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Beauty

Lavender scrub for silky soft skin ♥ (and has an amazing scent too!)

12. 8. 2015

To me, DIY body care has always been something incredibly difficult to do. I always thought that you need a ton of ingredients, nearly as much as on the packaging of drugstore products, but the truth is far from that. All you need are some cold-pressed and essential oils and that’s it! Although I like shower gels with scrub, I decided to make myself a creamy body scrub out of sugar, salt, coconut oil and lavender. And we all know how beneficial natural scrubs are for the skin.

Since there is lots of lavender around the house, I dried a few teaspoons of lavender flowers beforehand. The scrub is very calming and you only need a few ingredients. Before we start, let me just point out that try not to overuse lavender or any other essential oil as they can cause rashes or even some severe conditions if used in larger quantities. But worry not, a few drops won’t do any harm. Here is what I used:

1/2 cup sugar ♥ 2 tsp salt ♥ 2 tsp dried lavender flowers ♥ 3 tbsp coconut oil ♥ 5 drops lavender essential oil

♥ 1 glass jar

First mix all the dry ingredients. Then add the coconut oil and lavender essential oil – you can add more than 5 drops, but try not to exaggerate. Mix thoroughly and add some more sugar/salt/coconut oil if necessary. When the mixture is even, transfer it into the jar and sprinkle with some more lavender leaves. Easy peasy, right? ;)

I use it on my arms and legs up to twice a week as I feel my skin tends to be very dry on those parts. The coconut oil will moisturize your skin and keep it soft, but you can nevertheless use some shower gel afterwards (or mix some scrub with the gel and use it in this way!). This is actually not my first lavender scrub, I made a lovely lavender lip scrub last year – you can take a look here!

Take care ♥

Beauty

Mint … is the new black!

7. 8. 2015

To be honest, my relationship with Essence nail polishes was really bad for a long time and it all started when I bought the first nail polish many, many, many years ago. Almost every new season I tried a few colors, but it always turned out to be a disaster – the polish chipped off almost immediately every time I applied it regardless of both base and top coat. However, I must say that I’m pretty impressed with the new gel edition and have a feeling they changed the formula quite a bit. Their color range is fantastic and it was difficult not to take the whole shelf home!

I chose two colors, a red on and this gorgeous minty shade play with my mint 40. I also opted for the gel top coat, just because I needed a new one and wanted to give this one a go. Two coats are obligatory with this one – I find such pastel nail polish very uneven when only one coat is applied, but two make it completely opaque. As for the longevity, this one is perfect for one day, but then starts to chip off on the edge. In that case I just add some more nail polish and prolong the nail polish for another day!

All in all, I’m pretty obsessed with this color and this may be my favorite nail shade of this summer. Have you noticed any difference in the formula of this nail polish edition or is it just me? :)

♥

Beauty

I cannot imagine summer without …

4. 8. 2015

… a good old bronzer. My favorite lately has been the L’Oréal La Terra Glam Bronze. which is basically a face and body sun powder with an incredible opacity. This one is in shade Portofino-Leggero 01 and although this is the lightest shade, just one swipe is needed to create a gorgeous sun-kissed effect on the skin. I also use it for contouring as it contains a tiny bit of small shimmer. I have the darkest shade as well, Taormina-Intenso 04, which is much more intense – I’ll probably use that one during my vacation at the end of August, yay!

For me, fruity and fresh scents are obligatory in summer, whether they come in a body spray or light perfume. This is why I’ve been obsessed with Zara’s eau de toilette 590, Collins Avenue. Fragrance notes of this lovely feminine perfume are raspberry, pineapple, mango and praline; nevertheless, it is a bit more fresh than sweet. Zara’s fragrances are a must in my routine throughout the whole year, as they are very affordable and some scents are beyond amazing – this is why I spray myself all the time without any regret!

This Dior lipstick in shade 565 and Essie nail polish in shade Big Spender complement each other so well! I don’t know what’s with my pink obsession lately, but I just love using intense pinky, fuchsia shades all the time. And my skin wouldn’t be so fresh and moisturized without the L’Occitane’s Angelica Instant Hydration Mask with organic angelica water and essential oil. This is a crucial part of my face routine once a week!

Last but not least, I cannot finish my summer favorites without mentioning lavender, my synonym for summer. This is my favorite natural scent and I’ve used up so many bottles of lavender essential oil over the years that I should start doing my own (and I may try it out soon!). This lovely bouquet is my mother’s work of art, she is so crafty when it comes to flowers! I feel blessed that we can grow lots of lavender bushes around the house, every time I go by I get completely calm. And throughout the year, I drop a few drops of lavender essential oil on my pillow the night before exams or just when I feel tense. It sure helps, you should try it too!

