Multiple Masking Mania: Clay's the new Sheetmask

Don't you often get that feeling that when something is a true hype, you start looking elsewhere? 

As with sheetmasking, I have been into Asian trends since the beginning of my blog (about 2007) and the occasional sheetmasks has often been a part of my facial routine. Don't get me wrong...I am so happy about the variety of sheetmasks popping up everywhere, instead of waiting for days for my gmarket Korea packet to come in...Sheetmasks are brilliant in moisture and adding a essence/serum really effectively, but when it comes to getting that pure, porepurging feeling...Clay is the word! 

Since I am still lazy to borrow from my own Instagram, ofcourse meticulously taken and edited photos, I had the theme "#spooning for #singlegirls is all about Multiple Masking". So there you go: 4 gorgeous colours of clay-based masks that each have a different purpose for the skin.

Left to Right:

• Lush Don't Look At Me Mask is as fresh as its smurfblue colour. It has a good whopping of citrus juice combined with the base-clay of Kaoline. Citrus Juice is nice for brightening skin and purifying pores, but I would steer away from the sensitive parts of your face. This one went on the nose and chin. It is quite fraganced of neroli essential oil...The blue colour, unfortunately, is a colourant and not derived from any natural clay-source.
• Cattier Paris Pink Clay Mask is the perfect type of clay for purifying sensitive skin. The list of ingredients is short: Pink clay, Organic sheabutter, Organic peppermint extract, Lactic acid (vegetable), Organic Aloe vera but that is enough to purify on a gentle level. The price was under a fiver and the cream-to-clay formula is easier than handling the power version of pink clay.

•  Before Herbana I never heard of Purple Clay before. According to Herbana (here) "Violet clay is a combination of a few natural clays which contains low concentration natural minerals. It is rich in silica and less absorptive than green clays" and I get a similar summing up of minerals from this and this site. Now Herbana amped up the youth-boosting factor for adding argan oil, Rosehip Oil and Aloe Vera gel. It still dries to a dry and violet mask but the effect is incredibly soft. I really like the effect this masks gives me: I feel purified without that overly dry feeling some clay masks can give. This retails for a reasonable € 13 on Etsy, and will make fun selfie/masking/scaring your cat/loved one game.

• You might have heard a lot about NIOD and their Flavavone Mud Mask. Niod often has an incredibly story behind their innovative ingredients, and this one is no exception about their triple faces of 1. Purifying ; 2. Protecting & 3. Responsive Phase. For the whopping amount of € 35 a good story should be behind it, right? Personally, I was not really wowed by this mask. During my most sensitive phase of my psoriasis, it actually felt quite drying and not really helping my skin. The Cattier Pink clay actually worked at that same phase, so I guess price, an elaborate story and innovation are not always an all-cure-for-all. Now my skin is a lot calmer, I find it just ok but not as good as the Cattier or my gorgeous new Herbana. I still like a lot of NIOD's products, especially the Copper serum, but this one did not float my boat.

Just as sheetmasking can be a lot of fun, I think the added natural or unnatural colours of the claymasks can look fun and also have an a beneficial value. Most people would think of claymasks as drying and more suitable for oily/combined skin but the gentlier versions of pink and purple clay can be quite beneficial for dryer, dehydrated and maturing skins thanks to the additional minerals. Closing off the skin from air and other elements, similar as taking a sheetmask, often helps the regeneration/purifying process some more. However, take in mind that clays can draw out the occassional pimple as well so perhaps before a date or special occasion, the sheetmasks would be a tad more smoothing.

Moist to the People- hydrating with Olivine, The Ordinary and Herbivore

Blog -> Instagram -> Blog (& Instagram)

Going off the blog has not diminished my love for cosmetics...au contraire...I think I bought more because my skin was very *wack* and sensitive so my game was more on.

I went to post on Instagram (@suikerstruisje), every now and then, because I just love how a beautiful product can look in synch with other elements. But I miss writing in depth of how it works and how I find it effective. Emoticons are what they are, simple, and lengthy reviews are often looked over at the Gram.

