main |
sidebar
I really like perfumes and at first, I decided to undertake chemistry studies in order to work in the cosmetic-related field. I have drifted from this goal but I still love strong smells.
I am the kind of girl who links her memories to smell. For instance, it is very disturbing for me to smell the same perfume on two persons as they are supposed to be different. I tend to link one specific scent to someone and this mental image is hard to change. So I have a very little perfume collection, pictured underneath, and all these scents remind me a period of my life :
From left to right:
- a cheaper alternative to Thierry Mugler's Angel eau de toilette. I found it mainly in durgstores in the South of France. I was not able to locate any places selling this in Paris (strange hum?)
- Lancome's Magnifique eau de toilette. I am not really used to this scent on my skin. I still need to tame it :)
- Rochas' L'eau de Rochas eau de toilette
- Chopard's Wish eau de parfum
- Issey Miyake's L'eau d'Issey eau de parfum
What about you? Do you have any kind of personal scent signature?
See ya :)
I am not very used to beauty blogging so I am quite sure many things are missing here... I read quite a lot (to be honest many beauty blogs) and am always impressed
That is the subject of my post today :
What do you like or do not like here?
I hope my few readers, famous or not, will give their piece of advise. So do not be shy and leave a comment, pleeeeeeease!
Yeah not very interesting post for you but for me it will definitely be if you take part to my poll. Thanks!!!
See ya :)
An other fashion post...
Yeah I know, I am not what you can call a fashion addict but I'd like to show you a part of my mother's birthday gift. It was a while ago but I had no occasion to wear it until today...
This dress is definitely a cute one in my opinion. I really like its shape and the way it hides and just suggests my body curves. I like the wide pocket on the front side. It makes me feel like a kangoroo mummy :)
It is a bit short to go to work but as the temperature is really high now my bosses become less exacting for clothes. I am not found of the colours, as green is not very flattering for my pale olive complexion but I have to say for once it does not matter.
This outfit is so comfy and funny that I do not really care about its colours (well if it was sparkling blue with stars painted on...).
So what do you think about it?
That is it for today!
See ya:)
Well you may not know but my personal HG is the perfectly moisturising eyecream.
I need to fight dehydration wrinkles under my eyes and as I am getting older everyday I also need some anti-aging properties to help fighting possible crow feet (I know I am crazy I have to cure my acne first :)).
Anyway here is my little ever growing eyecream collection : some are organic, some are cheap, some are not, some even come from abroad (I always buy beauty stuffes when I travel :p)...
(click on to make it bigger...)
See ya :)
As you know I am under a 10 Pan Project so that means I am not able to buy anything beauty-related until I end up 10 products. Geez it is long but I am on my way to succeed. A few stuffes more and I will be OK. I will of course show you a picture of the "corpses" just for you to be sure I was cheating :)...
A beloved reader decides to help me in my "beauty-addiction-come-to-an-end" quest and send me an unexpected gift! She knows that I will fail otherwise. Not buying anything for two weeks, come on!! Yeah, so this is it :
(in case you wonder the nail polish is Hong Kong from Mavala n°19). It is a relaxing eye mask which is supposed to fight puffiness and dehydration wrinkles... I will use it soon, I am sure, as I am lacking some sleep right now. Hope it works :)
I am so lucky to have so nice readers! Thank you so much <3
That's all folks...
See ya :)
Hi there!
So I tried this tooth whitening system for 14 days as it is supposed to be used.
It consists of stripes coated with a whitening gel you have to glue on your upper and lower teeth for 30 minutes twice a day.
So what about it? It has made my teeth a bit sensitive during the treatment but nothing I can not stand. It does not taste too bad but it tends to be foamy in your mouth so surprising at first :)...
But in the end does it work? I am not totally convinced, I took pictures before and after using it. First I want to let you know that I am aware my teeth have grown without any order and this after around 10 years of brackets on them (yeah I know I may have changed dentist sooner but I trusted him...).
