Review: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

When I bought my La Roche-Posay moisturizer mentioned in the previous post, the saleslady was kind enough to give me two sample size tubes of La Roche-Posay's most famous product: the Effaclar Duo. I was actually really happy about that, since I had been wanting to try this product anyway, and believe me or not, two sample size tubes is actually enough to have an opinion about it, since this is definitely a product that goes a long way. The saleslady that gave these to me also mentioned that you can use them only as spot treatments if you want, which is what I have been doing, since my chin is my problem area, but the rest of my face has been problem free lately, so I have used the Toleriane Ultra for it, while I used the Effaclar Duo only on my chin.

The first thing I have to say about the Effaclar Duo is that it kind of stings. So it is not a pleasant cream to use, and I also did not see any immediate effects from it. Meaning it did not clear my skin or improve it a lot, but on the other hand, it did not make it worse either.

So I cannot say I saw any of the really positive effects I have been reading about, but I also did not see any drying out of the skin, any purging etc.

So while I am happy I got a chance to try the Effaclar Duo (which has a harmless, neutral scent, by the way, in case you were wondering), I don't think I would actually buy this product, since it seems like a product that has gotten a lot of hype, but it also seems like a product that just works for some people, and not for everyone.

I will say that I have tried some other La Roche-Posay Effaclar products, and those were awesome, however. So I definitely would not say that the whole range is inefficient or anything, it just seems this particular product was not for me.

Review: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Moisturizer

I am a lucky girl these days, because a pharmacy pretty close to me has started selling a skincare brand I discovered and fell in love with on a recent trip to Paris: La Roche-Posay. So I have been buying my La Roche-Posay Effaclar Cleanser there lately, and since I had ran out of moisturizer, yet seem to be in great need of it, due to the weather being so cold where I live lately, I asked the sales lady, who actually seemed to know all the La Roche-Posay products pretty well, for a recommendation regarding a La Roche-Posay moisturizer.

She recommended the Toleriane Ultra, which is good for those with sensitive skin, and has minimal amounts of weird ingredients in it. It is also preservative-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, alcohol-free, colourant-free and lanolin-free, which is something I am paying attention to these days, being pregnant and all (even though I have not mentioned it on any of my blogs until now!).

Another great thing about this moisturizer is that you can use it both on your face and around your eyes, so I did not have to buy a separate eye cream either!

As for the scent: I am not blown away, as this product has a very minimal, discreet and kind of medical scent, which is not something I am really into, but I do believe a lot of people are, so I should not complain too much about that.

The moisturizer does add a lot of moisture, though, without causing any breakouts or other nasties, which is exactly what I was after. I must say that the moisturizer makes my face look rather shiny, though, so I only use this moisturizer at night, when I will not be seeing too many people anyway.

Other than that, though, the Toleriane Ultra really has no downsides, so I have to say I really like this product, and will definitely be getting it again!

Review: Sephora Creamy Body Wash

As you may know if you read my previous Sephora reviews, this is not a brand I am very impressed with. But their Creamy Body Wash is actually quite good! Not for body washing purposes, per se (I find most body washes are quite similar, actually, so I find it hard to say that any of them are really outstanding compared to others) but it's a great body wash to use when you want to shave your legs! It's creamy, rather thick, and has a rather neutral scent, which is nice, if you want to follow up with another wash afterwards, with a scent you like more (that's what I do, as you may have guessed).

The size of the packaging is quite good too. This is a travel size product, and I like it because you can use it several times, yet it still won't take up too much room in your luggage. So quite perfect, really!

So while this body wash is not very unique or mind blowing in any way, I would still recommend it, since I do think it comes in very handy while travelling.

Review: Sephora Instant Depuffing Eye Mask

The Sephora Instant Depuffing Eye Mask is supposed to fight signs of fatigue around your eyes "better than a nap". While I actually always prefer a nap to any eye mask, there are occasions where you don't have time for one, so how does this eye mask help in those cases?

I would say it's better than no mask at all, but the effect it gives you is not very dramatic. It does make your eyes look slightly more alert and rested, but one should not expect miracles. The mask also has a nice cooling sensation, that I really liked, and this eye mask is packed in a really convenient wrapper that makes it perfect to take with you on trips. So if you are looking for an eye mask that is easy to carry with you, this might definitely be what you are looking for!

You should be aware of the fact that the results you do get with the Sephora Instant Depuffing Eye Mask are not very long lasting, though. You'll look a bit more refreshed for around one day or one night, not more. So I would recommend using these for special occasions, not on a regular basis. It's probably better to find a really good eye cream if you suffer from puffy eye constantly, I think!

Review: Biotop Professional Quinoa 911 shampoo for dry and damaged hair

A new brand that I have been trying lately is Biotop Professional, a brand that creates high quality hair care products that are not tested on animals (a must for me, personally, when it comes to hair care products. You wouldn't believe how many of them are tested on animals, after all!), based on natural ingredients, such as water and quinoa.

I think the shampoo from the range, the 911 shampoo for dry and damaged hair, is nice, and cleans my hair well, but at the same time, it is rather boring, and does not have any outstanding features at all. What I do think a lot of people will like about this shampoo, however, is that it has almost no scent (I know there are a lot of people out there who hate strong scents in beauty products and shampoos), no coloring and so on, so it feels very "clean" and "pure", so to speak.

It's not so much what I am looking for personally in a shampoo, though, so while the shampoo does make my hair feel nice and clean, I think I won't be purchasing it again, simply because this shampoo is "not my style" as much as some other shampoos I've tried. So I guess I would rather use my favorite shampoos instead, or look and try other shampoos, that I have not tried before, in order to find a new favorite!

That said, I am pretty sure there is a huge market for this type of shampoo, so while I am not that into it, I am sure plenty of others will be.

Review: Hairkop Essence Intensive Nourishing Shampoo

I've written about Hairkop Essence products and their amazing scents here on the blog before (see this review, this review and this review, for instance), so when I spotted some other Hairkop Essence products in a local store recently, I was very excited to try them out too, since my first experience with the brand was so good.

But sadly, the Hairkop Essence Intensive Nourishing Shampoo is somehow not as exciting as the other shampoo I tried. It doesn't have that amazing scent, even though the scent is by no means bad either, it's just a bit... bleh.
And the results for me at least were not as spectacular with this shampoo as with the previous one I tried. The shampoo is intended for damaged, colored and unmanageable hair, which is definitely at least partly my hair type.

But I have to say that it is by all means a nice shampoo, I think my expectations were just way too high after having tried their other shampoo first. But I would still recommend this shampoo, and I might also get it again if I can't find my favorite Hairkop Essence shampoo for some reason.

Review: Kava Kava Rescue Mask

So I told you what I thought of the Kava Kava Rescue Shampoo yesterday, but this shampoo also has a buddy in the form of the Kava Kava Rescue Mask. So what about that? Is the hair mask any good or not?

I would say it is, although I am now a bit more familiar with Kava Kava hair masks, so I guess I am not as blown away by them as I was when I first tried them. But the texture of the hair mask is just as nice on the Kava Kava Rescue Mask as it was on the other hair masks I tried in the past, and the scent is nice, yet subtle too.

But most importantly, this hair mask makes my hair:
Softer
More manageable
Smell great
and less frizzy
So I am definitely pleased with the results of this too!

The mask is intended for those with dry, frizzy and rebellious hair, but I think most people could probably benefit from using this hair mask. But if you have any of the hair types mentioned, you definitely will!

I will definitely be getting the Kava Kava Rescue Mask again myself, there's no doubt about that!