Make-up basket #1

As I've already mentioned in my blog post schedule, I'm planning on doing a bi-weekly make-up basket. I've decided on doing so because I think that I will switch between products a lot more this way and perhaps even rediscover some forgotten gems in my stash (but that naturally doesn't mean I won't use anything else besides the mentioned items). Besides that, it will also benefit my make-up collection since I've quickly learned that each item must be cleaned before photos are taken :) 

That being said, here are the products I'll be using more for the next two weeks. 

I pulled out one of my newer purchases, the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying base to see if it will reduce some of the shine. For foundation, I'm going to go with Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation (30 - Beige). I know I've used this a couple of times in the Autumn when I got it but I think the formula was too thin so I stopped using it. 

I'll use the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in shade 15 which is nice for my under eye area. For setting everything, I'm going with the Maybelline Fit me Compact Powder (250 - Sun Beige) to see how it will hold my foundation in place. 

As far as contouring goes, I've had the Collection Countour Kit Highlight&Sculpt for more than six months and maybe used it once. I think the highlight is beautiful and I hope the contour shade will be appropriate for my already slightly bronzed face. On days I don't want to bother with contour, I'll use the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Powder.

I'm also going to be using my new Golden Rose Silky Touch Blush-On in shade 207. I think this nice peachy color is absolutely perfect for spring and I can't wait to start using this beautiful blush.

I'm going to try and use up the Too Faced Shadow Insurance Primer since it's a sample and I've had it since forever. I'm excited to start properly using the Catrice Chocolate Nudes which have been on some travels with me but don't get enough love at home. 

I'll stick to my new-found awesome eyebrow duo from Freedom Makeup (Soft brown) as it's perfect to match my eyebrows to my hair at the moment. Giordani Gold eye pencil is a great soft pencil for smudged eyeliner and waterline so I'm trading my Lord&Berry liner for this one. It's also almost time to say goodbye to my Lancome Hypnose Volume-a-porter mascara so these two weeks will be our last hooray. 

I'm keeping the lip situation simple with two of the Catrice Shine Appeal Fluid Lipsticks - the lighter one in What a Melon and the darker one in Marry Berry. I'll probably need a lip liner to go with them as they are quite runny but I'll think about that another day.

That are most of the products that I'll be using for the next two weeks. If you see anything in the mix that sparks your interest and would like to see a proper review on, let me know!

Until next time, stay beautiful!

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Best of the rest 2015

Last Sunday I wrote about the make-up products that impressed me the most in 2015. This week, I’d like to share the skincare, haircare and nail products that have been my absolute favorites in 2015 (and the months after).

Let’s start with skincare. My favorite moisturizer and face mist both come from the brand Melvita. I wrote an extensive review of both already and you can check it out in this post (click). In short, my face has been mainly clean of imperfection and my skin is feeling well hydrated ever since I’ve started using these products. They are not the cheapest, but I look at it as an investment!

I’ve tried many make-up removers in 2015 and yet I keep returning to the Decleor Aroma Cleanse. This gentle cleansing milk really removes both normal and waterproof make-up off my face and leaves it feeling smooth. The 200ml bottle costs about 20 € - I buy if from my beauty salon. This bottle lasted me about six months, so it’s not overly expensive for the amount you’re getting. 

I am so bad at moisturizing my body in the colder months! Once I get out of the shower, I just want to get dressed as quickly as possible and not stand there waiting for the lotion to soak in for the next 10 minutes. The L’Occitane Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli body lotion from the Pierre Herme line is one of those lotions that takes no time at all to sink into the skin. It leaves my body feeling well hydrated and fresh. Since I used it throughout the pregnancy and escaped without a single stretch mark, I’m giving it a 5 out of 5 points for effectiveness as well!

I like smelling fresh even after I’ve been out and about all day, but applying perfume all the time would be overdoing it, and expensive to boot. The Le Couvent Des Minimes Eau Amiable cologne is a great alternative, since the smell is not overpowering and the spray really distributes the product evenly. I tend to spray it on my clothes to make it linger a bit longer. A bottle will set you back anywhere between 15 and 30 € depending on the size and you can usually find a good deal at Müller!

