Monthly Favourites | October

Which products did I enjoy the most during October? Read on to find out!

First up is a new product which I have had for some time but I only got to use it now. I am speaking of NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencil in the shade 940 Black Glitter. I don't see myself using this on my brows but it is a nice alternative to the usual black eye pencil for special occasions because it has a good glitter payoff. I have been using this for the various events I was invited to this month for a fun yet subtle change. I like the pigmentation and staying power so thumbs up NYX!

Whenever I want neutral eye makeup, I tend to reach for brown shades, especially during the day. My favourite eye pencils are both from Catrice and they are the Kajal Designer 150 Up&Brown&Up&Brown... and the Long Lasting Eye Liner Pen Stay On! 070 Puddle of Mudd. The Kajal Designer has proven to be a favourite to create a subtle smoky look like we learnt during the Biocare Makeup Workshop (read all about it here) because it is very easy to blend due to its creamy texture.
 

Another product I have to share with you is the Catrice Camouflage Cream. I had wanted to purchase this for a long time, then Davinia's review came along and totally convinced me to get this and I think it was the best €3.40 I have ever spent! The creamy consistency is comparable to that of the NYX Concealer in a Jar but it is less thick. I mainly use this to conceal minor skin imperfections and it lasts all day without fading or budging. I am in the shade 010 Ivory which matches my skin tone perfectly.
 

 

Speaking of skin imperfections, another favourite product this month is the Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot which is a targeted corrector for pimples with the intention of leaving no scars whatsoever on your skin. It is a clear gel which you can use under makeup if you like as it forms a barrier over the imperfection and heals it quite rapidly. If you have read my review, you would know I think it is one of the best skin care products I have ever tried.

The Body Shop never fail to amaze me with their products and the Brazil Nut Beautifying Oil is no exception. It leaves the skin silky smooth and I like to use it after a shower to lock in moisture. The smell is divine and it has fast become a staple product in my stash!
 

Next up is a hair product. I have very fine hair that gets oily very easy depending on what products I use to style it etc; so when I got this Schwarzkopf Bonacure Hair Therapy Oil Miracle in my goodie bag from the Dean Gera Hair Care opening event, I was very sceptical on using this on my own hair for fear that it will turn oily overnight. However, after seeing Steph's review and experience with this product, I decided to give it a go. Why didn't I try it before??? It left my hair super soft and manageable and gave me much better results when I straightened my hair!

Two new favourite hair products are the Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner. I only have these in sample size (quite generous I have to say) since they were given to me at the Philip Kingsley launch last week. I have only used them a couple of times so far and I have already seen a difference in the way my hair looks and feels. I have some products on my wishlist from the brand and I can't wait till I am able to buy them!

More beauty favourites, I have three lip products, namely M&S Limited Collection Lipstick in Grape and Lipgloss in Wine and NYX Lipstick LSS619 Flower. They all feel very moisturising on the lips and I like to pair the two M&S products for a shimmery plum lip.

 

My favourite blush this month has to be Essence Souffle Touch Blush in the shade 030 Cold Wildberry which gives me a nice, healthy pink tone on my cheeks. It blends nicely with my skin and I find that the best brush to apply it with is the E.L.F. Studio Small Stipple Brush.
 

This month I also have a non-beauty favourite. I think most of you would have guessed it's the Michael Kors watch Johan gave me for my birthday :) I love it and I wear it almost everyday!
 

So that's it for my October favourites ladies :) Any new products you liked trying out during the first Autumn month?

Guest Post | Three Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is becoming quite popular these days for it takes the hassle out of depilation as after a few treatments, the hair follicle is 'killed' and thus hair doesn't grow back. Laser by Sia share with us some benefits of laser hair removal.

 

It is not just you, but there is actually a big chunk in our population that has to deal each and every day with problems with excessive and unsightly hair. There are others more like you who have the same concerns that you do about the unwanted hair in your face and body. And like you, they also spend great amount of their time, energy and money just to get rid of the hair. They also resort to different techniques of hair removal like shaving, tweezing and waxing even if it requires them to pay so much as long as they get to make their skin look better and without the problem hairs. However, aside from the fact that some of these procedures involve having you experience pain, they also cost too much but the results do not last long. Therefore, you have to repeat the process every so often leaving your wallet empty. It is a good thing that technological advancements have paved the way to the development of a new procedure for removal of unwanted hair. Other people who also have life long concerns about their excessive hair have already rendered hair removal services from such clinics and were really happy with the results.

