Beauty ponders

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!

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!

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...

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!

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.

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!

Exfoliation and skin care walk the same dusty path and are essential in everyone's routine. But when it comes to exfoliation there are 2 types: AHA and BHA. AHA is intented for sun damage and wrinkles, whereas BHA comes in regarding blackheads & blemishes. In my routine AHA is much more common than BHA, but I do use it and, being honest, my skin does need it. I rarely get blemishes but I do tend to get blackheads - especially on my nose (like so many others). I'm not keen on using strips, so I wanted to give this a try...!

• Lightly moisturizing lotion base
• 1% salicylic acid removes dull, built-up layers of damaged skin cells to reveal healthy, smooth skin
• pH of 3.2 is optimal for effective exfoliation
• 100% fragrance and colorant-free

I chose this one from Paula's Choice because of various reasons: it's a mild one at 1%, it's a lotion & intented for dry skin, price/amount is very fair. Adding that I've read multiple great reviews on it and we have ourself a winner to try out. As all her products the packaging is simple. It's not cheap around 24euros but you do get 118ml in return, which will last you a long time... - this isn't something that you need to layer on thick and it's better to only use it in areas where you have clogged pores.

As you notice the top packaging could have been better as it leaves some residue that can clog up. Best to keep it tidy. The dispenser works nice, with a little squeak you can get the desired amount. The product is a white silky lotion, with silicones in it off course - it has no scent at all. It spreads out nicely, sinks in fast, leaving the skin feeling a bit tight but not too dry (which is a problem with the gel type of this BHA, I used a tester to try it, if you have dry skin only go for this lotion!!). I've been using this for more than a year *seems so long*, mainly on my nose and on certain areas when I felt blemishes appearing. I used it every other day in the evening, but you can adjust this to your preference off course (I use an AHA on the other day). I must admit, this BHA does work! It has diminished my blackheads a lot and has prevented new ones from appearing. This 1% version is really mild, I've ordered the 2% now to test because I feel my skin can easily handle it and I still have a few tiny blackheads that won't dissapear so maybe the stronger version will succeed in it.
The goods: fulfills its claims, good packaging, nice pricing/amount of product received, can be used on dry/sensitive skin

The bads: mild - most people can use the stronger 2% version, leaves residue on top of packaging, only available through her webshop

Overall, yes, I'm a fan and will probably keep on repurchasing this or the stronger 2% version. If you have a problem with blackheads and/or a few blemishes from time to time, do try this product - it delivers! I easily see where it gets its great reviews from, it's a decent BHA for a decent price - they are hard to come by you know... :)

Toners & I are a story that doesn't seem to find a happy ending... Or they are too expensive or have horrible packaging or are just horrible, either way - I haven't find the perfect one yet - perfect being refreshing, soothing, not too expensive but finding those 3 qualities seems like mission impossible?! I have come across a few close calls, but that's it for now. This one by Louis Widmer, I had high hopes for: not too expensive, without alcohol, without scent - it should have been perfect but it is far from it...
The packaging is really simple & pink, always a plus. It's not a spray but with a small hole to be used with a cotton pad. I don't prefer a spray or cotton pad, I can work both ways - depends on my mood I guess. During summer I like a spray more because of its refreshing effect. I chose the one without perfume in it, because of my sensitive skin. It contains 200ml and is priced around 12euros, with or without perfume.
When I used it for the first time and put it on a cotton pad I was surprised by its scent. It has a strong flowery scent, even though it should not be scented? I initially thought they had send me the wrong bottle but no, they did not! Sadly, I do not like to put heavily scented stuff on my face. I don't mind a light fresh scent, but this heavy flowery thing isn't my style. Nevertheless, scents are there to get used to and if the product works fine - I can live with a minor discomfort. The dispenser works easily, you can get a decent amount on the cotton pad without putting too much on it. I've been using it for the last couple of weeks and it works refreshing, but that's the only positive thing about it so far! With the latest burst of winter this toner leaves my skin feeling dry, begging for moisture! Lastly, it has been working a bit irritating on my skin - leaving some clogged pores & making my skin more sensitive - the longer I use it, the worse it gets. High hopes but none of them came true...
The goods: packaging, price, refreshing

The bads: drying, irritating

Overall I don't like this product and I am not likely to even finish it up, it has more cons than pros to it. I hadn't expected this from Louis Widmer, French pharmaciebrands are usually my little place of heaven. I'm curious if other people share my thoughts on this one?

