Latest purchase: Bliss Steep Clean 15 Minute Facial Mask

I recently read a review over at Alpha Blonde about a face mask that she really loved, called Bliss Steep Clean 15 Minute Facial Mask. She seemed to love it so much I simply could not resist ordering this myself as well.

I got it over at my usual beauty haul headquarters ASOS, and even though it is a bit pricey, if it is anything at all like Alpha Blonde described, it should be well worth it.

I am really looking forward to trying this product, I can't wait for it to get here already!

Great beauty Christmas gifts

A lot of my friends really like beauty products as well, so I end up giving them beauty products for the holidays a lot of the time. If you would like to do that as well, here are some tips regarding what you could get them:

Freeze 24/7 Plump Lips Ice Sticks, that makes your lips bigger and fuller, while adding color at the same time. Available in several colors and really does work wonders! From Strawberrynet.

The Decleor Hydra Floral Anti-Pollution Natural Beauty Collection, with a face cream, face mask and aromessence. A wonderful line (one of my favorites) that can really benefit anyone who lives in a bigger city (like me). Also available over at Strawberrynet.

Clarins Travel Vanity Collection, which is also available at Strawberrynet for a great price. Very useful for anyone who travels a lot and doesn’t want to lug tons of make up with them.

The Murad Blemish Control Starter Kit, which is a great kit for anyone who suffers from blemishes from time to time. I personally love this kit, which lasts for a really long time, and have previously mentioned that here. Also available on Strawberrynet.

Fun eyelashes, available for just £15.00 over at ASOS. Not something you would wear every day, I agree, but so much fun for parties!

A Clarisonic Mia, which will definitely be the best present the receiver has ever gotten if you give this to someone. Just ask any Clarisonic owner, they rock! You can get them in tons of different places, such as over at ASOS.

Any L Occitane set, because they are so luxurious, smell so nice and make awesome presents too. You can find these in any L Occitane store or over at ASOS.

Why did I choose to feature products from Strawberrynet and ASOS in this post?
The reason is simple, they both offer free shipping worldwide and great prices, so no matter where you live, ordering from them is a good idea.

Good luck!

Glitzy Lips

Not necessarily something that would suit me personally, but I love this look on others!

(pics from Anna)

The Yves Saint Laurent Candy Face line for Spring 2012

It makes me smile, the colors are so much fun and really summery!

(pics from Inhale Fashion and Beauty)

My first Murad products

Something else I got recently was a Murad set for blemish prone skin, to use when I get blemishes. I got this set on ASOS, where it is still for sale.

This set consists of small bottles and tubes of Clarifying Cleanser, Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, Acne Spot Treatment, Skin Perfecting Lotion, and Oil-Control Mattifier from the Murad skin care line, and I have to say I usually don't like ready sets like this, because I simply prefer buying full sized products, in case I like them and want to keep using them.
But these Murad products last for surprisingly long, even if they come in rather small packages, since you really don't have to use a lot of each product to see results.

So if you are also looking to try Murad's products, I very much recommend getting a trial set like this.

I really liked the products, they work well if you have blemishes, and most of them smell really good too. The only product that has a smell I am not too fond of is the Oil-Control Mattifier, but even the smell of that isn't really, really bad or anything.

To sum up: My first experience with Murad turned out to be a really positive one, and I will definitely be getting more of their products in the future.

My latest L'Occitane buys

I love L'Occitane and their products for most things. I actually only started using their products around 3 or 4 years ago, when I was given a very generous gift certificate by some friends for my birthday, to use at L'Occitane.

So I get L'Occitane products on a regular basis and one of my favorite lines by L'Occitane is the Red Rice skincare series. This skincare series is for people with oily or combination skin and I have to say it smells divine (like most L'Occitane products). It also does wonders for those with combination skin. You get the best results if you use the whole series, of course, but I tend to buy just the cleanser and toner, since the Red Rice moisturizer is really small, expensive and doesn't last very long. The cleanser and toner do, however, and that is the reason I have kept buying these.

