L'Occitane Archives - Vesna en violet

Beauty

THIS LONG-AWAITED SPRING I’VE BEEN LOVING …

20. 4. 2018

Rejoice, warm weather is finally here! I mean, this winter was rough and the fact that I don’t need to wrap myself in a ton of clothes and a huge scarf is a huge success. I’m celebrating the beginning of the best part of the year with colorful, glowy looks and floral scents. Let’s take a look!

As I adore lightweight creams and serums, the Vichy Normaderm Anti Age is a perfect choice for my skin at the moment. Vitamin C, salicylic and glycolic acid are efficient against the first signs of ageing, blemishes and tired complexion. This treatment is perfect as it sinks into the skin in a matter of seconds and works great as a simple prep before applying foundation. I’ve also been loving the Detox Eye Roller by First Aid Beauty, a wonderful serum that is massaged into the delicate under-eye area using a cooling roller ball. When I saw that caffeine is just one of its many wonderful ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and peptides, I was sold! I cannot say that it reduces wrinkles, but I love the feeling it creates and a little massage here and there isn’t a bad thing, too. The third skincare item is the Herbio AHA Fruit Mask, a lovely face mask that’s been on my favorites list for months. There are times when I use it a lot and then slowly forget about it, but it truly is a very nice product. My skin is so plump and glowy after use and I love that it doesn’t dry my skin at all.

As for makeup, colorful eyes are my favorite pick most of the time. I cannot emphasize enough how much I adore the Makeup Revolution eye shadow palettes! They offer such a wide range of shades, plus they are insanely affordable for what you get. My two faves at the moment are the Shoph X and Flawless 4, eyeshadow palettes, I wrote extensively about them in my previous post (you can read more by clicking on each one of them). Although I love pairing bright shades with a neutral lip or just a little bit of my Clinique lip oil, I also love adding some depth to my lips. And not just for that, I found this amazing L.O.V. lip stick in shade Angelina’s belief in my makeup drawer and I’ve been obsessed with its texture ever since! It is somewhere between a brown and a red, but looks pretty neutral on my lips. I only need to do a small retouch after my lunch, otherwise stays put throughout most of my day. I love it!

Last but not least, my hectic schedule calls for some relaxing aromatherapy sessions whenever possible. As stated before, I love floral scents that remind me of spring, which is finally here! I cannot get my hands off of the L’Occitane’s miniature fragrances that I got in their Premium Advent Calendar last year (by the way, it was worth every penny and I’m sure it will be mine this year as well!). Néroli & Orchidée is so elegant and fresh, perfectly blending floral notes and fruity scents. And although there is a slight hint of lemon, Verveine is the one to go for if you’re really into citruses! Verbena, geranium and lemon tree make a perfect summer perfume. This one brings back so many memories of my teenage years as my mom, my sister and I used up several bottles years ago, I love it!

My hands have finally recovered after experiencing so much cold this year! No surprise that my fave hand cream at the moment also comes from L’Occitane. Since I love their Cherry Blossom fragrance, there was no doubt I would like their Cherry Blossom Hand Cream, too. Works like a charm and leaves a gorgeous scent that sticks around for a couple of minutes. And the product that’s been helping me sleep lately is the This Works Stress Check, a wonderful therapeutic roll on that I actually received for Christmas from one of my friends. It consists of pure Eucalyptus, Frankincense and Lavender essential oils that immediately calm me down. Just a few rolls on my wrists and I’m good to go straight into bed.

This is my recap of all the items I’ve been loving these past weeks. If we share a favorite or you have some other products on your list, please let us all know in the comments :)

♥

0 Comments

Beauty

FAVORITE MAKEUP ITEMS OF 2017

26. 2. 2018

I know I’m really late to the party, but I truly wanted to talk you through my favorite makeup items of 2017. Last year was pretty eventful makeup-wise, I started loving colorful eyes and maybe a little less eye-catching lips. But fear not, we will discuss every single item that really deserves your attention.

The Makeup Revolution Flawless 4 palette is my absolute favorite when it comes to catchy eyes. This is a very versatile eyeshadow palette, the shades ranging from matte and shimmery neutrals through colorful orange, pink and red shades all the way to deep nudes and black. I mean, is there any other shade you need in your daily life? And their wear-time is amazing, they blend beautifully and have a great pigmentation. And all that for just a little under € 13!

