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.

The 2016 Resolutions edition: #BUDGETIZE (somewhat) with Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme Mask

Resolutions often have something to do with #budgetizing or spending less on luxury goods. 

 Oh, and so we like love the little me time when you can pamper with gorgeously scented products that make you glow like nothing else? I mean, there is often the new diet or that epic new workout schedule: can't we get some pampering as a reward?

I found this little new hairgem that not only peforms at that ridiculously Philip B Russian Amber Conditioning cream; it even smells like it!

Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme has been an upgrade or a version on speed from their already well-performing Phytokeratine line. And lets add the wonderful golden packaging...

 -the outside-

 

When opening the can, there is a pastlike substance that looks like a golden yellow. This is similar as the Philip B. one.

The formula of the mask is quite past-like. Thicker masks are often more concentrated, and they are handy for handluggage air travel.

-the inside-

 I have been so generous to highlight the ingredients that I find beneficial to hair-care.

Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme Mask ingredients:

Formule INCI:  paeonia officinalis flower extract (Peony flower), cetearyl alcohol (derived from coconut oil), isodecyl neopentanoate, dicetyldimonium chloride (dérivé de colza), stearyl alcohol (dérivé d'huile de coco), isodecyl, neopentanoate, dicetyldimonium chloride, aqua, pouteria sapota seed butter (beurre de sapotier), sipalmitoylhetyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate, mauritia flexuosa fruit ouil (buriti oil), isopropyl alcohol, ceteareth-33 (dérivé d'huile de coco), glyceryl stearate, parfum, ceteareth-20 (dérivé d'huile de coco), polyquaternium-10 (dérivé de celullose de bois), ricinomidopropyltrimonium methosulfate, adansonia digitata seed oil (baobab oil), panthenol (provitamine B5), hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein (proteines from corn, soja, wheat), tocopherol, phenoxyethanol, citric acid, caprylyl glycol, tetrasodium edta, maltodextrine (pomme de terre), CI 75470/carmine, methylchloroisothiazoline, methylisothiazolinone.

Peony flower extract is also a prime ingredient in Klorane Peony Shampoo and is claimed to have anti-irritant, soothing and anti-radical properties. It is also often used in Chinese medicine. 

Sapote Butter has high lipid replenishing power and is infused with 2 times more omega 6 extract than shea butter.

I really like the pure version of buriti and baobab oil and I have used them for hair.

The hydrolized wheat proteins (glutenfree people beware) is claimed to "biomimetic properties that replicate natural keratin" so "it works very precisely to fill in the gaps and rebuild the initial architecture of hair".

Philip B. Russian Amber Conditioning Creme Ingredients: 

 Water/Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Fragrance/Parfum, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Benzyl Benzoate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Stearalkonium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Glycine, Alanine, Myristic Acid, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Phytantriol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 20, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract/Chamomilla Recutita, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract/Rosmarinus Officinalis, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract/Salvia Officinalis, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Extract/Urtica Dioica, Styrax Benzoin Resin Oil, Benzaldehyde, Cinnamic Acid, Coniferyl Benzoate, Vanillin, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil/Vitis Vinifera, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Citronellol, Caramel, Bismuth Oxychloride/CI 77163, Yellow 5 /CI 19140

Philip B has a concoction of more expensive ingredients. Funnily, I could not find amber oil in this list, but that might be my lack of latin plantnames.

I find that Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme has more natural ingredients and the chemicals are limited to the ones that can be derived from plants. I also love the addition of soothing Peony flower extract. True, you will seldom use a conditioning mask close to the scalp as it weights down hair too much, but I really loved it in the shampoo version of Phytokeratine Extreme. 

-price-

Phyto Phytokeratine Extreme mask retails for €35.90 for 200ml over here. Philip B Russian Amber conditioning cream retails for a whopping $150 for 178 ml.

-results-

 I have been using the sample mask recently, but it really is a heavy duty performer. I love it on my dryer strands and it does feel silky, smooth, shiny and well-conditioned afterwards. For healthy stands I find it a bit too heavy: the hairs around my face felt limp for being oversaturised.
*
I cannot tell too much about the long-term results but I am happy to have found a rather natural alternative on adding keratine to my hair. I still depend on my pricey Alterna Fill & Fix mask for my protein fix, but that is an additional step in restoring my hair. Overal,  Phytokeratine Extreme Mask is a well-scented alternative and feels a lot like Philip B Creme conditioner.

Hence, for budgetizing on beauty there are a variety of options to find a good alternative for your (over)pricey treat.

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?

 

The Affordable Jasmine: May Lindstrom The Jasmine Garden vs Taaj Paris Rasayana Rose & Jasmine

Lately I noticed that everyone slightly beautyblogger is venturing organic. That includes an intense stream of hypes around certain products, reading claims about products being "best thing ever". It's kinda fun when you search for the tag reading such a post, and check if the reviewer has been giving out such 'lifechanging' claims before. Or everything is "best thing ever" until the "next thing ever"?

