Review Murad Oil control mattifier

Well hello there, hope everyone is doing well today out there :)

In this blog post I'll be talking about a mattifier, yes... I got another one for try out.

When I buy any beauty item I make sure I do my research on the product: how did other people think of it, can I get it any cheaper elsewhere, will it work for me? All sorts of questions to make sure whether the product will do me good and to see whether it's worth investing my money.
Unfortunately I have had my bad purchases after doing sufficient research, but I got to add great products to my collection as well.

Talked about great products, let's have a chat about the Murad Oil control mattifier. Boys and girls, I LOVE this!!

Anyone who has oily skin out there, not just a little glow on the skin that others call a healthy glow. No no, I get so oily that I can often use 2 blotting sheets. People can make money of my face because it looks like oils are about to burst out any minute. Anyway, you get the point :)

Please do note that this best not for those with dry to normal skin as this can emphasize the dry patches on the face. 

You get 50ml in a tube. And this tube must look like one of the cheapest packagings I own. It's a white plastics tub with some black and blue writing on it.
I do pay attention to packaging, but since this product is so darn good, I don't really care about it. Hey, didn't they tell us not to judge a book by its cover? :)

Once you squeeze a bit out, it comes out quite creamy. Do bare in mind that you only need about half a pea size amount! So I'm hoping that this will last me for a while.
I apply some on my forehead, both cheeks, nose, chin and the remainder I apply next to my nose on my T zone where I get the oiliest the most.

Basically it's a moisturizer with SPF 15 that will reduce shine, read: reduce. This will not suck up the oils out of your face, but it will control the oils for up to 8 hours.

This has done 3 things to my skin:

• oil control
• UV sun protection
• matte finish

After about 6 hours, I checked whether I had to blot, but surprisingly enough I had a subtle sheen on my nose, which people like to call that healthy glow.
And as long as other people's faces don't reflect in the oils of my face, I don't feel the need to blot, haha!

I got mine at FeelUnique for 37€, that's about 49$. You say WHAAAATTT?!? And yes, I have to admit, this is expensive as hell. I'm the kind of girl who almost never invests in high end products, so I thought I could get myself this one. (This might not be a super famous brand, but keep in mind that high end brands such as Chanel, YSL, Dior, ... sometimes just don't work for others)

In spite of the price, I think this product has reached my top items in my beauty collection. I know it's not cheap, but it has be the only product that I have tried that will actually keep me matte throughout the day.

I will be repurchasing this, but I will use this mattifier very sparingly as money doesn't grow on my back :p

Have you tried this? If so, please share your view on it! :)

Battle of the red tinted lip balms

Hi girls!
Remember my blog post on 'battle of the eyeliners'? If you haven't seen it yet, give it a reed here :) Well, since I've bought a gazillion tinted lip balms the past couple of months, I thought I'd do a comparison of all the red tinted lip balms I have.

I have 7 contestants who are ready to take on each other. Are y'all ready? GO!
Here's the overview of the lip balms. They're swatched according to the separate reviews down below. Just in case, here's the list with all the brand names:

On the left you'll see the original swatches and on the right they were all put to the test whether they'll last after swiping it away with saliva.

 

 

 

 

* NYC

* HEMA

* Korres

* Bourjois

* Maybelline

* Essence

* Canmake

 

 

 



 

Let's see how they perform: 

I didn't pay a lot for this lip balm, but I can tell you that you're definitely getting your money's worth. The color pay off is quite stunning and has a very sweet scent to it. The packaging is okay, it's clear that this is meant for teenage girls who like cute stuff. When it was it put up to the saliva test this was actually the only lip balm that didn't even smear a little bit. Next to the packaging and the pigmentation, it doesn't dry out the lips after wearing off. Yes, it wears off, after a 4 hours and after having a meal. Nonetheless, for a drugstore lip balm, this is not bad at all. 7,5/10


NYC Applelicious: Big Apple Red

HEMA is a Dutch drugstore and I've seen this lying on the shelves. I thought it was interesting in how the drugstore's version would work. This is a the crayon type of lip balm and I really like these types. It makes the application just that tad more fun. These are not as hydrating as I want them to be, but they'll be okay if you apply a clear lip balm underneath. They do have a some what vanilla scent to them. Unfortunately they do wear off after an hour or so, so don't expect to last for the entire night. Very affordable but worthy a 5/10

