Another great collaboration right now

Is of course the Guerlain by Emilio Pucci collection for summer 2012.

Because I must admit, packaging matters to me. A lot. Sometimes I'll save the packaging if I can, even if I wasn't that pleased with the product itself, and the look of the Guerlain by Emilio Pucci products is just amazing!

I especially want to get the bronzer, that is supposed to help you get a radiant, refreshed and sunkissed look. Sounds great to me!

(pics from Makeup4Life, Pleasureflush and Facetime)

Another nail polish collection I am absolutely loving right now

Is the OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection.

Partly because I've always found Minnie to be incredibly chic (yes, really!) and partly because I really like these types of reds and pinks for nails, both on my hands and on my feet.

So I will definitely be getting these!

(pics from Cosmetic Sanctuary and Phoenix Beauty Lounge)

The nail polishes I want to try next

Are of course the NARS polishes that they have gotten some help by Thakoon with creating.

Very fun colors, and perfect for summer!

(pic from ASOS)

My favorite nail polish right now

Turquoise and Caicos, by Essie.
I tried this for the first time quite recently, when I did a manicure and pedicure at a salon. And boy, have I been getting compliments for this shade! So it seems I am not the only one who likes it.

Definitely a shade I can recommend!

(pic from Allure)

Review: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation

As I mentioned before, I got quite a few things from MAC a while ago, and among other things, I decided to give one of their foundations a try, mostly because I haven't really found the perfect foundation for me yet.

The foundation that was recommended to me, based on my skin type, was the Studio Fix Fluid, in a shade called NW15 (since my skin is very fair) and I was initially very pleased with it.

You don't need to use a lot of this foundation for it to cover everything completely, and the result looks quite good, yet natural at the same time, I must say.
However, the bad thing about this foundation is that it doesn't really last a full day, like some other foundations I am used to. So this bothered me a bit, but besides that, I definitely like this foundation. The Studio Fix Fluid is kind of expensive though (at least where I bought mine, in a MAC store), so I think you might be able to find more durable foundations for the same price.

I also tried the MAC Studio Fix Fluid with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder and with one of the MAC brushes (the MAC 187). While the brush was kind of useless for this, because of the brush itself, I believe, the powder really looks great with this foundation, so I can really recommend using them together.

Review: Anatomicals The Follicle Oracle Frequent Wash Shampoo

I really like Anatomicals' products, and I have reviewed several of them before (see here and here). Since I have been so pleased with almost every Anatomicals product I've tried before, I am also keen on trying more of them, so recently I got the Anatomicals The Follicle Oracle Frequent Wash Shampoo over at ASOS.

Having had a chance to try it now, I have to say this shampoo is not as special as some of Anatomicals' other products, but it's not bad. It's just a very basic shampoo, nothing to be either dissapointed or extremely happy with. I actually wanted to try it since it is supposed to be for hair that is frequently washed, but I must say I couldn't really tell a difference between this shampoo or any other when it came to the results.

So if you are looking for really special shampoo, don't get this, but if a basic bottle will do for you, this will work just fine.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder

I mentioned in a previous post that I had been shopping at MAC recently. One of the products I got was the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder, so I thought I should share my views on this powder with you guys.

First of all, the powder really covers well, and you don't even have to use very much of it to get a great result. However, if you accidentally do use slightly too much, the result will be quite bad. (I did this mistake myself)
So I really like this powder, even though I am not usually too big on powders, but this really does make your skin look flawless if used right. You really have to apply it carefully though. I got one of MACs brushes to apply it with (read more about that here), and that seems to be the best way to apply it indeed, so I do recommend that if you intend to get this powder.

Fekkai Advance Smooth Finish Serum

I have wavy hair, that I prefer straight. But I don't like spending a lot of time getting my hair straight, so whenever any hair care products come out that claim to help you get straight hair easier, I am intrigued. One product for that supersleek, silky look that I have been wanting to try for a while now, is the Fekkai Advance Silky Straight series, so I bought the shampoo, conditioner and the Smooth Finish Serum a while ago.

