SWATCH IT! My Lipstick Collection. NYX, Bourjois, Avon, Elf, Etude House, Model Co.

Hello!

Since we have winter knocking to our door I usually get more focused on lip products - from lip butters, masks, scrubs and balms to those more make-me-pretty products like lipsticks, stains, liners. 

I recently purchased few new products and I thought I'd do some swatches for those who are interested to buy some new lip products too! 

 Lipsticks I present here are my most favorite products, most used or carried with me just in case :)

NUDES

From top to bottom:

1. ELF Matte Lip Color in Tea Rose

As you can see it's very matte lip crayon/pencil, beautiful cool tone color, very vintage and perfect for winter, may be a little drying on lips, so you may want to use a lip balm on top of it

2. Avon Moisture Seduction in Silky Peach

The best moisturizing lipstick I've ever used, you can reapply many times and it doesn't look tacky or heavy on lips, more to the peachy warm tone

3. Model Co. Party Proof Matte Lipstick in Kitty

Very nice, moisturizing lippie in pretty nude, more to a cool pinkish tone, very light and perfect for a daytime

4. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Newest nude in my collection, pretty color, dries out to a total matte, a little bit drying on lips and unfortunately cracks on lips which makes it a bit uncomfortable to wear and not so nice looking, easy to reapply

5. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Don't Pink of It

I'm a bit disappointed with this color, it dries out to a total matte, but also it sticks to a inner parts of lips and looks not very aesthetically, so you need to check few times a day to make sure it looks even. It doesn't dry out lips at all, which is great, and color is beautiful - cool tone muted pink.

6. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Peach Club

My first lighter color from Velvet Edition and it's very vibrant lipstick, in contrast to my fair skin it seems to be more into red than orange/peach, but I guess it depends on your skin tone. As all lipsticks from this series it's great, stays on lips forever (not literally!) and does not dry it out.

Staying power: 

Here (above) you can see swatches again (left) and their staying power (right) after one wash with a hand soap and water. 

You can tell that ELF and both Bourjois lipsticks are pretty awesome as for nudes, stains your lips and stays on place until you remove them with a makeup remover/micellar water.

NYX, Model Co. and Avon lipsticks disappeared almost instantly after I rubbed them with soap and water.

REDS/PINKS

From top to bottom:

1. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Ole Flamingo

My all time favorite lipstick! The color is incredible, unique and beautiful. I always get compliments when I wear it, it makes your smile whiter and your whole make up pop. It's vibrant pink color with a little bit of red undertones. 

2. Avon Moisture Seduction Lipstick in Plum Gorgeous

The best plum lipstick color I have, it's beautiful, deep and cool tone, very moisturizing like all lipsticks from his series. This particular color makes you feel glamorous and seductive, very feminine. Like Silky Peach (nude) it's easy to reapply. 

3. NYX Soft Matte Cream in Monte Carlo

Newest red in my collection, very pigmented, very matte as you can see in swatch, beautiful cool tone red. It's better then nude Stockholm in terms of drying on your lips, it doesn't crack or feel tacky, you basically forget that you have it on lips! Light texture but nice pigmentation. 

4. Bourjois Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick in Plum Russian

This lipstick claims to be waterproof, but as you'll see below it definitely isn't. It's comfortable on lips, very light and moisturizing, gives only a tint of color, not opaque look - which makes it good for a daytime. Unfortunately it doesn't dry and it smudges easily, so be aware of it, because it may transfer to whatever touches your lips.

5. Etude House Princess Etoinette Crystal Shine Lips in PPK005 (Pink)

I bought this lipstick because I loved the packaging... Yuup, I know. It's actually very nice pink raspberry color with purple sheen to it, but you can't see any glitter or tacky particles in it.  

It's nice, wearable lipstick, good for both day and night time. 

Staying power:

As you can see above staying power of most of those lipsticks is not very impressive. Picture on right shows my swatches after one wash with a hand soap and water. 

Only Bourjois Edition Velvet stayed in place and didn't loose much of its pigmentation, next is Etude House, but Avon, Bourjois (waterproof!) Color Boost and NYX unfortunately didn't last long. 

So yeah, these are lipsticks I use most, I don't wear them everyday, that's why some of them are pretty old in my collection, but they are my favorites.

I have many ELF lipsticks which are very nice but I don't wear them, I wish I could give them to someone, because I don't like to throw things away, but who wants to wear second hand lip product?! haha

I'm in search for a very deep purple color that stays on lips, doesn't crack and smudge. Any suggestions?

That's all for today. 

Stay warm.

BYE!

RECENT MAKEUP BUYS: Makeup Revolution, It's Skin, I Heart Makeup, Nivea

Hey!

