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Tuesday I wrote a post on how to care about your skin when sun is back. So I think that intorducing you my all time favorite sunscreen is perhaps a good idea. This is purely a sunscreen and not a moisturizer with an added SPF but its moisturizing properties are enough for summer. If not I add some random oil drops and I am good to go. Underneath the reasons why I am so convinced about it.What do I think about it? First of the packaging is awesome. Do not take me wrong I am not a huge fan of cheapy ornage plastic but it comes with a pump that delivers the perfect amount of product to be applied on your face.
The consistency is perhaps a little too runny but it smells great which is surprising for a sunscreen. It has a high SPF and it is waterproof, sweatproff, hypoallergenic and non comedogenic!! I confirm it does not break me out. This particular one is designed for sensitive skin like all the Avene range but more specifically for acne prone skin. It can be used by everybody anyway without trouble. It is just a lil litter on the skin than traditional sunscreens.
Does it work? Yes of course, tried past summer, huge success for me so I repurchase this year. And it is so rare I buy twice the same product! I really enjoy the pump which keep the cream free of germs especially on the beach where sand tries to sneak in everywhere. I use it on a daily basis (to fight premature aging caused by UVA), even in town when sun is shining, it does not feel heavy (a lil heavier than lightweight moisturizers anyway), it does not make me shine like a disco ball, it does not slip into the eyes (great for contact wearers) and you can put make up on without getting funny stripes. You just have to wait 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile brush your teeth :p.
It mixes well with everything I tried, foundation primer and minerals to create your own tinted moisturizer if you are a mineral addict.
Do I recommend it? Yes. You can find many dupes for this sunscreen in France in drugstores and chemists. I like Eucerin and Uriage (Hyséac) ones too.
Price: less than 10€ in a random drugstore where I am :p
If you have a favorite SPF product let me know. And if you have a favorite fake tanner pop it in the comment section I may give tanners a go this year.
Last word : PROTECT YOUR SKIN! It is your biggest organ and the one that is the most exposed to environmental damages.
See ya :)
...good sun habits and how to have a safe behaviour regarding tanning. I know this post will not be funny but sometimes serious things need to be said too. As a scientist, I may know some interesting details you will be thrilled to learn, anyway I hope so... So on SUN EXPOSURE, here we go!
When do I have to put on a sunscreen? I will answer all year round, an SPF 15 for winter and upgrade to SPF 30 when sunnier days are in if you leave in a city. On the land or if you spend a lot of time outside, higher SPF may be better. And check that your sunscreen provides protection against both UV types A and B (it is normally written on the front part of the bottle)
I do not understand a thing to the SPF scale... It is a number calculated with a weird formula so it is hard to explain but the thing you have to remember is the higher the SPF, the higher the protection. Easy, hum? But do not assume that a SPF 30 provides twice as much protection as a SPF 15 that is so wrong. The protection is only a few % higher.
But I spend most of my time inside... As many people leaving in cities and working in office but you spend sometimes outside anyway to walk to your car or your bus... You have to know too that some UV rays can pass through windows so you'd better be protected. You will not get a tan in that case but you still need a protection from the part of the UV range that cause premature aging.
I hate sunscreens! They are sticky, you can not put make up on top... That is completely wrong, sunscreens have evolved a lot since we were children. You can find very light textures, even some that are specially designed for problematic skin and they can be used under makeup. Go have a look at your chemist or even in drugstore you will definitely find something that suits you.
It looks withe-ish when applied ! Some do and others don't. The "white" effect is due to the sun block agents in the formula. The mineral type ones which can be compared to tiny tiny little rocks are the ones who give this white colour because they are solids in a sense. Chemical sun blocks are less prone to that but on an other hand, they can be sensitizing to some skins, especially intolerant. Most sunscreen formulas contain both types of sun block agents
They prevent tanning and I want a tan! This is an other myth. No sunscreen on Earth can totally block UV rays. There is no 100% protection. You will tan slower and safer but you will tan! If you are not able to tan with a sunscreen, not putting one on will just make you burn not tan!!! If you really want that bad a tan check sunless tanning stuffes like Xen-Tan or St Tropez or even cheaper brands like Ambre Solaire or l'Oreal.
