Two new nail trends I really want to try

... are Ciate's chalkboard nails:

as well as Illamasqua's UV-glow nails:

I just love how new and really cool nail products keep popping up lately!

Review: Nourishing Macadamia Hair Mask

I wrote about the Macadamia shampoo I tried a while ago, but I just realized, while writing the previous post, that I forgot to review the accompanying hair mask. Which is really a shame, since the mask is fantastic!

Like the shampoo from the same range, it comes is a very luxurious cardboard jar, which I like, even though the jar is not so useful, but it makes this feel like a very high end product. And the mask itself makes my hair supersoft and shiny, so much so in fact, that I must say this is one of the best hair masks I have ever tried!

The mask is not very heavily scented or anything, it has a very discreet scent, which is nice, and of course this mask is not tested on animals, which is wonderful.

So due to the amazing results I have gotten I will definitely be getting this hair mask again, and I would recommend it to everyone, but especially to those with dry hair like mine!

Some great cruelty free beauty brands

As I’ve mentioned several times previously on this blog, I am getting more and more into cruelty free beauty products as of late. Being an animal lover, I find it hard to justify buying products that have been tested on animals. While I am still not using only cruelty free products, I am working actively on finding substitutes for products I really love (and feel I can’t live without) from cruelty free brands. If you are trying to do the same, here is a short list of good brands I believe are cruelty free (based on the checks I’ve made), that can hopefully help you, no matter if you are looking for cruelty free hair products, makeup not tested on animals or something else:

Badger Balm

Burt’s Bees

Dancing Dingo

Neal’s Yard Remedies

Pai

Pureology

Urban Decay

Macadamia (hair products, I recently tried some of them, see this review for instance)

Laline (have tried many of their products, see this, this, this, this, this and this, for instance)

Dermalogica

Isadora

Lumene (I recently tried some of their products, see this, this and this, for example)

MOR Cosmetics

Ole Henriksen

Crabtree & Evelyn

Yes To

And

Too Faced.
 

If you live in the US and want to get a cruelty free beauty box, you can also get the True Beauty Box, but this is not available internationally yet.
 

For a full list of cruelty free beauty products, I highly recommend PETAs list, which is always updated, so even if you read this long after I’ve written this post, and/or want to find more great cruelty free brands, you should be able to find what you are looking for there.
 

I plan to start reviewing more cruelty free products in the near future, so if this is something that interests you, stay tuned!

Review: Laline Hair Affair Hair Dessert Conditioner

I reviewed the Laline Hair Dessert Shampoomania Shampoo in my previous post, but I also mentioned that I had gotten another Laline hair care product at the same time, a conditioner, so I should probably mention some things about that conditioner as well.

Like the shampoo, the conditioner is also pretty basic. It's well suited for dry hair like mine, and reduces tangles and makes it softer and more well hydrated. But, like the shampoo, the conditioner is not anything super fancy or very unique. But then again, most hair care products are not, so that doesn't really bother me. The sales girl who sold me both the shampoo and conditioner did really recommend the hair mask from the same range, though, she said it was really amazing, so since I have decided to get both the shampoo and the conditioner again, I think I will give the hair mask a try too.

So yes, the Laline Hair Affair Hair Dessert conditioner is worth getting too, especially if you have dry hair!

Review: Laline Shampoomania Shampoo

As I've mentioned before, I am looking for good, cruelty free hair care products, and like I've mentioned before, Laline actually makes really good cruelty free products (I love their skin care and their soaps, for instance), so I thought I'd try their hair care products as well. I ended up buying a small bottle of their Shampoomania Shampoo, and a small conditioner, because I wanted to try a sample before actually buying a big bottle of the stuff (I've been rather disappointed by a lot of hair care products lately and prefer not to have a lot of bad products around in my home).

And the Shampoomania Shampoo is quite nice. It's very discreetly scented (so I think people who like scent free, natural smelling shampoos would appreciate the scent) and washes your hair well. Since that's the main purpose of a shampoo, I am pleased with that fact alone. So while this shampoo is nothing to get super excited about, it does it's job and is more reasonably priced than some of the other cruelty free shampoos I have been trying lately.