I wanted to show you some recent makeup buys. It's not massive haul or anything but things I recently use, test, discovered.

1. It's Skin Babyface BB cream, 35ml SPF 36 PA ++

Details:

cute small squeezy bottle, reminds me of a paint tubes

light texture

slightly floral scented

porcelain color

swatches:

 straight from tube

 slightly blended

fully blended (can you see this glow!?)

I talked about this product before HERE, so if you want to know my opinion you're welcome to read :)

2. I Heart Makeup, Blushing Hearts, Triple Baked Blusher - Iced Hearts

 Details:

10g

color: Iced Hearts

ingredients: mica, talc, dimethicone, nylon12, magnesium aluminum silicate, methylparaben, propylparaben 

price: £4.99

available: Superdrug

swatches:

Swatch on it's own

 With classic Mary Lou Manizer (left)

This product apart from its ingredients list is a very good value for the price. 

Color: I chose Iced Hearts because I already own Mary Lou highlighter which has champagne/gold tone, and this one is more cool tone with silver and pinkish tones to it. 

Pigmentation: I think it's great, but not too strong. Comparing to Mary Lou it's more intensive, but you can't see any glitter or tacky finish. It's very nice highlighter and you only need a little touch to give your skin glow and healthy look. 

Staying power: It stays on your face whole day, I even touch the tip of my nose quite often (habit) and highlight is still present on it during the day. I didn't have to touch up at all.

Ingredients: Not very impressed with that point, but again it's a cheap product so I don't expect organic and natural ingredients in such products. I hate talc in cosmetics and avoid it as much as I can, it gives me dry patches and breaks me out slightly. But since it's a product that you apply on cheekbones mostly (I don't tend to breakout there) I'm not going to be fussy. Parabens are not my favorite things, but I avoid them in all my skincare so a little won't kill me!

Packaging: I think you all see now that I like cute packaging, but if it contains a good product too then I can call it a great buy :)

Overall rating: 4/5

I gave it a 4 not 5 because of the ingredients. Overall I like it and I'm happy to have two different highlighters now - I'm rather minimalist and I only buy what I need usually, I don't like to store million of products of the same purpose. Two highlighters are enough, 2 colors and 2 levels of pigmentation ;) 

3. Make Up Revolution Ultra Brow Arch & Shape - Medium

 double sided: right side brow pencil - left side tip liner 

 very thin tip liner for filling gaps where you don't have hair

swatches:

 top: tip liner lets you to draw thin lines and adjust intensity of it, good for light blondes like me

bottom: pencil, unfortunately it's way too dark for blondes, I don't use it, and I don't need to

Details:

brow tip liner 0.15g

brow kohl pencil 0.9g

color: Medium

dupe for: Soap&Glory Archery

price: £3.50

This product is a great dupe for Archery from Soap&Glory which costs £8 for similar amount of product! So far I like it, it's a great value for money even if one side is not useful for me. I love how quick and hassle free it made my brow routine, I'll repurchase.

Color: There is only 2 colors, dark and medium. Medium is good for me (light blonde), but only on the tip side where I can control the color intensity. The kohl is too dark.

Pigmentation: It's very good on both sides, you only need a little pressure to get nice and intensive color to fill up your brow. 

Staying power: On the tip side it's amazing! It stays in your brow without smudging or fading at all! I'm impressed, because it stays here even when you touch or rub your brows and looks very natural too. It requires some more attention during cleansing, micellar water and some face gel to remove it, but it doesn't bother me at all. I wish I had full brows even without makeup on ;)

On the pencil side I didn't try on my eyebrow but when you swatch on your hand you can easily remove it with a dry tissue, so I guess it's not very good. 

Packaging: I like it, it looks very similar to S&G products, nice black and gold sleek pencil, with good tops too, which hold well.

Overall rating: 4/5

I didn't give it 5 because I wish they did Light color for blondes, the pencil side is not useful due to its color, and also it's a bit too soft and doesn't stay in place for long. Considering the price it's worth to buy instead of S&G Archery if the color suits you, but you must know that you get only tiny amount of product (comparing to brow sets, pencils or powders).

4. Nivea Lip Butter - Raspberry Rose

I purchased this product lacking my all time favorite cherry lip butter from Carmex. I was in Superdrug looking for it, but cherry scent was already sold so I decided to reach for this Nivea Raspberry Rose butter for change. I couldn't open it to smell it, so I took it anyway, since it was rather cheap.

I absolutely love it!