HEMA: red

Yes, I already admitted I'm a lip junkie. And no lip balm collection would be complete without ONE high end one. I splurged on a Korres lip balm because I heard such good things on it.
I used to love those little pots where you had to dig in with your finger to get product out. Until I learned about hygiene in the beauty department and I switched to stick forms very quickly. But that doesn't take away my love for those little pots. If the product is good, I'll try it. And man oh man, am I glad I purchased this. This is hydrating, lasts long and gives a great color pay off. They have a slight scent to them, but nothing too much. If only these came out in a stick form. You're probably going to say: Lily, you're not kept up to date well? They do exist. I know! BUT, they don't have the same formula :( They're simply not as good as the pot versions. If this would have some UV protection, this would have been my HG. A well deserved 9/10

Korres lip butter: Pomegranate

You know I love me some drugstore goodies. When the crayons by Bourjois came out, I had no clue how they performed. I got myself one and ended up buying 2 more. That says it all, right? I love the color pay off, they're very well pigmented but they're not lipstick va va voom. They have SPF, wear long on me, has a subtle sweet scent and are surprisingly very hydrating. You see in the saliva test that the Bourjois lip balm actually stained the back of my hand a little bit more than the others. Hands down, my favorite product by Bourjois this year. 9,5/10

 

Bourjois Color Boost: Red Sunrise

For all those Baby Lips fans out there, I got your back! They finally came to Europe and we've waited a long time for them! I do own some Asian Baby Lips as well, but they don't carry the pigmented versions...boo! Luckily Belgium got the opportunity to dispatch them as well and I'm sure a lot of European lips are smiling their teeth off :) These Baby Lips are worth the hype: hydrating, longwearing, good color pay off and are strongly sweet scented. The only thing I wish I could check off as well is a UV-protection. They're very affordable and I have these lying around my bed just in case my lips decide to chap. Good stuff! 9/10

Maybelline Baby Lips: Cherry Me

One of the most affordable lip balms I own are the ones by Essence. But don't judge a book by its cover! This lip balm makes sure your lips stay hydrated with the desired color on them.  No SPF and slightly sweet scented, but worth a 8,5/10

Essence Glow Tinted Lip Balm: 01 Light Up!

And last but not least, the Stay On Balm Rouge by Canmake. This moisturizing lip balm gives your lips the most natural red you have seen. I love color, but I still prefer natural looks over over-the-top looks. This lip balm has a great color pigmentation. As longevity, this actually stayed on my lips after eating. It wasn't until I wiped my lips that the color came off. And another plus? This actually has an SPF protection. So no worries, Canmake to the rescue! 9,5/10

Canmake Stay-On Balm Rouge

Drugstore or not, they're all quite good. For those who want to step out of their clear box but are afraid of bold lipsticks, try the tinted lip balms. I like how you can build up the color by applying a light coat or you can go over it 3 to 4 times to make it pop.

Top 3:

3. Korres lip butter
2. Bourjois Color Boost
1. Canmake Stay On Balm Rouge

And Canmake has won the battle! I know I gave both Canmake and Bourjois the same points, but the winner beat at the packaging department. This Korean brand is known for its cute packaging. Bourjois is stepping up their game with their latest beauty goodies, so hopefully they'll keep up the good work. And Korres can join the top 3. This lip butter goes on smoothly, but for hygienic reasons it didn't take the crown.

Hope you all enjoyed this article! But do tell me, what's your favorite tinted lip balm? :)

to SC or not to SC?

Hello there everyone!

If you've taken the time to read this blog post, you're probably wondering what the letters 'SC' stand for. Let me help you out... Pronounce the letters one by one. What polish brand did you just say?

That's right :) Essie

In this blog post I'll be talking about nail polishes, but first let me show you my collection of Essie polishes.

Here's a listing of the polishes I have left to right:

• Cocktail Bling: blue toned grey
• Eternal Optimist: spiced rose
• Brooch The Subject: light mocha
• Fiji: milky pink
• Tart Deco: coral
• No Chips Ahead: top coat
• Go Ginza: pastel purple
• School of Hard Rocks: greyish dark green
• She's Pampered: dark pink - red
• Buy Me A Cameo: rose gold
• Naughty Nautical: teal

Before I get into reviewing each and every one, let me put out there that I'm no longer an Essie fan, in spite of having 11 polishes.

