BirkinBagBeauty

Mid Weeklies

2012-02-15T13:45:00.000+01:00

What is/has been so quirky about this week?

1. Carnaval season

I placed a picture of the more tropical variety, because that one has the most appeal on me now. Because there's something about Carnaval....

2. The day after...

I think this quote says it all...although not every man will keep to this but a good (real) man does...

Some newbies

2012-02-13T11:33:00.000+01:00

I got a couple of new thingies:

I'm starting with pastel-coloured jeans and I decided to begin with a cheaper variety to see if I like having pastel-coloured jeans. This dusty rose colour is from NewLook.

Freebie Mascara with ElleUk

It is from Soap & Glory and they went into NARS-territory to give it a sexually charged name. I kind of feel lewd saying I went to the bookshop for [...mentioning the name of the mascara...], so I won't...
They sell UK glossies in the Netherlands, but for the editions with freebies you have to go to Waterstones, that is based in Amsterdam.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime Cast-off:

I have the original, the real Kerastase, but I wanted to try out the Syoss as well. It's not as good as the Kerastase but still pretty good in taming the fuzzies. Also the fact I got it half price (5 euro) makes it easier to reach for in instead of the expensive 30 euros from Kerastase.

The beautiful feline face* Paul and Joe cheekstick in 03 Minou

2012-02-11T11:47:00.000+01:00

Hello new paw-printed box!

You´ve seen the meetup...

but you haven´t gotten any review yet...

But today you will, but I will keep it a smaller review.

Paul & Joe went back to the kitty-cuteness of the earlier release in 2010. This time they went more original to add a cheek-stick with it. Blush-fan, such as I am, and feline lover, I went straight for it.

This time Paul & Joe kept to their original packaging of the creamy and ribbed plastic tube with the gold letters. The beautiful, but paper-based wand of the 2010 release was decorated with paisley. So lovely, but it smudges easily (as you can see below)

The icing on the cake is the cat's head...I really like the tiny hat its having on and there is a smoking tie added to it too. The colour is a peachy pink: really lovely.

I like the paw-prints on the inside of the lipstick

Swatches:

The colour translates in a peachy pink on my skin. The left picture (flash) shows a tiny hint of specks, but absolutely not too obvious on the cheeks.

Paul & Joe Cheekstick 03 Minou (left flash/ right natural light): 2 swipes!

Quality:

I really like how I can use this on non-madeup, slightly madeup or quite madeup skin. The pigment is on the lighter side and spreads easily on the face without it being too creamy. For a higher colour-dimension, you can add another layer.
I absolutely like how girly but still quite natural the colour looks on my face.
I have quite some colours in my blush-stash, still I consider this one to be quite unique. Perhaps that has to do with the fact I do not go for pinks too much.

Conclusion:

You saw that I protected my 2010 lipstick a lot because I found it too cute to use. However, I am afraid I will use this one a lot: I probably keep the face intact for as long as possible, so it might resemble a cat with a hourglass figure soon ;P

Mid Weeklies

2012-02-08T07:28:00.000+01:00

So it's time for another Mid Weekly Quirkology session...

1. Winter stuff

I'm kind of boring today to give you the umpteenth picture of snow...but that what kept most of the people busy this weekend, a festival of winter-related activities. Lots of Dutch people love to skate on nature-ice so most people ventured on the ice again. Not me, but I went for a snow-walk which was quite refreshing...

2. Skin related measures against the cold.

I got the La Roche Posay out against redness, the Rosaliac cream. I like the feel of the cold on my face but I don't want the flush to be permanent: I prefer to take the faux way to blush with my massive collection of blush that I have.

How is the weather at your place and how do you protect/care your skin related to the weather?

Sweeten my Lips: 2 new peachies

2012-02-06T12:11:00.000+01:00

It was the moment I gave up on being able to purchase my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Flirt that I finally came into a shop that
1. had it in stock
2.had a lovely salesperson to sell it to me.

I finally was able to buy it!

I wonder why they combined the name 'Flirt' with 69, coincidence? or not?

So what is that tall & skinny Lavshuca lipstick standing next to it? Well, Lavshuca was my pity-buy for not being able to have the Chanel. But you know the moment you order a look-a-like online that faith brings you into the arms of the true one..

Ok, I actually like them both a lot for different reasons: they are also not alike at all. Lavshuca is a safe, neutral peach and Chanel is the happier peach with a slight dose of bright/neon quality in it...the sheerness makes it subtle enough to wear it for the lipstick-safe among us.

In Dutch we would say 'he he', which is something like 'fjew, finally' or such...:D

The Tranquil One: Neom candle in Inspiration

2012-02-03T09:02:00.000+01:00

I couldn't have given myself a more difficult task than to describe the scent of a scented candle, so I won't...

However, I would like to share a wonderfully tranquil and inspiring scented candle with you that are not as hyped yet as Dipytique and the likes...Ánd, they are organic as well!

As far as my description goes, it smells like a field of grass in on a warmer summer day. Perhaps you have been relaxing with your friends or your lover on a picknick blanket, and afterwards you pick up your blanket feeling rosy because of the sun and the wine you had, and you smell the crushed flowers and grass and the warmth of the summer's day.

Or, according to Neom themselves:

Quite accurate too...and who doesn't want some extra inspiration and a scental reminiscence of summer during the last days of the winter?

I bought the travel size, which is a fair enough size to burn for a couple of hours. To compare it with it's famous sister Diptyque travel candle, it has more hips ;P

left: Neom Candle / right: Dipytique

You can buy Neom from feelunique.com, naturisimo.com, lovelula.com and some other sites. The travel size retails for £13.00

The Feline Meet-up: Paul & Joe Cheekblush in Minou

2012-02-01T19:37:00.000+01:00

Today I witnessed the meet-up of two really cute feline beings...

Here is 2010 meeting up with 2012: they look alike but one is a lip hugger and the other one into the Cheeky...

The hat is so cute (Minou being on the left)...

I couldn't make any swatch pictures today so this is the only post of the meetup of Clair de Lune lipstick of 2010 and Minou of 2012.

Well, as you can see that my Clair de Lune is still quite photo-ready, so I have been so gentle with using her. That is a bit of the danger of cosmetics that are too cute: you barely touch them and just go "aww & owww" over them.

Mid Weeklies

2012-02-01T09:22:00.003+01:00

Yesterday's post was already quite summary/mid-weekly, but it was all about beauty so I do my regular mid-weeklies as well for today that is about more than just the beauty of the face:

Gotta keep things a bit predictable, right?

1. My habit of wearing summery fragance in the midst of Winter. I really like my Byredo perfume in Palermo. I have a soft spot for Italian (citrusy/fruity) coast-inspired scents and this one really fits the bill.

2. Romance: Valentine right? I love this picture of the girl on the back of his bike, both basking in the sun.

3.Hiraki Shimoda sweet but Creepy Kids...find more of his pastel-coloured world over here.

4. Icy Sunsets...I love all kinds of visible sunsets

last week in beauty

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000+01:00

I actually want to make a general post today about the things I (re)discovered in beauty last week.

First, I ventured on Sleek blush in Flamingo, which, pricewise, was not an expensive venture. After reading many descriptions of it being terribly bright in the pan but subtle on the face I decided I wanted this particular poppy pink. Ehm, people who follow me know I'm spoiled with my high-end blush and that is my first disclaimer: I'm a blush-snob!
To me, this one looked as scarily on my face as in the pan, probably worse because the pigmentation went bezerk on my unmadeup face (tryout). A good quality blush has the ability to look good on an unmadeup face, because the pigmentation will even out, but yeh...I looked like a kid playing with the makeupbox..
So this one can be used, only with a stippling brush/care/lots-of-time-on-my-hands. Somewhat, I expect it will end up far away in my beautycloset or I will add it in a giveaway.

Already feeling spring-like by adding lot's of pastels to my nails. Catrice is quite cheap but I really like the quality of their nailpolishes.

Another good-quality Catrice is that blue-ish eyeshadow I added. Also, I varied the safe neutrals with a pop of colour...

I almost finished my second tube of the Jurlique Purely White Skin cream. I think it really works: I already noticed this the first time when I had to correct some odd pigmentation on my forehead due to forgetting to add sunscreen that day. This time I noticed, cheapskate me, that my neck was darker than my face. Reason: I only slathered it on my face instead of the neck.

I finally jumped upon the Ellis Faas lip -hype, the glazed versions. I already have her foundation (post here) and I really liked the look of the L307 after seeing it on Kate (drivol). On me that L307 looked like a weird apricot muddy pudding, so testing is always good before you buy. Anyway, I loved to go a bit more red and I found a rather perfect red in the L303.

Ellis Faas L303

The best thing is that it fades in the most beautiful way: reds are always so dangerous with fading and they are normally so high-maintainance but this one really fades into a stain...so gorgeous.

Palet-mania: Edward Bess Back to Basics

2012-01-29T13:39:00.000+01:00

I have a soft spot for palettes. They are often the perfect way to try different products from a particular brand, are easy to take with you, and are often in the cutest box.

I kinda stopped for a while with my Paletmania: I couldn't find anything that mixes up a good match of colours nor did I find a brand I really wanted to explore. Until recently, when Edward Bess ventured on the field of palettes.

I already tried some of Edward's products (here) and some where hits and others not so much. What I hadn't tried but was still curious about were his creamy cheek blush, his lipglosses and the lipsticks. So when I saw this palette would feature his creamy blush ánd some lipglosses I was almost sold. They also featured more of my favourite Bess products: the eyeshadows.

From the swatches from niche beautyblogger Sabina (beautylookbook) I saw that the Back to Basic palette looked like a better choice for me than the Berry Chic one.

The palette embodies the same minimalistic chic as his other products. It really reminds me of Bobbi Brown.

Speaking of Bobbi Brown, I want to show you the difference in size and compartability, as, after all, a good palette should be handy to carry around with you:

Basically, Edward Bess is the longer and thinner version of Bobbi Brown.

I actually prefer the size of Bess to tote around with me: you can put it in a sort of sleeve or in the side-pocket of your bag. It is somewhat wallet-like.

The inside:

The palette is quintessentially like a good functioning palette with a mirror, the compartments separated, and, good extra, actually a good quality brush instead of your run-your-mill disposable applicators!

In the full view they are a selection of safe neutrals.

A closer look:
The Blush (lipstick)

This is exactly the same blush in different lightning. It was so hard to capture the true colour of this one so it is basically a mix of the two. And you will see in the swatches that it is actually a bit of a problem child to me, colourwise.

The highlighter & eyeshadows:

The highlighter looks regular in the pan, but the swatches will show that it actually has some flecks of glitter in it. The eyeshadows are beautifully creamy.

The Lipglosses:

The top colour contains some beautifully delicate shimmer and the bottom one is darker with a lovely rosy glow. Quite understated and beautiful.

Swatches: Blush/highlighter/lipglosses

The blush

I have to say I am quite confused about this blush because of it's muddy mauvy tones. When I first swatched it I thought it had a whole lot of mauve undertones so I compared it with my recent mauvy/purply purchase from Rouge Bunny Rouge, the Gracilis.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Gracilis

I can see that one is absolutely no match either, although you can see the Edward Bess still is rather on the mauve site and RBR really is a pinkier version next to it. I have to say it is a unique colour in my collection

So I am confused how I would use this colour. I find it too corps-like as a lipstick but it doesn't really benefit as a perk-me-up blush colour either.
I concluded it would be a wonderful shader colour for cooler skin-tones. Somewhat, as a neutral toned woman, I think I can use it as a shader too, only with a delicate hand.

Texture blush:
I would say it has a typical lipstick texture being a bit harder compared to other cream-blush that I have (Bobbi Brown, Julie Hewitt, Becca, Mac) so you have to spend some time blending it in. It does stay on longer, because if it's dryer texture.

Swatch Highlighter:
It was not what I had in mind...I think the glitter doesn't do it any good. Otherwise, it would have been a delightful rose-based creamy tint.

Swatch Glosses:
The glosses are the unexpected hit from the collection, especially when I read that thenonblonde and Sabina were both dissapointed in them. I absolutely LOVE the colours and I believe the creaminess is one of the best and the smoothest I have come across. It makes me really curious for the full-size lipglosses because if both women are dissapointed in the palette-glosses and they tried the real size before, than that one has to be even better.

Swatches: The Eyeshadows:
.

These are my absolute favourite of the palette. The texture is so wonderfully soft and brings out a glow on the eyelids. My favourite are the two lighter colours. Colour 1 to be a buttery, somewhat yellow toned cream and the second one a pink hued cream.
The 3rd colour is a rose-toned brown that is excellent for bringing out a slightly different hue in hazel, blue and green eyes, so I love it for it's neutral quality ánd being able to make the eyes stand out a bit. The last colour, the darkest one, is a lovely neutral brown with slight shimmer to make it come alive. So lovely for shading and a soft eyeliner.

Conclusion:

This palette is absolutely travel-worthy on trips that are based in the winter or colder cities (or when having a paler skin colour) and I can see it working on tanned skin as well (for example Sabrina again) as the neutral no-makeup-look essentials.

Some textures/colours surprised me in a good way (the lipglosses) and some were not really my thing (highlighter). I really like the fact that the eyeshadow/lipgloss brush included is made of higher quality hairs so the brush is a big benefit as well. I think the price is quite normal/good for a travel palette because the brushes are good and Bess didn't compromise on the quality of the products as some of the palettes of cosmetics brands sometimes do (cough MAC).
I bought it from Zuneta and if you buy anything from them don't forget to add the ZBEAUTYBIBLE code for 10% off.

The Beauty-Closet Find & Something Necklacy

2012-01-27T19:03:00.001+01:00

Have you ever bought something from a Limited Edition but haven't found the courage to touch it? So you stashed it deeply into your beauty closet?

Well, I have, and it really feels like shopping in your own stash when you find a gem...

Let me introduce my Shu Uemura by Mika palette. This one even has more special memories because I bought it in the winter 2008 in Paris in Le Printemps ♥

The colours, oh la la, I really like them all and I can say that the quality is still quite good, even after being stored for almost four years. He he, perhaps we can call this the beauty-deadstock vintage find (deadstock is vintage that has never been used in clothing terms).

Colour No. 3 is actually another illusive peach I am craving at the moment...

And yes, I finally used some of the colours...finally!

I also bought a necklace from the sweetest seller who especially listed it for international shipping after I asked it

This is the sweetest thank-you note!

I actually wanted the necklace because of the tribal form, ánd because one of the stones is made from Labradorite. (It's from ArtifactsEtCetera).

Now I feel a leeeeettttle bit spoiled....

Kose Addiction eyeshadow Tiny Shell 059P (spring 2012)

2012-01-26T10:26:00.000+01:00

About a week ago I talked about my delight of seeing the softer and peach-inspired colours of the new Spring collections in makeup.I have still been modest with buying newbies, wich was in some cases a mandatory thing and you know why if you read my mid-weeklies of yesterday ("~")

But I caved with one thing of Kose Addiction line

I kind of liked the idea of a summery instead of spring-like summerlook and their Sandcastle release has this kind of dreamy atmosphere.

I often wonder why a cosmetic brand chooses for a specific face: Kose Addiction, something I talked about before, often chooses quite Western looking models. Ok, Western is a wider concept these days but I mean the run-of-the-mill beachy blonde types that are supposed to be really Western. This model had some wonderful intervention from her hairdresser to get a sort of buttery shade that matches the sand-dune idea so this time it makes a bit more sense. I also see that her face is a bit wider and her eyes are a bit slanted so she might either have a tendency to look a bit Asian (another big concept for so many types).

I only went for the most-anticipated personal makeup musthave, and that was the perfect peach eyeshadow. I saw a colour that had peach in it with the delightful name of Tiny Shell, so I picked that one.

Ayako, the makeupartist that is the hand behind Addiction, 'escaped' from NARS to launch his own line. The line still has some NARS-like elements in it, for example the black packaging with the minimalistic name on it.
What he doesn't do, Hurray, is the crude name element that Nars love to add at his products. He he, I'm certainly not the only blogger slightly blah about his names. Ayako, instead, sometimes hints towards sexuality and I could certainly see what 'tiny shell' could implicate besides of the Sanddune theme, but it is also easy to absolutely not notice this at all. Also, Ayako really likes Lady Gaga, because he has an eyeshadow called 'Bad Romance' (a stark matte purple) and I think he launched 'Pokerface' lately.

Tiny Shell absolutely has the shell-like quality when opening it. It is a part of his P (pearl) collections, so the whole pearly pinkish peach colour is there.

(notice that the eyeshadow doesn't have a mirror inside)

Somewhat a Bobbi Brown Colour and slightly more highligher-quality than a true peach:

I swatches this baby and it has some excellent covering without primer. It is lovely for opening up eyes with a lighter colour without really being a highligher. The colour is somewhere between a pearl and a metallic shade, which makes it perfect for slightly older eyelids.

However, it is not completely the peach I had in mind. But no worries because I already found my perfect peach with my last Dolce & Gabanna haul from Harrods (yes, the foundation wasn't my piece of cake but I L.O.V.E. the Nude palette)

So, I compared both to show how the Kose Addiction is more a light pinkish peach shade instead of a full on peach.

Also, D&G has less shimmer pigments so it looks a bit flatter on the eyelid.