I don’t usually like sticky scrubs and prefer to use dry scrubs that can be mixed with water and applied, but I’ve completely fallen in love with the Afrodita sugar scrub with brown sugar and shea butter. I used this religiously during the summer to build up a healthy tan and keep my skin supple. It also worked great at removing dead cells after the summer when my skin started to dry up due to the heating. At about 5 € per jar (I think it would last you about a month if used at every showering session) it’s a bargain! After using this scrub, you won’t need any body lotion since it will leave your skin feeling soft I and well hydrated.

Nail polish is one of my weaknesses and I tend to stick to higher end brands that really deliver on the promise of true color and longevity. However, I’ve received a few polishes from the new Avon lines and I’ve really been loving both the Mineral Crush (from Magic Effects) and Gel finish polishes (so much so that I’ve ordered a whole bunch of them in different shades). The effect of  the Mineral crush line on the nails is especially fun and I’ve gotten a whole bunch of compliments on it!

Last but not least, let’s talk about hair. I rarely talk about anything that I receive in sample size (or a deluxe sample size) since I often cannot get a real feel of the product before it runs out. However I can firmly say that the Paul Mitchell Lavender Mint shampoo and conditioner from the Teatree line have been my absolute favorite hair products in the year 2015! Each time I used this combo, my hair felt really clean and amazingly soft. A 300ml bottle of each costs about 20 € which is a lot but used sparingly it can last you a long time. It’s also not much more expensive then the Joico products I’ve been using so far so I’m definitely going to treat myself to the full size in the future! You can buy them in several online stores or in hair salons around you.

I tried using less leave-in products in the past year since I’ve been instructed by my hairdresser to let them breathe as much as possible. With the exception of hair oil once in every blue moon, I’ve stuck to my Beauty Works 10in1 Miracle Spray. It promises a lot (nourishes, detangles, prevents split ends, enhances natural body etc.) but as for me, I’ve just found that it gives my hair a lot of volume and a nice smell while also keeping the frizz of baby hair in check to a certain extent. At 15 € per bottle it’s priced reasonably and I’ll definitely repurchase it after it runs out.

That’s it for the products that I’ve been loving the most in 2015. Did you find any of your favorites among them? Next Sunday, keep your eyes open for the disappointing ones! And don't forget - you've got two more days to enter the giveaway! Find the instructions here!

Until then, stay beautiful!

FRIDAY SUPERSTAR: Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath

Dear beauties,

I am guilty as charged. Of what, you ask? Of buying overpriced brushes and not taking care of them enough. Of preaching about skincare but at the same time not making sure that the brushes that daily touch my face are super clean. Yes, I am guilty on both charges.

Before I received the Freedom ProStudio Brush Bath, I used the Makeup Revolution brush cleaner to give my brushes proper care. It did the job well, but soaking the brushes and giving them a nice clean used to take me an hour or more which is why I regularly procrastinated on the topic.

A few months back, I was sent the Freedom Brush Bath by the online store Licila.si and at first I wasn't too sure about it since I haven't had too much good experience with the brand Freedom so far. This brush bath is a solution that is supposed to instantly sanitize, cleanse and condition the brushes.

 The packaging is nice and sturdy and closes well. It contains 100ml of the product. The solution itself looks and feels like soap and has a light scent to it. The directions state to wet the brush and swirl it around in the jar, then work the brush on the palm of your hand to really lather it up (you could use any kind of brush cleaning gizmo here, such es BrushEgg etc.), rinse and squeeze the brush to remove access water. Simple enough.

On the left photo you can see that the surface gets quite messy during the whole procedure. I make sure that the brush I'm putting in the jar is not to wet so I don't waste the product. Once I find the whole thing too dirty, and obviously at the end, I simply rinse it under water and it instantly becomes clean again. There are no dirty cups needed - the jar is the only tool you need. 