Cocktail Bling:
This blue toned grey polish is a pretty color, but it just doesn't suit my skintone. I was hoping it would turn out lighter on the nails, but after putting 2 coats of this this turns out darker than it looks like in the bottle. A pretty color, but not my thing.

Eternal Optimist:
A spiced rose that reminds me of a grandma nude. Not flattering enough for me to like it.


Brooch The Subject:
This varnish has a tint of mocha. I'm into nudes, but this gave my mani a dirty look. Kind of the opposite of what I expect from a mani...

Fiji: When I looked up swatches from this milky pink polish, I thought it could be my go to polish for whenever I want my nails to look classy but not overdone. Unfortunately this reminded me of doing my nails with Tipp-Ex. It made my nails look SO white. No thanks Fiji.

Tart Deco: A bright color which is perfect for the summer time. I like coral colors, especially during the warmer months, but too bad it wouldn't look good during the cold months of which we have a lot here in Belgium.

No Chips Ahead: This topcoat is probably the worst topcoat I've ever used. It's ironically that they call this No Chips Ahead, since this made my mani chip like crazy. A big no no.

Go Ginza: This lavender is probably one of my favorite polishes EVER! Not just from my own Essie collection, but from my entire polish collection. This is a gorgeous pastel purple that can be worn all year round.

School of Hard Rocks: A greyish dark green color that was in my Deauty box and a color I wouldn't have picked up it was for me. It's a too dark of a color and in my opinion greens and blues are just not my cup of tea.

She's Pampered: I was hoping this red varnish would be more of a pink red, but instead it's more of a deep pink (as in you can barely see it, ergo it's just a classic red). Every girl needs a good red in their collection, and it's an okay polish, but it just wasn't what I expected it to be.

Buy Me A Cameo: A rose gold polish that reminded me of Orly's Rage without the shimmers. I've been into rose gold the last couple of months and I thought this color would be right up my alley. Unfortunately this was so streaky, my love for rose gold even diminished...

Naughty Nautical: A teal I was gifted when I bought Buy Me A Cameo. I wouldn't reach for this kind of color, but it is a very pretty color.

In spite of the wrong color choice, I have to admit that for most Essie varnishes the formula are quite creamy and sometimes one coat will do the trick. But unfortunately, this just isn't enough for me to keep on trying out Essies.

Overall, I think I've given Essie enough chances to make me fall in love with the brand. There were just too many misses than hits that I won't be purchasing the Essie polishes anymore.

What do you think of Essie? To SC or not to SC?

Review L'Oréal Triple Active Fresh gel cream

Well hello y'all!

In this blog post I'll be talking about a moisturizer, yes another moisturizer. I've been experimenting with all different kinds of moisturizers and although they all work and still don't fulfill all of my wishes, I haven't found my HG yet.

When I saw this lying on the shelf I didn't have too high hopes for it. The thing that caught my eye was that this is a gel.
As soon as I opened it, I immediately thought of Biotherm's Aqua Source which is a light gel like texture. Whenever I applied it to my face it actually felt like putting Aqua Source's brother on my face: it's a little bit heavier than Biotherm's moisturizer. Aqua Soure is a very light gel cream, which is fresh and gets absorbed into the skin like water. This is a tad thicker, feels fresh on the skin as well and absorbs easily too but not as quick as the Biotherm one.

L'Oréal Triple Active Fresh super hydrating gel cream

I've included this moisturizer in my beauty regime. I cleanse my skin and put some of this on before I go to bed. It hydrates my skin without being too greasy.

The only thing that put me off was when I was reading the ingredients. This contains parabens. These are chemicals being put in cosmetics to preserve them. I try to use as less silicons and parabens as much as possible. Although this feels great on my skin and I'll be finishing this product, I won't be repurchasing this.

Review Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

High end brands, they make you feel like a million dollars and they cause your wallet to want to jump out of your purse whenever you walk into a beauty shop.

I tend to use mostly drugstore items, but I have to confess... There are times I become a woos and I splurge.
Last summer I was walking through the beauty alley and I saw that some of the products of Clarins were on sale. Yes, I justified it because it was on sale.

I got myself the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil.
It's a yellow oil that you put on your face to treat your skin. This is towards those with oily or combination skin. You may be thinking: Lily, I already have enough oils on my face going on and now you're saying to slather on some more oil? Really?!?