Oh, I wish I had the best of both worlds because the shimmer in Kose Addiction Tiny Shell is really stunning and brings my eyes more to the surface, whereas D&G Nude (peach) has the perfect colour. I think I will pair them both when doing a peachy EOTD so that will be peachy.

I bought my Addiction at ichibankao.

Mid Weeklies

2012-01-25T08:20:00.001+01:00

1. Lipstick? Bite me!

I really like this picture. But my frustation has been based on the surge for my temporary crush (the Chanel Flirt lipstick) and the mostly ridiculous service at the beauty counters. I think I visited four Chanel counters and most SA were a. either putting on lenghty makeup on other customers without even looking slightly at real customers that actually wanna buy something. b. Prefering to discuss the weekend with collegues instead of seriously helping me. Only the last SA actually took the effort to surge for my illusive Chanel Flirt, only to conclude it was sold out (fair enough).

So, I think my infatuation lessened and I might be better off with a similar looking Lavshuca or Kanebo Kate, sight.

2. The looming prospect of Valentine's Day

I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's day: but I know it's there and some people go really ballistic about it. If you are not a fan either or you want to perk up another not-so-Valentiny-friend I have found some anti-Valentine lipbalms at Elladean's..NARS is still selling their 'I will survive set' too but they will have the typical crudeness of NARS-names...

Still, these kissers look romantic and I really think kissing is underappreciated these days. So, it's a bit like fairytales and I still love the idea of a romantic day for lovers, however, when did it get so commerical?

Wishlist Collection Spring 2012, part 2

2012-01-22T21:32:00.000+01:00

1. Shiseido Maquilage Spring 2012 True Rouge lipsticks

Maquillage released a new selection of eyepalettes too, but my true love in this brand is the delicious way they make lipsticks. I am always stunned about the way they make the perfect MLBB mauvy rose colours that I keep on coming back to (even after having the Diors, Burberry's, a Suqqu, the Lavshucas, the Kanabo Kate's, and ehm...lotsa more).
And the curiosity factor: I am not sure how this formula will be like, so I want to try this one for 'research', he he.

The only gripe is that they do not come cheap (oh, and the packaging) but they are absolutely worth it. RS749 looks like my signature colour but I am lemming something more pink or corally this time, so I think the PK 315 will satisfy my rosy pink needs and the featured BE748 looks like the perfect nudy coral.

2. Anna Sui Rose Cheek Colour:

There are cosmetics I don't need and cosmetics I don't really need at all. Blush is the latter category...And then, ahhhh....they are the cutest shaped ones and the colours....Swatches can be found over here...

3. is 3....Three

It's already a really expensive mystery brand to me and this collection looks like something I could totally wear. Uhm, I hardly resemble the model but I have sort of reddish hair (thank you Christophe Robin) and similar skin eyecolour and this looks like something I could wear and flatter me.

But to take the plunge on a mystery brand that is difficult to google (not so handy of the brand) for swatches and is rather expensive for a lucky gamble I think I will wait a bit longer. However, I like her eyeshadow a lot, so I hope I will find some more links, sometimes googling in the brand's language & product names helps...(eg. I found some product pictures over here)

Dolce & Gabbana the foundation in 100 Natural Glow

2012-01-22T11:56:00.000+01:00

Foundation is an area that I feel both happy and somewhat doubtful about. I have found some really good ones and I could be completely satisfied for what I have, and still I have days that I am not to happy about the colourmatch of my fave foundations.

That resulted in another purchase venture for me: the Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Finish Creamy foundation. I've tried Dolce & Gabanna beauty before in the form of a delightful eyeshadow quad in Mediterannean. I still find the eyeshadows to be one of the better ones I have ever came across. So the step towards the highly raved foundation was a rather easy one. Also, the fact that ubermakeupartist Pat McGrath had a great deal in the formulation/design of this one made it a foundation-lust-have.

I ordered from Harrods during their 10% members sale weekend. Actually, I went for a clothing item I reaaallllly wanted, that, unfortunately was out of stock after purchasing it.

Harrods know their way of Custom service, so they added a beautiful, handwritten letter.

Similar to the black and gold elements of Harrod's shop, Dolce & Gabbana sticked to their Italian Glamour roots and kept their packaging sleek and slightly opulous glamourous. It sticks to it's brand signature style and many people will recognize it.

Visible on the packaging: the ingredients

In opening the box the glamour continues (which I already smudged a bit upon...I'm not the type for full glamour, LOL).

The spatula is on top of the information sheet and when taking it out it has a variety of languages:

The foundation itself is in a heavy, glass jar with a golden lid on top:

Smooth and creamy.

I was quite unsure of the colour I had to pick based on the swatches online. Moreover, not many bloggers have swatched or reviewed this one in great amount and I could only found a good review from Sabrina on thebeautynotebook. She said that the 100 natural was a bit too light for her, so I reasoned it would be good or slightly darker match (but perfect for summer skin) for me.

It is not the worst match, but I find the amount of yellow and slightly orange undertones not incredibly flattering when I first apply this. However, as with some good Asian foundations, this sometimes can dissapear and the colour will turn into a skin-match.
Will the Dolce & Gabbana have that same effect?

Answer: Not really. It stays rather orangy on the skin. You might reason this is caused because I have picked a colour too dark, but honestly I have some other, slightly darker-toned foundations which don't go orangy on me.

I also find the colour too matte: it simply lacks a certain glow I am used to when wearing Lunasol creamy foundation or NARS sheer foundation. But that is just a personal case of preferring one formula/finish over another.

Ok, what about the formula?

I think Pat McGrath designed this with her favourite canvasses in mind: the faces of models. The foundation has a silicony feel that you can also have with the first-generation primers, such as the Smashbox Primer.
On the one hand I find it nifty to combine this into a foundation, so you would be able to skip one step into the prepping/foundation routine, which in Pat McGrath face would be really handy when working on a fast-paced tempo on fashionshows.

In real life I have to say that I have never liked the feel of the first generation primers in the first case. I can feel the silicones too much present on my face. I feel similar with this foundation. I really feel like I am wearing foundation in a not-too-pleasanty way.

Conclusion: it is not a foundation for me, period. (don't like it). I will stick to the Burberry/RBR/NARS/Lunasol. I am still happy I ordered a D&G eyeshadow palette with the order because otherwise I would have been totally dissapointed. I hope the formula of that one is still as good as when I bought my first one in Milan in 2010.

I bought it at Harrods.com who ships internationally for £34.00, but add some other good stuff because their shipping is quite expensive. Kind of makes me wonder why Harrods ships D&G but doesn't ship out Tom Ford Beauty...why?

Things I finished...up...

2012-01-19T17:55:00.002+01:00

Hey, I've finished up some-things !

Before doing my beautyblogger's job to add new makeup/cosmetic collections to my beauty-closet, I decided to try and finish up some things.

1. Christophe Robin Shade Variation Mask in Chic Red

Bijschrift toevoegen

Actually, I prefer the French name Rouge Vénitien that stands for Venetian Red...it sounds more sultry and Italian.

So, didn't we see this before? Yes, you have, only I reviewed the Warm Chestnut shade (here)

I have been using this one continuously for 3 a 4 weeks and it has improved the state of my hair. I used it as a conditioner and you have to see it more as a conditioner than a mask, but still good enough to make hair-improvements.

As for the colour, I thought nothing RED was going on, untill my boyfriend noticed me that my hair looked like a blondish red on top of my head. I have lighter hair there, so I kind of had a deep strawberry blonde thing going on....Wow, I always wanted to be a strawberry blonde without too much maintainance. Now I should only draw in some freckles with an eyebrow pencil and I'm good to go.

But seriously, I loved the scent and I will probably repurchase this when I finish up it's sister the Chestnut Brown.

2. Sophyto Omega Daily Moisturizer sample

I like my organic skincare for the fact that it has fewer additionals to upset a sensitive/reactive skin. I do use some more chemical based products too, but for comfort I often go for the organic varieties. And it's winter again so the skin is just more reactive.

This has been a lovely and neutral moisturizer that is more a basic than a product that would target specific aims (anti-ageing/depigmentation/etc). It is the kind of moisturizer that leaves the skin slightly mat and not with that sheen that some product have, which makes it attractive for people with oily/combination skin.

My only gripe was its scent: It smells like Omega capsules (the ones that still smell) and therefore I am still on par if I would go fullsize. I am testing some other organic skincare too at the moment, and that one is rose-scented and scentwise a bit better.

3. Själ Serum 1 liquid vitamin lift

Let's go a bit Swedish with Själ. I received this sample by choosing it myself with my last Zuneta order.

I haven't been using it long enough to say something about the results but I found the texture to be incredibly watery. In Asian skincare it would be seen as one of those water/toner products with additives against a certain skin-problem. I am not too sure about it. Still, during the time of usage it didn't irritate me and it smelled neutral.

4. Rouge Bunny Rouge Sketches on Water Tinted Moisturizer

You know you really love your sample when you treat it like your own baby and scrape the last tiny bit out of the jar: it's exactly with this tinted moisturizer.

Somewhat a smidge too light for my skintone at the moment, but so foolproof for days you want people to think you are not wearing foundation but actually are having a good skin day!

That will be a purchase in the full size, soon....

Anything you finished up lately?

Mid Weeklies

2012-01-18T11:02:00.000+01:00

Last Week, simply

It's all about the Spring 2012 Makeup collection.

Lots of pretty faces or even more cute furry ones to promote a large amount of gorgeously toned and fresh makeup. Looking at the trend I see romantic moods and soft peachy hues take the main stage. The best antidote to the (return of the) less optimistic economic times.

I have lots of lemmings indeed...I kept modest and ordered only one eyeshadow from the Kose Addiction line. I fell in love with Chanel Flirt lipstick, but haven't purchased it yet, and am looking forward for the moment Burberry Spring 2012 will be launched.

Overall, it's spring...at least in the makeup-world (that's quite good already)

Burberry Lip Definer in Rosewood 07

2012-01-16T05:11:00.000+01:00

I am quite happy with the Burberry beauty products being available in Holland. I remember scheduling my whole London trip on the mere premises of visiting Harrods, which was mainly for the Burberry counter.

The beauty addict in me now has fewer miles to travel for it, or can even let it deliver at home.

My latest acquisition is not that exiting, but still exiting to me: the Burberry lip pencil in Rosewood 07.

Lip-pencils are the working horses of the makeup-spectrum. They should make your lips look more perfect (slightly bigger/smaller/symmetrical) without being obvious-unless you aspire to have the mid-90 look (eg looking at some Baywatch 'actors').

Moreover, it is easy to get it wrong when going for a lip-pencil. One that is too soft will have the tendency to fade/get blotchy or dissapear into the (beginning) finer lines of the mouth...ouch. One too hard cannot position the colour right, or worse, the pulling around the mouth just creates new lines.

Burberry Definer: pencil sharpener included

And then there is the issue of colour. Often we are told to match it with your lipstick but is that really necessary? It is, according to MAC latest Tour De Fabulous Collection , but basically you can work with a pencil that comes close to your own lipcolour to correct what you want to correct; The lipstick will take care of the colour you would like to have.

I had two colours that matches me closely in Burberry: 03 Sepia (with some shimmer) and 07 Rosewood. In the store I went they didn't have Sepia anymore, so I picked Rosewood instead.

My habit of sizing up:

Burberry Lip Definer vs Chanel Precision Lip Definer

Burberry pencils are rather large. I put it next to my Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Naturel. Burberry is quite bigger, but Chanel has a handy lipbrush extended.

Because I have Chanel already included, I will show you swatches of them both. However, (you'll see), Chanel Naturel will come in handy later.

Swatch: Chanel Precision LL in Naturel & Burberry LL in Rosewood

Because Burberry has quite some colours in their spectrum with the name Rosewood, I will show you why a rose(wood) isn't always the same, even though they share the same name.

My lipstick in Rosewood:

Swatches of the 2 pencils and the Rosewood lipstick:

Exactly, doesn't the Chanel lip definer in Naturel look like a better and closer match than the Burberry lip definer in Rosewood?

The Rosewood lip-liner is also quite matte and a lot cooler-toned (mauve spectrum of the Rose). I do not mind this for matching the natural colour of the mouth, but it doesn't seem too consistent of Burberry to make the colours among the same name quite different in colour.

For the rest I believe Burberry lippencils are a close to perfect in quality. They are not too hard but neither too soft. Moreover, they hardly fade and if they do after quite some time (6-7 hours) it does not appear to go blotchy.

Overal, an semi-expensive working horse (€ 18) but quite worth it.

Beauty Spotter: NARS Spring collection on Euro-site

2012-01-14T21:32:00.002+01:00

My title is quite explicatory. Yesterday the collection wasn't there yet and today it arrived:

Temptalia has swatched and reviewed it (here), Karen swatched these (here), the beautycafe has pictures of the products (here).

Personally, I'm drawn to the fun and slightly fuschia Mexican Rose lip pencil, the Bilbao lipstick looks nice but I'm not completely drawn to NARS formula. The Paramaribo duo eyeshadow looks extra tempting because the Netherlands have a (Colonial -shame shame) past with Surinam and the colours really represent the natural beauty of the capital of Surinam, Paramaribo.

The blush will leave some (cool toned) ladies have their heart beat faster, and although quite a unique colour, I think I will skip upon a bubblegum pink colour.

What are you planning to get from the NARS Bright Bold Iconic range?

Beauty Spotter: Lunasol spring 2012 collection

2012-01-14T18:55:00.000+01:00

I spotted some of the Lunasol Sping 2012 collection on adambeauty.

This will probably their most anticipated product, the eyeshadow quads. Quite beautiful and in a range of soft colours:

~~Still, I wait for other reviews to come in to see if I will get me a quad.~~ I found some swatches over here and here plus Yuki has swatched the whole collection. The 01 Sweet Peach looks really lovely.

Also, a couple of new colours in the cream cheek range has been launched, EX5 Rose Coral, EX6 Pink Coral and EX7 Coral Orange (here).

A new blush product has been launched as well, allthough I don't like the cheap packaging that reminds me too much of Benefit blush (but with the Lunasol pricetag).

~~What I haven't seen is the eyebrow pencils, the lipgloss, the lipstick and the nailpolish.~~ I've spotted the eyebrow pencils, the tube lipgloss & the lightning eyes on gooddealer.com (put Lunasol in the search column). The rest (lipstick, other lipglosses) will probably be launched soon.

Adambeauty has them in now so it might be something for you.

Wishlist collection Spring 2012

2012-01-14T13:01:00.001+01:00

I am quite delighted with the new spring-colour featured with Asian and Western brands. They are released in the late winter, which, just like a snowdrop, gives you hope for spring to arrive.

One of my favourite collection must be the one from Kose Addiction: The Sand Castle edition

Perhaps I like this collection because it hints more towards summer than spring.

Moreover, the dusty, duny, sandy colours are so gorgeous. And I know Kose Addiction is stellar in making an excellent formula.

For more upcoming collections of new Spring collections I would advise to look at Rougedeluxe (here), who is always ahead of the newest releases.

~~For me it will be a matter of patience and frequently visiting ichibankao and mihokoshop for the SandCastle edition to launch.~~ Yikes, they are already there on ichibankao!!!!

I really like Bobbi Brown Rose Collection too, but for Addiction value I like the look of this one the most right now...

Ps: What is your ultimate spring 2012 lust-have item/collection?

Percy & Reed Discovery Collection: the Marvellous Moisture version

2012-01-13T16:13:00.001+01:00

Today I'm going to do a mini-review on the Percy & Reed 6 Piece Discovery set in the Moisture version I got myself before Christmas:

Talking about hair-products isn't my favourite part of beautyblogging. My hair is kind of simple because it is really long and doesn't require 'wild' experimentations with volume or curls.

I often skip straightening or curling devices for the sheer reason the texture of my hair is too stubborn to hold anything for more than 1 hour. If I do experiment with curling tongs: I usually go all Cinderella and dissapear within an hour. ...Seriously, because they hair will become more of a pumpkin pie.

Haha, not very handy for my social life, though. But I admire the bobbed and layered, and curled and short-haired ladies a lot. Nevertheless, knowing I tried most of those too, and still had ridiculously stubborn hair and the same Cinderella-complex decided me to go for the easiest option to be simple and long. (Even when I had a hairdresser's friend & short hair the hair was still a nuisance and the friend just had to come with me clubbing for maintainance only, kidding, I enjoyed the company too)

A mini-review, but still one of 6 products so this will be a longer post.

I got interested in trying Percy & Reed after the glorious review of worshipofblues. QVCuk.com had this set listed but it was out of stock for a while. When it got there again, I was fast enough to purchase it.

The attraction of these products are aesthetic as well. I love the retro design and simple colour scheme, the front, and most of all the long-haired, carefree ladies on the packaging. It kind of makes me believe these hairdressers are not about making all women have a dramatic haircut...And the girl on the Finishing Polish is sporting a cute bob, so it's not about the long-haired ladies alone either...

