Beauty ponders

Since it's been a while of me posting a haul the upcoming hauls are a bit bigger than usual... This one is the pharmacie skin care haul over the last weeks, not too much if I say so myself!
To start I bought 2 new copies of my beloved Louis Widmer Deo spray, not too cheap at 9euros/piece but I'm a fan and they last a long time, do check my review. Plus I got a little freebie Remederm Body milk along with it. Next to it are 2 Bioderma lip balms, 2 for the price of one and since I love lipbalms... go figure! And another bonus was a Nuxe Body Gel, a large freebie from another brand I love! All products were purchased from Newpharma, a Dutch pharmacie website which regularly has nice offers!
And off course a skin care haul isn't complete without me buying a new copy of Bioderma Sensibio - forever my HG. Also a repurchase is the big bottle from La Roche-Posay Toleriane cleanser, great for sensitive skin, also HG material! And lastly, LRP Rosaliac UV Legere cream: a few weeks ago I reviewed the riche version of this cream (really liked it) and now with summer being here I could do with a lighter version, hope this one performs as well!

That's it for today, more hauls coming^^!!

Today let's talk body talk... Sadly enough I have to admit that I often neglect it. After taking a bath I have to force myself to use some moisturizer, lazy - yes, I confess! But it is important and I do my best to maintain it a bit or so I try to tell myself^^.
Summer is here, so tanned soft legs are a must, accompanied by skirts & dresses... But I often end up with ingrown hairs, very annoying and those little bumps aren't appealing... This BHA from Paula's Choice promises to get rid of them?

You get a big tube of 210ml for around 25euros, only available in her webshop. Packaging is easy & simple, with a little squeeze you can control the amount of product easily. The product is white, gel-like and has a light scent - bit medical - but not really disturbing. It spreads easily and doesn't irritate my skin in any way... Now onto the big question... does it help? Yes, it does! In the beginning I used it a few days in a row where I now use it once in a while. However, a little point of negative... with repeated use I noticed my skin becoming drier, so use of another moisturizer inbetween is necessary.
The goods: tube packaging, fulfills claims (!), non-irritating, spreads easily

The bads: bit medical scented, can dry out skin with repeated use, only available through webshop, not cheap at 20-30euros
Altogether a good product that does what it promises... So if you sometimes suffer from little bumps, store this in your bathroom - you won't be disappointed!

Today I have a little bit of Chanel goodies for you... I've been meaning to get a Chanel blush for some time... Actually I had my eye on the spring limited edition one, but it was gone before I could get it so I browsed and got this one instead. You know the feeling when you want a specific product, but have to face it's gone, leaving you left with an eager to find a similar product to soothe your pain? Yes, this blush was that exact feeling for me :)

She is called the 68 rose écrin and appears to be my kind of favorite pink, perfect for lighter skin and it smells divine - like roses. It's not a cheap blush but it's not insane expensive either. You do get only 4g of product, with other blushes you get a larger amount but I'm willing to overlook that as long as I love it. Instant crush I guess^^, hope it lives up to my expectations!

Do you have a Chanel blush and what do you think of it? This is actually my first one...

Day creams with an SPF and me haven't always been the best of friends but now I can safely say that La Roche-Posay has provided me a few decent ones. One of them is this Rosaliac UV Riche with an SPF of 15 that I actually just bought whilst browsing the shelve for a new cream... It appealed to me, I took it home and yes - I like it *what a miracle*!
The packaging is like all LRP, simple and decent - they always have pumps and/or tubes which I prefer to jars. This one is a tube of 40ml and costs around 18euros. They also have this in the 'regular UV' version for normal skin with a pump at the same price. Their Rosaliac line is intented for sensitive skin that is prone to redness. My skin is quite sensitive and prone to redness when it's very cold or when I spend a lot of time outdoors. Add this all up together and this cream would be perfect for me...
The cream itself has a fresh scent, is very thick and has a green tint to it - it's white but a bit greenish (if you get me, it's not like the Hulk :p). It spreads easily and is quickly absorbed into my skin. I use a few dots of this product for my entire face. Be carefull not to use too much, as I found it to be very rich. My skin really loved this product with these weather changes and it hasn't irritated my skin at all. I noticed I had to use less product than with my other day creams that often left my face feeling a bit dry a few minutes after putting the cream on - this wasn't the case with this one. I got to use this tube of 40ml for 2-3 months, in the morning.