But I have to reapply it every 2 hours, how can I do that with make up on? Chemical sun block agents are slowly destroyed with time, but to do so they have to be exposed to a certain amount of rays or be wipped of your skin by perspiration or water. So if you do not spend much time outside, especially in winter, the sunscreen you put on in the morning will still be a lil efficient when you left in the afternoon. On the other hand, when skiing or sunbathing at the beach, reapply every 2 hours is mandatory. All the rays are emphasized by reflection on the sand, the sea or the snow.
I am still not fully convinced? Listen, the sun is good to synthetise vitamin D but for that no need to sunbath everyday, walking outside is enough. You have to bear in mind that sun is the main factor in premature aging, it takes part to 70% of it, way before genetics for instance. And if you are still doubtful, check "skin cancer" on Google Images, I hope it will prevent you from sunbathing with just monoï. And do not think it is too late to start protecting your skin it is never too late.
To sum up, you can find hundreds moisturizers with an added sunscreen around SPF15 on the market. They are great for winter but maybe a lil low for summer. Some foundations also provide an extra-protection which is cool. For summer, a real sunscreen lotion or a high SPF make up base (MAC, MUFE...) will be a good alternative.
In winter, I do wear a SPF 15 make up base from Stila (which I need to change as the brand is not sold anymore here) under my foundation and when sunny days are here, I switched to my beloved Avene sunscreen I will review soon.
A last trick, do not spare on sunscreen you have to apply a good amount of it to make it work.
So what are your sunscreen habits?
See ya :)
Ok every girl a little interested in nails will have heard about this stamping system. I do own one for a pretty long time now and never find the time to experiment with it. But as you guess, this time is over. Just in case you are not familiar with this stuff, you replicate a design from a plate directly onto your nail. Here is the kit I own:
Inside you find a design plate (top left corner), a scrapper to remove excess polish from the plate (top right corner), hidden under the scraper is the stamper to transfer the design to your nail and 3 polishes : 2 "special stamping", the black and the white and a top coat to prevent the design from chipping.
How to use it? Theoretically, you put on a base coat (Yoga-ta get this blue! from OPI), you let it try while choosing the image you want. You pour some special polish on the image (I go for the white one and a butterfly) after that you have to be quick scrap the excess, stamp on the plate and then on your nail in a single eyeblink.
And from a pratical viewpoint? Well, here is what my first try comes like (with a frightening close up) :
So what? To be honest, I am not convinced. You see only my left hand which is the most successful and it already does not look that cool. The butterflies look kind of drunk, right :p?
My first issue was to find a design small enough to fit on my tiny nails. I was so suprised about how big they all are!! The second one appears when you stamp to pick up the design. You have to press hard but not too much and be quick but not too much either. Taugh time for me. It may explain why I got asked to repeat a year at school when I was four : I am stamping challenged!!!
Transfering on the nail is way easier as long as you do it firmly without shaking.
Afterall, I do not like the final outcome : it looks mmore dirty than cute to me. Maybe it is due to my bad base application and my inaccurate stamping.
To conclude, I will say that maybe Konad is meant for dummies but not for someone as dummy as I am. I think of giving it away right now. Or maybe I need to practise more to perform. I am in the horns of a cosmetic dilemma.
What you think?
Do not forget my poll (here)
See ya :)
Ok ready for the weekly review. It will be about an other Lush moisturizer as the first one I tried, the Vanishing cream, ended up being quite disappointing. This one is suposedly designed for combination skin like mine. So why not giving it a go afterall?What do I think about it? First it is scented with lavender and orange blosson and it is not what you smell, the smell is weird not really unappealing but not appealing that is for sure. The texture is really thick for a combination skin-prone moisturizer but once you heat it up between your fingers it goes on Ok and sinks into your skin. It does not interact with foundation which is great. But in my personal case, there is a huge default, it does not go well with my skin chemistry or one of the other stuffes I used on my face... The smell turns rancid for 10 to 20 seconds which is really annoying. Not cool at all even if it does not last. I checked the best before date and it was Ok, moreover I kept it in the fridge for most of the time :?
