Beauty ponders

While stashing/browsing my bathroom for stuff to use I ran into these 2 jars and  realised I hadn't talked about them yet. I visited a Mylène evening a few weeks ago and bought these 2 babies, even though I'm not a fan on jars I decicded to give them a go...
On the left is the Bolero Body Butter, a very creamy and smooth butter with a nice scent. And on the right is their newly released line Pitaya Passion, which smells heavenly sweet, from which I bought the scrub. I can't wait to try them, but first I need to empty the stuff I'm working on :).

"So many things to empty, so little baths to take..."

This is a look I've been wearing quite often lately and is something that's perfect for summer. During these times of year I like my looks to be fresh & minimal.

Here are the products used to obtain this look: left are the eyes & right is the face.

Eyes:

• eyeshadow base Shadow Insurance Too Faced
• Sleek Storm palette: 1 as a highlighter, 2 mixed all over the lid
• Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat 2 underneath the eyes
• Avon Supershock waterproof mascara
• Tweezerman BrowMousse
• Jillian Dempsy Avon brow styler in Slate

Face:

• Clarins Instant Light Complexion Perfector as primer
• Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Nude
• MAC True Romantic blush
• Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in translucent

Tools:

• A'Squirrel Powder brush for finishing powder
• Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki for tinted moisturizer
• SUQQU cheek brush for blush
• Sigma E40 Tapered Blending for YSL buffing in
• Sigma SS217 for eyeshadow application
• Sigma E55 short shader for eyeshadow highlighter application

Sounds like a lot of products, does it not? But you only use a tiny amount of it and I love the natural effect it gives, definitely my favourite look for the moment!

Today I have a mix-match of some shopping that I did over the last few weeks while browsing town - working in the middle of a city with access to most brands isn't the best thing for your wallet you know!
I picked up 2 things by Tweezerman. Now, you know how much I love my tweezer check this & this. So when I couldn't find my regular nail clipper anywhere, I decided to buy one of this brand at 4euros - not too expensive. I also bought a brow shaping brush, as it was on sale and only costed a few euros. Both products are available in IciParisXL in Belgium & various other stores in Europe/rest of the world.
Kruidvat was having a sale at 25% so I snatched a few polishes. Three from the Essence limited collection "Ballerina Backstage": 'Dance the swan lake', 'Wear your little tutu', 'Grand plie in black' and one from the Catrice limited collection "Modern Muse" called 'Khaki Perry'.

Sadly enough "Wear your little tutu' is no more. I decided to move the polishes from my table to my desk -which is 1m- but apparantly it was one polish too much. It hit the ground and broke into two, leaving me with a lot of mess to clean up... I'm going to check the store whether there's another copy but I thought it was the last one. Anyway, luckily I already have a lot of pinky polishes and it wasn't very expensive (around 1,5euros).
And lastly a visit to the Rituals shop as they were also having a sale. I picked up a Sunrise scrub (orange) and a Summer rain shower gel (peony, lotus - honestly I do not need any, but it was a bargain and I couldn't resist) & also two of their luxurous liquid soaps called Imagine (rice milk, cherry blossom) & Infinity (orange, mint).

What were you recent purchases?

Another nude polish I'm loving right now is this one called "Perfectly Flesh" by Avon. It's indeed -the perfect- nude. I bought it solely based on its name, as the Avon swatches in catalogues are just horrible and I'm glad it turned out to be exact what I had expected from it...
The bottle contains 12ml and costs around 4-5euros, depending on the promotion. I used 2 thin layers to get the coverage I wanted. 1 layer can also be sufficient. The polish goes on smooth, creamy and dries up without any streaks. The colour is a gorgeous nude rose and reminds me a lot of the colour in my banner picture. A tiny point of negative is the tipwear which shows up after 2 days, this isn't the case with other Avon polishes.
To sum it up: a gorgeous nude that I recommend, I will wear this colour quite often!

something I've been wanting for ages but have been putting off because of its price tag. I'm talking about the CHI styler, along with some CHI products. Yes, I gave in and ordered a bunch. Everything was on sale, from 25% to 35% - so I could not resist. Now I can't wait to receive it and try it!
Do you own a CHI tang or do you have any experience with it?