♥

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Beauty

Natura Siberica – Aralia Mandshurica Day & Night creams

30. 7. 2015

Natura Siberica is a young Russian brand of organic cosmetics. I first encountered their products in Drogerie Markt when I was looking for a new organic moisturizer. Their design immediately caught my attention and as I read through the ingredients and descriptions, I realised that this is a high-quality brand for a very reasonable price (around € 11–20). As it is written on the packaging and their website, the plants used in their creams can survive the harshest weather conditions in Siberia, which is quite fascinating. And I believe they can have a much better effect on the skin than any other synthetic creams. The range of Natura Siberica’s products is very wide, all the way from skincare and bodycare to hair products. Plus, you can order their products on the Slovene site as well, the link is here!

What I also like is the fact that their packaging is wrapped in foil, which means that the products you buy at the drugstore should be intact. Furthermore, a small etiquette on the packaging describes the product, but there is also a folded description of the brand itself as well as of the product inside the box, which, in my opinion, makes the contact between the customer and the brand even more personalized. I purchased the Aralia Mandshurica Day cream and Night cream for dry skin, as I have some dry areas on my face that really disturb me. I’ve been using them both for a few months now.

The day cream is very moisturizing and has SPF 20, which is actually the main reason I chose this one. I don’t really have any wrinkles on my face (yet!!), so I cannot tell you if it actually strengthens the skin, but it does make it very smooth. The one thing that I did notice is that the pigmentation marks on my face go away a lot quicker than they used to. The cream may have to do something with it, as it contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and many other wild harvested plants (Aralia Mandshurica thorn tree, Altai Fescue, and Arnica).

On the other hand, the night cream is very rich and is thought to provide deep regeneration as well as stimulate collagen production. The gorgeous violet plant Hesperis Sibirica (pictures here!!) and organic oats make the skin soft and supple. The only thing that bothers me is that the night cream is the one that mattifies the skin and not the day one – I would strongly prefer this to be vice versa. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make my skin oily throughout the night like other creams do, which is a big plus.

In my opinion, the Aralia Mandshurica Day and Night creams are two lovely produtcts providing a lot of moisture as well as sun protection (day cream) and both have a very light, natural scent. I would definitely recommend them to all who like organic cosmetics or want to try something new. I defeinitely have to try their shampoos and conditioners at some point.

Have you already tried any of their products? ♥

Beauty

My summer body care

26. 7. 2015

A good body care is not essential just in warmer months, but throughout the whole year. However, this hot weather makes my skin so dull and dry that I really have to take care of it all the time. Since it is a fact that sunbathing isn’t that healthy at all, my recent purchase was the Alverde self-tanning lotion with a gentle orange blossom and vanilla scent. I usually apply it on my legs as I feel this is the only part that maintains a weird uneven tan throughout the whole summer. Its texture is very smooth and gradually creates an even tan if applied in thin layers. Just make sure you wash your hands after use ;)

In the last years, I really fell in love with the Drogerie Markt’s sunscreen line, it’s called SunDance and has a whole range of products – all the way from sunscreens to after sun lotions in different formulas. I’ve been using the Transparent Sun Spray with SPF 30 this year and it’s so much better than regular lotions! You just spray it on your skin, then massage it a bit and voila! Plus, it’s not greasy once it absorbs in. On the days when I’m outside a lot, I like to – and that’s definitely a must do on holidays!! – use some after sun lotion. Nothing special here, just a regular cooling lotion. However, my sister purchased a gorgeous SunDance after sun lotion in a foamy texture, you have to try it out!! It smells like fresh melon and has a funny blue color, you can take a look here! :)

As soon as I scented the Garnier Oil Beauty body scrub, I knew I have to take it home with me. It smells divine, a very exotic smell one can easily associate with holidays in, let’s say, Morocco. Unfortunately, the particles are quite big and clumsy, the smaller ones would be much more effective if you ask me. But it smells so good!! And to keep my skin nice and moisturized on days I usually spend inside, I use the Balea Spray-On Bodylotion. You wouldn’t believe how much easier this lotion is to use, you just spray it on and quickly massage it in. It absorbs in a matter of seconds and doesn’t leave a greasy layer at all. And the scent is quite lovely too, very natural and a bit powdery.

And another trick that really makes a hell lot of a difference in such hot days as at the moment are water sprays, like this Radenska Naturelle. You spray a bit on your face, arms and legs and suddenly feel so refreshed! As far as I know you can also get also the one from Evian or Balea at the drugstore.