Laser hair removal is a relatively newer yet the best option that you can have if you want to finally get away from your problems with unsightly hair in your face and body. Many people like you are now enjoying it benefits and you should too. Below are just three of the numerous advantages that you have gain once you have decided to render the service too:

Laser hair removal is a pain free procedure. As mentioned a while ago temporary hair removal methods, particularly waxing and threading, will let you undergo some excruciating pain just to take away your unwanted hair. Plucking has some pain factor too, but it is more tolerable. With laser hair treatments, you will not have to experience any pain because this procedure makes use of light beams that targets the roots of the hair. Light would not hurt you, right? These light beams eliminate the hair and disable them from growing back. You can have the fresher and smoother skin that you want without the pain.

 

Laser hair removal has more forgivable side effects. Aside from some redness and a bit of swelling that may be experienced on the treated part, laser hair removal can guarantee that there are no more negative side effects to their treatments. Comparing these to effects of waxing which include burns and skin discoloration, and of plucking - ingrown hairs and chicken skin, and of shaving - skin cuts and scars, then you will realize how laser hair removal is the best one for your skin.

Laser hair removal saves time, efforts and money. You cannot remember when was first time that you tried to remove hair from your body, but the sure thing is that you have been doing it ever since. Once you finish your laser session, you can be hair free permanently so there will be no need for repetitive spending and going to salons every so often.

Please visit us at http://laserbysia.tumblr.com/

Monthly Favourites | July

Time for monthly favourites again...and this time I have quite a lot of products to show you so let's get started right away with hair care.

 

In summer, I tend to use more products on my hair to tame the frizz and protect it from the sun. My favourites are Tresemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo and Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe which I use as conditioner to restore moisture especially after spending time at the beach and air conditioning.  Then to style it, I use John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straightening Potion to keep frizz at bay and also provide protection against heat styling and lastly, I use a little Finishing Polish from Percy & Reed London to keep my style looking fresh all day.

 

 

As for skin care and body care, I have really been enjoying the results Pupa Milano Anti Cellulite Cream and Scrub are giving. I have already seen an improvement in the way my thighs look and I love how fresh they feel on the skin.

 

Lierac Paris is a new brand for me and I have been testing out their products ever since I attended their press launch in June. My favourite of the two products we were given, is the Gommage Douceur which as the name implies, is a very gentle scrub that I like to use twice a week (I must admit that I sometimes cheat and use this once and use another scrub the other time to make it last longer). The toner completes makeup removal as it can also be used around the eye area and I love the way my skin feels after using it.

 

Then in the lip department, I have been favouring lipgloss over lipstick this month and my favourite non-sticky formulas are L'Oreal Glam Shine Crystals 301 Coral Strass, E.L.F. Studio Glossy Gloss Berry Blush and Essence Marble Mania Trend Edition 02 Peach & Mix. And of course, to keep my lips supple and flake free, my favourite product is the E.L.F. Studio Lip Exfoliator.

 

Last but not least, I have my favourite eye products. Thanks to Meg's Makeup, I am now a proud owner of the Urban Decay Melt Palette that also came with Breathless eyeshadow that is a universally flattering shade that I have been using almost everyday since I got it! Two more Meg's Makeup gifts were the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Dime which I have opened for the first time this month and love the fact that it is long lasting and doesn't budge; and RevitaLash Volumising Primer which I love to pair with my Pupa Vamp! Mascara 300 Deep Night to enhance the blue pigments. My favourite waterproof mascara this month has been the Catrice Lashes to Kill mascara.

 

I have been experimenting quite a lot with coloured eye pencils this month and my favourites are a selection from Catrice and a Denim Blue shade from Rimmel. 

 

I didn't include any face products in this month's favourites because they are essentially the same as last month's so no use repeating them over again.

 

What are your favourites? Do you tend to favour certain type of products over others in summer?

Review | Wjcon Primer Corrective Anti-Redness

Today I will be reviewing another product I bought from Wjcon recently and as you can tell by the title of this post, the spotlight will be on their green Anti-Redness Corrective Primer.

First off, the primer is supplied in a black carton box that bears the ingredients and a swatch of the primer colour. The product information is printed on the back of the actual tube which is the same colour as the actual primer. The tube holds 30ml and it is very conveniently sized for travel. However, to see how much product is left, you have to put the tube against the light as it is opaque.