Deodorants and likings don't usually bother me that much and mostly I just use what I think smells nice & fresh. That was untill I ran into this review about this spray, noticing my problem of clothes turning yellow and textures of clothing changing due to my summer sweat... If this spray would get rid of that, bring it on. So on my next visit to the apothecary I bought a bottle and opted for the spray (they also have a stick, cream and roller available).
The packaging is sleek & simple. Louis Widmer always has the white/pink theme going on. The bottle itself is white plastic with a dop on it that covers a spray. The spray contains 75ml and has a price of 10euros. I've been using it for half a year now and I'm almost out of it, my deodorants always seem to last me a long time. Mostly because I don't spray it everywhere on my body: you know those people that just spray and spray it on, with an overdose smelling awfull? I just use 1-2 sprays on my armpits and then I'm good to go.
What I love about this spray are its ingredients. It doesn't contain any harmfull alcohol and you also have the choice of buying one that contains perfume or doesn't - a big plus for very sensitive skins (this whole no-perfume thing is used in a lot of Louis Widmer products). I opted for the one with perfume as I like it to have a bit of a nice scent. The spray is convenient, just take the dop off and it's ready for usage. It distributes enough product and leaves my skin refreshed. It has a very light fresh scent, just enough but not too much to overwhelm your perfume. It dries quickly on the skin and even after shaving it doesn't irritate. The results of this spray indeed meet its claim: my clothing remains perfect and I have no yellow spots appearing or changing textures. I've also noticed I've been sweating less.
The goods: sleek packaging, ingredients, nice scent, less sweating, no yellow spots on clothing or changing textures, can be used by sensitive skin

The bads: price

Overall I've been loving this product so much.  It's indeed more expensive than other deodorants but it's totally worth it. All my previous deodorant problems are gone, this one is just perfect and finally fulfills its claims! I will continue to buy this again & again, although I might try the stick or roller in the future...

I've already done a lot of reviews on Sigma brushes - not all good ones may I add - but they do offer some decent brushes. Today features another of their shading natural hair brushes, this is the large one - which I often grab for. A review of the short one called E55 can be found here.
The brush has a large handle like all Sigma brushes and the bristles are made of natural hair, soft - easy in application & easy to clean. This is a good brush for primer application, creamy shadows or a colour all over the lid. I mostly use it for the last reason. When using a primer I prefer using my fingers & I'm not that much into cream eyeshadows. When saying "large" they aren't exaggerating, it's quite big and covers about 1/3 - half my eyelid and I have quite big eyes already.

Overall I enjoy using this brush but is it a neccesity? Probably not. If you have quite small eyes, skip this entirely. I wouldn't do too much trouble of getting this brush from Sigma as there are similar quality & prisewise brushes available that have the same effect. To sum it up: decent basic brush.

Foot care is one of those topics that isn't covered much on blogs and like them I also often tend to neglect my feet... It's a shame because each day they have to make a great effort, surely that's worth a little taking care of. But hence to me being lazy I ordered a jar of pads by Avon, intented for a peeling effect. Quick & easy taking care of them, sounds great!

The pads come in a jar that is only sealed at the top. I paid around 4 euros for it and it contains 55 pads. The jar looks a bit cheap with the plastic and silver stickering on it - not that I expected something fancy. The pads have a weird scent, a bit medical but it isn't all bad either - I can live with it. I've been using it for several weeks & I use one pad per foot and just gently swipe it over my skin. When applying it there's a refreshing feeling to your foot and afterwards it leaves them softer. But it also works a bit drying, I already have dry skin but after using this they need a little extra cream. Even though this leaves your skin softer, it doesn't have the same effect as a peeling. These pads are only a mild exfoliation through the glycolic acid in it and cannot be compared to a peeling.
The goods: price, leaves foot soft

The bads: medical scent, jar packaging, works drying, isn't a 'peeling'

To sum it up this is an ok product, especially for a quick "fresh'n up" or when your foot don't need a peeling but could use 'something'. Do you really need it? Probably not, as using a scrub or peeling has a better effect... But hey, if you tend to be a bit lazy - this is nice to have laying around.

