January Used Ups

So we've made it through 1st month of 2015. I guess it's not the easiest month, unless you're in midst of summer at the southern hemisphere. 

 Used ups:

 

• IS Clinical is a brand that is quite well-known. I was glad to use the Instant Smoothing Gel in the midst of flare-ups. It's incredibly neutral and well-moisturizing and my skin tolerated it well. It has some positive ingredients like copper tripeptide & others but it also has some dimeticones (see here). Repurchase it big? Maybe.
• Kimberly Sawyer Restore anti-ageing cream was too much essential oils for my skin.
•  Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydrating Serum also felt like a neutral bliss on my skin. I think I'll get the travel size.
• I rarely finish a lipglos but Jill Stuart Lipgloss in 12 Sensual Veil ticked all the retro-girly boxes. Also, it's milky peach enough to wear it on its on and a fab glossifier over lipsticks.
• Nexxus Kerafixx is a wonderful treat to dryer, damaged hairs. Funnily, I've started to notice my hair is not that dry or damaged lately so I can venture on lighter treatments.
• Makeupalley had a fab rating for Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid + Retinol brightening solution and it has been a wonderful duo-product to brighten skin. I finished it before the grande flare-up and it has been a wonderful treatment for a couple of months.
• I'm not exfoliating anymore but I'm still liking Cane + Austin Retexturizing treatments (review here). These are the travel-size, single packed version that are a bliss while travelling.

• Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant mascara made it into my Best of '14 list. I've cleaned the brush to use with the organic W3LL People Expressionist Mascara. Honestly, the organics cannot hold my curl but I had to make the switch for my Clean & Calm routine.
• Ren Glycoactic Masque is another favourite exfoliator. However, if your skin is overreactive, step away from all exfoliators.
• Dr. Organic Royal Jelly Shampoo is way too overfraganced imo. I used it to clean my brushes and wash my gentle clothes like cashmere.

• [almost invisible label] Coastal Scents Essential Oil in Peppermint is a good quality oil that I mix with a base like advocado oil for scalp treatments. 
• Lea Journo has been brilliant into packing its conditioners in sachets: travelfriendly, and a good smoothing conditioner that only needs a tiny bit for a good effect.
• I've discussed the blissful neutrality of Avène Cicalfate in my last post. It's a repurchase.
• [almost invisible label, part II] I've ordered Leahlani Aloe Day cream together with the hyped Mermaid mask. It's supposed to  "to gently balance hormonal skin flare ups" but it did not helped my flare-up skin. I was not a fan of the baby-powerish fragance either.
• So one thing that does help is my Tatcha Indigo treatment. I've already reordered.

Juli's Used Ups

Let me start with a lippy I consequently used until I reached bottom (or tube): 

Really, this one is from MAC's 2008 collection (see Temptalia). I have a special storeage for MAC's LE's (some never used) in a dark, cool place and sometimes I revisit Zeeee Box-e and I find myself something useful or fun. Ofcourse, I'm aware of expiry dates so I use my sniffer, and some good ol' logic to see if it is still fresh. 

MAC slimshines are lovely & creamy moisturizing hints of colour for the lips. Funshine is a coraly pink that is lighter than my natural lip colour. I get a wonderful nod to lighter lips with colours like these.

The rest:

July has been somewhat unproductive, but I used up some things:

1. Fairy Drops Mascara  Platinum Mascara film type

Ok, not quite used up but logic and knowledge of mascaras told me it is time to let this one go. I know lots of women love Fairydrops but somehow most of their mascara do not really work for my type of lashes. They do not hold curl that stubbornly as the likes of Majolica Mallorca or Fasio and that is mostly what I need. It's still a good mascara, though, but only with a base.

2. Nude Nailpolish: Nails Inc Basil Street, Essie Barefoot & OPI Let Them Eat Rice Cake

With nailpolish the logic of throwing away is a lot easier, because they are often dried out or separated. I've also finished a bottle of Seche Vite Thinner which can bring some dying nailpolishes alive again. Then again, I have so many nailpolishes that I screen the ones that I really want to thin up again. Or, I need some space and will use some other nudes before possible repurchase.

3. Tatcha Restoring Eye cream (right corner- small sample)

Lovely, but also a bit too pasty/thick for summer time.

4.  Saniflore Aqua Magnifiqua toner (review here)

Absolutely delicious for congested [summer] skin. I can feel it doing something extra when my skin is congested, but without having that stripping feeling those generic anti-acne potions have. It smells so herbally fresh too: repurchase!

5. Rene Furtherer Naturalia Dry Shampoo

I gotten into this one thanks to MostlySunny's rave. AGREED!  It's so delightfully thin and mops up the right amount of grease. And, hardly no white residue! For the supermajority that doesn't have blonde roots it is so wonderful to have a spray that doesn't make you look like you have grey hairs. Even blondes will get a slightly greyish look with about most dry shampoos so I have no idea why companies don't make them better like this one.

6. Vichy Cellu-destock Serum Flash

6%! 

