December '13 Empties

I first want to make a special mention to my Lavshuca Moist Melting Rouge PK 6 that I totally lip-pencilled out!

I once compared this sweetie with Chanel Flirt (see here): I still have Flirt but I used this one totally. It might be that I am too careful with an expensive lipstick but I just luuuurve Lashuca's formulas and thin-to-bring-on-the-road size.

The other empties: the Hair-department:

The yellow Le Petite Marseillais hair conditioner with honey has actually been bought in Marseille (South of France)! It is one of their easy-to-find beauty line [think supermarkets] that smells wonderful and performs really well, also on my older (reaaaally damaged) hair. I'd sure repurchase if I empty some other conditioners, and get my way to France, ofcourse.

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Another hair conditioner that totally matches up with my newer hair has been Yarok Feed Your Volume travel size. It smells like fresh lemons & herbs, and it does give tons of body. It's really nice when your hair doesn't have that much damage (think top half & shorter 'dos). Even better, it is a bliss for people who have scalp-sensitivities and skin sensitivities as it is so natural and un-irritating. Cons: expensive.

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 Lush Marilyn is a hairmask for blonder or highlighted hair, but also wonderful for brunettes/redheads who like a fresh, lemony scent and a thinner mask that still moisturizes enough. Most Lush products have gone quite expensive over the years; this one is still quite close to its original price.

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 Swell Advanced Root Nutrient Complex (spray in front) needs a more detailed review than just me saying: 'love it'. It's a spray that reminds me of Phylia de M Connect & Yarok hairmousse in one. My hair is quite thick again after the treatments in 2013, but I like that Texas hair glamour these days so volume you go in an organic/natural way.

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I bought my Kerastase Elixir Moringa Immortelle during summer 2012 and I just finished it. It needs little product and smoothes out with a fresh scent. I like the Elixirs but right now I'm on another hairoil/serum. I will come back to that one soon.

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The Shu Uemura Muruto Volume Mask was discounted, and with another discount it was still expensive...hehe, but I was curious...I like it, but it smells quite chemical if you get more used to Yarok and other organic/natural products. Also, I believe the new natural/organic generation delivers just as well, or even better in terms of volume. Must be the herbs...

So let's talk organic/natural:

The black bottle on the left has been my Living Nature Tinted Moisturizer in Daylight. I'm really impressed by their tinted moisturizers, on par with the likes of Rouge Bunny Rouge & Omorovicza. I do think the difference between medium (Daylight) & Dawn Light (light) is a bit too much so I've been mixed both depending on my level [or absense] of selftan. It has macademia oil as its 3rd Lingredient and is 100% natural.

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The white bottle in front is another S5 Serum sample in Renew. I like it but not as much as Nourish Relax serum.

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The sack is inner beauty, or one of my superfood additives [addictives] in the antioxidant-forming Acai Powder. I already repurchased this as it tastes berry-ish and I feel healthier on it.

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The empty candle has been my Neom Refresh with sicilian lemon: really zesty during sluggish mornings.

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I've discussed Tisserant Luxury Bath oil over here and will repurchase. 

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Last, and certainly not least, Manuka Honey 18+. It is not just inner beauty: I use it as a cleansing method (read over here how to), an additives to powder masks, and...duh, inner beauty. Oh, and you can double it up as the main ingredient of a hair lightening mixture that works without damage: more about that here and here.

Hold on for the last line-up of empties

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  Essence Nude Glam's are fantastic nude nailpolishes for their price. Repurchase for sure.
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I haven't used up the Merumaya Intensely Youthful Eyecream. I didn't like the Ayurvedic-based fragance which lingers on quite long. My sensitive skin wasn't too fond of the formula either.
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Talking about eyes, I really liked BeautyDIY Green Tea brightening Eye Roll On. Unfortunately it is not being sold on Sasa.com anymore. Also, Sasa has been quite inconsistent delivering to my adress so I will have to forget about that online shop.
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Kracie Naive has been a lovely oil-cleanser for some time. However, I will venture upon the organic market for a more unchemical oil cleanser.
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The Clarisonic brush: Well, you gotta replace them after 3 months and I often want to do it earlier, but they are expensive so 3 months it is.
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I also didn't finish Max Factor False Lash Effect:  it gotten various raves but I found the formula dry and clumpy, and the brush too big for precise focus. Mascaras are often a personal preference so I'm glad it is not the most expensive type that I will throw away.
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My Suqqu Eyebrow pen dried out a bit too fast: according to another blogger that is not normal from Suqqu. I gotten it from a non-official Suqqu seller so that might be it.

