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 ¸¸.•*´¨`*•

On your Marc...(Jacobs)

Sometimes I get weird makeup-cravings before the actual need is there...

Is that a certain kind of makeup-prevision, or a mere knowledge of seasonal skin-change? 

So I've been getting "On your Marc...get set...Autumn" in terms of foundations, and a primer. I've ordered them when my summer skin had been behaving more than good (thumbs up on innerbeauty tons of superfoods and gentle skincare). And even, dare I say...being satisfied; I was foreseeing this day I would look at my skin and see the imperfections and the need to have more cover.

Oh well, imperfect skin does make a beauty-lover more adventurous in making it look better...And perhaps being a more astute blogger than a flawless blogger who doesn't really need it.

Marc Jacobs' new Re(Marcable) Full Cover Foundation Concentrate claims to have a heavier coverage than I normally would opt for (some on beautyprofessor). I still caved because the same beautyprofessor claims it has "un-scented serum-esque" properties and "the velvety aftermath results in blurred pores, concealed imperfections and a very natural finish".

It was predominantly my own curiosity that gotten me into the new Primer:  Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut  Face Primer. 

Everyone worth its visits to healthgurus like Deliciously Ella will get a Pavlov-reaction of hearing about C.O.CO.N.U.T.S (I'd just spell it gently here).

 The reaction would be squatting (or other crossfit-related activities), looking for Kale to complete Coconut, and finding a slower juicer than you had before!

(ps: don't mind my irony: I'm one of them)

Or, Sinning in 2015 is totally different than 1995:

Same letter, different E... 

Was it Rihanna who started it????

Around 2011: pre-Paleo-hype!

And now everything coconuts reminds us of 'zzzzee exotic' and 'not from a lab' so it must be pure (?)

But honestly my inner system reacts quite well on everything coconut so I love to try the primer for it.

Let's go for the aesthetics first. Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Primer is in a white glass bottle with a enormous bottle cap and a matte sheer bottle that shows the content.

Opening the big 'hat' shows us a pump-dispenser:

So it pumps into a nice, equal blob:

It has this most moisturizer-ish feel. Also in the way it spread, slightly unsightly:

On me, it keeps the feeling of being a moisturizer; though a calming one I'd probably going to love when winter starts and my skin-sensitivities too.

I do not think it does a lot in making my pores appear smaller: Pore me :( 

On the other hand, my makeup stays fresher for 2 hours more.

So I'm primed like a real #Paleo #crossfit woman. What about the foundation?

Marc Jacobs Re(Marcable) Full Cover Foundation Concentrate in 34

I took the hat of in advance, and the bottle is a similar matte, only with a silver dispenser.

Weirdly, How happy I've been with the Coconut Primer's pump, the Foundation has a totally different structure of dispensing. I personally have the tendency to be messy, and this system of drops does not really help me. And there's also a certain ridge in there that somehow samples up my foundation:

I wonder why Marc Jacobs got the Coconut primer right (imo) and made the foundation a different dispenser?

As for the coverage: I consider it on the heavy side.

spreadability

I took the enddresult photo with a extra bit of light:

I like the high coverage, but I'm slightly underwhelmed with the smoothing effect. The vertical lines in my arms are still visible.

I also miss the lumiscence that I often get from other foundations.

In any case, this will become my foundation on days that I need high coverage. However, I do find it needing extra work to keep it looking natural: I am thinking extra highlighter, another primer that does fill out pores and lines, and the likes.

Ofcourse, my opinion is all personal because this foundation might work like a dream on a different skintype. Still I believe a foundation should be easier to work with anno 2015.

Personal concensus: I like the Coconut primer for being so gentily priming and ticking of my #paleo #healthygirl box. The foundation, slightly underwhelmed.

Oh, by the way. In this post I said something about E. So (disclaimer:) I have never done drugs in my young years...just hanging or clubbing with good and lousy friends and the occasional wine/cocktail etc. But the pun behind the E numbers is that many people who are living so healthy these days have been quite naughty before. But that's life and generation amnesia, right?