But enough chatting, here are the pics:
Before
After
So it works a bit I think, my teeth are whiter but not over sparkling white which was what I wanted... You need to know that I kept drinking coffee under treatment because I knew I won't stop coffee later on... I am addicted to it (junkie...). So you can give it a try just to see but it may not be the better treatment out there. It costs around 40€ for 14 days.
Even if I am not a green-addict I sometimes try simple and well-known beauty secrets from around the world. So this will be the first article featuring "beauty of the world"
Why do I want to talk about argan oil? Because I have been using it for several months now (I won't be doing a review or talk about something I have not been using for a while, it is one of my guidelines :) ) and I kind of really like it.
Why?
- Because argan oil can be used by everyone even tough it is recommended for drier skin type.
- It is non comedogenic and often prescribed to soothe acne flare
- It does not leave any greasy residue on top of the skin and it penetrates quickly
- It can be applied everywhere you want : on hair, nails to strenghten them
- It is both moisturizing and nourishing thanks to vitamin E and anti-oxidants.
- It fights wrinkles and age spots
I personnally use it on my under eye area which tends to be so dry and it keeps it nice and smooth. It has helped to clear my eczema too so I am pretty impressed by its healing properties. It has not accentuated my skin oiliness so all in all it is worth a try! But be aware that some people reported breakouts using it. Be sure to buy a cosmetic-grade one which is less oily than the food-grade one (and of course more expensive...)
That is it for today
See ya :)
Hi there! Me again talking about fashion...
Well not really about fashion as I am not really following any trend but about an original (in my point of view) outfit I really like! My mum bought it for me as a birthday gift and first, I found it way too weird to be worn on a daily basis. But I tried it on, and OMG it is so comfy that I decided to give it a try as a work outfit. It may sound really surprising to some of you but in my field of work, no one care about how you dress as long as you are not nearly naked :). I work mostly with guys so mini skirts are not the best option!
It is not very clear on the picture (you can click on to have a larger view:)) but it is all in one piece, a kind of mixture between a ninja's outfit and a salwar.
Ayway that is what I wear today with my funny red shoes and I think that it looks kind of cool and that it does not suit me too bad... So give me your thoughts (don't mind the multiplugs in the background, I am not the tidiest person :p).
See ya :)
Instead of speaking of snail dribble today, I would like to talk about something I am really looking for (yeah I know one more :)), the perfect eye cream. I have perhaps the driest undereye area you can ever see even if my skin tends to be over oily. I even have dehydration wrinkles as my skin is so thirsty under here. So it is a bit like a personal HG to find a good one I can use day and night and put make up on without fighting because I also have very dark circles (lucky girl hum?)
What do I think about it? Well, the biological label is interesting at first sight because undereye skin is very thin so perhaps the less chemicals here, the better...
BUT this stuff is pure crap. I know it is rude but, in my opinion, it just has drawbacks! It is far too liquidy and the pump delivers too much product even for both eyes. And when you look at the price you will be happy not to waste the tiniest amount of it...
As it is oil-based, it takes for ever to be absorbed into the skin and when you put make-up on top of it, it gives a total mess!!!! It is just IMPOSSIBLE to put make-up on top of that. I don't really know how to explain but it makes little "plushes" on your skin and you finally look like you don't know how to wash your face. Gross!
Does it work? Well I really don't like it. It is not hydrating enough for me. It is supposed to have anti-aging properties and to fight dark circles. For the dark circles, I will say yes maybe a little bit bt for wrinkling it has not help at all for my dehydration wrinkles.
Do I recommend it? No not at all, definitely not working for me...
Price : 48,9€ by Officinea.fr (online seller)
Perhaps it is worth the price for green addicts who do not put much makeup under their eyes. Otherwise, it is way too pricey for the results. Anyway that is just my point of view. I will end it up but as you may have understand, do not buy again
See ya :)
I want to talk about something a bit different today... I will show you my last shoes purchase! Yeah I know they are perhaps "too much" for some of you but I do love them! I am not a shoe addict and I may be the least fashion-addicted girl on Earth but I have to say that from time to time, I fell in love with a pair of high heels no one else will ever buy...
