIDE, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, XANTHAN GUM, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, CITRIC ACID, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, ETHYLPARABEN.



The product is thick and creamy as you can see. Spreading goes easily but it doesn't sink in fast, you need to work it in a bit. After spreading and rubbing it in, there is still a greasy sticky film visible but no white cast. The product is fragrance-free, yes, but it does have that suncare scent, luckily it's manageable and not too much. After applying my skin feels comfortable and soft, the product doesn't irritate me at all nor does it irritate my eyes. Regarding sun care this product works really well, I haven't been sunburned when I applied this - I usually reapply every 4hours and put on a good layer. Don't be gready on your product, otherwise your SPF will decline. Point of negative is that after reapplying several times it becomes more and more difficult to work the product in my skin since it has been hydrated enough, leaving the greasy film more and more noticeable. I've also used this product when it was sunny/rainy where the water-resistant came in handy. I didn't go swimming with it (I totally dislike swimming) but I'm guessing it will probably end up in the same catagory...



The goods: no white cast, good sun protection, fragrance-free, doesn't irritate, water-resistant, price

The bads: greasy, with reapplying more grease

Overall a good product because it gets the job done and really protects your skin. I'm a bit dissapointed in its greasiness (I have dry skin and this is too much), so I would not recommend this "cream" version but their "fluid" version, which is the same product only different texture. I will probably purchase the fluid in the future as well because of all the positive things I found in this cream version. Pricing is around 15euros for 40ml, affordable, and available in various pharmacies/IU-store/...
Monday 9 May 2011

Product Praise Avon Bubble Bath Vanilla Peach

Quite some time ago I already talked about Bubble Bath and expressed my love for it. As I stated before, Avon regularly releases new scents of this line that are often available for a limited time (about 6months or so). One of their latest releases is called "Vanilla Peach" and I couldn't resist writing about it, it smells like heaven...

I love vanilla and I love peach, combine them and my love doubles... At first the peach is most noticeable and afterwards the vanilla lingers on. This is my favourite scent amongst the line at this moment and I really hope they put it in their regular range, please don't keep this limited!!

You can buy it online in several countries or through a representative, for 1000ml you pay around 5euros. The product itself is pretty basic: it's not particularly moisturizing but it doesn't dry out your skin either. It produces bubbles and a lovely scent without irritating my skin, that's all I want...

If you have a chance, stick your nose into this scent - pure love!
Saturday 7 May 2011

Beauty & the beast

A few weeks ago a new show aired on Dutch TV that I've been following, but since it's in Dutch I didn't mention it here on my blog. That was untill I found that it had been copied from a show from Britain, and here it is. Adam Pearson came up with the idea and featured in the first episode of the show because todays image is all about being perfect instead of being happy with who you are.

Beauty & the beast deals with prejudices and is a wake-up call for the modern society. The concept is simple: put together an obsessed beautycosmetics&surgery-addict with a disfigured person and let them learn from each other. The concept at first stroke me as cruel and very unusual, but I found it to be very intrigueing and full of lifes lessons.

Here's a taste of the original show
(the full episodes aren't available for other viewers on youtube):



Here's a taste of the Dutch show for the full episodes, check this link:



When comparing myself to these girls featured on the show I can safely say that I'm very different from them... I enjoy using make-up and likewise products but I don't mind hopping around the house or going to the store without any make-up on. I'm not a fan of unneccesary surgery because of the risks involved. Being happy with yourself and the way you look is a big part of happiness in life... and that's what this show really is about.
Thursday 5 May 2011

Boyfriend went to London haul

Yes, my boyfriend went to London for his hobby and -sadly- I couldn't accompany him but I did manage to give him a shopping list and as he is such a sweetheart, he did what I asked - curious?

I asked him to drop by Selfridges for some Suqqu products (and samples!) and a little something from Urban Decay. Suqqu packaging is gorgeous, I love the black mat boxes and I also got 2 very generous samples of a soap (left bottom) and a foundation fix (black box right), the other ones were a bit smaller.

Now onto the things I purchased... I wanted the Suqqu cheek brush so badly (mainly due to Lisa Eldridge raving about it - when buying a product she recommends I know I will love it, past experiences told me this *Becca shimmering skin perfector says hello*). I knew the brush had a hefty price tag 85£ (my boyfriend was like what the hell, how much does this tiny thing cost - along with his friends) and that's why I was contemplating on getting it or not. In the end I gave in because of various reasons that made sense to me at the time and I am so glad I did!!! This is the softest brush ever, my Shu Uemura brush feels like straw in comparison and that one is even softer than a MAC brush... I hope the same thing goes for application :)

Then I also bought the Suqqu eyelash curler at a more reasonable price. I have a Shu Uemura curler and I like it but it doesn't reach all my lashes, especially in the corners. When I did a bit of research I found that this Suqqu one deals with the corners perfectly and I had to try it for myself. I also got 2 refills along with it for a total of 14£.

And lastly, an Urban Decay eyeshadow pencil in the colour Sin. I love this colour, it suits a lot of neutral looks and that's always to my likings. At first glance it reminds me a lot of NYX Jumbo Pencils, but this pencil is much softer/smoother and not as greasy as NYX. At 14£ it's not cheap but it looks like a very versatile product.