Does it work? First I have to say that I am always sceptical when you find moisturiser for combination skin. I do not think it is possible for a single cream to provide moisture to dy area and sebum control to oilier ones. It sounds way too good to be true. For this particular one, the hydration power is too low for dy areas and I am not so sure of the oil breakout control efficiency. If you use a blotting sheet in the middle of the afternoon, it will be slightly greasy.
Do I recommend it? Well once again no. I throw mine away last week and it was half full. The smell and texture seemed to have changed a lil. And above all, after 3 weeks I could not stand the rancid smell anymore. It so frustrating to wash your face clean and put something back on that stings :x
Prix: 16,95€ by Lush French website
I think it concludes my trials of the Lush facial skincare range. 2 trails, 2 huge disappointment. They are not super cheap and not at all efficient on my skin. I would rather buy some Embryolisse big bottle instead. I still like their soap (especially the ones they discontinue but that is an other story) and their solid shampoos when I travel but that's all I wil ever buy again from there. I do own a facial soap that I need to test but have to erase my memory from my Lush disappointment before :p
See ya :)
You may have noticed that the core of this blog is product review. I really enjoy doing them and I hope you find interesting pieces of information in them. But it is obvious that many time you are not even interested in what I review for many different reasons.
It explains why I decide to ask for your opinion this time. I plan to switch my skincare routine as the one I am using right now does not blow me away. I already own many many (too many?) from many ranges so I need some help to pick one and try thouroughly for the upcoming month.
Drum roll....
I will use the stuffes you pick (perhaps match your choice with my French blog too :p) for a month and report on them in the beginning of April. You can vote everyday and for multiple chocie if you are interested in more than one brand.
Let's get it started.... GO!!!
See ya :)
due to a famous place where to buy cosmetics here in France and abroad I know that :) (check the pic for a clue to know what I am talking about).
This post will not deal with how creepy can be the testers in the stores of this group... But it will be about the quick and unpredictable death of some brands that I really like from the aforementioned shops.
You want names? Think Stila, Laura Mercier and Shu Uemura not to say anything less. I know many people will not understand what I complain about, I live in Paris so I will defo find other places to buy these stuffes but guess what Paris is not the center of the world!!! I remember when I was living by my parents on the land I was really happy to be able to buy good quality and not so common cosmetics from this group website. But this time sadly seems to be over.
I do understand that money rules the world in that case but as a fellow customer I will be happy to be informed that some of the brands I love will be discontinued, just to stock up :p.
I live close to their main shop, the one that is supposed to carry all their brands like a display case and each time I go there all the beauty corners have changed. Everything is reorganized so it is hard to notice at first glance if something is new or in my case has disappeared. And like it happens to me today, you will notice it when you need something :s.
I know I will end buying something else perhaps as good as or perhaps not but I am a bit sad all in all to see that some of the brands I like will disappear for most girls not leaving in Paris. Some of these brands were sold there and only there, some are still avalaible on the website but I am sure it won't last long. No more stands in the hypest store, not more online sale, that's the rule I guess.
I really hope it will not happen in all the stores around the world. I assume not as some brands are sold abroad and not in the French stores but to conclude I think the customer policies have to be revised especially for "gold" customers as they like to call us.
See ya :)
Hi girls, how are you today? Hope the weather is sunnier where you are. Only gray sky here :s. So I decide to put sun directly on my face instead of waiting for it to shine outside. Only coral and bright orange for this springish-summery look. Hope you'll like it!
The eyes first:
In order of application:
- on the whole lid area, a very light shimmery coral, Apricot Moose from NYX
- in the crease only and blended upwards with the coral colour, a very strong and bright orange with golden sparks, Africa from NYX
- in the outer portion of the crease on a very fine line, a metallic burgundy, ME 160 from Shu Uemura (Cranberry from MAC will be good too)
- on the bottom lasline, the two first colours from light to dark going outwards.
- in the waterlines and on upper lashline, a dark brown pencil, Dark Brown from NYX
- the upper line is blended upwards with a dark brown eyeshadow, Fashionista pigment from Bare Escentuals
- plenty layers of mascara to awaken the eyes and not look sick drunk, Volume Shocking Brosse Exacte from l'Oréal. And you are done!