Lately I've been empyting a lot of products so it's time for another update to see what I've used and whether I'll repurchase it or not... Again, check the links for reviews if there is one. The last update from my spring finishing can be found here.

Starting from the left picture:

• Estée Lauder veritee special eye care: I enjoyed using this eye gel and it's great for sensitive skin, but it's way overpriced for the 15ml you get in return

• Paula's Choice moisture boost hydrating treatment cream: this is already my 2nd empty tube, a great nightcream for the face and eyes, I will repurchase this over and over again - a more in depth review needs to be put up

• By Terry lumière veloutée foundation in 2: luxurious foundation, yes that's what this is! I enjoyed using it, it gives a lovely finish - especially on camera- but can be tricky for dry skin plus it's superexpensive... Probably won't repurchase this.

• Estée Lauder perfectionist CP serum: I bought this after reading good reviews of it and chose this one over the advanced night repair as this one contains more antioxidants - and I really like it, I already have a next bottle in my closset!

• Bioderma Photoderm max SPF50 cream: a decent sunscreen which offers good protection but it's very thick and creamy - a bit too much for my skin to reapply all the time

• Mylène nutricare hair mask: I recently did a review on this one and sadly I've already finished it. The jar is so tiny at 50ml but the mask gives a great soft and manageable effect, I will definitely repurchase this to use occassionally when my hair needs a boost.

Onto the right picture:

• Paula's Choice skin recovery hydrating treatment mask: once again, one of my beloved products. Good as a mask and great as a night cream. It's a big tube so it lasts me quite a long time, I love it and if you have dry skin - you need to try it!

• Paula's Choice resist advanced repleneshing toner: a good toner but actually nothing too special and quite expensive for the 118ml you're getting, there are better & cheaper ones out there!

• Paula's Choice skin recovery toner: again, another Paula's Choice toner, I enjoyed this one more than the previous one. It's quite rich and very suited for winter, but once again 177ml isn't that much for a toner... Make bigger & cheaper bottles Paula!

• Avon Naturals strawberry guava shower gel: yes, finally I've finished another shower gel... My bathroom is filled with shower gels to get me through the next years but it seems to take forever to empty one, you know? I enjoyed the sweet scent of this one, but won't repurchase it as it was just ok.

A whole bunch indeed and a lot of Paula's Choice products... A few of these finished ones are definitely among my HG's and favorites!

As I told you last week I've been waiting on my new cup to store my brushes and yes, it finally arrived (after a 2 weeks wait, slow shipping but it DID arrive). It's a gorgeous black and looks so luxurious. The leather is probably faux - I'm no expert in that department - but it looks very nice. Here's a little before and after shot for my daily used brushes:
And here is it seen from the top. As I stated before, what attracked me most in this cup is the different heights. I enjoy it more when I can easily reach for all my brushes and don't have to grab into the glass to get one. Point of negative is that you can't store a lot of brushes in it because of the divider. Overall, I'm enjoying my new purchase: convenient, luxurious, not too expensive - what more could I ask for!
Do you have a brush cup like this one with different heights or do you plan on getting a new one?

Just a quick update to let you girls know that I'm experiencing some laptop problems, hence the no posting. I hope it can be sorted out soon!

*Greets*

A little while ago I began browsing around for softer than soft brushes - my skin is so sensitive & I just love luxury - so when I ran into this blog I couldn't help but order some A'Squirrel ones as you could see here. Squirrel hair features the softest brushes, my SUQQU cheek brush is also made of squirrel hair and it's just divine... Curious to my thoughts of this eye blending brush? *click on any picture to enlarge them for a better/detailed view*

First up: even though this brush is made of pure squirrel hair it doesn't come with a hefty price tag, it's available at 13.9$ and the shipping fee is reasonable too. It has a long light small handle, lighter and smaller compared to Sigma/MAC blending brush. The ferrule looks a bit cheap but has been solidly glued together.


The brush is very fluffy and a bit tapered as well. It's fuller than the 224 where the 224 is wider. It's so soft and yet dense at the same time. When washing it I'm glad I have my brush guard to help it, as a few hairs tend to stick out. I mainly use it for blending eyeshadow, which it does a perfect job at. But you can also use it for highlight application, a sheer crease application and so on... Here you can see a comparison between the A'Squirrel - Sigma 224 - Sigma 217.