A bit of a talkative haul, but you know me, I love rambling on and on... :) I am so happy with my new-found-babies!!
Wednesday 4 May 2011

Review Mylène Welness pillow spray

You've probably already heard about them, but pillow mists/sprays are taking their own place in the beauty world. A lot of brands have been releasing their own version of it. Basically you just spray it onto you pillow before going to bed and the scent is supposed to relax/calm you even more... A good night sleep is very important for your body and skin.

A couple of months ago I went to a Mylène meeting and yes, indeed, they also offer a pillow spray *surprise surprise. It's from their welness line and I liked the scent at first sniff, so I snatched a spray for around 5euros and I've been using it for quite some time now.

Packaging is simple and effective, to my likings. There's an extra dop on it, which is convenient. The spray contains 50ml, making it easy to travel with. I've been using it for several months and am about halfway through it, I don't spray it everyday - only when I'm in the mood for it. The scent is special: herbal with a strong -male- undertone to it at first, but after a few minutes only the herbal scent is left. It's indeed very relaxing.

I enjoy using a pillow spray and will continue to use this one up as I like it but I'm not wowed by it. There are other pillow sprays out there that smell even better in my opinion - which ones, I'll talk about later. The male touch on this one is a tad too much for me. If you're a fan of stronger, herbal, male scents this may be the perfect pillow spray for you. And if you happen to run into a Mylène meeting, have a snif on this one... it's a special scent and maybe one to your likings!

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Budget Review Catrice Quick dry & high shine top coat

Lately Catrice renewed their whole product range and a lot of exciting items were added, this top coat was also renewed. I bought it while it was in promotion, but normally you can get it for 2,49euros, a budgettary price. .

Shortens drying time of all nail lacquers.
Leaves high gloss shine and increases durability.

Catrices packaging is for polishes the same as before, simple but lovely. The brush also has the same size and is easy to manage - it's bigger than an Essie-brush and smaller than an OPI-brush if you're wondering. Applying goes easily and the product is very smooth, but it's like a bubblemagnet... I've used it on several polishes and noticed that when the polish was more watery (instead of creamy) after applying the topcoat a lot of air bubbles showed up which I do not like. I tried applying immediately and tried waiting, didn't help... However, if used on a creamy polish it gets a smooth surface? Onto the drying time: after about half an hour your nails are -with 2 coats- already quite dry but try to avoid sharp things. Then it takes forever to get them thouroughly dry, for example: when I put polish on at 8pm and go to bed at 10pm I have bed sheets imprinted on my nails, it's a shame. And lastly, the lasting time: the positive thing about it, I can easily wear my nail polish for a week as with other top coats. After 2 days there is some slight tipwearing, as always but no chips

The goods: price, lasting time, works well with creamy polishes

The bads: often air bubbles, long thouroughly drying time

Overall, I'm disappointed in this topcoat. Off course I didn't expect to find a dupe for INM or Seche, but regarding their regular polishes I expected better quality from their top coat. I'm sure it will be better when you wear just one coat of polish, but honestly, almost everyone wears at least 2 coats. This is a missed shot from Catrice and I wouldn't recommend it...

Monday 2 May 2011

Review ShiKai Borage dry skin therapy eye cream

Eye creams are products that a lot of people have different opinions about... Some say it's not necessary untill you're older, others say a regular moisturizer works just as well and other others say it's necessary because your skin is more delicate in that area - which one of these are you? Myself, I'm part of the last group: the skin around your eyes is thinner than on the rest of your face and needs taking care of, often it's also more sensitive. People claiming using any moisturizer works just as well are *in my believe* wrong, if that's the case then why not moisturize your face with your body lotion?? Now, I must admit there are some moisturizers that can be used in your eye area, but these ones are more an exception than taking any product.

One thing that I do not like about eye creams is their pricing... For a tiny amount the prices are often too steep and their claims are often ridiculous, so I'm on a mission to find a good and wellpriced eye cream. Maybe this is the one?

A rich, soothing emollient cream specially formulated for the sensitive and delicate skin around the eyes.

If used daily, this cream will improve softness and suppleness.
0.5 oz/15ml tube

ShiKai is an American brand which I've never heard of before and isn't easy to get. I bought it on iHerb for 14$, lovely price - a lot of their products are available on this website. Some of the things that inspired me to try this brand is that it's organic and focuses on dry skin, and apart from that their pricing is very reasonable. The packaging is simple and effective. I prefer using tubes and pumps, ShiKai lives up to this with all their packaging.

The texture of the product isn't really a cream, more like a lotion. It has a very light fresh scent, which your nose will hardly be aware of. It sinks in fast and leaves my skin moisturized. I started using it in fall and noticed that in winter I needed more product to get the same moisturized result. For me, this moisturizer is more suited to use in spring and summer when my skin needs less moisture. This eye cream works great on sensitive skin, it never irritated mine and that speaks on its own. I only used this eye cream in the evening and was able to use it for 6 months or so, the 15ml goes a long way...

The goods: organic, non-irritating, sinks in fast, hardly no scent, price

The bads: isn't as rich as it claims

Overall I'm intrigued by Shikai and enjoyed using this product. This is a good basic mild eye moisturizer perfectly suited for those with normal to dry skin. Recommended cream, I will repurchase this in the future to use in spring&summer. I'm keen on trying more products from this brand.

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Evelien
Belgian twenty-something year old blogger who adores all things beautywise and loves to share her knowledge... This blog reflects my thoughts on products I've personally used and random things that cross my mind. If you have a request for a review or want to ask me something etc..., you can contact me at beautyponder@hotmail.com.
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