SuMmEr HaULiN'....

Ive been very good this summer..i promised my self i wouldn't buy any skin care or cosmetics since i have so many unopened products..so i stuck to the necessities..sort of!
......and btw that is my belly button in the mirror hahahah ;)

I had a big event this month so i had to repurchase my favourite foundation Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body SPF 15  in 2 shades darker since i got so tan..i went from a 03 Light/Medium to a 07 Medium/Deep..!

The sales assistant at the Estee Lauder counter insisted she do my make-up..it was so lovely ... and i got the "guilty consumer" feeling that i also purchased the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer in 03 Amber Bronze Medium...it was more than i wanted to spend on a bronzer...(37 euros)...but with 2 products you got a free goodie bag..and everyone knows I'm a sucker for goodie bags..

Estee Lauder Goodie Bag:

Sumptuous Bold Volume™ Lifting Mascara the SA used this mascara on be and i loved it! but i have a few mascaras to finish before i start using this one.

Advance Night Repair Eye a generous sample..i am currently using this at night..its ok ..no dramatic results so far.

Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Creme Spf 15  gave this to my mom!

Last month i was wondering around a department store when the Dermaglow SA offered to show me some of their products and give me a few samples...

i tried out the Dermaglow 10% Glycolic Gentle Peel Solution sample she gave me and i was sold..

my skin looked amazing every morning after using this..3 days later i shelled out 60 euros for the full bottle..

unfortunately .. 2 huge cysts popped out of nowhere so i stopped using this product for now..

i really hope im not allergic to glycolic acid :(

..i will start using it once a week to avoid iritation after my skin clears up again.

the sales assistant also gave me a free Dermaglow Sun Protect Spf 45!

Another so-so sunscreen ..will i ever find my Holy Grail SPF??

A friend of mine with similar hair to mine (long, wavy blonde highlights) recommended John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Around Style Activationg Shampoo. i love it! keeps hair smooth and my waves a lot less frizzy! there was also a 30% off on John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum Extra‑Strength Formula For Coarse/Extremely Frizzy Hair..so i picked it up since i have always wanted to try this. i havent used this yet .. only after my other serum runs out!

My hairdresser recommended Schwarzkopf Repair Rescue Sealed Ends to help with split ends. i wanted to repurchase Loreal Professionnel Tecni.art Spiral Splendour but they didnt carry it any more. These creams both work in similar ways..apply on damp hair and style..i never blow dry my hair .. just wash and braid at night and apply serum to the ends the next morning.

Finally it wouldn't be a haul without a stop at The Body Shop!

 i repurchased The Body Shop Banana Conditioner  and  The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin.. both products i absolutely adore and will buy again and again!!

A new purchase was the The Body Shop Facial Muslin Cloths.

Since i cant try the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish i thought i would use something similar ..the Aloe Calming Faicial Cleanser and a Muslin cloth! i have to say i loveee it!! The muslin cloth is much more gentle on my skin for daily use than the Rounded Handle Facial Brush.

What do you think of these products?

In With The New.....

a collective haul of products accumulated over the past 2 months...

Avene Cleanance

 Soapless Gel Cleanser

Avene Cleanance High Protection

Spf 30 Broad UVA/UVB protection for

Acne Prone Skin Non-Comedogenic

Bioderma Sebium AI

Intensive Care Acne Prone Skin

The Body Shop Ice Blue Shampoo

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin

The Body Shop Banana Conditioner

Clinique Long, Pretty Lashes Box Set

High Lenghts Mascara

All About Eyes Eye Cream

Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips

Clinique High Impact Lip Colour Spf 15

in 10 Coral Crush

Clinique High Impact Lip Colour Spf 15

in 20 Rose Spectrum

Barbara Bort Terra Cotta Abbronzante Compact Tanning Earth Bombay 14

Barbara Bort Shimmering Lip Gloss 35

 Barbara Bort Duo Eyeshadow 22

Apivita Gentle Cleansing Gel for the intimate area

with chamomile & propolis 

Apivita Bath and Shower Gel for Dry Skin

with almond & lavender

as a gift with the April Marie Claire Greece Edition 

<with the May Marie Claire Greece Edition you get a free full size

Coconut Body Butter>

SCARFIX Derma Repair Skincare for Scars

Artexan - Vitamin C and A (Retinol) <the most AMAZING skin cream ever>

Schwarzkopf GLISS 1 minute hair repair

Shea Cashmere Intensive-Nourishing Mask

&

VO5 Moisture Soak ELIXIR

Pre-Shampoo Treatment

<..I've added links to all the products, if you would like a review please ask or for any questions on the products please feel free to comment below..>