So let's work it on the blog again :)! 

Left to right: 

• Olivine Love & Roses Beauty mist could pass as simple rosewater concoction, were it not that the roses have been organically harvested, rose quartz have been infused in the water, Moringa Seed extract, Andean Orchid Flower and Cassia extract that mimics hyaluronic acid...To amp up the beauty ritual, Olivine recommends chanting/voicing the mantra 'I am divine' while spritzing your face with this gorgeous tonic. Moreover, the bottle is a recyclable glass... 
• The Ordinary Buffet has become one of the Ordinary's star products, although it would be hard to pick a favourite of any of Deciem's newer, affordable skincare-line. What makes Buffet such a winner is the massive concoction of peptides that has been a bliss to my post Fraxel-laser skin...During autumn '16 my skin hardly recovered from the abrasive actions of the laser, nevertheless this peptide concoction offered my skin a helping hand in building up new skincells (also thanks to Rosehip oil and Manuka honey). For more info on the peptide blend, check their website here.
• Herbivore Orchid anti ageing Face oil has the most gorgeous dainty smell of all my skincare. And that is a lot. Positive emotions by scent can also help the pro-youth feeling (I don't like the word 'anti-ageing' for the record). Then I hear you think: with soooo many oils on the market, what makes this one IT? To me, I like a simple ingredient list with oils, I like complicated serums but the oils should be oils and a tad simple. Notwithstanding, they should be very potent. Orchid extract has minerals like Zinc,  Calcium and Magnesium but the process of the flower developing itself is so intricate that the 'plant memory' of youth and regeneration is quite upscale. Adding a beautiful Camelia Flower oil for the positive omegas makes it a gorgeous blend.

Ok, so let me add the way I posted this on Instagram. I'm always itching to write full reviews...

Now I noticed I've gotten lazier on the text...So give me some time and I'll be full-on blogger again, with plenty-o-text...

Captain Blankenship Mermaid Mane dry Shampoo: a festie-bestie, volumizer or shower-shy hairfriend

•*´¨`*•.¸¸. Power to the mermaids ¸¸.•*´¨`*•

Actually weird, as mermaid would have perennially wet and salted hair by the sea. But I'll spare you the mythical details and let's just think gorgeous, bouncy and lustrous hair.

I've been having a couple of dry-shampoos in the range of Bumble & Bumble, the delightful Klorane, Rene Furtherer and even a DIY blend of my own with arrowpowder and cacao. Still, this one has wowed me.

I normally am not the greatest fan of dry shampoos: they do help to extend the hair for a day of showering, but the effect is always a bit too matte or just an unglossy bit that seems to tangle a bit easier. 

how to use? Peanuts...

Also, I have been on a chemical-light diet for the hair...Haha, I haven't quit cold turkey as there are still some chemicals my hair needs every now and then: e.g. hairtoners etc. Once you started anything that goes beyond your natural hue of hair...

However, I'm trying to keep things more organic close to the scalp. And by trying this relatively newbie on the block I have found an excellent hair-mate.

What I like is how you can dose it: want a tad of sprinkles or want a big heap of powder. Also, it is handluggage friendly and perfectly to-be- decanted in smaller proportions. 

I need volume more in my life than ever. Reason: my hair has been a tad thinner since I tried another shot in hairextensions (I took them out in a jiffy...another story, boohoo, a sad one). Trying this dry shampoo on 3rd day hair made me realize I could get my old volume again. Normally, I prefer my hair after washing it, but this time I actually longed for the 3rd day, Mermaid boosted hairdo!

 So what's inside?

Easy peasy, nothing obtrusive. Although I am not exactly a fan of how the Rose Geranium and Palmarosa ended up smelling like, it is absolutely a soft blend and ends of neutral (to my nose) within a couple of minutes after application.