Yes. I'm telling you to treat your oily faces with oil. as crazy as it may sound, this actually works.

This product is made from 100% of pure plant extracts. All natural for those who are wondering :p

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

After cleansing my face I put 2 drops in my hands, rub it and press it into my skin. If you massage it well, this will sink into your skin. Just give it some time for the oil to do its work.

I do have to mention the rather medicinal scent to the product. For those who don't like heavily fragrances, this may not be your cup of tea. When massages into the skin you can still smell a subtle hint of the medicine.

I have been using this for a couple of months now, and I have noticed less blemishes and less oily skin.

Since you only need a few drops of this, I'm sure this bottle will last me quite a while.
I spent 24€ on this bottle, with discount. Normally I won't spend that much money on something I've never tried before, but ... once in a while won't hurt, right?

Let me know if you've tried this as well. What do you think about this oil fighter?

Review Enzymion

Hey hey there!

A while back I was on the hunt for a birthday gift for a friend of mine. You Lushies probably know that you often receive a sample by choice whenever you purchased something. This time I asked for a moisturiser to combat my oily skin. The saleswoman gave me a little sample of Enzymion to try out.

Lush Enzymion moisturizer

As soon as I opened it, it looked like a quite thick off white cream. I'm not going to lie, I was hesitant to try it out. After contemplating about it, I decided to give it a try and I had my benzoylperoxide right next to me just in case I would break out on the spot :p

It supposedly should give your face a matte finish, while hydrating the entire face.
When I applied it, I didn't really like the thick texture of it. I felt the cream sitting on my skin, which I don't really prefer. After a few minutes this did sink into my skin: my skin felt soft and it looked rather matte.

I checked after 3 to 4 hours and I didn't look completely matte as when I just applied it, but at least my face didn't look like a grease ball. It looked rather matte to dewy, a look I can still handle to see in the mirror.

At the end of the evening, the Enzymion couldn't keep my oils at bay. But hey, I haven't bumped into a moisturizer that does keeps my face matte for the majority of the day. I guess I can use this moisturizer with some blotting sheets on me.

I love how Lush only uses natural ingredients and most of the time, the scents are just invigorating. The thing I disliked about most Lush products is that you have to dip your fingers into the jar to get the product out. And let's face it, Lush isn't cheap.

The main ingredients that kept the face matte are the papaya and the lemon. These key ingredients will suck up all the excess oils on the face.

I have to admit, I didn't expect a good result from a Lush skincare product. I've been hearing so many people talking about how products broke their skin out. Plus, even if I did like it, that means I have to keep spending that much money for product :p I'm glad I expanded my horizons on having an open mind to Lush skincare, but will I totally turn into a Lushie or not?

Review Catrice camouflage cream

Hi there dear visitor :)

Today I'll be reviewing a drugstore concealer for you. It's by the brand Catrice and it looks a little like this:

Catrice concealer: 020 Light Beige

This concealer is very creamy with high coverage. I've been on the hunt for a good high coverage concealer but I just couldn't splurge the money on a high end product. The only thing that I don't really like is that you have to dip your finger in it, which makes it unhygienic. I had the same problem with my one and only high end concealer by Shu Uemura, where it came in a little plastic pot. In spite of that I loved that Shu concealer, it was one of the best concealer I've ever tried. It was probably due to the yellow undertone it had.



Catrice swatch

Well, guess what undertone this Catrice concealer has? Yup, yellow! Slight yelllow, that is, but still! It's not easy for Asians to find a right concealer in the Western drugstores.

The packaging is actually quite sleek looking. It's a little black container, of which you have to screw the top part off. It's simple, but nice.

You get about 3g in each jar, and it's not a lot, but I did pay about 2€, so I can't complain on that department.

As for the longevity, it stays on my face for pretty much the entire day. It didn't come off until you rub it off and the creaminess makes sure those dry patches disappear. Oh yeah!


Long story short, this little jar has got some magic inside I tell you! :)

Review Sweet Recipe Baby Choux by Etude House

Hello there,

If you've been into Asian make up brands, you'd probably know the brand Etude House isn't a one-day fly.

Disclaimer: I was gifted this make up base for a try out. The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of others.

