My Travel Skincare Mini Kit

By the time you read this, I'll be in London so you will also notice less posting until sometime next week. But for that trip, and because I'm only traveling with hand luggage, I need some minis for my face to stay happy. 
I didn't really find all of the things that I use, for example, you will see my Vichy Eye Makeup Remover replaced with one from Sephora. Not as gentle on the eyes as Vichy but definitely gets the job done.
The Bioderma Sensibio has also been replaced with two Micellar Waters from Vichy. Why, you ask? Well because I couldn't find minis of the exact products I was looking for.

                             

Here's the List:

- Vichy Normaderm Micellar Water

- Vichy 3 in 1 Purete Thermale Micellar Water

- Sephora Waterproof Eye Make-Up Remover

- Mario Badescu Cleansing Milk

- Mario Badescu Ceramide Eye Gel (very handy for tired eyes that I always seem to have)

- Mario Badescu Honey Moisturizer

- Mario Badescu Caviar Night Cream

- MOA Balm ( cannot travel without this )

- Mario Badescu Enzyme Revitalizing Mask

- REN Biomimetic Lip Balm

I'm quite glad I managed to cover all my bases and actually find minis or sample sizes of my favorite things. You can see I put a lot in the "face cleaning" section because that is the most important thing to me: having a clean face.

                                  You can also Follow on * Bloglovin *  Twitter * Facebook *  

February Favorites

I'm clearly staying true to the "took you long enough" concept with getting round to posting favorites.

For the record, photos had been ready since February but time has been very scarce around these parts and that is the reason why it took me a bit to get this post up and running.

 I am ridiculously picky with the things I let touch my face especially, but ever since the discovery of the Vichy Pureté Thermale Soothing Eye Make Up Remover For Sensitive Eyes and the Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water , I've reached a whole new level of picky because I don't think anything else will match the greatness of those two combined. My insanely dry skin stopped feeling like it was going to crack after taking my make-up off.

Now let me tell you about my AMAZING discovery! My hair has been on an off its game and misbehaving every now and then due to insanely dry and unfriendly conditions. BUT that all changed when I got my package from the swap with Grace. Because Aussie's Luscious Long Conditioner and Shampoo were in it. A review on them is coming real soon but let me tell you: my hair has not felt this great in a quite a while!

Moving back to my face, you will see a pretty surprising winner in my showdown between Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream and the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer but for now, I will tell you that the fresh sensation this BB cream offers is simply incredible.

Paired with it, for most of February, has been the Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Face Cream that has left my face feeling ridiculously soft and supple.And a new color favorite is the MUA Lipstick in Bare.

Last but not least, the nails. 

Recently purchased, OPI Nail Envy is already impressing me enough to have it in my favorites. And the Sally Hansen Real Teal and Farmasi No. 55  (for they just number them) have been recent color obsessions of mine.

That was it from me, but what about you? Do we share any favorites here? Or is there anything you'd want to try from this post?

                                        You can also Follow on * Twitter * Facebook * Bloglovin *    

January Favorites

This month there's not so many favorites but they're definitely Most Used Products

                            

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream: You can read the review by clicking on the link and I have to say, I didn't expect to like this so much. Was reluctant to getting a BB cream to begin with but I'm quite glad I did!

Vichy Waterproof Eye MakeUp Remover: Still loving it, especially combined with Bioderma Sensibio you can also see in the favorites. My review of the Vichy MakeUp Remover you can read clicking on the link above and I do believe that I have now found a pretty solid face routine that is amazing. I don't wash my face anymore with water because Bioderma covers that perfectly AND does not dry out my skin. 
The little bottle you see here was the test size I got to see if I like it and just today I got the big bottle, which is a pretty big deal. I repurchase veeeery rarely.

Hema Eyeshadow Base: Review is on the way and I have to day, I have yet to find an eyeshadow base that is as amazing as this one. Absolutely loving it!

Catrice Gel Eyeliner: Still such a huge favorite. A holy grail product and especially in winter, that perfectly thick black line makes for an efficient, fast look.

Rosebud Strawberry Lip Salve: Two years in and still my favorite balm. I go back to this when everything else fails. And this one always delivers. But it's been getting increasingly hard to get hold of it,so if someone can give me a tip where to get it, I'd be VERY grateful!

Nail Polishes:  This month has been Glitter Revival Month and the W7 Silver Dazzle  has been great for it. You can see it in my post from Sunday with the Week in Pictures and I think you'll agree it looks fantastic.
Secondly I have this ancient Farmasi polish whose number has disappeared but that still is the best gold I have owned. You can see it in action in This Post.

These have been my favorites in the past month and I believe they'll be making more appearances.  How about you, any of your favorites mentioned here? What about new ones? I'm always searching for beauty goodies!


                                  You can also Follow on * Twitter * Facebook * Bloglovin *    

Favorite Products of 2012

Can you believe it's been another year already? While you're living it it feels long, of course, but when it comes to looking back it feels like it was just yesterday that I was on a train in Germany at -11C hoping to finally get home to that warm shower. I still get chills thinking of those temperatures, which just goes to prove how not so long ago it seems to have been.

