In and out... November 2009

Well I was about to be late for my monthly in and out... But here we go, hope you'll like and do not hesitate to share yours in the comments :)

Ins :
- the renewal lash serum from l'Oreal. It works for me, I do not have before pictures but I will show some "final" pics. it definitely helps to prevent lash fallouts and make mine softer and longer. Stay tune for the review
- still in love with product testing ^^. i hope you enjoy reading my reviews as much I enjoy doing them as I thoroughly tried everything I talk about (for a month or longer unless it gives me allergies...)
- my Bobbi Brown makeover I had in Sephora. I always hate how it comes out but this time I was truly blown away. No pics sorry about that but have a look to their face products they truly are amazing and I am very picky when it comes to foundation and concealer. The MUA I had was so professional and smart!
- MAC mineralize skinfinish in Petticoat (Sheer Minerals collection I think...) as light shimmery blush. As my pores shrink back to normal size it gives me the extra radiancy I need with this awful winter weather (blaaaaah hate winter)
- playing with my long hair even I am really bad as a hairdresser :p

Outs:
- dehydrated and cracked skin with some really painful bumps. My skin always reacts like that when healing but it is not a funny time trust me
- not being able to find something that helps erasing my scars without drying more my skin
- being frozen all day long. Lack of daylight makes me feel even colder
- being trapped at home and seeking for a job all day long
- still being unemployed
- the HG eyecream which keeps hiding and escaping! But I will find it one day :p

Your turn!
See ya :)

Winter eyes

Well I tried to make summer lasts as long as possible but the weather is cold, real cold... It is freezing out there. So as winter is already here, it means white, blue and silvery make-up with a lot of twinkles everywhere like ice crystals :p (I know I need to grow up but snowflakes are the only thing I like about winter).

Yeah I know, this year's trend are more on the gold, purple and indigo side but well do I care? Not really I do not have two cents for fashion. So I tried this white-blueish association on my eyes with shimmery eyeshadows to mimic the frost.
No full face pics because my skin reacts badly to the current temperature drop. It becomes very dehydrated and keeps breaking out. Both problems can not be taken care of at the same time :s. Anyway, this eyelook is fully made with pigments mainly bought at the She Space (one of the best quality/price ratio out there for pigments)
- inner third, inner crease and to blend toward the browbone: shimmery white, Snow Capped Twinkles & Pearl range
- middle third : light aqua with glitters, Typical Mania Go glam or Go home range
- external third and outer V : night blue with greyish undertones, Midnight n°23 from Barry M
- liner on upper and lower lashlines & lightly inouter V : turquoise glitters in a lack base, Stolen Soul Diamond Powdered Dust range
- in both waterlines : Stila Smudge Pot in black
- mascara : 15 coats of Lash Plumper from Sephora (it was a trial as on Sephora webiste they promise incredible volume after 15 coats without clumping).
As you can see on the single eye pic, you then have really nice volume on upper lashes (I hardly put mascara on the lower lashes). Not many clumps but... yeah there is a but! I have never seen a mascara which makes as many fallouts! So one way for the trash for this one (it was not old about a month so the fallouts were not due to overdried/overaged mascara).

Yeah queen of the ice eyes! Do you also tend to wear more shimmery/frosty eyeshadows during winter months?

See ya :)

To hope that tolerance will

... defeat ignorance one day! This post will not be dedicated to beauty as it uses to be but there will be some related stuffes in the end. The enclosed vid is a tribute to Sophie Lancaster. It is meant to remind everyone that ignorance, stupidity and prejudices can kill.
This young lady was beaten to death a night in august 2007 while walking in a park by stupids youngs only because she was goth. By trying to protect her boyfriend, first attacked by the band, she felt into a coma and never woke up again. Her parents decided to create their fondation and raised funds to educate people to face difference and be more open-minded.

If you want to help a little or learn more about this drama you can have a look to the fondation's site (here) or if you are a beauty addict like me, you can buy a SOPHIE product on the Illamasqua website (it is a good way to give this brand a go if you have not tried it yet).
I think, I have a black pencil to buy now...

See ya :)

Christmas list...