 

Eye Travel with Sunday Riley Start Over travel-size

Now most of us are either holidaying or have one coming up, I'd like to share a travel favourite of mine.

Meet Sunday Riley Starting Over Eyecream. It looks as simple as any other eyecream: 

Tube ✓

Clinical letters ✓

White packaging ✓

Or somehow I find eyecreams to be looking kinda sterile compared to other facial care. 

 Might be because it comes closer to a fragile area, the eyeball?  

In any case, Sunday Riley has Results as their 1st concern:

 Now, I do think the concept of 'having results' is a variable. In normal English: what I want from an eyecream might be totally different from my teenage daughter. She might combat dark circles that come from Festival [lack of] sleeping; I want wrinkle care!

But my love for this eyecream is probably veered towards it's travel purpose: especially airplanes that suck the moisture out of your body like a Saharan desert. Also, the puffiness reminiscent of walking in a sandstorm.

This Metallic top has this perfectly cool feel on eyes. A bit of a squeeze will bring out a small dollop [practice first otherwise you'll have an amount to equalize for the whole face], and the feel of the metallic top with the super-moisturizing eyecream will have your lids soothed to a key.

Ingredients:

V-5 Ageless Complex (Opuntia Tuna Fruit (Prickly Pear) Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf (Blue Agave) Extract, Cypripedium Pubescens (Lady’s Slipper Orchid) Extract, Opuntia Tuna Fruit, Opuntia Vulgaris (Cactus) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract & Saccharmyces Cerevisiae (Yeast) Extract), Squalene and Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Extract, Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Punica Granataum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil, Methysilanol Carboxymethyl Theophylline, Butylene Glycol, PEG-75 Meadowsol, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Isohexadecane, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl, Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C Ester) Glucosamine HCL & Algae Extract & Yeast Extract & Urea, Algae Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris (Mugwort) Extract, Glabridine (Licorice) Extract, Lecithin, Cholesterol Oleyl Carbonate & Cholesteryl Nanoate & Cholesteryl Chloride, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Oil & Astaxanthin & Lycopene & Alpha D-Tocopherol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin

As for these results again: The ingredients focus on hydratation [eg: Rosehip seed oil, Squalene oil, Pomegranate seed oil] , anti-ageing [eg: Prickly Pear extract, Vitamin C, Algae extract, again Rosehip & Pomegranate] and brightening [eg: Licorice extract & Licopene].

I often feel I "start over" a bit when arriving at a new destination from an airplane. Perhaps because of the fast way of overcoming total areas, timezones and sometimes seasons.

Now I can "start over" with representative & hydrated eye-area.

But why does only the travel format come with the eyecontour-saving metallic lid???

Also, can we have this in the facecream as well? 

Brow-sing Naturally with Ecobrow defining wax in Marilyn

Brow are you?  Good? Then let's talk Ecological Brows or Ecobrow Defining Wax:

Eh,  a bit of a trite pun on words but how about the idea that first impressions count and people always are about that 'eyes are the mirror of the soul'. In that case, eyebrows are the framing of the mirror and they can be really important to characterize the face. The quintessential example would be Cara, but how about the 1920s moviestars who defined their fragile femininity with a thin & droopy brow:

source: Here & more brow-xamples

  I personally do not think "one brow fits all". Even if everyone seems to be into the Cara-brow, you got to consider her facial structure is delicate enough to pull off a masculine brow without loosing her femininity. I personally go for some more space between my eyes and a bit of a curve for a slightly more feminine shape on my squarer features. I still aim for a natural looking brow, ofcourse!

But let's take a look of how I liked Ecobrow as a brow-definer.

• Natural
• Lighweight
• beautiful Brow effects
• Smudge Proof
• Naturally Derived

Ok, last claim is "Naturally Derived": will that be true?

sorry for the smudgies

In the first place I find some of them sounding chemical, like Neopentyl glycol. Wiki says it is an organic chemical compound which sounds to me like a oxymoron...Organic and Chemical? Mmm... 

