Product Empties #3

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


 

Shop My Stash

I am finally back at Uni, not living with my parents anymore but on my own in a tiny little dorm room not-so-near campus and that means: having access to the whole of my make up collection ... Amongst other things, like noisy neighbours or having to do my own laundry again, but it's all good!
So after two months of living out of a small make up bag, small for me, excessive for 'normal' people, I had a little look through my make up yesterday evening and 'discovered' a few items I have totally forgotten about. How exciting! (It's the little things in life people, don't judge me!)

Here we have them all. Aren't they beautiful. And on some of them I have even hit pan, which is even more exciting (oh gosh) and motivates me to use them up, put them in an 'Empties' blogpost, or even video (?) and throw them out. Nothing more satisfying than finishing make up products, am I right?

Ok, for the products we have:

L'Oreal True Match Foundation soft ivory n1 - And even two of them! Back when I lived in the USA for a few months I was obsessed with this foundation and because we don't have it in Germany (at least no that light of a shade), I panicked and bought two. Back home again, I just wasn't interested in it anymore. Story of my life.

NYX Blush Taupe - Great contour shade for fair skinned people like me. I really don't know what else to say about it, really. It's inexpensive (at least in the US) and it works. But ever since the Lancome subtile palette, I have stopped using it, because that's just a whole nother league. That being said, I will probably repurchase it.

Make Up Factory Matte Eyeshadow 08 - It's matte. It's brown. It's a nice contour- crease shade. But ain't nobody got time for single eyeshadows, anymore. I really find myself reaching for eyeshadow palettes these days. So the single eyesahdow needs to go. Nice quality, though. 

NYX EyeshadowTrio Nude/ Taupe/ Dark Brown - Back in the day when I started getting into make up, this was my very first eyeshadow- palette- love. And you know how they say you will always remember your first love. It's true ... at least with this trio. Muhahah. (I think the lack of sleep is getting to my head already?!) But seriously, these eyeshadows are amazing. Super pigmented, no fall out, very creamy. I only have nice things to say about it. I especially love the shimmery nude shade in the summer.

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder 125 - Now that I have really dry skin, I don't want my powder to completely mattify my face but instead just setting my make up and leaving my skin look like skin, if that makes sense. I find that this powder really does the trick. You probably won't like it if you have oily skin and are looking for something to mattify your face. In that case I would recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. 

Revlon Lip Butter Strawberry Shortcake/ Sugar Frosting - Since my lips are so dry because of the Roaccutane, these are the only lipsticks I can wear these days. These shades make me feel so summery and happy that I want to wear them more often.

Sleek Blush By 3 Lace - Again, think summer. I love oranges in summer. These can be quite scary, because they are so bright and pigmented. But I really wanna make them work. We'll see how that goes.

Benefit Blush Bella Bamba - Smells ah-mazing. And it is super shimmery. It's all about the shimmer this summer. And it's more wearable and easier to pull off, in my case anyway, than the Sleek blushes.

elf Shimmering Facial Whip Lilac Petal - Going with the shimmer theme: this! Supposedly a dupe for the Nars Copacabana highlighter. I wouldn't know. Besides the usual place where one would apply highlighter, I like to apply this as an eyeshadow. Looks super glossy on the lid. Gorgeous. and the pink really brings out the green in my eyes, which is always a plus. Be warned , though, it is a metallic-y colour.

left: Sugar Frosting / right: Strawberry Shortcake

It's quite fun shopping your own stash at home every now and again. And way more justifiable and easy on the wallet. What is a product that you recently re-discovered from your make up collection? I would be interested to know!


- Julia xxx

How Much Is My Face Worth?

I JUST read a blogpost and sad as I am it really excited me, so I thought I HAVE to do the same. This is such a cool idea and I think everyone should do one of these! Basically if you wanna know how much money you have spend on your face alone, you add up the price of all the products you use on a daily basis and out comes 'How much is my face worth?'. To be honest, I am a little scarred to do this, because I already know that it will be a lot of money and I don't really know how I'll be able to justify this. But I am gonna do it anyway, because ... I'm a rebel like that ... haha

Now on some days I use more than this and on other days I use less, so the price obviously varies. But over all, this is what I use on my face on a daily basis. Let's start with the base.