I know you will try to convince that Santa Claus is not real but guess what to be able to write a Christmas letter or a wishlist you need someone to send it to, right? So he is real just for that purpose and for my infinite love of list making :p
So after this unbelievable scientific evidence, I will give you my beauty wishlist just because imagining Santa Claus running around beauty shops make me really laugh ^^

So:
- a Pure Shine lipistick from Yves Saint Laurent: 32 Frozen Mango or 11 Pink Diamond. I tried them so many times at Sephora that I do need one now. The perfect intermediate between rouge and gloss with a dreamy consistency!!!
- a Rouge Volupté lipstick from Yves Saint Laurent: 13 Peach Passion or 7 Pink Lingerie. I love the packaging and how creamy they feel on the skin!
- The Book of Shadows Vol II. I already own the first version so it needs a friend to talk to, you agree with me :p?
- The eye khôl 31 Paris Indigo from Lancôme. It is the perfect deep gorgeous metallic blue!!!
- the Perfect Renewal Dual Touch eyes from LaNeige. It sounds and looks so cool with 2 different textures for day and night. Maybe the HG eyecream I am looking for, fingercross ^^

Otherwise, I would not be against:
- a job???
- a nice, smart and clever guy... Just kidding an honest guy would be enough :)

Your turn, what would be your Christmas list?

See ya :)

Eyecream?

I know again, but the perfect eyecream is my holy quest! Simply because even I may have one of the oiliest skin on Earth my eye area is dry dry dry. Each time I got my make up done by someone else they freak out about how my undereye is dehydrated... So I searched around and decided to sum up everything I read in a single post. So keep reading!
What can be done??? Do not start to cry they are some partial solutions. The number 1 rule is to hydrate from inside. So drink and water of course! The skin is the thinest around the eye so water tends to evaporate easily from here. I do not drink enough and I pay the price for that, trust me! The second thing to do is to apply the adequate cream! Eyearea has to be taken care of otherwise it damages and it can start really soon. Starting applying cream around 20 is good. I personnally started at 15! You have to apply it gently with your ringfinger without rubbing just with a gentle tapping motion. It provides water and nutrients to this delicate area.

Can I hope to see my dark circles and puffiness disappear? Well for dark circles, do not cry but there is not much to do. If you happen to sleep 7 to 8 hours a night and still have the bad purple eye you have to deal with it. Sorry!
For puffiness, the first trick is to store your cream in the fridge, it will last longer without bacteria this way and also help to improve circulation and drain the extra fluid from there. An other tip for tea drinkers is to keep the bags after they have been infused and store them in the freezer. After removing makeup, you can apply them on your eyes for 10 to 15 min. The caffeine inside helps with puffiness.

How to know if I have age wrinkles or dehydration ones? The age wrinkles are noticeable all the time even when you are not smiling. You will also see deep lines on the outer corners of the eyes : the famous crow's-foot wrinkles!
Dehydration wrinkles are more noticeable on the undereye area, on the dark circles. They are more noticeable when you blink and most of the time they are intensified by heavy concealer which tends to migrate in them.

So how to choose the right cream? If you see any aging signs, go for an anti-aging one it sounds obvious but it is better being said :).
On the other hand, if you suffer from dehydration try to stay away from anti-aging formula as their lifting effect fights againt hydration and moisture. It tightens the skin which becomes less prone to adsorption. In this particular case, which is mine, you'd better choose a heavy balm (nearly wax) because it is really nourishing and it helps scealing moisture into the skin. But, it is not very compatible with makeup application and with possible puffiness. Life is hard sometimes...
I used this type of cream at night to help to restore as I do not suffer from puffiness. Life is great sometimes :p
A gel-like or lightcream formulas are the best compromise and the most common kind you can find out there. They are fast to absorbe and are makeup-prone.

To sum up, eyecream as young as 20 even younger if you suffer from dehydration. Stay away from anti-aging formula if you do not need them. Prefer moisture at first! Apply your cream twice daily if possible or at least in the morning during winter months as your face has to face hard weather! I will do many eyecream reviews here so if you are interested, keep reading

See ya :)

Brewer's yeast : week 2

What about my nails after 2 full weeks of brewer's yeast. First, I am proud to follow this well this beauty routine! I am really bad in taking "medicine" everyday for a long time. But as you can see it grows slowly but surely it does, si no reason to complain about it!!! My forefingers are still weaker than the other ones but I prefer to file them a little more as they were really damaged (they tend to layer but only on these fingers). So I made two pictures this time with a close up and a clear nail polish so that you may see easily how far my nails extend. It is more pratical than an opaque nailpolish...