So I will definitely be getting this shampoo again, and I am very pleased that I decided to try this. I should also mention that the shampoo is sulfate free, and best suited for dry hair (which I indeed have).

It's for sale at the Laline USA website right now, if you want to get it and happen to live in the United States.

Review: Davidoff Cool Water Woman

I mentioned in a previous post that Davidoff's Cool Water Woman is one of my favorite scents, but I never got into why at that time. But since I just got a new bottle of this, I thought I would write a bit about that now instead.
The first thing you should know about this scent, if you didn't already is that it is a bit of a retro scent, since Davidoff Cool Water Woman was first introduced in 1996. I'm not sure I tried it then already, but I remember wearing it around 1998 to 1999 at least. So I've been familiar with this scent for a long time. It popped up when unisex scents, like CK One, were really popular, and it's a very casual, light and airy kind of scent, that at least I think is very suitable for every day wear.

It kind of smells like it looks, I think, the bottle is very well chosen for this scent, and I like it especially during the summer.

I must say that longevity is not Davidoff Cool Water Woman's strong suit though, I can't smell the scent all day when I apply this, but it does last for a couple of hours, I would say.

But the retro factor and the fact that it's so light and cool (meaning in the cold way, not the hip way) keeps me hooked to this scent, over 10 years after I first tried it! A pretty good sign, I would say!

Review: Laline Forever Proactive Eye Zone Care

I reviewed the Laline Hot Mama mask yesterday, but it's actually not the only Laline product I've been trying out lately. I also got some hair care products, as well as the Laline Forever Proactive Eye Zone Care eye cream, and since this is actually a really, really good eye cream, I thought I'd tell you why. Because if you are anything like me, finding a really good eye cream can be rather hard, so you might be really pleasantly surprised if you try this.

Why did I like it so much?
Well, first of all, it has simple, yet genius gimmick. You know how you are supposed to apply eye cream by putting it on your weakest finger and then pat gently until all the eye cream has absorbed? I don't really enjoy that, since it means getting my finger all sticky, but the Laline Forever Proactive Eye Zone Care actually comes with a cool pipe with a hole at the end of it, that will work just as your finger would, making it unnecessary to actually use your own finger. I think the construction on this eye cream is so brilliant, I can't really understand why other brands aren't doing this as well! (I guess they might start to, if they see this product somewhere)

The eye cream itself absorbs quickly and it thick, yet not too heavy, so basically: Just perfect! I must also admit that I have some fine lines around my eyes already that I am trying to battle, and this eye cream does minimize them, although it doesn't completely remove them. But I don't think any eye cream really does that (if you disagree, then please let me hear your recommendations!), so minimizing is good enough for me!

This is definitely an eye cream I will be purchasing again, and I would highly recommend it to almost everyone, since this seems like an eye cream suited for most skin types.

You can get this eye cream in the US as well, follow this link to read more about the Laline Forever Proactive Eye Zone Care, but it doesn't seem like it's available in Europe, Australia and Asia yet.

You should also know that Laline as a brand is completely cruelty free and does not test on animals. Yay!

Shopped: What I got at the Strawberrynet makeup sale

Strawberrynet, a site for beauty products that has quite awesome prices normally, had a great sale on makeup during the last week, so of course I couldn't resist picking up some products I had been curious about for a while. There was a lot of good stuff on offer, since their makeup sale was for all their makeup products, but I ended up getting this:

A Chanel Double Facettes mirror. Always handy, since I am currently using only one mirror for makeup, a really old Marc Jacobs one (you know, the heart shaped ones), and another one could come in really handy, since I could carry it with me to work and stuff. An isn't a pocket Chanel mirror the most glamourous kind of pocket mirror you can find?

A Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Balm. Because I always seem to need lip balm, and making it a bit more glamourous with a Chanel one can't be a bad thing! (I just hope it's actually good too)

Another Chanel lip product, something called the Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine, in the color Candeur. Because I like pink, sheer lip products that look just like this!

