It is exam season, wohoo! And so I do what I do best, procrastinate. This time I want to show you which products I have used up over the past few months.
Dr. Stuart's Detox Tea: dandelion root, burdock root, peppermint and spearmint are supposed to detox the body. Do I believe in it? Not really, but it tasted really nice. Repurchase: Maybe.
Garnier Body Repair: this one is for really dry skin, so it is very rich, yet it is quickly absorbed by the skin and doesn't leave any greasy residue. Repurchase: Maybe.
Alverde Body Butter: again this one is for very dry skin. It is a litter rich than the Garnier body repair, since it is a butter. It stays longer on the skin, which I like, and leaves your skin silky smooth. Repurchase: Yes.
Dove Original Deodorant: nothing special to see here. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. The smell is quite powdery. Repurchase: No.
L'Oreal Elvital Nutri-Gloss Crystal Shampoo: this one has glitter particles in it to make your hair look extra shiny. Didn't really work on me, but it is a decent shampoo nevertheless. Repurchase: Nah.
Lavera Face Moisturiser: Your box standard moisturiser. No fuzz. It has very few ingredients and is very gentle, yet moisturising. If you have super sensitive skin, I would recommend this to you. For me it was a little too 'simple'. Repurchase: Not at the moment.
EOS lipbalm: the red one. Strawberry, maybe? I like their lipbalms, they are 99% natural (I think) and stay on my lips for a long time. Back in my Roaccutane days, this and Aquaphor were the only products I would use on my lips. Already repurchased.
Batiste Dry Shampoo: 3 of them. I am not a HUGE fan, however they are the best I have tried so far. They leave my hair feeling quite heavy, the smell is completely overwhelming, in a bad way, no matter which one I have tried so far. They also leave a white cast on my hair, which I really have to work in until it is invisible. Repurchase: Until I find something better, yes.
NYX Blush Taupe: Love it. It is the perfect contour shade for pale skinned people like me. Repurchase: Yes.
L'Oreal Telescopic mascara: This has always been and probably will always be, my favourite mascara. Very lengthening, not so much volumising. Repurchase: Yes.
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder: This is the best setting powder I have tried so far. It wears beautifully throughout the day and doesn't look cakey at all. Repurchase: YES.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer: This was a decent concealer. Light enough colour-wise, but too light in coverage, in my opinion. Repurchase: No.
L'Oreal True Match Concealer: in the shade 2. This has a very yellow undertone, which I love, and has a good, medium to full coverage. Already repurchased.
p2 Mascara: Could be a dupe to the Telescopic one, but it is not as good an dried out very quickly. Repurchase: No.
CD Deodorant: Aluminium free. That is the only upside to this one. Repurchase: No.
L'Oreal Elvital Oil Magique: this is the best hair oil I have tried so far. Makes a huge difference to my haircare regime. Repurchase: YES.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Cleanser: I really like it. It left my skin feeling smooth and it was very gentle. But I ran out of this soo fast! Repurchase: No.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturiser (Intense): This was such a lovely night time moisturiser. Very rich ans smooth. Felt very luxurious on the skin. Repurchase: Maybe (b/c of the price).
Lavera Milk Cleanser: I am already on my 6th bottle of this. Do I need to say more? Repurchase: Always.
Micheal Todd Charcoal Mask: Very gentle, yet purifying. Because it contains hyaluronic acid, I didn't find it drying at all. Unfortunately it is really hard to get your hands on here in Germany, so repurchase: no.
Rituals Tai Chi Shower Foam: to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I heard so many great things about their shower foams and in my opinion it is simply overpriced for what is does. And the smell wasn't great either. Repurchase: No.
Balea Shower Gel and Peeling: I don't think you can go wrong with Balea shower products. So affordable and they do what they promise. Repurchase: Yes.
Weleda Cold Cream: Not an everyday moisturiser. This one is really thick, so more for cold rashes and what not. The smell was lovely. Repurchase: No, bit only because I have my beloved Aquaphor.