 

Here's a word about primers and their use in makeup... A primer is applied before foundation and after moisturizer to help create an even base and help your makeup last longer.  This one in particular also has a mattifying effect, counteracts wrinkles and being green, it contrasts any redness. I am still too young to have wrinkles so I cannot really comment on that but I can definitely give my two cents on this primer's other properties!

To begin with, I bought specifically the green corrective primer because I really liked the effect when Maria did my makeup at the Wjcon Bloggers' Night. I do get a little redness on my cheeks and from pimples so I thought this would be a great complement to my NYX Concealer In A Jar CJ12 Green.

What impresses me the most with this primer is that although it is green in colour, it goes onto the skin very sheer and it blends well effortlessly so that if you don't feel like applying foundation, you can skip it altogether and still look very natural.

 

 

The texture is creamy but a little on the watery side, hence very easy to blend into the skin. I use this primer when I am doing full face makeup mostly, because it helps keep the makeup on longer and my skin is kept oil free. The primer has no scent whatsoever and is rapidly absorbed into the skin. I haven't had any issues with breaking out while using the product.

 

To sum up, I would really recommend this primer to anyone whose skin tends to get red and acne prone people. It is available in another three varieties to suit everyone's individual needs; white to illuminate the face, purple to freshen up dull complexions, skin coloured to counteract pigmentation, dark spots and dark under eye circles.

 

Available from Wjcon in Naxxar Road, Birkirkara for €9.90 for 30ml. *Throughout the month of June, Wjcon are giving you a free nail polish with a purchase of €35 or more worth of products*.

Follow Wjcon Malta on Facebook for updates and special offers.

 

Tips to help keep skin clear

Following from an earlier post on which skin care products I'm sticking to and which I'm getting rid of, here are some little changes that made a difference in how my skin looks and feels and also some other tips which you can use too to reduce the formation of pimples on your face. I have also booked an appointment at the dermatologist to see if I need any special medications so stay tuned for updates in that regard. Enjoy! :)

1. I noticed that my breakouts were getting worse and more frequent ever since I started work and thanks to the ongoing air conditioning and not being able to open a window for some fresh air (coupled with the inevitable stress that work brings with it), my skin has suffered.  So, what I do is I take my cleanser and moisturizer with me to work and I wash my face if my skin feels oily and then I just cover up the imperfections with concealer.

2. Hydration is of utmost important to help the skin get rid of toxins and not over-produce sebum.  The secret potion here is water! Just make sure to keep a handy small size bottle near you throughout the day to make it easier to reach for it and hydrate our skin from within.

3. Reserve make-up for weekends and go light during the day. This will let your skin breathe and free it from clogged pores.  For example, the items that go on my face for work are concealer, blush and some kohl eye pencil!

4. Having oily hair doesn't help my skin much but ever since I cut it shorter, I wash it more often and breakouts at the sides of my face have diminished drastically.  

5. Another way by which I diminished breakouts at the sides is by cleaning my mobile phone with hand sanitizer or alcohol wipes at the end of the day to kill bacteria.

6. This is hard but I try not to touch my face too often as bacteria can easily be transferred from the hands to the face and cause spots. Also, ever since I quit popping zits, I get less breakouts.  Popping zits will cause the infection to spread to other areas and also deeper in the skin tissue causing bigger and redder spots.  However, if pop you must, make sure your hands are squeaky clean and wrap a tissue around your fingers to wipe the pus straight away and avoid marking your face with your fingernails. 

7. Diet is also a very important factor in maintaining healthy-looking skin. Cut down on fatty and greasy foods and you will see a difference almost immediately!

8. Use products that are specific to your skin type. There is no need to buy every single thing that you think might work. Stick to the products that you know will give you the results you want.  More importantly, take time to cleanse your skin as much as you take time in applying make-up.

9. Lastly, going to the beach and rinsing my face with sea water has helped improve my skin greatly.  I am lucky to live on an island with many beautiful beaches and whenever I can, I will try and go to the beach even in Winter to help my skin all year round.

So, that rounds up a few little tweaks that I did to help my skin get better and hope that you find some of these tips useful if you have the same problems as me :)

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Virgin Olive Face Masque

Do you know the one secret ingredient that will help with you with your new year skin care resolutions? It's none other than Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is renowned for it's rich vitamin E content and skin nourishing properties.  It is a staple ingredient found in most (if not all) kitchens worldwide and apart from its uses for alimentary purposes, it has also been used to prepare purifying skin care preparations for thousands of years especially in Ancient Egypt.  For example, you can mix some Extra Virgin Olive Oil with bottled water in a container to make up your own natural make-up remover.  You can also mix it with other ingredients to make a nourishing and deep-cleansing mask for your face... 