The powder is thin but not too powdery. I'm delighted to see that my darker roots don't get that dreaded 'dandruf' glow or that greyish overcast but stay their natural shade. As for the blonder hairs: it gives fantastic volume without too much tangles. Ack, my blond tangles easy anyway but this does not really aggravate it.

For Europeans, I found mine of a clip-in hairextension site Dirtylooks (here), I know, I never learn ;) but I've bought in to colour them up with pastel and fun colours like purple, turquoise etc. They have some other cute Indie brands in their beauty-department.

As for the question of whether one is too old for festivals, meet @baddiewinkle (instagram):

So true...

•*´¨`*•.¸¸. Now sprinkle on your mermaid dust and have a fab summer ¸¸.•*´¨`*•

New Oils: Herbivore Orchid & Lapis

Spring is lurking but winter is still there: let's test some oils again.

Since I've been running out of the very expensive May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon, I wanted to find a nighttime treatment that would add the soothing proprieties of Blue Tansy. I liked Blue Cocoon, but somehow I am not the greatest fan of balms, even if they liquidify into a soft oil when warmed. 

I found Herbivore Oil Balancing Lapis face oil with blue tansy on Sephora, but found out that their Etsy shop had samples. I have found most facial oils too heavy on my face lately; a tester would be better before the full splurge.

And how to resist the Orchid Youth Preserving Facial Oil? I mean, the terminology on 'age-battling' has become a lot more creative and friendly lately. 

So two oils. The difference between the Lapis (above) and the Orchid (beneath) is clearly in colour.

 Let's take a look at my 1st choice: the Herbivore Lapis Oil Balancing oil:

It is such a relief to see the blue Tansy represented in the oil: that gorgeous aqua blue hue. I do not exactly need an oil that targets for balanced skin, anyway, blue tansy does so much more than oil regulating. It is a potent anti-inflammatory oil which benefits both restless acne skin as my older, sensitive-prone complexion.

The Jasmine Sambac smells amazing in a soft, soothing manner. Nothing too cloying for a sensitive nose. I am also delighted about the lightness or dry feel of the oil: It feels so light and still moisturizes plently. I had experimented with a couple of older favourites this winter that felt too heavy on me. Hence, I skipped the face-oils for a while and my dryer skin was the result of this. This is one of the first oils I can feel it bringing the right amount of moisture to me again!

Herbivore Orchid Youth Preserving Oil

This oil has the familiar hue of lighter yellow that is recognizable. It also feels like a light oil, though it is a tad thicker than the Lapis version. I am deeply in love with the blend of Orchid with the Jasmine, scentsational!

Camillia flower oil is one of my favourite oils around. A good version is also expensive and not so easy to find in the West. The addition of Squalane gives this oil enough lightness for me to tolerate.

And I really like the roller-ball that comes with the travel size: you can have the benefits of a micro-massage and the delightful-ness of the ingredients.

Right now, I feel I wake up glowier with the Orchid Youth Preserving oil than with the Lapis Oil Regulating one. Both oils feel like they calm down my flaky bits. I have only used both a couple of times so I think I will have to continue a while with one version before I can bring out a good, rounded review. Also, I might like the richer Orchid for this time of year and will probably enjoy the lighter Lapis one when the weather becomes warmer. 

Overall, I feel glad to have found not only one, but two oils that feel like a delicate treat on my skin (instead of a nuisance). I think I will purchase the larger bottle of the Orchid Youth Preserving oil soon, and during spring I might purchase the Lapis Oil Regulating one.

Bucket-list filled: Josh Rosebrook, Olivine Salt & Love + Rose & Love

Who doesn't have a bucketlist? 

Well, I have a bucket, I had a small wishlist, and now my bucket is filled!

I needed some love in my life, and roses often are connected to love:

 

♥ ♥ ♥

Ok, I actually picked this Rose-based facial mist on its delightfully potent ingredient list:

did you see its 1st ingredient? Unconditional Love!

With summer in my mind, I already started a fantasy trip with beachmist Love & Salt... Wouldn't we all not mind some summer lovin'?