But I believe in their ecological sustainability just for the fact that I bought it from Sephora. You gotta trust the Americans for totally forking out all claims and promises like truth...or else...lawsuit!

In that case, let's check the "beautiful brow effect" it will bring me! Hurray!

Colour:

I picked Marilyn because it is the lightest colour around. I'm not a natural light blonde but my eyebrows have always been naturally light. I've been trying the darker ones, but they make my face look too stern. I simply want my existing colour to look thicker and shape some femininity in them.

The colour inside is a taupe with a slight hint of green:

The green won't show in the pot, but in the comparing swatches you will see it.

Comparing swatches:

I picked up my other blonde cream formulas to compare with Ecobrow Marilyn. They are:

• EB = Ecobrow Marilyn
• ABH= Anastasia Beverly hills Dipbrow in Blonde
• LM= Laura Mercier Brow Definer in Fair

My tools of the trade is my latest, supersharp Wayne Goss No. 8:

Swatches:

EB: Ecobrow Marilyn is the lightest of the bunch. I am so thrilled of this lightness because it totally fills my brow without altering the colour. Moreover, it is neutral enough without leaning either cool or gold.

ABH: I never noticed how greenly tinged Anastasia Beverly Hills in Blonde was before this swatch. I don't mind because it makes the drawn-in hairs appear more real. The colour is slightly on the cooler side and a bit too dark for a total brow-fill. It is pigmented enough to draw good hairs so I can alternate this with a lighter colour.

LM: Laura Mercier in Fair is a wonderful lighter colour with more warmth than Ecobrow. I do think it fades more quickly and it does not draw the hairs as vivid as Ecobrow.

Revisiting Promises:

• Natural: Mostly
• Lightweight: Very
• beautiful Brow effects: YES!
• Smudge Proof: Up to 8 hours with a natural fade
• Naturally Derived: I'm not specialised enough to prove it is but it has not been proven otherwise yes so I guess...

General review:

I have really fallen in love with Ecobrow Marilyn. It gives my brows a natural but sculpted look I love without looking fake. It last for a long time and I do not have to worry putting unnecessary chemicals on my face.

 Verdict = LOVE it.

Becca Beachtint Raspberry/Opal in Vine

Sometimes moving images say more than the still ones.

So I would like to Vine-review Becca Beachtint in Raspberry/Opal I gotten in July (here). It started out as a cushiony dream but I have some reserves I will share later. Let's Vine first:

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 Pros: 

• love the colour-payoff: cannot get enough ofa  berry-ish glowy cheek
• blends easily on my skin 
• Fits my Adesign Pointed Foundation brush like a dream

Cons:

• dents easily: I've only used it about 10 times to get this dent!
• Not really fingerproof: this one needs a proper brush for applying

I'm slightly dissapointed to have this effect when I only had it for 3 months. The result is pretty but the Cons make it a blush I do not reach easily for it. Also, It looks I only have 50% left after only 10 uses, which makes it quite pricy per use.

unlike the bird, the early pan doesn't get the worm

I really love Becca as a brand. I prefer their matte eyeshadows over Rouge Bunny Rouge's, I love their illuminators and they have some awesome blushers. This formula is neither fish nor fowl.

It also dissapears faster than my other blushes.

Conclusion: Love at first sight can be deceptive if the substance looked more than it eventually is

Overcoming Cosmetic Snobbery

"I don't do Clinique"

 I heard myself saying these words to a flawless but clueless salesassistant a while ago. I realised my cosmetic snobbery had gone to an extent that I'd say I didn't do Clinique anymore. 

In my defence: I used their infamous 3-step system during teenage acne with poor results. I've found their soap too aggressive and the tonic stingy. I had better luck going to the French pharmacie for Payot or La Roche Posay.

But I'm not a bitter hag & years passed and I was willing to try again: 

Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector

I'm not a fan of the 'even better' title. It makes me wary and gives me the feeling if I switch products I will get acne again. Or in this case, crepey eyelids. Like messing up something that's already good. 

