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Beauty

March and April favorites #2019

22. 4. 2019

My wish to start writing beauty favorites more often was only partly fulfilled, but much better than last year! I managed to shoot my favorites at the end of March and several weeks later found some time to finish the post. Luckily, nothing changed with regard to my recent holy grails in the month and all five products are still in use every single day. :)

I’ll start in a morning order with Vichy mineral 89, a skin booster with 89% thermal mineral water in combination with hyaluronic acid. This serum is supposed to strengthen the skin and protect it from pollution. Tbh, my face doesn’t feel any stronger with use, but the gel is absorbed in a matter of seconds and beautifully preps it for the next steps, i.e. rich day cream, SPF and liquid foundation. Speaking of SPFs, my recent new favorite is the Japanese Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk Sunscreen I ordered from Ebay (a different link because my supplier no longer sells it). I was really surprised that the parcel arrived within a week when I usually wait for around a month to receive it. This sunscreen is in form of a runny milk that leaves a slightly oily layer, but it works great with my Vichy foundation, which sorts everything out. Having said that, it doesn’t make my skin any more oily as it normally is. Because of its runny consistency, it will be used quite quickly, but then again at least my face is well protected. :) It’s made of chemical filters and I always reapply it in the office.

It has become clear that the Vichy Dermablend is my all-ime favorite, so I won’t be talking too much about it this time. However, I have to say a few words about the L.O.V. Glow Highlighting Drops in shade Sunlight Glow. This liquid highlighter has a gentle and subtle golden sheen to it. The reason why I’m saying all of this is that I got slightly tired of high-coverage foundations with matt finish. So I’ve been mixing up to two drops of the Sunlight glow with Dermablend or a BB cream because it’s that subtle. Unfortunately, I believe it was part of their limited edition and was unable to find it online, but I’m sure they’ll have a similar product available soon. In Slovenia, we can purchase L.O.V. Cosmetics only through Ličila.si and I really hope they will put it back to drugstores in the future because their products are truly fantastic.

I’ve been feeling the spring in recent months, which is well reflected in my eyeshadow choices :) My bestie is a huge Colourpop lover and gave me their You Had Me At Hello palette for Christmas. If I didn’t understand the hype around them before, I surely know the reason now! Not to the point where I would buy a bunch of new palettes straight away, because I have enough palettes for my lifetime. But these are really among the best ones because: 1) all eyeshadows are highly pigmented,
2) there’s no fallout on the cheeks, and 3) they are just as longlasting as the eyeshadows by Urban Decay and Chanel – and they may be blending even better than their high-end counterparts!

Every single evening I remove all the layers of SPF and makeup. For several months now I’ve been using the Organic Manuka Honey Micellar water by Dr. Organic that was kindly sent to me by Lepa z naravo. First of all, this micellar water SMELLS INSANE – I adore homemade honey and this water has a gorgeous, slightly exaggerated scent of honey. It removes the mascara and all the makeup without a problem and the skin doesn’t feel tight after use. I can easily compare it to the Garnier ones that are amazing as well, the only difference being that this one is organic and cruelty-free. All in all, a wonderful micellar water I couldn’t recommend more. Just make sure to wash your face after use and proceed with second cleansing and the rest of your routine.

These were five products that were in daily use from the beginning of March. I’m interested to see my skincare routine in May because I’ll be going to Paris and Normandy for 10 days. My current plan is not to take too many beauty products with me, but surely I’ll return with a pile of French skincare items :D If any of you have some recommendations about French skincare that can only be purchased in France, let me know :) Thank you for reading!

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Beauty

My tips for healthy and shiny hair

10. 2. 2019

This time around I’ll share a few thoughts about hair care. I’m lucky enough to have naturally thick and strong hair, but I still have to work on achieving that wonderful shine. Because of balayage, my ends are dry and split. This is why I like using conditioners and oils in particular, which are crucial if you ask me. I also suffered from irritated scalp, so I developed my own techniques to keep it healthy while keeping my hair in good condition. Below you will find some tips that may be useful to some of you – but keep in mind that I’m not an expert and these products may not suit you. Unfortunately, genetics play an important role and hair is also affected by your general health, so it’s sometimes best to seek a doctor’s advice.