Right, you see 5 products of the 6 products set. So here is no 6 and I'm starting with that one:

Percy & Reed Bodyfing Cream

1.Percy & Reed Bodifying Cream

Superstar and Supersized, and the girl on the packaging declares "let's create a bit of a do".
Volumizing products can be somewhat problematic: they might create volume but sometimes you have to give up on the shine (mattifying powders such as Schwarzkop Osis or some dodgy mousses) or they create more birdnest volume than Jerry Hall volume or Rosie Huntington-Withely volume:

Jerry Hall in the 70s with glam 70s hair

Modern Bombshell Rosie Huntington-Whitheley with some serious volume

Results: Some volume, but not as dramatic as with Kerastase Volumactiv Mousse. It works well in conjuction with other volumisers and the thin-hair serum. It also is rather smoothing so it can keep the hair both smooth and a bit thicker.

2. The Finishing Polish (Quite Franky Flawless)

The Alexa Chung bob-lookalike declares "Caution, may turn heads".

Overall, quite some promises to declare that it will simply make your hair flawless. More expectations are raised at the description on the back of the tube:

Result:
Somewhat similar as the Bodifying potion, only without bodifying...;P. Seriously, it makes the hair a bit smoother but isn't a miracle saver for dryer ends, although it does smooth them a little.

3. Session Hold hairspray (reassuringly firm)

Before my opinion, check out the videos the duo of this haircare range have made themselves of this product (here)

Description:

Result:
I kind of like hairsprays that give a softer result. You know the kind of hairsprays that are excellent in giving helmet-hair dos or the ones that are perfect for teased hair, this ain't that kind. It's a softer hairspray that looks invisible (only shiny) in the hair. And this travel-sized can with that cute outfit girl is so cute it will become one of the things I will put in my bag more often.

4/5. Splendidly Silky Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioners

The shampoo/conditioning twins, and they also look like twins when I put them next to each other:

Percy & Reed Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner

More promises and a detailed description of the ingredients:

Results:
For a product that aims to target more moisture, I wasn't really impressed. It isn't drying or such, but I believe similar priced ranges such as L'oreal Expert are much better in delivering moisture and keeping the hair soft. The conditioner, especially, is really thin and not really moisturizing on the dryer parts. This would be better for normal to oily hair, in my opinion.

6. The No Oil Oil (Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational) for thick hair

The product that got me in (thanks worshipofblues) in the first place. And a lovely oxymoron, the no oil oil. Indeed, it is simply a silicony serum and not an oil at all (thinking of oils such as Kerastase Elixir Ultime, Morrocan Oil, Shu Uemura Essence Absolue)

Result:
A lovely serum, but I actually prefer the one they have for thin hair (I have that one as well). Perhaps that has to do with my hair being not so thick anymore.

Sheet and description/ingredients of all the products in the set (click for larger view)

Overal conclusion:

I enjoyed using the set for discovery, duh, that is what it is called and what it is for. My favourites are the Hairspray and the Serum for thinner hair. Those could be repurchases.
The Bodyfying Cream is lovely too, but I want to try some more concoctions with other hairproducts to see how that works out, volumewise.
I will probably use up the Finishing Polish too.
As far for the shampoo/conditioner? Less impressed than the other products

Moreover, I want to say the products are strongly fraganced in a sort of cheaper version of Balenciaga Paris perfume. I really like that product so that is no gripe to me when I combine it with that perfume. It lingers quite long too, I even smelled in on my third day (yes people, dry shampoo and an unsocial weekend).
So, eventually the stronger perfume is a bit of a gripe to me. It isn't so obvious in some of the products, such as the serum and the hairspray, but the bodifying cream/finishing polish are really strong scented.
I enjoyed using the set for discovery, duh, that is what it is called and what it is for. My favourites are the hairspray and the serum for thinner hair.

I bought them on QVCUK.com for £20.28 and they ship to Europe for a reasonable fee. I picked the moisture set, but they have a volume set as well (that is the one with the thinner hair serum).

Mid Weeklies

2012-01-11T06:35:00.000+01:00

Houston, we have our second week of 2012...

1. The trotting Rooster...
Somehow I am into Rooster-metaphors and sayings, and one of the better ones is from Nigeria: "A rooster does not sing on two roofs". Actually, it is a Ntomba proverb, and I tried to search google but I couldn't find a good description.
Somewhat, I think it is about multitasking and considering the rooster is a male animal we all know that men shouldn't multitask...haha. Perhaps it is about infidelity, but somehow I do not think so.
After all, in our culture the rooster is the early bird, and perhaps I am a bit of an early bird myself...

2. Makeup and hair inspiration (or impossiblitity)
I really like her Veronika Lake-curls and I wonder how I would do such a glossy and groomed interpretation of that on my own hair. Perhaps with those set-in curlers my mum used to have.
I love the contradiction of her heavier madeup eyes and the pale lipstick, but somehow I cannot pull of pale lipstick myself, so I declare a full-on copy of her makeup an impossibility as well, but at least I will try with a neutral but more colourful lip...

Winner the Almost 500 Giveaway

2012-01-09T13:17:00.001+01:00

Thank you so much for your sweet and funny comments...I love the feedback so much, even though I sometimes have to ask for it by doing a giveaway ;P

The winner...<drummmmmmrolllllllll>

No 19 is Kat from katbursts.blogspot.com

WOOT WOOT...congratulations!

I will mail you ASAP so keep an eye on your spambox as well (just in case)...

Ps: Mary in Wonder had such a sweet response ...and yeh, I like the lipstick but I'm still dedicating it for bloggers-sisterhood

The almost 500 Giveaway

2012-01-06T16:12:00.001+01:00

I have been plotting another giveaway for this dreary and probably cash-derived time of the year, but I didn't want to call it the January Giveaway's again.

So, I thought I was going to be a bit selffish and a tad pride of the fact that I almost have 500 followers. I have been blogging regularly since 2009 and I realise that it is quite good even though I am not trying to be an A-list beautyblogger. (makes me realise I can really relate and smile about this article of 'Confessions of a B-list Beautyblogger' a lot).

But what is in there for you?

1. Burberry Sheer Lipstick in 206 / Blueberry

Freshly released for FW 2011 and a beautiful deep bitten cherry-ish colour. Swatched here (theultimatemakeup) and here ( CafeMakeup).

Absolutely stunning, so why am I giving this new lipstick away? Well, I vowed that if I didn't use this colour for the 2011 Holidays I would have to give the favour to other beauty-fanatics. How much I love lipsticks, I do not go for the darker colours too much, and if I do I often go for Julie Hewitt's beautiful darker interpretations.

Moreover, since they are on sale in the Netherlands and online at the douglas.nl I noticed they lost a bit of their niche and exclusive appeal. That still makes me love Burberry cosmetics a lot, though, only not enough to treasure this lipstick, so I hope the future winner will treasure it enough ;D

My close-up of the lipstick you might win:

2. Banila Co The Secret Blush/Highlighter in 02 Eternity

Wow, I can promise you Eternity as a price? Who wouldn't wanna win that? Also, so pretty as a highlighter but honestly when you have one Banilla The Secret you do not really have to have all colours of them.

I guess I can make another winner really happy with this beautiful glow:

3. Haus of Gloi BodyLotion in Madcap Garden

Lushious Haus of Gloi are a beautyblogger's favourite and you can try out why...This one is brand new too. So indulge in a beautiful garden before it is officially spring with this excellent bodylotion.

4. My Beauty Diary SheetMasks in Chocolate Truffle

Another beautybloggers favourite and they probably need no introduction...I will add 3 of them in my giveaway....

So you might guess I will be a bit more demanding for this giveaway than my previous ones, because I would actually like to reach the magic 500 followers :P

Rulezzz:

1. Make a comment or say something small in the comment section

2.  I should be able to contact you, so either leave your email behind, or, if you have it listed in your profile, I can contact you that way.

3. This time you HAVE TO BE A FOLLOWER. You can always unfollow me afterwards, but please don't because my blog is actually not that bad ;D

4. Contest ends on Monday, 9th of January 2012, 13.00 hrs European standard time)

5. You are only able to make one comment, so no cheaters who would like to double  their chances.

6. Winner will be announced in a new post after randomly being selected by random.org

7. Please contact me within 2 days to claim your prize or another winner will be selected!

8. Prizes will be shipped by airmail WORLDWIDE within 3 business days after winner contacts me!

So, good luck so you might get your beauty-fix without spending!

Review Rouge Bunny Rouge blush in Starina: Warming me Subtly

2012-01-05T16:55:00.000+01:00

Finding a good skin shader and warmer for a paler skin can be difficult.

Bronzers that are suitable for summer skin can be too brassy-looking and the cooler taupe shades are lovely shaders but do not bring in any warmth.

So in my quest to find a suitable skinwarmer/shader for my almost ghostly winter skin I went for Rouge Bunny Rouge. I think it was probably PlanetMartha review that convinced me the most, but I looked up various swatches online from the excellent beautyblogger-pack.

The official name for the Blush range is Original Skin Blush: for the Love of Roses. You cannot blame Rouge Bunny Rouge for being unromantic, because their romantic and utopian desciptions promise you heaven and earth at the same time.

Starina is described as the Palest Coral with a illuminating radiance, and it's being mentioned as "great for any pale complexion". Good, it should work for little Casperina me.

As for many blush-types, it depends in which light it is seen. Hence, in cool light Starina looks almost cool/taupy but don't be fooled because it is a neutral warm:

RBR blush Starina: cool light no flash

Warmer light:

RBR blush Starina: Warmer light and flash

Still, for a coral I find it to be pleasurably neutral:

Close-up of the pan: (tiny little specks of light gold)

The next swatches are done thickly...this one is done in cooler light, which makes it look a bit brick-like:

RBR Starina Swatch: tiny gold specks liven up the complexion

Warmer light: it does make the coral look more obvious, but more like a brownish/dirty coral.

Unfortunately, the lighter swatches were not so visible on camera, but it really gives my complexion a warmer glow without going into fake and bronzer-obvious territory.

Together with my totally different and cooler Burberry Earthy blush it has been such a lovely shader/skin warmer and I would declare it as a bronzer-esque product for really lightskinned people.

The durability is excellent: I swatched this on my arm and put my sweater over it. After rubbing off for 6 hours, the swatch was still there. The Edward Bess South to France blush (swatched similarly) already faded a lot but this one stayed put!

So my first venture on Rouge Bunny Rouge blush has been excellent. The glow is so gorgeous and the durability is really strong. Moreover, the colour is truely suitable for the paler skinned ones.

I purchased this one on zuneta.com, always lovely, and with the ability to pick out your own samples from quite an impressive range (more RBR highlighters, etc)

Mid-Weeklies

2012-01-04T08:18:00.000+01:00

Hurray, this is my 1st mid-weekly for the year 2012...

1. Fish Spa-pedi...

I actually went to a Fish-Spa establishment for the first time in December to get my feet ready for the pretty shoes season. For people scared of feet (or the other way around, too exited about feet) I made an intentionally blurry picture of the feet being cuddled/functioning as breakfast-material by some Turkish Fish Spa munchers.

I liked the experience, but it was more an all-over exfoliation instead of a deep-pedi treatment. I still had to take care of the last bit of unsmoothiness at home.
(For people who wonder what I was wearing as POTD, it was MAC Violet Femme nailpolish ♥)

2. Inner Beauty...

finishing my beauty-capsules and on the lookout for another brand.

Viridian has been such a lovely brand for getting some extra vitamins/minerals that will help me with getting my skin a bit more glowy. However, I tried it twice and I kind of want to try another suppliment for helping me glow/prettifying the skin.

Any suggestions on a good inner beauty supplement?

Happy and Beautiful 2012

2011-12-31T14:18:00.001+01:00

Wishing my readers and everyone a lovely NYE and a fantastic 2012

Mid Weeklies

2011-12-28T18:37:00.002+01:00

A post-Christmas sum up of Birkies midweek:

1. Time for some post-Christmas Zen: the cat approves....

2. The hot-air balloons and the idea of childhood memories

Just a bit random...

Merry Christmas...

2011-12-25T08:30:00.000+01:00

Birkie and Birkinbagbeauty wishes you a delightful Christmas:

Hope everyone has a lovely time with their loved ones, and have some excellent pressies to show of on their blog soon;P

Coconut Hut Beauty haul: bit of Hawaiian-ness bodycare

2011-12-22T22:48:00.000+01:00

Before I became a beautyblogger I was an avid visitor or makeupalley.com. The different boards lured me into various excellent brands and ways of pampering.

One of my favourites for a while was the bath and body board, and from that board I came to enjoy one of my favourite brands: Coconut Hut Beauty.

Made in Hawaii by Lena they radiated the idea of tropical paradise. I first ordered from them in 2006 or 2007 and, even though there were lots of new etailers, I returned to them for their lovely formulas.

I hadn't ordered from them for a couple of years, but I really felt like ordering something tropical in some kind of escapism against the winter. I really like the bloggers fave of the moment, Haus of Gloi, too, but their scents really have been too wintery for me and I just wanted some plain Hawaiian zest that I used to love.

So do I still like the products?

Yeh, absolutely. Let me introduce their Hawaiian Icing Whipped Sugar Scrub first:

I talked about scrub last week. Actually, about Rituals Hot Hammam scrub (here).

This is something entirely different. Uh, not so different that it isn't scrub but the effect is different.

On Coconuthutbeauty's site:

A Coconut Hut Best Seller and Lena's Favorite Scrub! A luscious blend of Organic Cane Sugar, Golden Brown Cane Sugar, Granulated Cane Sugar, skin nourishing Cocoa Butter, and precious oils of Coconut and Jojoba. This scrub is truly unique in texture[...]When applied this amazing sugar scrub turns into a creamy lotion, rinsing clean without any greasy residue.

Indeed, it looks like a Whipped Icing blend:

So it is a smaller grain scrub made from SUGAR which turns milky when applied to moist skin. It really is wonderful for parts of the body that need a bit of exfoliation, but not the large (and somewhat scary) grains of seasalt that is present in the Rituals Hammam scrub.

So yeh, it is just for what aim you decided to put it for. I like the salty grains of Rituals Hammam on the 'wobbly bits' and the rest can be pampered with the TLC scrub or Hawaiian icing.

The scent is delightful: I love how the lemon is zesty enough to remind me of a warmer climate but the ginger is still wonderful for feeling warm and that bit of spice. Such a delicious combination.

You can find more info on the scrub over here

Coconut Oil in Blood Orange (travel size)

Something new I missed on the last couple of years: their 100% Coconut Oil in liquid form.

I picked their travel-size in 1 oz, which was still rather big and economic in use.

Coconut everything has been really hyped lately, in beverages, cooking oils, ect. On the skin it is a real treat as well. I often use oils for nourishing my hair, but I really liked the thin-ness of this oil and the fact it rinsed out really good (unlike the pesky olive oil).

My hair looked sleeker and less frizz-prone afterwards.

It was also a real treat on the skin and thin enough to keep you from being a greaseball but nourishing enough against winter cold and central heating.

Love and a repurchase too (more info and the product itself over here)

I also got a little freebie in the form of a Cocoa Cabana Whipped Body Souffle. Yummm, I love mango and Mango Madness really whisked me away into a tropical vacation (for a couple of seconds). Their formula of body cream is still really good.

Something Finished: Kérastase Age Premium, Antipodes Hosanna & Tom Ford body Oil

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000+01:00

I'm always proud I empty a product. Sometimes I do that because it is really good, and sometimes it is just ok but I need to make some space in my beauty closet again.

Today I have hair, skin and body...

Starting off with Kérastase Age Premium Masque Substantif Rejuvenating Mask:

It was one of those moment nothing of the 10 products designed for taming hair at home worked for me. I rushed to a hairdresser and asked for the trusted staple and silicony tamer Kérastase Masquintense for thin hair.

The hairdresser lied to me that they took it out of their range (Kérastase, so why would they do that? I don't EVER think so but I played along because I needed a mask, I think they just didn't have it in stock) and offered me this as the alternative. OMG, never going to buy it from a direct hairdresser again because they charged me €35 instead of the €26.88 I would have to pay on feelunique.com.

Well, at least I got a lousy white lie included with it...

Is the mask as Substantif as it claims to be?

I like how there is a bit of pearly glow in the mask itself. But the white-lie hairdresser told me it was ok to put this stuff on a sensitive scalp: Ehm DON'T DO THAT. It is rather fraganced and my scalp didn't liked it.

For the rest, it is a true Kérastase mask that it slightly controls the problem with a large dose of silicone. I prefer their Masquintense, although that one is not really natural either. You know, for repairing I love to use natural/organic ranges, such as Rahua, but when the going gets tough and you need some temporary taming, Kérastase is your woman...ehm...hairmask.

Verdict: Not a repurchase but I would use it if I got it for free.

You can buy this one on feelunique.com (or find a honest hairdresser with normal prices)

Antipodes Hosanna Intense Hydrating Serum:

I have ventured on quite some Antipodes products before (read about it over here). They are organic and some of their products are really lovely and effective and that is what I appreciate about a product.

The Hosanna serum did what it said: it hydrated my skin without irritation.

Still, I have that particular age that need a bit more than hydrating, and I do not want to get stuck in applying 7 kinds of serums on my face to target every 'flaw' I have. Nor do I need to, these days, because there are some fabulous multitaskers. One of them is the Nude Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum which does quite some things, I only have to apply some extra moisture in the form of a daycream.

Still, good enough to finish it with other layering serums. I recon this is lovely for a younger face that only needs hydration, is sensitive and could benefit from a neutral, organic product. Or someone who really likes their skincare routine and loves layering. I know Japanese women are raised to use various types of skincare products so that would be ackward to skip on that ritual.

