Last minute Empties B4 2015 is over and done with...(part II)

Same bag, different Empties from yesterday:

And my apologies for letting my used-ups on a wrinkled French Terry beach cloth...I just miss my little summertime experience at the Côte d'Azur where I bought this towel. I thought it looked more authentic if they'd be 'sunbathing' on a unperfect cloth than a neat one ;). Or, is it almost time for Champagne???

I could only call this batch Random:

• Scharzkopf Oil Miracle Barbary Fig Oil Mask: A pasty mask that smells like a chemical fruit. It conditions but it coats my hair too much: too chemical.
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• Syoss Super Defense Color Exilir Hairserum: I still has this chemical serum in my closet. I haven't used it up because I feel it does not add anything beneficial to my hair.
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• Alexis Smart Wholehearted formula: I felt down this autumn. Wholehearted somehow felt like giving me a bit of emotional hold on things you cannot always control. Love!
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• (obscured) Tatcha cleansing oil- travel size: I don't use oil cleansers that often as I do not wear heavy makeup oftenly. But if my skin needs more cleansing action, it is quite lovely.
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• (also sunblinded) Green People Age Defy+ Line Eraser Lip & Eye Serum: This serum is liquidly and slightly green tinged. It is packed with all types of organic powerhouse anti-aging ingredients and it's perfectly thin for summertime eyecare.
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• Horsetail Tinctum drops from Aromatic.co.uk: This is supposed to grow your hair if taken internally, or add it to your shampoo. I could not tell it really worked when using it. 
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• Akoma Acai Berry Oil: Sometimes I prefer a single or a DIY-mix of oils that get a good rating (or that I loved in a retailer concoction brand). Acai Oil is claimed to have strong antioxidant properties and I really loved this single oil as it was thin, easily absorbant, and I woke up with good skin. REPURCHASE.
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• Deciem Hand Chemistry Intense Youth Complex: Lookfantastic.com had a 3=2 deal and this was my 3rd to accompany my Fountain supplements. I like it, but it smells so darn chemical that I prefer a handcream like Neom over it.
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• Osmia Spot Treatment: It contains anti-acne powerhouse Cajeput, also in Odacite's anti pimple blend. I like it, but my spots still take a while to dissapear. I bought some pure Cajeput oil for occasional spots but I think I'll repurchase this blend as it is affordable and rollerhandy.

•  Fountain liquid supplements in The Beauty Monecule and the Happy Monecule: Deciem's liquid formulas are based on Hyaluronic acid, and these are fab skinplumpers. The additives for beauty is Resveratrol aand for happy it's GABA carrot complex. My skin has been plumping up since using these babies. They are pricy but they work better than pill-form Hyaluronic acid.
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• Liberty Handwash with Chamomille & Lavendel: Soooo lovely, it smells like the real chamomile/lavendel and it cleanses gently & effective.
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• Lotus Wei Infinitive Love Spray: It functions as a fraganced water that should make you more open and loving to other people, and yourself. Honestly, I loved the fresh rose fragance, but when I was moody I sure did not feel it helped me. 
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• Revitalash Eyegrowth Serum: I get longer lashes when I use them. When I stop, my lashes get shorter. I do not stop (yet)...

• Sunwarrior Immune Shild with Natural Fulvic Acid: Initially, I bought it as an affordable alternative to Phylia [de M] $$$ version. It should aid hairgrowth, and this one claims it wards off diseases like flu. I have not have a cold/flu and I have been commuting in trains this autumn with a lot of snotty/coughing people. Bonus.
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• Cod Liver Omega 3 Oil: First Krill was the best Omega oil ever, now it is Cod liver oil. Oh well, this one is easier to find and I think it keeps my skin/bones more supple.
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• My other 2 Fountain Monecules in The Geek Monecule & Energy: I have been studying since fall and my brain gotten sharper after using up the bottle. That could be the placebo effect or just training the brain, but who knows? Energy contains B12 and a liquid formula works more effective than a pill-form.

• AS.AP #6 (Coffee + Orange): This is a lovely organic lipbalm that hydrates lips without making it dependant on its contents (like chemicals can). I like it.
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• Eve Lom Mineral Powder Foundation in 3 Buff: This formula is gorgeous, though it needs a primer on the parts where pores are slightly large. 3 Buff was a bit too warm for me, colourwise, but 4 Petal finally hits the cooler skintone spot! So already repurchased in 4.
• Maybeline Lash Sensational Waterproof: Oh my, I'm such a mascara snob but this drugstore one won me over. Perfect for swimming too. Repurchased.
• L'oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint: I threw away a full bottle because it smells like chemical bonzanza. My skin is not happy afterwards either. Similar for the Kiki 3D Lifting foundation.
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• Lumiere Pearlfection powder sand: This is a pretty perfect afterpowder to make pores smaller and skin delightfully luminous. Ohh, such a shame this company closed in 2014...

That has been an ample list of used ups. I have found some new favourites, kept faithful to my trusted ones, and started to abandon the ones that do not work for me...

So for me to wish you guys a....

 

Fantastic NYE party and a delightful 2016!!!!

Used Up's / June

Late to the party for a quick round of my most important used up's...