(sorry for the blurry close-up but when it comes to take pic with a macro option I start shaking like hell :p)

Two more weeks to go but I will have to file my nails more by then as I do not want to have claws. It works really good on my hairs too they look healthy and super silky! But no real improvment on my skin which tends to be over dehydrated these days. Not funny to see dehydration wrinkle when you apply foundation... And as I have to set it with powder to prevent it from creasing on my oilier areas, it is even worth!

See ya :)

Green and purple inspired

In one my previous hauls from MAC I grab Humid e/s, a gorgeous deep green with golden undertones. I do not know why but I am currently in a green mood :p! I also decided to go for a slightly different shape for my eye make-up. I used the same dark shade, Humid, as a thick smoked-out liner on my upper lashline and also as outer-V. It could be seen on the pics, it is not that obvious as I might not have packed enough green on to truly make it stand out :
On the eyes:
- all over the lid, pigment Violet FA 115 from Paris Ax (I am not sure this is sold abroad but they can easily be duplicated)
- inner corners and as a blending shade upwards towards the brow, pigment Glimmer green from TKB
- along the upper lashline and as outer V shade, eyeshadow Humid from MAC
- along the lower lashline, inner half, Glimmer green, outer half Humid
- as a thin liner on top lashline, pigment Ultimate Vert from Pure Luxe (applied foiled) and in both waterlines, pigment Drama queen violet from Aromaleigh (foiled again but with a waterproof mixing medium like Eye Seal from MUFE)
- of course mascara, l'Oreal Double ExtendBeauty Tubes, one coat (OMG my HG!).

To conclude, full face pics to see the global look I went for :

foundation : correcting palette MUFE n°1 + Unifiance crème de poudre n°1 (discontinued product from LRP) + MAC Select Cover-up concealer NW 20 + Météorites from Guerlain.
blush : darkest blush from the eyeshadows/blush combo palette from Coastal Scents + contour & highlight Allover colour pressed powder Almond Blossom from Clinique
lips : Caught Kissing Lipbalm Take no prisoners from The She Space (organic lipbalms tinted with mica, really nice and creamy but not available on the website for now).
eyebrows: random brown pencil

Do you like it? Please do not focus on my elf-like ears. I know they look weird.

This colorful look is soft enough to be worn at work I think. If I can give a last piece of advice, pack more blush on your cheeks than you will normally do because otherwise with these plain colors you will look like a corpse during winter months :p...

See ya :)

5 Camouflage Cream Palette n°1 from Make Up For Ever

Yesterday, I reviewed something I was really disappointed about so today something I raved about! It will particularly be interesting for girls who face skin imperfections like I do. This palette offers everything you need to artificially enhance your skin condition :p Great hum?

What do I think about it? In my opinion, this palette is well designed as it allows to correct everything on pale skin. The two first pink shades are useful to reshape and highlight browbone and inner eye corner. The next beige shape helps neutralize brown imperfections like melasma or age spots. The salmon one is perfect to correct blueish or purple undereye circles. And finally the famous green shade which soothes redness. The texture of those correctors is thick and creamy whic provides the heavy coverage needed by skin imperfections. But it does not cakey. The only drawback is that it can not help with bumps or cave imperfections but nothing can so....

Does it work? Yes sir! You have to pratice a bit in order to perfect application but the outcome is awesome. A remark, anyway, as the texture is real thick you have to settle these correctors with a pressed powder to prevent creasing throughout the day. Moreover as they are correctors not concealer thay have to be used BEFORE foundation. They often give a slight greyish tint to the skin so you have to rebalance your skintone with something tinted like your skin.

Do I recommend it? Yes I use it everyday when I wear liquid foundation and I like better the way my skin looks with than without them. The palettes lasts a while (mine is 2 or 3 month old and I still have not hit the pan). If needed, the correctors can be bought individually at the MUFE store.