However, a point of negative, I noticed clogged pores appearing more easily with extended use of this cream - so if your skin is prone to breakouts watch out with this cream (I use a BHA from time to time and didn't have much problems then with clogging). Now the weather has become warmer and my skin doesn't need a rich cream like this anymore. I find this a perfect day cream for the colder months of the year when your skin needs more moisture.
The goods: suitable for sensitive skin, good for (very) dry skin, spreads easily although it's a thick cream, fresh scent, midranged pricing

The bads: pores clogg easily with this cream so probably not suitable for skin that easily breaks out

Overall, yes, I like this cream and will repurchase it again when fall makes it entry! It's too rich for me to use all year round, but I plan on trying their normal variant of this one for sure. If you have dry and sensitive skin, try this cream and I hope you'll like it as much as I do!

You may have noticed that I'm into hauling again, a lot lately. But after my last post of finished it's only normal I guess... This time some skin care from city shopping and hair care from Lookfantastic - all necessities again!
First up my beloved Hydraphase from LRP, which will be reviewed this time before I finish it up - promise for real! Next to it a cream from Caudalie's new range Vinosource (intented for dry skin with 3 different creams for 3 different types of dry,), this is the moisture recovery cream which is the 'middle dry' one. It smells heavenly, like we're used to from Caudalie.
And then again some hair care from Lookfantastic: Black & White wax, a simple product - one that I did not have in stock yet, will probably take forever to empty as the jar is huge. Next to it is Bumble&Bumble's Surf spray, one that I've wanted for a long time: it gets good reviews and with my long hair this product seems perfect. Next to it Osis powder for volume, which also gets raving reviews and I wanted to see for myself if it lives up to the hype...

So, now me is all set with new skin care and hair care items...!

The last month / 2 months I was able to finish quite a lot of things, mostly skin care again... You know, you sometimes have these moments when you seem to run out of everything - thank god for backups I always have laying around...

• Louis Widmer Liposomal serum: wasn't too pleased with this as it didn't do much for me, reviewed not too long ago

• Bio Beauté Nuxe Soothing cream: a decent night cream which I will probably repurchase in the future, also did a review on this one not too long ago

• Caudalie Vinosource Riche cream: a rich cream that I enjoyed using during the winter months, I never got around to reviewing it but currently I'm using Caudalie's new range for dry skin and I'm liking the new one more than this - Caudalie is a nice brand and offers some lovely products

• La Roche-Posay Hydraphase UV Intense cream: one of my favourite day creams, this is tube number 2 and honestly, number 3 is already awaiting usage - I now promise I will review this stuff, but bottom line = I love it!

• Clinique City Block sheer SPF25: I bought this as a day cream during summer as it offers an SPF of 25, but this cream is tinted, has a weird scent and isn't good for dry skin - I haven't even finished this tube, I don't like it at all...

• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in nude: yet again, HG material, the 'nude' shade fits me perfectly (maybe a bit too dark during winter, when I mix with 'porcelain') - it's great for daily usage and I will surely repurchase this, reviewed at the start of the blog I think :)

Onto the bigger packaging now:

• Pai gentle hydrating cleanser: Pai is one of those brands from which I seem to love everything except for their price tagging, I reviewed this cleanser not too long ago and sadly I'm out of it already - may repurchase it when I run out of cleansers to try and haven't found a better one

• Louis Widmer toner: another product from Louis Widmer which I wasn't too pleased about, I finished it and that's about it, there are so many better toners out there

• Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser: I mainly bought this cleanser to use when I sleep over or don't feel like cleansing too much (after going out or something) and I found it working great, but nothing spectacular again

• Batiste Blush dry shampoo: I cannot live without dry shampoo, HG, forever!

A lot of favourite products this time, that you will see repurchased! I am yet again proud of myself to have finished this much *happy dance*!

When you love to shop online the amount of stores you buy from only seem to go up, finding another one and another one and another one (leaving you actually with way too many newsletters)! So it's quite logic you order more from certain shops than others, depending on brands etc... I hadn't ordered from beautyexpert in a while - read: months - so when I got  an 'we miss you'-discount code for 20% off I didn't hesitate and placed quite a large order...
First up: a GHD styling brush: this is size 3, the large one, with natural bristles. I've been meaning to get a decent brush for blowdrying my hair and read a few good things about this brand. But their brushes aren't the cheapest and hardly ever are on discount, so with 20% off I just had to try this (so far, I'm loving it!).
HG Tweezerman browmousse, yet another copy to put in my back-up-stable. From Peter Thomas Roth, a mineral powder with SPF 30: I bought this 2years ago and really liked it, but for some reason I cannot find it anywhere... I know I hadn't finished it, but where could it be? I should do a review on this one, it's good stuff! Also a little something for my lips: Pai bergamot lip balm, not too expensive but I felt like I needed it!
And to finish it: Becca's Lost Weekend palette. I initially wanted to get it, but didn't because of its price tag but now with a discount code applied it looked appealing and it was still in stock so I splurged and got it...