Verdict: I won't repurchase but if I would get it for free I would use it again ;D

Also available on feelunique or lovelula.com

Lastly, the Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Body Oil

Can you remember my 'niche and snobby' haul in May of this year? Probably not (over here) but I purchased this expensive body oil because I really like Citrus based scents inspired on the Italian coast. Knowing Tom Ford is, besides of a sleek fashion designer, quite skilled on the field of fragance (and cosmetics) as well, I ventured on this oil.

I called it the 'too expensive body oil', but it has been lasting me for a long time afterall. I used this regularly (about once a week).

However, I didn't used it the conventional way, it was such a wonderful oil for bathing.

I really liked this for moisturizing in the bath, it's a thin oil but still oily to combat extra dryness. The scent is unisex, but I found it bordering on masculine. Perhaps too masculine for repurchase, but my boyfriend could use it as well. I would love to see more body-oils in his other fragances, such as the Black Orchid and the Havana Vanilla.

Verdict: same as the previous products, with an exception that I would shill some € for it if he launched this in a different scent.

I purchased mine on parfuma.com and I should order something from them again because they are brilliant in giving out samples you actually want.

Edward Bess Quad Royale in South of France: Some French Glowing

2011-12-17T20:53:00.000+01:00

After reading some glowing reviews and seeing some glowing swatches from beauty-blogger Sabina from thebeautylookbook I decided to buy my 3rd Edward Bess.

My first one was brilliant: I bought his eyeshadow in Intimate and it has been the perfect subtle shade.

My second purchase was the creamy foundation, but I was not too fond of it. One of the other beauty-blogger girls explained that Bess tested (and formulated) the products for himself, and looking at his perfect previously model-face I recon that he probably doesn't have too many flaws to cover, unlike yours truely...

Well, I liked his eyeshadows and I know foundations are so difficult to formulate for a larger public in mind, so I was really curious about the blush/highlighter hybrid. I always head straight towards hybrid blush/highligher/bronzer products, especially from Niche brands such as Edward Bess.

Not that I have a lack of it...teeeheee...

What I already like about it without seeing/swatching it, are the ingredients. There are some beneficial ingredients inside, such as cumcumber fruit extract, lemon peel extract and the soothing Calendula flower.

Ofcourse, it isn't a natural/organic brand, so it isn't all daisies etc inside (mineral oil) but still I like the fact that there is some soothing Calendula included.

The case is a smooth, black plastic with the Edward Bess initials in a sleek font printed in the middle:

It was so hard to make good pictures the last couple of days. I recon that sunny California where Sabrina lives is a lot better. And where does überswatcher KarlaSugar lives? She always has good light!

The palette itself has 4 colours, an standard-paletty brush and a mirror:

I will show the colours in the next order of numbers from top left to right, continuing to bottom left to right:

I couldn't capture all colours in one row, so I will show you some different ones:

1-4:

Skipped no 1: The different light shows the shimmer/somewhat metallic glow of the colours better:

All together in a row:

Conclusion:
I can see that this palette looks quite differently on cooler NW20 something skin than Sabrina's warmer skintone (Chanel Perfect lumiere beige 30). However, I like the way it gives me a somewhat mauvy glow in the mix.

The bronzer colour (no 3) has some rose/mauvy colour and is the most pigmented. In my opinion, this should have been the bigger size. I think this shade is quite unique and really fits me so I would buy a large size blush of that colour alone. It would suit as an eyecolour shade as well.

Knowing me, I am not too sure how the shimmer lights up in some light, but when I see it blended in the mix on the 3 different pictures, I can see no hint of obvious shimmer, just a light and lovely pink/mauvy based hue.

So is it a blush or a highlighter? I would say it is a hybrid I will put a little larger on my cheekbones with my blush slightly under it and somewhat blended together in the middle.

Overal, it is a beautiful product, I have lots of hybrid products but I like how it differs in the fact how it looks on me when having untanned skin. It looks really lovely on both warmer skintones (see Sabrina) and cooler skintones.

I purchased this on Zuneta.com.

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: mini-spa-ness...

2011-12-15T09:22:00.000+01:00

For today I thought it would be good to look at a 'spa-at-home' product.

Most of us are in that pre-christmas haze that we do not have that much time (and money) to spend in a real spa, but still do not want to resemble a lizard in that dreadful moment we have to present ourselves in our christmas dresses (or perhaps a cute Tux like Bianca Jagger ;D).

Overal, the combination of the body-showing event and the midst of winter is not the best combination, so time to look at some scrubbies...

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: Ginger & Eucalyptus & sea salt

Rituals has been a Dutch brand around since approximately a decade, and it is that good (and well marketed I believe) that they have been branching out their products outside the country as well.

Their main cities are displayed on the shopping bag, but I have them seeing mentioned in the British Glossy magazines as well, so I know they are available in the UK.

I picked the Hammam warming scrub because I didn't have any scrub available at my home (mostly from etailers from the US) and they were the weekly deal: €10 instead of € 14,90.

But most importantly, I have been interested in the Hammam scrub for some time because it smells really good and is incredibly grainy and warming.

And the instructions on the back mention that is is aimed to relieve fatigue and to lift the mood...yep, I need that!

Rituals Hammam scrub: instructions in various languages.

The Ritual stores are quite inviting to try out their product. They have these luxury water basements and most of their line ready to use at the side. Afterwards, they have these fresh hand-towelettes to dry your hands in a luxurious style and the interior of their shops is quite luxe. Some Dutch train-stations have these Ritual shops and they are so wonderful for waiting commuters who like to scrub their hands and try out some things.

The scrub is quite large and contains a hefty dose of 250 gr or 8.8 oz. But don't be too fooled because that black lid on top is like a high hat and it is not filled to the brim of that black hat.

It's still bigger than my BELOVED CoconutHut Beauty scrub, but I picked their 4 oz size and they have a 8 oz size as well, but I like to vary scent-wise so I picked their smaller one (ooops, that is another review that is up in the making)

Back to the Rituals:

Their scrub is based on SEASALT, so beware of little wounds on the body-parts or you will feel a different feeling of 'invigoration'.

Their other two main ingredients: Ginger and Eucalyptus, are really strong and remind me of those old-fashion spa's or perhaps those cough-rubbing balms.

But it sure wakes you up for a moment.

The large grains are perfect for that last-minute cellulite blasting, although I know I will never blast all of it, but it is all in the effort and the mind that it somewhat looks a bit less ;D.

So this combination makes me feel clean and has a semi-spa-like experience.

It never goes really spa-like, unless you have a willing partner with good hands and patience who likes to perform the 'therapist'-role for you (that is a different kind of role-play, think of it, the kind of role-play women would prefer, teeeheee)

It doesn't really get warming as some of these warming-scrubs do, but the ginger/eucalyptus and invigorate scrubbing of the large grains get the blood flowing, so I do not have to complain that often (see post yesterday) about the cold.

Rituals has an online shop over here and the Hammam Scrub is over here € 14,90

Oh, and for the people remembering the glorious 1990s, I wanna put up some other TLC (the fab girl-group) and their idea on scubs ;D

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-12-14T08:02:00.001+01:00

Happy Wednesday...

1. Fragonista habits:

Being slightly cosmetic-addict I often switch from being addicted to different groups in the spectrum. Sometimes I get totally focussed upon nailpolish, and sometimes it's all about perfume.
Christmas approaching, I like to 'redress' my perfume 'clothes' differently than during the summer, so I veer towards warmer scents. But sometimes I do the complete opposite and take out a really fresh and summery scent for having that bit of summer memory.This cute bottle is from Themefragance and is simple but good fragance-wise: somehow.

So approaching the hectic Xmas days it is all about keeping calm (and spraying on)

2. Approaching the official Winter

There hasn't been snow (yet), but the cold has already moved in, making me seek refuge to anything heat-generated when outside. Or packing up like i would venture in a Russian snowstorm & fidgeting with gloves when checking my mobile (too little gloves around that are actually mobile-handy).

This temporary cute fellow is one of the perks of winter and snow...

Lunasol Xmas Coffret 2011 part 2: eyeshadow quad EX01

2011-12-11T09:06:00.001+01:00

Let's start with some sunday vanities with the last part of the review of the Lunasol Xmas Coffret 2011.

Probably the part most beauty people would be most interested about: the eyeshadow palette. The full name is the Kanebo Lunasol Three-dimensional eyes in EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown. I already found my title long enough so I just put down the things I placed above ;D

Lunasol Three-dimensional eyes in EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown (flash light camera)

Lunasol has been releasing different variety of their eyeshadow quads or quintets for a long time. They launched the octed one (that's 8, I had to look that one up too ;D) this year. I hadn't been buying them yet, because my place is flouded with eyeshadow everything, but I was glad to receive it in this set.

Lunasol Three-dimensional eyes in EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown: outdoor light no sun

So you get 8 colours with the latest release. Some of them are quite tiny, and the most useful ones/the ones you probably use the most of are full compact colours. I already reasoned that the tiny strips do not bother me at all, because I have to see the first time I will finish an eyeshadow in a normal size..

Lunasol Three-dimensional eyes in EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown: Camera Flash

Swatch time: (feel free to click on the pictures for a better view)

Lunasol EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown EX01: swatches -> lighter top row

The colours:
1 is a glittery colour with a hint of a cool-white base. To me, this is the most useless colour because I don't do glitter, unless it is on my nails during the holiday season (hello glitter nails right now). For women/girls who like a bit of glitter, it is quite a grown up glitter and perfect for that eye-opening effect in the middle of your eyelids or anywhere you like that bit of flash.

2 is a bit chalky white, but looks better when blended. It is not so visible in the picture, but this white has a pinkish undertone you can see in different lighting. Quite subtle and really fresh.

When I was younger I used to LOVE to put white eyeshadow and white eyeliner on, even though everyone else recommended the smokey eyes. There was this brilliant quad from Christian Dior composed of all kinds of white with different hues, green/pink/blue I used....so gorgeous (around 1996), they should relaunch that quad again. When younger you do not always go for obvious beauty (at least I didn't) but sometimes you want to look freshly different...the whites of the Dior quad were perfect for that.

Ahhh, makeup nostalgia

3 is another white with a slight purple undertone. It looks chalky but blends like a dream. Lunasol really pigmented this selection of quads but their blendability is still excellent.

4 is the perfect mushroom neutral that almost every makeupliking person would appreciate (and being familiar of). That's why this one is in the big formula.

Continuing with the browns:

Lunasol EX01 Tender Glow Beige Brown Swatches the darker bottom row

5 is a warmer hued brown with a dash of glitter...yeh, not too hyped about the glitter. I hope I can use this one. Still, a beautiful neutal in a big formula as well.

6 is a cooler, darker brown with a shimmery base and a hint of gold. Ohhh, so lovely.

7 is darker than 6 so perfect for the 3-dimensial effect and gradually creating a smokey-brown eye. It has that lovely golden sheen as well and the glitter is small enough for me to tolerate ;)

8 is a blackish brown that I will probably use as a sort of eyeliner or close to my lashbase. A bit more glitter than 7 and 8 but for an eyeliner I do not mind because it makes it more alive.

Overall, the pigmentation is stronger than their previous ranges but they still blend easily so you can make it as deep or sheer as you like.
It is also the perfect neutral palette, colourwise. You cannot go wrong with a set of browns. The whites make it quirky enough to do something different (see nostalgia story of mine) if you wear them alone. So I really like the versability of the palette.
My only gripe is the glitter. It could have toned down on the glitter, but it is made for an Asian market and most girls do like a bit of sparkle.

If you want to see the review I made on the rest of the set, click here and you can see the other items included in the set.

Mid Weeklies

2011-12-06T21:36:00.001+01:00

Setting the midweeky quirkologies in the right spot for this week:

1. The Elephant

Somehow it has been about memory last week: remembering things. So the elephant is symbol to memory and I really liked the way this elephant has been photographed...Stunning.

2. The Birkin

"oh na na, what's my name?"
Clearly, I don't own one. So the Birkin-bag to me stand for somewhat impossible (for the moment) dreams and a bit of excessive luxury.
Even though I were to be able to afford one, I would simply think deep about it as to direct that kind of money to a bag instead of the other options of life (travel, education, your loved ones) sounds a bit excessive.
Still, they are the golden standard of luxury so it stands for girly dreams as well: it's the glass slipper of bags and to own one would be close to bag-perfection...

Review: Kose Addiction Dewy Glow foundation in 02 Madeleine

2011-12-05T09:01:00.001+01:00

I like you to introduce my latest foundation acquisition from the Kose Addiction line:

Buying foundations online without any swatches available can be risky. The Addiction foundation had been launched for a short time, and reviews on Kose Addictions are not as widespread as, eg MAC or NARS. However, I had some faith in Addiction's quality as they have proven to be of high standard of the purchases in the past.

Kose Addiction foundation and a freebie

When I read a positive review on porcelain beauty Drivel about Frivol I decided to take the plunge. I picked up a shade darker than her, because I have a darker colouring.

There are a limited amount of shades available, however, they are named in the foodie category with cookie-based names. The no 02 is called Madeleine (that's a French type of cake).

I always have NARS in mind when seeing the packaging of Addiction. That is not so strange because Ayako, the makeupartist behind the brand, used to work for NARS.

So I somewhat lack originality (compared to DrivelaboutFrivel's post) and want to compare the foundation with one of NARS top-selling and loved-among-beautybloggers foundation: the Sheer Glow Foundation. I could have compared to some other ones I have, such as the Chanel Vitalumiere, but I didn't want to do a 'compare' post, just a review next to the brand Ayako abandoned for his own brand.

Of seeing the bottle of Addiction: it looks similar of the Suqqu liquid foundation I saw online. I don't have that one so I cannot compare them. However, the bottle is made of a matte texture (NARS is shiny) and is a longer/thinner shape.

Kose Addictin has a good dose of SPF 20 & PA++ in it. NARS seems to be without SPF protection.

It is made of a liquidy texture and a thinner formula, without any obvious shimmer/flecks/etc.

It is easy to blend and is a tiny bit pinker than my skintone. I actually enjoy this because it adds that bit of freshness to my skin.

Blended:

Somewhat luminous but not in any way shimmery. I find the foundation quite neutral: a My-Skin-but-Better foundation.

I still wanted to compare the Madeleine with NARS Santa Fe for colour-reference and luminosity factor.

(I have some scary goosebumbs going on...sorry about that)

I do think the picture above is a bit off, because the Addiction swatch looks darker than the NARS, which, in real life they are almost as light, NARS a tiny bit darker.

I have to agree with DrivelAboutFrivol for feeling weightless on my face. It is also scentless so it feels like I don't have any foundation on.

It is not as glowy as the NARS sheer foundation, but I actually prefer that--> It's a velvet luminence. glow looks good on cheeks, etc but not so much on the parts you like to keep toned down, such as my 'lovely' T-zone. The velvet-like texture of the Kose Addiction is better suited for that: and I can always apply the glowy by means of my highlighters/blush.

I actually like it's simplicity in the field of foundation. It is a thin-to-medium coverage that you can layer or take care of the 'imperfections' by means of concealer.

It did fade a bit after a couple of hours (6). I have that with lots of foundations so the durability is not particularly different.

A big downside that it is quite expensive, but a foundation is...you might guess...the foundation of your makeup. I rather spend a bit more on my foundation and save on my eyeshadow than the other way around. (but the truth is, I don't really save on either :P)

I purchased it on ichibankao.com.

Review: Kanebo Kate Gel Eyebrown in LB-1

2011-12-03T12:32:00.001+01:00

On the quest of a pair of perfectly framed eyebrows I went for another purchase. This time I found a colour made for lighter brows in the Kanebo Kate line.

I haven't seen that many brands on the market that actually have made an eyebrow gel: lots of powders and pens, but a similar product as the eyeliner gels? I cannot really recall. That makes Kate quite innovative.

I think Kanebo Kate has this eyebrow gel in their line for quite some time. It's not a new release or so.

However, I never looked into it because I assumed most eyebrow products for the Asian market would target darker eyebrow hairs. I already find most Western, Caucasian-oriented brand to have colours that are a bit too dark already, so finding a lighter colour was a surprise. Later I realised that was a bit stupid of me, because there are quite some Asian girls who opt for lighter hair as well. Perhaps they bleach or lighten their brows too.

And even with lighter haired eyebrows, bleached or natural, you still want the gaps to be filled for a more stable and stronger looking eyebrow. A lighter colour to match your hairs might fit the bill.

Instructions on the back:

Kate never dissapoints in packaging. Although a cheaper variety line of Kanebo, they look minimalistic with black packaging and thus more expensive than their cuter sister Lavshuca. Lavshuca is therefore more a kawaii brand and Kate more Kirei.

In this case, the eyebrow gel comes in a white matte pot and a glossy black lid.

It contains 2.5 gram of product:

The colour, when I open the lid, looks like a warmer, light brown or a creamy darkened honey.

This picture is made in artificial light:

This picture is made in direct sunlight:

The swatches are all made with the same eyebrow gel and with a slanted brush:

The middle one and the right one has the lightest application, making it look the lightest and warmest. The other ones had a thicker stroke.

So, it looks cooler and a bit darker when applied with a heavier hand.