I had also heard very good things about L'Occitane's scented candles, so I decided to get one of those as well. Since the holidays are quickly approaching, I decided to go for the Spicy Cinnamon one, which smells wonderful and last for ages (I have already started using it, and the scent is just perfect: noticeable but not too strong).

One of the cutest make up palettes I have seen in a while

I have to admit I have absolutely no idea if the make up itself is any good or not though, but don't you think this palette is well worth just for the cute hearts?

Current beauty wish list

(In case anyone needs ideas regarding what to get me for the holidays)

Prada Candy perfume
Since I have been craving this perfume (of which I have heard VERY good things!) for a while now, so I want to see if it lives up to all the hype.

Clean miniature perfumes
Because I have not had the chance to try all of these yet, and I love their fragrances.

MOR Cosmetics Lip Delight
Because I love lip balms, and especially ones that come in cute packaging.

MOR Cosmetics Marshmallow Lip Balm
See above. And marshmallow flavour on lip balm sounds really yummy!

Too Faced Eye Shadow Primer
For two reasons: 1. I need a new eye shadow primer badly. and 2. I really want to try something from this brand!

Clarins Colour Definition 3D Radiance Face Powder
Because of the gorgeous packaging and it sounds like it really does wonders for your skin as well.

(all pics are from the Swedish online store Eleven.se)

Dior Garden Clutch

Today I am absolutely swooning over the Dior Garden Clutch from the Spring 2012 Dior collection, so gorgeous!

I seriously think this has to be one of the prettiest forms of packaging that I have seen for make up in a long time. Love it!

(pics from British Beauty Blogger, where I saw this first)

Lashes are big for Spring 2012

Just take a look at this pic from the Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 show.

I have to admit I have never been very good at applying fake lashes myself though. I've worn them, sure, but then a professional make up artist always applied them for me. So if I want to try this trend next Spring, I really should start practising now...
Hmm... Not sure it's one of the most fun beauty projects I can think of at the moment though. So maybe I will give it some more thought?

(pic from Teresa)

New buy: OPI/Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go

A few days ago I had a manicure and pedicure (a treat I really enjoy, but sadly I don't have enough time to go every week or even every other week). The woman who did the manicure noticed that my cuticles were very dry, and recommended that I start using cuticle oil on a regular basis. She suggested a specific product too: The Avoplex Cuticle Oil to Go, which is very easy to carry around with you, and use whenever you think of it.

She said I should use this 2 or 3 times a day, every day, and even though I have been using it for less than a week now, I have already seen great results. And the best thing is that your nails look great even just a minute after you applied it.

Avoplex is somehow connected to OPI, so all OPI fans who have dry cuticles too, should definitely consider getting this!

My best non make up or beauty product related tips

Of course beauty is not only about products and make up. You can also feel and look more beautiful by doing other things than just shopping for stuff. (But of course the shopping part is more fun in general)

That’s why I decided to write down some of my best non-product related beauty tips. These are things that really work for me:

*Spend a lot of time outdoors. This works wonders especially in the winter, since you feel better and look better if you get enough fresh air.

* Eat healthy stuff. You don’t have to eat just healthy stuff if you don’t want to, but try to eat them as regularly as possible. I try to eat something healthy at least twice a day, so if I had a very unhealthy lunch, I try to get some fruit or veggies in the afternoon. Find a way that works for you, and make sure you get enough veggies, nuts, fruits and vitamins in whatever way you prefer. Just make it a habit!

* Eat a good breakfast. It boosts your energy right from the start of the day, which makes you look less tired, and therefore: More beautiful.

* Spoil yourself in different ways. This doesn’t need to mean buying things, but give yourself enough time to do things you enjoy on a regular basis, whatever those things may be. I love reading, so I always make sure I have the time to read for at least half an hour a day (usually a whole hour), and I plan fun things that I enjoy to do for the weekends. When you feel good and relaxed, you also look good and relaxed!