-> 

for the ones that read my neverending stories of battling the ghost of cellulite (albeit very alive) know that I have a serious Caffeine habit. This serum has 6% Caffeine in it. I liked it but it also felt like my 1st tube of Cellulite-busting potions from 1993: perhaps the scent or the texture. I didn't feel it was too effective but I've been slightly inconsequent with it. It's also quite expensive per ml so I think I'll try something else next time.

7. French Girl Organics Rose Noir Cleansing Oil

I featured this baby as a part of my Organic black bottle collection (here). It's a dense cleansing oil that does not foam: I always expect a foam as I'm used to Asian cleansing oils, but Organics seldom do. It cleanses up heavy duty makeup and/or sunscreen but I do need a sudsy cleanser afterwards for rinsing off the oily feeling. It smells lovely like a soft rose.

8. REN Radiance Perfection Serum

This serum is actually meant for younger skins in need of a radiance boost. However, I often serum up twice a day so I really liked this one in the morning: it has some antioxidants (eg: Bitter Orange, Lingonberry) that combat the oxidant effect of sunrays during the day.

That has been my round-up of July's Used Ups. It has been wonderful to take a step away from my normal lipstick routine by taking up a paler hue like MAC Funshine: it does take some more work with the rest of the face (more eyemakeup, etc).  For this month I'm thinking to step out of the box again with lipcolour: perhaps a good berry hue for Indian Summer? We'll see ; )

April's Empties

This month has been a normal empties month:

• Pai daycream in Macademia & Rose has not been finished yet, but it reached the expiry date. I quite like the neutral texture but I opened it too late 

•  De Mamiel Spring oil is nice, but I'm not too fond of it's lemony, home-cleansing scent. I added some neroli & geranium to perk it up: that worked 

•  Nourish Revital-eye made it to my Best of 2013 List. I've emptied my 2nd tube & keep on loving its effect on my eyes.

• Avene eau Thermale had been on my wishlist for a while. I got the samplesize and like it, but I cannot really distinguish between this one and La Roche Posay: I just like both types.
•  Ren Evercalm cleanser is lovely, but these days I'm more partial to either cleansing oils or micellar waters. But it's nice to try
• Kris dAmour makes some lovely oils. The soothing faceoil, is everything it promises, delightfully soo
• Estelle & Child lifting Eyecream was a bit of a miss for me. It gave me an irritation: the saleswoman told me it was because the eyec  re am contained too many actives but I don, t have yhis promblem with either Pai Echium nor Nourish Revital-Eyes. It's just not working for me.

Both of my pot eyeliners dried out.  

I really liked RMS Unpowder which explained why I finished in 4 months

• Nexxus Emergencee changed into Polymedic: the formula is still similarly brilliant and givesmhair a good dose of protein.
• Trilogy Refresh and Shine is an excellent, organic conditioner with light but effective detangling properties
• Less is MORE Lindengloss shampoo smells amazing and cleanses light but effectively. I want themfull size now!
• Ila Nourish body lotion is light and has that hwrbal scent. Lovely, but the full size would be a tad too pricy for me
• Last but not least has been Timothy Dunn Mille Fleurs candle: so good that it should become a perfume.

Cane + Austin Retexturizing Treatment Pads: a Peel from Nostalgia

It's time to peel to some nostalgia again...and better skintone ofcourse

I read about CANE+AUSTIN Retexturizing Pads with 10% Glycolic Acid in some glossy magazine: one of their impeccably glamorous Editors has been using it. 

Those people have 1. very little time 2. Must look gorgeous for business-sake (imagine a Vogue editor looking post-10mojito-like??? not really) 3. Have zillions of recommendations and get the creme-de-la-creme.

And then there was the prospect of the utter easiness of the peeling pad:

 Enter nostalgia: I think most people have encountered Clearasil in their past...If lucky not themselves but by their more acne-prone siblings. I image the lucky teensters this age having full access to beauty blogs and actually effective anti-acne skincare. But those thin cleansing pads probably will ring a bell to the non-teen generation[s] out there... 

So after a couple of mask-like peels (think REN) and liquidy tonics (Sophyto) there was something really easy about swiping a pad to the face, wait 2 minutes, and go for the rest.

 

Hence, I'm fascinated by the pad so let's show it again:

The pads themselves are both thin & sturdy. They have a thin vertical (or how you keep it: horizontal) ridge that gives a micro-friction on the skin. They don't tear and have the right amount of liquid to distribute for face, neck and I often have some left for my hands...they need retexturizing too. But they're not too liquidy like some sheetmasks out there. I dislike it when it drizzles all around; such a waste of product.

Instructions:

The instructions are fairly easy. They prefer you to use it 2 times a day, but sensitive skins and beginning regimes might go slower first. I started out one time on every 2 days, and upgraded it to one time every day. On some days my skin is too sensitive, and then I skip.

The liquid will give a slightly tingly feeling: if you know your Glycolic acid, you will know that is normal. 

I prefer to wash it off after a couple of minutes but it's ok to leave it on. I prefer not because I want my other serums to have 'full play' on my skin. 

