Beauty ponders

About a year ago a friend of mine invited me to her Mylène evening, filled with beauty products. My mother knew the brand by name but no specific products, both of us were really curious. The representative from Mylène was a really nice lady, she went over some products with us - passed them - and afterwards if we saw something on the list that we found interesting she would dive in her suitcase to get it... They have a lot of products and going over everything step by step is just plain boring.


I bought a few products, as I was still sceptical, but one of them got my major attention as I immediately fell in love with it... bain mousse à la Rose. While talking about their path products she passed on samples of the different foams (they also have lavendel and so on), I smelled this one and said: got to have it!


The product comes in a box, displaying roses and purplepink font. In the box is the glass bottle, which is done to preserve the ingredients and the scent better. You pay 15,10euro for 500ml, which is cheap because... I bought this bottle last year (it was filled almost to the top) , have used it multiple times each month and you see the result - still have a lot left, 1/3. The product is really concentrated, if you open it the scent of the roses comes up and is really strong, but as you only need a tiny amount of it the scent becomes lighter and oh so delicious when put into your bath. It has a pink satin colour, again roses. And it foams up in bath just the way I want it - I like big foamy baths. It leaves my skin feeling soft, it doesn't dry it out as much as other foam products do but afterwards I still need to put on body lotion/butter as I have dry skin.


If you're a fan of roses, check this product. I can no longer live without it. Available through Mylène representatives, you can check their website.

One of my latest hauls included a Michael Todd creme lipstick, more precisely in the color Lace. I ordered it because I was curious to this new brand and it was at 9,99$ so the price wasn't really an obstacle. I like lipsticks and especially creme ones that glide on ever so smooth...

When it came in, my first thought was "how tiny is this, they should label it as mini". It comes in dark purple packaging - a lovely color may I add - but it looks really small. I immediately got one of my other lipsticks to check this theory.

Although the packaging is misleading you get the same amount of lipstick as you would with any other -phew, relief-. The lipstick doesn't smell like anything, which I didn't expect for such a price, I'm glad it's not chemical smell. It looks like a dark nude pinkish something, if I hold it up against my lips it's one shade lighter than my natural lips colour, when applied it looks like this...

When applying, the lipstick glides on smooth. I go over my lips 2-3 times for a perfect application - don't even need a mirror, it's that easy to apply. This lipstick doesn't get in your lip lines, a problem I often come across with when applying nude colors. With flash you can see there's a hint of shimmer to it, ever so adorable. And now onto my lips, as swatches on hands don't really tell you much!

I wore this lipstick for the first time on Saturday, to my cousins wedding and since then I've worn it every single day. It's such a gorgeous colour, if you're into nudes. It's my lips but better... The only downside with this lipstick is its lasting time, while not doing anything special it will last 2 hours or so but if you're having drinks it won't last long. This doesn't bother me that much, I don't expect the same quality as high end brands deliver. Reapplication is needed.

A recommendation for nude lovers, go and get it.

Nuxe has already been talked about on The brand, but today I'm going a bit deeper into this particular brand and let you know my thoughts on this one.

Nirvanesque is the first expression lines care, aiming at end 20's, early 30's - not entirely my category yet, but due to my dry skin I'm really prone to expression lines (such a eufemism for wrinkles you know) as is why I wanted to try this line. Products are mid range priced, the cream (normal or dry skin) costs about 30euro for 50ml and the eye cream costs about 17euro for 15ml.

RELAX YOUR FIRST WRINKLES WITH A SENSE OF SERENITY
An innovative plant-based solution to reduce first wrinkles: Reinforced “Floral Neuro-Cosmetics”. This exclusive NUXE concept containing Blue Lotus and Poppy Seeds and Althea Root, with their strong smoothing properties, put your skin and mind in a fantastic mood. Your face is glowing with youth and your skin’s radiance is restored.

Wow, they are really trying to cheer you up to make sure your inner peace is restored although you're obsessing over your aging skin. I like the idea that the cream is based on plants and flowers, they remind me of summer and happy times. The cheering up factor is already hitting in *smiles*...

I've used the Crème Nirvanesque normal (jar 50ml) and the Nirvanesque Eye Contour (tube 15ml). Let's have a look at their claims:

The cream:

Effective by nature: “gentle” care to smooth away first expression lines. Intensely relaxed, your skin is radiant and wrapped in a feeling of extreme well-being.
Precious BENEFITS for my skin: your skin is instantly relaxed, smoothed, radiant and very soft. Fine lines and first wrinkles are significantly reduced.
Star active INGREDIENTS: 3 EXCLUSIVE NUXE PATENTS A combination of three active principles: Blue Lotus Seeds (double concentration), Poppy Seeds and Althea Root for a wonderfully smoothing and relaxing effect. Acmella relaxes muscles with its de-stressing action. Calmosensine® intensely de-stresses your skin and Pigweed Proteins wrap you in extreme softness.

