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Skin care
Etude House Soft Clay Pack | Review
6/19/2015
Korean brands are known for providing their costumers a really huge quantity of samples that would put any western brand in a corner sobbing of shame. Last year I got a sample of this mask and I feel in love while using that sample. Because of that, I felt compelled to get a full-size when the clay mask I owned finished.
I really like to do a clay mask once in a while. Although I've switched to more caring products, I do like the sensation of a deep cleansing that it is not over stripping. It always helps to de-clog my pores and to take care of any small spot or scar that I might be dealing at the moment - because you know, stress and hormones don't like to help. But, most clay masks are quite dry and can become uncomfortable to have on the skin, which is why know I'm quite careful with the masks I use.
This mas has a creamy texture that it's not common to clay masks - which usually have a more dryer texture to begin with - which makes it super comfortable to have on the face. And when it finally dries it's this layer of cream yet powdery texture that it's easily removed with water.
After using this I noticed that my pores started to look less unclogged and my skin felt more clean and soft. The only thing is that the more sensitive skins might not like this mask contains fragrance and the Eucalyptus can break out on some people since it's not the most "skin-friendly" ingredient and it can cause more harm than good.
Again, I only got the full-size of this because I was able to try out a sample, otherwise I wouldn't get a full-size. It is not the fist time I try one of the samples I get and I realise that said product isn't a good option for my skin - like Lioele's CC cream or Etude House's Brightening Essence - so if you are curious about this but afraid that might break you out, try to get a sample first.
Also, I really like packaging. Not only is cute and fun to watch but the material of the tube is quite "flexible" which makes super easy to remove products and no need to cut the tube in the end to remove the rest of it. Extra points to Etude House for thinking about it!
Also, I really like packaging. Not only is cute and fun to watch but the material of the tube is quite "flexible" which makes super easy to remove products and no need to cut the tube in the end to remove the rest of it. Extra points to Etude House for thinking about it!
Personally I got this from Jolse.com and I paid around 12,5$ but you can also find this at EtudeHouse.com or any other store. This tube had 150 ml and I still have mask for the rest of the summer. I'll probably try out the Brightening version and the Spot Treatment version as well.
Have you tried this mask? Do you have any recommendation?
Thank you for reading, take care and have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
Say hello to my new daily moisturiser!
When my La Roche-Posay moisturisers started to give their last breath, I knew I had to get something else to replace them. For some reason, I didn't felt that I had to spend more than 17 euros on each of them...and I really hadn't. I mean, I don't mind spending the extra dollar or euro on skin care, but if there are cheaper options you bet that I'll grab them first for sure.
I use this one exclusively for the day time and I usually just apply it in the mornings after cleansing and toning and before applying sunscreen/ sun block and my makeup for the day. I'll talk later about the one I'm using for the night time ( specially because I need to take photos and edit them first...oh the blogger drama). But now onto to this wonder! Say hello to the Mizon Hyaluronic Ultra Suboom Cream.
I believe that by the name you can see why I picked this up...Hyaluronic Acid? Oh yeah! I mean, as someone who struggles with dehydrated skin on a daily basics, there's nothing like this. I shall blame my " Hyaluronic Acrid craze" on Caroline Hirons ( a.k.a. the Skin Care Queen...at least for me)
This lovely deep blue and sturdy plastic tube of 45 ml contains one of the best moisturisers I ever used. It doesn't have a creamy texture like the regular kind, it's more of a gel-like texture. It's super light, has a tiny bit of scent ( nothing too strong in my opinion, specially because as soon as you apply the product onto your face, the scent just evaporates) and a little goes a long way.
What I particularly like is how this works with makeup. Because it has Hyaluronic Acid, this moisturiser retains all the water and moisture, leaving me with a really healthy and plum skin and keeping the oil out of my face as much as possible - although it won't keep out sweet and that kind of stuff, so if you happen to run the marathon ( or trying to catch the bus), that type of fluids will show up for sure - but that quite normal right?
But the best? It's price. I've checked this guys at multiple store and it's price is never above 6$!
Overall, I'll keep repurchasing it - unless I find it's Aqua Gel "brother" better.
If you are looking for a good moisturiser that leaves your skin ready for makeup, this is for sure a really lovely option.