Another eye product that I surprisingly haven’t mentioned so far is the L’Oréal Paradise Extatic mascara. I love how thick my eyelashes look after just one coat, but can be slightly clumpy – I actually prefer a slightly edgy look, but not everyone enjoys it. This is my second tube in 7 months and there could be various reasons for that. 1) I like it so much that I go through very quickly, or 2) which is probably the real reason that I discussed on Instagram with Ana, a lovely blogger behind the Mad about red blog. She did a small investigation and actually discovered that there is a very small amount of mascara in the tube compared to other brands or even other L’Oréal mascaras (9.1 ml)! However, I’ve done a research of my own and it’s not that bad as there are other mascaras that have around 8 ml of the product for the same price. Nevertheless, the mascara costs around € 15, which is not a negligible amount of money, but you can occasionally get it on sales in Slovenia.

As I said, I was not that keen on buying or wearing that many lipsticks last year. I simply have so many that I only cycle between a few that I really enjoy (such as Ruby Woo by Mac or Matt Confident by Milani). However, there are two items that really surprised me. The first is the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, a very thick lip gloss that is so satisfying on the lips! It comes with a big doe foot applicator that covers the whole lip with just one stroke. It has a very glossy finish and I love that it doesn’t wear off quickly. The red undertone is just slightly visible, so it is perfect to intensify the natural color of your lips. The second one, however, is the L’Occitane Pivoine Sublime lip balm. They have several shades available, and though I still have a fair amount left, I think I will also go for the orange one in the spring. Again, a perfect lip balm that adds some color to your lips, but feels amazing and moisturizing.

Last but not least, I have two makeup items for the cheeks that really marked my 2017. The first is the Sun Stripping Bronzer by Catrice, my favorite bronzer since the moment it came into my life. I’ve been using it religiously since August and you can see the lines have not faded at all! I haven’t reached for any other bronzer for months and I’m super sad that it was only part of their summer limited edition. The second palette that took my heart is the Makeup Revolution Pro Amplified Strobe and Highlightning Palette. This is the most perfect set of four pressed and four creamy highlighters. They have the prettiest sheen ever and look amazing on the face. I love the creamy ones, I apply them with a sponge and they just melt together with the foundation.

Well, these are my top six makeup products of 2017. I know we’re almost in March, but I really wanted to recap my beauty favorites that I still use on a daily basis! :)

♥

1 Comment

Beauty

When the first sun rays meet the sky

30. 11. 2017

For years, L’Occitane has been known for feminine and sensual fragrances. They really stepped up their game this year and made our Christmas shopping even easier as they have recently released a new eau de toilette Terre de Lumière L’Eau from the Terre de Lumière collection. However, this fragrance is a complete opposite to the more powerful and aromatic eau de parfum and comes in an elegant bottle with light pink details. Its powdery and floral scent celebrates the moment when morning light meets the night sky and gives a special touch to the start of our day. I love how beautifully the scent develops on my skin and follows me everywhere I go for the rest of the day.

when the first sun rays meet the night ♥

Mornings are without a doubt my favorite part of the day. I firmly believe that our morning rituals set the mood for the whole day and have a big impact on our mindset. Although winter time can be challenging, particularly in the evening, the biggest highlight of the day is that dawn starts around the time I wake up. When the skies are clear, the couple of minutes before the first sun rays meet the night are incredibly magical. The shades of pink, light orange and the first hints of baby blue really make me wonder, is there anything that could ruin such a beautiful start of the day? Even writing about this gives me a special warm feelings inside my chest … and I wish to know why we are constantly stressing about literally the smallest of possible things when there are magic, peace and beauty on the reach of our hands every single morning. And thanks to L’Occitane, we can be reminded of these peaceful moments throughout the whole day.

♥

2 Comments

Favorites

Arlésienne EDT, a perfect Christmas gift

20. 12. 2016

If you haven’t bought the perfect Christmas gift for your partner, dear family member or a friend yet, I may have a piece of advise for you! Most women love fragrances so why not surprise them with a gentle yet unique fragrance like the Arlésienne EDT by L’Occitane? I had not realized that my mom actually has the exact same fragrance up until I tried it out at home (hers came in a different bottle). Even when I smelled this fragrance for the first time, I had the feeling that I’ve encountered this scent not long before and my nose didn’t disappoint me! Arlesienne is perfectly blending musk and rose with violet and saffron which give this powdery fragrance some extra freshness. And although this is an EDT, I can assure you firsthand that Arlésienne is very long lasting! If you’re not thinking about a fragrance, you can still give some other products from the Arlésienne line a go, I saw some beautiful hand cream&lip gloss or body care sets, they would all make a wonderful gift.