Price : 26€70 by Séphora (not cheap but worth the price if you really need 5 different correctors)

I will not say it is a basic in a classical make up stash as many women can go along with one single concealer that doubles as a skin corrector. But in my case I have redness, acne spots and scars, some hyperpigmentation and very pronounced dark circles to hide so it is a good investment.
If you want to see before/after pics I can make some focusing on the imperfection I want to hide. But I think there is no way I can put my full unmade-up face on the Web (sorry :p)

See ya :)

Lash Plumper from Sephora

A new mascara review tonight! I know I tell you I found my HG mascara, which is the L'Oreal Double extend Beauty Tubes but as a true beauty addict I keep trying new ones which look promising. The Lash plumper sounded great with its huge hair brush (I am not found of new elastomer brush) and its heavy gel based formula and all the possible added lash volume. But there is a huge big but... The best description will be done by before and after pictures so here they are. I forgot to take side view but I am sure you will see my main point with these front view...

What do I think about it? Quite obvious on the picture I do think. My lashes look darker which sound natural with a balck tinted mascara, they also seem to be a tad longer but I think this is because my lashes are naturally lighter on their tips. But for volume, nothing! And I put abour 3 to 4 coats on my lashes. Is not this disappointing for a volumising mascara!!!

Does it work? Nope! For a volumising mascara with an adequat wand and a well designed formula, the result is bad. It does not clump when you add coats over coats but it is pointless as you can barely see any added volume. The formula is not drying which can also be tricky for long-lashed girl like me! The mascara tranfers easily on the upper lid and it is really annoying.

Do I recommend it? Not at all as it is not that cheap for a "no-brand" mascara. The huge wand is not that easy to work with for the bottom lashes and inner corners. It is not really a bad mascara but it sounds and looks so promising at first sight that my disappointement is consequently worst. Maybe for patient girls with tiny litlle lashes, it could be interesting :)

Price: 13€50 by Sephora
I read lukewarm opinions on beauty-related chats dedicated to this particular mascara. Some swear by it and others simply hate it. I am sowhere inbetween like always (I hate choosing a side :)). After carefully reading the Sephora instruction, 15 to 30 coats are necessary to achieve intense to spectacular volume... Hum, who has enough time in the morning to apply so any coats??? If you have, you are my idol :p

See ya :)

Brewer's yeast : week 1

Ok this is what my nails look after 7 days of brewer's yeast... Left hand with a colored nailpolish. I know this was not the best idea I have ever had as you can not see where the white part of my nails starts. But French manucure tends to annoy me quickly, really not fun enough for me... So you will have to trust me, my nails may have 3 to 4 mm of extra length and none of them broke. The only trouble I have is my forefingers where my nails grow really slower. I am really not carefull ith my hands and this finger is the more exposed to trouble (computer typing, door banging, can opening...). On week 4, I will post both first and last pictures on the same slide.
It does not look too bad, hum?

Have you ever tried brewer's yeast?
Do not be afraid, it really works, I take my 3 capsules before breakfast and that is it for the day!

See ya :)

Butterfly?

I wanted to go for something brighter than the previous eyelook I have done. And when I say brigter I mean it. I made a super bright look using very cheap eye pigments. All to be exact, they are not pigments as I used unprocessed mica colors (pure mica powders). I bought them at TKB Trading, who is a wholesaler for cosmetic supplies. I discovered it a while ago when looking around for home-made cosmetic supplies. I am nearly sure it is the cheapest place in hte world to buy raw mica powders to use as eyeshadows but I remember that there is a minimum spending amount to qualify for shipping (sorry can not remember how much it was :s).
This look remembers me of tropical butterfly's wings... It is very summery-inspired but as I miss the sun already it is an artificial way to bring it back. In details, I used them as classical loose eyeshadows without foiling :
- inner half lid "Breath of Spring" (spring shiny green),
- outer half lid "Green Apple POP" (ultra vivid green),
- outer V "Grape POP" (ultra vivid purple)
- to line the upper lashline "Coral Reef Blue" (this one is foiled). There was some in the lower waterline but it does not last well
A hundred mascara coats (Lash Plumper from Sephora, huge disappointment).

The pics do not do any justice to the brightness of this make up. It nearly looks pastel or dull but it is not.

So would you wear this?

See ya :)

Your worst vanity case...