Details:

16.7g

price: £2.09

scent: Raspberry rose (smells divine, for Polish readers it's exactly like the Raspberry Mamba fruit chews, which was very popular in Poland when I was little - memories ;)

ingredients: Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl- 3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Aqua, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Bht, Aroma, CI 77891, CI 15850

Texture & Smell: You already know I love smell of it, I also love its texture - it's like a raspberry soft butter, glides on lips and sinks very well. 

Effects: It rescued my lips from being chapped and constantly dry! It only took it 3 night to transform my lips into a soft and comfortable cushions ;) I only wear it overnight as a lip mask due to the packaging type, it's on my bedside table and it will stay there for longer, for sure. 

Packaging: It's very nice and cute little metal jar and I only don't like that it opens a bit difficult so that's the reason why I only left it for night treatment. It's also not very hygienic to put your dirty fingers into the lip butter during the day, I prefer lip balm sticks for a daytime use.

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil and Glycerine - what else would you ask for for your lips? ;) No nasties.

Overall rating: 5/5

I love it for what it did to my always dry lips. I finally can wear matte lipsticks and not feeling like I'm going to loose my lips forever. Brrr! 

Gorgeous stuff!

Thank you for reading!

What's your recent buys? 

Anything special for winter you usually buy about this time of the year? 

BYE!

Korean skincare/make up mini haul - NEW SKINCARE ROUTINE!

Hey!

As I mentioned in my previous post I've been waiting for a parcel from Korea. It took it 3 weeks to arrive, a loooong 3 weeks for me because after research and mental/imaginary preparation I couldn't wait for my new preciosas, and effect of using them!

So why I decided to try Korean brands? 

I tried some before, my love for their products started at some point when I first bought a Korean BB cream from Dr Jart in Boots. It was amazing, covered everything very well, looked like a second skin and all that jazz, but like Korean BB creams usually are, it was too dark for my very fair skin. 

Then I started to search for other Korean brand and I found the whole amazing and cute world of Korean brands - skincare and makeup wise!

I tried some more popular brands like Etude House (not a fan), Missha (I still can't decide if I like it or not), but never tried Korean skincare before. Every Korean beauty website show beautiful models with a babylike faces: porcelain, clear and glowy. Who doesn't want to own face like that?!

I decided to give it a go and find some skincare products that would heal my blemishes and inflammation on my cheeks, fade scars and even out my skin tone, clear my blackheads and closed comedones. Something more? Yes, hydration, and more precisely dehydration that is definitely my skin concern which I want to battle. It sounds like a special mission and it really is, my skin has never been so bad :(

Having this mission impossible to complete I did a research about skincare ingredients, and I read a thousand of reviews and beauty articles. I decided to give an AHAs a go. Finally I found an inexpensive, non complicated (in terms of ingredients) and very well reviewed product, which is COSRX Whitehead Power Liquid.

• AHA, you think what a hell is this? In a massive shortcut it's a one out of two type of chemical exfoliants. Yes, chemical! And no, it's not bad for your skin, it actually heals and helps your skin to clear itself. The second type is called BHA and is more known for battling a blackheads. Both exfoliate skin with two naturally occurred ingredients - glycolic acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA).
  If you want to know more about chemical exfoliants I will advise you to read this article from Paula's website. 

Going back to my story. 

COSRX Whitehead Power Liquid is a light gel-like which you apply directly to your skin after cleansing at night, follow with your normal skincare products and go to sleep. In the morning you wake up to slightly better skin, and after a couple of weeks you should see a visible results - less closed whiteheads (those nasty, stubborn bumps!) and blemish scars. Your skin should be also less dry in dry areas and less congested. You use it 2-3 times a week, and you must use a UV filter cream the next morning after using it - it makes skin photosensitive.  

I only used it twice so far and I have high expectations. I'm going to use it every second day to give my skin some break, and I started to document my skin's ups and downs since I use it (hope for more ups!). I'll keep you all updated with the results!

BUY HERE.

The second thing to fight blemishes/scars and dryness of my face (I'm mostly suffer it on my forehead, cheeks and around my lips) that I purchased is COSRX Cantella Blemish Cream. I thought if I stick to one brand in my skincare I'd have better results or I'd avoid some ingredients to clash with others, if you know what I mean! 

So this cream is a special cream, you only apply it on places where you have some problems, like blemish, pimples, scars, dryness, uneven skin tone - funny but it's actually my whole face, so I use it at night for my whole face :) It's quite light cream, easy to apply, glides on the skin, but it takes some time to sinks in your skin and stays in your dry areas. That doesn't matter however, because it doesn't make any harm to those areas, I even feel that by staying there it heals it overnight!
I use it for few days now and I must say I'm pretty impressed - so far it helped my skin to combat very painful hormonal breakouts, it made my skin way less red on my cheeks, fought inflammation and reduced dryness of my cheeks a little. So far so good, I will continue to use it and see.