The Dior Addict Lip Maximizer. Because I've tried it, and really liked it, before. (Read why) So obviously I need another one!

The Dior Addict Color Awakening Lip Balm. Because I figured I might like this one too, if I'm such a huge fan of the Lip Maximizer. The only thing that could be slightly tricky about this is that I don't know what color my lips will turn with this (it varies from person to person, you see), since I haven't had a chance to try it, so it was a bit of a risky purchase, but let's hope it will be okay!

A YSL Volupte Sheer Candy lipstick.
The one I got was in the color Juicy Grapefruit, a shade I've tried and really liked before though, but they don't seem to have that shade in stock anymore, so I can't find a pic of the right product. The one in the pic is called Dewy Papaya. But I'll take some pics when I recieve this instead!

I'm really happy with my order, it turned out to be a very good mix of old favorites that I love, and some new products that I have been wanting to try for a while. What more can you ask for?

Review: Laline Hot Mama thermal mask

I'm really into face masks at the moment, as you may have noticed if you've read some of my previous posts, I have been reviewing quite a few face masks lately, after all. (Exhibit a, exhibit b and exhibit c will show you that, if you don't believe me!)

And one of the more interesting masks I have been using lately is Laline's Hot Mama Thermal Mask, a face mask that is described by Laline themselves to be a spa type mask, that you should apply if you don't have time to go to the spa, and want the spa to come to you instead, basically.

Now, I don't ever go to spas in order to do face masks (even though I love spas for other treatments) so I can't really comment on how true that description is, but I will say that the Hot Mama Thermal Mask did make my skin feel very nice and clean, so I was pleased with that.

The mask is pretty sticky though (the consistency reminds me of pure honey in a way), and I noticed already in the Laline store when I bought that almost all the packs they had were dirty and has some mask on them. I guess people had been playing around with the tester around the packs they were actually selling or something. But I could really understand how that could happen when I opened the pack at home myself, because the stickiness of this mask makes it very messy. So even if I was really careful with the mask, having seen the "damage" is did to all the packs sold in the store, I did manage to make quite a mess with it in my bathroom. Not that this is something one can't clean pretty easily, but still, this being the messiest mask I've ever owned makes this worth mentioning anyway.

I must also say that this is not called a thermal mask for no reason. It actually does heat up, which is not something I am used to with most face masks. I personally did not like the warm sensation that much, but I would say that's a matter of personal taste more than anything. And the results I got with this mask were really good, my skin looked awesome afterwards, so I will definitely get another one when I run out, despite the mask being so messy, sticky and the weird sensation while using it. The results simply are THAT good!

Review: Soap and Glory Off Your Face cleansing cloths

I've tried Soap & Glory's Deep Pore Purifying T-Zone cleansing cloths in the past, and loved them. (You can find out why here, if you are interested) But Soap & Glory also makes cleansing cloths that help you take off your make up as well, so when placing an order online for some other Soap & Glory items that I use on a regular basis (such as the Clear Here moisturizer, the Face Soap and Clarity face wash and the Scrub Your Nose In It facial scrub) a while ago, I decided to get their regular Off Your Face cleansing cloths as well.

These cleansing cloths are supposed to get your make up off as well, something the other Soap & Glory cleansing cloths don't, so while they are a bit similar to the previous cloths I've tried, they are different. I do think they cleansed my skin very well and left it feeling very clean, yet nice, something a lot of similar wipes, from cheaper brands don't. I've also noticed that using only Soap & Glory products does wonders for my skin, so since I am a fan of so many other products of theirs, I intend to keep using the Off Your Face cloths as well.

They also exfoliate your skin ever so gently, which is kind of nice, and since most facial wipes I've tried don't do that, I think that really sets these apart from other brand's similar products.

One thing you should know about the Off Your Face wipes, if you are considering getting them, however, is that they do not come with the typical girly Soap & Glory scent you might know from some of their other products. In my opinion, that's a bit of a shame, but since the product is so good otherwise, I will still buy this again for sure!

