NOTW: Buy Me A Cameo

Welcome back to my blog!

This week's nail of the week is one by Essie: Buy Me A Cameo.
I've been eying this polish for a few years and I just never picked it up when I was at an Essie shelf. The other day I was on a polish hunt (because apparently I'm just not satisfied by the gazillion other polishes I have laying around) and this polish caught my eye (again!).

I love anything rose gold, and this reminded me of a Orly's Rage minus the shimmer.
This varnish is a pretty rose gold polish, but it went on SO streaky. I applied 2 coats hoping it would give more of a flawless application, but unfortunately my topcoat didn't even help.

The polish has a subtle sheen to it, but even the sheen doesn't hide the hideous way of application, haha!

Although you can't see any streaks on the picture, here's a swatch of the gorgeous color:

Essie - Buy Me A Cameo

It's a shame I end up not liking this, because I heard so many people raving about this polish. I LOVE the color, but it'll take some time before I'll be reapplying this polish.

Do you happen to like this? Do you think I got a defective bottle? Tell me in the comment box bar below! :)

FeelUnique haul

Hello there beauties!

About a month ago FeelUnique had their summer sale on, so I went a little bit crazy on the website :)

First off, I ordered everything over a month ago, but it took over 5 weeks to arrive in Belgium. The sites claims it takes about 5 - 10 days to ship within Europe. After waiting for 2 whole weeks I mailed customer service and they kindly asked me to wait 28 days before taking contact with them again. I waited, waited and waited... 4 weeks later I contacted them again to ask why my package hasn't arrived yet. Since it took so long, they said it was considered lost in the postal system. I reordered everything without any costs and one week later ... BAM, I got my package in the mail. It took a long time to get the package to me, but happy ending anyway.
I will continue ordering at FeelUnique, because I think they have good products for reasonable prices. Anyway, this intro has been long enough. Let's have a look at what I bought:

FeelUnique haul

Most part of what I bought isn't available in Belgian stores. Or the ones that are available in Belgium were significantly cheaper online. I worked with what I could find. Let's get started, shall we?

I have quite the oily scalp. It can actually look greasy the next day, and that's the main reason why I'm digging those dry shampoos, my savior! I've tried a lot of shampoo that should fight against oily scalps, but next to Head&Shoulders there's no other shampoo I really like. I've been on the hunt for another shampoo so I could switch my shampoos so that my scalp wouldn't get used to 1 shampoo. After doing some research I decided to get me this one:

Redken Scalp Relief Oil Detox shampoo

If you've been following me for a while, you'd know I like taking my Clarisonic to pamper my skin from time to time. I've had my brush head for quite a while now, so I ordered another brush head. Only this time I got the Deep Pore Cleansing one. In the beginning of my Clarisonic time, I was scared the brush would be too harsh for my sensitive skin, but apparently my skin has been loving the little tool. I truly hope my skin reacts just as well to this head brush :)

Clarisonic Replacement Brush Head: Deep Pore Cleansing

Since I'm still on the hunt for my HG moisturiser I bumped into the following product:

Murad Oil Control Mattifier

Supposedly this should mattify the face like nobodies business AND it contains SPF. It should control the oils on the face, so I'll give this a go and hope for the best.

We have Rimmel in our drugstores, but for some reason they don't carry the Scandaleyes waterproof eye liners. They have the non-waterproof ones, but my watery eyes will turn it into smudge town in seconds. I've heard a lot of good things about these eye liners, so I'm hoping my sensitive eyes will bare with these and make me fall in love with them :)

Rimmal Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal Eye Liners: black and purple

Being a lip balm hoarder I just had to get me some lip balms.
I got the Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in Hibiscus. I heard so much about this product, I just had to give this goodie a try. It's a lovely tinted old spiced rosy color that's very moisturizing on the lips.

Burt' Bees Tinted Lip Balm: Hibiscus

My second lip balm (because I just can't get enough of those tinted lip balms) is another one by Korres. I already own the lip butter in pomegranate, but since I'm in love with that one, I decided to get myself a second one. This is the mango scented one and looks a little bit orange. I lovely texture that goes on smoothly on the lips.

Korres Lip Butter: mango

If you're into lip stuff, I'm sure you've heard of the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Laquers before. They've been raved about in the beauty community for months and they've caught my attention as well. Unfortunately the price got my fully attention as well, since they're about 5€ cheaper on the website than in the Belgian drugstores.

Rimmel Apocalips Lips Lacquer: Celestial

As for my last item, it's not quite a beauty item. I bought an insect repellent pump spray since I'm on holiday. I saw this popping up when I was about to check out and thought it would be handy to order as well so I wouldn't have to go out and buy it. Pure laziness, I know!

Mosi-guard Natural Insect Reellent Pump Spray

Anyway, that was my haul from FeelUnique. Should you want me to do a review on any of the products, let me know in the comment bar below and I'll get back to you asap :)

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.

NOTW: Naughty Nautical

Dear reader :)

Wondering what polish I slapped on this week huh? Well, if you've already read the title, you're probably an Essie fan or you are about to become an Essier.