The only gripe is that the eyebrow gel crumbles a bit after useage. Nothing bad, but I prefer when it stays creamy:

Conclusion:

The colour might be a bit too warm for my eyebrows, but I am really picky when it comes to eyebrow colour and only seem to like the lightest Anastasia colour, because it is a cool, taupy colour.
However, I think this colour can really work for strawberry blondes, light blondes with warmer undertones, and lots of dyed Asian hair that often tends to get that warmer shade. It just depends of your colour of eyebrows.

The gel stays on the whole day. It is relatively easy to remove with eye-makeup remover or just some cleansing oil.

If I find the gel to be handier than a powder or a pen/pencil?
Ehm, it is just as much work working with a gel as with a powder, taking up the right amount on your slanted brush and applying it with lots of care and smaller strokes to make it seem like natural hairs. But eyebrows always take some work in order to make them look natural and powerful, either with drawing hairs with a pen/pencil or with a brush.

The price is affordable for $10.50 on adambeauty. They have two other colours, a BR1 colour and a BR3 colour. Also an eyebrow coat gel, which probably makes the brows look glossier or fixes them. There is also a brush sold separately for $3.50.

'End of the Week'-quirkies

2011-12-02T16:53:00.001+01:00

Because I had a give-away going on on the blog, I skipped the midweek-quirkologies. Still, I placed it at the end of the week for thís week only:

1. It's Skin Macaron Lipbalm in yellow.

I jumped upon the It's Skin bandwagon, ok...already did that with their serums, but I bought the Macaron-shaped lipbalm as well. It is a sweetly scented balm, quite Pineaple-like. Balm-wise, it is quite standard but moisturizing enough.

Cute enough for the desk...

2. Writing love...writing nice things...

It's often easy to forget to be kind to each-other on the internet. Actually, the beauty-bloggers along each other are quite friendly to each other but if you look at other social networks, the anonymous position can lead into writing not-so-friendly words you would never dare to say to a person if face-to-face.

Ok, enough preachy talk ;D. If you like this kind of photography and have access to instagram, this picture has been made by katv608...she is immensly popular and has lots of kawaii pictures like this.

Winner Glorious Giveaway...

2011-12-01T15:07:00.001+01:00

Drumroll.....

It No.2: Terry!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Terry, you gave me your email so I will email you ASAP for sending you your price

Glorious Giveaway: Mac, Emma Hardie, My Beauty Diary

2011-11-28T13:09:00.001+01:00

I thought it was time to give out a giveaway to my faithful readers on the blog.

I decided to keep it small but full of quality items. Somehow I wanted to keep everything for myself again, because I like the things I will be giving away, but I can use some more space in my closet and I like to treat my readers a bit.

What can you win?

1. Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm:

I reviewed this one yesterday and shortly I liked this one for the luxurious vibe. I received an extra travel size, which is the one I will be giving away. I also include their high-quality dual sided cleansing cloth. I featured pictures of that cloth over here.

2. Mac Eye shadow mineralize duo in Fresh Green Mix.

Brand new...this will look stunning on all kinds of eyecolours, but especially brown hues.

3. My Beauty Diary Chocolate truffle Sheet Masks: 3 pieces.

A true staple in my cosmetic wardrobe, the My Beauty Diary Masks. These with Chocolate truffle really smell a bit chocolately. Perfect for infusing some moisture and pampering into winter-dry skins.

4. Kawaii Doll & MP3 player earplugs...

Also new, ofcourse...for the cuteness factor.

How do you make a chance to win it all?

1. Make a comment or say something small in the comment section

2.  I should be able to contact you, so either leave your email behind, or, if you have it listed in your profile, I can contact you that way.

3.  I do not want to oblige you to follow the blog just for the giveaway,  so you can join even if you do not wish to follow my blog. 

4. Contest ends on Thursday, 1st of December 2011, 15.00 hrs European standard time, GMT +1)

5. You are only able to make one comment, so no cheaters who would like to double  their chances.

6. Winner will be announced in a new post after randomly being selected by random.org

7. Please contact me within 2 days to claim your prize or another winner will be selected!

8. Prizes will be shipped by airmail WORLDWIDE within 3 business days after winner contacts me!

 So, good luck!

Cleansing Balms: reviewing Emma Hardie, Liz Earle & Eve Lom

2011-11-27T11:02:00.001+01:00

Cleansing balms have been on the stage for quite a while. Perhaps more popular in the UK than elsewhere, but they start to reach a more international crowd thanks to bloggers review and international web-shopping.

As I normally veer towards Asian cosmetics, I am already familiar with cleansing oils. Most of my Asian readers and quite some Western readers already know that something that sounds far away from a cleansing device, (oil???), can be one of the better ways to remove makeup and respecting a dryer/sensitive skin.

Reading about cleansing balms, I kind of got a similar expectation, only hightened by the fact that

cleansing balms are perfect for a small, pre-skincare massage, thus I expected an improvement in skintone
even a more softer way of removing makeup than cleansing oils, and better suited for dryer (skin with dry patches) or dehydrated skin.

So, in a shorter times, thanks to some curiosity (Liz Earle), online deals (Emma Hardie freebie) and the friendliness of a niche shop-assistant providing me a freebie of Eve Lom, I had 3 types of cleansing balms to compare.

Funny that all these cleansing balms have women's names...I like that a lot...it makes it more personal...

Let's go for their full names, featuring the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm & Eve Lom Cleanser (hurray, a shorter name)

Cleansing Balms: Liz Earle, Emma Hardie & Eve Lom

I don't want to repeat too much on what most beauty-afficionados already know, nor do I want to leave out things.

I think every cleansing balm on the market these days comes with the direction to cleanse the skin with a special cleansing cloth. Often, they are provided by the brand themselves.

Eve Lom is the most cult and perhaps the most popular of the three. But I think that in the UK has Liz Earle on the no. 1 spot. Eve Lom retails for approximately $50 and I think Liz Earle around $20.

Emma Hardle is a newbie on the field, so I will dedicate some special attention on that one.

The travel-size packaging and cloth:

I think the look of the brand's packaging looks a lot like the brands you can buy at beauty salons, such as Decleor, Guinot or Natura Bisse. A clean, white packaging with some gold and blue. Quite fresh and spa-like.

Similar to the cloth they provide: It is a dual-sided cloth:

One side is a softer, cushion-y texture that reminds me of fiber-cloth wipes. The other side is a flatter and somewhat scrub-like, harder texture.Emma Hardie suggests that you can alternate the softer side for the sensitive parts of the face (or when you have sensitive skin in general) and the harder side on the parts you would like to have more exfoliation, such as the T-zone.

Compared to Liz Earle, I prefer this cloth. Liz Earle only provides you with a cloth that has the exfoliating/harder fabric. I have read some complaints about that online, and I can imagine that this dual-sided cloth is more versatile and feels more spa-like.

Back to the 3:

Liz Earle (on the left) comes in a handy pump-tube. Emma Hardie in a pot, and normally Eve Lom comes in a pot as well.

For hygienic reasons I would prefer the Liz Earle.

The texture of the Liz Earle is like a balmy, milky cream.: (see white part out of nozzle):

Emma Hardie and Eve Lom are that buttery balm texture. Emma Hardie a bit thicker than Eve Lom:

On the skin:

I could not help to notice that Eve Lom melts away the fastest, becoming a runny melted butter. Emma Hardie melts a bit, but doesn't become runny. Liz Earle stays the same blob as applied first.

Adding a spritz of water:

All three become a milky substance that makes it easy to massage the makeup of the skin. Eve Lom is perhaps the thinnest of the two.

After wiping away the residue with a cleansing cloth, the skin is cleaned. The Liz Earle and the Emma Hardie have no residue left. Eve Lom still has a bit of buttery layer.

Conclusion:

All three are suitable for cleaning up a heavy dose of makeup or other grime of the skin. The difference is in the feeling, the scent and the overal luxury feeling of cleansing.

Scent:

Liz Earle is the freshest scent with a dash of Eucalyptus. Perhaps good for mornings when you are a bit groggy.
Emma Hardie reminded me of Decleor nightbalms...deliciously scented with heady essential oils, such as Orange, Neroli and Mandarin ,Jasmine, cedarwood and Rose. It really gives out that spa-like, beauty salon experience.
Eve Lom smelled like plain-old petrolium. I don't know if that would be so because it was a decanted sample, but I expect a bit more sustainablity of a nice scent (or neutral scent) when you are such a cult-product for such a price.

Texture/cleansing:

Liz Earle stayed the balmiest on the skin, until the water came in.
Emma Hardie became a bit more liquidy but Eve Lom's texture became a bit too runny.
I prefer when the texture stays put, until I add water. So you can massage and target the area a bit better.The after-feeling of Liz Earle and Emma Hardie are the best. Although I believe that I prefer Liz Earle's scent for when I have sensitivity issues, because the overly heady combination of Emma Hardie lingers a bit too long on the skin.

Luxury factor:

That one goes to Emma Hardie, with Liz Earle as a runner up. She provides superior ingredients in her balm, such as Moringa seed extract, Wild Sea Fennel and Vitamin E and the scent is luxurious as well. The cloth is superior to Liz Earle's.
Also, the fact she includes a whole sheet of massage instructions, has a video online with more massage techniques and a plethora of ways to become your own beauty therapists ups up the luxury factor.
Liz Earle still deserves a good runner-up spot for it's fresh eucalyptus scent, the milky cream that stays put on the skin until you emulsify it with water. And I actually prefer the pump above the pot.
I am not a fan of Eve Lom by the sample I received. I would prefer either Emma Hardie or Liz Earle's based on scent, texture, and cleansing experience.

Price:

Eve Lom is the most expensive for £50.00 for 100 ml. Emma Hardie is still quite hefty for £34.00 for 100 ml. Liz Earle is a £ 13.75 for 100 ml.

Am I a cleansing balm convert now?

Not really, or perhaps not yet. I feel my skin has become more sensitive these days, and the heavier the cleansing method, the more I feel my skin feels iffy about it. So I still opt for my more liquidy cleansing oils, actually. However, I think I will enjoy these products more when I reach springtime and the sensitivities will lessen.

But if you like to try a cleansing balm for free: keep an eye on my blog because I will include an new, generous travel size Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa cleansing balm in a giveaway soon!!!

Brightly Brunette: Christophe Robin Shade Variation Care Mask in Warm Chestnut

2011-11-26T13:21:00.001+01:00

Seasonal colour change: it's not just nature but sometimes our hair cooperates as well.

Basically I am not the most experimental with haircolour, but I do like to vary a bit during the season. During the summer I often opt for that mixed bronde colour (somewhat between brunette and blonde). However, when Autumn arrives I like to make a colour decision and decide to leave the beachy blonde in my hair for what it is and go back to my warm-brunette nature.

I thought it would be handy to try out a caring hairmask with a temporary colouring effect. Reviews pointed me to Christophe Robin's colour hair masks, which was a good excuse to try out more pampering haircare with the benefit of a deeper and glossier colour..

Christophe Robin, as you might guess, is not your cheap-as-chips and easily available haircare range. I bought mine in a niche-shop in Rotterdam, and I believe you can find it online.

I found an interesting element in the FAQ of Christophe Robin's website that I found remarkably refreshing to read. I tend to veer towards my mid-30s, and I notice that the common advise for Caucasian, slightly fairskinned women is to go more blonde. Remarkably, Christophe Robin has the next thing to say about that:

click on the picture for larger letters ;D

Let me requote:

"blonde actually tends to emphasise dark circles under the eyes. Caramel, subtle copper and golden shades create a healthy glow and are very sensual"

Wow, it is something I knew intuitively and noticed on other women: blonde can look cute and refreshing in summer when having a tan (that masks dark circles and tiredness) but it can make the face look slightly washed out (talking about the pale blonde) without makeup/tan.

So my choice for a warmer chestnut isn't so weird after all.

Nevertheless, hair colour is as personal as you like it to be, so it is the person who wears it that should be happy about it, after all!

The back of the jar advises to leave on the mask from 5 to 30 minutes, and the longer the mask is left in, the stronger the colour. It claims the colour result stays for approximately 3-5 shampoo washes.

The jar of the mask is made of a sturdy black plastic. It contains a lot of product, relatively. It is also quite concentrated and pastlike, so you don't have to use much to cover your hair.

The colour is between a reddened brown and a standard brown.

Results:

I used this mask for the longest time on the jar: 30 minutes and wrapped in cling-film for a better result. I noticed the lighter parts of my hair were slightly darkened, but not something dramatically. The rest of my hair is already a chestnut brown so I couldn't really distinguish a strong colour change beside of a glossier finish and the lighter parts being made a bit darker.

However, I think this mask would work if my hair starts to get grey strands. I think it has enough colour to mask them a bit without dying. That would also mean you have to take regular masks (after every 2 washes) in order to keep the grey out of sight.

Scent:

A slightly chemical baby powder scent: not really matching with the somewhat natural vibe of the mask (without silicons etc) but effective in having that clean-hair scent.

Condition-wise

I wouldn't consider it to be a deep-treatment compared to my spoiled nature of Kerastase Masks and the likes of it, however, it gives a glossy finish that glistens in sunlight. But for severe dryness I would suggest taking another mask first or use some extra leave-in treatment, e.g the Kerastase Elixir Ultime oil.
It is without silicons, which can be a pro when you like your hair to detox from silicones, but a con when you prefer to have that bit of slip in your hair.
Ingredients: (from their website)

The products contain natural ingredients and plant extracts which combine several actions :

Nourish and hydrate the hair : oils (lavender, palm, olive, wheat germ, apricot kernel, Volubilis nut, sunflower, peach, Buriti), almond butter and St John’s wort extracts.
Protect the hair from sun : sunscreens and oils.
Fortify the hair : A-E-F vitamins and wheat proteins, rice proteins, pulp of philodendron tree and barley, honey.
Lighten and illuminate : camomile, cornflower lemon zest extracts.
Maintain the color : blueberry, vitamin E (very powerful natural antioxidant), omegas 3 and 6 and tocopherols.
Revive shades and restore your hair to a radiant, pure color with completely natural effects : Fiorentina iris, carrot oil, cocoa butter and licorice extract.

Formulated with an acidic pH, our products respect the scalp and hair pH and counterbalance the alkaline pH of the oxidizing coloring products.
Their acidic pH formula tightens hair scales and helps avoid coloring pigment loss.
Alcohol dries whereas silicone gives volume and conditions but does not treat the hair.

The ingredients used in the products are as detergent free as possible so as not to irritate the scalp.

Price:

I bought the mask for €35 which gives you 250 ml or 8.25 fl oz. That is 50 ml more than you would get from a Kerastase mask, as they just give you 200 ml and retail in the hairdressers salon for €35 as well (you can get better deals online from lookfantastic.com or feelunique.com, though).

I cannot compare those two anyway, because Christophe Robin Shade variation aims for colour enhancement in the first place, but I just added this difference in content to show you that they are expensive, but not ridiculously different from the product that quite some women (and men) would allow to pay for their hair by buying Kerastase masks.

Repeat buy?

I actually bought the Chic Red one when it came with a lovely deal (a travel size lemon cleansing balm) but I have to see if it really makes me more reddish. But as I said, I wouldn't buy this mask only for the conditioning/repairing although it still has some good ingredients and conditioning properties.

You can buy it from their own website or from lookfantastic.com and the colours vary from Red, Ash brown, baby blonde, golden blonde. I actually miss a jet black, btw...they should add that colour as well.

Review: Kanebo Lunasol Coffret Xmas 2011

2011-11-24T16:07:00.001+01:00

Hello, it's here!

Hold tight, because I will have pictures and swatches of almost everything, that is a lot for one post but I decided to keep it in one post.

The only thing I won't be swatching is the eyeshadow palette. (I'll keep that one for later).

I already had high expectations based on the promotion pictures I saw (talked about it here). I have been slightly enamourated with the clutch and I know from previous Lunasol Xmas editions that they seldom dissapoint...sometimes they repeat the best-sellers, but for me that is not such a problem because that has given me the opportunity to (finally) have one of the bestsellers that are always sold-out.

The shine on that clutch is already amazing.

But eventually I bought it for the shiny thingies inside, right?

Lunasol provides its coffret with 4 full sized products:

1. the Skin Contrast Face Powder in 01 Glow
2. Full Glamour Gloss in EX19 Tender Glow Pink
3. Cream Cheeks in EX 04 Tender Glow Pink
4. Eyeshadow palette in EX 01 Tender Glow Beige Brown

So let's look at everything in the same order!

1. Skin Contrast Face Powder in 01 Glow

I was most curious about this: I wondered if it would be an overly shimmery/glittery powder or a powder for blotting/diffusing the face. I hoped for the last.

And YES! It's mainly a face powder for setting makeup:

Still, if you click on the pictures you can see a tiny glitter/fleck appearing. I don't really mind. One of my favourite face powders is from Jill Stuart and they are based on the same principle -> with a tiny hint of shimmer to make the powder feel less flat on the face.

Blended in the skin:

I really like the soft-diffusion effect...I think you can see the difference between the powdered part and the non-powdered parts: but in a good way because the powdered parts have that softly-lit or airbrushed finish.

I think it holds away the oilies for a good couple of hours. It is also non-scented and that is brilliant. It doesn't irritate my skin as well and it feels soft on the skin.