I just wish I could bulk buy these, as well as Soap & Glory's other cleansing cloths somehow. (If you are wondering why I buy both, I use the Off Your Face ones when I am wearing make up and need to get it off quickly for some reason, and the other ones when I just want to freshen up my skin slightly, and am not wearing make up. So I do think I need both!)

Review: Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara

I've reviewed Maybelline's The Falsies mascara here on the blog before, and since I was pretty pleased with it, I decided to give another Maybelline mascara a try recently. This time it was the Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara, though, a mascara that does not have a spoon brush, like The Falsies, but a regular brush instead. So I liked that, not being a huge fan of spoon brushes and all. I also have to mention that I usually do not get compliments for my lashes, they are not spectacular or anything, but while using this mascara, I got the first compliments I can remember for my lashes (from another girl, who must have noticed I was using a different mascara now). So that was really impressive, since no-one ever pays attention to my eye lashes otherwise.

The brush is also big, like on several other Maybelline mascaras the same size, which is very convenient, since this makes the brush easier to use, and I would say that the end result is much more natural when you use The Colossal Volum, compared to The Falsies, which gives a more dramatic look. So if you want longer, fuller eyelashes that still look somewhat natural, the Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara is a great choice of mascara for you!

This mascara only has one downside I think, and that is that it does flake at the end of the working day. Not a lot, just a tiny, teeny bit, but still worth mentioning since some people have issues with flaking. If you are looking for a mascara that does not flake at all, there might be other, better choices for you, but other than that, this mascara is really good!

Review: H&M Raspberry Smoothie Pore Cleansing Mask

I gave you my verdict on the H&M Cinnamon and Argan Oil face mask a while ago, but that wasn't the only H&M face mask that I bought when I went beauty shopping at H&M a while ago. I got a Raspberry Smoothie Pore Cleansing Mask as well, and while I had some issues with the Cinnamon mask, I like the Raspberry Smoothie one much better.

First of all, this mask smells delicious! Really. Like, makes-you-want-to-eat-it-right-off-your-own-face-delicious! Second of all, it gives you great results, which the cinnamon one didn't. My skin felt very, very smooth, clean and soft after I used this mask. And believe me, it didn't before I applied the mask, it was in quite a state!

It also came off normally, unlike the cinnamon mask, which makes this a really good budget buy for a face mask, if you ask me. I would buy this again, and probaby will, too, when given the chance!

The good thing about all the H&M face masks is that you get a lot of product in one bag, you might even be able to get 2 uses out of them if you make sure you seal the bag properly after the first use, since it will dry up otherwise. So even though H&M recommends one bag per use, I say that's a bit too generous, and you could easily use each bag twice if you want. Lovely!

The proof is in the purchase

I mentioned in my review about the Moschino Pink Bouquet perfume that I would not mind getting this scent again. But what I had forgotten when I wrote that was that I had already purchased a full size bottle of this scent. So here's some pics of the full size bottle as well (the pics in the previous post were of a smaller bottle from a gift pack with several Moschino scents):

So as you can see, I will indeed continue using Pink Bouquet after my first bottle runs out too!

Review: Moschino Pink Bouquet

I mentioned that I had gotten a 5 scent set by Moschino a while ago, and now it's time to share some opinions on another one of these scents: Pink Bouquet. This was actually a scent that I had been curious about for quite some time before I got the set, so I was excited to try it.

The first thing you need to know about this scent, if you are thinking about getting it is that it's really, really girly, which I like, because I do have days when I feel really girly, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. It's also a rather young scent, with notes of pineapple sorbet, raspberry, peach and a bunch of different flowers, so if you are looking for a very mature scent, this is not the best choice.

It's also a really light and summery scent, and it smells pretty unique, like most Moschino scents, and while this scent was hyped when it was released, probably due to the cute bottle, not that many women, at least where I live, have discovered it yet, so if you choose to wear this, you probably won't run into many other women wearing it.

The lasting power is okay, not more, but in line with most other Moschino scents I would say.

So I am really happy I got a chance to try this in the end. I will definitely be repurchasing this as well!