Fans of the Korean brand Etude House might know that they launched shades of the Sweet Recipe Baby Choux as part of their new Spring 2013 Collection. They're available in:

• mint: for those with combination to oily skin
• peach: to brighten dull skin
• berry: to whiten dull skin

Etude House Sweet Recipe Baby Choux

Most Korean brands have cute packaging for their make up items.
The box of this skin primer has sweets on it, making it look like it's edible. (This explains why the Korean celebrity has some of the product on her lips)

Etude House Sweet Recipe Baby Choux: #1 Mint Choux

Each Sweet Recipe Baby Choux comes in a glass jar with a screw top lid and a spatula for application, so no need for fingers dipping in the little pot.
Since there has been a lot of complaints as to hygiene on the jar, Etude House has changed it into a tube by now.



The formula is quite runny, but it has a creamy texture to it once applied on the face. I think it makes me looking a little it paler than I am, this is supposed to be a corrective make up base to help you tone down the redness. You shouldn't be going out with just this primer on your face, although some people might get away with it. And please note that a little goes a long way.

Etude House Sweet Recipe Baby Choux: #1 Mint Choux

My skin absorbs it quite easily and it moisturizes my face, leaving my skin a bit dewy. I must say that this does make my skin perfect looking from a distant.

As most Asian products, this contains an SPF of 25 PA++ (If you don't know what PA++ stands for, click here where I've explained it thoroughly)

Since I don't often wear foundation or BB cream, I don't see myself running out of this Sweet Recipe soon. I'm not a huge fan of primers, I consider it as another layer to put on my skin that will potentially clog up my pores. I rather skip primers if possible. 

Overall, not a bad product, but I won't be purchasing it myself. This can work for those with a dull complexion and some redness. Tell me whether this works any magic for you? I'd like to know :)

Review Essence Glow tinted lip balms

Hi there!

Yes, you can expect another review on some tinted lip balms. And yes, I really am a lip junkie. I bought myself 2 tinted lip balms by the drugstore brand Essence.

When I swatched these, I was quite surprised by the pigmentation. If you know me, you know I like natural looks and even though I choose pigmented lip balms I still prefer them to be quite natural looking and no too overpowering.

Let's have a look at them:

Essence Glow tinted lip balms

The packaging is simple, but I like the simplicity of it. They're small, so very convenient to throw on your purse and the twist lip balm is great for hygienic reasons. The color of the packaging show what color it is, which is good for those lazy people like me :)

The first thing that I noticed when I opened it was the scent. It has a sweet candy scent to it, which doesn't bother me because I have a sweet tooth (not that I'll be eating it, but at least I don't mind it).

As you can see I own 2 shades:

Essence Glow tinted lip balm: 01 Light Up!

Essence Glow tinted lip balm: 02 Glam Up!

They're both more hydrating than I thought they would be and the color pigmentation is greater than I expected. The creamy texture to it makes is easy to glide on the lips.

As for longevity, they last about 3 to 4 hours. It will come off when you drank or ate something. So don't expect any magic to happen.

Here below you'll find some swatches to check out the color:

left: 01 Light Up! - right: 02 Glam Up!

Light Up! is a red tinted lip balm, although you shouldn't expect a deep red from it. remember they're lip balms and apply sheer on the lips.

Glam Up! is a coral lip balm which is a very subtle pretty color on the lips. It gives you the natural look.



If you look closely you'll notice a subtle difference, but from a distant Light Up! looks almost the same as Glam Up!





Whenever buying drugstore products, I try to withhold my excitement until I get to swatch them. I have to say that some of the drugstore brands really have stepped up their game.

I've always seen Catrice and Essence together. Both brands have significantly grown packaging and quality wise. Although you only pay a few euros as a matter of speaking, some products are actually very good. It's quite obvious if you look at the price ranging: you just can't expect the best of the best from a drugstore brand.
I think Catrice and Essence are great brands for those who just got into make up and are looking for very affordable make up items.

I can only say: experiment, experiment, experiment. There are times when I even think that some drugstore brands can beat higher end products. Don't judge a book by its cover. You may be finding your HG in the drugstore section :)

Review Clarisonic Mia

If you've been reading my blog since the very beginning, you probably know I purchased a Clarisonic Mia a while back. After reading all that buzz on Youtube and other beauty blogs I decided to get pamper myself and treat my skin better. Here's my blog post on when I bought it longer than a year ago. I promised to do a review on it after using it, but first let me tell you a little bit about the brush it self.