On the world wide web, you can find several examples of the perfect vanity case beauty addicts carry around. But I feel like doing the exact opposite tonight, that-is-to-say what I will not bring with me as these stuffes really do not suit me and explain you why in a few words. I remember all that stuffes because most of the time I had bad reactions...
Make-up awards :

- lipstick : Infaillible from l'Oréal if you want to feel like all the water of your body is withdrawn by your lips this stuff is for you!
- gloss : Gloss Super Shimmer from Sephora if you like the smell and taste of chemical strawberry sweets you find your true love here.
- eyeshadow : Christian Dior single eyeshadow it is overpriced for the color payoff you get.
- eyepencil/eyeliner : Aqua eyes from Make Up for Ever really disappointed by these pencils, many people rave about them I clearly not see the point.
- mascara : Volum'up from the Club des Créateurs de Beauté no volume and clumped lashes, interested someone?
- finishing powder : Couleur Nature Velvety Loose Powder from Yves Rocher, cakey cakey...

Skincare awards :

- eye makeup remover : Waterproof Demasq'Cils from Gemey Maybelline which burns eyes like hell and make me burst into tears to the last drop!
- face cleanser/remover : Pure Zone from l'Oréal it is too harsh even for very oily skin to be used every single day or twice a day as supposed :s
- multi-step routine : Proactiv it does not remove pimples but all the surrounding skin.
- eyecream : serum du matin from Officinea review here.
- mask : Iris masque from Weleda I had the strongest allergic reaction I've ever had with this stuff.
- moisturiser : Ultra Matt Shin Reducing Moisturizer from Yves Rocher who do not mattify at all!

That for me, let's your bad side express its power!

They are my personal reviews of these products. I am sure some of you may like them but here are my feelings! And be happy if I do not like some of your beloved products they will be some more for you as I will not stock them ^^

See ya :)

Sebactiv range from Rogé Cavailles

An other review... on something I have been using for a while, especially when I travel because I try not to bring a full beauty vanity case with me. This range is designed to be used by oily and blemish-prone skin. It is meant to help reduce skin imperfections of 46% in about 4 weeks if I remember well the ad...

What do I think about it? I only own one of the two products of the range, that-is-to-say the purifying cleansing water (and so not the purifying foaming gel). I am not keen on micellar lotions and especially the ones designed for oily skin. I used to use the Sebium H2O from Bioderma but it was really too drying for me.
This one do not. It is a 2 in 1 make up remover and cleanser like all micellar lotions. I mainly use it as a toner after cleansing with water to help balance water hardness. It smells nothing which is great for sensitive skin. A little drawback is taht you can easily soak too much your cotton ball and it will foam on your face when you wipe it on. I do not like this feeling but it is really personal.

Does it work? I will say yes. My skin does not itch after cleansing and I can skip moisturising at night without feeling too tight in my own skin. But if like me you tend to wear heavy makeup, you will have to use sevreal cotton balls to obtain a clean one. Do not use it on your eyes, it burns like hell (swap it for Crealine from Bioderma it rocks). It is my make-up remover/cleanser when I left my place. It is a really good 2-in-1 which help balance my skin and prevent furious breakouts.

Do I recommend it? So so... I am a water cleansing lover so hard time for micellar lotions to gain my vote. Anyway this one is a ood one and I have not thrown it away. My top one micellar lotion for greasy face! Perhaps I will try the foaming gel ^^

Prix : around 9€50 in drugstores

Rogé Cavailles means deodorant and personal hygiene for me but I have to reckon their new facial line is great. I know they sell a facial moisturiser in their classical line, maybe I will give it a go one day :p

See ya :)

Internet haul : part 3 of 3

Last but not least, the internet part of my make-up and skincare haul...