(the bottle in the image is a miniature one, not full sized, in case you are wondering)

Review: Maybelline Affinitone Mineral Perfecting & Soothing Foundation

I am running out of foundations at the moment, so while dropping by my local drug store the other day, I decided to get a Maybelline foundation on a whim. I ended up with the Maybelline Affinitone Mineral Perfecting & Soothing Foundation, an oil-free mineral foundation that I thought for some reason would be suitable for oily and combination skin. Well, it's not!
Because this foundation is actually very, very shiny in itself, and while it didn't make my skin break out or anything like that (the cardinal sin for a foundation), the effect of applying it didn't last for very long, the staying power was one of the worst I've seen lately, so I would really only recommend this for girls looking for a dewy look. You will achieve that with this foundation, but if you want any kind of matte look, this foundation is really not for you.

The coverage is not great either, the Maybelline Affinitone Mineral Perfecting & Soothing Foundation doesn't cover any imperfections you may have, and in my case, I even got the impression that it highlighted the blemishes I have.

So if you are having a particularly blemish free and perfect skin day and don't mind a bit of shine, this would be a good choice, but that rarely happens to me, so I don't think I will even use up the bottle I got.

On the plus side, the foundation gives you a very natural and not cakey end result. But so do many others, while providing coverage and non-shine at the same time, so I see no need to get this foundation, no matter what your needs are, really.

Review: Macadamia shampoo

I got another set of hair products recently, when I got my shampoo and hair mask from Kava Kava: A Macadamia shampoo and a Macadamia hair mask as well. Even though I was not quite as happy with the Macadamia products as I was with the Kava Kava ones, Macadamia's hair care line seems to be pretty good too, so here are some thoughts on it:

First of all, I really love the luxurious packaging the Macadamia hair care products come in. They all come in a cardboard jar, you can see the one for the shampoo here:

And while I won't be saving the jars I think (I keep my shampoos and conditioners in the shower, so they would just get wet and start falling apart, I think), it does make these products seem rather high end, so I like it.

I also like the fact that Macadamia products are not tested on animals, since I am only trying to use cruelty free hair care products these days. I am not too keen on the smell though, but it is very light and very natural, so I am thinking it's a good fit for anyone who doesn't want too much scent in their shampoo. The shampoo is also both sulfate free and paraben free, which is great!

Now, to the cons: My hair doesn't feel completely clean after I wash my hair with this, so I've actually washed my hair twice with this shampoo each time I've used it. It could be a mental hang up from my part of course, but something about this shampoo doesn't make my hair feel like it usually does after I've just washed it. So I think I will run through a bottle of this really, really fast, if I need to wash my hair twice each time!
But you don't need to use a lot of the shampoo each time, on the other hand, so maybe it's not really that big of a deal?

My hair also seems drier than usual, kind of like what happened when I tried the Moroccan Oil shampoo a while ago. So either my hair doesn't agree with the oils these products claim to contain, or they are simply not all what they are hyped up to be, if you ask me.

So I probably would not buy this shampoo again, even though I love the Macadamia hair mask. But more on the mask itself in a separate review!

Review: Kava Kava Hydroganic Blond Mask

I reviewed the Kava Kava Hydroganic Blonde Shampoo the other day, and I mentioned that you can't get a conditioner from the same range, and are forced to use a hair mask instead, each time you want to use only Kava Kava products on your hair, while washing it. So I guess it's only fair I tell you what I actually thought of the Kava Kava Hydroganic Blond Mask as well, since I already mentioned it.

First of all, I really like the color of the Kava Kava Hydroganic Blond Mask, because like the shampoo from the same range, it's purple. Not a dark purple, like the shampoo, but a light purple, which is still pretty cool, since it looks nothing like the other hair masks I've used before.
The scent is also very pleasant, yet not very over powering, which I like.

But the best thing about the Kava Kava Hydroganic Blond Mask is that it actually makes my hair very, very soft and manageable. And believe me, if you had my hair, you would understand how rare that is! So I am very, very pleased with the Kava Kava Hydroganic Blond range, and would really recommend it for all blondes with dry or problematic hair.

This is definitely one of the best hair masks I've ever tried!