However, if you are looking for a one-of-a-kind fragrance for men, I recommend checking out the Cedrat EDT. Cedrat and citrus notes are combined with woody base, thus creating a wonderful experience to its new owner! This line also offers several alternatives, such as aftershave products, shower and face gels and many others. All in all, a wide selection of products that will suite all tastes!

//Če za svojo partnerico, članico družine ali prijateljico še niste našli pravega darila, imam za vas majhen nasvet! Večina žensk obožuje dišave. Zakaj jih torej ne bi presenetili z nežno, a edinstveno toaletno vodico Arlésienne znamke L’Occitane? Dokler dišave nisem preizkusila doma, sploh nisem vedela, da ima moja mama točno to dišavo že nekaj mesecev (vendar v drugačni embalaži!). Vedela pa sem, da sem dišavo ne dolgo nazaj že vonjala, tako da me nos res ni izdal. Note mošusa in vrtnice se nežno mešajo z vijolico in žafranom, ki tej pudrasti dišavi dodajo še malo svežine. Čeprav gre za toaletno vodico, lahko iz lastnih izkušenj povem, da je izjemno obstojna! Če pa ne želite podariti dišave, lahko izberete tudi katere druge izdelke iz linije Arlésienne, v poslovalnicah sem videla prelepe sete kreme za roke in glosa za ustnice ter sete izdelkov za nego telesa, tudi to je izjemno lepo darilo.

Če pa iščete unikatno dišavo za moške, pa priporočam, da preverite tudi L’Occitanovo toaletno vodico za moške Cedrat. Note cedre, agrumov in lesne note bodo novega lastnika hitro popeljale v toplejše mesece! Tudi pri tej liniji se lahko namesto dišave odločite za nakup dezodoranta, izdelkov za nego po britju, gelov za prhanje in za obraz itd. Za vsakogar se torej nekaj najde!

♥

0 Comments

L’Occitanova garažna razprodaja

16. 10. 2016

L’Occitane v Sloveniji prvič odpira vrata svojih skladišč in nam nudi edinstveno priložnost, da lahko prvič pobrskamo med policami, polnimi izložbene dekoracije, pohištva in opreme. Garažna razprodaja bo potekala med 21. in 29. oktobrom od 12. do 19. ure, vse izdelke pa bomo lahko kupili po simboličnih cenah. Udeleženke Beautiful Bloggers MeetUp konference smo lahko v prostore skladišča pokukale prve in si izbrale nekaj izdelkov, s katerimi smo polepšale en del stanovanja. Jaz sem se odločila, da šopek potonik in prikupno stekleno stojalo uporabim v kopalnici. In tukaj je še slika prej/potem! Zdi se mi, da je kotiček, kjer imam zloženo novo kozmetiko, zdaj res mnogo lepši!

Next week, L’Occitane will give a uniqe opportunity to take a look at their storage unit in Ljubljana. Their garage sale, which will take place between 21 and 29 October (12 – 19 p.m.), will offer decor and furniture from their collections for very low prices. Those who attended the Beauty bloggers conference were kindly invited to take a peek and choose a few items that would brighten up a part of our apartments. I went for a cute bouquet of peonies and a glass serving stand I’ll be using in the bathroom from now on. And this is my before and after photo! I may be biased, but I think my area where I put new cosmetics to try it out is now much much cuter!

Najlepša hvala L’Occitanu za povabilo na Garažno razprodajo, naslednji teden se je zagotovo še enkrat udeležim s prijateljicami!

I would like to thank to L’Occitane for inviting me to their Garage sale, I’m sure I will attend it one more time next week with my friends!

♥

2 Comments

Favorites

March favorites ◊ 2016

7. 4. 2016

Hi there, has April been treating you well this year? We’ve had beautiful sunny days so far and trees have already started to blossom, what’s not to love about spring! Let me show you the products that kept me in a good mood throughout the past month.