I got mine at Jolse , but you can easily find it at any online store that carries Mizon.
Thank you for reading! Take care and have a nice day!
May the " let's do all the reviews I can " week start. I'll probably over-post a bit but...after so much time, what else could I do?
So, I decided to talk about one of my most recent Skin Care acquisitions , the Missh Time Revolution Clear Toner containing both BHA and AHA - can you hear the bells? I did as soon as I saw this!
I've been trying to find a good toner with both acids in it but it was quite difficult, specially because some are either too strong or too expensive. So you guys can imagine my happiness when I saw this at Jolse.com.
Now, this came in a really big and strong plastic-that-looks-like-glass bottle containing 250ml of toner, which is a lot. A little goes a long way with this toner.
I don't find it rash or super strong on my skin, quite the opposite actually. For instances, when ever I use the FAB pads and I pass this afterwards, my skin thanks me a lot.
At the beginning I would feel a simple tickling - nothing strong - but nowadays I don't feel anything, besides my skin getting super soft.
Besides that, I've been noticing that I don't get as many spots and break outs like I used too and more importantly, my scares are fading! I can't even explain how good it is to look in the mirror and see my skin without so many red and dark marks around my cheeks. Everything is currently fading.
I've also noticing that my pores are getting more unclogged as well - they still need a bit of work but I might get something else to help me with them, although I'm more preocupied with my marks and my skin texture.
And speaking of texture, this combined with other products - like my Mizon Serum and my FAB Ultra Repair Cream - are helping my skin texture to look more even and plump.
Overall, it's one of the best products I ever tried and I'll keep repurchasing it for sure. Currently I'm just thinking about adding an Essence to my routine...any recommendations? The Missha Essence is quite expensive but I think that the Secret Key looks similar?
Lastely but not least, I got my bottle from Jolse for 25.98$ but I believe that you can find it wherever you prefer ( I usually go for Jolse because of the Shipping and because I always get points for buying there)
I hope that you liked this review, take care everyone!
The Multitasking Mask
3/30/2015
Long time no see, I know! I don't even need to say that the main reason for the lack of posts was school right? Besides that, I wasn't in the best condition during the month of January and most part of March. But, let's not even think about it!
I got myself a week of vacation because of Easter and among other things - like travelling to Caldas da Rainha again - I'm already preparing more and more posts. You see, I might not been blogging but that didn't keept me from getting new products and testing out new things...So I have an Army of things to share.
And since I finally got a new camera and a new computer that makes me able to work in a better way - it may sound like and excuse but both my old and old computer were in need for retirement. I didn't got an DSLR like most people would do, instead I got an Hybrid camera : it's digital but I can still get lenses like I would for a DSLR. Mine came with a 20-50 lens and so far I am happy, although I might get another one in the future - only after getting myself a Wacom digital table.
I got this mask back in January if I'm not mistaken. The body shop opened and Outlet store and while I went there to "just get a conditioner " and leaving with tone of new things to try out, this was one of the products that found their way . Not that hard when we have 40% discount right?
The sales attendant recommended this to me because she new I was doing an exfoliating mask with AHA and BHA and that my skin was dehydrated. Seriously...I'm so happy for getting this!
There's nothing more relaxing than using this after exfoliation or a regular clay mask. I can see this being really handy during the super hot days of summer.
Specially beacuse I also use this as a Sleeping mask - I just dabb a tiny bit of this after my moisturiser and et voilá, I wake up with something that resembles baby skin.
On the other hand, this is not the cheapest mask. I can probably get something simillar and cheaper from a Korean brand - I really want to get my hands on the Lioele Sleeping mask and on some of Etude House's Sheet Masks with Hyaluronic Acid. But I'll probably repurchase this at my local Outlet store anyway.
I hope that you guys liked this post. I'll be working on getting more content here. I had to leave the blog but now, I hope that I'm finally back for good.
Take care everyone! Have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
The 2014 Skin Care Favourites
12/26/2014
So yes, the year is ending and instead of making a monthly favourites - specially because there isn't really anything in particular to love since I was too busy with school to ever think about makeup or anything like that - I decided to do something like Sleep and Water and write my Skin Care favourites of the year instead.