Clarisonic Mia

Basically the Clarisonic Mia is like a huge electronic toothbrush, but for the face :)

It comes with a charger, an international plug, a cleanser and a brush head.

I like how simple the brush is since there's only 1 button on it: the switch on button, that's all. No fussing about when to press which button.
 
Pro: you can use this in your shower since this is waterproof.





Whenever I used this, I wet my face, put some of my cleanser on the brush and click the only button there is. The Clarisonic has a one minute timer as soon as you push the button.
Move the brush gently in small circular motion. Here's my routine:

1. wet my face with some warm water (this will open up the pores)
2. wet the Clarisonic brush
3. put cleanser on brush
4. go over my face
1. left cheek: count to 10
2. nose: count to 10
3. right cheek: count to 10
4. forehead: count to 10
5. nose: count to 10
6. chin: count to 10 
5. massage the product into the face for another 5 seconds
6. wash it off
7. go over the face with some cold water (cold water will close the pores)
8. wash my Clarisonic
9. dry my face a little bit with a towel (although a paper towel would be better)
10. put on moisturiser (if your skin is still a little bit damp, this will suck in the moisture better than if your skin would be totally dry)

Clarisonic claims that using this tool will remove the impurities, leaving the skin softer, smoother and beautiful:

• Cleanses 6 times better than with your hands in just 60 seconds
• Works with skin, not against it, to gently massage away impurities trapped within pores
• Prepares skin for better absorption of creams, serums and moisturizers
• Gentle enough to use twice a day

I don't use the Clarisonic to cleanse my face. I usually take off all make up with a make up remover, and then I go over with the Clarisonic to exfoliate my skin.

You can also get brush heads for acne, delicate, normal skin or the body brushes.
I got the brush head for sensitive skin, because I was scared that using this tool would cause my skin to go red or worse. I have to say that my skin does feel softer after using this.

I only use this once or twice a week, but I've been contemplating on using this more often now I've seen that my skin has gotten used to it.

As for the cleansers, I tend to switch my cleansers quite often. I've used Purity by Philosophy, Acne foam by Bioré or the Biotherm cleanser. No matter what cleanser I used, the Clarisonic hasn't let me down once.

You might be scared by the reviews saying that they've broken out a lot before it got better. Do know that this is completely normal. This tool gets all the impurities out of your skin (=worsening of the skin) and then it'll get better because all the goop is out.
I have to admit that I did not experience this. My skin immediately reacted very well to the Clarisonic and my skin has become more smooth.

I've gone through months without using the Mia and my skin has gotten worse. It's clear that my skin is loving the Clarisonic :)

This has definitely become a staple in my beauty routine. I truly understand why those beauty bloggers have been raving about this all this time. Makes me wonder whether I should get the PMD or not? What do you think?

Review Maybelline baby lips

YES! I finally got my hands on the Maybelline baby lips!
These have been raved about in the beauty community (mostly the States) for years, and when I went to Hong Kong last year I saw that they had released an Asian version of them. I snatched about 6 with me (because I'm crazy like that) and yes, they were goooooood!

But still, as soon as I heard the American versions were coming to Belgium, I kept my eyes peeled as they've never been peeled before, haha!

You might be thinking, jeesh chill out, they're just lip balms. That's true, only...they're not :D

Most lipbalms contain shea butter, oils to soften the lips. Some of them even contain SPF. The Baby Lips have all that, except they have something that most lipbalms don't have: centella asiatica extracts. This extract is taken from herbs which will help your chapped lips heal in no time!

Above that, they have a variety of 5 different lip balms (they have 6 in the States, but for some reason the 6th lip balm wasn't good enough for Belgium :p):

• Hydrate (blue): lemon and basil scent
• Freshen (green): mint scent
• Repair (yellow): cherry and almond scent
• Cherry Me (orange): cherry scent
• Pink Punch (pink): passion fruit scent

Side note: Hydrate, Freshen and Repair are translucent. Cherry Me is red tinted and Pink Punch is ... what do you think? Why yes! Pink tinted!

Maybelline Baby Lips: Hydrate, Repair, Cherry Me

On the packaging it claims to do the following for the lips:

• hydrate
• give it a better look
• protect
• soften

These will keep your lips hydrated up to 8 hours, are light as a feather on the lips, protect it from sun rays (thank you spf 20), have a pleasant scent to it and are cheap as hell.
I paid 3,99€ for each one, but I've read that they can be cheaper, depending where you get them. 