Great hauling, ohh, I love shopping!

And here is the last one of my Louis-Widmer-skincare-try-outs. The previous one, being a toner, wasn't really succesfull neither recommendable. But, since this serum regularly gets decent reviews I had high hopes for it... Cute pink packaging ahead, be warned*
Ok, so I don't have any wrinkles yet, but I do have a case of fine lines appearing here and there... making a serum very useful. Since I have dry skin I'm all about letting my skin arrange its moisture, plus who doesn't want soft and supple skin? And this product puts down a few nice claims I really want it to achieve. The packaging is heavy, made of glass, looking all luxurious... It has a pump, which is good, and it gives a nice amount.
The product is a gel with no particular scent. I use this dot for my entire face, as it spreads easily. It's not particular moisturizing, I don't find it adding anything when used on its own. You definitely need a moisturizer afterwards (it's not one of those serums that can be used as a moisturizer if you have more oily skin). I was able to use it for 2 months, when applied morning & evening. Sadly I didn't notice it doing anything positive... it didn't do anything negative either. Strange, not? My fine lines or irregularities weren't erased. It made no difference in my skin at all or make my moisturizer more effective. I've tried other "so-called-ageing-serums" before and liked some of them, so the you-re-not-old-enough-crap doesn't work!
Bottom line, I will not repurchase...

A few weeks ago I posted a few cases for my soon-to-be phone -which came in last week yay- and this weekend I got a case (not one from the list though) at a local store that carries Marc Jacobs cases...
Bottom line: I love it (oh, the phone as well off course)!

And so we are reaching the end of the Pai-saga, or at least my saga of getting to know this lovely skincare brand... Pai is definitely amongst one of my favourite brands regarding skin care for sensitive & dry skins (= me & probably a lot of my readers as well), sadly, it comes with a price tag *why, oh, why are things I like so expensive all the time?*... This cleanser is no exception to what I've told in the past!
The packaging is like other Pai products: simple and lovely. This cleanser has an easy-to-use pump that distributes just enough cleanser with only one pump - actually they advice you to use 2-3 pumps but that is way too much. And since this cleanser costs 30euros for its 100ml it's best not to waste any product. Nevertheless, 100ml, with just one pump per cleanse, does last some time. I was able to use it for several months.
This product can be used as a cleanser or a make-up remover. Personally I've mainly used it as a cleanser because I prefer a miccelar solution such as Bioderma to remove my make-up prior to cleansing. Nevertheless, this cleanser is also appropriate for make-up removal and can be used around the eye area. It's perfect for sensitive skin.
This cleanser is a thick creamy one that has a flowery scent, but it isn't overwhelming - just pleasantly present. It spreads easily, but is still very thick - it feels very moisturizing on dry skin and doesn't leave your skin feeling tight afterwards. It never irritated my skin at any point. For me, it cleanses deep enough, but I seldom get break-outs (only a bit of clogging from time to time). Because it is a thick cleanser be sure to get everything off with a warm cloth to prevent clogged pores.
The goods: thick cleanser, good for dry skin, hydrating, doesn't irritate, nice flowery scent, cleanses good, can be used as a make-up remover as well, easy pumpsystem

The bads: pricing at 30euros for 100ml, only available online (through their website or on beautybay)
To sum it up: yes, another Pai product I like - however, another Pai product that I do consider to be very expensive considering the amount you are getting for its price. There are likewise products in brands such as La Roche-Posay, Avène,... that offer the same type of cleanser for less (maybe not as thick as this one, but more or less the same). Will I repurchase this one? Maybe... but I think I will stick to my French brands for cleansers as they never disappoint me and cost about half of this one. Pai is focused on being on organic & natural brand and if this is important to you, give it a go, you will not be disappointed!

I got some new Avon in and off course their newly released summer collection just had to be mine, especially with "a buy one, get one free"-deal I could not resist...
Lovely colours, though I'm not sure about the orange one yet, it may be bit too much but I'll see. I could always use it for some nail art (which is on my list for trying out soon, nearby future, somewhere...).
And for the make-up: their new mascara with a comb (yes, it's a bit weird, therefore I'm eager to try) and also 2 new colours of their Supershock liner, lovely product (I have a few other colours which I reviewed), a dark purple one and a neutral one. Just a couple of things, absolute necessaties - as always!

Ah, French pharmacie brands, yes, here we are again - I do love them with all my heart & I always wind up finding new favourites. Nuxe is a brand from which I've already tried several products in the past and found a few lovely ones worth repurchasing. So when they released their Bio Beauté line as their Organic Cosmetics, I was keen and eager to try it. This is my first purchase from this line, but for sure won't be my last...!