As you can see most of the things are form Shu Uemura as I was willing to try this brand for a while. But enough useless babbling, here is the bad pic... We are cruelly lacking sunlight in France now, it is so depressing. I am dreaming of February as days are longer and weather slightly nicer. I hate winter and cold autumn.
- Two metallic e/s from Shu ME 600 (lagoon blue) and ME 160 (smashed rapsberry). The color pay-off is dreamy : intense and really metallic colors!!! Gorgeous ^^ but expensive (more expensive than MAC like NARS I think)
- The limited edition of the fresh cleansing oil with amines on. Hiiiii so girly and this particular oil version is pink. I had to have it, it looks perfect close to my bathroom sink. It cleanses really really well, I have to admit it is the best cleansing oil I tried so far but it is not a good point as it is really expensive. On an other hand, I think it worth it.
- "the Bronzed and the Beautiful" palette from Too Faced which contain three nice bronzers. They are shimmery but not over glittery and really wearable by fair skin gal... Good purchase!
- 2-in-1 shampoo with silk extract from Hegor. Oh yeah I hear you glamorous packaging.... But guess what? It is the best drugstore shampoo I know. My mummy used to wash my hairs with it when I was a child and it still smells exactly the same now. Something close to toffee but not overpowering.

That's it!
I will now start saving some money for my Christmas present, so no more hauls for a while

See ya :)

Brewer's yeast test

I am launching today a new test on my blog! Yeah...
Well I decided to see in real life the results I can obtain just buy taking brewer yeast at the maximum dosage. So I cut all my nails to the shortest length I can stand... For me somewhere between 1 or 2 millimeters of extra length, otherwise I feel "fingerless"...

Here is the evidence... I can not remember the last time my nails were this short. But what would I not do for science :p?
So from now and for the next 30 days, I will take 3 pills of active brewer yeast a day and do nothing else to my nails. I will not wear any growth-enhancing or strengthening polish. Cream for nails and hands once a day and a weekly manicure with argan oil and limited filling!

Stay tune for the next month...

See ya :)

Black style-like?

About a month ago, I showed you a couple of pigments I own that reminds me a lot the Mineralize eyeshadows from the MAC Balck Style collection.

Some people ask me to try a look using them just to have an idea of how they look. I am not fully convinced with both the looks I came out with but as they are not too bas, I decide to share them you afterall. One is a daytime look and the other a dramtic night one.

I used 2 Urban Decay eyeshadows (UD) and one of my The She Space Pigment (TSS) : from the inner to the outer lid packed on a purple cream eyeshadow (NYX Purple Jumbo Eyepencil) : UD Asphyxia, then UD Purple Haze (really close to MAC Nocturnelle) and finally TSS Lucky Charm (also lightly in the crease). Be carefull with this pigment as it is really dark any fallout will be very noticeable!! A thick black line on top lashline and purple pencil in both waterlines. Many mascara coats and voilà :p

The pictures do not do any justice to the glitter reflections in TSS Lucky Charm but I can not take any better ones. Sorry :s
Ready?

First daytime look :

Then the dramatic nightime look...

I only widely extend the outer V with TSS Lucky Charm to mimic a cat eye .

A single eye pic.

This one is a closer picture on which you can click to enlarge to see the glitter. On the outer portion you can normally see the duochrome glitters switching from blue to purplish pink.
Hope you can see them!!!

Do you like the Black Style Mineralize Eyeshadows? Do you wear them at work?

See ya :)

MAC haul : part 2 of 3

MAC is my favorite make up retailer. I think this brand is nearly the perfect balance between price and quality. It is definitely not cheap but as the quality follows I do not really care. As I love to collect stuffes, paying more will be hard :p. That being said, the pic :
In column, starting left, from bottom to top :
- Skin salve (collection Naked Honey), it rocks that is it. I put it everywhere I need extra moisturising : on the lips most of the time, the nose when I spend my time blowing and even on my eyelids when they peel (do not ask me why, it is a mystery)
- Pigment colour powder in Melon. I was not found about MAC pigments but they are far from being bad after trials.
- Mineralize blush in Superduper-natural (Noel collection, the Magic Mirth and Mischief collection)
- Eyeshadow inHumid. I needed in emergency a dark green with golden highlights. It was a question of live or death of course.
- Quad Photo Realism (collection Makeup Art Collection)
- Volcanic Ash Thermal mask (collection Black Style)
- and last but not least, brush cleanser (every night yes I am afraid of eye infection above all). That is it.

I am under a green addiction these days. And you any color addiction?

See ya :)

Tea Tree Blemish Gel from The Body Shop

Well a new product review, I hope you do not find them too boring... But if it just helps one of you I am happy... Enough useless babbling, this time it will be about this pictured targeted spot treatment. A day without a new facial spot is a personal victory and I am nearly sure I am not the only one battling this plague...