The eye contour cream:

Effective by nature: a delicate, non-greasy, non-sticky emulsion for 1stlines and dark circles, based on Floral Neuro-Cosmetics. It has been specifically developed for this fragile area and is hypoallergenic.
Precious BENEFITS for my skin: this eye contour treatment acts on 3 levels: action on 1st expression lines, immediate smoothing effect and instant erasing of dark circles.Supporting evidence:
- Eye contour is smoothed: +79.27%*
- Dark cirlces are erased: +67.44%*
- Immediate effectiveness on 1st expression lines 2hrs after application:
- Number of wrinkles: -18.85%** - Total wrinkle length: -30.88%** - Total wrinkle surface: -32.83%*** Usage test carried out under dermatological supervision on 33 volunteers over 28 days - Self-evaluation** Usage test carried out under dermatological supervision on 33 volunteers - Wrinkle analysis taken using imprints
Star active INGREDIENTS: hyaluronic Acid fills fine lines and wrinkles, Amaranth smoothes the epidermis for a rested look. Optical pigment correctors have an instant action against dark circles, masking blemishes and leaving you looking radiant. The patented trio of active ingredients by NUXE (Blue Lotus Seeds, Mallow Root and Poppy Seeds) reduces muscle contractions, leaving the skin looking relaxed.

The cream has a rich thick texture and the eye cream has the wrong name to it, it's more a gel. Both product have the same scent: a very heavy present floral one, it takes some getting used to but I like it, I can't make out which flowers it could be. Fragrance obviously has been added to both products, it's more or less halfway on the ingredients list. After being opened products should be used within 6 months.

When spreading both products we see that the cream has a rich texture and the eye cream has a gel texture. Both products spread easily. And if you take a good look you can see that the eye cream has little sparkles in it, to add more radiance to the eye area.

My thoughts:

Cream: When I initially bought this cream my skin type leaned more towards normal then dry but over the last months it has become drier (due to medication and such). This cream is quite rich, but not rich enough for my skin at the moment. It spreads easily and sinks in quite fast. I needed a lot of product to get my skin sufficiently moisturized. I've only used this cream at night. It comes in a milk glass jar, which looks lovely but isn't practical, I prefer tubes to preserve the ingredients and it's more hygienic as well. The cream is aimed for your first expression lines, which -sadly- I have a few from popping up. Did this cream do anything to stop them? No, not really. I've experienced this cream as a basic moisturizer that makes my skin soft, I've enjoyed using it and am nearly out of it but it's nothing special. I expected more from it considering its name and price. It's also available in an "enriched" version for dry skin, if I can get a hold of a sample I might try it but I have no intention of purchasing it based on this cream.

Eye cream: When I bought this eye cream, it was just released and was available at a discount price. I loved the fact that it comes in a tube, good thinking! As said above, this isn't a cream but a gel. I prefer to use a gel in the morning and a cream in the evening but this one doesn't contain SPF to use in the morning so I've used it from time to time in the evening. It contains a lot of tiny sparkles that in certain lighting gives hints of shimmer and reflects. When applying this around your eyes it has a lovely radiance effect to it, which makes it more appropriate to use during the day. My eye area is also quite dry and this gel isn't that moisturizing so once again, I needed a lot of product to get the desired effect. This product is also aimed to smooth out your expression lines and battles dark circles. Now, I don't have any of those two so I can't really comment on its effectiveness but like the cream I doubt this gel would be moisturizing enough to smooth out your expression lines. Once again, this is more a basic eye cream that lacks SPF to make it suitable as a good day eye cream and it should be renamed into "eye gel". Positive note are the tiny sparkles in it, I've never seen this before in an eye cream, quite unique.

This is a basic line that is OK for normal skin, if you're willing to spend the money on it but I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for an expression line cream.

So you know I did some major shopping last week and here's to the beauty stuff I got... It's going to be one long post girls filled with my rambling thoughts :) you can also browse the pictures!

First up I went to IciParis. A couple of weeks ago I'd gotten a sample of the Vitalumiere -shade clair/cameo- and I really loved it (yes, as much as my Laura Merciers moisturizer) so I bought a bottle to see how it goes in the long run. Long run foundations can cause little breakouts for me, let's hope it's not the case with this one. And next to it you can see another sample and it is something I've been longing to get for some time but had never gotten because they didn't have it in stock or salesladies were just plain rude and refused it. It's the Creme de La Mer, yes I'm brandloving again, can't help it.

I also went to Yves Rocher, as I had a coupon code for a free shower gel. Most scents were already gone but I picked up the orange scent, literally smelling like an orange when you open it. I also bought a tiny bottle of Framboise perfume - lovely to just spray around or use when I don't have anything significant to do... I adore sweet scents.

From Creme de La Mer to Cetaphil, the other edge! I've read about this brand occasionally (firstly on belledujour who has a lovely youtube channel and as we share the same skin type I try to take mental notes of her advice), then while browsing my favourite skincare store, I saw they had it in stock for 10euros/each, couldn't resist picking it up. I bought the cleanser and the cream, initially I wanted the lotion but they didn't have it available. These are also the small packaging, a larger one is available but I wanted to try it first to see if I like it. I like the packaging, simple and effective - I'm not a jar lover.