Nevertheless, I will show you some things that have really impressed me this past year.    

                      
Vichy Eye Make-Up Remover is a recent discovery and you can read all my raving about it by clicking in the link.
Face Oils: both apricot and argan have been really good friends of mine this year.Starting to use face oils has really helped out my dry skin and if you want, you can read all about the amazing apricot oil HERE.
Rose Water: what a great thing this is! I use it as a toner and you'd be surprised how hydrating it is. I've also written all about it In This Post.
I love...Raspberry & Blackberry Hand Cream: so far, this is the only hand cream that I could feel, works.Normally you'd apply and reapply and still have dry hands, but with this you apply a couple of days and you're set for the week. And this is coming from a person working in an office with the most horrendously dry air.
L'occitane Almond Shower Oil: you would expect me to use oil in the shower also, wouldn't you? Well this one is the one! Smells incredible and is very friendly to my skin.

Make-up wise I also have, of course, a couple of great discoveries.

Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara: ever since I got it in June, I cannot stop raving about it. I also did a review when I first got it that you can find HERE
Rosebut Lip Salve and Dr Organic Rose Otto Lip Serum: are clear proof that I have a thing for roses. These two were included in my post about My Favorite Lip Balms and you will understand why after reading that. For the record, I've been using Rosebud since 2011 and still find it amazing.
Benecos Baked Blush: was the biggest surprise! I had gotten it and a beauty bloggers event but didn't want to use it because the color seemed too dark for me. Very mistaken I was! It is the perfect color with the perfect shimmer, because I do like my shimmers a lot.
Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer: still my favorite concealer. The texture is ideal for me, and so it the "match perfection" that it does. I've reviewed it Right Here back in the day.
Catrice Gel Eyeliner: has been a huge surprise, because I didn't expect such a great product for so little money. I wanted to try a gel liner and this was the only one I could find. Safe to say, we have never been apart since. The full post about it is HERE.
MeMeMe Beat The Blues Highlighter: I wanted Benefit's SunBeam for the longest time and when I finally went to get it, I discovered it was much too orange for me. And then I discovered this one. Match made in heaven! You can see the swatches and the full review in The Post I Wrote About It.
MUA Lipsticks: biggest surprise of the year! Who knew they had such nice lipsticks! It's about lipsticks in general, but if you want to see my favorite, then you can check out my post from earlier this week about the MUA LipBoom in Ok.com.


And last but not least, nail polishes

China Glaze: this was the year of me finally getting my hands on China Glaze polishes and I am extremely happy about that, because they turned out to be my favorite brand. The formula is unbeatable and so is the brush. The one you see here is Surfin' For Boys and it was the neon I had been looking for a long time! If you click on the link you will also see the swatches and you might agree that it's a gorgeous thing. As a matter of fact, I just wore it two days ago.
Barry M Aqua Glitter: I have a glitter obsession but this is beyond anything. First of all, it's a gorgeous polish that has incredible coverage for being just glitter AND it is so easy to remove! I sometimes don't feel like using glitter because I know what it means to remove it, but this one goes off like any other polish.
HERE is what it looks like on my nails.
Essie Bobbing For Baubles: the most craved color of the year. When I first saw it I had to have it, and it took a while before finding, ordering and finally getting it, but oh was it worth it! It's a color that works with anything. It's cool, it's classic, it's anything you like. On top of that, I think it is the most unique color I have seen. Try to give it a name, I dare you.
HERE it is, in all of its shiny glory.


So those were my favorites, what about you, what have some of your favorites been? Feel free to link me in your comment if you have a similar post up!





                                You can also Follow on * Twitter * Facebook * Bloglovin *   

Favorite Make-Up Remover of 2012: Vichy Pureté Thermale Soothing Eye Make Up Remover For Sensitive Eyes

I said I'll be doing favorites for 2012 this week-end, until the new year ( and I foresee after also), so I will start with one of my essentials: Make-up Remover 

It's the most important thing to me to get make-up off properly, especially without any part of my skin or face being irritated.
Vichy is one of my favorite brands, also because it makes dermocosmetics. Those are the kind that are specifically created to take your skin's well-being into consideration and reduce the risk of any irritations or allergic reactions.

My eyes are sensitive. Yours might be too if you've had so much chlorinated water in them, so the things that I put on my face are taking that into consideration. 
They start watering really easy and tend to sting if one wrong move is made. Not too practical, but it means they're a natural filter for bad ingredients.

Anyway, the women who sold me this told me to come back with the bottle if my eyes have ANY reaction.  ( Real life emphasis on "any" ).
It makes me a bit more confident to buy Vichy products, especially when I find them in pharmacies and actual pharmacists recommend them. 
This is made for waterproof make-up. If you read the packaging you'll also find things like:
"protects your lashes from breaking". I'd like to vouch for that. My lashes love it!

As you can see, it is two-part remover, having a more oily side that you mix by shaking before use.

You might have suspected I really like it, since I put it in the 2012 Favorites, and you'd be right.
My eye make-up just fades away without rubbing or whatnot. The last remover was from Vichy also, but I prefer this, as it has a less creamy texture and you have no oily feel afterward.