* Ask your friends for beauty tips. We all have them, we just need to get better at sharing them. So ask around to see what others do, in order to see if that could work for you as well!

(pic from Beauty Healthy Tips)

The OPI Spring 2012 collection is looking great!

It's inspired by Holland, and the names are hilarious as usual, such as "Vampsterdam", "A roll in the Hague" and so on.

My own faves are "Pedal Faster Suzi"

and
"Thanks a WindMillion".

(pics from Fashionista)

Happy Halloween!

The holiday during which it is completely natural to go as crazy with your makeup as you want. Gotta love it!

(pic from Makeup For Life)

Great buy from Paul & Joe

Paul & Joe is not exactly a brand known for their cheap prices, but sometimes they surprise you with great deals for some things.
Like this skin care set with a cute cosmetic bag I ran into earlier on ASOS:

It only costs 11 GBP, and you get a lip treatment, moisturizer, cleansing milk and toner with your purchase. I think it is quite a good deal, even though it is a travel set (so the bottles are small), but since I have a bit trip planned, I actually need a travel set anyway.

I will probably be getting this set, I just need to look through the rest of the ASOS beauty section in order to see if I want to get anything else while I am at it first.

Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy

(sorry about the hideous photo, I am working on getting a better camera. This is a photo taken with my smart phone)

I recently posted that I had bought the YSL Volupte Sheer Candy lipstick in Juicy Grapefruit). This glossy lipstick/balm arrived now, and I have to say I am totally in love with it! It smells great (like grapefruit! Gotta love that!), looks amazing, yet very natural on and last for a pretty long time. Not to mention the packaging is very Yves Saint Laurent and pretty in general.

So I highly recommend this lipstick for everyone who likes more natural looking lipsticks like me!

On my beauty wish list right now

The Sephora Makeup Studio Blockbuster.  

You can buy it here.
Completely not necessary, but oh so fun! I love big kits like this!

My favorite mascara of all times

This mascara is actually not something I've discovered recently or anything. Instead, I have been using this mascara for years already, but I still want to mention it since it is by far the best mascara I've tried, so as soon as I found it, I really saw no reason to get back to anything else.

I am talking of course about Lancome's L'extreme mascara, which I - if you didn't get it by now - highly recommend.

I am actually always thinking that I should try other Lancome mascaras as well, but since I am really so happy with this one, I simply never seem to get around to it.

Latest beauty buys

I recently ordered a mascara (my favorite: Lancome's L'Extreme) from Strawberrynet and they were kind enough to send me not only one present, but two, with the mascara itself. So I ended up getting the mascara itself, a Calvin Klein lipstick as well as a Max Wear lipcolor by Max Factor, all for the price of one mascara.

I am really looking forward to trying these products out, I've never tried Calvin Klein cosmetics before and as far as Max Factor goes, all I've ever tried from them is like a concealer or a foundation or something, and that was like 10 years ago. So it will be really interesting to see what their products are like too!

On my wish list right now

The OPI Rainbow Connection nail polish Bjooti.net posted pics of. Looks like so much fun, I really need to get one of these!

(the pics are from Bjooti's blog)

Latest buy: Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy in Juicy Grapefruit

I haven't really been shopping for beauty products today, but today I ordered a lip product I've seen on several beauty blogs for a while now: The Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy.

This is kind of a lip balm and a lip gloss in one product, and I love lip products like that: that treat the lips while making them pretty too!

I also knew I wanted this specific color (Juicy Grapefruit) because I've seen people wearing it, and it looks just great! It's also a very natural shade, so that appeals to me as well. But if I like Juicy Grapefruit, I might consider getting it in other colors too.

(pics from the Ebay auction where I got it, as well as Sephora)

Review of my latest beauty haul

Like I mentioned before, I ordered some beauty products from ASOS during their sale. (It's still going on, by the way, so if you would like to get any of these products yourself, I am pretty sure you still can!)

I have had time to try some of them by now, so I just thought I would share some of my experiences with you.