The product you see pictured above is the Smooth Finish Serum, since I threw the shampoo and conditioner out before I had a chance to take a photo of them.

I liked all the Fekkai Advance Silky Straight products, but I have to be honest and admit that the shampoo and conditioner did not seem to do anything special for my hair, besides making it smell great. Fekkai Advance Silky Straight Smooth Finish Serum, on the other hand, does have some effect and does straighten the hair a bit when used.
It's far from being a miracle product of any kind though, I am sure there are other serums that are better out there, even though I haven't had a chance to try them myself yet. But I still liked the Smooth Finish Serum, since it smells great, which is nice, and it doesn't make your hair look dirty or anything, like some serums do.

So it was definitely a good purchase, but if you are thinking of getting this, do not expect wonders of any kind!

My new MAC brushes

I went shopping at MAC recently, and got quite a few things. They will all be reviewed here of course, but let's start with the brushes I got. I've never owned brushes from MAC before, but I have heard very good things about them, so I decided to give them a try, largely because the sales girl really pushed me into it a little bit as well.

The brushes I got was the MAC 138 and the MAC 187. The MAC 138 is supposed to be used for blush, as well as face powder, and that is indeed what I have been using it for. (the MAC 138 is the brush on the left in the photo above)
I have to say it works wonderfully for this, it gives you just the right amount and you don't have to work very hard at making the end result good. So I was quite pleased with the MAC 138!

The MAC 187 Brush is another story completely though...
I wasn't sure I should get this to begin with, since I have always prefered sponges for foundation, which is what you should be using this brush for. But the sales girl convinced me this would be a better choice for the foundation I got (more on that later), so I decided to give it a try. But applying foundation with a brush like this is a lot of work, since the result will not be smooth and nice immediately, like when you use a sponge. And I prefer for any product I use to give me fast results, I generally do not feel like working on my face for hours before it looks presentable.
So I definitely would not recommend the MAC 187 to anyone who is a sponge user normally and wants their make up application to be fast and easy.

Another thing worth mentioning in case you are not that familiar with MAC products is that MAC brushes need to be washed and cleaned once a week. You can buy special brush cleansers from MAC themselves, but the sales girl who sold me these brushes told me you can use regular shampoo as well, so that's what I have been doing. It seems to work pretty well, but once a week is really very often I think, I haven't been washing other brushes I own quite that often. But I guess you get used to it...

Either way, the brushes are quite well made, the quality is nice, I am just not sure if a brush is the way to go for a foundation for me personally.

One of my favorite summer scents makes a comeback

I am talking of course about the Citrus Verbena Summer Fragrance by L Occitane, from their ever popular Verbena range.

I just got a bottle yesterday, and I really look forward to wearing this light, summery fragrance. I have been using it for several years already, and it always gets me a lot of compliments when I do. I also love it that it is great for day time use, not all heavier perfumes and scents are.

This scent is available in both small perfume bottles and in bigger Eau Fraiche bottles. I got the 150 ml Eau Fraiche Citrus Verbena Summer Fragrance version, as you can see.

If you are at all into citrus and lemon scents, this is definitely one of the best perfumes out there! I highly recommend it!

Review: Java Lather Coffee Buzz Body Cleanser by Anatomicals

I have mentioned before that I am a huge fan of the Anatomicals beauty range. Anatomicals makes very usable, basic, yet effective products and sell them for great prices, so I have tried quite a few of their products over the years. The last Anatomicals product I tried was the Java Lather Coffee Buzz Body Cleanser, a shower gel with a subtle coffee scent.

Now, I know not everyone loves the smell of coffee in beauty products, but I do, and I really liked the smell of this shower gel. It's not too overwhelming, but it makes you feel fresh and clean, and I definitely think I will be getting this again. I got my bottle over at ASOS, for a mere £3.00.