Yeh, I'm taking my reviews with a pinch of salt but I had been quite curious about May Lindstrom The Jasmine Garden. Instead I bought myself The Parisian Taaj Rasayana Rose & Jasmine Face mist first. I mean, I like spending on beauty, but a €60 on a facial mist is just way too much for me. When Cultbeauty had this gorgeous GWP deal, zeeee May Lindstrom Jasmine Garden, I caved.

 *

Best Price: Taaj

Taaj is € 9 online whereas May Lindstrom is € 60. 

Also, price per value: Taaj is 200 ml & May Lindstrom 100 ml

*

Best Ingredients: depends

Ingedients are a personal matter and what works for some, might not work for others. Both brands have certified organic ingredients: Taaj mentions it is 99% and May Lindstrom gave its certified ingredients a *: but did you notice the Theobroma Cacao did not get a * for being a Certified Organic Ingredient?

In that case, Taaj is slightly more transparent:

Then there is the debate of using Jasmine extract (May Lindstrom) or Jasmine Oil (Taaj). May Lindstrom included silver (Argentum Metallic) quite high in the ingredient list, which is claimed to be the next best thing. On the other team, Taaj included Rosa Damascena oil which has already been proven variously to be a potent anti-ageing ingredient.

Personally, I like that Taaj kept its ingredients simple: less ingredients, less chance of irritations. Also, I really like Rose as an ingredient: it smells so nice & soothing. Initially, I liked the cacao note in May Lindstrom but I noticed it won't agree with me on sensitive [skin]days.

*

Packaging: May Lindstrom (but Taaj for convenience)

May Lindstrom has a beautiful but heavier glass bottle that is recycable.  Taaj comes in a plastic, blue bottle: perhaps not the most environmentally friendly option but honestly, it does travel slightly lighter.

*

The Story: May Lindstrom (but Taaj if you don't like exaggerating)

For that bit of escapism, we do like a good story with our skincare.

Taaj offer us Himalaya water and has also been one of the first with Ayuveda skincare:

May Lindstrom has gone the extra mile by giving us such gorgeous descriptions and rituals that it will be like getting even closer to heaven than Himalaya water:

Then you'd pay for those wordly ticklings as well.

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Overal:

I still think skincare is a personal experience. Even more when you bring scent, essential oils and face sprays into the game: those steps are more ritual than actual skin-improving methods (though they still have an effect on skin). 

I would not have paid full price for May Lindstrom the Jasmine Garden. Something in that spray does not agree with my skin when it has a sensitive moment. I think it is the cacao. My skin does agree with Taaj Rasayana Rose & Jasmine and I love the mixture of Jasmine & Rose. 

Availability:

Taaj Rose & Jasmine is available at easyparapharmacie.fr (checking out is quite easy) & May Lindstrom The Jasmine Garden is available at cultbeauty.com, naturisimo.com and various other etailers.

Mythically Smooth with A Beautiful Life Unicorn Mane serum

I had this moment I was almost organic on haircare: think shampoo, conditioner and a good dose of beautiful Yarok mousse that blows it's chemical sisters out of the water. 

My last step: serum.

 I had the gorgeously fraganced Balmain (just finished) & used the Kerastase Cristallize serum frequently while having extensions. But still, there had to be a good [semi]-organic one out there.

I found A Beautiful Life Unicorn's Mane on ASOS [here]. The rare reviews I found were positive about it, and how to resist a bit of Uni-corny mythology: or "Unicorns don't have Bad hairdays". I could not disagree but I'd be glad to check one up close:

 

 Unicorn's Mane is not certified organic. It's ingredient list also reveils it has cyclometicone & dimethicone in it:

I went to Cosne to check on these two. Both Dimethicone & Cyclomethicone are harmless and non-irritating. 

Does it life up to it's promises?

♥ Fights Frizz

♥ Adds Shine

♥ Nourishes

♥ Protects

Anti-Frizz: My post-wash hair had to get used to central heating again and that was paired with a bit of frizz down the ends. Ok, and blame under-conditioning too. A drop of Unicorn made warmed between hands is perfect to tame the wild unicorn-ness of it.

Shine: yes, it's not too amped up faux gloss but the right amount of healthy.

Nourishes: I have only used it short term but I already liked the effect on my ends. And look at the ingredient list -> argan oil, Indian gooseberry and some other potent nourisher.

Protects: I think it does a fair job protecting hair before heat styling.

Hence,  all four get a big YES.

I really like the serum but I'm not that fond about the fragance. It reminds me of a certain cough-syrup I once had. Perhaps the unicorns made it when younger (???). But it disappears within minutes so I'm not too bothered.

Conclusion: Who needs Unicorns when you can have healthy, glossy hairserum like this one.

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