Take care ♥

Beauty

New in – make up & accessories 〈birthday edition〉 #6

7. 7. 2015

Hi there! :) Long time no see, right? I believe we all know I’ve accumulated quite a lot of make up and skin care products in the past few months, but today I’ll focus on what I got for my birthday in terms of make up and accessories in June! My boyfriend, family and my friends know me so well, but I am somehow predictable, that’s for sure! ;)

Now I can finally say I understand why a lot of people rave about the Lush Bubblegum lip scrub! It tastes JUST as bubble gums I used to chew as a kid, and the texture itself is amazing. Finely ground sugar is the key to success for scrubbing off the excess skin to an extent I have never experienced before. You definitely have to try it out! ♥ Next I got the L’Oréal’s La Couleur eye shadow in shade Metallic Lilac (037). This is a highly pigmented eye shadow with a metallic finish that is very flattering to my brown eye color. However, I do have to get used to it, as my usual eye shadows consist of earth tones.

My nail polish drawer is already full, but I’ll have to find some space for these three nail polishes in one way or another. First I got the Deborah Milano nail polish with gel effect in shade 07. I haven’t tried this one out yet, but I have high hopes because it provides an ultra glossy result. And I love red nails, so this one will be high on my list! ♥ And now here is my favorite part: I got two gel nail polishes!! I bought a UV lamp last month and have been using it almost all the time ever since. I’ll write a separate post about it soon, but let me just say that I love it! So, I got the Sensationail gel color in shade love bite, a gorgeous rosy pink color, and the Depend‘s nail polish in shade french white. ♥ Another favorite must be these gold temporary tattoos! I actually got two sheets with different motives, but I couldn’t find the second one, whoops :D I love them, they were on my wish list for a long time, but I never saw them in stores. I’m currently wearing one, you can check it out on my Instagram profile here. It looked as new for four days, but now it wore out a bit. Can’t wait to use them on holidays!! ♥ Another gorgeously scented item is a salt and seaweed soap by the Piran Saltpans. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I can’t wait to start using it, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it a lot.

Last but not least, I got a gorgeous scarf with a deep violet print that will be great to wear on top in summer evenings and a beautiful necklace with gold and red beads. And of course, I cannot forget my new favorite vintage ring that I actually chose myself on a flea market and my lovely boyfriend kindly bought for me. It’s made of silver and has a gorgeous turquoise-black stone in it. Love!

♥

I’m really sorry for the lack of posts in the past month, I had lots of exams and was too tense to enjoy writing and taking pictures. Luckily, I passed all of them and can enrol into the second cycle of my master’s studies, I’m so excited!! It definitely is quite frightening when I think about my last year of studies, but I’m nevertheless full of optimism about what the future will bring. Yay!

Beauty

My opinion about the Bourjois CC cream?

25. 5. 2015

Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a blast these days, summer is around the corner and one thing you have to focus on is a good protection against UV rays. It’s not a secret that too much sun exposure can damage your skin and the one thing I’m looking for are products with at least some protection. Last October, I bought the Bourjois CC cream with SPF 15 in shade Rose Beige 33 and it turned out to be a bit too dark for me at the time. As I’m already quite tanned at the moment, the foundations I used in the past few months just aren’t dark enough any more. So, I pulled this little product out of the drawer and used it a couple of times.

However, I’m not that pleased with this CC cream. It is thought to correct dark circles under the eyes and redness on your skin, but also make your skin look more refreshed. The cream has an unbelievable coverage for a CC cream, very similar to foundations with lighter coverage, and blends in the skin beautifully. And if I like these aspects so much, how come I won’t use it any more, you may ask? Well, I’m sorry to say, but this foundation doesn’t dry on my skin at all. It stays in a form of a thick cream that doesn’t soak into the skin at all and just worsens throughout the day. I also applied the compact powder to set it in, but that didn’t make even a slight difference. And I cannot say how excruciating it was to be around for the whole day and have this strange feeling that I have a whole cake on my face, if you know what I mean.

I’m very sorry I cannot wear it, because it really is a lovely product, the coverage is great and it fits my skin perfectly. And I love the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, its texture is the biggest opposite and I still recommend it to everyone. But I also heard that the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation doesn’t dry at all, probably in the same way than this CC cream. I’m pretty sure I won’t try any foundations from Bourjois for quite some time, I will definitely be trying it out before I purchase it. If I look on the bright side, I gave it to my sister who likes it much more than I do ;)

***

I’m so sorry for the lack of posts recently, my exams are close and I really have to dedicate a lot of my time to studying. Otherwise, I hope you’re having a great time. June (**AND MY BIRTHDAY**) is almost here, *YAYYYY* !! I wish you a wonderful start of the week ♥

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