There are some items missing mostly because they are already emptied out - like my The Body Shop Cleansing oil - so they aren't mentioned here. I also won't be talking about the Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil Light because I'll be doing a review after the 2014 favourites posts.
Next year some favourites will probably be the same, new things will be added. After all, New Year is all about change right?
There are some items missing mostly because they are already emptied out - like my The Body Shop Cleansing oil - so they aren't mentioned here. I also won't be talking about the Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil Light because I'll be doing a review after the 2014 favourites posts.
Next year some favourites will probably be the same, new things will be added. After all, New Year is all about change right?
The Garnier Micelar Water was a budget-friendly purchase. As you can see, I still have like half a bottle to use. Yes, I'll probably get my beloved Bioderma when this finishes but, I know that I count on this one too without any problems whatsoever. So yes, it deserves a spot here.
Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum was a good surprise and I can't be happier with it. I'm actually thinking about getting a backup because I can't live without it anymore. As you all know, I have dehydrated skin so, keeping moisture and water is what I want the most - specially because it helps with my terrible spots, marks and oily T-zone. This bad boy is a great alternative to very known things like the Indeed Labs Hydraluron (which is quite expensive and harder to get). And yes, I still want to try out their AHA serum - which is currently out of stock at Jolse.com ...and apparently there's also a AHA toner but...it costs like 87 euros on ebay? Crazy...
Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum was a good surprise and I can't be happier with it. I'm actually thinking about getting a backup because I can't live without it anymore. As you all know, I have dehydrated skin so, keeping moisture and water is what I want the most - specially because it helps with my terrible spots, marks and oily T-zone. This bad boy is a great alternative to very known things like the Indeed Labs Hydraluron (which is quite expensive and harder to get). And yes, I still want to try out their AHA serum - which is currently out of stock at Jolse.com ...and apparently there's also a AHA toner but...it costs like 87 euros on ebay? Crazy...
As for moisturizers, the La Roche Posay Hydreane Light and the La Roche Posay Hydreane Riche were my all time favourites. They don't contain any funky or stupid ingredients - I'm looking at you mineral oil - and my skin looks so soft and pretty after using them. The light version is used during the day and the riche version is for the night time. I might test and try out other night creams but I know that the rich version is a safe option. And no, I'm not thinking about changing my daily moisturizer.
The La Roche-Posay Effaclar duo + is another staple in my routine. It's something that I can count on to take care of my skin issues without too much fuzz. Doesn't irritate my skin at all and the new formula is nothing but sweet (not actually sweet, I don't really eat products you know...).
Lierac's DioptiGel has earn it's place. Although I used the Bioderma eye gel, this one has a better formula and takes care of my dry and tired under eyes without problems. Although I want to get fancy things like the Clinique All about Eyes or the Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream, this is my safe option and it's something that I recommend to anyone.
Lastly but not least for sure, it's the Avène Cleanance Mask which is my best friend to exfoliate my skin and to take care of nasty spots and cysts that sometimes I get because of stress and some food problems - I don't have too much time to think about eating healthy when I'm at school. It's sad I know, but hopefully it will be better during the second semester.
So here are my Skin Care favourites. What do you think about this new set up? I have to say that I like it even more than the traditional white board thing I used.
Take Care Everyone! And please tell me, how was your Christmas?
The La Roche-Posay Effaclar duo + is another staple in my routine. It's something that I can count on to take care of my skin issues without too much fuzz. Doesn't irritate my skin at all and the new formula is nothing but sweet (not actually sweet, I don't really eat products you know...).
Lierac's DioptiGel has earn it's place. Although I used the Bioderma eye gel, this one has a better formula and takes care of my dry and tired under eyes without problems. Although I want to get fancy things like the Clinique All about Eyes or the Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream, this is my safe option and it's something that I recommend to anyone.
Lastly but not least for sure, it's the Avène Cleanance Mask which is my best friend to exfoliate my skin and to take care of nasty spots and cysts that sometimes I get because of stress and some food problems - I don't have too much time to think about eating healthy when I'm at school. It's sad I know, but hopefully it will be better during the second semester.