Like other COSRX products this one has very nice, short and friendly ingredients list - no nasties, only good stuff. It's based on Cantella Asiatica Leaf water. Read more and buy here.

After a long time of being a consumer of beauty products I finally decided to start using toner! Why? I think because I felt that my skin lacks of something straight after cleansing and shower. I thought I read and find the information what is toner actually for, and I found out that a good toner can moisture and balance your skin in addition to a face cream! Good toner means a skin friendly product, without parabens, alcohol, unnecessary stuff. I found one that seemed perfect in COSRX again. It's Cantella Water 100 Alcohol-free Toner. This very simple toner makes my skin quite...relaxed and calm. Yes, it feels luxurious and pampered just by spraying this water on my face. Strange, but true. It contains 150ml, and only one thing I don't like about this product is it's spray applicator - I think it's a waste of product, when I spray it on my eyes, hair and in the air. I will try to figure out better way of applying it. As well as Cantella Blemish Cream this toner is based on Cantella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) leaf water, which claims to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Read more and buy here. 

Being mostly focused on getting my clear and healthy skin back for winter, I only purchased one make up product and one nail product this time. 

The make up that I needed was a new BB cream. I did research again and I also didn't want to spend too much on make up, so I decided to get something from It's Skin brand which looked quite professional and focused. Their Babyface range is just so cute that I couldn't resist to get something from it, especially that reviews were very positive and color seemed to be just perfect match for my porcelain skin. I risked, and spent this £5.75, thinking if it doesn't match my skin tone I won't cry. I bought Babyface BB cream in Moisture, the second type is Silky for more oily skin. I wanted to follow my skincare goal and help my skin to get more moisture for winter. 

Some details about product:

35ml

SPF 36 PA ++ UVA UVB protection

very light and soft cream texture

the lightest BB I've ever had from Korean brand - if Bourjois Healthy Mix 51 is too dark for you this BB cream will be good ;)

Moisture type, created to retain moisture in the skin and help with skin dryness

lightly scented - didn't irritate my sensitive skin
light texture yet very good coverage!

My first impression about this product is very mixed and I still try to find the way to get the most of its claimed moisturizing power. So far it only gave me nice and healthy look straight after application, and very bad effect after few hours of wearing it...

It's very strange, and I really want to love this product, but so far I have more negative attitude towards it. I don't want to reject it yet, I'll give it a go few times more using other powders (I used talc based powder, mineral powder, pressed and loose so far), other face creams and primers (Laura Mercier didn't work), and I also have to figure out if the state of my skin cause the problem or this BB cream is just not for me and my dehydrated complexion (but it supposed to moisture, isn't it?) :(
Will see how it goes, so far I'll continue to use it because believe me it covers very nice, looks great after application, makes your skin glow and it's just so cute.........
Buy here if you want to try yourself.

Finally the last product bought was Innisfree Eco Nail Color PRO from Samcheong-dong Street ;)
I purchased color Banana Pan Cake feeling the lack of nude colors in my nail varnish collection. It's nice, pretty, unique color. Brush is thin, but application is easy due to its light formula and nice color pigmentation - you need 2 coats but only for more intensive color.

I will definitely buy more colors from this range, Strong Espresso and From Samcheong-dong street are already on my list to buy next time :) BUY here.

Banana Pan Cake on my nails

That's it my lovelies! This is my recent Korean mini haul, if you're interested in any of those products and how they perform ask, comment, discuss, give me a shout :) here or on my Instagram (@cocoonheart).

I hope you enjoyed the post, let me know if you used any of the mentioned products and will speak to you soon!

Take care <3

Beauty News: NYX cosmetics available in UK on FEELUNIQUE website! :D

Hi!

This quick post is dedicated the amazing news that I found out yesterday:

 NYX cosmetics are available in UK on Feelunique website!!!

This is amazing news for all those of you who tried hard for years to grab some great NYX products in UK and had to either search for it on Ebay or Amazon and pay crazy money for delivery (and it ended up not worth it), or hoped for some luck and tried to find the hit products IN STOCK on their UK website (miracle!).

So now my friends you can just go to feelunique.com and find NYX without any problem - from the famous HD Foundation to Soft Matte Lippies in 21 colours (!) - everything open to be grabbed and loved ;)

Once I fill my bank account with some money I head up there and purchase few goodies - hoping it's not gone by then!


Watch this space for upcoming post about the Korean Skincare small haul I did recently - today my parcel arrived!!! :)

EXFOLIATE: 3 skincare products that boost your skin radiance!

Hello Everyone!