have you tried any of these products?

ReViEw: Murad Acne Complex

My Night Time Skin Regimen

i think it's about time i give my honest review on the Murad Acne Complex Kit given that  I've been using it since the beginning of September... that's five whole months giving this product a chance...sticking to the routine... and finally admitting that this is a horrible product for acne skin.

when i started using this product my acne was mild at the time...(if you consider that the past three months i was swimming in the beach everyday...and sea water always clears my skin...as opposed to pool water which breaks me out)....but i wanted a new skin routine for autumn to help control any new breakouts i might get...

i researched on line and found out that products with glycolic acid are great for acne prone skin..i was already using salicylic acid so i thought i would give G.A. a try...i discovered the Murad kit had  both G.A. and S.A. in it's ingredients..Plus i liked the fact that this was supposed to be a 30 day product.. i figured I'll use this for a month...my skin will get even better..and then i can focus on a few scars i had on my right cheek...i was mistaken..

I knew there would be a "purging" period but i didn't know it would never end...

it claims to get all the bad things out of your skin for the first 2 weeks and the last 2 weeks your acne will disappear.. well I've been using it for five months and my skin keeps getting worse..

The Clarifying Cleanser and the Skin Perfecting Lotion are GOOD products.

The cleanser is only 2.0 fl. oz. I've been using it twice a day for 5 months and i still have some left..

it's a good cleanser, makes your skin feel very clean and tight.

The Skin Perfecting Lotion is an oil free moisturizer..i think it will work great on people who have acne AND dry skin..but not for me since i am oily..

now for the bad products...

The Exfoliating Blemish Treatment Gel and the Blemish Spot Treatment.

The Spot Treatment didn't do anything for me..it doesn't get absorbed by the skin..in the morning the treatment was dried around the pimple ...but the pimple was not at all dried.. even after a couple of days on the same spot..nothing...this was the only product i used up in 30 days.

The Treatment Gel was supposed to clear clogged pores of bacteria, to control acne and restore clarity. All it did is give me huge cysts...i really wanted this product to work..i tried using a little bit, i tried using a lot, i tried it as a spot treatment...i couldn't use it during the day because it contains Hydrogen Peroxide which is an oxidizer used as a bleach apparently..not a good idea for a warm and sunny climate... plus it's difficult to apply make up over it. But the worst side effect is that it severely scared my skin...and i think it made me look a bit harsh..like it takes away your youthful glow...

I know for a fact that it's the treatment gel irritating my skin because i wanted to stop using it for a while  before this review....well for a week now i only use the oil free moisturizer and The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil on my problem areas...<it's one of the products i bought a while ago and never used>

My skin is a lot less irritated and i hardly had any new spots.. But a full review will come on that in at least a month!

A final thought: I'm not bashing Murad this is my honest opinion.. i do like Murad as a brand. I use their Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30 everyday for the past year now and it works great... i also really want to try their Vitamin C Infusion Home Facial Kit....but something went wrong with this Acne Complex Kit....

Have you tried the Acne Complex Kit? did it work for you? what about Tea Tree Oil?

My BoDy ShOp CoLLeCtiOn + 1st ReViEw

i used to love The Body Shop products while i was in my early teens but then i just sort of grew out of that phase...months ago i went in to purchase a Coconut Body Butter and they asked me if i wanted a Body Shop Card...so i said yes...I've been taking advantage of the 10% off every purchase and collecting points ever since... my B.S. collection grew over night...some things i love...and some things not so much...

my 1st review...others might follow....