So here are my Skin Care favourites. What do you think about this new set up? I have to say that I like it even more than the traditional white board thing I used.
Take Care Everyone! And please tell me, how was your Christmas?
With Love,
Diana.
Effaclar Duo+ | Review
11/23/2014
Guess who's back? (or should I say, got time to write a post)
Everyone know how much I love the Effaclar duo from the La Roche Posay...so you can imagine how I felt when I got to know that they reformulated this baby. Here are my impression and comparison to the original.
So, Effaclar duo+ is meant to work just like the original one but with the added benefit of also taking care of marks and scars. If there's something I'm always struggling with is marks. Ugly, red marks. That and occasional spots that appear when I'm more stressed - there's no point in mentioning that I've been like that for the past week or so right?.
So, when I'm dealing with that (along side with the rest of my skin care task force ) I like to use this guy. On bad days I double it by wearing at night and in the morning, but on regular I just use him in the mornings. I can see how the formula is better - My marks and spots go away more quicker than before.
The packaging is the same as before, and I'm happy with that because I always liked how sleek this tube was because It's easier to take him with me whenever I go out for the weekend or vacation. It's also easy to control the quantity of product that we want to use.
But the best part is for sure the new texture : the older one was more "watery" which meant that it was prone to leaking...actually that's exactly what happened to my last tube of the regular effaclar duo...the thing wouldn't spot leaking for nothing and when I realized the whole product was now living on the cap. Because this one has a more consistent texture, that doesn't happen at all.
Also, this will probably live longer compared to the other tubes because of that. Overall, I'm really happy with this product and I can't wait to try out their new toner - which has AHA and BHA.
If you are curious, here's my original Effaclar duo Review.
And again - this is the European version! There is an American version with contains benzoyl peroxide instead of salicylic acid. So you need to be careful when searching for this. I've seen some people reacting badly to this product because they were allergic to salicylic acid - for instances if you are allergic to Aspirin, there's a huge change that you'll be allergic to salicylic acid.
Take care everyone!
With Love,
Diana.
Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 Serum | Review
11/15/2014
Finally, finally! I finally got a free week to take of blog posts! College is taking so much of my time and effort, but things are going nicely. In many levels.
Anyway, here's my review about one of the newest products I got from my Korean Beauty Haul. Let me tell you, this is probably the coolest item I got. Everyone knows already how crazy I am with skin care and taking my routine to another level. After hearing a lot of raves about Hyaluronic Acid and how good it is to moist - hello, that's exactly what my dehydrated skin needs - and retain water in our skin. Usually people try to get Hydraluron from Indeed Labs but...that's kinda expensive and hard to get because it's only available at boots (and their international shipping is...crazy).
One day, while doing my usual search around Korean Beauty online shops...I found this serum. I never heard of Mizon before but after a quick search ( Thanks Google) I found out that it actually has really good products and reputation. It didn't take too much for me to get this as soon as possible.
This comes in a glass bottle, which initially had a cap and the dispenser on a side - I guess it's to prevent problems in terms of bacteria and everything. It's really simple and easy to take out the product , a simple squeeze is enough .
After that, I like to rub the serum - which has watery, but somehow jelly as well (?) texture - around the palms of my hands and tap it on my face until I feel that it's all skin in and my skin is ready to receive the moisturiser. Then I apply my usual night moisturiser and...it's amazing.
I can feel my skin nourished and the moisturiser working better because of it. I use this mainly at night after bed and let me tell, in the morning I don't look too scary as I used to because of this. I've also seen - not sure why - and improvement in terms of scars fading. My skin texture is softer and I'm nothing but happy with this product.
Not only I want to get a backup, I also want to try their AHA serum, which looks amazing to add as my exfoliating serum. I got my from Jolse , here for 15,98$, which is like, half of what I would pay for Hydraluron. If you are looking for something like that, give this one a try!
Take care everyone, have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
October Favourites '14
11/05/2014
Finally! Monthly Favourites...
So, before anyone asks "where's the Halloween look" the deal is...I had too much work and zero time an patience to do it. I tried, but the shoots were horrible and I'm not going to present something that I'm not comfortable with. I'm sorry, but I won't. But, I'll try to do an Autumn inspired look. I won't promise anything, specially when I have tone of work, assignments and tests to do. But I'll survive.