I also popped into Kruidvat (drugstore) and got a nail polish corrector from Essence. I'm quite neat while putting on polish but I like to have it laying around just in case I want to change my nails for something special and if I'm in a hurry I tend to rush and be not so neat - this is convenient then. I got a lipgloss from Sun club Essence - peachy colour. And lastly a lipstick from Catrice called Gentle Nude - hey, what colour did you expect. All products are budgetproof and cost more or less 2euros/each.

Still same shop and something I value highly are my teeth... A big bright smile is really important to an impeccable look. They had an offering of Elmex 2 + 1 free, stashing time. In the middle you can see a special tube for intensive cleaning, ought to be used 1-2 times a week and is especially for discolorations. Now I only have one bad habit and that is coffee... I like drinking 1-2 cups a day which is not that bad but it causes discolorations -not liking-. Giving it a go, it wasn't expensive. I also bought a new brush, a soft sensitive one and I'm really going to emphasise on how important it is that you use a SOFT brush for your teeth. In most stores they only have hard/medium available but they aren't good. A soft brush is essential for your gum to keep them in optimal shape. When using a harder brush you are decreasing your gums, this isn't noticeable soon but will in a few years time. So use a soft brush, it cleanses as good as a hard one!

Still same store, they also had a GOSH offering 2 + 1 free. And I'm thrilled: I finally got a hold of the GOSH Darling lipstick. Everytime I look for it, it's sold out, it's been bugging me for ages but now I finally have one - by accident may I add as it was stacked in another colour pile -. I also bought an eyeshadow quad in neutral and an eyeliner in brown, suiting the quad.

Onto the Rituals store, from which I got a 20% coupon from my mom. I bought the hand scrub and hand cream in Ginkgo's Secret with the most delicious scent. In the middle is a bottle of massage oil in organic White Lotus, a really clean and fresh scent. Something to spoil my bf with, need to take care of him as well ;)

In Blokker I bought the "Food Friend", been meaning to get one for some time to accompany my feet ritual before I pop into bath... I should take more care of my feet, I try to and always have good intentions but often fail to commit to it...

As you know my latest serum wasn't a succes, damn SKII so I needed a new one and took this home with me, it has a bit of a price tag though. I've used it in the past and was quite happy with it, wonder if this still applies. It's a radiance serum (radiance hello got my attention) from Caudalie, a line from which I've used products before with mixed feelings - some are good, others aren't. Oh and the bottle is also so adorable, don't you think. Looks great on any shelf...

And lastly the postman also came with an ebay parcel containing NARS the multiple in Orgasm. When I was in London I swatched this and put it on my cheeks, it looked lovely but I wanted to hold on as I couldn't buy everything I wanted. I couldn't stop thinking about it later one so I gave in - again - and got it, hopefully I'll also love it in the long run.

That's it, I should put myself on a ban now, this was way too much! If there's anything you'd like to know more about, be sure to let me know.

I've changed the look of the blog a bit... The sidecolumns with the lost space were really bugging me and this way I have more room for pictures and even more rambling thoughts from me. I've kept it really simple, hope you like it!

Sometimes I just crave to shop and this was such a week -shame on me- so I am going to do 2 hauls, fashion & beauty: firstly because it's that much and secondly my post will be too long and I'm lazy... This week I felt the sudden urge to buy clothes and I ran into so many gorgeous things screaming "buy me, how could I say 'no'?". You must know I'm very picky when it comes to clothing - I always think twice, look from every angle, still doubting and such - that's me!

Let's start with the shoe department:

Saturday (which is today in blogposting) I'm going to a wedding from a cousin of mine and I needed new shoes. I already have the perfect dress -a Karen Millen- along with perfect shoes that are not meant to walk/dance in, just for sitting and being pretty. So my mission was to get fashionable classic black shoes with a hint of comfort to them. I found these lovely ones in New Look, for only 18euros, bargain! They look really classy and not cheap at all (which is my most occuring problem with cheap shoes, they often look like plastic!)

I also went to "La Botega", one of my favourite shoe stores that carries a lot of brands and I spotted the perfect winter boots untill I spotted the price. I can't justify myself spending 235euros on boots so I continued looking and found the new comfy slippers range... I always wear slippers indoor, right now I wear ballet slippers but when it's getting colder I like those comfy ones. Last year I wanted to buy new one but by the time I went looking for them all the pretty & comfy ones were sold out. So when I saw all those slippers the mental note I made to myself came back, saying buy now for within a month or so... Right now it's 22° and I'm buying comfy slippers, yeah whatever... I usually buy SCAPA ones because I find them to be the softest and they last the longest on me. They had the regular pattern with just the name on them and this cute little tiger. They look so adorable don't they and supersoft as well...

Next I went to Mango and bought a lot of clothes, starting with two T-shirts. The first one is a pinkbeige colour with a satin touch to it (it looks quite big but my hair covers most of it so it's not too much) and a beige shirt with pretty shoulder touches. Both look really fresh when you're wearing them.

And lastly (still Mango): a light beige vest again with special shoulders and a beige blouse with a special pattern on the arms...

Pweh, that was the fashion part. Anything you would buy yourself?