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:

Cozy Candle Collection: Rituals Sacred Fire

Last Christmas I have been indulging in a certain type of candle-snobbery or  a chandler-philia. This year I try to tone it down by venturing into a cheaper brand of candle: Rituals.

Also, based on aesthetics (such a pretty candle) and the fact it is limited edition.

Smelling it unburned in the store gave it a warm & wintery feeling. 

Ofcourse, those are not the descriptive words on the box:

Earthy & Musky- Indeed

Patchouli - ohh, so warm

Cedar - like a warm fireplace in a frozen landscape

Immortality - huh? I guess I'm with Troy the movie quoting that the God's are envy people as any moment can be our last (source)

Opening the package is really a luxury experience: Rituals really is up to the more snobby niche candle site:

And the slogan is completely Chrismassy:

 

And true!

Right now I am enjoying the candle when I want to feel warm and somewhat like gluhwein.

 I am still slightly a candle-snob and I do think the likes of Cire Trudon & Jovoy make a more sophisticated blend of perfume. Then again, this beauty costs me € 17 and for Cire I have to pay at least €60. Therefore, I love this in rooms like the kitchen that do not need haute parfume but still can have that bit of extra delicious fragance.

As for people who want to read more about the candle niche: Vogue UK December has a small article on page 370. 

 Which makes me curious about Timothy Dunn now.

Magazine freebies

The British Magazines have been spoiling their readers for the upcoming Xmas editions.

First, a Gilded shade from Kate Spade for Nails Inc that is included in GlamourUk magazine:

 

Marie Claire UK offers its readers a scrub in my favourite Rituals Fortune line (I reviewed the shower oil here):

Let's just stare at that Kate Spade by Nails Inc hue again:

There are more magazines that are offering gwp: I chose these first as my arm was getting overloaded by heavy magazines and their freebies already ; )

Rituals Fortune shower Oil

I feel it is time for a good old review with too much talk and with a bit of sense.

I like Rituals as it is one of the few Dutch Cosmetic brands that gotten big outside Holland. They started out in 2000 and I loved them instantly. They had this Eastern (sorry about being vague) holistic feel with shops that were/are decorated in rustic colours & with wash-n-water departments to try out your products immediately.

I have liked washing oils a lot and an because I have been into various Japanese products that work with this concept. Face-oil cleansers came first and the body followed up. I have tried l'Occitane Almond cleansing oil for body too. They often feel much softer on the skin during winter-showers.

I feel like this person in the shower:

Hehehe, not really but I loved the oiled up quality of her skin. Actually with the studs on her back she reminds me of that Aston Kucher "Dude, Where's My Car?" movie.

Storyline: Geeky Aston & friend meet a supergorgeous woman and get into a night partying with other model-types. They turned out to be aliens. (Youtub)

 

I like how this film

1. has a pre-Demi-divorced Aston in it...cuuuuute
2. plays with the idea that women who are "too pretty", "too tall", "size 0" etc cannot be human.
3. hilarious in that 2000-something kinda way.

My shower-oil is actually aimed at making you feel human again:

Laughing Buddha: Bringer of Happiness. Symbol of good luck and Prosperity

 It works as simple as the face oils for cleansing:

1. Put the oil on either dry or wet skin 
   
2. Add water
3. Lather into a milky cleansing substance
   

4. Rinse

Verdict:

• Scent: a high fraganced, slightly artificial orange with the hint of a Cedar note
• Scent: Thus a wonderful concoction to get going in the morning (awakening orange) but feel warmer as well (Cedar)
• Substance: Thinner, slightly runny (dry) oil
• Substance: A little goes a longer way
• Afterfeel: more moisturizing than shower-gels etc
• Afterfeel: fragance stays on for quite long
• Price:  Quite affordable for € 8.50 for 200 ml/6.7 fl.oz

Conclusion: Affordable way to cleanse yourself in a Haute-Spa way but try before to see it the fragance agrees with you.

Availability: At the rituals site (here) for € 8.50 for 200 ml

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: mini-spa-ness...

For today I thought it would be good to look at a 'spa-at-home' product.

Most of us are in that pre-christmas haze that we do not have that much time (and money) to spend in a real spa, but still do not want to resemble a lizard in that dreadful moment we have to present ourselves in our christmas dresses (or perhaps a cute Tux like Bianca Jagger ;D).

Overal, the combination of the body-showing event and the midst of winter is not the best combination, so time to look at some scrubbies...

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: Ginger & Eucalyptus & sea salt

Rituals has been a Dutch brand around since approximately a decade, and it is that good (and well marketed I believe) that they have been branching out their products outside the country as well.

Their main cities are displayed on the shopping bag, but I have them seeing mentioned in the British Glossy magazines as well, so I know they are available in the UK.

I picked the Hammam warming scrub because I didn't have any scrub available at my home (mostly from etailers from the US) and they were the weekly deal: €10 instead of € 14,90.

But most importantly, I have been interested in the Hammam scrub for some time because it smells really good and is incredibly grainy and warming.

And the instructions on the back mention that is is aimed to relieve fatigue and to lift the mood...yep, I need that!

Rituals Hammam scrub: instructions in various languages.

The Ritual stores are quite inviting to try out their product. They have these luxury water basements and most of their line ready to use at the side. Afterwards, they have these fresh hand-towelettes to dry your hands in a luxurious style and the interior of their shops is quite luxe. Some Dutch train-stations have these Ritual shops and they are so wonderful for waiting commuters who like to scrub their hands and try out some things.

The scrub is quite large and contains a hefty dose of 250 gr or 8.8 oz. But don't be too fooled because that black lid on top is like a high hat and it is not filled to the brim of that black hat.

It's still bigger than my BELOVED CoconutHut Beauty scrub, but I picked their 4 oz size and they have a 8 oz size as well, but I like to vary scent-wise so I picked their smaller one (ooops, that is another review that is up in the making)

Back to the Rituals:

Their scrub is based on SEASALT, so beware of little wounds on the body-parts or you will feel a different feeling of 'invigoration'.

Their other two main ingredients: Ginger and Eucalyptus, are really strong and remind me of those old-fashion spa's or perhaps those cough-rubbing balms.

But it sure wakes you up for a moment.

The large grains are perfect for that last-minute cellulite blasting, although I know I will never blast all of it, but it is all in the effort and the mind that it somewhat looks a bit less ;D.

So this combination makes me feel clean and has a semi-spa-like experience.

It never goes really spa-like, unless you have a willing partner with good hands and patience who likes to perform the 'therapist'-role for you (that is a different kind of role-play, think of it, the kind of role-play women would prefer, teeeheee)

It doesn't really get warming as some of these warming-scrubs do, but the ginger/eucalyptus and invigorate scrubbing of the large grains get the blood flowing, so I do not have to complain that often (see post yesterday) about the cold.

Rituals has an online shop over here and the Hammam Scrub is over here  € 14,90

Oh, and for the people remembering the glorious 1990s, I wanna put up some other TLC (the fab girl-group) and their idea on scubs ;D