Second, what do you think about the new look? It was and still is , a work in progress. I got inspired by Gh0stparties look (and before anyone says "oh you're coping " I e-mailed her asking about if she thought that it was too much and that I would be more than willing to do change if it was necessary and Kate, who is the sweetest girl, said it was okay to be inspired. And even complimented my photos - yes I jumped like a little kid. But I don't care. It made my day)
Now...favourites. I'll be sincere, I didn't tried out too much makeup, mostly because there wasn't much time. My daily routine consisted in concealing, doing my brows, setting and lipsticks. But Skin Care kept the same...with the exception of some new things.
Lime Crime's Centrifuchsia is a good pick-me-up lipstick, specially for crazy days were I don't have too much time to spend on my eyeliner or that kind of thing. It's super pigmented and easy to wear.
In therms of Skin Care, there were two items added to my routine recently and they deserve a spot. The Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum is the bomb. If you are looking for a serum with hyaluronic acid that helps you with moisture, you need to try this one. I'll be sure to review it during this month.
And the Etude House Real Art Cleansing Oil in Light was a happy finding. It's lighter than the The Body Shop cleansing oil. I'll probably update to the Moisture version during December and January but, I can see this one to be a good choice too. My only concern is it's citric smell. Don't worry, I'll be reviewing it as well.
And keeping the Etude House theme, the Drawing eyebrow pencil is so good. The best I've tried so far and I'm really happy with it, specially because it stays on it's own for the longest time. Yes, I'm happy.
And finishing with concealers, you all know why I love the Maybelline Fit me Concealer - easy to apply and leaves a good look. Now, paired with the SkinFood Dark Circles concealer - a perfect duper to the Benefit Erase Paste - it's even better. This duo has been taking care of my dark circles during the all month.
And to take care of my spots, there's nothing like the Aritaum Full Cover concealer, which made me rethink about getting the Full Cover from MUFE, since it's so good and I don't have a special need for another one. It can look cakey ,but nothing that a good thermal water won't help.
Lastly but not least, the Holika Holika Cotton Pore Primer is the best primer I ever tried, It's not "silicony" and yet, took care of my pore without issues and smells so good. I'm currently thinking about getting the mist/setting set and the bb cream from this line soon because of how good it is.
So here are my favourites, thank you very much for reading.
I'll be working on a few posts during this month too, including wishlists and gift ideas.
Take care everyone, have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
The Birthday Haul
10/18/2014
So, starting with what I got first, a friend used to sell Lime Crime and one day I visited her and mentioned that I was looking for a new primer that would survive my extremely oily eyelids and she ended up mentioning that she still had this Lime Crime primer to sell. I also asked her if she had any lippies and...she had Centrifuchsia, which was on my wishlist for years. I bought those as a birthday present. I'm really happy with them and I want more lip colours...but lime crime is quite overpriced now and the shipping is insane. Why Doe? Why!
Next, my mother asked if I wanted anything from the UK - she is working there - and I was like "Soap&Glory! Soap&Glory!" ( not literally okay?) and she got me these two amazing and gorgeou blushes. They are extremely pigmented...I dare to say, even more than sleek.
And Lastly but not least I got the Skin Food concealer and that Missha essence sample from an ebay seller - I don't really remember the seller's name! And apparently ebay will no longer work with paypal? (at least my friends were raging about that the other day...). The concealer is a great dupe for the Erase Paste from Benefit, Doing wonders to cover my under eye circles!
Next, from another ebay seller - again, not mentioning it because of the "won't working with paypal in the future thing ". I decided to get the Clio Kill Black eyeliner which has a brush tip...I'll probably get the one with the pen tip in the future to compare them and see which one works best. I'm still trying to figure out how it works. Because my eyebrow pencil is almost dead I enjoyed a promotion and decided to get two Etude House Drawing eyes Brow Pencils in 01 and 03 - which I love. Next step is getting brow mascara from them as well. And because my Bourjois primer is empty now, I had to get a new primer so I decided to give a try to the Holika Holika Sweet Cotton Pore Base - WHICH SMELLS SO GOOD! - and works really nicely. I dare to say that works better than my all time favourite Primed and Poreless from Too Faced. I also got a bunch of Samples and I'm really curious to try the Tony Moly Tea Tree lotion - another future Skin Care purchase maybe?
