What I think of Soap & Glory's new packaging

As most of my readers probably already know, I am a huge fan of anything Soap and Glory, it's one of my all time favorite beauty brands, but since I had bought quite a lot of their products before they decided to re-do their packaging, it has taken me until now to get something with the new packaging on it.

I got two Fab Pore items, and I have to say that the change is huge, and, sadly, quite disappointing. I actually really liked all the cute pink packaging, I felt this was something that set Soap & Glory apart, and it looked great in my bathroom and shower too.

This new packaging looks way more boring, less unique and more medical, if that makes any sense. I get a toothpaste feeling from the tube, for sure, and really think Soap & Glory should have stuck to their old packaging. I understand that the reason for the change was that they wanted to make it easier for people to find products suited for their specific needs, but I think you could have done that somehow, while you kept the old style of packaging at the same time.

So I will definitely miss the old Soap & Glory packaging a lot!

That said, the products are so good I will still buy them, it's just a shame the packaging bores me now...

Review: Evian Le Brumisateur Natural Mineral Water Facial Spray

Ok, so let's take a short break from all the Sephora reviews, even though I still have quite a few Sephora items left to review still. But I also got Evian's famous Le Brumisateur Face Spray, and I wanted to share some thoughts on that as well.

Now, I've used some facial sprays in the past, and I liked them, even though I never saw them as a must have item in any way. I would say Evian's spray is pretty similar to the other facial sprays I've tried in the past, but I really like the rather small size of this product, since it makes it very portable and easy to carry with you, where ever you happen to be going. You also don't need to use a lot of the spray each time, so despite the small size, I would say the bottle contains quite a lot of product, due to that. I really do think this bottle will last me for quite some time!

 I've mostly been using this during flights, when my skin really tends to dry out, as well as when my face has gotten kind of hot, and it works wonderfully for that, but I am not sure what other uses I could think of for the Evian Natural Mineral Water Facial Spray, so while I like the product, I do not see it as a must have product in any way, and I am really not sure if I would buy it again. It's nice to have this, for sure, but it's not a product that fits into my beauty regime very naturally, if you know what I mean?

Considering that the spray consists of Evian water, a lot of people find it a bit too expensive, but I actually think it is reasonably priced, since it is very similar to MAC's way more expensive Skin Refresher (read review here), for instance, so I don't have an issue with the price, actually.

An interesting product, but I would only recommend it for those of you who already have some kind of clear idea of what you want to use it for, since I don't think everyone really needs one of these sprays.

Review: Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Another product I tried from Sephora's own line was their waterproof eye makeup remover. I must admit that I am by no means an expert on eye makeup removers, I mostly use non-waterproof mascara and not much more when it comes to eye makeup, so washing my eyes with my regular cleansers is usually enough.

That said, I have tried some eye makeup removers in the past, and the biggest difference between the Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover and the other ones I've tried in the past is that this eye makeup remover really stings my eyes, which was a bit surprising, because I read some reviews about this product, and most people who reviewed this eye makeup remover said it did not sting their eyes at all, so I guess it's an individual thing.

A bigger problem I have with the Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, however, is that it doesn't really remove my eye makeup properly, which is what should be the most crucial thing when it comes to products like these, if you ask me. I had to put a lot of product on, 4 times or more and rub quite hard in order for any of it to come off. And I do not like product that make me rub my eyes, since that's one of the biggest beauty no-no's of all times, as we all know!

So like the Sephora Soothing Cleansing Water, their Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover was quite a disappointment too. Too bad, I really wanted to like Sephora's own brand. But there are definitely many way better eye makeup removers out there. So I really see no need to get this one again, to be honest.

Review: Sephora Soothing Cleansing Milk

Ok, so like I promised in my previous post, I will be reviewing some of the products I got at Sephora in Paris. First up: The Soothing Cleansing Milk, from their own Sephora brand.

Now, as you may know, I am a huge fan of Soap and Glory's Peaches and Clean Cleansing Milk (if you want to know why, read this review, where I explain it in detail), so whenever I try any other cleansing milk, I kind of hope it will be similar to the Soap and Glory one. Sephora's Cleansing Milk, however, is not as good by any means.