It's an incredibly good make-up remover and I believe I will be sticking to this one for a long long time.
After more than a month of using it, not even 1 cm of it has disappeared from the bottle. What I'm trying to tell you is that you need very little to get everything off.


So there is is, my favorite Make-Up Remover of the Year! What's yours?                       





                           You can also Follow on * Twitter * Facebook * Bloglovin *


  

Safely Removing Your Eye Make-up?

Let me tell you a couple of things I've learned,especially when it comes to removing eye make-up,because that one is the hardest to do and should be done in the most gentile manner.
We are talking about eyes here,and the skin around them is the thinnest and most prone to get ruined and get wrinkles.Rubbing your make-up off like a maniac is about the worse thing you can do
 

So,here's what I do:
I used to have a fatty, vaseline based cream at hand for it but the truth is,it takes a bit of rubbing and it requires make-up pads. To my eyes,make-up pads are dry and pretty rough,so I stopped using vaseline ointment.
Wanna know a secret tho? Vaseline helps your lashes grow and get fuller.  So don't dismiss it just yet. You can apply it on your lashes before going to bed and in a couple of weeks you will see results.
But for me,other things work nicer.

Here's some TIPS:
1.ALWAYS use a make-up remover that is SPECIFICALLY designed for removing eye make-up.
2.Use oil or oil based make-up removers.They're good for the skin and they moisturize while doing their job
3.Try to use make up removing wipes,but again SPECIFICALLY for eyes.They're wet and that makes them less rough
4.IF you use liquid make-up removers then place the pads over your eyes,and let your eyes soak a bit.It will require less rubbing that way.

Here's the stuff I use. Sometimes just one,sometimes the other,but always in collaboration with the wipes :)

• Vichy 3 in 1 One Step Cleaner ,that I wrote about in the post about my july favorites.
• My own, concocted oil. It has argan,olive,orange and rosehip oil in it,amongst other oils.Rosehip for example is super full of vitamins and it has a natural UV protection factor.
  I'll be doing a post about this soon,as oils can be really great for the face.
• The magic wipes: Lately, Purex 3 in 1 Facial Wipes have been working really well for me.
• I also included the Vaseline based Calendula ointment,because it is really good for your skin and even for your eyes,just not ideal for removing make-up.

What I've just tried is:
- Garnier Clean&Fresh Eye Make-up Remover

It is liquid,which is a good thing,but it did feel a little stingy in my eyes even if it says it is suitable for sensitive eyes also. There's also a lot of parabens in it,which I prefer not to use.


I will still stick to Vichy,which is paraben free and will remove even waterproof make-up without causing any irritation to and around the eyes. It has actually happened once that I got some Vichy in my eye and was surprised to realize,nothing burned.

What do you use for your make-up removal routine?



                                                You can also Follow on * Twitter * Facebook *

July Favorites

This past month,I've been using very few products as temperatures have been above 30C almost each day.
With that heat,I personally like my skin to be able to breathe and feel light so less really has been more in July.
That's why I'll show you my favorite beauty products of the month.

Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer and Highlighter

I've been using this one for years now and am still liking it a lot. The great thing about it is that it adapts to your skin and will actually, well...match to perfection.

Another thing I like is that it is also a highlighter and doesn't just act as your regular concealer. I've given a number of other concealers a go,just to have an alternative in case of emergency. From Estée Lauder to Benefit,nothing worked as well as this one. It also is quite cheap: 7.99€  and lasts a very long time.

Of course you will want to change it out regularly ,as it has a brush tip and might end up causing more bad than good once bacteria gets on it, but it is worth it.

Catrice Black Gel Eyeliner 

Last year gel eyeliners started getting popular and as an avid consumer of eyeliner I wanted to give it a try.It quickly turned out that it was much easier to maneuver and had a much better coverage. That's when I was hooked and remained hooked ever since.To be honest,Catrice was the first one I found,and I kinda just stuck with it since I was satisfied.

To me,eyeliner and mascara can easily be enough make-up,and gel eyeliner serves its purpose really,really well.

Manhattan Multi Effect Eyeshadow in Cotton Candy

This one is just a very,very pretty and subtle pink that brightens up the eyes and works amazingly well with eyeliner.

Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara

I suggest you read my post about it ,because it has very quickly become on of my favorite mascaras!

Vichy 3 in 1 One Step Cleaner

The best thinkg to have ever happened to my make-up removal routine. It is a cleansing milk,toner and eye make-up remover in one. I can honestly say that there is nothing my eyes appreciate more than this. It's very gentle on them and successfully removes even the most attached eye make-up. I'm super pleased with it and will write a full review about it soon!

I Love... Raspberry & Blackberry Hand Cream

Summer,sun...dried out hands. Not only cold gets to them,but heat and sun exposure too.As I already have dry hands and nails that are at risk of becoming brittle,I always have some hand cream in my bag. This one just happens to smell so good!

China Glaze Surfin' for Boys

Oh coral neon,how I love the! This one was adoration at first wear,and since it is a neon,it is perfect for summer. About this one,you can read all my swooning right Here.

I'm curious,what have you used most this month?