Retractable Blusher Brush

this is the only brush i carry around everyday in my make up bag. this is a very very soft brush. softer than Sigma and Mac but doesn't pick up as much product. i use it to re-apply my face powder during lunch and if i have to re-apply a bit of blusher i use this again and then clean the blush off by swirling it on a tissue..

Definitely worth the 13.50 euros.

Moringa Body Butter

i purchased the little travel size 50 ml one to keep in my desk at work and use as a hand cream.

but the scent was so strong i felt like it gave me a little headache every time i used it. some girls at work loved the smell and asked me what i was using..other girls had the same reaction as me...

i will me trying it out as a body butter now that i brought it home...

Rounded Handle Facial Brush

i call this my baby Clarisonic...I've never used a Clarisonic before but in theory it should work in the same way...you just have to do all the work and swirl it around your face for a minute or two...it's definitely the Old School Clarisonic...this B.S. one is really soft but after i washed it in the dishwasher twice its even better...after i use my milk cleanser to remove my make-up i use this with my gel cleanser and it takes off any residue from the make up or the cleanser...it exfoliates lightly...and makes my skin feel super clean...

for only 4 euros this is definitely one of my favorite Body Shop products i use religiously every night! 

Coconut Oil Hair Shine

this is one of my favourite hair products ever...and I'm really picky with hair products...

my hair is long, thick, wavy...and very out of control and frizzy on very humid days.. so mostly every day :)

this products gets rid of the frizz..makes my hair look smooth and shiny..not at all greasy..

best part...it makes my hair smell all coconuty..i get so many compliments on that!

Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues

ok so i have very oily skin..combined with hot weather and humidity it's trouble!! i need to powder up every few hours or else i just look like a mess...but before i re-apply powder i like to absorb some of the oilyness using these blotting tissues..they work better than toilet paper (haha!) but i feel sometimes that they are too thin...i need 2 tissues each time ... i borrowed a MAC blotting tissue from my friend once and it was much thicker and almost three times the size of these B.S. ones so of course i only needed one...but I'm not sure if the MAC ones are ridiculously priced so if they are I'm sticking to these babies.....

what are your "Hit and Misses" of Body Shop products?

have you tried out these products?

what other Body Shop products would you like me to review?

FOTD November Edition

ok so November has been a verrryy busy month..meaning during the day i had no time to play around with make up. Basically my daytime look was achieved by using these products:

Estée Lauder Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup for Face and Body SPF 15 in 03 LIGHT/MEDIUM

words cannot express how grateful i am for finding this foundation... i never heard/read a review about it before the lady at the Estee Lauder counter insisted i try it... it is definitely an under-hyped product....

my skin has been very oily and acne prone for the last year or so and i really struggled to cover it up...

I've been using this every single day for the past 2 months since i purchased it and i just don't feel comfortable to change back to my MAC Studio Fix Fluid or even my Estee Lauder Double Wear...this covers up all imperfections for at least 10 hours and it doesn't oxidize at all!... i cant believe i was trying to cover acne with those foundations... if u are interested i would love to do a full review on the Estee Lauder Maximum Cover or any other foundations since i have tried out a ton!

Clinique All About Eyes Conealer

in 01 Light Neutral

I have a sample size of this concealer for the past year but i only rediscovered it lately.. 

i like it for a day look because for me it doesn't crease and it lasts longer than my Mac Select Cover Up.

i don't use this at night because i prefer more peachy toned concealers especially if pictures will be taken!

Revlon Colorstay Pressed Powder

in Medium

where i live Revlon is not sold as a "drugstore brand". Revlon products are only a little bit cheaper than MAC products so of course you are going to prefer MAC. About 2 months ago the Revlon counter had a 50% sale so i bought a bunch of things to try out and i really love them! Especially this powder... i use it with a Sigma SS150 powder brush to set my make up and to freshen up during lunch. I still get oily around my T-Zone but there's so much a powder can do...