Today I'd like to talk a little about my favorite exfoliating products.

We all know that in order to refresh and boost our skin's own ability to produce collagen and its protective barrier we have to exfoliate. Exfoliating not only remove the dead skin cells, but also stimulates the blood circulation in the skin and prepare it for the good ingredients that comes with the moisturizer.

I'm not a fan of harsh mechanical exfoliators and scrubs, because we usually tend to use them either too often or too strong on the skin which leads to irritations and over drying. I also think that facial cleansers with exfoliating particles in one are not the best products, especially that manufacturers advice to use them everyday for best results [sic!].

The products I want show you are opposite to what I said earlier.

They're not drying, because they're based on natural moistuzising ingredients like oils, butters and waters

They're not harsh because are formulated without parabens, SLS, chemical dyes and fragrances and the particles responsible for exfoliation are micro tiny mini and not abrasive (like walnut shells, crushed nuts or sugar!).

So here's the top 3 mechanical facial exfoliators I love to use (they smell divine too!) :

1. Huygens Exfoliating Cream

CREAMY FACE SCRUB WITH RICE POWDER PARTICLES. GENTLY PURIFIES THE SKIN. THE NATURAL SESAME OIL NOURISHES THE SKIN WITHOUT A GREASY FEEL WHILE THE ANTI-OXIDANT GREEN TEA INFUSION ILLUMINATES THE SKIN COMPLEXION. LONG LASTING HEALTHY LOOK. FRESH AND SOFT SKIN.

That's what manufacturer says on the website. I agree with every word: it is extremely creamy, no greasy feel at all, amazing soft skin after first use. I absolutely love it and that's why this products is mentioned as first!

I love the citrusy scent which is so refreshing and just so yummy! Every time I use this product I feel pampered and so luxurious. It made my skin more radiant and soft after the first use, without drying or irritation at all. The rice powder particles are so tiny that they only massage your skin, not scrub, so if you're gentle for your face, it will be the same. 

Knowing that it's formulated in 98,9% with organic natural ingredients I'm even more happy to recommend it to you, and if you read my first post you know how crazy my skin is - dehydrated, combination and sensitive! 

Here's the ingredient list for you (from the official website):

ingredients : camellia sinensis extract*, sesamum indicum seed oil*, cetearyl glucoside, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, oriza sativa (rice) starch powder, glycerin*, citrus aurantium amara flower water*, algin, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, aqua (water), tocopherol, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citric acid. *Ingredient produced from organic farming

I always look at the first half of the list, because the concentration it these ingredients is biggest, so here we have green tea extract on first place, sesame oil on the second, cetearyl glucoside (emulgator, very gentle for skin), cetearyl alcohol (emollient, may be comedogenic, however I didn't notice any bad reaction), rice starch powder, glycerin (holds the moisture in the skin and promotes transportation of the good ingredients in cosmetic into deeper layers of the skin), bitter orange flower water (smell!) and algin (antioxidant).

I highly recommend this product. The price for 50 ml of product is not the lowest, but it's definitely worth its price. You can purchase it from Birchbox Website and it costs £17.90. I got my sample (10ml) from Birchbox to test, but I already purchased (with my Birchbox points!) a full product.

2. Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator

On the 2nd place of my top exfoliators is Vasanti Brighten Up! Again I tested this product through Birchbox a long time ago and then I loved it so much that  purchased full product. It lasts for ages, because you only need a tiny amount to spread it on whole face, and the full product contains 120g of exfoliator. The price of this in Birchbox shop is £26, not on the cheap side, but the ingredients and results after using are definitely worth the cost. 

So what's in it?

Aqua (Water), Aluminum Oxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Propanediol, Panthenol, Emulsifying Wax NF, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Tocopheryl Acetate, Papain, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol

As you can see the list is pretty small and natural. Vasanti does not use parabens, 99% of ingredients is natural. They also not test on animals which is great and product is 100% vegan. Woohoo!

The key and active ingredients are:

Papaya Enzyme (Papain) - natural enzyme gently dissolves dead skin cells and debris, helping to 

fade dark marks, and even out skin tone. Also, Papaya naturally has acne treatment properties. (I'd not be so sure about this as it's very far in the ingredient list, so I don't know if it makes such massive difference, but still good for your skin in some ways I guess!)