Why? you ask? Here are a few reasons:

• First of all, it doesn't clean well. I always use a muslin cloth to wipe my face after I wash it, and while I used a lot of the Sephora Soothing Cleansing Milk, with my Clarisonic dupe, the cloth still had clear traces of foundation on it when I wiped my face, something that normally doesn't happen when I wash my face with the products I usually use. And yes, I am sure I rinsed enough etc.!
• Second of all, this cleansing milk left my face feeling kind of greasy. Now, this is a product that is supposed to make your face feel softer after you use it, so maybe it contains some products that could be making your face both softer and greasier for some reason, but for me, the most important thing with facial cleansers is that they make my face feel fresh and clean, and this cleansing milk definitely does not do that!
• My face was also red and stung after I used this cleansing milk. Not a good look, or feeling!
• It also made my skin break out, and considering that it really does not cleanse your skin, I don't find it surprising at all.

So all in all, not a great cleanser for me, by any means, and I definitely will not be getting this again.

 The only good thing I can think of to say about the Sephora Soothing Cleansing Milk is that the small travel size is really good, if this cleanser works better for you than it did for me, it could definitely be the only facial cleanser you need to take with you on a short trip of let's say 5 days to a week. So when it comes to travel packaging, Sephora nails it, but when it comes to the product itself, it was really disappointing.

Shopped in Paris

I just came home from one of the places that is said to be the best in the world for shopping beauty items: Paris.

So of course I had to pick up some beauty products on my trip as well, most notably several products from La Roche-Posay, a brand I have tried before and loved, but I also went to Sephora and picked up some stuff from their own brand:

I also did some shopping at the duty free, mainly for perfumes, but I will blog about that, as well as review my new Sephora purchases a bit later.

Review: Hairkop Essence Obliphica Treatment Conditioner

Last but not least, I also gave the Hairkop Essence Obliphica Treatment Conditioner a try, besides the shampoo and the hair mask from the same range. And much like the shampoo and the hair mask, this conditioner is really nice. It smells wonderful, does what it is supposed to, and comes in a nice orange bottle.

It may not be as spectacular as the shampoo (due to it's super cool texture) or the hair mask (due to the incredible results I got with it), but it's a very nice conditioner that does everything you want a conditioner to.

So I will definitely get all the products I recently tried from this range again, including the conditioner, even though the conditioner specifically might not have been my favorite product from the range. But you shouldn't use a hair mask every time you wash your hair, I guess, so then a conditioner from the same range definitely comes in handy!

Review: Hairkop Essence Obliphica Treatment Hair Mask

If you read my previous post, you already know that I quite like the Hairkop Essence Obliphica shampoo, but I actually also got a hair mask from the same range, and I like that even more! Because while the Hairkop Essence Obliphica shampoo smells nice, the hair mask smells absolutely amazing! I must say it's probably one of the best smelling hair products I have ever, ever tried, and that is a huge plus for me!

And what's more, the scent actually stays in your hair too, which is even better!

The hair mask is intended for dry, damaged and colored hair, so it suits my hair type perfectly, and I do think it made my hair both softer, more manageable and less dry, while making it smell divine at the same time too, of course. So what more could you ask for, really?

The texture is quite creamy and similar to most other hair masks that I've tried, so unlike the shampoo from the same range, the texture itself is nothing exciting. But since the mask really does wonders for my hair, who cares, right?

I will definitely be getting this hair mask again and I am really thankful to the guy in the store where I buy my hair products, because he is actually the one that suggested I try this range, he thought it would suit my hair well, and it really did! So sometimes it pays off to listen to the "experts" I guess...

Review: Hairkop Essence Obliphica Treatment Shampoo

I've tried a really nice shampoo again, one of the nicest ones I've tried for a while, in fact, so I thought I should share some thoughts on it with you. The brand that makes this shampoo is called Hairkop Essence, and this specific shampoo has a secret ingredient in it, called Obliphica or Sea Buckthorn, as well as a lot of other goodies, including sunscreen, but it is still not tested on animals (a must for me), and it doesn't contain any nasties, which is good.

The shampoo is intended with those with dry or damaged hair, and it is supposed to be especially suitable for those who have straightened their hair using different chemicals (I haven't, but my hair is still pretty dry and I get a lot of split ends and stuff, mostly due to sun damage, I guess). And I have to say it both cleans and hydrates my hair very nicely!

Besides that, this shampoo also has a really nice texture, that kind of reminds me of those hand sanitizers that contain alcohol that you can get, if you've ever tried those. It's more like a gel than a regular shampoo, which is cool, and it also has a really lovely scent. It's kind of hard to explain the scent, I think, but I will say that it's a rather exotic, beachy scent, and you can definitely pick up on the sunscreen scent, which doesn't bother me, since I think it's nice for summer anyway, but it might be annoying to some, so still wanted to mention it.