The goods: soft - soft - soft, easy at blending, price, dries easily, no hair loss

The bads: quality could be much better (handle, ferrule), a few hairs tend to stick out after washing/drying

Overall, I enjoy this brush a lot. It's ubersoft and perfect for blending - exactly what I expected from it. It's a bit disappointing that it isn't all quality but for such a price you cannot expect to have everything. Bottom line: a lovely brush for a lovely price, you should get it!

GOSH is one of those brands which I'm not keen on & never will be... A lot of their products are rubbish and just don't work the way they should like their eyeshadow, primers, brushes... But however they do have a few good products with one of them being their eyeliner - it surely deserves a review as I enjoy using it a lot!
This eyeliner is available in a great range of colours, which is enjoyable for a drugstore brand and are priced between 6-7euros. I opted for the colour "Truly Brown" as I'm a big fan of brown liners. Black often looks too harsh on me, whereas brown can be subtle and more suitable for romantic daytime looks. The liner comes with a dop, easy to take off - just make sure you don't lose it!
The pen is indeed very smooth and applies easily, like a dream. After one stroke you already have a good coverage and an intense colour. Personally I love this colour, it's not your typical brown... Most brown pens have a red undertone in them, this one does not - it's very neutral (I used the pen in this EOTD). GOSH claims this pen is 100% waterproof but it is not, sure - you'll be fine in the rain for minutes but I wouldn't go swimming with it... The colour can be spread out or left as a line, that's personal preference. A tiny disadvantage is that because of its softness, then pen needs regular sharpening which means you'll be going through the product a bit faster. At the end of the day the liner is still there and hasn't been smudged, just the way I want it to be! And in case you're wondering it didn't irritate my eyes at all.

The goods: lovely colour & a wide range of colours, stays put, good price, doesn't smudge, doesn't irritate, soft pen, smooth easy application

The bads: is not 100% waterproof, needs regular sharpening

To sum it up, I consider this to be one of GOSH's star products... There are a few minor discomforts with this eyeliner but nothing too serious. I regularly use mine & will definitely repurchase a few more colours in the future - most likely when they hit sale! If you're looking for a good soft smooth liner, look into this one and you won't be disappointed!

Last week while browsing my regular blogs I ran into a lovely offering on Amodelrecommends from Pai skincare. She loves this organic high-end brand and had arranged that a free eye cream was included when ordering a toner. Free stuff, yes please! And since Pai has been on my list for quite a while to try out, I could hardly say no... Let's have a look at what I bought:
Cute organic packaging... Lovely and there's a little leaflet inserted with some interesting facts, detailing has been done perfectly!
As you can see I ordered 3 items and the other one is the freebie eye cream. The paper boxes are very simple & clean with the logo on it and a different colouring for each product.
From left to right: Camelia & Rose cleanser - for dry skin, Lotus & Orange Blossom toner - for dry skin, Macadamia & Rose cream - for dry skin, Echium eyecream. Obviously I bought the products that suited my skin type best. They also offer products for normal - combination skin but sadly don't have any offers for oily skin, maybe this will change in the future...
Anyway, have you already tried something of Pai & what do you think of it? Or have you heard about it?

I'm always curious to check on blogs how other people store their brushes... Most of them, like me, use glasses. I have 3 glasses normally: 2 filled with used brushes and 1 with clean brushes. But the problem with glasses is that the smaller brushes like eyeshadow and such (depending on brand or travel ones) don't always reach the top of the glass - annoying for getting the brush out of the glass and it's also less hygienic. So whilst I was browsing around for a new way to store them I ran into this lovely holder:
Where did I found it? On ebay I did. It's called the Bobbi Brown cup holder and is offered by many sellers - don't know whether it's faux or not, don't really care, I'm just interested in the design and cup itself. What I immediately loved about this cup is the twosectioned area. One is deeper than the other, perfect for those smaller brushes. So yes, guessed right - I ordered one for around 13euros I believe but I'm still awaiting its arrival... Let's hope I love it! Either way, you'll hear about it.
How do you store your brushes and how do you deal with the smaller ones?

**Pic courtesy go to the ebay seller**