Lastly but not least at all, from Jolse.com I got - alongside with a friend - the Etude House real Art Cleansing oil which is really light and smells like oranges. Didn't break me out or anything, which is a good thing! alongside with a very interesting Mizon Hyaluronic Acid Serum - forget Hyraluron, get this. It's amazing and costs a fraction of the price. I wish I had found this sooner! And to finish the Aritaum Full Cover concealer - which covers everything and looks like a good duper for the Make Up For Ever Full cover concealer...with 25ml of product. Oh the amount of samples? AMAZING!
From all of the three packages this was the one that was more carefully packed and had more samples. I'll be getting more products from their store for sure. I guess you'll have to wait for November to see what I'll get.
So, what do you thing? Yes, there weren't any palettes which is a good thing - It's what I get the most...
I'll try to post my Autumn picks and favourites during next week. And yes, there will be reviews of the products mentioned!
Take care everyone, have a nice day!
From all of the three packages this was the one that was more carefully packed and had more samples. I'll be getting more products from their store for sure. I guess you'll have to wait for November to see what I'll get.
So, what do you thing? Yes, there weren't any palettes which is a good thing - It's what I get the most...
I'll try to post my Autumn picks and favourites during next week. And yes, there will be reviews of the products mentioned!
Take care everyone, have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
The Current Night time routine | Skin Care
10/11/2014
Let's highlight the current here. Next month I'll probably have another one because of some thing I'll be testing. Plus there's also other things I want to get so and add into my routine - like the new La Roche-Posay toner that hasn't been released here yet. I've been scouting almost every single pharmacy and drug store to see if it's here already and nothing. Still, I want to use the minutes I could spare right now to post this. I'll try to get some new photos and post ideas for next week posts this Sunday. And I'm only waiting for the last package to arrive from Korea and I'll post my haul! (like...finally!)
Anyway, here we go!
So, cleansing is something really important for me. It's pretty much essential.
When I arrive at home I tend to do a pre-cleanse with my Garnier Micelar water and the Garnier Eye Makeup Remover because I always feel that it's too much. Specially when I all I want is to put my comfortable clothes and do my assignments.
But this doesn't mean that I won't do proper cleanse later. I'll always use my The Body Shop Cleansing oil...actually, some times I go straight to this instead of using the other two. Because it removes everything from skin, without being over striping.
Twice a week I like to exfoliate my skin with my Avène Cleanance Mask, which contains both BHA and AHA in it. It removes the dead skin without being too harsh.
But everyday I use toner. Specially my The Body Shop Aloe Toner which doesn't have any trace of alcohol. It's really gentle and prepares my skin to the next step.
Which is serum/special care. It's when I use my La Roche-Posay Effaclar duo+ so that my acne marks and scars can go away. I can't wait to get the Mizon serum to add it to my routine as well.
And lastly, I need to moisturise both my face and eye area. For the eye area I go for a good amount of my Bioderma Sensibio Eye Gel and leave it like a mask and let it soak. For my face, I like my La Roche Posay Hydreane Riche, which is thicker but not oily. I always wake up with a super plump and healthy skin after this.
So here you have it. My night time skin care routine.
I know, it could be better...I promsse it will be better next time.
Take care everyone! Have a nice day!
But everyday I use toner. Specially my The Body Shop Aloe Toner which doesn't have any trace of alcohol. It's really gentle and prepares my skin to the next step.
Which is serum/special care. It's when I use my La Roche-Posay Effaclar duo+ so that my acne marks and scars can go away. I can't wait to get the Mizon serum to add it to my routine as well.
And lastly, I need to moisturise both my face and eye area. For the eye area I go for a good amount of my Bioderma Sensibio Eye Gel and leave it like a mask and let it soak. For my face, I like my La Roche Posay Hydreane Riche, which is thicker but not oily. I always wake up with a super plump and healthy skin after this.
So here you have it. My night time skin care routine.
I know, it could be better...I promsse it will be better next time.
Take care everyone! Have a nice day!
With Love,
Diana.
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