I do think this shampoo seems to make my hair more manageable and even a bit more shiny, as well as very clean, so this shampoo definitely gets a thumbs up from me, and I do indeed think that I will be buying it again.

Review: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

My love for Bliss and their products is pretty well documented on this blog, but it took me quite a long time to try their Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, mainly because I really liked the other face washes I tried by them. But recently I ordered a Fabulous Foaming Face Wash for myself as well, and now that I have given it a try, I must say I really like it!

It feels fresher to use than the Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk, for instance, and the scent is really fresh and clean too. It also has some small, small particles in it that scrubs the face while you wash it too, so it's more than a face wash, it's a scrub too! The scrub is very gentle though, so I would still say that this face wash can be used every day if you want to.

I should mention that this wash doesn't really foam a lot though, which might be something you expect due to the name of the product, but this is not something that really bothers me, so I don't mind that at all. But if you are looking for a face wash that foams a lot, this might not be the best option for you.

You don't need to use a lot of this product every time, though, so a little still goes a rather long way, even without the foaming effect, so I would still say that this is a good purchase for most.

It also keeps my oily/combination skin in really good condition, which is really the most important thing for me, so I am really happy with this purchase, I have to say!

Review: Ooh La La Naked Creamy Bliss Coco De Mer Body Wash

This is an item that I received in my Beautylishious beauty box quite some time ago, but I haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet, mostly because I didn't use a lot of this body wash, so it took me a while to go through enough of the stuff to form an opinion about it.

Now that I have, I think that this is a pretty basic body wash, in a cute enough packaging, and with a nice, yet subtle scent. So it's nice, but not much more than that. However, if I have understood things correctly, this is a rather cheap body wash in the UK where it is mainly sold, and I would say that if you get it for cheap, it's probably better than some of the other body washes on offer.

It also contains a lot of natural ingredients and is both paraben and SLS free, and has not been tested on animals, which is great. So despite this not being the most special body wash you can find probably, I would still recommend it, and I am definitely happy I got a chance to try it through the beauty box!

Review: Lady Speed Stick Waterproof Deodorant Spray

As some of you may already know, I live in a really hot country, which basically means that you have to wear deodorant - and a lot of it! - every single day. This makes it really important to find a deodorant that you really like, and I must admit that I personally have not gotten there quite yet, but I am trying out new kinds on a regular basis, in order to hopefully get there eventually.

So far I have discovered that I prefer spray deodorants, because I find them easier and more convenient to use, so when I saw that Lady Speed Stick had a waterproof deodorant, I decided to give it a try. I must say I haven't really tested the waterproof part too much yet, because I usually put deodorant on after a shower and not before, but never the less, I am convinced I won't be buying this deodorant again, mostly due to the scent. It's, in my opinion, really strong and over powering, and it lingers not only on me, but also in the room where I put the deodorant on, for a really long time, something that I don't really like.

It also kind of gets into your eyes and makes it hard to breathe, so that's really not a very pleasant feeling in any way, and I think there has to be better options out there.

I will admit that it dries pretty quickly and doesn't stain like some other deodorants do (this one, for instance), so it's not all bad, but the bad sides do annoy me to the extent that I won't be buying this again.

Review: Lancome by Alber Elbaz Hypnose Star mascara

Ok, so it's time to jot down a few thoughts on the second Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara I bought a while ago. It's the Hypnose Star, that comes with a really cute blue and white design, that I simply love!

Since I really, really liked the other Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara I bought, the Hypnose Drama, my hopes for this mascara were really high. But sadly, I didn't like the Hypnose Star as much as the Hypnose Drama, because it didn't really lengthen and thicken my lashes in the same way at all. I am really a fan of dramatic lashes, and the Hypnose Drama gives you just that, but the Hypnose Star doesn't.

The brush on this mascara isn't curved like the brush in the Hypnose Drama mascara, so I think putting the mascara on is also a bit more of a hassle, which is another downside. And unlike the Hypnose Drama (sorry for mentioning that mascara so much in this review, since it isn't really a Hypnose Drama review, but a Hypnose Star review, but the differences really are huge, and it's just easier to illustrate them by comparing the two!), this mascara actually both smudges and flakes, which is a big no-no of course.

So I must say that I didn't like the Hypnose Star at all, which was actually really surprising since the Hypnose Drama was actually one of the best mascaras I've ever tried! So it's kind of strange that the differences are so big. But since I did find one Lancome by Alber Elbaz mascara that really works for me, I don't really mind that much. And like I said, the packaging and the design on this is absolutely adorable, so it's still a really cute and fun item to have in your makeup bag!