Hair: 

I've been blogging about sampling up some Less is More hairproducts and I've finished up the Lindengloss conditioner. The 30ml has lasted me quite a while: about 7 times for long hair. I really liked how this organic conditioner performed: soft & silky feel, no heaviness or weird residue and it smells amazing. However, when I had the opportunity to buy full-sized I kind of steeped back from the price. The sample size is a reasonable € 6, but a full-size € 23. I still have some other quality conditioners to use up so I will consider, but wait before going full-size.

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 Makeup:

Paul & Joe's finishing powder is from the Sahara collection from 2010. Long long time ago...I had a darker colour (002) so I only use it in summer when having [faux] tan. It is really good, though: a micro-thin quality that doesn't alter the foundation underneath, and can also be used on a good skinday alone without foundation. I would gladly repurchase. 

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Mask:

Osmia Detox Mask has gotten quite the hype among organic and concious bloggers, and from that field it gotten known among everyone that wants a good, detoxing mask (like me, see here).  I really liked it when living in the Mediterranean: my skin gotten weirdly oily and pimply-> heat & polluted air. A good claymask helped to remove remaining sunblock, some oiliness etc etc. However, I liked it but it has not been the complete miracle worker. I'm somewhat convinced that there are cheaper clay-mask options out there, but the mix of ingredients are quite good.

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Lash:

I'm on my 3rd tube of YSL shocking mascara. It's not the complete HG but it has some excellent varieties of colours around. People with chameleon eyes like myself can have a cute effect by changing a hint around the colour of the eyes. E.G, a blue, burgundy or a purple can change my colour into a more green or blue, depending of what I like. YSL Shocking doesn't do dreadful 80s colours, only a slight hint. And the formula is delightfully thick and glossy without going clumpy. 

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RapidLash, I've finished my 2nd tube and I get a longer result every time I use it. I never get irritations from it either. In fact, I'm on the more expensive Revitalash right now, but I feel it irritates my eyes. I think I will just repurchase Rapidlash instead.

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Oil:

Caudalie has done an excellent job in creating their Polyphenol C15 line. This sample has been feeling both detoxing and youth-i-fying for my skin, and I've only been trying it for 2 nights! I will go for the bigger bottle.

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Serum:

I took the full plunge by buying a full size of Caudalie Polyphenol C15 antiwrinkle defense Serum. I've been using it superconsistently (morning/evenings) for one and a half month and I absolutely was stunned about the plumping effect. Moreover, the price was under €40 so not that ridiculously expensive price some companies ask for their serums. I'm not sure if it will be HG material if my skin gets sensitive (thinking winter) because the amount of fragance is somewhat present, but for the moment I really like this one.

Osmia Organics Detox Exfoliating Mask

In my last post I declared my undying admiration for anyone who has the quality of 'great skin' under the 2000-ish pixels of our wonderfully mega-cameras these days:  

[yes, you ms Kruger & your superfood-infused Goopy Gwynneth) 

That will get me discussing my own skin again. Shortly, I peeled and treated my skin from my 20s-acne pot-holed affected skin to a smoother canvas. Hence, not too unhappy about this result. However, larger pores are a hereditary condition and making them tinier & grime-free is a continuous & effortful task of mine. 

Enter OSMIA detox exfoliating mask 

I gotten ridiculously curious about this mask seeing it on my organic-orientated blogger-'sisters' like BeautyByBrittanie, NoMoreDirtyLooks & SeedtoSerum

 But the not-always-organic bloggers have been raving about this mask as well, like on Babble &  Taylor on MyLucidDreams. All of them are proud owners of gorgeous complexion so they must be on to something...

My order arrived in a beautiful Hummingbird * flower decorated box. I loved the personal note & some generous samples! And that for a company that has gotten quite famous already.

The samples consisted of their famous black soap and this gorgeous Calibration Serum.

It is actually an oil but really suitable for combination skin. I've been using it on my t-zone lately, and I really have less pimples/congestions there lately.

However, I'm not reviewing that one today. So let's direct the scope to the ingredients of the Detox Mask:

Chock-full of good & effective natural ingredients...I'm specifically chuffed about the raw manuka honey (an intensive detoxifyer & moisturizer at the same time) & the raw cocoa powder.

The pretty little mixing bowl is a part of their set: how handy:

Uhm, not putting any public face-mask pictures up: I'll save those for facebook but I'd like to show you how the mask looks when added a liquid to your choice: Thin & chocolat-y:

As for liquid of choice: the standard option is water, but I love to mix it with one of my toners or make a water-&-manuka-honey blend and mix it with the powder.

Verdict:

• thin mask which seems to reach the 'dirt' of the pores easier than a thicker mask
• slightly tightening but not drying (de-moisturizing) effect
• dries fast in 2 minutes: so effective for a quicker mask 

• smells delicious with a small hint of chocolate
• clearer & tighter pores afterwards
• my sensitive skin stayed rather calm (no redness etc) afterwards
• price: midrange (when you calculate shipping in) but will last about 3 months with regular (2 a 3 weekly) facials
• love the personal attention to the order & the generous samples to try out

Conclusion: The raves online are justified: this mask preforms well and does what it says.

Availability: on the Osmiaorganics website for $50.00