Soooo... Next time you're in the drugstore, get one, try it out for yourself and let me know what you think of the wonderful world of Baby Lips :)

Review Bourjois cream blush

I think Bourjois is doing great: they've recently released beautiful make up items that really stand out to me: the So Lacque Glossy Nail Lacquer Shades came out in a gorgeous range of pastel colors, the Color Boost glossy finish lipsticks are great quality and came in 4 different colors and recently I found the cream blushes that happen to be awesome :)

These cream blushes are actually cream to powder blushes. This means that they're cream in the little pot, but once applied they come off as a powder. It's very soft to the touch when it's applied. These blushes contain poppy, apricot and mango butter extracts. These extracts will make your sking more glowy and softer.

Bourjois cream blush: 04 Sweet Cherry

They're all very natural colors and would suit those with a lighter complexion better.

The Cream blushes collection has 4 different colors:

1. Nude Velvet: the lightest matte color in the collection. 
2. Healthy Glow: A darker version of the first one. A warm peachy color with subtle glitter.
3. Rose Tender: A pink color with subtle glitter.
4. Sweet Cherry: The darker version of 3, an old spice matte color.

I have a light medium skintone and I own Sweet Cherry. The other colors were too light for my complexion, but the 4th blush is a perfect match for me. Loving this!

Tips&tricks:

• Apply cream blushes with a stippling brush. Fingers are a good make up tool as well. Just make sure your fingers are clean before dipping in the blush.
• Apply cream blush on the naked face. Make sure to put cream blush before powder. Remember: fluid on fluid and powder on powder.
• To make the color stand out more, apply several times or apply a powder blush of the same color on top of it.

Have fun beauties! :)

Review Bioderma moisturising mattifying fluid

I'd like to speak in the name of most oily-faces girls out there that we're constantly looking for a good matte moisturizer. It's not because we have oily faces that we don't need moisturizer. Au contraire, we need to moisturize our skin as well.We just need to make sure we don't use products that will add oil to out face since we produce enough of our own, but we cannot use too harsh face products that will totally strip the oils of our face. This will cause your skin to dry out for a while, and it may look good for about an hour, but you're giving your skin the message: Oh oh, dry skin? Need to product oil to make it balanced! Do make sure to read the labels very carefully before buying or applying it to your face. I'd say: try, try and try! It's not because a certain product works for your friend that it will work for you as well. Everyone has a different skin type. AND, it's not because one product for person A with oily skin will work for person B as well.

As for my rambling introduction to this blog post, I'd like to give you my opinion on this Bioderma moisturizer:

Bioderma sébium mat moisturising mattifying fluid

If you haven't heard of Bioderma before, it stands for Biology at the service of Dermatology. They have a wide variety of skin range, color accorded. Check out their website to see what colour range you're in.
The first time I've heard of Bioderma was when I was in Hong Kong. I saw these translucent bottles with a red detail (indicates sensitive skin) pretty much everywhere. When I came back to Belgium, I did some research to check out what the fuss was about. Turned out they were micellar solutions that cleanses, removes make up from and soothes the skin. I won't get too much into it, but if you'd like to read some more on it, click here.

During the summer I'm mostly on the look for a gel-like moisturizer because it's lighter for my skin to absorb. But when I saw this, I just had to try it, and I must say...I actually really like this :)

It has the green detail on it which is for those with combination or oily skin. On the bottle it claims to neutralize areas which are prone to shine. Long lasting moisturizing and anti-shine skin care for combination or oily skin. Its fluid texture is quickly absorbed. Does not flake off. The skin remains clear, soft and perfectly matte all day long.

It comes out as a white cream, but it's very light and it sinks into the skin rather fast. I apply it on my T-zone every morning and I have to say that I do stay matte for half the day, not for the entire day as it claims to do. I have to admit I'm quite satisfied with it staying matte for half the day, because most moisturizers force me to blot after 2 hours or so.

Since this product is only available in certain stores, it's quite difficult to get a hold of it in Belgium. If you don't have very oily skin, give this one a try.