For this post, I washed five of my Real Techniques brushes: blush brush, powder brush, eye blending brush, concealer brush and a smaller brush I generally use to apply powder to my under-eye area. As you can see, they were quite dirty and really needed a good wash.

The cleaning took me about 30 seconds per brush with the exception of concealer brush which was so dirty it took about a minute. I could easily also wash a couple of eye brushes at the same time this way. 

In all, I am really impressed with this brush bath. It's inexpensive (get it here for just under 11 € - if you own a reasonable amount of brushes, it will probably last you a year to get through it), super easy to use and leaves my brushes nice and soft. I would definitely recommend this product to everyone who finds washing brushes a hassle and wants to get it over with quickly.

Until next time, stay beautiful!

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS: Health & beauty = smoothie

Since I lead a pretty unhealthy lifestyle with a lot of stress, lack of sleep and many skipped (and often not the healthiest) meals, I’m prone to compensating for it with supplements which are easy and quick to take and really do make a difference to how I feel and how I look.

I’ve always been attracted to supplements that also offer visible results and the one that really stands out to me is MSM. MSM (Methylsulfonymethane, if you care) is a natural form of organic sulfur. It’s beneficial for the formation of tissues such as red cells, muscles, skin, nails and hair, while it also helps regulate the hormonal balance and the immune system. Some also call MSM the mineral of beauty. 

So yes – skin, hair and nails. As I’ve mentioned in pretty much every post in recent history, all of these have taken the turn for the worse during my pregnancy and it’s time to get them back into shape! 

That being said, MSM doesn’t exactly taste great by itself, so I was excited to find out that a smoothie bar in Ljubljana in Bavarski Dvor, Zdrav’ko Dren (click!) partnered up with the online store Malinca.si and now offers a smoothie with Malinca BeautyMix that contains MSM and Camu Camu that is a great source of Vitamin C. 

The smoothie is based on rice milk and tastes great since it also contains raspberries, banana and goji berries. At 2,60€ for 0,3l and 3,5€ for 0,5l I find the price to be great for a daily boost of energy, health and beauty (not to mention all the great Instagram photos you’ll get out of it). It’s easy to get excited about getting better skin, hair and nails and at the same time enjoying something that tastes great. 

You can also buy almost all of the products from Malinca.si at Zdrav’ko Dren and save up on the postage and waiting for your mailman to ring. If they don’t have the product in stock, they will order it for you – you can check out their Facebook Page here and send them a message if you’re interested in what they offer. 

Until next time, stay beautiful!

WEDNESDAY SELECTION: Essence The Beach house collection

Dear beauties,

we all love new and exciting make-up, right? Well, one of the brands that never fails the make-up junkies such as myself is Essence – a brand I’ve come to know and love especially because of their limited edition collections, particularly their summer and Christmas releases.

In about two weeks, a new collection called The beach house is hitting the shelves of drugstores all around Europe and Slovenia will be no exception. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on these products!

The collection includes:

-          two duo eyeshadows (1,99 €)
-          two lipsticks (2,79 €) with a shiny finish
-          glow fluid (3,49 €)
-          duo blush (3,29 €)
-          kabuki brush (4,49 €)
-          tip guides (0,99 €)
-          four different shades of nail polishes (1,99€) and
-          a beach bag (2,99 €).

I am most definitely going to try to get my hands on the nail polishes since the pink and coral shade look perfect for summer and promise a water shine effect, white polish has a sea-salt effect which I’m curious about and the turquois polish has a matte finish and I don’t own a matte shade in that color – yet.

 I’m also getting the tip-guides that come in three different styles – straight (stripes), waves and zig-zag. Since I’m seriously lacking in the steady hand department, these are a must buy for me.

Lately, I’ve begun to use blush a lot more again and I’m looking forward to picking up this interesting duo-blush in pink-coral. And to be honest, I’ll probably walk away from the stand with the glow fluid as well, since I have a hard time saying no to any sort of illuminator. 

As I said, the collection will be available from mid June until mid July. I’ll keep you posted on what I think about the collection!

Until next time, stay beautiful!