Why do I buy these ones more specifically? Because they remind me the Minnie's one, the fiancée of Mickey. Yeah I know I am completely crazy but in my opinion, it gives a very nice and funny twist to a very classical jean & black shirt look. I don't wear them on a daily basis but from time to time it makes me feel over sexy and kind of funny :)
Please don't pay attention to the moskito's bite on my ankle, I seem to be very appealing to them!
See ya :)
So today I decide to give you a quick overview of one of my skin issue. So it will be about blackheads and enlarged pores (I warned you about the low glamour of this post :)).
First what is a blackhead? It is just a pore that gets clogged by too much sebum. The balck head is only oxidized sebum that is in contact with air.
And enlarged pores? nothing to do with blackheads even if both use to appear on the same type of skin. The oily one like mine :s... More precisely, enlarged pores can in the end turn into blackhead if for any reason the sebum is not able anymore to flow freely (gross :s)
So what can be done?
- Carefull make up removal and cleansing are mandatory. Attention must be paid to the problem areas.
- Gentle exfoliation is also recommended but prefer gentle products to the ones for oily skin as they can be overdrying! And of course do not over exfoliate as your skin will react by producing more sebum. I do really like the gentle exfloliant with 3 roses form Nuxe and the 7-Day srub from Clinique. I tend to use them every other day... I am not very found of chemical exfoliation as I find them strangely more iriitating than the mechanical ones.
- For blackheads, steam is interesting for opening the pores and it helps to gently manually remove thme. Do not press too hard on your skin as it can leave marks and afterwards scars. Try to tone with a purifying or astringent lotion and if your skin is not too demanding try to leave it free of cream for the night. It will breathe better this way and regulate naturally! ;p
-For enlarged pores, avoir steam bath! Use tepid to cold water to help tighten your pores and leave your skin breathe after toning!
Home made recipies?
-honey + olive oil + baking powder
-egg-white + lemon juice
-2 tablespoons of oatmeal mixed with a floral water
-egg-white+ cornstarch
I have not try any of these but I will for sure just to see, I am curious and in this way, I won't buy any goodies :)))
Commercial skincare?
-Normaderm from Vichy (I already have this one need to test it out)
-Idealist serum from Estée Lauder
-Pore Reducer from Biotherm
-Pore minimizing serum from Clarins (perhaps I will give it a go)
-Pore no more from Dr Brandt
-Pore refining mask from Burt's Bee (perhaps I will give it a go too) ...
Many offers outside and not enough face to try everything :))
PS : What I personnaly like the most is microdermabrasion... I really think it works and it seems that some balckheads on my nose have vanished. I will keep on using it once a week and let you know how it is going
See ya :)
Ok let's talk about this one... Funny serum for night care as it is mainly made of snail dribble! I have never heard about this kind of stuff before I was offered to test this serum out by a friend of mine
What do I think about it? I do love the texture!!! It is a very firm gel you can nearly play and cut little cubes inside (don't be afraid I don't play with my nightcream :) ). It is supposed to help soothe, hydrate, regenerate and sanitize your skin. What I really really don't like about it is ITS SMELL.... OMG! I can't believe how chemical this stuff smells. It remind me a mixture of cheap multivitamine juice and bitter almond...yeah creepy!
Does it work? For sanitizing and regenerating, it is definitely worth a try. I won't say it hydrates very well... You really have to use a tiny bit otherwise you will feel llike your skin is wrapped in a plastic film. Not very pleasant
Do I recommend it? Well depends on what your looking for... I am pretty sure you can find out there better creams made with snail dribble. So I need to have a closer look to this. Allatoin is known for its healing properties and snail dribble contains a lot of this chemical compound. So I think I will make my skin this gift it deserves
Prix : 29€ by La Malle au Tresor (French online shop, maybe it sells abroad?)
I will probably do tomorrow a 101 on primers & skin enhancers or a How to on blackhead removal (sexy, hum?). Which one do you prefer?
That's all for today.
See ya :)
Well, even if I am under "10 pan project" sentence, I keep on putting make up. That's quite logical I have to use my numerous goodies :))).