Those were quite some empties for December: I 'compensated' by buying too much new stuff, ofcourse. And you will see that on the blog again...

Using...used...gonna use..

I've been hitting the plateau of beauty frugality lately. First, it was being compensated by fashion exuberance in spending, then it was both, and now both seem to tone down.

Still, I have been using some things, swapping on makeupalley and want to revise some earlier opinions as well.

Using...Used....Gonna use...

Used: (and up for repurchase) Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Conditioner

Actually almost used: I bought this massively niche and expensive conditioner from Shu Uemura I'd discussed over here. This conditioners has actually been quite good: to be precisely...good in the form I have to discard my beauty-frugality soon to repurchase.
The thing is that my hair-quality have gotten slightly better by Kerastase Elixir Ultime Moringa and some haircuts too, so on healthy hair this makes it even more delightfully shimmery.

Using: Sunday Riley Starting Over eyecream

I really wanted to post about this one because today the retailer of this, cultbeauty, has a sale going on giving discount for a whopping 25 % with code FLASH25 (link)

It seems expensive and it actually is, but I have been using it since may this year, and you can see I haven't even used half of it. It is not the eyemiracle I have been hoping for, however, I cannot stop the complete ageing process and it actually makes my eyes appear more lifted and hydrated in the morning after I slept the night with the heater on (always turn off the heat at night, unless you live in Antartica). It is creamy enough for nighttime, yet fluffy and fast penetrating enough for hasty mornings.

To be used: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill

I received this gem during a swap and I'm dying to use it soon. However, I always seem to be distracted by the virginity of unused makeup and end up staring at it's sparkles and the way the logo still seem to be looking like freshly stamped in...

So swapping on makeupalley?

I've been swapping some beauties in the form of Burberry blush for my latest high end cosmetic crush Giorgio Armani. I looooove blush, but going to winter and seeing my skin going more wintery as well, I find myself into clowncheek dillema that looks fashionable on fashiongirls but basically clowncheek on me (seriously, I think it sometimes looks clowncheek on them too and I almost want to chase them with a stipping brush and blend*blend*blend that colour into something less russian-doll)
I know, and admire pale porceline princesses such as the stunning DrivellerKate flaunting a huge aray of blushes and making themselves even more ridiculously beautiful, but I'm slightly older with less perfect complection so I had to revise some of my stash to see if they would work if

• I'm in a hurry and cannot spend ages on blending/mixing with other colours
• smell ok (Burberry seems to get slightly sickening on me lately with it's hyper-rose scent)
• have a primer-esque quality without actually having primer (hence, not pore enhancing but smoothing)

FYI, the sale of cultbeauty.co.uk is still going on until today at midnight GMT and they have some delightful brands beside Sunday Riley. Again, the code is FLASH25 and international shipping is free after spending £100 (before discount, so after the discount I still got my free shipping even though it was under the £ 100).

Prexceed Hair serum with Honey

It's a bit of a hair-weekend on this blog!

Obviously, I finished up this serum a few weeks ago.  I did the Dutch Frugal thing and cut-open the tube to scrape the last bit of cream out.

It hasn't been my only in-between-washes moisturizing treatment: I mix the cream emollient of the Prexceed with one of my hairoils on a 50/50 ratio.

The Kerastase Elixir Ultime is my fave of the three. But I finally have a Shu Uemura Art for Hair product I actually LIKE: the Essence absolute! It's thicker than the Kerastase but still silicony enough for the necessary-to-smooth days.

I got a follow upper from the same Prexceed line: this one with Camillia

Funnily, I bought both on Sasa.com but if you know them and my blog than you know these products can dissapear into nowhere anytime. I could track down another one with Tsubaki Oil, and that one sounds good when this one runs out: I probably should buy it soon before that ones dissapears too??

Review: Shu Uemura Full Shimmer Illuminating Conditioner

This is one of these products I bought for

1. my HG quest for intensively glossy hair
2. the hype
3. the fact I adore Shu Uemura's job on makeup products
4. the "recommended by terribly succesful models" (That is Karlie Kloss in this case, see here)

Probably reasons enough to try this one, weren't it that:

1. really expensive
2. I hadn't had really fantastic results with Shu Uemura Art for Hair in the past

I took the 'stock-market'-mantra of "results made in the past do not guarantee similar results in the future" and bought a bottle after feelunique had a discount going on.

But talking about promises: What kind of promise does Shu Uemura make about the "future of my hair"?

1. For colour-treated hair

2. Illuminates

3. Essential contitioning to hair fiber

4. Musk rose oil

5. Optimal shine & glazed touch

Ingredients:

A mix of the chemicals (mind the Parabens) & naturals. The Rosa Canina Fruit oil is probably the Musk Rose oil that has been promoted.