That's my temporary review: I will have to road-test it for a couple of days more to give out a definite review :D

2. Full Glamour Gloss in EX19 Tender Glow Pink

It's a clear pink gloss without any shimmers. The foot on the applicator is slightly bended for a better reach on the lips.

The colour:

I do not think it changes the lip-colour a lot, but it is perfect for that glossy finish without a tacky feeling. It almost feels like a high-end lip treatment. The pink/rosiness gives the lips that bit of extra.

Overal, a safe colour as an extra over lipstick or for a slightly fuller pout on its own.

3. Cream Cheeks in EX 04 Tender Glow Pink

I have seen a lot of raves blogwise so I was really glad this product is included in the set. I could finally get my hands on this blogger's favourite.

The colour is a warm but light pink, infused with flecks

I am somewhat surprised that it is quite light. I am already such a pale-face but this one looks more light a pink-toned highlighter than a blush.

I might be used to liquid blush that has a bit more coverage/pigment in it, such as my By Terry liquid blush and my Inglot liquid blush/highlighter (here). But it is still perfect for creating a sweet highlight.

4. Eyeshadow palette in EX 01 Tender Glow Beige Brown

So I haven't swatched this one yet. But it looks so versatile and promising in the pan. I can already distinct 8 colours in a handy size!

As for the tiny strips? I don't mind. I cannot remember if I ever finished any eyeshadow in my life: I'm just too fickle for that and I like to vary my eyeshadows (or days I don't wear them at all).

I will swatch it as soon as possible ;D

The best surprise has been the clutch and the quality of that one!

It is of marvelous fake-fur quality: I love the taupe tones and the velvet brown ribbon:

The inside is such an ON-TREND velvet.

It truely can double as a fashion-item for toting around.

But it is not only beautiful: it has been zippered on both sides so you can divide your makeup/mobile/money safely and handily:

Lunasol's label is displaced on one side of the zippered compartments:

I sound like I am completely hired by Lunasol to pimp out their new Coffret, but I honestly have to say I am superenthousiastic by myself and it is probably the best Xmas palette from Lunasol ever, perhaps even the best Xmas set ever.

There are items inside that are normally $60 on its own (the eyeshadow palette) so the whole set is such a bargain.

I hope my pictures and review has helped you to make a decision. If you decide to buy it, adambeauty still have it up for $92 (here).

EDITED: I swatched and reviewed the eyeshadow quad in this post over here

Ohhhh, Lunasol Coffret Xmas 2011

2011-11-24T12:22:00.001+01:00

Loook! I got SUPER mail today:

Yes, it is a teaser post but I already looked at it and swatched it so I will let you know later...

But it is a FANTASTIC set, better than expected, so keep your eyes fixed on this blog for pictures soon...

Mid Weekly

2011-11-23T12:38:00.001+01:00

Kind of a dull week, so not too many quirks to talk about, but still...

1. Fog, Fog, Fog...
It caused some high-profile accidents in Germany and it made everything somewhat mysterious, but sometimes somewhat dull.

2. Burberry Counter

As some entertainment I went to check out Burberry Makeup again. I really like my no 7 Earthy blush a lot, because my pale skin cannot use any normal bronzer without looking fake. This taupy brown gives my face some definition and some warmth.
Did I buy something: duh? But not too much, only my second lipstick from their line.

Review: Kanebo Kate Rouge HG in PK-17

2011-11-20T11:38:00.001+01:00

Curiosity got the best of me, again.

Ok ok, I had been browsing through my well-extended lipstick wardrobe and rationalised the fact that I absolutely didn't need another one. But I loved the fact that Kanebo Kate had launched a new lipstick in their sleek black design...

I rationalised the purchase that it would be good for the blog and updating the other beauty/lip fanatics ;D and that I was quite curious too how the Kate one would cover/moisturize and feel on the lips.

When it arrived and unpacked: I loved the fact that it looks quite expensive and chic. The 'waves' on the tube make it original and easy to hold and the square shape is handy for preventing your lipstick rolling around everywhere.

The material is a metallic-kind and sturdy. I can see it surviving Birkie-usage for lots of months without losing its chic appearance.

Adambeauty gave the next description of the lipstick:

極致水感特色唇膏.

柔潤豐澤,持續潤飾双唇, 打造豐盈胞满的水感美唇.

Which google.translate translated into this:

The ultimate sense of water features lipstick.
Gentle Fortress, continuous polished lips, cell full of water to create a sense of abundance beauty lips

Yeh, the fun you can have with google translation, right? Anyway, the highlight in on 'water', so I rated it as a highly moisturizing lipstick.

In fact, it ís a highly moisturizing lipstick. For Japanese skincare afficionados: think Kanebo Lavshuca Moisture Melting Rouge (perhaps a tiny tad less moisturizing but só close). For the drugstore afficionados: think Dior Addict lipstick.

Sorry to have a irregular shape on the picture -> I made pictures before I used it, but they were rubbish, so I had to make them better after I used it:

So, you can already see it is a dewy lipstick from the picture.

On the skin:

It gives that lipbalm/gloss coloured hybrid that Dior Addict and Lavshuca moisture melt has as well. Polished and coloured enough but not really lipsticky.

The colour was more rosy and pink than I expected from the swatch online. It looks more nudish in that one:

Anyway, I am quite happy with this rosy lipstick. It offers the moisture I need in this winter. I often have to skip the heavy, opaque lipsticks because my lips do not feel that confortable in them and this is just lovely.

Conclusion:

Price:
Affordable to cheap/medium for $13

Design:
A++. It looks so stylish with the waves and black metallic. Making it better and more resistant than the Lavshuca Moisture melt or even some departure store brands

Moisture:
A. A dewy consistency that feels lushious on the lips. Still, the Lavshuca moisture is a tiny bit more moisturizing.

Colour:
More of a lipbalm/gloss coverage. But most Japanese lipsticks aim for a natural dewiness instead of the fully made up pout, so it is just what your goal is.

A stylish, hydrating lipstick that you can put on without having too much thoughts about it. I might buy some other colours in the future, perhaps the darker RS-10 one for a Berry-glossy mouth.

Purchased: I got it on adambeauty.com

Lunasol Coffret Xmas 2011 on Adambeauty

2011-11-17T14:18:00.001+01:00

I'm not a person to pimp out websites but I would like to let my readers know that the Lunasol Coffret Xmas 2011 has been launched on adambeauty.com

I haven't seen that many swatch pictures online yet, but the cream cheeks is a regular of their line, and swatched by worshipofblues, among a relatively large group of people who really like this blush.

It has been a wishlist item since spring 2011.

The whole set, as most Lunasol Xmas coffret, looks like a brilliant deal. And that furry pouch: tres 2011!

I wonder if the powder is a matte one without sparkles. I hope so!

If it has been sold out, I've also seen it on gooddealer.com and bobodave.com. Only a bit more expensive.

Mid Quirkies...

2011-11-15T16:53:00.001+01:00

It's an early post on the mid-quirkologies this week, but it feels so midweek I just want it to be wednesday already :D

1. Magnetic Fields:

I think Nails Inc started the magnet nailpolish hype and it has its highstreet-clones already. But their 13 pound is quite pricy so I don't blame the highstreet clone-nation. This one is from Essence and...it is really craptastic! Sorry to say but I only had 1 nail that started to have that lovely marbled effect and I tried dozens of times...Blah! Still a nice colour on itself.

2. Bahia Carnaval, Brazil

It has been getting really wintery over here. Some people might like it and get nostalgic over wintertime, but for me it's just plain cold. I read a lot of travel brochures these days, indulging in sheer escapism by looking at places and events that look warm, happy and colourful.

Burberry Beauty in Holland: Late to the Party

2011-11-14T10:06:00.001+01:00

Friday I was in for a major surprise when I went into the Douglas as I saw a stand with Burberry Beauty.

I had to rub my eyes twice to see I wasn't dreaming: I wasn't.

Anyway, I seem to be late at the party because Burberry Beauty has been over here for about 2 months.

How come I didn't know?

Ok, I read lots and lots of beautyblogs (see blogroll) but I do not go too much on Dutch beautyblogs because I often find them a bit too positive about everything. I mean, are they sponsored or such?

Anyway, here is an article in Dutch so if you're interested you can google-translate it and see a funny translation, hopefully the words are translated in a better writing style than the Dutch words...

So I had a modest haul, already stocked with British versions of Burberry Beauty (the foundation, lipstick, powder) and went for a blush in a shader-like colour and the highly raved eyeshadow in Midnight Brown:

my first Dutch & modest Burberry haul

The salesgirl didn't want me to make pictures of the Burberry stand: I asked politely and she said there were some policies about that...ok, fair enough. But sorry for you guys (perhaps I will make a sneaky pictures soon, ssssstttt)

So, if you are in Holland (or live here) you can find Burberry fairly easy in Douglas Laren, Douglas Den Haag (the Hague) or Douglas Arnhem.

Mini-review: Darphin Anti-Fatigue Smoothing Eye Gel & Antipodes Rejoice cream

2011-11-12T23:28:00.001+01:00

Again, after yesterday's post I will be featuring another Antipodes product. But to make it a bit rounder I will add the Darphin Anti-Fatigue smoothing eyegel too.

Perhaps not entirely visible on the picture above, but I finished the Darphin Anti-fatigue eye gel completely. In contrast: the tube of Antipodes Rejoice is still half full, and I probably won't be emptying that one either.

Starting with my finished one:

Darphin Anti-Fatigue Smoothing Eye Gel

I think I bought this based on lots of positive reviews. I only have to say that I really liked this as a thin eyecream for in the morning.

What I liked about it:

It does what it tells you: ok, sort of! I live a healthy lifestyle so I couldn't test it after a night out or when having a hangover, because I almost never have that. Still, my eyes are prone to hang a bit, especially the eyelids, and I feel the cafeïne working and slightly lifting it in the morning. Without any irritations.

As far as the anti-ageing: oh, I seem to forgot to smile in my life so my eyewrinkles are not as developed as my frown and surprise wrinkles...hahaha. But it seems to be working as well keeping everything tightened and hydrated. Another plus: it's almost scentless.

Let me include a chart/claims from their website:

Meh:

Nothing specifically. Perhaps it could be cheaper or a pump-tube, but I the plastic tube was convinient enough.

Antipodes Rejoice cream:

So the love for one product of a brand doesn't have to end up in liking all of their products. For the record: I did like it enough to empty half of the tube. If it would be totally craptastic I would have binned it after a couple of uses.

What I liked about it:

The scent is a very soft vanille. It was also rich enough for my skin and it was conforting in period when my skin was not so sensitive

Meh:

The richness of the cream translates in a sort-of semi-balmy texture, but still a cream. Now, approaching wintertime, my skin gets more sensitive and the stickiness of the balm that seems to linger on my skin too long begins to become not so pleasant.
I also do not like the old-fashioned handcream-type of tube. It is one of those metallic-type tubes.

Availablity

I got the Darphin eyecream from feelunique.com and the Antipodes is available over there too...It seems they updated the tube into a plastic one so that has improved at least

Review: Antipodes Divine Face Oil

2011-11-12T22:20:00.001+01:00

In this post I will review one of my latest finished discoveries: the Antipodes Divine Face Oil.

So why go natural or organic?

Natural skincare or organic skincare has become a whole lot better through the years. Lots of effective ingredients in skincare these days are...GASP...actually found in nature...(e.g. here).

So I believe in the power of (some) natural and organic brands and products and find some to be quite effective for sensitive and trying-to-prevent-ageing skin.

Antipodes Divine Face Oil

The Antipodes bottle already has some kind of organic-brand exterior with it's brown bottle and green label. Also, the stamp of approval being organic is one of the main parts of the label.

The main ingredients are listed on the front: Orange rind, jasmine petal and pure advocado oil.

Antipodes is proud to be an organic brand and to be certified as such as well.

Clearly, they only use organically produced ingredients:

Avocado Oil, Macadamia Oil, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Amyris Balsamiferia Bark Oil, Sandlewood Oil, Jasmine Oil, Orange Oil, Vitamin E, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate, cirtnellol, d-limonene, farnesol, geraniole, isoeugenol, linalool - all components of the essential oils. This skincare product is certified organic by IFOAM. Contains certified organic ingredients. 100% natural & 95% organic.

They do recommend to finish your product within 3 months after opening to guarantee freshness and the effectiveness of their ingredients.

Promises Promises:

Scientifically shown to stimulate Type I collagen in human skin fibroblast cells by up to 51%*.

Give a lift to tired, stressed and sun-damaged skin with this nutrient-rich, certified organic face oil that helps to deliver essential nourishment for fresh, healthy skin. The superior collagen boosting action of avocado oil helps reduce the appearance of lines and age spots, while added rosehip helps avocado oil target scars and wrinkles.

old-fashioned but effective dropper

On the Antipodes website is an elaborate explanation of the properties and the benefits of each ingredients.

Also, they claim it is a light oil that penetrates easily without being too greasy. I have to agree on that note.:

Oil on the skin:

My opinion:

I used this oil for two months and I finished the whole bottle -> that says something about that I liked the product.

Fair enough!

Why did I liked this oil?

I had been using oils before for nighttime care, normally on top of my chosen serum. If you are not used to oils as skincare, it can take some time to get adjusted to it...but never wait too long because it has to suit you- your skincare ritual - and your personality as well.
However, I like how it takes care of dehydrated to somewhat dryer parts of my skin at night. And for the people who claim their skin is oily/combination -> not all oily serums are created equal so there are oils that are super-beneficial for combination to oily skins as well.

So I had tried their more expensive Joyious oil in the past (review here). The scent of this oil was slightly different: actually more suitable for nighttime snoozing than their refreshing berry of the Joyious oil. I particulary smelled Ylang Ylang and the soothing Jasmine. Both I find relaxing for nightime. So I like the scent a lot.

I used it combined with other serums so I cannot say too much if it was anti-aging - soothing - etc. However, it gave my skin that wonderfully healthy and somewhat plumped texture in the morning. I know I don't get that from a thin serum alone, so it had to be the oil.

Also, I noticed that my excema dissapeared during the time of use. I don't know if it was by very healthy eating and summertime, but it I found it to be soothing on my sensitive skin.

It is also reasonably priced. Scentwise and price-wise I prefer this one over the Joyious oil. It retails for £18.99 for which is a good price for effective skincare. (the Joyous I used before was almost double the price by £36.99).

I bought this serum from Lovelula.com.

Mid weekly Quirkologies

2011-11-09T08:30:00.000+01:00

What's up on this wednesday?

1. finishing up my Etude House Silk Scarf Hair mask

I am not going to put a lengthy review on this one. But shortly, I really liked this one. It is incredibly girly with a soft pink colour and sugar rose scent that lingers in the hair. More importantly, it makes the hair better to detangle, shinier and softer (although it isn't too miracle products on the superdry parts, but still kind of good). I think I might repurchase this one.

2. Fun coloured makeup

There are rules of what colours to wear in Autumn, normally the smokey eyes and rust/earth tones. But there is something bright and funny about somewhat un-seasonly colours.

Nars Laguna illuminator & Becca Topaz-> bronze battles

2011-11-06T18:24:00.002+01:00

A bit late to have a review/comparing battle in Autumn, I know. Still, I have readers around the world living in perinially summery countries, or living in the Southern hemisphere delightfully having their spring now, or just people like me who sometimes feel a bit too pasty...

So here it goes...I will size up two liquid bronzers: my Becca Topaz Shimmer Perfector SPF 25 and the NARS illuminator in Laguna.

NARS illuminator Laguna & Becca skin perfector Topaz

I bought them in the beginning of June this year. I was planning to go for Fraxel CO2 laser treatment for the first time. I also noticed that I wouldn't be allowed to have a tan or even a fake tan for 2 months, so I had to sample in some seriously good products that would avoid me getting 'are you ill?" remarks.

Eventually, my dermatologist disadvised me against Fraxel before summer. I wanted to explain to her that I shun the sun like a superpale redhead wearing floppy heads when needed and safeguarding my skin with Japanese skincare but she thought I would be better of doing in Autumn. That's a different story, but I still have my bronzers that come in handy when I don't want to fake-tan and I still look too ghosty for Dutch aesthetics in winter.

So Becca Topaz and NARS illuminator Laguna:

This time I am not going to say they look like twins. They don't even look related looking at the bottle. Becca is a bronze cooler shade whereas NARS has some orange tones.

This difference is even more noticable when looking at the blobs of product:

No doubt about the fact they differ when applied thickly or by blobs.

left: Becca Topaz - Right: NARS Laguna

Strangely, sometimes really different products have the tendency to go somewhat similar on the skin.

Haven't you noticed that before with some cosmetics products, e.g. BB creams or foundations?

In this case, these two liquid bronzers kind of have a similar effect on my skin, even though they look totally different on first sight.

When you spread them out a little, they already become this morphy bronze.

(sorry for this picture: I always find half-unblended bronzers look a bit dirty on the skin but I wanted to show you 1. the difference that starts to dissapear 2. ALWAYS blend blend blend your liquid bronzer)

left: Becca Topaz - Right: NARS Laguna

And in totally blended form they look alike:

click on picture for better view of flecks/sparkles/hues

I intentionally skipped some skin underneath to show you I used liquid bronzer on my pasty skin.