I love the effect it gives me: I have more refined pores and I feel it has diminished some wrinkles:

But overal the easiness of the pad made me reach out for it more: I get a light daily peel instead of a more abrasive weekly one. Sometimes frequency has a better result than potency.

Conclusion: Easy padsy: Will repurchase.

Availability: I got mine on beautybay over here. They have them in separate packs as well which will be perfect for travelling etc.

separate packs

November Empties & December Full's

My empties of November: 

1. Inner Me Pretty Locks haircapsules:

The cute packaging of a Zoe Deschanel look-a-like in animation + the promise of bountiful hair = purchase. I'm not sure if I repurchase as similar ingredients come cheaper in other formulas.

2. REN F10 Smooth and Renew Mask: 

I really liked the thicker texture of this mask/exfoliator and it removes enough skincells without going overboard. I'll consider repurchasing as REN is easily available in Holland and it works quite well.

3/4. Intelligent Nutrients Body Elixir in Attune & Restore

I bought both on sale and I liked both (review here). They are oils with a slightly sticky texture, so it works wonderful as an evening oil. I prefer Attune's fragance as Restore is a bit too pepperminty. They're both smaller sizes 50 ml so I'm not sure if I'd repurchase when full priced.

5. Sophyto Exfoliating Treatment

Yes, another exfoliator and another good one as well: I often exfoliate more after a holiday and during autumn. The texture is so much thinner as REN: a lotion-like substance that gives a bit of a tingle after 10 minutes. It works just as adequate as REN in exfoliating terms and is slightly cheaper, but I have to order it online.

6.  Neil George Indian Gooseberry treatment for hair (the whole package of 6)

I once received a free sample and liked it a lot. I love it for my dryer (highlighted) hairs close to my scalp: it adds moisture and seems healing without making it loose volume.  I think it is an expensive set so I tried the pure Amla (Gooseberry) oil but that version was so intensely fraganced and quite heavy & oily in the pure form. So I'd repurchase but only after payday.

6. Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo

A wonderful & slightly herbal scented shampoo. It adds a certain degree of 'thickness' and it never feels stripping. I use it in combination with their Revitaliser so I cannot tell how it works on itself. But my hair on top looks a lot healthier these days.

7.  Pai Echium Eyecream

My second bottle used up (1st review here). I am not sure if I got this one for free or that I bought this one and got something else for free. I love this thicker eyecream but curiosity made me buy the similar looking Nourish RevitalEyes with Kale.

8. RapidLash Eyelash growth Serum

I've gotten eyelash extensions during summer and for my last holiday. They're handy for the beach but at a certain moment I get tired of them: as they feel unnatural after 3 weeks and the constant refreshing is expensive and time-consuming.  I think they slightly wreck your own eyelashes so I'm trying to recover them by RapidLash. It worked lovely the last time as they grew normal and even more sensually long after a month: wonderful!

Those have been my empties, so I bought myself a Ciate Mini Mani Advent Calender to surprise myself every day:

It's really a good value if you like Ciate with a couple of newbie colours too. 

I already 'cheated' and added day 13 to my nails (spoiler: it's Ferris Wheel).

But as a good girl I added day 1 on top today: Snow Globe, a gorgeously greenish-silver holo flecked goodiness:

And that will absolutely not be the only newbie beauty product for December: I'll keep you updated : )

Using, Used, Gonna Use...

Just a quick round and a insta-photo for this week 'Using...' (etc etc)

Using: Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne

A counter-weather fragance: I was not too fond of this one in the beginning but I like how the zesty flowerness gets me through the rainy mornings...

Used: Ren Keep Young & Beautiful Eyecream

Ahh, how smart Ren has been to avoid the word 'anti-age'...or have they? Because those words are still under the more positive sounding 'keep young & beautiful'.

This cream has been wonderful and light enough for summer, and still creamy enough to counter out beach-dryness. I think it qualifies for beginning lines, for people in their early 30s, or if you have been partying too much-> the (middle) twenties, and if you have been organically healthy bladibla -> your late 30s/40s. Beginning lines, that is. For the heavier ones I would suggest more potent eyepotions.

Used: S5 Replenish Serum sample for dry & scarred skin

Organic serums often surprise me that som of them are actually oils. This one too: or, it feels like those dry-oils they have for body-products. In general, a lighter oil that penetrates in 10 minutes. However, I prefer to layer it with a daycream to speed it up and to get more beneficial extras from the daycream too. I like this serum/dry-oil hybrid but I prefer an actual liquidy & non-oil based serum for personal reasons. However, if you are short on time it is a good hybrid between serum & oil. As for the de-scarring: I should try a larger sample to find out. Londonmakeupgirl has reviewed this one more detailed over here.

Gonna Use: Nars Soulshine blush

The 80s Jerry Hall style of the box kinda did it to me. Also, more blush!!! I basically thought I would go for Realm of the Senses but was so happy to see both of the blushes in real life. Soulshine has that hint of mauvy rose inside that feels more like me.