I’m usually more of a bronzer gal, but this gorgeous Catrice Illuminating Blush in shade Kiss me Ken 030 caught my attention and convinced me to start using my blushes again (and buy some new ones, too!). This one was actually a freebie from the Slovene L&Z magazine, I instantly fell in love with its two pink undertones and a touch of shimmer. It works great on its own or just as a highlighter. ♦ The next product I’m really glad I managed to get is the L’Occitane rose scented Shea Butter Ultra Soft Balm. This was an exclusive product available around the International Women’s Day aiming to support women in developing countries. The scent is quite powerful, so I don’t use it on my lips very often, but it works great on my still-trying-to-get-over-winter hands. I wish similar products were available for every special occasion! ♦ As for the lips, I had to perk up my days with the most bright lipstick from my collection! There is hardly anything more pigmented and long lasting than the Mac Ruby Woo. I’ve had it for ages (and should have thrown it away already), but still amazes me every single time I put it on. And I always get tons of compliments, so I must be doing it right!

Now, I have to mention one of my favorite fragrances of all times. My boyfriend got me this Coco Mademoiselle edt by Chanel a few years back and I did like it at the time. It just seemed to me that this powerful and long-lasting woody fragrance with an insane wear time is meant for a bit older women, but I nevertheless used it a lot. These days, however, I’m obsessed with it! I don’t know what happened to my nose, but these citrus, white floral and sweet notes suddenly feel so feminine… There is very little left in the bottle, but I’ll cherish it until its last drop! ♦ Last but not least, I’ve always adored crystals and gems, and not so much for their healing properties, which may be controversial to a lot of people, but because they’re just beautiful. I finally got myself a bigger amethyst crystal, which plays the role of the most important decoration on my table at the moment!

♥

2 Comments

Favorites

February favorites ◊ 2016

29. 2. 2016

Today is the last day of February and it feels strange that there won’t be another post on the 29th of February for another four years! I’ve got a variety of products to go through this time, let’s go!

I’ve started stepping out of my comfort zone – usually red lips and earthy eye shadow tones – with a bright orange Topshop lipstick in shade Hedonist. This color is not my usual pick, it was at the bottom of my makeup drawer and I haven’t touched it for ages. I think this is one of the most opaque orange lippies I’ve seen so far, but I have to use a lip scrub the night before because it dries my lips quite a lot. Secondly, it always seems like I start incorporating trends into my makeup routine when they’re all last season. Marsala eyes have only just reached me and I’ve been loving it! As a base, I use the Maybelline Color Tattoo (Pomegranate) and I top if off with a metallic purple shade Icon from the MUA’s Smokin Palette (the bottom left shade, more here) and pair it with a very luxurious and moisturizing Roses et Reines pink lip balm by L’Occitane.

One of the perks of February is the fact that spring is almost here! It’s such a pleasure to watch snowdrops and primroses that already started blooming in the gardens and along the roads ♥ All of this means that it will be easier to take care of our hands and hair, the two critical parts of the past season. I’ve been saving my hands with the Essence Smile, you are pretty! handcreme, which smells amazing!! And it really protects my skin that needs constant care. I also couldn’t go on without mentioning the Omnia Botanica argan oil that I’ve been using on my hair throughout the whole winter. It does wonders to my hair and makes them incredibly soft, I’ll have to get myself a new bottle soon! ♦ I’ve instagrammed the Born to Bio Vanilla Flower deodorant a few months back and I love to use it when I’m home or don’t have any special plans for the day. Its gorgeous vanilla scent is to die for, not too powerful, but still strong enough that I can feel it for a few minutes. Not to mention it is paraben- and aluminium salts-free, the most important part if you ask me.

There’s also a chocolate update for you! I don’t really like milk chocolates or chocolates with a low quantity of cocoa just because they’re packed with sugar without a good reason. The Gorenjka and Choceur chocolates are my current favorites, I used the same 75% Gorenjka chocolate for the Valentine’s day dessert and it worked out great. There’s no doubt these will become my go-to baking chocolates!

The last thing to mention are the SEVA incense sticks. I’m not an incense stick expert, but I do know that good incense sticks are really hard to find. I’ve tried lots and lots of different sticks that just didn’t do the job for me, the scent after you burn them is almost never the same compared to what you smelled at the shop. My ambition to find another good brand after the L’Occitane’s incense sticks were discontinued finally ended up with a good find! I got these incense sticks from Om Šiva Ezoterika, a bookshop in Ljubljana (BTC, link here), and each type is specifically designated for one of the chakras. I use them at my every yoga practice and they make the whole workout experience even more enjoyable!

Take care,
Vesna ♥

2 Comments

Older Posts