In my case, I was right about the eyecream. I've been loving my previous travelsize of Algenist eyebalm. It gave me such confidence my eyes were "good by itself" that Clinique would do as follow up.

Ohoh, big mistake and such difference. I've used it for 2 days and I woke up like a crepey mess with some new dark circles. WORSE, uneven eyes (one smaller than the other). I should have looked at the reviews on Makeupalley before:

In this case, my previous one was Even Best:

My second venture went a bit Better!

Clinique Even Better Sunscreen Dark Spot Defense SPF 45

I've gotten curious reading about it from Amodelrecommends. Wowza, I've discussed her years ago when she was known as 'just a model' but now she's become 'Ruth Crilley' with her own haircare range-> from a 'just one of the many' to a proper celeb with her own name.

I've tried a good bunch of sunscreens: Asian, organic, drugstore, French. I have to say I like this one. It has a light-medium base which might not be a good match to 80% of the people: I don't get why Clinique does that as it targets for a widely coloured American public. However, it's an ok match to me.  It gives a good protection but I've only used it twice in middle-range North-European summer; I cannot say how it would perform in tropical climates.

If it is really so much better than the ones I've tried before? I should do a test on that. But it's getting winter over here so I'd opt for that for the next year.

In general, I liked one of the two new items I gotten from Clinique. I'm still going to be a snob if when it comes to buying fullsize from their skincare range but I won't refuse samples. Just not that 3-step system anymore.

Pencil-Perfect with Marc Jacobs Sky-liner

It's a bit early for Xmas giftsets.

 Then again, it isn't that early yet. So I have been so nice to do some research into makeupsets and get the Marc Jacobs Sky-liner set; purely for the aforementioned altruistic purpose, ofcourse.

Like last time with the Dreamer palette, I had a back-to-school feeling when opening the box:

 It would be a sandwich-box for one-slice-only people, but as far as I understood bread is sooo non-fashionable?

This lunchbox is more of a feast for the eyes:

It contains 7 pencils in mini sizes: five are from their permanent line and the hottest two are limited editions to this set. Ohhh...

And with names:

Time for swatches; at 1st sight:

Closer:

•  [O]vert is that dark-khaki colour that looks either dark-brown or -grey from a distance. Up close it looks like a moody green that will make hazel eyes appear more green. Also, a soft colour for natural redheads & blondes. It has less sparkle than the others but is still lustruous
• Brown[out] is a vivid & sparkly darker brown with a mix of warm & neutral tones. 

 

• Sunset [LE] is a brick orangy colour that will make blue or green eyes appear either brighter or perhaps a bit rabbity (depends on your natural lightness & whether you tightline). It will bring out a soft glow in brown to darker eyes. It has a metallic formula
•  Midnight in Paris [LE] is a navy colour with a lightblue sparkly overlay.

 

• [Th]ink is a deep blue-based purple with a soft metallic glow (slightly pink-purple). Absolutely gorgeous!
• [Plum]age is a purple with a red base with a fleck-like pink metallic overlay.

As for Blaquer: it's just as matte & velvety as the 1st photo so I will not show different angles of it.

I really love the quality of the pencils, but this is a personal preference. It's a softer formula which makes it easier to blend and apply to more mature eyelids. It stays on me for about 8 hours before I get some wear. It does not flake or merges on my cheeks.

Also, the easy twist-up shape is wonderful for people who don't like to sharpen like every day:

Hence, travel-friendly.

Generally, I really adore my new pencils and I have some brilliant new colours I did not have in my collection. They remind me of Pixi Endless Silky Eyepencils, in both quality as colours. The sizes are quite big for mini-sizes, but small enough to tote around. The glossy overlay over the pencil protects it from denting, hence I have a feel they will stay pretty for longer. It will make a perfect gift for any girl or even an edgy boy-mate: IMO, even the most makeup-shy women seem to wear a bit of pencil every now and then.

CONCLUSION: The sky is not the limit with these adorably beautiful and functional eyeliners.

Available at Sephora for $45.00