The ingredients are quite simple. But for recreating a true beach look: why add stuff the beach would never do in real life?

Both the Oviline Salt & Love as the Rose & Love come in real glass bottles. 

Then there is 'happily married' pair Josh Rosewood Deep Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner: 

 They work well apart, but they complete each other together.

I'm still in the long-term testing phase, but I already love Love & Roses: it feels pure and smells like the real deal.

The Salt & Love is quite nice, but I feel it could be replicated easily with some himalayan salt and coconut oil: there's a-plenty DIY-es on pinterest around. I like that you can reuse the glass bottle again for other liquids.

The Josh Rosebrook Deep Nourishing shampoo is rather sudsy when you've gotten used to the often less sudsy organic variety. I actually do not feel a strong need to condition afterwards so I'd say it's quite nourishing. It really reminds me of Living Proof smoothing shampoo in therms of feel & scent. It smells like Rooibos tea with some fruits.
The Deep Nourishing conditoner is the perfect follow-up for the areas that still needs a bit of extra softness. Thin, but an effective mid-level moisturizer.

All of these are travel sizes that I bought on abeautifulworld.com.

Pots & a Pan

Spring is in the air, so what's cooking?

 Let me show you my new pots. And my domestic virtue is still slightly underscored by my love for makeup, but I still have a cute pan thrown in it as well. I mean, beauty and health also comes from the inside, right?

•  Top: Gressa blush/lipstick Radiant: I've gotten on the organic Gressa bandwagen and got both this blush/lipstick as the foundation.
• Right: RMS Illusive blush: I'm trying to get as organic as possible lately and I did not have a colour like this yet in the organic range.
• Bottom: NARS eye Paint in Ubangi: I know, not organic but still pretty & pot-like to feature.
• Left: Tata Harper Volumizing lip & Cheek tint in Very Sweet: Oh my, this is the perfect organic hybrid between liptint and cheektint. It has a highlighting quality without compromising on colour.
• Left Top: RMS lipgloss in Bloom: a GPW from cultbeauty and a sister of Tata Harper very sweet. This one is a true lipgloss instead of a hybrid.
• Middle: Stella-Marie-Maris Pure Shea Butter: I got this one for my flare-up skin as it is the most neutral of butters. It takes some work to get it working for you, though.

As for swatches [unblended], I'll spare you the NARS as it has been featured a-plenty. Let's go for my latest organic ones:

1. Gressa Radiant is one of the most pigmented and poppiest colours in my organic section. It is almost too pigmented for my liking. On young-n-pretty skins it would look like this (See Brittany). I'm slightly hindered by some earthy note of fragance: it's not my favourite scent.
2. RMS Illusive: I needed a perfect Mauve-nudish blush in my collection and RMS Illusive seemed to be qualified. I think it's slightly muddier in real life. I was hoping for the cream version of Surratt La Vie en Rose. It still translates as a neutral-slightly cooler blush on my skin but I think the formula is sorta hard during colder weather.
3. RMS Bloom: I've been most delighted by this GWP. It's a true lipgloss compared with Tata Harper's clingier formula, but you could still use it as a short-term cheekgloss.
4. Tata Harper Lip & Cheek Volumizer in Very Sweet: Tata Harper makes brilliant organic products and seeing her doing makeup makes my heart sing for joy. I think this balm bring out a volumizing quality on cheeks (& lips) without feeling heavy. Very Sweet has been a gorgeous peachy highlighter-esque colour and I hope she'll make more of them. Hint: in dusky rose?

I have not added any blended swatches yet. I will do and compare them later: for this post I just wanted to show you the difference in texture.

I've said this a couple of times, but *organic* is not some kind of magic word. As for my latest pots, there is a new love that could replace anything chemical [Tata Harper] and there is the one that probably is more difficult than I'd expected from the raves [Gressa]. In any case, beauty reviews are highly subjective and based on so many things: weather, hormones, age, fragance memory and I could go on.