So my today's trial was a kind of nude make up... I have to say, that for me, this kind of make up only suits girls who were given by Mother Nature perfect flawless skin (hello Mother Nature do you remember me???)... The whole impact of this particular look relies on skin's glow and youth.
For troubled or blemish-prone skin like mine it is very challenging to achieve that, not to say impossible... But I still like the challenge beyond that so I give it a try. The left picture is what I come out with... First don't pay attention to my "lion's mane", I am the less gifted person when it comes to styling my hair :s.
So what do you think? Do you like it or not?
I must confess I am not fully convinced it suits me but it was interesting to try...
See ya :)
Ok ok ok... Let's face the truth! I have to confess I have too many stuffes, I can not make them fit on my dinner room table. Some of them are not even opened. But I have a good reason for that last point : I don't want to open them all at once as they have to be thrown away within 6 months for the most part.
I hate above all throwing make up and skincare away so I prefer to stock them just in case... And you know with limited edition you have to get back-up of course :).
I know I am totally crazy but sometimes I just have to have it that is it! I can not fight when I see an eyeshadow crying in front of me (you have never seen an e/s crying? Poor you ;p).
Well enough fun! I decide to try be a grown-up and involve myself in a "10 pan" project. Will see if I succeed?
See ya :)
Today I will talk about this mask which I am kind of addicted to... It contains two different masks : a very liquidy black mud which purifies the skin and a white paste (it feels a bit sticky) which will perfect your skin radiance while soothing it too.
What do I think about it? If I try to be fully honest, the whole ritual is a bit too much for me. You have to massage the black mud for 5 minutes, then rinse it and apply the white paste, massage again 2 minutes and finally let it set for about 10 minutes to get the maximum results. When I use it (once a week for serveral months now :) ) I just massage the mud on my face for about 3 minutes and that is it for the massage. I wait two more minutes, rinse, put on the white one and 10 minutes later rinse it off. That's it!
Clearly enough, I can feel that my skin is squeezing clean after that! It looks litteraly plump... Does it help with blackheads? Not really, sorry to say that, but in my opinion nothing apart from manual removal works on these awful pimples!
Does it work? I will say yes, the results are really OK. Moreover the packaging is definitely gorgeous even if it is plastic made (it goes against the natural remedies purpose of the product but I don't really care). It looks very nice in my bathroom :))). For people who have germ phobia, it comes with a little spatula to scoop out the masks. It does contain a lot of product so it will last a really long time. I got mine for quite a while now and there is still a lot left. All in all, I will say you have enough product for 6 months based on a weekly use.
Do I recommend it? Yes, I am hooked, by the all-in-one aspect of this mask both purifying and glowing effect. It is meant to be used by any skin type but I would recommend not to do the whole massage sequence as it tends to irritate a bit the skin (perhaps I massage my face too strongly?). In this case, the purifying action will be too intense and can cause small zits on your most sensitive facial area (it happens to me only once on my cheeks over more than ten uses). A 3 minutes massage with the black mud will give the exact same results without irritating.
Prix : 49€ by Sephora
I have two backups of this mask. I know I am a real freak! Before I forget, they do not have any kind of smell which I really like. And a last piece of advice if you go out and buy, use a old towel or washcloth to remove the masks as some of mine get strongly stained.
That's all for today.
See ya :)
So let's get it started... Here is my first review...
This serum does contain salicylic acid which is supposed to help cleaning pores in a deeper way and hence create a perfect & smooth canvas for mineral makeup application...
What do I think about it? Well it is written on the bottle that it can be used as a moisturizer for oily skin and I have to say no. Not enough moisture with this stuff alone... Anyway with only one pump pressure, you can easily do the whole face (avoid eye area), the consistency is quite liquidy and it leaves no greasy feeling. It absorbs right into the skin which is a very good point for wearing under makeup. For the "primer" effect, I don't really know as I use a separate primer for my foundation to last all day long. One aspect you have to be aware about is the scent. It clearly smells like hospital or any kind of strong-scented medicines. It doesn't really bother me as I like better this kind of smell than oversweet one! But I know some people find it really repulsive...
Does it work? I am likely to say yes... It helps me not to break out too much and it seems to help a bit fighting the inflammation of existing pimples.