Conclusion:

They are convincing bronzers that look like real bronzy skin. Both NARS and Becca.
Both NARS and Becca contain some flecks or sparkles. Becca is the least sparkly and most natural
They are effective in faking a temporary bit of a tan that you can wash of when you want to, HOWEVER, both have some flecks that are noticable in stark sunlight, so they are not super-natural looking like a (fake) tan can do on itself
Becca has SPF 25 in it, being a bit better against sun-rays
NARS illuminator is created for body and skin, still they have similar coverage
Amazing how two totally different shades look so similar in effect
Becca has a pump-bottle and NARS a flip-open tube. I prefer Becca for it's pump bottle.
Becca is more expensive but has more in the bottle as well.

Availability/Price:

Becca Topaz is available on the BECCA website <here> for 50ml/1.7 fl oz $41.00.
NARS illuminator is widely available, eg on HQhair <here> 30 ml/ 1.0 fl oz for £21.50 or KissandmakeupNY <here> for $29.00 or various Sephoras throughout the world (not the Netherlands, yet)

mini-review Lierac Cohérence night cream

2011-11-04T16:36:00.000+01:00

Today I will review a rather large sample size of the Lierac Cohérence night cream.

I received this cream with a whole sample size kit from lookfantastic.com: it was a deal when you bought 2 Lierac products.

My sample was rather generous: 15 ml. So I had the opportunity to test it for a month in order to give it a proper review.

About the brand:

First, Lierac is a French brand. If you put French and skincare into one phrase it often gets a lot of attention. Well, because French women are known to be stylish without trying too hard. Or they call that the Je ne sais quoi...

Still, I am a bit more pragmatic over these things, because I won't believe in the hype just because it is French. For the record: I really like La Roche Posay suncare, but I wasn't too enthousiastic about Embryolisse.

What Lierac has to say about their brand themselves:

LIERAC Laboratories’ philosophy is to use the extraordinary power of nature and plants to deliver a specific solution and precise answer to every skin requirement.

LIERAC Laboratories are partners of Eco-Emballages and participate in European program to eliminate and recycle all components of their packaging. Join us in our eco-friendly approach by sorting your recyclable waste materials (glass, plastic, paper, etc...) for selective collection.

All of it sounds environmentally friendly and almost like an organic brand. However, it is still quite synthetic on a couple of fields.

The Lierac website's claim:

This luxurious pink-tinted cream is enriched with a complex of magnesium and potassium hyaluronate for specific night-time relaxing action. It contains 4% COHÉRENCE™ vectors to help reactivate the production of type III collagen – the specific collagen of younger skin. You wake up to more rested facial features and a refreshed complexion. Night after night, the skin appears as if “lifted”, feeling tauter and firmer, and looking visibly smoother. The facial oval appears gradually redesigned.

Nothing but impressive.

The ingredients:

Type III collagen accelerating vectors: 4%; micro-emulsion of vitamins C, B5, B6, E; potassium hyaluronate; magnesium; ultra-repair protective base.

I am quite sure these cannot be the only ingredients but these were listed on their website. I mean, even products for overreactive skins (that need as little ingredients as possible) have more ingredients. And the scents I am smelling isn't listed either.

But I'll guess they mention the high-profile anti-agers only for their public.

The cream is light pink in colour:

You really need a tiny bit for enough product to cover your face and neck:

Scent:

It has a soft powdery scent, which I find similar to its soft lilac colour. The scent is somewhat synthetic but feminine and not too obtrusive. However, I think that if your skin is more sensitive or has a sensitive period it might be a bit hindering.

texture:

I think it is creamlike, rather thick and stays sticky for quite a while. I personally do not mind, because my skin can be dehydrated but I wouldn't recommend it to combination to oily skins. On the other hand, very dry skins might opt for a balm-texture, although for hydratation I think a cream is normally more efficient.

Anti-Ageing:

As mentioned before, I had a trial size and have only used this one for a month. I am not sure it did something effective on the field of anti-ageing. Sometimes you hit a product (for example the Nude Cosmetics serum) that you can really see working when you use this, and this cream wasn't so effective. It didn't do any harm either.

However, I always advocate to have your anti-aging products in pump-dispensers or in serum form. Why? because the active ingredients that have to work for you stay fresh longer in a pump or drop-bottle display. I do buy cream-pots, but only if they target for hydratation/moisture or are products that are for sensitive skins. The content of a pot is exposed to air and light in a higher extend than a drop-bottle content or sealed pump-bottle, so the active ingredients will lose their powers sooner.

Price and availability:

I got my sample for free with lookfantastic.com. so it is relatively easy available for online shoppers. People in France and Belgium even have bigger access to Lierac, but some Dutch pharmacies seem to sell it as well. The price is rather expensive on lookfantastic, that is £49.00.

Conclusion:

It was a lovely cream, but I would not repurchase. It smells a bit too synthetic and I don't think the ingredients target my need for rejuvination at night.

Most importantly, I didn't wake up with a fresh and plumped skin the next morning. I find this to be the dealbreaker: a night-treatment is the most important time to target your skin-goals because the skin is at rest.

I could see the difference on days I used another nightcream: Often I alternated with Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Night Treatment, which gave me better result the morning after: I woke up much fresher and more plumped. I have to review that nightcream soon because I really like the whole experience of using that nightcream, and Jurlique has a more holistic feel (and scent) too. Plus, it really rocks at targetting pigmentation-spots.

Review: By Terry Rose de Rose Sheer liquid Blush 3 Amber Rose vs Inglot AMC Face & Body Illuminator 64

2011-11-03T21:06:00.000+01:00

It's no secret that I like blush creating products, neither that I have a lot of them. To have a product that comes close to a favourite, or even a product that seems to be used for more that the half of it, is pretty rare.

That is what I have with my beloved By Terry Rose de Rose sheer liquid Blush in Amber Rose 3.

By Terry Rose de Rose Sheer Liquid Blush: quite used up

Until recently I haven't been able to find something alike. Well, there are some powder blushes that give a somewhat similar effect, but I never saw anything that could be in the running for a dupe.

He he, seeing my title you must know what's next: I saw something that could be a dupe.

So I did when I went to Inglot.

Inglot AMC face/body Illuminator in 64 = By Terry Rose de Rose in Rose Amber 3 ??

Lookswise, looking at the content they look really matchy. I didn't bring my By Terry to the Inglot shop because I had no idea they would have a similar product, but at home I realised they look really twin-like!

First, I do not have any pictures of the By Terry box anymore. Still, By Terry is a high-quality product and the glass bottle still looks rather mint after 1 1/2 year of Birkie useage...that should count as double the years as a person who is really careful with her products ;)

Inglot, on the other hand, comes in a plastic bottle. Somewhat less chic but better proof against tiles.

They contain the same amount of fluid blush, 15 ml.

So far they look really similar. So I decided to take out some of both liquid blush and display them on a tissue. First, By Terry always has too much blush coming out, so you have to pump a quarter of it to get the right amount, something I barely have mastered (and sometimes not) after one and a half year.

Inglot is easier to dispense and to manage the amount that comes out. Enough for blushy cheeks.

But the colour looks still really similar from this distance:

Both are burnished rose colours or perhaps rosy bronzes, whatever you prefer, and have a hint of metallic flecks inside. They are not intrusive on the face, though. They give the face a glowy/highlighty blush.

Still, They already differ when having a close up on the tissue. So here is the same picture, only bigger:

By Terry Rose Amber looks a bit more rose tinted, whereas Inglot AMC 64 tends to have a tad more orange tones.

On the skin:

So, I already noticed that the By Terry was more Rose and cool and the Inglot had more Orange and warm tones. On the skin you can see this more obviously:

Unblended:

When slightly sheered out they look like twins again:

Only to see that By Terry has a higher coverage and Inglot is sheerer. That makes sense because By Terry claims it is a blush product only and Inglot claims to be a face and body illuminator. Body products are normally more sheer than the face-ones and illuminators are normally sheerer than blush products.

By Terry also looks more metallic on the skin, something better to be seen on the next picture:

Metallic-ness:

Let's make a short comparing note:

Scent:
By Terry has a delicious and somewhat luxurious rose scent to its blush that doesn't irritate my nose or skin.
Inglot has a florally fruity scent, quite soft but also more on the synthetic side.

Texture:
By Terry provides more coverage and has more metallic part in it.
Inglot is a sheerer version and not so metallic.
Right now I prefer the coverage of Inglot, as I always have to sheer out By Terry a lot (and apply some sheer powder over it to tone it down), otherwise I look a bit too blushed-up. Inglot has the perfect sheerness for me.
But still, this is personal and if you prefer your blush to be more noticable (because of your skintone or effect you want) you would prefer By Terry

Price:
By Terry is the more expensive one for € 38 euros.
Inglot retails for € 18

Colour:
Discussed often in this post and show on various pictures. They look like twins or dupes, but on a close encount they differ in tone, for By Terry being more a rose and deeper tinted and Inglot a slightly oranged rose.
By Terry is also more metallic, which will highlight imperfections a bit more if you have them. Inglot is glowy with a slight metallic tint to it.

Luxury feel:
By Terry is a bit more luxurious with the glass bottle and delicious rose scent. But Inglot is still classy and the classy bottle makes it safer to drop on the floor

Total Conclusion:
Not dupes but really close sisters on the skin. They have this similar effect that, in my opinion, only a liquid blush can bring about. I really like liquid blush for that reason, even over a creamy blush, because you can blend it so easily. Both products blend easy, and Inglot perhaps a bit easier because it is more sheer.

If you want some more feedback on liquid blush and see By Terry in action, go to makeup guru Lisa Eldridge for more viewtastic information: here!

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-11-02T16:59:00.000+01:00

1. The delightful Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's

It must be one of the most iconic films in times. Still, admittingly, I have never seen it before.

I know about Ms Hepburn perfect outfits and the beginning of the cult around the LBD (an acronym almost every girl knows) and the perfect little updo. With her flat to lower heels and chic appearance she embodies sensuality and not the overt flash-in-your-face sexuality.
I think the film is about her rise to sophistication? Right? She isn't the Uptown princess to begin with.

I really like to see this classic soon :D, also for makeup-inspiration of that lovely little bit of eyeliner-flick.

2. I don't really have to go deeper upon that quote. Sometimes it is good to have a mind on your own :D

Kanebo Freshel MoistLift BB cream Medium Beige vs Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB in Light

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000+01:00

Today I will do a 'battle of the BB creams' in a kind of West-or-East idea.

Or, not really like that ;),

I only like to compare my personal prefered Asian BB cream against the 1st BB cream I have seen in Holland for a Caucasian market.

Knowing BB-creams for a couple of years I have been delighted to see it launching for a Western public as well.

But I have been reading some information about the newer generation of BB creams formulated for a non-Asian public (or the Caucasians among us, I haven't seen that much BB creams for Afro-heritage people yet). Most of them claim that the lack of grey colour (often seen in the Asian varieties) work better for the Caucasians among us. That might be true, but I would like to see the Garnier BB in light will be a better match for me than my latest favourite: the Kanebo Freshel MoistLift BB in Medium Beige.

The packaging:

The first verdict: Kanebo Freshel wins on style points: I really like their bronze brown, graduated packaging with golden letters. It looks more expensive than it actually is.

Garnier has to stick to their recognizable formula, the oatmeal colour with thier silvery letters. Still, for a cheaper cosmetic brand I find their packaging quite lovely.

Kanebo Freshel has a twist-off tube. Garnier has a click-open bottle. You have to decide which one you prefer, but as messy as I am I would prefer a twist-open tube, because Garnier click-open could spill in your bag when travelling.

To the colours:

Kanebo Freshel Moistlift BB is my favourite Asian BB cream for a while, after trying a whole lot of Korean ones, and later some Japanese ones (Kanebo is Japanese as well). What works for me is their colour: it is not too light and does NOT have that grey tone I hear some people complain about (to cancel out redness and yellowness?).

You have to consider why they made BB creams in the first place: to cover up those post-(plastic)surgery or laser-people with red or peeling skin that both covered and healed their fragile skin. So that bit of grey was a good thing for the aim it was made.

Back to the swatches:

Kanebo Freshel Moistlift looks like a light neutral colour (NW 20/25) whereas Garnier Miracle lift has some pink tones in it (NC 20/25). They look similar in colour dept, only:

Verdict: Kanebo Freshel is more yellow toned and Garnier Miracle is more pink toned.

On the skin:

Texture:
They both spread out in a similar matter: they start out in a creamy way which makes them suitable for normal to dryer/dehydrated skins.
Scent:
Kanebo Freshel is as good as without scent. That is a positive for me. Garnier Miracle BB has that typical (over)scented trademark scent that will dissapear after a while (or after spraying some moisture spray on top of it).
Skinmatch:
Actually, the Garnier matches my skin a bit better. However, because of some redness (also visible on the arm) I prefer the Kanebo Freshel for toning down a bit of redness, especially in the winter times.

Better picture of the difference in yellowness/pinkness

Almost blended (click on the picture for a bigger view):

When blended, the yellowness of Kanebo Freshel is not too obvious and it becomes a good match. Similar to Garnier Miracle BB.

Texture on skin:
I think that Kanebo Freshel makes my skin look more airbrushed and diffused. So it looks a bit better.

Cover:
Both are BB creams which have a similar degree of cover to tinted moisturizer. Actually, that phrase and conclusion is a bit of a dud as well, because every brand has a different level of coverage when releasing their tinted-moisturizer, similar as the BB's.

They have similar coverage, quite light. Only the Kanebo Freshel looks more polished on the skin. They both feel really light and almost weightless on the skin. Something not every BB cream in the past has felt like (some felt like a suffocating blanket).

Price:
The Garnier is approximately 16 euro, but I bought it with a discount for 11 euro. I bought Kanebo Freshel on adambeauty for $15 (add $2 for shipping). Concluding that the Kanebo Freshel would be the cheaper version if I didn't have the Garnier discount.

Availablity:
Garnier wins this one. Easy to get in lots of drugstores these days. Although Adambeauty often delivers within two weeks.

Long term effect:
I cannot say anything about the long term effect, especially when comparing the two. I could do that wearing both for at least 3 months on each side of the face, but I wouldn't have the patience to do that.

Final Verdict:

Kanebo Freshel Moistlift wins! But I still find the Garnier version to be quite good for one of their first versions. I mean, before finding my close to HG Kanebo Freshel I have gone through at least 20 brands from 20 different companies (more or less). In that field I believe that Garnier is still quite do-able and I would reach for that one if I were on holiday and wanted a BB cream for temporary and light cover.

Budget score: Catrice Palette in Berlin

2011-10-30T11:23:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I was a happy camper for finally stumbling upon something that made my makeup-heart beat a little bit faster:

Catrice The Berlin Collection

Remembering my old love for anything palette and anything in cute boxes I was instantly drawn at the latest release from German budget makeupbrand Catrice. I like Catrice for various reasons, but mostly for they relatively good quality for a affordable price. Adding that Catrice packaging has become much sleeker (example here) makes it an attractive brand.

Catrice palette formula: a good clone format I've seen on other brands

It seems that Catrice have ventured on a new field, palettes. To make me more enthousiastic, because I am a realy city-a-holic, they connected their palettes to big cities. This time they didn't went for the most obvious of the 3: normally they are Paris, London, New York but included cities such as Berlin and Sydney. I still believe they got London as well, but London is too good to miss anyway :D.

So why did I pick Berlin. Most because of the colours, but I really like the description of the city as well: "The capital with its exceptional city spirit allows anyone and everyone to live by their own rules". Brilliant!

Opening the box gives out 2 blush colours and 6 eyeshadow colours. The thicker box might make you think that there is an extra layer beneith, such as the brands like Urban Decay do. But that isn't the case. I am not complaining because the whole box is under 7 euros.

I picked this box because I liked almost every colour in it. And every makeup and palette-addict knows that such a deal is hard to find: because there are always colours or formulas that you feel 'meh' about in a palette, don't you?

First the Blush:

They included one shimmery blush, that doesn't contain glitter <BLISS> so it works for the non-perfect skins out there as well.
The second one is a matte colour.

Blush Unten den Linden is a shimmery rose-toned bronze that can work as an eyeshadow as well. I think this one will be better suited when my skin is (faux)tanned.

Siegessäule is just PERFECT for my winter skin. It creates a light windswept flush that reminds me of Bobbi Brown Slopes, only a bit lighter and more subtle.

The eyeshadows:

I included two different pictures to show the multidimension of the colours. I have to say I am incredibly impressed by the way a cheaper brand has made these colours look bi-toned from different angles!

I am not going to describe all colours, because you can see them by yourself from the swatches above. However, the only mat is Am Alex and it is a useful matte: I really like brown or taupe colours in matte. The rest are intricated shimmers/metallic colours in 3 cooler tones: Tiergarden, Brandenburger Tor and Ku'dam. I consider Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie as 'I've fooled you colours': looking cool at first glaze but with a warmer reflection from a different angle.

Best example of an 'I've fooled you colour' is Checkpoint Charlie: look how cool and white it looks from this angle:

Only to look as the most gorgeous rose-gold sheen I haven't seen in a while from this angle:

Ku'dam looks so pretty in that picture as well. Such a perfect mauve metallic.

Strangely, the names remind me of the time the cold war was still going on (the 1980s). I know these points still exist for tourist sake (or historicans) but they were mentioned a lot in the 80s when Berlin was still separated in East Berlin (communist Sovjet) and West Berlin (kapitalist Western).