Basically, just my 2 cents or that bit of herb in the cooking...

Last Empties 2014!

Before I'm gonna wish you all a wonderful 2015, I'm gonna share some of the last Empties of 2014:

1.  Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse for hair: This mousse is absolute love for me. I have a mild psoriasis condition and every bit of chemical on my hair can trigger my skin into producing more. This mousse is totally natural, but works even better than any chemical I tried so far. #repurchase in bulk!
2. Lierac Body-slim Destock Nuit: ahhh, those French and their thin thighs. So if you question me if/whether their anti-cellulite works, I would say: Yes, but...The but(t) is always the problem (area) about: so I think it gets the extra results with the training, the green juices and the lack of alcohol. Mind you, I'm still taking my sugar too much and I'm certainly not a skinny thighs. However, it will help with some millimeters and sometimes that's all a woman needs. This particular version is for the night: it helps, but it smells a bit funky. I will  have already repurchased the daytime version with my famous 10% caffeine.
3. Rituals Heavenly Hamman Bathoil: This brand from Holland sure gotten far and popular. I love the combination of fresh & mild of this blend.
4. Rouge Bunny Rouge Metamorphosis Mattifying primer: I really like this one, however, it's pricy and I found a lovely dupe. Btw, I'm gonna try to find an organic primer that functions well.
5. FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5: This retinol potion really is gentle for the skin and I can still see a good result when using it: smoother, more decongested skin.

I had more things I've used up, but I couldn't be bothered photographing a zillion of samples that were simply nice, but not earth-shockingly special.

Sooo, Happy 2015:

Beauty Newbies

Weather is still nicely summery even if it's getting closer to Autumn. I still felt like grabbing some autumn-like purchases: 

1. You have probably seen Rouge Bunny Rouge's latest Chronos palette on all the grande beautyblogs. Me too, so when my fave high-cover foundation of '14 (see here) was on sale, I added this palette for beauty's sake. 

2. I've already started sampling some new oils for when Autumn weather will appear. I've been reading plenty about YÜLI Skincare: SpiritBeautyLounge has a sampling service which makes it affordable to try out. 

3. Candles: How Autumn/Winter they are to me. I still picked out the tropically Gardenia based 'Je t'aime Jane' from Bella Freud's line. I mean, my blog is called 'Birkinbagbeauty' because I love Jane Birkin so I couldn't resist a candle in her homage.

4. Chanel quad in Poésie: The national beautystores have 25% off on eyeshadows and this L.E Chanel was finally in stock. It's described as a set of the most effortless neutrals by most beautyblogs: Probably dupable but still highly chanel and supereasy on undecided mornings of 'how to dress the eyes'.

such a Beach...

I like the word 'beach' pronounced by some non-native English speakers. Especially with a Spanish dialect, which sounds more like the assertive woman-type equivalent. 

So I can write a whole post-feminist story why it isn't such a bad thing to speak up to people, being the so-called b#tch, and how people value assertiveness differently when it's a guy (assertive) than when it's a girl (bitchy). But I'll leave that to the frequent feminist bloggers.  

In this case, I'll keep it up with the sandy talk and the sea-saltedness of the beach.

So I have been trying out some new things. The Coola (mineral) sunscreen above was not a favourite.  It has a SPF 30 factor but I returned quite tanned from 2 hours of lounging in the sun. I have been used to the meticulously functionable Japanese sunblocks in the past, so this was not the result I was after. The tan was nice, though, but certainly not anticipated.

More Beachi-ness:

I have been loving the Ambre Solaire (Same as the Garnier) Sunscreen line a lot in the pump-spray form. It is delightfully watery and thin and leaves no greasiness behind: perfect when you get into contact with sand, water or almost everything. The aerosol spray might not be the most environmental construction but at least I can go to the beach alone without asking strangers to rub in my back...EEEK, I've never done that, btw! I had this method of misting my suntan lotion on a round can and trying to roll it on my back -> not handy and it will give you pityful stares of coupled, familied or befriended people.