I talked about the cons that it is rather expensive. For that price you get a beautiful red bottle with a sophisticated dispenser: (so you do not spill too much of your pricy conditioner):

The conditioner: 

It's a thin condioner in a muddy peach/rosy colour. It smells divine, indeed, of a expensive rose perfume laced with musk.

How did it live up to it's promises?
l: my hair is actually not that colour treated, so I cannot really talk about the effects of that
2: Illuminates: yes, but not excessively more than conditioners such as John Frieda Smooth conditioner or Kose Salon
3: I don't feel it penetrates the hair fibre: not many hairmasks do, only the ones that have a good dose of Keratin or the ones with a high percentage of (natural) oils such as Argan Oil, Camilla Oil, Kukui Nut oil or even Almond Oil
4 : That element was already visible in the ingredients list and it really smells divine as an expensive rose perfume laced with musk. This scent doesn't really linger for a long time, unfortunately. Perhaps 2 hours after washing the hair.
5: I already discussed that in point 2. A good shine but not optimal or a lot better than other good & cheaper conditioners.

Conclusion:

It's a beautiful conditioner that is on the thinner side. It does not smooth down the more-damaged ends of my hair that much, but has a glossy effect on the hair. It smells divine, but only for two hours tops after showering. It heightens the niche/luxury factor but it does not really outperform cheaper conditoners on the market.

Where to find?:

Find a hairdresser who works/sells this product on the ShuUemura Website, or you can buy it online at lookfantastic.com  and feelunique.com. Promotional offers help to take of a bit of the high pricetag.

Shu Uemura Camillia Silk Oil smoothing Fluid & Kose Salon Style Precious Head Serum

Hair is big business...it has always been that way and it is still these days. Trends come and go, but as hair seems to be the indicator of health (fertility & attractiveness) and the one thing that does not go out of style is shiny and healthy hair.

I have shiny hair, but I have this craving for ridiculously, shiny hair that it would blind anyone that looks upon it. That, so shiny it looks fake. That kind of hair.

So I buy stuff, more hair stuff for me to attain that goal.

So, I have bought a relatively cheap one (Kose Salon Style Precious Head) and a ridiculously expensive one (Shu Uemura Camilla oil silk fluid) to put into the test.

With Kose Cosmeport Salon Style I have been having a good experience with their hair mask in the past. So, during one of my sasa.com shopping in order to reach that $100 mark for free shipping, I added this in order to see if it could bring that ridiculous shine to my hair.

I was lured into the Shu Uemura because of the raves online and in the magazines. Also, I love Shu's cosmetic line. I have been trying their Tasai Cream in the past, and I did not liked it (I gave it away during my giveaway last spring). Well, I am not one to give up if one items of their line does not work, so I bought this serum that just HAD to work because I paid approximately $30 for it.

I really like the cleanness of Shu's packaging.

Shu Uemura Style Camillia Silk Oil Smoothing Fluid

Mmm, I will keep it short...It does not deliver. Yes, I do get some shine, but it does not make any noticable difference compared to not wearing it at all.

My second goal, untangling my hair (something a serum should at least be capable of) is not reached either. Yes, it untangles a tiny bit, but does not have that quality that some other untangling serums have.

Overal, I would not buy it again.

Kose Cosmeport Salon Style Precious Head extra smooth serum

 So, there is my second product for that...possibly impossible goal of mine. Kose Cosmeport Salon Style Precious Head extra smooth serum. I like the fact of having a precious head, at least, I consider my head to be precious for its thinking qualities, LOL.

It has that similar soapy smell as the hair mask, and according to sasa.com it has spa water and botanical extracts inside. Interesting.

Another short review: it does not give me that ridiculous shine either.
However, as a detangler it seems to be working a bit better.

I  also like the fact that it takes less cash to purchase this: $8.80 at sasa.com for 110 ml.

Still, I do not think either products help in order to get that fantastic shine I see on some people (either with virgin or coloured hair).


Conclusion, I do not think these two make much of a difference on the natural state of my hair nor bring out extra gloss, so I could just skip them. The detangler effect of the Kose is lovely, but can be replaced by any other smoothing cream or a good conditioner.

Early Spring-Birdy giveaway

Although spring has not sprung in its full form, I think it is time to give a spring-y giveaway.

I will be giving away a couple of new and untouched products, and two of them have been tested twice, but are still in fantastic condition. My prices are from a variety of brands and range from hairstyling to facial care to eyeshadow.