Washing my hair is always something I'm not looking forward to, mainly because it is so time consuming... So when washing it I like to pamper it a bit longer, because what are those extra 10minutes when you're already spending an hour on it? Exactly, peanuts. I also use styling tools so my hair can become quite dry from time to time, a good mask or moisturizing conditioner is a must for me. MischaRocks is a Dutch brand, which I ran into thanks to a few beautyblogs and thanks to a contest I won these products and have been using them for the last few months...
MischaRocks is a relatively new brand on the block and they don't offer that much - yet. They have 2 hair care lines from which I tested the Pro Hy one - which is supposed to restore the protein in you hair. Both bottles contains 235ml. Packaging is simple with a clicksystem on top. Products pricing is ranged between 15-20euros, midranged, available in salons or online.
Ingredientwise both products contain perfume and have a very sweet scent, reminds me of candy. The shampoo contains SLS, so if you're not a fan of it - skip it. Texturewise both products are creamy and thick which sometimes leaves a problem with the clickdispenser. The shampoo is more runny and works fine, but the conditioner is thicker and gets a bit stuck in the clicker, leaving a small mess - see last picture. Maybe they are better of offering a tube for this product?

Then, lastly and most importantly, how does it perform? The shampoo cleans my hair effectively, it isn't anything special but it isn't bad either, qualifies in the 'normal' category to me. Then, the conditioner, which is of more importance to me. Even though it is quite thick and creamy it isn't enough for my hair. When I only use this every week I notice my hair becomes more dry. I can use this conditioner from time to time, but not for a longer period. My hair needs a 'boost' from time to time and this doesn't cover that boost, sadly (I guess it's more suitable for normal hair types?). Nevertheless I enjoy using these products and will finish them, but won't repurchase them - as I expect more from my hair care products.
The goods: sweet scent, thick & creamy texture, shampoo cleans effectively, simple packaging

The bads: clicker system isn't good for thick creams, conditioner isn't moisturizing enough, shampoo contains SLS, only available in salons or selected online shops

But, I already have new hair care products awaiting usage * just have to finish these first or I end up with way too many bottles open... do you get the feeling?

After my praise of Louis Widmer's deo spray I went ahead and ordered the crème & stick as well, thinking if one is good the other must be as well. But there are & always will be exceptions to this rule I guess. Because of the winter I started using the deo creme, adding my dry skin & winter together - this deo should be perfect for it. If only...
Packaging is sleek & simple - I prefer no-nonsense instead of over-the-top. There's a dop on top, you have to turn the bottom to get the creme product out of it - it almost 'jumps' out of the bottle - very funny. I used one twist for daily usage. It has a very very light scent, hardly noticeable. It doesn't irritate and glides on easily. It keeps me fresh & hydrated all day... Then what's wrong with it, you might ask? I only noticed after wanting to wash my clothes... I wore a black shirt and there were white stains all over it on the inside, off course from this product. I tried different fabrics but with the same effect - it keeps leaving stains (which you can wash out, that's true) & I'm way too scared the stains are visible on the outside when wearing something light or see-through. I tried using less product but that didn't help either...
I am a bit disappointed in this product, I expected more from it, definitely! Oh well, I still love the deo spray & will continue to use that one forever - not that particular one you know - as it doesn't have this problem.

I still have the dry stick to try out though, but first I'm sticking with this spray untill it's empty, then I'm willing to give the other one a shot!

A couple of months ago I did a big Pai order, mainly because of getting a free eye cream along with it when purchasing a toner. Getting something for free -especially since particular eye cream costs around 30euros- is always a good reason for purchasing. Pai offers 2 different toners: one for combination skin & one for dry skin. I, obviously, bought the one for dry skin which is called "orange blossom".
Let me start by saying this toner is small, small being 50ml but with a spray on top of it. It comes in a heavy milk glass bottle and is as luxurious as it seems. Pai definitely knows how to pack their products: all of them look luxurious and are packed so their ingredients remain active - this means pumps/sprays all the way. This particular toner costs around 35euros and can be purchased on their own website or in other various webshops, though the price remains more or less the same.

Toners either come with an opening to use with a cotton pad or with a spray. I haven't still figured out which one I prefer but... I do know that most sprays I've used in the past are either too strong or too light or simply don't work properly where you only have half your face covered or your entire bathroom. That's not the case with this spray, it spreads a light mist and covers a large area of your face. Thumbs up for spray & packaging.
But a spray means nothing if the product inside it doesn't do its job. And this product does its job. I've been using it for 4months twice a day - quite long considering it's 50ml - and I wished I didn't like it so much. It never irritated my skin in any way and it works really soothing. It has a light orange blossom scent, but I hardly noticed it. After spraying I let it dry naturally, which doesn't take too long and I noticed my skin is less dry than before I used this product.
The goods: good spray, ingredients (no alcohol), works soothing, doesn't irritate, good on dry skin

The bads: only 50ml, pricing - damnit!

This is such a lovely toner, but one with a heavy price tag. I do like it a lot, but I'm not sure whether I can justify its benefits by its price for 50ml. I may repurchase it in the future, still contemplating...! Surely wish they would make bigger bottles of it! If your wallet can afford it, try it - I think you'll love it as well!