Dolce&Gabanna The One Rollerball: LOVE it. It smells quite vanilla-y, but also quite woody. Some described to me as, when you smell it on a cold winters day, it makes you feel warm. And as strange as that might sound, it is true. Repurchase: I asked for the bigger version for Christmas, so yes.
Lush American Cream Conditioner: Very lovely smell. Like cupcakes. And it left my hair incredibly soft, especially since it doesn't contain silicons. But it is quite pricey. Repurchase: Maybe.
Guhl Hair Shampoo for Sensitive Skin: I like Guhl shampoos. Apparently the are concentrates, so you only need very little product. Unfortunately this exact product left my hair feeling a bit dry. Repurchase: No.
Chanel Moisturiser: I'm sorry, I don't remember the exact name of this one! But it was how you would expect Chanel products to be. Repurchase: No, unless I'll win the lottery.
Maybelline Fit Me Powder: Didn't love this. It didn't really mattify my face and it didn't last very long. Repurchase: No.
Catrice Eyebrow Gel: Love it. It has fibres to fill in any gabs and it comes in two different colours. Basically a dupe to the Benefit gimme brow. Already repurchased.
Hübner Augenbalsam: I wanted to like it because it contains hyaluronic acid. But I am not too sure about it. It was quite moisturiser, though, but I am not sure if any other moisturiser would have had the same effect. Repurchase: Maybe, one day.
Paula's Choice BHA 2% Exfoliater: This was the very first exfoliater I used, therefore it will always have a special place in my heart. But I have to say that I am not blown away by this, despite the great reviews on the PC Website. Repurchase: No.
The Body Shop Aloe Vera Moisturiser SPF 15: This one broke me out when I first tried it. Then I gave it another try after my Roaccutane course and it was fine. I liked it, because it contained SPF. The smell really put me off. Repurchase: No.
I am sorry this was a long one! I'll speak to you soon. Oh and also, this is my very first post for 2015, so happy new year! :D
- Julia xxx
My skin condition pretty much changes with the seasons and therefore I like to update my skin care two to three times a year.
First things first: I got to take off my make up and all the dirt my face likes to collect throughout the day and for this step I like to take good old coconut oil. Unless you have been living under a rock, you must know by now how many benefits coconut oil has and it works great as a first step cleansing balm.
I like to rub it on my dry face and really massage it in, to get everything off that doesn't belong on my face, like oil (oil attracts oil), dirt, make up, primer, sunscreen and all that fun stuff. Then using a clean face cloth and running it under hot water, I take everything off.
After that I cleanse my face with the Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser. I like to use a better cleanser for the second round, because I don't just want to use it to get my make up off but to actually benefit my skin. And I simply take it off with water.
Then comes my favourite step involving acid toners.
This step is so crucial and really makes the biggest difference in my skincare routine. I like to switch between the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Salicylic Acid, the Paula's Choice CLEAR Anti- Redness Exfoliating Solution 2% Salicylic Acid and the Alpha H Liquid Gold.
I use the Liquid Gold only two to three times a week, because it is very strong and I use the other two exfoliaters the rest of the week.
Acid toners help with acne, blackheads, red scars, fine lines, they minimise the appearance of pores and they help your face absorb whatever product comes next better.
Sometimes, when I have a lot of extra time, I like to use an exfoliating mask on top of that, for example the Avene Cleanance Mask.
The next step is eye cream, I especially like the Hübner Augenbalsam plus, because it contains hyaluronic acid and last but not least I use the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream for very dry skin.
- Julia xxx
I know I haven't been posting as regularly these days and that is because Uni has taken over my life, once again. So please bear with me here, I'm trying my best to balance everything and eventually everything will settle down.
Now I have been on Roaccutane for over one and a half months now and with the change of my skin comes the change in my skin care. My skin is (still) nowhere near perfect and I still break out quite frequently and don't even get me started on the acne scars. It is certainly not the hardest part but it kinda sucks not being able to do anything, since I can't use anything harsh on my skin during the 6 month Roaccutane course.