So, what can you win when you are lucky?


1. Shu Uemura Tasai Cream:
I was not sure if I should list a product I gave a negative review for (post over here). I still do, as, also mentioned in my review, I think this product can still be HG material and the 'best-thing-ever' for other people's hair and hairstyle. And honestly, I am one of the few who gave it heads down, so it might be a true gem for the happy winner. Also, I find it too expensive to toss it away like that ($30), so that will be up for the happy winner.

2. MAC mineralize eyeshadow in Two To Glow
(from their Electro Flash collection, swatches here)
Brand new and never used. I am sure I would only use it once or twice, because the colours are not really me. However, the colours are absolutely stunning on brown eyes to lighter eyes.

3. VOV Daily Fresh Volcanic Ash mask.
Bloggers and readers of beauty blogs that post lots about Asian (Korean) products probably know the hype. This is a fabulous version of the VOV Daily Fresh collection, and I am only listing one of these (because I am too greedy to give away more ;D)

4. Pop Nailpolish in Manderin
Brand New. This colour is too bright for me, period. I think it will rock on a person who likes the bold look.

5. Mandom Beauty Sheet Mask: Barrier Repair Mask
The VOV mask is for cleansing the skin, and this sheet can be applied afterwards for moisture and repair.

6. Lakme Eyeshadow in Moondust.
I know, I had been raving about this quad over here. I still want to give it away, as I absolutely do not reach for this quad. (Used twice)

7. Lavshuca Dual Eyes in GN-1
Absolutely brand new. Really gorgeous.

The rules:

I will be keeping the same old rules as I did in my last giveaway, only to keep things simple. You are welcome to join even when you are not following my blog, just leave your email in the post OR contact me when I have listed you as a winner.

1. Make a comment or say something small. I should be able to contact you, or you should read closely to see if you are the winner after the drawing, so you can contact me. I do not want followers just for the giveaway, so you can join even if you do not follow my blog. I just want to contact the right winner when the winner has been drawn.

2. Contest ends on Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 3 PM European standard time, GMT +1)

3. You are only able to make one comment, so no cheaters who would like to double (or triple) their chances.

4. Winner will be announced in a new post after random selection by random.org

5. Please contact me with 2 days to claim your prize or another winner will be selected! Prizes will be shipped by airmail WORLDWIDE within 3 business days after winner contacts me!

Good Luck and have fun joining the giveaway.

Things that absolutely did not work (and were not cheap at all)

My title has been ridiculously long today But sometimes I just get frustrated with buying things that are hyped all over, and have absolutely no effect.

Today I will look at hair things.

I will start with the most expensive product. I was really enthousiasic about trying Shu Uemura Tasai cream.

• because it is incredibly difficult to get. I think that only Shu Uemura hairdressers sell this, and ebay.
• it was used on Alexa Chung in Marie Claire's photo shoot (here). Alexa has some coooool hair, the right kind of sloppy and nonchalant with a sexy twist. Worshipblues loves her style as well. She is the girlcrush of a lot of UK people, I guess...
• Glamour.co.uk had a hairdresser raving about this stuff.
• It is EXPENSIVE, $30 excluding shipping, so it must do something good, right...(eehm)
• lots of girls on the beauty-blogosphere seem to like it too...
• Tasai, that sounds like a Japanese miracle potion that will transform my hair into Goddess material
• Oh, it looks soo stylish in its sleek, black bottle...

Well, it does absolutely nothing...blah...it makes it even more complicated to handle.
Moreover, my partner even commented on my hair LACKING shine...well, before he notices anything...? (men, sight).
Anyway, I have virgin (undyed hair) and it is always a bit shiny because it has not been damaged so much...This product managed to take away the natural shine.
Ok, so this product would be ideal for girls and boys who like the matte look of 'I-do-not-care-about-my-looks-my-hair-etc' (but are always busy trying to look their best)

So, before being too negative today...let me show you what does work:

Good old John Frieda's Volume line...

Only a third of the price that Shu Uemura Tasai costed me...and also easily available in every drugstore around the corner...

Volume, shine and manageability in one blue can....

My second product that did not help is a supplement I bought on vitacost.com:

Biotin from NSI

I wanted nails that would actually grow a bit without splitting or breaking off...(remember this post?)

I have been taking these supplements since mid-October. That are almost 3 months, so there should be some results, not?
Nope, no results at all...My nails are still thin, breaking off, and lacklustre looking.
Blah...
I do not know if the brand is not really reliable, but it just does not deliver...
So, for the hair and volume I have my good old John Frieda, but I still need to find something for my nails...