A while back I bought an Essie polish and I was gifted this polish, hence why it's such a small size. I actually think they should put these miniature versions on the shelves, because no matter how much research you do or no matter how much you like the color in the bottle, sometimes a color just doesn't work out for you. Yes, you can give it away, but I'd rather try out a smaller size to make sure I love the color.

I'll be honest, I would never have chosen this color if I would buy a polish color. I don't know what it is, but greens and blues are just not my cup of tea. I've already tried it, but somehow I always think it's gorgeous on other people's hands than on mine.

Anyway, as I was in an experimental mode, I decided to give this Naughty Nautical a try:

Essie - Naughty Nautical

It's a teal creamy color which subtle flex to it and it applied opaque after 2 coats.

As for the rest of Essie's summer collection 2013, the only color that's not within my interest is the lime polish: The More The Merrier.

I probably would've been happy with the other 4 colors, but hey, can't complain for receiving something for free, right? :)

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?

YesStyle haul

Since I didn't do a lot of summer sale shopping, I justified it by shopping online (don't act like you don't do it!)

I didn't buy a lot of YesStyle, just a few things, but thought I wanted to share it with you anyway.
If you haven't heard of YesStyle, basically it's an Asian online shop where you can buy make up, clothing, health stuff, and so on from a wide variety of brands. I like it that they're all Korean, Japanese or Chinese findings, so the chance of having my European fellow habitants wearing the same thing will be a lot slimmer. Who doesn't like to feel unique? :)

Their shipping to Europe may take an eternity, but I like their website. It makes it all worth while :) Mostly it takes about a month time to ship a package without any costs.

But enough chit chat, let's jump right into it!

I only got 4 items, because I have another beauty haul coming up soon :)
Let's get started with the clothing:



YesStyle

If anyone would describe my clothing style, it would definitely be casual. I'm the kind of girl who likes to put on a white T, some shorts, sneakers and off I am. But, it's not because I like simple tees that they the image on it can't be special. This is a short sleeved white T-shirt with a cute little man on it who's wearing headphones. It's simple, but cute :)


My second clothing item is a playsuit (or a short jumpsuit). It's cobalt blue with a drawstring to synch in the waist to give it that feminine look to it. I think this look sophisticated, yet it'll be comfy enough to do whatever you want.





Then on to make up!

YesStyle

Whenever I'm buying online at an Asian store I have to look whether they carry my favorite eyeliner pencil. If you haven't seen my review/swatch on it, click here. This is by the brand Jealousness and is aaaaah-mazing!
I thought I'd buy a back up of this eyeliner so I'm sure I wouldn't run without it whenever I'm in the mood for a sultry look.


Last but not least, I've heard good stuff about the Canmake's stay on lip balms. And as a lip balm junkie, I just had to get this and give it a go. I really like it so far, but I don't want to give too many information since I'm planning to do a review on it. So keep your eyes peeled for it!


That was my haul from YesStyle! It was a very short one, but thought I would want to share it with you all, so ... hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more! :)

NOTW: Raspberryfields Forever ft. Showgirl

And the nail of the week is ...

Catrice: Raspberryfields Forever - Ciaté: Showgirl

A while back I purchased a a red drugstore polish called Raspberryfields Forever. It's a plain red that applies opaque after 1 coat. To spice things up I added Ciaté's Showgirl on top of it. This is a beautiful quite sheer red with pink and purple flex to it. This made the look just that little bit fancier.

Catrice:
This polish applies opaque with 1 coat. It's creamy, cheap and gorgeous.

Ciaté:
Because this is abit sheer, I prefer to apply this on top of another color. When I only applied Ciaté to my nails this is pretty as well, but several coats are definitely needed to avoid seeing my nail beds under the polish.
Ciaté's polishes are a little bit more expensive, they're right in the middle between drugstore and high end, to me that is.
Remark: Not all Ciaté's polishes are this sheer, there are other beautiful creamy polishes that apply opaque with just one coat.

I decided to top Ciaté on my Catrice because I wanted to achieve a pinkish red. Mission accomplished :)

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! :)

NOTW: My Very First Knockwurst

Hi there everyone!

This week's nail will be one by OPI. I've always been into nude polishes, but I always think it's difficult to find one that applies opaque without having to slap on a gazillion layers (you know what I mean) and the right nude color that makes your mani per to the fect.
When I was passing by the OPI shelf, my eyes were immediately drawn to this mauve nude color. I looked up the swatches they had in the store and fell in love on the spot!

OPI - My Very First Knockwurst

Above you can see I'm wearing My Very First Knockwurst by OPI. I have to admit that I'm not used to spending a lot of money on polish, just because I think there are a lot of good cheaper alternatives out there. And let's face it, you're wearing it for maximum a week and then you'll be taking it off anyway.

When I invest more money in a polish, I just want the formula to be smoother, opaque, that it doesn't leave any streaks and that it's a beautiful color which will suit me. That isn't too much to ask, is it? :)

This is a mauve/pink nude color that's opaque in 2 coats. I think this color is darn pretty and looks very classy. It's simply a color that you can't go wrong with and it's something that will go with every outfit you decide to wear.

I own a couple of OPI's and I must admit, it's a brand that hasn't failed on me yet. Glad to have add this to my polish collection, definitely one that can be worn all year long.

But tell me, do you invest in your nail polishes? Or do drugstore polishes still do the trick for 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 :)