I'm quite happy with this, but will continue my search for my HG moisturizer to combat my combination skin to oily skin :)

Review Vichy Normaderm

Raise your hand if sudden breakouts decide to pop out on occasions you want to look picture perfect? *tries to reach for the roof with my hand*

You know how it goes, you try to do everything before hand to look good for a special occasion: you've washed your hair, you've shaved, you know what make up look you're going for, you know what outfit to wear and right when you're ready to go to bed to get your 8 hours of sleep (uhum!) you look into the mirror and you see that a little friend on your face has decided to join you tomorrow, yay!

Then it's time to take out the big guns and kill your little friend, mwoehahaha!

I'm talking about Vichy Normaderm concentrate.

It's an active anti-imperfection concentrate to put on sudden localized pimples.

It's a green creme that contains salicylic acid that will dry out the breakout within 24 hours.

Preferably to put on before going to bed to let it sink in and take out that blemish before you getting up.

For those who are wondering, it does says it's hypoallergenic, so for those who have sensitive skin or whose skin is likely to have allergic reactions to products, this Normaderm is gentle enough to put on the skin.

You might have heard about the tooth paste trick: it's supposedly to dry out the zits. Please know that this can't be good for your skin. Tooth paste contains fluoride and for those withe sensitive skin: this can cause the zits to spread out even more!
And apparently, non-fluoridated toothpaste can irritate the skin as well. It might inflame the skin if it contains peppermint oil.

Be careful before putting a certain product on your skin by reading the ingredients. And should you want to try a certain product, apply it somewhere that you can cover up easily if it does cause irritation.
Please do realize that a certain product that works for your friend doesn't necessarily mean that it'll work for you too. If you're not sure what will work for you after doing tons of research, go see a dermatologist. (S)He will be gladly to advise you a product which is suited perfectly for your skin.

Good luck with your skin adventure!

Review Yes To Cucumbers wipes

Hello my beloved readers!

Time to review some wipes I've been using for quite some time now... They're the Yes To Cucumbers soothing natural glow facial towelettes!

I think most of you beauty fans have heard of the Yes To line before. If you haven't, let me introduce you to a natural skin&hair care line :)

There are 5 different collections on the market and every line is named after a vegetable, which is towards a certain skin type:

• normal to dry skin: Yes To Carrots line
• sensitive skin: Yes To Cucumbers line
• oily or acne prone skin: Yes To Tomatoes line
• fine lines and wrinkles: Yes To Blueberries line
• uneven skin: Yes To Grapefruit line

Belgian drugstores have carried the Yes To Carrots, Cucumbers and Tomatoes line for a while, and since I've heard so many good things on the Cucumbers' towelettes I decided to give these wipes a try.

Yes To Cucumbers towelettes

I've been trying them for over half a year and I have to admit I really liked them in the beginning. Now it leaved a tingling feeling on my face which I prefer not to have.
It does sooth my skin and it does takes off my make up or cleanses my skin, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing them anymore.

I would like to try out the towelettes from the Yes To Tomatoes line since that skin care line is towards oily skin, and since you can fry some french fries on my forehead I think the Tomatoes will do my skin good :)

Have you given any products of the Yes To line a shot before? If so, which one?

Review eye shadow: Catrice vs Shu Uemura

A while back I bought a taupe color from Shu Uemura. Color? Great! Pigmentation? Good color pay off! Cheap? Not really...

Now I'm always on the hunt for drugstore products that are quite similar to the high end products. And recently I walked by the Catrice eye shadow section, and a certain packaging caught my eye.

Catrice taupe - Shu Uemura taupe

First thing first: I do realize these aren't similar colors. But let's review these anyway, shall we? :)

Packaging:
They both have similar packaging, a plastic square with the eye shadow in it and with the name mentioned below. I know you can depot the eye shadows from Shu, but I haven't given Catrice's a try, simply cause I don't want to ruin it :D

Price:
Catrice is way cheaper than the Shu one. I'm pretty sure you can buy 5 to 6 Catrices or buy 1 Shu.

Color pay off:
Catrice has a good color pay off, it's way better pigmented than I expected. Shu, though, is a good light color wash off. Here's a swatch:

left: Catrice - right: Shu Uemura

The lighting isn't very good, but if you look closely, it's clear that the Catrice shows up better. If I'll repurchase one of these goodies, I'm sure I'll go for the Catrice one. Goooooooo Catrice!! :)