Time for full face pics:For the base: camouflage cream palette MUFE + Unifiance Skin like foundation 01 from La Roche Posay (discontinued) with a single drop of Lustre Sun Rush from MAC (limited edition) + Météorites powder for the face 01 from Guerlain .
For the dark circles : Select Cover up from MAC NW 20 + Powderflage from Benefit
For the cheeks : fesh bloom allover colour Almond Blossom 03 from Clinique (hollow) + Beauty Powder Blush Fun & Games from MAC + Embelliseur Abricot from Agnes B (limited edition, on the apples) + Mineralize Skinfinish Soft and Gentle from MAC (limited edition, highlight) For the lips : Rouge B Abricot rosé (=pink apricot) from Agnès B + Eau de gloss transparent from Bourjois. Badly applied. I still need to practise lipstick application :p
In the end I like this look, it does not wash me out or make me look sick and it is very wearable even for work! I am quite happy because the orange is so bright it scares me a little to use it as a main eye makeup colour. Before I forget, would you be interested in swatches of the eye colour I used in order to compare them with things you already own?
As you can see I am on a lazy day, funky tee shirt and wild hairs but guess what I am not going anywhere :). For the full face pics, so sorry to look that haughty and pretentious I promise I am not. I'd better hide instead my skin is going on the messy side again. Have to go back to anti pimple routine I think :(
See ya :)
If like me you are often daydreaming when waliking, you may often face this kind of little incovenience... Yesterday I banged my hands, nails first in a mechanical door which has suddenly decided not to open. So I have to deal with what I was left with that is to say damaged, cracked and peeling nails... Ewww.
Here is what my nails look after the crash (I know the pics are really bad and my nails look really sick on them but well...).
I do not take pictures of the ones who turn blue-purple because of bruising but they are way to bad looking.
So what do I do?
I start with a classical manucure (cuticle and naol care, mine are so dry as you can see, filing and slight buffing...) and on top I applied a fortifying base to help strenghten my weaken nails and prevent further peeling.
I do like the first step of the Mavala nail shield, it is loaded with tiny nylon fibers that help all the nail layer to stick together and grow stronger. I add a pic on which you can see them (click to enlarge to see them better, sorry for the over dry cuticles :s).
Then you apply the second step to smooth the surface and grab an opaque polish to hide the bruise and peeling layers :p. I go for the 3-in-1 Pure Plum polish from Sephora ( hardener, straightener and smoothing)
And you're done, I know I am challenged when it comes to polish application but people will notice my creepy manucure instead of destroyed and bruised nails. I do take the first option better :p
Am I the only grow-up who spends her time banging on doors, windows and even tables???
See ya : )
Here we go for an other skincare review, it is not what I initially plan for today but I have to change in last sec. I was thinking on making a nail post but I badly hit my hands in a mechanical door today and break all my nails short. Ewww... Painful and not so good looking, have to wait for the bruise to disappear. Anyway, bask to our serum...What do I think about it? I will perhaps sound a lil rude writing that down, but when I first heard the gorgeous Michelle Phan from YouTube talking about her amazing skincare line, it makes me think about all these celebrities who make perfumes and think their name will be enough to make them smell good... But I have to admit that all her vids look really professional and that she does not tell many craps from a scientific viewpoint so after all why not? When you see her perfect skin magnified and so close on her vids and combine it with the fact that she claims using her own line, you may be more willing to try some of her stuffes. To close this random babbling session, I am a very conscious sheep so everything claming to fight acne has to be mine :p I still believe in miracles ^^.
Anyway, the packaging is sober and functional (the labels are not straight sticked but I may be the only to care about this ^^). It works on a vacuum principle as a airless pump. Some people complain about the fact they have to pump several times to make the product come out but guess what? I do not die doing this and if it helps my serum to stay safe and germ free by doing this I will without moaning :). It is not exhausting I swear :p. The texture is thin without being runny, it is bright orange and it smells clean without any chemical aftersmell. The pump size is perfetct for a full face application. It sinks right into the skin without any tackiness. The active ingredients are well known and pretty safe for sensitive skin : retinol, tea tree oil, aloe vera and vitamine E.