What do I think about it? I does look funny because it reminds me a gloss not a stick (nothing to do with a stick afterall...). It has a foam-like applicator exactly like the one in gloss. It helps to spot the gel on the pimple and not everywhere around. It does not smell over nice but it is really bearable. The gel texture dries quickly and allows to put make up right after. My main complain is about the volume of the stick, come on, 2.5ml!!! It is OK if you have a single spot every other month but for people like me it is definitely not enough. Mine lasts a little month, not long hum?

Does it work? I will say yes. Normally I am not very convinced by natural plant remedies and so on... But this one actually works not bad. It will not make your spots vanish next morning but it really diminishes the inflammation of whiteheads and pimples. Neverthless, the deeper pimples and zits will not be cured with this, it is not strong enough...

Do I recomment it? Yes... I also bought the Tea Tree concealer in shade 02 and the small bottle of Tea Tree oil (10 ml for the same price).

Prix : 7 or 8€ by the Body Shop (I know it is really less expensive abroad)

I had not been to the BS for a while and I am quite happy with my purchases... It makes me want to try more stuffes. It is not a miracle in a bottle but efficient enough in my opinion. Any suggestions?

See ya :)

Sephora!!!

...means purchases, purchases... You know I had a gift card to use even I do not really need an excuse to spend money there :p

I am still searching for my HG foundation, heavy coverage without looking cakey and without making my skin break out like crazy. So I nominate this time : the quite new NARS Sheer Mat foundation (shade Mont Blanc a little too light), Estee Lauder Double Wear in Fresco and Chanel Mat Lumiere in 20 light. The first one is medium to light coverage but as my skin doe not need full coverage everywhere I was convinced by the sale assistant to give this one a try. All of the foundations have different shades I know but all mix well with my face (sometimes it is easy to have a bicolored face).
Apart from that, I buy the full new range of l'Oreal Serum inside : the double-ended mascara and the serum (it is already under trial for the serum part, I run low with my beloved Lipocils).
Lastly from Chanel, the new version of the Bronze Universel which is now called Soleil Tan. It is a bronze make-up base that I plan to use as a countouring shade.

To conclude, a pic of all my purchases:

Anything new in your make up addiction? This is the first part of my three coming hauls (one from Mac and the other one from Internet).

See ya :)

Hairs and silicone oils

An other scientific post, deal?

It will deal with silicone oils (it explains the picture of the oil can) that can cause trouble when applied on certain hair types. I will also try to give pieces of advice on how to "cure" those particular problems.

What are silicone oils? Silicone oils are polymers made of Si-O (silicon-oxygen) bonds as main backbone. They are repeated numerous time to tailor the length of the chain and its properties. One of the most common is the dimethicone. These oils are fully artificial, they are named mineral because silicon as the main component is extracted from sand.

Where will you find them? In most non-organic beauty related products... These oils give shine and sleekness to hairs and a silky and smooth touch to a cream texture. To find them in ingredient chart, you have to look for compounds ending with siloxane or methicone.

What are the possible issues? Biodegrability is not sure for the whole oil family which can cause trouble as these oils are evacuated with spoiled waters when we wash our hairs etc...
They are found in good amount in shampoos and conditioners for the shine they give to the hairs by trapping each individual hair in a "plastic-like" wrapping. As a result, hairs are shinier than ever and easy to untangle.
The problem is that on very dry and thin hairs, this waterproof roll enhances the dryness and in the end asphyxiates the hair fiber. There are many possible consequences : breakage, split ends, sensitised scalp leading to oily roots and straw-looking hairs.

What can be done? Try to avoid specifical shampoos made for hair straightening. They are richer in silicone oils than the other kinds. Alternate your main shampoo, let's say one every three wash, and use a deeper formula like an anti-residue shampoo (Pantene, Neutrogena, l'Oreal Professional) or if you can not find or afford one like that, a purifying or anti-dandruff formula will normally do the trick. A drugstore brand (Bioderma, Rene Furterer offer good options) will be a better choice than a supermarket one.

I have long and wavy hairs, and I keep using shampoos rich in silicone oils which are the only ones strong enough to untangle my stubborn hairs. On an other hand, I hardly use styling products. I do not want to fight residue build-up :s.

See ya :)