Esteé Lauder Double Wear Foundation Ecru - 40€
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder Sandstorm - 5€
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 15 - 6€
Real Techniques Stipplig Brush  - 13€
Real Techniques Buffing Brush  - 13€  

This is pretty standard in my daily routine. I apply foundation, which is always Double Wear, because it's full coverage and stays on 18+ hours, and I apply concealer to brighten my under eye area. On rare good days I can get away with only the Fit Me concealer. And to seal everything in I use a powder. My foundation I apply with the stippling brush and my powder with the buffing brush.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo On and on bronze  - 8€
Benefit High Beam (came in a kit)  - 30€
Nars Bronzer Laguna  - 36€
Sephora Eyelash Curlers  - 12€
Real Techniques Contour Brush  - 13€

The last few weeks I have really enjoyed using bronzer again. I also like to mix my foundation with a little bit of High Beam, so my complexion doesn't look dull. For a little colour on the eyelid I use a Colour Tattoo, easy. Curling my lashes is also a must. The brush I use for blush and sometimes extra contour for those puffy days.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara  - 13€
Lancome Blush Subtile Palette Rose Flush  - 42€
Burt's Bee Lip Balm Pomegranate  - 4€
Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush  - 10€

Mascara, standard. For blush I like to use the one from the Lancome trio, it's so soft and velvety. Lip balm is a must for my dry and chapped lips. My concealer I like to blend with the deluxe crease brush.

Ok, are you ready?! The grant total is: 232, 13€. That would be 320 USD or 192 GBP. Oh my. I feel a little guilty but at the same time incredibly fortunate and grateful that I am able to afford things like that. I think sometimes we don't appreciate the things we surround us with everyday enough and it's easy to forget how lucky we are to be in such a position. So today I am going to be extra grateful for all the small things I usually take for granted. Showing gratitude. It's a good thing. 

What do you think? If this whole 'project' excited you as much as it excited me then...welcome to the loser team haha just kidding! But I would really like to see what you use on a daily basis and how much money you spend on your 'daily face'. 

- Julia xxx

My Top 3 Favourite Foundations

Hello everybody. So I am currently on semester break (I am in my first semester at Uni studying 'British Studies') and I am bored out of my mind. So I thought: "Why not create a blog?!" and ...here we are. Wow. This is going great so far, isn't it.
Anyway, today I would like to introduce you to my top 3 favourite foundations. Now just FYI, I have acne prone, dehydrated and very sensitive skin, so basically the best preconditions for any foundation...not. But as you might be able to tell from the title, I have found three foundations which work very well with my skin.

So let's jump right into it. 

[1] Number One - Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation

This foundation claims to "reawaken and illuminate your skin with a radiant glow and a natural looking finish", whilst providing peptides and a Vitamin Moisturising Complex. 
Now, I don't know about the Vitamins and peptides and whatever but it does give my skin a glowing, natural finish without looking cakey. Yet, it still manages to cover up all my zits and blemishes and glides smoothly over any dry patches without accentuating them.
But please keep in mind here that I have dry and dehydrated skin, so this might look very differentyl for those of you with oily skin. 
It doesn't claim to last very long, but it lasts about 6 to 7 hours on my face and that is often good enough for me.
This is the most affordable foundation out of my favourites and you can get it in the drugstore for about 8 to 10€.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation 100 Ivory

 

Rimmer Wake Me Up Foundation swatch in the sunlight 100 Ivory

Swatched on my arm it can look quite shimmery/ glittery but I don't notice a big glitter effect on my face.
This foundation is in the colour 100 Ivory and since I have very fair skin, this is about two to three shades darker than my natural skin colour, but I find I can make it work if I really blend it down my neck. 

[2] Number Two - Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

Out of all the foundations I have tried, this is my absolute favourite one.
It has full coverage, which is perfect for me because like I said, I have bad acne all over my face. And it lasts the whole day and I am talking 12 - 14 hours here, okay?! And that is without setting my face with powder, because I find I don't need it with this foundation and I actually prefer it without the powder, because even a little powder just makes it full on matte. So even if you have oily skin, or maybe especially if you have oily skin, this might be something for you. But I think this foundation works for everyone.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation 1N2 Ecru

 I have this foundation in the colour 1N2 Ecru, which is a neutral shade and the lightest shade available in Germany. That being said it is still one to two shades darker than my natural skin tone but again I can make it work when I really blend it out. I also own the shade Fresco, but that is just way too dark for me and only works in the summer when I am super tan (which for me is Mac NW 25 or something, ha!)

very right: Swatch Estée Lauder Double Wear Ecru

It is a high end foundation and with around 40€ more on the expensive side, but definitly
worth it in my opinion. I absolutely adore it. 

[3] Number Three - Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15

This is the only mineral foundation that I have ever tried and I really like it. 
I must say I always shied away from powder foundations and their, which I thought inevitability matt fininish, but I do really like this foundation, especially on good skin days and in the summer. 
It doesn't leave my skin feeling or looking dry or tight but rather glowy, but not overly glowy, if that makes sence. It just gives a very natural finish and in my opinion it is light to medium coverage. 
With around 43€ I find it to be on the little more pricier side, but it will last you a very long time.

laura mercier Mineral Powder Soft Porcelain

This foundation is in the lightest colour, Soft Porcelain, which has a slightly yellow undertone and fits me perfectly at the moment (it's winter).  

On the very right: laura mercier Mineral Powder Soft Porcelain

In this picture it does look quite glittery but I promise you it just gives you a slight glow when you wear it.

Thanks for reading! Until next time, Julia