The Anatomicals range seems great, first of all. I got a facial wash and an eye cream, and they both are really good. They smell nice, last for a long time (since you don't need to use a lot of these products for them to do their magic on you) and I have had very nice results so far.

The products remind me of the ones made by Neutrogena (especially the facial wash), so anyone who likes Neutrogena (I do!) should like the Anatomicals range as well.

But the best thing is of course, that they are very reasonably priced, so whoever tries to tell you that there aren't beauty products out there that are good and cheap, is simply wrong!

I can highly recommend both the facial wash and the eye cream, but when it comes to the third product I got: The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream in a limited edition jar, I haven't had a chance to try it yet. (I thought I would get it for rashes, burns etc., and I simply haven't had any of those since I got it)

I can tell you that I am not too crazy about the scent though. I actually read reviews about that before buying the product, so I guess I am not the only one who finds it a bit weird, but since that's really the only impression I have of the cream so far, I thought it was still worth mentioning :)

First impressions of the Clinique Facial Soap

Like I mentioned in my previous post, I recently got the Clinique Facial Soap. I think you need to use these products for a while before you can form a really good impression of them, but after using it for a couple of days at least, I already have a first impression of the product.

I have to say the smell of the soap is a bit too clinical for my taste, it reminds me of things used in a hospital. Since I haven't tried many other Clinique beauty products, I don't know if this is something that is common when it comes to their products, but at least this soap has a very clinical smell.

On a positive note, however, I would have to say that you only need to use very little of the soap to clean your whole face, so I think this is a product that will last for a long time.

So far, I haven't had any amazing results, but like I mentioned in my previous post, I didn't get the whole skin care routine, so it could be that I am missing out because of that, hard to say.

Impulse buy from the pharmacy: Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

I went to the pharmacy today, not really to get beauty products, but my local pharmacy happens to have a really good assortment of beauty products as well, so of course I had to take a look at some of their special deals.
And one of the deals they had this time was actually for a product I have been wanting to try for a while now: The Clinique Liquid Facial Soap. My friend has this soap, and swears by it, so I have heard many good things about it.

I have tried Clinique make up before (I love their lip products in particular!) but I am not very familiar with their skin care line, so I am really looking forward to seeing what this soap is like. I know that you are supposed to get the whole skin care line at once, but the pharmacy did not have the moisturizer, so I am starting out with the soap first. (I have other tones and moisturizers that I can combine it with anyway)

Review: Moschino Toujours Glamour

So like I mentioned in a previous post, I got a new Moschino perfume a while ago: Moschino Toujours Glamour, a scent that was first released in June 2010.

This is a pic from the ad campaign when the scent was first released, from Now Smell This.

I have been using this scent a lot since I got it, it somehow smells really clean, and reminds me of laundry detergent for some reason (which I love! Laundry detergent is a great smell for me, since I love fresh laundry!), which is kind of strange, since the notes in it are:
Red berries
Cardamom
Musk
Bitter almond
Jasmine
Lily of the valley
and violet leaves.

So I definitely like this scent, like most Moschino perfumes a lot, and I do think it is a great scent to wear every day. It's not an occasion scent, if you know what I mean.
Definitely worth getting for Moschino fans!

Are you looking for cruelty free makeup?

If so, find a great list of brands that do not test their products on animals here.

My latest beauty buys

I just ordered some beauty products from the ASOS summer sale (highly recommended, by the way, and not just for beauty products, they sell accessories, shoes and clothing as well):

Some eye cream from Anatomicals, because you can never have or use too much eye cream. And besides, I love Anatomicals, all their packages are so much fun!

Which is why I also got a facial wash from the same brand:

And since I have always been curious about Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream, I decided to get a jar of that as well, in this limited edition packaging:

I'm really looking forward to trying the Eight Hour Cream out, I know so many people who swear by it and tell me it's amazing. So it will be interesting to see if they are right!

(all the pics are from ASOS)