Does it work? Yes and quite well afterall. I finished mine two weeks ago and I have some pimples back, that is my main evidence. It is not miracle in a bottle but with patience and careful use, you will notice a refined skin texture, less pimples and fewer oily breakouts throughout the day with a very slow but noticeable fading of your acne scars if you have any. An other good point is that it can be used even if you do not suffer from acne. It is beneficial for every skintype (no special "acne" ingredients in there like salicylic acid or benzoyle peroxide)
Do I recommend it? Yes! You can find a lot of people complaining about the price. To me it is not pricey at all, the bottle will last 2 months with a twice daily application. I may even say it is on a very affordable price range.
Price: 25$ from IQQU website (add 8$ for shipping for EU and US)
I just open my second one and have one more back-up all ready. I may try other products from the range, I have to confess I am pleasantly surprised. It is a good skincare; affordable and pleasant to use. I like the fact it is a serum, you do not have to change your all skincare reime to use it ^^
Are you as crazy about serums as I am?
See ya :)
Hi there! I have to reckon I am lacking some creativity these days but hope you do not mind seing indentical makeup from time to time. As I do not really have any idea today I grab a pre-made eyeshadow quad from MAC and as I own only two I take the newest one: Photorealism. I have already done a FOTD using these colours and I still really like them very much. It changes a lot from my purple eyeshadows I always go for when I lack of inspiration and want something flattering anyway. For once, I was able to take daylight pics as days are longer now. Yeah!!!
- on the inner half of the lid and under the eyebrow arch : Photo realism from MAC (pale gold with a hint of green)
- on the outer half and to blend the crease colour upwards : Image maker from MAC (gray green)
- in the crease : Grey range from MAC (dark blue green, gorgeous colour)
- under the lower lashline, all three colours from light to dark going from inside to outside
- as aliner on upper lashline: fluidline Shade from MAC (deep forest green to die for)
- mascara (Volume Shocking Brosse Exacte from l'Oreal)
As the eyes are kind of pastel and toned down, I choose a strong lip colour and a plum colour as it is really flattering on fair brunette. I makes me feel kind of sexy and glamourous. For my hair, I hope you like my straight out from the shower look kind of "I-am-too-lazy-to-do-anything" style :p
For the dark circles : Select Cover up from MAC NW 20 + Powderflage from Benefit
For the cheeks : fesh bloom allover colour Almond Blossom 03 from Clinique (hollow) + Cream colour base Crushed Bougainvillea from MAC (limited edition, on the apples) + Mineralize Skinfinish Petticoat from MAC (limited edition, highlight)
On the lips: Odyssey from MAC (limited edition, frost finish) So sorry for the poor pic quality but something went wrong during upload and I can not fix it :s
I am so scared about how pale I am. It is quite impressive to see my skintone in daylight pics. I may invest in a tanning shower ^^. What surprise me the most is that I tan really easily and never get sunburns. Strange isn't it?
On last thing, if you are interested in any eye makeup or colours, leave a comment maybe it will help inspiring me for my next FOTD
See ya :)
Ok so you may not remember but when I talked about my new haircut a month ago, I was initially going there for a facial. And I have never given you my opinion on it (bad me...).
When I left my previous work, my colleagues offered me a gift card for a half day in a spa and I chose one which offers a facial and a hair diagnosis (shampoo and cut only). I ended up going for more than that but no regrets at all :)
Where did I go? Right here :
Isn't it gorgeous (hum waterlilies)? The place is named la maison de beauté (=house of beauty) Roméo et Juliette in Paris (7th area).
I am not used to this hype kind of places so I was a bit reluctant to step inside at first. But I did it and I am so glad I did.
The first thing I noticed was the estheticians, all tall, blonde-hair girls with black suits and red lips.They all have gorgeous skin which makes me feel very confident about the facial quality :p. I felt a little like a ugly little duck in there... The place's design is modern but cosy and everything is perfectly clean.