Micro Crystals (Aluminum Oxide) - second hardest mineral next to diamonds. Its exfoliation properties will not cause allergic reactions and are incredible for skin stimulation and removal of dead cells. (The particles are so tiny mini that you feel like it only massage your skin, feels like a superfine salt :)

Aloe Vera -incredible healing & soothing properties and is used to balance the exfoliation process leaving the skin smooth and soft

Panthenol - is a form of vitamin B which will help keep your skin smooth by helping to maintain its natural moisture balance and counteracting surface bacteria. Also reduces inflammation, soothes irritation and leaves skin soft and supple

Coconut – in this format has good antiseptic properties and hydrating properties

Tocopherol Acetate – Vitamin E that has anti-oxidant properties

I was amazed by the effect it gave just after the first use! My skin really was brighten and looked plumped, more healthy and was incredibly soft. I don't usually exaggerate and it really needs to be a special product for me to rate is so well, so trust me I tried many exfoliators and this one is going to stay with me for a long time. 

How to use?

Like I said before you only need a pea-size amount of product, spread it all over your face GENTLY giving your skin a little massage (it deserves it), but void using it in your very soft and delicate eye area skin. Rinse with a lukewarm water. You can also leave it for 2-3 minutes to let papaya exfoliate a little bit more. Then rinse. Say hello to the brighter skin :D

In the UK you can purchase it from Birchbox Online Shop and I think it's the most reliable place. Vasanti is a Canadian brand so they sell mostly in US.

3. Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm

Balance Me brand is widely known in UK for their natural and organic products for face and body. I tested some products from their range and I liked all - eye cream (was nice, but I was a bit lazy to use it :( ), hand cream, shampoo. 

The sample of this face balm I got from Birchbox (again I know!) and I fell in love. It's on the last place in this top 3 ranking for one reason: it's a bit oily and hard to remove without a muslin cloth. That's the only downside of this product. 

I love how hydrated and healthy skin feels after using this regularly. Even after the one use skin doesn't feel tight at all (thanks to oils) and feel calm and pampered. 

So this product is again very natural (you can't be more happy about it!) and the ingredient list looks like this:

Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, Colloidal oatmeal, Cera alba (unrefined beeswax), Mangifera indica (mango) seed butter, Butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter***, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) butter, Polyglyceryl-4 caprate, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic polyglycerides, Hydroxystearic/Linolenic/Oleic polyglycerides, Rubus chamaemorus (cloudberry) seed extract, Cocos nucifera (virgin coconut) oil***, Aleurites moluccana (kukui) oil, Rosa canina (rosehip) fruit oil, Camellia oleifera (camellia) oil, Citrus reticulata (mandarin red)*, Litsea cubeba (litsea may chang)*, Citrus aurantium amara (petitgrain)*, Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile)*, Cananga odorata (ylang ylang)*, Coriandrum sativum (coriander)*, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) extract, Limonene**, Linalool**, Citral *natural pure essential oil **naturally occurring in essential oils ***certified organic ingredient

Ok, comparing to two previous products this list seems very long, but look how great is looks! On the top we have sweet almond oil, oatmeal (fine particles to exfoliate), beeswax, mango seed butter, shea butter, cocoa butter (may be clogging for some), virgin coconut oil and many more good stuff. 

I agree that some ingredients may clogg your pores (coconut oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil), but I highly recommend using it as exfoliator, not cleanser (I don't like to spread my makeup over my face), and then remove residue with a warm water and muslin cloth (comes with the balm!). That's my favorite way to use it, and I never felt like I had more breakouts or blocked pores after using it. I cleanse my face with other product before and this product only help to moisture and soften my skin :)

I almost forgot to mention it's smell...aww it is just divine (English camomile and red mandarin essential oils) and it's a natural smell not chemical fragrance that could irritate your skin! After a shower my whole bathroom smells like a citruses and I absolutely love the uplifting effect of this smell.

The best places to purchase it (reliable online stores and offers!) are below:

Balance Me Official Website (15% off on everything when you subscribe to their newsletter!)

Feelunique

Lookfantastic

Birchbox

Full size of this product contains 125ml of balm and costs £20.

Hope you enjoyed this post and you'd find your best exfoliator among those too :) 

Let me know if you use any natural product worth to try! 

BYE! 

BIRCHBOX October arrived - BACK to BASICS!

Hello again!

I don't know if you know what's Birchbox.

For those who don't know, it's a monthly beauty subscription, where each month you get a cute little box full of samples (usually one full product too!) from the most popular brands, but what's great there are many organic and natural brands which you have a chance to discover and try! It costs you £12.95 (with postage) which I think is great for what you get.
What's even better is the act that for every purchased box and reviewed sample you get points which then you can spend in the Birchbox store (believe me they have good brands - theBalm, Benefit, BeautyBlender and many more).

So basically for getting a beauty samples that you try you get points for your new beauty products - perfect for beauty lovers, isn't it?!

If that sounds interesting to you why not to go to www.birchbox.co.uk and get some more info about it!
I'm with them for almost 2.5 years now and so far I managed to get (using my points) 4 or 5 quite expensive for me (£20-£30) products, which I think is amazing!