1. If you have an irritated scalp or dandruff, I wholeheartedly advise you to invest into a high-quality shampoo you’ll only use on your scalp. I struggled with dandruff in younger years and although Head&Shoulders worked for the dandruff, my hair just didn’t agree with it. And this happened a lot, whenever I changed the shampoo, my scalp got oily and irritated. For this reason, I always use two separate products. In the last year, my staple shampoo has been the thickening Densi-Solutions shampoo by Vichy. Although it’s aimed at thinning hair, it completely calmed my scalp and I didn’t have any problems even in the summer, which is the season I most struggle in. I usually purchase it at Leposana or at a pharmacy.

2. Invest into a high quality hair oil. I’ve been using the Kérastase Elixir Ultime for colored hair for the last year and without a doubt this is the best investment ever. I apply the oil after washing my hair and continue by combing through with a detangling hair brush. Unlike some other products, this dry oil does not make hair oily (when my ends are really dry, I apply up to 2–3 pumps). I tried products from many different brands and prefer Kérastase over Aussie or L’Occitane (although they both have a nice scent), but I have yet to test out the famous Moroccanoil. Nevertheless, this one adds some weight to the hair so they look much smoother – and if I further straighten my hair, it looks like I’ve just come out of a hair salon. It costs around EUR 40, which is not a small amount, but I’ve had this bottle for over a year and there’s still a quarter left.

3. Use of quality shampoos, conditioners and masks will not go unnoticed. Although I firmly believe that you don’t need to invest a lot of money into these items, the hair is nevertheless more smooth and shiny compared to cheaper products. For the past few months I’ve been using the shampoo and conditioner by Maria Nila, which were kindly sent to me by a Slovenian oniline store Star Beauty. This Swedish company has a sustainable approach to producing high quality hair products. Both items are part of the Heal line, have a nice fruity scent (which is why they are such a pleasure to use!) and leave my hair very sleek. Combined with the Kérastase oil, the final look of my hair is excellent! Their effect is similar to the luxurious Alterna products, which are slightly more expensive.

4. If you blow dry, straighten or curl your hair, use heat protectants. Heat really damages your hair and if you color them often, you’ll end up with split ends sooner than later (which doesn’t look good or healty). I don’t like complicating with heat protectants and just believe they get the job done. But nicely scented products surely have priority, because some smell really bad and remind me of acid. I currently use the Maria Nila Cream Heat Spray, which I received alongside the shampoo and conditioner. Not only does the spray smell like candy, it protects my hair from UV rays and further damage. I spray it on wet hair before blow dry and proceed with the Kérastase oil a few minutes later.

Do you use any other products/have any tips that may help others? You’re kindly invited to join the discussion below :)

♥

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Beauty

Welcome 30’s with Vichy

10. 11. 2018

A few weeks ago Vichy hosted a lovely event for their Slow Âge skincare line. The entire Slow Âge line is inspired by slow ageing in a hectic life of modern day. All the products are targeting the first signs of ageing, which makes it perfect as I’m slowly approaching the milestone of 30 years! The two creams differ in texture and consistency, but they both have quite strong scents that might be irritating to some people. This doesn’t present any problems to me as they disappear soon after the creams are applied. I tested them both thoroughly, so let’s start!

The daily Slow Âge is a rich moisturizer aimed at dry and sensitive skin enriched with antioxidant Biacalin, probiotic-derived Bifidus and mineralising thermal water. SPF 30 will also protect your face against the damaging UV rays – don’t forget to apply it on your neck as well. I actually got the exact one last year, but gave it away because I was certain it would not suit my normal to mixed complexion. This time, however, I decided to give it a try, because how often do you get two same Vichy face creams in one year?! ;) Honestly, I’m surprised by how nicely this cream performs, it doesn’t irritate my skin or make it oily, plus it works just fine underneath my makeup.

On the other hand, I already knew that the overnight treatment, i.e. the Slow Âge Nuit, would be perfect for my skin! This mask in gel form contains Resveratrol, Niacinamide, Caffeine and antioxidant Baïcalin Root Extract. I actually received a generous sample in the spring and slowly used it throughout the summer. It was actually on my wish list, that’s how much I liked it! In contrast to a somehow sweet scent of the daily mosturizer, the night mask has a slightly minty touch. You can use it two ways, as a regular night cream or as an intense mask that you apply in a thin layer and remove 10 minutes later. It works well over my moisturizing evening skincare and if it happens I’m too lazy to use anything else, this mask is the only product I go for. Its ingredient list is also less extensive than the daily cream, that one is a mouthful!