I was asked first to sit in a huge leather coach and given a tone of magazines to read. My esthetician came in the next 5 minutes and took me to my room and asked me to remove all my tops. A very peaceful music was playing in there, not too loud. And then the facial begun : slow and delicate makeup removal, first massage, then scrub, mask, second massage, serum, moisturiser, third massage including the scalp. It was so pleasant that I felt asleep :p
After the facial, I had all my time to redress and remake up if I wanted to. I looked truly exhausted which means that the massages worked well on removing all the toxins ^^. I was offered a tea with biscuits and advices on which skincare to use. Then I went to the hair salon and got the haircut you had already seen.
I found everyone's behaviour very professional without being over commercial. They offered you to buy some of the skincare they used during the facial but they did not insist. I was a bit sceptical about the service's quality as I was coming with a gift box and not a real reservation but I was wrong. They do not seem to care about me looking like a poor student which is not always the case in Paris.
I definitely recommend this spa but it is expensive. From time to time you may deserve it anyway.
See ya :)
Ready for an other review, beloved reader? So here we go! My tonight discovery is a huge surprise and a very good one as for once it is a quite cheap stuff. It is very versatile which makes it even better. Do you wonder what I am talking about? Check the post title :p.
What do I think about it? I have to reckon tha packaging may not be as fancy as the ones from YSL but you have to remind never to judge a book by its cover. This stuff rocks! First, because it comes with a handy pump which means no greasy fingers and hence no bacteria in there... This is the fluid version but you may no the famous creme version called the "Lait-crème concentré" that comes in an aluminium tube. The only difference between those two is the texture. It smelles hardly nothing. It can be used for absolutely everything: as a make up remover (not for my eyes but for the rest of the face), as a facial cleanser, as a full body moisturizer (face included), as an after-sun soother, as an after-shave for those misters and even as a baby cream! The composition is OK, not organic (mineral oil in there) but no more parabenes if they freak you out.
Does it work? Oh yeah and better than that. It is my travel new best friend. I know a 500ml bottle does not really look travel-friendly but it is so multifunctional that you just need to bring it with you and that is it. Nearly all your skincare including body moisturizer in one. The best deal ever :). It does not feel greasy and absorbs straight onto your skin. You can coat your face in a thik layer of it every night to plump and restore your face without breaking your wallet. Is not life great???
Do I recommend it? Yes and for the price it will be a shame not to give it a go. It is safe for every skin type. For dry to extra dry skin, maybe the cream version will be better but the fluid will definitely be a keeper for hotter summer time.
Price: 16,30€ by Embryolisse official website. In Europe, it can be find in chemist's or drugstore.
A very good friend of mine swears by this and when you see her skin you are convinced that it works great. And if you do not like it it can be used as a body moisturiser so harldy no risk :p. I have not tried any other stuffes form this brand but I may dig in for more :p
See ya :)
I know it is March already but I do not post on Sundays so I have no other choice :p. And I am not one of a kind to do things before the ultimate deadline. Anyhow here it is :
Ins :
- being able to fight quickly pimples with my Mario Badescu squad.
- realising how nicely my skin has improved within the past year. Last year pictures are frightening :s
- using my blue tin of Nivea cream as a miracle remedy for everything (dry cuticles, coarse elbows and kneet, for my cracked feet and as a moisture-lock mask for the face)
- cheating on my skin every night by applying more moisutriser that I used to. It feels exactly the same way than when I use a hydrating mask. Good trick for me (and cheaper héhéhé)
- how microdermabrasion has improved my skin texture and my acne scars
Outs :
- the horrid weather
- hazards of life which can be so painful (I know it sounds stupid but...)
- killing 2 nail polishes because of not closing them tight enough.
- being stucked at home for job-hunting
- and as a result, still being unemployed (jeez hope it will end soon)
- the Lash Injection mascara from Too Faced (crap, crap, crap do I say it is crap???)
Your turn!
See ya :)
Tuesday I wrote a post on how to care about your skin when sun is back. So I think that intorducing you my all time favorite sunscreen is perhaps a good idea. This is purely a sunscreen and not a moisturizer with an added SPF but its moisturizing properties are enough for summer. If not I add some random oil drops and I am good to go. Underneath the reasons why I am so convinced about it.