This link will give you instant 5 to spend in Birchbox shop (50points), so why not to try?! :D CLICK!

So what I wanted to show you today is a this month's box, which has a BACK to BASICS theme. I liked the idea of it, which basically introduces products that seems essential, except all those things we THINK are essential because we got used to use them!

That's why I found in my box this month:

1. Bioderma Hydrabio H2O

I told you in my previous post that I tried Bioderma Micellar water in the past and it wasn't my favorite product. However the one I tried was Sensibio, pink version, for sensitive skin. This one is the Hydrabio version for more drier skin types, and I'm very interested in testing it. I recently finished my Bioderma Hydrabio Serum and I must say I really liked this product, although for now I don't plan to repurchase - I'm waiting for new products which I'll introduce to you here when they arrive!
So knowing the Bioderma Hydrabio range already I'm happy to try Micellar Water from the range too!

2. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Brilliant! This is the product I wanted to try for years and was always distracted from buying it. I know the hype on Youtube on this product and now I have chance to test myself :) This came as a full product worth £9, so basically nearly the price of the whole box (£10)! I don't have any fast drying top coat at the moment so I'm very very happy getting this - thank you Birchbox!

3. Eyeko Fat Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Another full product in this box and it doesn't happen often! I'm thrilled because all Eyeko products I had before were great and I really like this brand overall. It's good quality and you can also get their products in Birchbox shop using your points :) I won't be opening this eyeliner yet to safe it from drying, because I recently purchased L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim Intense  (review soon on my blog!). This product is worth £12, so together with Seche Vite top coat it paid up the whole box!

4. Regenerate Enamel Science Advance Toothpaste

This is the first time when I get a toothpaste in my box ever. I'm usually not that much fan of getting such products, but recently I started to care more about the state of my teeth (which is not bad, but it can always be better!). I was diagnosed with a very early stage of periodontosis (sick!) and when I found out I was terrified. This toothpaste claim to restore enamel and boost original whiteness, so I'm happy to try it!

5. Beaver Hydro Nutritive Moisturizing Shampoo

The new for Birchbox brand founded in Germany. I never heard of them, but as their website says history of this brand is pretty long. I'm always happy to have another sample of shampoo, they're very handy when you travel, I don't pay that much attention to shampoo, as long as it cleanse my hair well and smells nice. I like shampoo to be natural as possible, but I also realized that the more natural shampoo (a lot of oils, no SLS, paraben, etc) the worse it cleanse my hair, which gets greasy very fast :(

6. Beaver Nutritive Moisturising Conditioner 

This product is a BONUS product (every box has one) and it's nice to have a conditioner along with the shampoo from the same brand! I think it makes more sense as you can get the most of products which complement each other. This conditioner is meant to be calming for frizzy hair, nourish and strengthen damaged hair - who hasn't got damaged hair?! Happy to test, because it's never enough of hair masks ;)


Yeah, that's my box this month, I think Birchbox did a good job, products are well selected and good quality. Two full sizes makes it great value and worth it!

Click HERE to get your box! 

Disclaimer: I want to underline that this post wasn't sponsored or written to advertise the company. I only express my own opinion about it and since I use it for long time I can only say it's reliable and worth the fun. Referral link gives both, me and you, some extra benefits, which I think is great! 

Thank you for reading and see you soon!

5 beauty things I won't replace!

Hello again!

Following my previous introductory post where I talk a little about my skin, I decided to talk about things I love so much that I don't plan to replace it (not in the nearest future!).

As I said my skin doesn't like many things and acts like a spoiled kid, so you can imagine it does not accept many changes in my beauty regime. Unfortunately I'm a testing type of person (woman) and I like to try new things! However, I also have some products I use always and when I run out I feel I have to run to the drugstore immediately.

So here's the list of things I always buy, without any doubts: 

1. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water 


The cult product now in my bathroom, replaced the La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution which was great, gentle, effective...but was disappearing in the blink of an eye, so I had to find a cheaper solution to this problem. Garnier also replaced Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser, which was gentle as it claims, a bit sticky and didn't remove makeup as effective as those two above.

It had to be replaced.
Garnier is compared to Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution, however my experience with this hit product is not the best, as I remember having a stingy face after using it, my skin was also a bit sticky, so I didn't feel comfortable not washing my face with water afterwards. And it's pricey.

Garnier Micellar Water not only has very simple, natural and short ingredients list, but also combines the most important for makeup remover qualities : 

• it removes every trace of makeup gently, without rubbing; 
• it soothes the skin and doesn't irritate it; 
• it doesn't burn or irritate eyes (mine are very sensitive); 
• it's cheap and lasts for ages (and even if not for some, again it's CHEAP). 