All in all, the Vichy Slow Âge line performs well on my skin, but I would rather recommend it to those with dry one, at least as far as the daily moisturizer goes. As a lover of serums and fluid textures, I have to purchase the Daily correcting care at one point and give it a try.

Below is a snippet of the Welcome 30’s Party, me and my sister had such a lovely time! It was so nice to take the evening off and just enjoy spending some time together. Thank you so much for having us! :)

♥

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Beauty

Current beauty favorites

26. 10. 2018

I’ve accumulated so many beauty favorites over the past 6 months that I don’t even know to start! This time I closed my eyes and decided to discuss the best skincare and beauty products that come to my mind, so here’s that. Let’s hope I’ll become more organised in that respect and keep you posted about my favorites more often because I have a lot to talk about! :)

The first item I should’ve discussed way sooner is this pricey Alpha-H Beauty Sleep Power Peel, the best overnight treatment I’ve ever tried. Retinol (0.5), glycolic acid and Vitamin A are just some of its amazing ingredients that exfoliate your skin overnight, waking up to a perfect complexion. I follow my normal evening routine and apply some serums before I finish with Beauty Sleep once or twice a week. But please don’t forget to use a good 30–50 SPF in the morning so that you won’t create more damage than you tried to fix! It has a hefty price tag of €63, but have in mind that this Alpha-H overnight mask is sometimes offered in 1 + 1 discounts (me and my sis got ours here) so you can team up with a friend or get two for yourself (who wouldn’t want that!).

The second item I should’ve discussed months ago is the Vichy Dermablend foundation in shade 25. I’ve used it throughout the entire summer with the Australian Gold SPF 50 (have to write about that, too…) and my skin is so beautiful in all the photos! Dermablend has middle coverage, but builds very well and has a dewy/slightly velvet finish. At the moment I actually use the Dermablend 3D version in the same shade (although they’re different) because I purchased the wrong one in rush! But I looove it, more mattifying than the original and just the BEST eye shadow base in the world. Any eye shadow stays put until I take it off despite my hooded eyes, so if you’re trying to find an effective eye primer, you should definitely check out Dermablend 3D.

A few months ago I received this Bourjois Silk Edition compact powder in shade 52 and I’m impressed that it performs just as well as my beloved Artdeco powder. It has a very nice mirror and a sponge inside (that I don’t use, but can be handy on the go). Gives a nice finish and the shade is perfect too, I wonder how they knew which one to send me!

I use many active ingredients and my skin is generally doing great (except from my hormonal breakouts that drive me crazy for a week every month!). The changes are subtle but clearly visible after more than a year since I started introducing them. My skin has become much drier, which I like compared to what it looked like before, but this means I have to focus more on moisturizing. For this reason I purchased the La Roche Posay Toleraine Ultra Fluid for sensitive skin. It’s very gentle and sinks into the skin quickly, which makes it perfect for under the foundation. It only contains 8 ingredients, two of which are Neurosensine and squalene, but once again this is quite a pricey product (€16). The amount is not that huge and I have to apply two to three pumps for my whole face and neck, so my bottle is pretty empty already. There are many great cheaper moisturizers out there, bit if you suffer from sensitive skin, Toleraine Ultra Fluid might be the right for you.

And now we’ve come to a more nicely scented part of this post. As the months become colder, my preference for scents changes quite a lot, all of a sudden I prefer strong, sweet fragrances, something I could’ve never put up with in the summer. My current favorite from last year is therefore Sikkim Girls by Lush, a powerful oriental fragrance with intense jasmin undertones that surely doesn’t suit a lot of people. But it gives me the kind of warmth I crave on a frosty morning. This reminds me, I have to stop by at Lush and check out some other scents too!

The last item I have to discuss is the Moringa Shower Gel by the Body Shop. Because their Moringa body butter has the best scent ever, I was really excited to try this shower gel my bestie got me for my birthday. As any other The Body Shop gel, this one is just as thick in consistency, I love it!

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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 :)

♥

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