Anyway, this is the best makeupfind I have found in a while and I am quite enthousiastic about it. I wonder if Berlin itself will be just as enticing as the palette ;D.

So, what do you think? Should I buy another palette and put it up for a giveaway soon? (I couldn't let my readers with no access to Catrice miss out on this palette, right?)

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-10-26T09:26:00.000+02:00

1. As you can see, there is not much happening at this blog lately. Simply, I have to get my blogging Mojo back.

2. I would like to master this makeup. It looks easy and natural, but it takes lots of work to make it that flawless and blended. The brown/smokey eye looks so lovely, the way it tapers out to the sides.
The way the blush is placed on the outside of her raiser-sharp cheekbones looks quite inventive. I wonder if it would work with my not-so-present-cheekbones as well.

Mid weekly quirkologies

2011-10-19T21:32:00.000+02:00

The last couple of days:

...has been about animals and art:

1. I really like this drawing from Hanna Hermans.

The cat is actually bigger than the human. And sometimes, the cat in the home actually considers herself to be bigger and more important than the human caretaker, so it is somewhat symbolic. Also, it looks like the cat is actually protecting/conforting the human instead of the other way around. And yeh, most people have pets as a kind of friend or unconditional being that loves you.

2. A installment called nature's revenge

Not quite pets, the tigers, and they are hanging around graffiti area. Or perhaps the urban jungle...The difference between the comfort and the cuddly nature of home with the pet and the possible danger (ánd excitement) of a place outside the home that is full with raw art (graffiti) and the metaphorical tigers.

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-10-12T20:16:00.001+02:00

Last days I've been thinking about

1. Creating the perfect red lip:

Every Autumn the Glossy magazines are often full with the return of the red lip. Sometimes purple is announced as the new red, sometimes orange. This season the red lip comes back with an incredible impact: the 1970s nightime inspired fashion needs that disco-esque glossy red to company with it.

This year's red is supposed to be a sort of brick red or slightly brownish. Also, burgundy is making a comeback, but right now I'm obsessed with it's lighter sibling: red (and in a rusty, brickish tone).

I kind of already have a good red: Chanel Rouge Coco in Vendome, which is a red with a bit of shyness in it. Remember me to swatch it later for you ;D. But hey, I am slightly beauty addicted so I will hunt down for some more in the brick-red department that still flatters me.

Oh, I have been reading lots of beauty-columnists advises in Glossy magazines, but I somewhat disagree on this idea of them: they say that you can put on a red lipstick (without much other makeup) and look polished instantly.

Well ladies, if you ever had a pimple or other redness in your face (almost everyone has at a time being) knows that red only highlights other reds. So, I suggest to keep the makeup as simple, or as complicated as you like (the girl in picture no 1 is wearing lots of makeup too: superthick mascara, eyeliner, big blush, lots of foundation). I would recommend having your surrounding skin on the calm side, either with makeup, or, if you belong to the lucky flawless people, without.
But I will not go too complicated with my red lipstick and keep the rest calm and not too made up.

2. Sweet slogans to remember:

The paper is crumpled, but smoothed down again to keep reminding us of moving on and laught a bit.

Becca Illuminate Wash in Moonlit

2011-10-08T19:01:00.001+02:00

Another member in my Becca family: a illuminator, or highlighter this time.

This one was the promised freebie from Zuneta if you decided to purchase the Lost Weekend Palette I blogged about a couple of days ago. I am familiar with Becca's powdered highlighters/colour embellishers and I also have a liquid bronzer in my collection (that one I review later).

As for this one, I consider most of Becca's highlighters that I already have to be incredibly natural looking, so I was curious how this one would live up to the liquid highlighters I already have.

The first thing that I saw is that the size was not the biggest one. I sized the tube (middle) up against the quintessential MAC lipstick (left) and the Dior Serumdrape lipstick:

Ok, it is a freebie so I shouldn't complain, and I often find Becca products to be really economic in usage.

Opening the tube displays a brush-like wand. You can use it like that, but for hygienic reasons I suggest a tiny drop from the tube itself, because you do not want to affect the highlighter with germs that come from your skin.

Sorry for the quality of the photos: my newer camera is not living up to its expectations right now.

The ingredients: feel free to click on the image for a gigantic photo:

I decided to compare the Becca Illuminator with my other liquid highlighters. I picked the most familiar ones, and skipped the Body Shop, for instance.

I left out my powder highlighters in this comparing post, because the idea behind a liquid highlighter is different from a powdered highlighter. Also, I want to keep it focused on one type of product.

So, from left to right is the Becca one, the MAC lustre drops in Pink Rebel, and the Benefit High Beam freebie I received with the British Glamour some time ago:

Same order: unblended: (again, click on the picture for a closer view)

The photos are still not brilliant, but they really represent the lustre or metallicness of the products really well.

1. Becca is in my opinion the most natural looking one. It has a dash of shimmer, but doesn't really veer to the metallic side. I use this one when I want a really true highlighter that will look natural and not made-up in full sunlight.

2. MAC Pink Rebel has been my favourite highlighter from last year. It is rather gold compared with the others. It is actually a rose gold, and has more metallicness in it than Becca. still, it is not that silvery/metallic as the Benefit High Beam.
You can see it is makeup if you take a mirror in front of you and see yourself in direct sunlight, so others close to you with a sharp view will see it as well. I love this one for an evening glow, and to bring out highlights when on photos, because then it just looks natural.

3. Benefit High Beam: I understand that this was a revolutonary product when launched in the 90s (??) and it probably looks delightful in nightlight and photos, but I honestly wouldn't purchase a whole bottle for myself with the better and natural looking hightlighters available these days. It plainly looks quite white, metallic and somewhat silver. I think it only limits itself to a small amount of skintones, being the cooler, lighter types or the ones for a dramatic sculpting effect (for pictures or night-life).

To justify my point I show you the products sheered out:

1. Becca: The side on the left isn't the most focused one, true. However, I think the Becca has the ability to give out a glow instead of a sort of metallic sheen. So it renders itself perfectly for daylight, sunlight and closer enounters when still want to look as a non-madeup girl (or boy).

2. MAC Pink Rebel: That one is already more visible as being makeup and has that slight gold sheen on the light complexion of my arm. I still think it is lovely when I want to look glowy and slightly made-up, because it does give out a bit more shimmer/glow than Becca's Illuminator

3. Benefit High Beam: I already made my point clear why I am not a fan of High Beam and this picture justifies my point. I have a neutral to slightly cool (NW 20-ish) skintone and even then it looks quite silver and slightly glittery on my skin. I don't think it flatters me.

Conclusion:

I am really delighted with my new Becca Illuminator freebie. It might be small but it spreads out easily and gives out that incredibly natural dew that can stand the test of direct sunlight. I think this one will be a repurchase when finished, but although small, I think I can get quite some use out of it because it is an economic product.
I also think that it is an incredibly universal glow that can be applied to almost every skintone/deepness without looking fake. It simply gives out a glow
My MAC lustre drops are still my favourite for a tad more shimmer/definition, but for a natural look I would absolutely veer to the Becca Illuminator.

You can buy this one from Zuneta or the Becca site for $23, and probably some more places :D. If you buy from Zuneta, it might be handy to visit the beautybible site first for 10% discount, or the code is ZBEAUTYBIBLE

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-10-05T11:34:00.000+02:00

The last 7 days:

1. I've basically felt like this:

I often try to keep my blog uplifting and positive with a honest side to it. So I'll keep it somewhat symbolic. I've felt a lot like that fish in that fishtank. And you can see he is not the happiest fish in a fishtank around, because they even put some dirty coins in his precious environment. On a positive note, it's a pretty fish and it could be swimming in oil-spoiled water too...
Still, that fish in that tank idea staring to the people who can move around freely.

2. The quiet place

That aforementioned feeling makes me want to escape to somewhere really quiet and perhaps a bit misty. I think the next Jane Eyre film is about to be launched soon, and that idea of a misty, romantic landscape and the lone boat on the lake looks really appealing at the time being.

A good place to be a happy fish, ehm, Birkie.

Becca The Lost Weekend Palette

2011-10-02T19:36:00.000+02:00

Some time ago I blogged about my latest haul from Becca's Autumn line. I haven't featured the palette, and I think there are some people out there that might be interested in it, so here goes my two cents.

I always like the simplicity and originality of the Becca box. Ok, it's not super-original because NARS has a matte exterior as well, but in contrast to NARS this one stays rather clean: NARS matte exterior boxes turn really groggy if you carry your little palette around, and I never had experienced that with Becca.

The descriptions of the colours: two mattes and one sparkly one:

Here is the first image of the colours:

You might be surprised or underwhelmed by the colour palette of this palette. So why did I buy this one?

Well, Last year I purchased Becca's Prairie Moon palette: a set of 3 eyeshadows, 1 eyeliner and a lipgloss. The eyecolours were in a similar formula of muted mattes, only in a cooler colour composition. I have been really surprised the amount I reached for these colours when I wanted to fake real beauty.

So it is the idea of faking real beauty instead of being beautifully made up that made me go for a similar palette again:

Let's take a better look at the colours:

Moleskin is a light brown colour with a slight mauve undertone. It looks really flattering as a base colour on the moving eyelids. It brings out a different colour in hazel eyes and green eyes as well. For brown eyes it can give it a different dimension as well, but that depends on the type of brown eyes you have (that differences for each person). It is a matte colour.

Chino is a milk-chocolate brown that is a neutral to somewhat cool. So, if you normally shy away from warmer colours because they don't flatter your complexion, do not shy away from this palette because it is not really a warm palette, even though it features brown shades. These browns I can typefy as neutral to even somewhat cool.

I believe Becca makes the best mattes, even better than MAC. It stays on quite long without a base, longer with a base, and the fading is not crepey or hindering, just a soft fading.

Normally, I am not a fan of everything glittery, but I always trust BECCA for not making it over the top, so here is the only sparkly one of the 'Lost Weekend': Moiré

Moiré is one of the most interesting colours I have in my stash. I don't really know how to describe it as a muted pink, a pinked mauve or a dusty rose. Perhaps it is all of that. But what it does is that it gives such a cute sparkle to my eyes that is so flattering. I apply this number in the middle of my moving eyelid and it almost brings out the light in my eyes.

To see some of the colours for yourself I have made some swatches:

[Swatches made without base]

A. the first picture is made in cool, natural daylight:

Moleskin somewhat dissappears on that pale arm of mine. I do have some pigmentation on my eyelids, so it actually is brighter than the skin on my eyelids, which fakes my eyes to be a bit younger...haha, bonus.

Chino, as earlier described, is a cool chocolate-milk. In this picture it looks slightly mauve.

Moiré, the cutest colour of all is not glittery but a fun sparkle.

A. Picture 2 in warmer light, direct sunlight:

Moleskin still dissapears against the colouring of my arms.

Chino looks slightly warmer in this shade. It is still on the neutral/cool side of the colour spectrum.

Moiré hardly seems to have any shimmer in this picture but a wash of colour.

The final verdict is that I like the palette. I should be because Becca's Lost Weekend might be lost but it isn't cheap, :D

If it is going to be a hit like the Prairie Palette? Not sure yet. I like the fact that three colours are set up together and work well with eachother. I can use Chino with a light hand as a shader, perhaps. I haven't used it like that.

As far for Moiré-> adore that colour and I think I might use that one every now and then.

I've bought my palette at Zuneta and I am quite happy about their service. Becca is available at other places as well.

mid weekly quirkologies

2011-09-28T21:40:00.000+02:00

Ooofff, right in time before wednesday is over. Or, perhaps for my Asian readers it is already over and it is thursday. However, I almost forgot what has been going on in Birkie's week:

1. It has been about the celebration of dreams, or fairytales.

As a child a fantastical story starts of with the words "once upon a time", and then you get a story that is about a good person(s) getting into a problematic situation, however, in the end it works out for them. Most Hollywood movies work like that as well. Finally, I think you should believe in some of the things you believed in as a child, that you can become that doctor or perhaps another version of the sweet princess.

Also, you can adopt your fairytales and dreams as well: if being the pretty princess waiting passively for your prince doesn't seem to work for you, because you like to be the modern Princess, for example someone like Beyonce who works her shapely booty off to get success in life, and still gets the mutually sucessful and rich husband. And back to Beyonce, I loved Destiny's child so much as a teen and the group worked so hard and at such a young age to get where they are now. Perhaps Beyonce has been a tad luckier than the other members (looks and voice) but don't forget the world is full of pretty faces and voices and she is the one who is that succesful Bilionaire now.So, yeh, believing in your dream and alter them to your own personality and wishes.

2. Probably the most girly anthem ever: "girls just wanna have fun".

Miss Cindy Lauper was quite right about something. The fairytale story is often about scoring the prince, but don't forget your girlfriends and your normal friends! And sometimes you want to have a bit of fun without thinking of the tensions in life. For example, dance weirdly like no-one is watching, or perhaps as if someone is watching and thinking "what the heck has she's been drinking?" but you don't care because you having a blast with your friends (or alone if that suits you).So I have been mightly philosophical last week with a bit of life-flirting with it....

How were your last 7 days and what was your 'funnest' moment?

Mid Weekly Quirkologies

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

pictures made with Instagram

1. With all the Fashion-week parades, the fashion circus landed in London.

So I kept an eye on the new trends for spring/summer 2012. I really like the boldness of London-based fashionweeks, so this one is probably my favourite.

2. Very typically British but the London Fashion Week made me miss London and the idea of having a High Tea.

The high tea tradition is probably not so London-esque anymore and I doubt if many people in Britain actually still do the high tea as it was done among Middle/Higher classes in the heydays. But it looks so typically British and, ofcourse, the cute finger-food sized munchies and sweet pies and the teas...swoooooon! The champagne looks good as well.

Becca Mineral Blush in Sweet Pea (Autumn 2011 Lost Weekend Collection)

2011-09-17T13:49:00.000+02:00

After this elaborate title to tell you what this post is about, I kind of forgot to mention that it is a review with swatches. Well, I hope this first sentence made that clear ;D

I am a huge sucker for natural-looking blushes. If you think that puts me into a danger zone, than you are partly right, because I have a huge collection of natural looking blush-colours. On the other hand, there are so many colours around with obvious glitter specks (cough NARS orgasm) that sets me on a slighter safer ground for sure.

And, I kind of realise that I have a lot of colours so I rarely buy any blush these days. Also, thanks to the gorgeous girls on other blogs posting elaborate reviews/pictures/comparisions that makes me wanna say "ok, I have such a (similar) colour in my collection too, so I don't need this one".

I have a weak spot for Becca. Because when it comes to natural colours and well-made textures this Australian brand seldom dissapoints.

In their latest collection called "the lost weekend" I expected the colours to be even more natural than usual, as Becca refers to the naturalness of the 'Australian Rite of passage'.

Wow, looking at the models and their perfectly tawny made-up skin I had the right idea about the 'Lost Weekend'. The model on the right actually looks like she has some mixed Asian heritage, but these days almost everyone is from mixed heritage. At least they both have enviously beautiful skin and features...Lucky gene-pole!

Before seeing this collection I was looking for a sort of neutral brown blush with a hint of rosiness in it to look convincingly natural. Brown on my skin alones simply looks flat. I have been having a close eye to Autumns fashion collections, and the 60s seem to be coming back. Only, when reading makeup instructions with 60s-faces they always say 'NO BLUSH'. Ehm, sorry but foundation with no blush means a one-dimensional face to me! I need some blush to make it more-dimensional! So I've been looking for the most natural kind there is.

Sweet Pea is described as a Rosy plum nude. So is that true?

In the pan Sweet Pea looks like a soft nude brown with a hint of red and rose. Still, it is mostly a nude colour:

Close Up:

With flash you can see the specks quite clear. Don't worry too much about this: Becca is often quite subtle about the spects and they only function to make your skin look more glowy and alive, and not a semi-disco ball.

On my tiny stippling brush:

The first picture is the blush applied UNBLENDED:

It is already quite subtle against my skintone. I cannot see so much rosiness into it. I would qualify it more as a nude/brown with reddish undertones. The specks translate themselves into a lovely glow.

This picture is deliberately not sharp to see how the colour looks from a distance...it is still unblended:

As I said before, it looks like a reddish brown from that perspective.

How does it look when blended?

When blended, and Becca blush are so perfect for blending as they become so subtle! It becomes a barely noticable glow and a slightly deepening of my skintone that makes it look fresh and natural.

I think it makes it perfect for the purpose I bought it in the first place: for creating dimension/glow/a hint of colour in that oftenly stark 1960s look. After all the interpretation of a previous era should stay an interpretation and let the real models go for the theatresque looks, right?

Becca's lastablity is really good. The blush stays put on foundation for the whole day.

Even without foundation it stays put for at least 5 a 6 hours.

The Becca mineral blush doesn't come cheap for $32.00 or 25 euros.

I bought mine during a promotion on Zuneta, which actually was more about the Lost Weekend Palette I will review soon (buy the palette and get an illuminator for free, but that promotion is gone now). Zuneta offers excellent service and all the time I've ordered from them they delivered within 4 or 5 days from the UK to the Netherlands. But you can buy them from the Becca site as well or other sites too.