Clinique High Impact Mascara

in 01 Black

this is a sample size as well ... i actually got it in a magazine months ago...i should have thrown it out by now but i love it too much... it doesn''t give me crazy long lashes like the L'oreal Voluminous does but for a day look its great.

The Body Shop Brow Definer

in 02 Brunette

i am actually blond and not a brunette but i thought this color suited me best. very easy way to fill in your brows and looks very natural for a brow pencil. it stays on even with really hot and humid weather.

Revlon Powder Blush

in 02 Tawny Peach

i love this color on my fair/medium skin because i think it gives you the warmth of a bronzer but without looking too harsh during the day. i dab it on my cheeks with a MAC 129 and then blend! i prefer peach colored blushers to pink colored ones. especially if you are blond like me...blond hair and very pink blush is too barbie for me :)

The Body Shop Vitamin E Lip Care SPF15



i know you might think how boring using lip balms instead of lip glosses or lipsticks but here me out!!

by the time i get to work and have my first sip of green tea my lip gloss has disappeared and suddenly my lips are all dry ...but with this lip balm my lips are moisturized for a good 20 minutes before my morning tea and stay moisturized and pouty for hours,,,

this is my daily look. it's basic and takes me less than ten minutes!

what is your everyday make up look?

ThiS Or ThAt: TBS Aloe Calming Cleanser ? Korres WhiteTea 3in1 Cleansing Water ? Korres Orange Blossom Cleansing Emulsion ?

OK so a little update...last week i started an "aesthitician" course..you don't become a professional aesthitician from this course...you just learn the basics and the secrets from a professional... i would love to discuss what i learn each week :)
so basically in a class of 11 girls not one of us cleans her face correctly every night! the numbers are against us... apparently the right way consists of:
*a cream or oil-based cleanser to remove first thick layer of make-up
*a gentle eye make-up remover
*2 big round facial cleansing sponges or cotton pads
*a gel cleanser

at this point we will ignore toning, pealing, scrubs, masks and moisturizing!

Since i only use 1 of my 5 gel cleansers to remove my make-up in the shower i decided to take her advice and also include a "proper" make up remover in my night regimen. i have very bad break outs at the moment and i am looking for something simple, natural as possible, ...and affordable!

My 3 picks ....help me decide with your comments and feedback!!!

No.1 : Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser

Best if you want to: Sooth your sensitive skin with a mild, soap-free cleansing lotion that gently, but thoroughly, removes make-up and impurities.

Want to purchase because: i hope it will calm my irritated, sensitive, oily, acne prone skin...plus i like the fact that you can rinse this off with water if you don't feel like using cotton pads (which i don't)

Second Thought: worried it might leave a residue on my face or even break me out!

No. 2: Korres Orange Blossom Cleansing & Moisturizing Emulsion

Action: Rich in Active Aloe, the Orange blossom emulsion gently cleanses and moisturises; it removes make-up, sebum and dirt, allowing the skin to breathe. The Cypress active extract, rich in tannins, exerts remarkable astringent and antibacterial properties, while Calendula soothes inflammations of oily skin. The Orange blossom distillate comforts and refreshes the skin.

Want to purchase because: this sounds like it calms the skin..but also fights blemishes in a gentle way
Second Thought: again worried about leaving a residue on my face or even breaking me out! Not sure if you can rinse off as well.


No. 3: Korres White Tea 3in1 Cleansing Water
A soap-free, 3in1 water that removes everyday impurities, face and eye makeup while also toning the skin. The Organic white tea extract is a rich source of antioxidants to fight off free radical damage, while the astringent Hamamelis extract tightens pores and soothes and calms the skin. And because of it’s natural ingredients, this cleansing water won’t irritate the eyes - could you ask for more?

Want to purchase because: deep down I'm secretly scared of cream cleansers for my oily acne prone skin so this sounds ideal...i saw this in the shop today...it really does look like water...
Second Thought: you can only use this by applying on a cotton pad...and because its so watery i will probably use it up a lot quicker than the others....


I've never thought this seriously about buying a product before..I'm usually an impulse buyer (see 5 gel cleansers:)) but some advice from a professional ...do your homework before you purchase....!!