Short story: excellent protection for the body and the aerosol is single-girl friendly too. And so thin you can't hardly tell you put it on, which will not give you backne either.

*

 KIKO stick in SPF 50 is so nice because the formula is like a dry-stick. I've been suffering from oily skin in a different climate so anything greasy felt and looked quite wrong. It protects quite good: I've used it for shading my nose (SPF 30 on face and a thin line of KIKO SPF 50 on the bridge of the nose) and I had a lighter result: tadaaah, photoshop by sunscreening.

KIKO also has this line of peeling tissues in a purple packaging. They are plasticy bobbly on one side and cloth-textured on the other side. The plastic side is too harsh for me and the liquid on the cloth-side would be too hash normally as well. But as I said: the skin had his neo-teenage moment and I loved these for removing sunscreen after the beach.

*

I swim! People tell me I shouldn't swim with my hair but I just love it too much. I have been telling my colourists to keep that in mind when doing my hair. Still, I protect the hair before: normally with L'oreal Mythic Oil. I will upgrade to a hairlotion with sunscreen for the next beachy encounter. Post swim I rinse my hair with water quite fast, and scrunch in some Aveda Damage Remedy leave in treatment: most showers at the beach have cold water so I prefer not to spend too much time under them.

The Sunnies are from & Other Stories. I have designer Shades (hi Celine), but for that beachy stuff I'll just like to minimise the damage upon the Expensive and go for the Scandinavian cheaper but still stylish variety.

I have some more beach-i-ness to share but for the time being I just like to discuss the Iphony bunch of it...I'm gonna look closer upon Marie Veronique Organics (MVO Organics) Sunscreen SPF 30 soon and why it's such a breeze when having oily skin. Next time, less I Phony-ness, more quality photos.

Flower to the People: Mad Hippy Antioxidant Facial Oil

This one got me by it's name. I just really like original hippies. I could never be a real one myself and due to my previous deodorant adventure into organics, my armpits neither, but I kinda love them. 

I think it involves a certain level of healthy madness to be a real hippy en pleine forme. I'm not talking about the Bohemian crowd visiting Ibiza, Goa, Tulum, etc who have floaty dresses, yoga the shizzle out of their body, but would scream day & night if you would take away their mobile: that's some nice faux-hippiness. Nothing wrong with that as I like to get regular showers too and don't take me away from my materialist amount of facecare either.

boxed and beflowered

Facecare and materialism: hence another faceoil from a label that seems to be doing face-oils before it gotten too popular. Also, it's still has a white, flowery label which is something different from the darker labels lately.

What differs from Mad Hippy is that it's on the cheaper side, hence real-hippy affordable. It aims to be anti-oxidant and has Camu Camu as it's *wonder* ingredient: It's packed with 30x more vitamin C than an orange.

 Now I love fancy ingredients, especially from Rainforest areas. However, I'm somewhat aware that the carbon footprint of shipping out exotic ingredients around the world is not that environmentally friendly. Not that I'm such a saint, because I'm kinda glad this oil is infused with such gorgeously potent ingredients:

Argan oil (argania spinosa), pomegranate seed oil (punica granatum), sunflower seed oil (helianthus annuus), cranberry fruit extract (vaccinium macrocarpon), pomegranate extract (punica granatum), blueberry extract (vaccinium angustifolium), strawberry fruit extract (fragaria vesca), kiwi extract (actinidia chinensis), watermelon fruit extract (citrullus vulgaris), grape seed extract (vitis vinifera), raspberry seed extract (rubus idaeus), camu camu fruit extract (myrciaria dubia), acai fruit extract (euterpe oleracea), goji extract (lycium barbarum), sea buckthorn berry extract (hippophae rhamnoides), hemp seed extract (cannabis sativa), broccoli extract (brassica oleracea italica), sweet orange oil (citrus sinensis), vitamin E (tocopherol). 

It almost sounds like my morning smoothie.