Do I recommend it? Yes but it is definitely not mandatory. More a serum than a moisturizer in my opinion .
Price : 25€ by Sephora
21,25€ by HQHair.com
17,25€ by Beautybay.com
I have heard about very strong allergic reactions to this particular product so be careful if you plan to use it. You'd better to a patch test on your elbow (inside skin) to see if you react to it. Reviews on this serum are quite controversial that's why I wished to give you mine.
That's all folks... Do you want me to review anything else in priority in my facial routine (the Taï-Chi masks are on their way for tomorrow's review ;p)
See ya ;)
So here we are :)! What you will find here is all the links to my different reviews by product type. I think about it and it may be the easiest way to go. If you see something missing do not hesitate to leave a comment.
In summer, my skin tends to be very oily! But I am anyway lucky enough not to get overall shiny... It is not perfect and I still have numerous enlarged pores that is why I decided to go for the following skin routine for the next 28 days which will normally show during this timeframe if it efficient for me or not. I know it is a lot of stuffes to spread on my face but I also need to take very careful care on my global sensitivity and the fact that even if my skin is oily I easily get deshydrated patches on my face.
So here it is
Morning :
- washing gel : Special cleansing gel from Dermalogica
- toner : Multi active toner from Dermalogica
- serum Skin rev-er upper from Bare Minerals
- moiturising lotion: Cleanance anti-shine regulating lotion from Avène
- eye contour : Serum contour des yeux pour le matin from Officinea
- on zits, pimples : Effaclar A.I from La Roche Posay
- solar protection : high protection sunscreen brush SPF 50 from Sephora
Evening :
- eye makeup remover : oil makeup remover Isotéliale from Noviderm
- face makeup remover : refreshing milk for normal to combination skin from Ysiance (French supermarket brand)- washing gel : Special cleansing gel from Dermalogica
- toner : Multi active toner de Dermalogica
- exfoliation : Gentle aromatic exfoliant with 3 roses from Nuxe
- serum : Gel serum visage from Innovatouch Cosmetic
- moiturising lotion: Cleanance anti-shine regulating lotion from Avène- eye contour : 100% pure argan oil from Natessance
- on zits, pimples : Effaclar A.I from La Roche Posay
Masks :
- purifying (1 x week): Tai-Chi masks from Herborist
- hydrating (1 x week): masque apaisant hydratant d'Avène
Microdermabraison (1 x week) :
- Kit Powerbrasion from Skin Doctors
I will try to organize this blog as well as I can. So I will probably make a table of content with link to products by name, type and brands. What do you think?
See ya :)
The best way to let you know what I want to say with this equation is perhaps to show you a picture...
I have very sensitized skin which tends to overreact sometimes. Now it is quite oily, with blemishes, spots, blackheads and enlarged pores (doesn't sound very nice, hum?). I also have many scars because I used to scratch my pimples when I was younger (so stupid girl!).
And as you can see, I am ghostly pale so even the smallest redness is clearly visible on my skin!
So I try as hard as I can to deal with it. And that is definitely not the easiest stuff to do. My skin seems not to stand anymore treatment for young blemish-prone skin (I am perhaps too old now?), so I turn to some more expensive skincare line, hoping to find my holy grail which will give me back my 17 year-old perfect skin...
Doing so I have collected thousands of different products from several different brands! If you are interesting in seeing reviews on them, make-up and other beauty related, stay tune...
See ya! :)
Hi girl (you may be a girl to read this for sure)!
As you will readily see, I am not a native English (please forgive me for all the future mistakes)...
I am 26 (boy! I definitely don't feel that old), French and truly, fully and totally addicted to everything concerning beauty...
I live in Paris which means quite a lot to access in everything you dream off concerning beauty stuffes!!!! Yeah don't blame for that, otherwise you won't be reading this, right ;p?
What I plan to do here is mainly reviews, some swatches and personal opinions on make-up, skincare and everything I try to be nicer (not even sure it is possible but I try really hard :p). Feel free to comment, ask questions and everything else you want.
I hope you will enjoy having a look around here!
See ya :)