The packaging, like Nuxe's regular line, is really simple. A bit more sophisticated because of the dark red colour. I love that they only offer tubes and/or bottles in their Bio Beauté range (which isn't the case in their regular range, they offer several jars, such a shame). This particular tube contains 30ml and retails for around 20euros - available in several pharmacies / IU-store. I was able to use this tube for about 3 months daily. It's not the easiest brand to find, but it's beginning to be picked up by more stores and is becoming more and more available...
This qualifies as an anti-aging cream, but there isn't much anti-aging about it (like most products who claim so). It's a rich cream, intented for dry & very dry skin. It contains cherry, plum & peach extracts - I do notice a light cherry scent to it, but it isn't overwhelming. I'm actually quite fond of the scent, smells natural and not overly perfumed. If you squeeze the tube gently you get a little dot out of it, off course, you do need more to cover your entire face. I use about 3 times the amount for my face at night (if you have really dry skin I don't think this is moisturizing enough or you need too much in comparison to make it work). It spreads easily and sinks fast into the skin, but is at the same time very moisturizing. It doesn't leave your skin with a greasy film, it just sinks in and leaves a soft, matte canvas. I enjoyed using this cream, especially now with the winter-spring breaking in: my skin is still dry and needs the moisture. It never irritated my sensitive skin, again a big plus. However, a little point of negative, I didn't notice this cream doing anything spectacular to my skin either (but then again, my skin is at the moment quite good at its own). It's a good cream for dry & sensitive skin that works softening & soothing, that's all there is to know.

The goods: nice scent, tube packaging, moisturizing enough for dry skin, can be used by sensitive skin, sinks in fast, leaves skin soft & matte

The bads: brand not easy to find, probably not rich enough for really dry skin, midrange pricing

Overall this product has gotten so many positive points that it's worth repurchasing for me, most products always put me off by their scent or packaging or being irritating and so on.... This is an overall moisturizer, that I can use at any time and that alone is good enough. If you have dry & sensitive skin, and having a hard time finding a decent moisturizer, try this one.

no longer allowed to buy shower gels / body lotions... Will take forever to empty this basket to begin with I guess** these things last ages sometimes...!
Sounds familiar?

Time again for some hair care and one of my most beloved findings of 2011, which is the Joico K-Pak reconstructor. Actually I like the whole Joico K-Pak line, it's good stuff - especially if you frequently style/colour your hair look into this -, but this product is probably its most radiant star...
The packaging is simple and big, you get 250ml which lasts quite a long time. You can buy it at hairdressers or online (feelunique, lookfantastic,...). It's not cheap but not insane expensive either considering the amount you're getting. It has a strong scent that reminds me most of bananas and coconuts, I really like it.

• K-PAK Reconstructor contains the highest amount of Quadramine Complex than any other product in the Joico family.
• Hair is left shiny, strong and in a healthy, manageable state.
• K-PAK Reconstructor results in an immediately noticeable difference in strength, texture and appearance.

This product qualifies as 'a treatment', it's not a mask or a conditioner, don't be fooled. It's meant for damaged hair to improve its structure. If your hair isn't damaged, you will most likely achieve hardly any results with this one (wow, complicated sentence). Myself, I regularly use a straightening iron, I sometimes colour my hair - safe to say there is some damage to it. So when I started using this I quickly saw results... My hair became stronger, softer, easy to detangle and when I style it - it remains styled throughout the day/next days. However, don't overdo this product... even though you want it. It's adviced to be used once a week at its most, as it can be drying for your hair and it's best to follow up with another conditioner (they advise K-Pak intense hydrator, I tried it & it's a good combination). When your hair has regained its strength, leave the product be as it is too heavy then, untill you need it again. Now, there's something I'm not good at... leaving a product be when I love it?! But it's the best choice, I noticed it wasn't adding anything to my hair anymore lately, only weighing it down and the volume was less & less...
To sum it up: yes, I love this product and when my hair is in need of it, I will repurchase this one for sure. Just make sure you don't add this to your hair-routine, use it like it's intented to and I'm sure you'll love it!

This week I paid a little visit to 2 stores: the IU for some skin care and the ICIParis since I had a coupon code that needed to be redeemed...
And I scored the Caudalie cream cleanser, such a nice brand and I love cream cleansers so I hope this one fits the bill too. Then I got the Frederic Fekkai Shea butter cream, to be used as a leave-in cream before drying your hair. This is a relatively new product from Fekkai and is intented for dry, brittle hair. It smells amazing, hopefully it works the same way! I got a few glossing samples along with it, yay!