And indeed, "More Actives, More Results":

Right now I like this blend of oils. Springtime is the perfect time to boost your skin to life. Antioxidants are excellent for recovering the skin from the stronger sunrays of late spring/beginning summer. It's a thicker oil so I prefer it for nighttime. It smells like a fruity smoothie with a hint of real Argan oil scent. People knowing their real argan that it's a bit herbally strong, almost like a certain form of meat. But it's only faintly present. I'm glad they used the unfiltered argan, as it's often more potent than the filtered versions (cough Josie Maran).

Most of all, the price: it's a mere $19.99 for a good amount of 30 ml.

Now If I just find some good organic deodorant and cycle to Spain for holidays....

Pit-Stop: Schmidt's Natural Deodorant in Bergamot & Lime

My evolution into more organic method of living:

 healthy -healthier - ehm...pitstop 

-> ironically it stops at the pits:

my little lime had forgotten his sunscreen, which explains the tan on his back

There is such a thing that is called orthorexia which is taking the healthy into excess: thank [..fill in your deity...] I have never took it so far as I would pass gladly on anything that flushes me from a side-that-doesn't-like-to-be-flushed. But I've been a lot healthier and gotten into the buzz of adding new superfood powders to my smoothie every time.

Something as bland but necessary as deodorant has been claimed to be one of the key 'poisoners' (take 'poison' lightly) of human bodies due to aluminium & other ingredients (here, here & one here). And to every study there are the ones that prove that the opposite...etc etc. They are still being sold, so I guess it's not a thing like transfat (yet??).

To be sure, I wanted to "go clean" and go for a natural deodorant. Schmidt's had gotten some raves online: it is also available in Holland so I could pick it up.

such free-dom, this deodorant

Free of this, Free of that: I took another step into organic-dom!

But the difficulties start with application.

So there's actually a spatula for scooping out the deodorant...

Which brings me to the texture = rockhard!

 

It rubs in as a sorta coconut oil: it melts after a bit of fingerrubbing and pit-pressing.

I can overlook a bit of extra work but as performance: not too impressed.

I'm not that stinky when I wear no deodorant if I have normal activities (or, I think I'm not). So I'd compare the no-deo first: I loved how it smelled on 1st application, a zesty citrusblend. After 5 hours I put my nose under my arms and "what the fruga-organic-Gwynneth-Uncoupling-esque?": a slight sweaty scent.

Ohoh, it seems like it actually activated my pits after a while. Some light chemical deodorants can do that too: blocking or masking for a while and after some time: sniff-pongy!

I brought it to a high-impact workout (standing at the other side of the room, just in case) and I had normal stinky level like at times I would forgot to deo or anti-transpirant at all.

Such a shame, look at some of the beautiful ingredients:

Ingredients (Bergamot + Lime): Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), Maranta arundinacea (arrowroot) powder, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Citrus bergamia (bergamot) essential oil, Citrus aurantifolia (lime) essential oil, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Humulus lupulus (hop) extract

 

I can conclude that it doesn't really work for me. There are some reviews out there that love it (here, here & here). I personally won't go to all lenghts for being healthy so I'll keep the pits slightly chemical until I find my organic match.

So how far would you go for being healthy?

T is for Toner: Natural Being Manuka Toning Gel

I have a confession: I like toners, but I can ignore them easily as well: sometimes I believe my basic cleansing is enough. But unlike some opinions, I think they really can do something for the skin, or even your mood.

Gel-toners are fairly new to me. I think they are a bit like the Japanese Emulsion steps: not a real water but thin enough to pass as an in between real cleansing and serum/daycream. So when I saw a natural variety with Manuka in it: I got it!

So I've been going more natural/organic lately for specific reasons. I love the planet and think even one person can make a change, but foremost it has been vanity and sensitivity. But let's check out the sustainability of the product first: 

I went in easy #hashtag mode to sum up the benefits: #truebeautyfromwithin but #greatskincarehelps. Also #respect4Nature & #Nicetobunniesetc.