For me it's basically a combination of the best things you can expect from makeup remover - whenever I visit a drugstore I grab one when it's on offer (usually is).

2. ANTIPODES Juliet Brightening Gel Cleanser


Another things I'll definitely repurchase. It's on the pricey side, but believe me, it's worth it! I did a lot of research, read many reviews and though 3 (or even more!) times before I spent that money on product which CLEANSES, so theoretically it removes dirt and disappears in the outlet. Call me stupid or silly, but I bought this product and I didn't regret for a second. 
So far I use it everyday, morning and evening, and I still have quite a lot left in the bottle. The packaging may seem small, but contains 200 ml of light gel-like product, and like I said lasts for ages (I purchased mine on 5th of July).

What do I expect from face cleanser to call it perfect?

• does not break me out, doesn't clog my pores
• is gentle - doesn't dry out my skin and leave tight feeling after washing my face
• is effective - cleanses skin well from any traces of makeup, which could be still present after pre-cleansing with micellar water
• gives me a nice relaxing sensation - fresh apple and cardamon smell 
• has natural active ingredients - exfoliating kiwi fruit, brightening hibiscus flower, antibacterial manuka honey
• has no alcohol, parabens, SLS, chemicals and synthetic aromas

The only downside of this product is its price, however knowing that it lasts a good 3 months of everyday use I think it's worth every penny.

3. Tea tree oil

Always in my bathroom for a special missions! I can't not have it, and always repurchase just before the old bottle is running out. Every stubborn spot on your face will be vanished thanks to tea tree oil's antibacterial properties. When I only see something coming out on my face I treat it with a tiny amount of oil and let it dry and die! I always do it overnight and in the morning I wake up to calm and clearer skin - spots basically seem to go back to where they came from ;)

When you buy it make sure it's from a reliable source and it's pure tea tree oil with no additives, so you know what you put on your face. Try to avoid all those tea tree based spot treatments - many of them has alcohol added for drying and antibacterial purposes, and many more useless ingredients. Tea tree oil works on it's own, don't pay more for additional stuff you don't need!

I trust Naissance (I had other oils from them), but you can find it in Boots too, although the price is just ridiculous!

4. Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation

Onto makeup products and here is the time to introduce mineral makeup which I repurchase no matter how many other foundations/BB creams I have in my makeup box. Lily Lolo is the British brand specializing in mineral makeup - not only foundations, but full face makeup products, and seem to grow.
I bought my first Lily Lolo Foundation about 2 years ago now, and since then I used it more or less (tested other stuff meantime... obviously), but always had it on the side ready to be used again - when my skin felt for it or when I didn't feel I need a lot of coverage and wanted a natural finish. It replaced very cakey-looking Earthnicity Minerals which I tried before, and since then I don't buy any other mineral makeup - don't need it.
What's great is that you can purchase a sample size before you decide to buy full product (only from Lily Lolo official website), which gives you a chance to match the best color, and they have a very wide range of shades!

Why do I repurchase?

• 10g of product lasts for ages and costs only £13.99
• gives a silky and natural healthy finish, no cakyness or mask effect
• sets foundation very well giving extra coverage and SPF protection
• does not dry out skin like talc based powders (if used on well moisturized skin or primer)
• doesn't clog pores
• has lockable sifter, great for travelling - means no mess or spills!
• is not tested on animals and vegan (I'm not vegan, but if you can use products that are less harmful it's great!)

I find it a little bit drying when used in excess or on it's own, but that's a nature of powder product, so I always use it on BB cream or foundation, and used like this it gives better coverage and acts like a setting powder - 2 in 1.

Highly recommend!

5. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Known to every makeup lover (I guess) and cult product now for its transfer-free formula and coverage that lasts many hours.

I know it's not the most natural product on Earth, but it's just very good concealer and only one that covers imperfections without disappearing after a couple of hours like others. I'm still looking for a similar formula which dries out quickly, stays where applied and highly covers - so far I wasn't lucky enough and keep repurchase Lasting Perfection Concealer.
Why do I look for replace?  I don't like that it feels a bit drying and stingy on my under eye areas, which worries me - because more drying, more wrinkles! and that it comes only in 4 shades so I can't use it as a corrector after foundation.

Still until I find a replacement for this gem I'm going to repurchase and keep it in my makeup box always.


So this is my list of 5 things I won't replace in the near future. These are my cult products so far and I just have to have them in my house ;)

What's your 5 must-have beauty items?

Hope you enjoyed and I'll talk to you later!

Ciao!