Being back at Uni, I have noticed that within the first week my skin went crazy and started breaking out again. Maybe it came with the stress/ nervousness (even though I am not that stressed yet). My other guesses where that I am either allergic to the washing powder or the water just isn't as clean, since I live in a bigger city and my skin is just being a diva over it.
Be that as it may, I had to change my whole entire skin care routine adjusting to the circumstances.
I have found a few products (mainly in my mom's little cupboard over the sink), which I would've never tried without my mom introducing me to them or at least encouraging me to use her things, which is weird since she is not into skin care at all and just buys whatever falls into her hands and I am the total opposite.
Now in all the years I have been struggling with acne, I have never, not once, found a product that REALLY worked for my skin and where I could actually see a difference over the course of one week/month. Duh. That's why I started taking heavy (legal!) drugs. But I am so happy to say that these products I am using at the moment make all the difference. Of course I am still on Roaccutane and one could say that it's only due to that, but when I stop using these products, even for one night (!), my skin gets worse again. So without further ado: the products.
Starting of with cleansing. I like to double cleanse in the evening and believe me when I say: This makes all the difference! Before trying it out myself, I wouldn't have believed it either, though. I know everyone always says that you shouldn't go to bed with your make up still on, so I used to use whatever cleanser I had laying around and quickly took of most of my make up. Out of sheer laziness. What a mistake I can tell you now. You have to take off your make up first (properly) and then also clean your skin underneath.
So first I use the Dermalogica Precleanse and rub it into my dry skin and over my eyes. Then I apply some luke warm water to my face, so it turns into a milky liquid, and I rub some more, gently. Using a washcloth, which I run under hot water, I take everything off. Then I use coconut oil and massage it into my skin. I really massage my face, and let me tell you, it does not feel great. I learned it from Caroline Hirons (my Queen) and again, this makes all the difference! Make sure to take your time here, it will be worth it. Using the same washcloth rinsed under hot water, I take everything off.
Make sure you change your washcloth on a regular basis. I don't use mine more than two to three days in a row. And you don't really need the Dermalogica Precleanse, I just need to use it up, but I find substituting it for coconut oil as a precleanser works just as well.
After that I use another cleanser, yes you have heard me right, but this time not a balm cleanser but a 'regular' (?) one. Now my mom bought this and when I saw that it said 'foaming' on the bottle I had to give her a little bit of a lecture. BUT I have tried it myself and it only foams because of the dispenser. Once you work it into your skin, it doesn't foam, hallelujah!
Another product which my skin loves is the Dr. Hauschka Clarifying Toner. Now I believe I have talked about this before, but somehow it just can't be the same. I formerly said that this product does nothing for my skin and was a little bit of a waste of money. Again: BUT, my mom bought herself a new one after she ran out and I used it for a few days (because why not, when it is sitting there anyway :D) and I noticed that my skin has gotten significantly better. I didn't put it down to this product, though, more so to the drugs. Then after moving back into my dorm room and not being able to use my mom's stuff, my skin got worse again, like I said. So I decided to splurge and see if my skin would get better again when using this product, and it has. I don't know why, though. Have they changed the formulation or something? Whatever it is, I love it.
The last few steps involve moisturizer. A lot of moisturiser. The Dr. Hauschka toner is a little drying but over all my skin is just super dry at the moment anyway. The best moisturizer is by far the Lush Celestial Moisturizer. It is super moisturizing and gentle and it also just contains good stuff.
Fun Fact
A dear friend of mine has suffered from neurodermatitis (or atopic eczema) every since she was a baby and she found out about Lush around 4 years ago. Ever since using this exact moisturizer, her neurodermatitis has improved SO much and never came back. She even uses it on her body. For years her parents and doctors have tried all kinds of creames and methods and nothing worked, until she stumbled across this Lush moisturizer.
Rambling over.
And for my eyes, because I already have fine lines around my eyes (I AM 20 FOR GOD'S SAKE, sorry), I use the Hübner Augenbalsam with hyaluronic acid.
Ok, so this was a rather long blogpost, I am sorry. But I did have a lot to tell you about. If you found this interesting then stay tuned for a morning skin care routine sometime this week.
Talk to you soon!
- Julia xxx