The #antimicrobial function is also perfect for acne-prone skin. Manuka is an absolute powerhouse on this function and the native Australians even put it on their wounds. I've once layered it over Pixel-lasered skin (gone quite wrong) and it really calmed & healed.

 

Review:

• the gel-form feels soothing on the skin
• adding the manuka adds to calming down
• the gel-texture helps in removing everything the previous cleanser did not remove
• without stripping skin from natural/protecting oils
• the rest of the gel will dry: aka similar as most Japanese Emulsion steps.
• Mid-range price
• smells light like a hint of honey and a tad of something zesty (probably the geranium)
• Good ingredient-list:
  
  Conclusion:
  I used it when my skin had been really sensitive and it really made a difference in toning it down. And after it has done that, I kinda forgot about it (like I said in the beginning about toners). Which in a way means that it does work, because I will not need it as often. However, I think I should be more consistent about using this as it will only strengthen my skin in the long run and will help into getting less sensitive too.
  
  
  Availability:
  You can get it straight from their website and read more about their philosophies too.

Review: Kahina Brightening Serum

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the 'black bottle trend' in organic skincare. I haven't been idle on using Kahina's [Giving Beauty] Brightening serum, and I happily will review this one.

One of the signs of ageing is not so far the start of wrinkles or perhaps a bit of vertical challenge (read: sagging) of your skin: often it's also uneven pigmentation. Popular Western skincare brands have overlooked this for some time but are starting to address this issue as well. Sidenote, the Asian beautymarket has been on the forefront of lightening/brightening and I've happily used those type of skincare in my early thirties to give me luminiscent and less pigmented skin.

So the organics, or the naturals? I believe nature should not be overlooked as one of the most potent 'mixer' of skincare potions. Often when older communities are found (with plenty of centenarians= 100 year olds), there has been some secret like eating plenty organic olive oil, or some fermented rice wine. Don't quote me on this but it's often not high-stressed lifestyle, L'Oreal and neither McDonalds food (it might be in a 100 years but that has to be proven yet) .

My personal 1st semi-organic lightener has been Jurlique Purely Bright Nightcream. Amazing long term effect! It basically wiped out caused by a sunny holiday & the notorious pigmentation due to Diana 35 anticonception pill. It has been infused with Liqorice and since then I believe in the *power of liquorice* for brightening skin.

Kahina Brightening Serum is infused with liquorice, and you can even smell a hint of it during application:

That brings me to the benefits:

• brightening? Yes

I didn't have major issues with pigmentation as I had in 2012, but a bit of evening/brightening does help into looking younger. It has a slight effect but still visible IMO

• Calming? That too

Kahina Brightening Serum does not market itself as being a calming serum but liquorice is known as being anti-inflamatory (read here & here). There's just a tiny hint of scent, from liquorice, and I actually find that more calming on my sensitive skin than the so-called bland neutral.

• Easy Absorption

30 seconds and you can either layer on another serum (anti-ageing/anti-acne/ect) or go for your daycream. It's actually moisturizing enough to use as a thin moisturizer if your skin is normal to combination.

• Ethically and sustainably sourced
   Ethically Amazing/Sustainably perfect

Just a tad of exaggeration but Kahina doesn't only replant an Argan tree by every sold bottle, but they're "giving back" to the Berber women in Morocco by providing them a positive working atmosphere etc etc (read their story here).

Ethically and sustainably sourced

Ethically and sustainably sourced

The negatives might be that it is quite expensive for £65.00: I got a bottle of their  full-sized Argan oil as a freebie on naturisimo so that got me into buying it in the first place (still works when you add KAHINA as the code). Also, it is just a brightener and a calming serum: some people like their serums to be total powerhouses and do everything-and-their-laundry.... I kinda believe in multitasking, but I like some focus as well: so I love a specific serum for one or two targets alone.

CONCLUSION: 

Kahina Brighening Serum shows that liquorice is not just candy but can give you a *sweet* brighter & more even complexion.