...but wait! You don't have to do that because Montage Jeunesse have already done all the mixing and they came up with their newest Virgin Olive Face Masque for you to treat you skin with; no mixing in the kitchen! It is all conveniently packaged in a 15g sachet ready for use!  They have added the likes of Organic Fair Trade rich shea and cocoa butters which will leave your skin deliciously deep cleansed and Aloe Vera which will help cool and soothe your skin. Organic Fair Trade ingredients mean that you are getting the ingredients in the purest form possible and you are supporting the countries of origin and harversters of such ingredients! Did you know that Olive Oil also has a high content of antioxidants which help delay the aging process of the skin? 

The masque itself is very rich and creamy and it is a pleasure to apply on the face as the smell is not over-powering at all and you know you are using a natural beauty product just by taking a look at the ingredients.  I like how Montagne Jeunesse explain what each ingredients is and the only non-natural ingredients are the ones written in black.  Also, Montagne Jeunesse are BUAV approved as they do not test on animals and their products are Vegan friendly!

To get the best possible results out of this masque, cleanse and thoroughly moisten face with warm water. Apply the masque evenly to face and neck, avoiding eyes and lips. Relax for 10-15 minutes and feel the Olive nourish your skin. Rinse with water, pat dry. Treat your skin twice a week.

Being an avid fan of Olive Oil as a beauty ingredient, I am sure to stock up on this masque which by the way has left my skin looking much brighter and supple!

UK consumers, you can get this masque from ASDA and from www.montagnejeunesse.com for only £1.10 RRP.  Fellow Maltese readers, you can get MJ masques at Peacocks, New Look and major supermarkets.

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New Year, New Series! Mid-Week Beauty Master-class!

Good morning ladies :) Hope you are now all cured from the festive hangovers and fully geared up for the New Year!

I decided to start this series dealing with make-up application and skin basics I feel everyone needs to know in order to make the best out of make-up. Therefore it will resemble a Make-up  one on one.  I have already written a few general posts which you might want to refer to so as the first post of the series, I am going to link all these posts here for easier referral. 

To know more about what the skin is and it's various functions, click here; you might also want to check out my face cleansing routine here.  However, always adapt this routine to your skin needs.  To know what your skin type is, check out this post! You can also find more tips for clear skin here.

The colour wheel is an indispensable tool when deciding which colours to use so be sure to have a look at it here.  This other post deals with all the basic make-up tools everyone should have.

Another post I had posted on this blog which is worth a read deals with eyebrow shaping. Click here for more.

I hope you will all enjoy this series and please do not hesitate to send me your requests about what you would  like to see here :)


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Summer 2010 Favourite Products

Sadly, today is the last day of Summer *sob sob* and to cheer up, I decided to go through my make up collection and see which products I have used most during this summer. I will divide the products in categories such as face, body, etc... and here they are!

Body

This summer, I had a very nasty eczema attack all over my body and so I had to drink loads more water and I was using Glysolid, Dermofardi and Lavender Essential oil to bathe with followed by Sudocrem and Vaseline to keep my skin from getting dry and itchy. Thankfully, my skin is a lot better now and I hope it fully recovers soon!

On to some more interesting stuff... As a body scrub, I was using one I got from Corfu last year. I really love this scrub and I am a bit sad I used it all up. You can read a full review about it here. As for a body lotion, I was using this cheapy one which I really love the scent of... Vanilla Yoghurt! I'm such a sucker for everything vanilla! It feels silky smooth, smells good enough to eat, and leaves my skin feeling soft and supple (even with the bad eczema rash I had!). I switched this body lotion for my Hawaiian Tropic after sun each time I returned home from a day at the beach.

I have been really good to my footsies this summer by treating them to a mini pedi daily with some School Footcare products: Rough Skin Remover, Callus & Hard Skin Reducing Cream and also a Cracked Heel Repair Cream . As for depilation, I used Veet cold wax strips for legs which leave me hair-free for 4 whole weeks!

To keep my perspiration in check, I use Nivea Double Effect deodorant and during summer, I like to use different perfumes. My favourites for this summer were Christina Aguilera, Hugo Boss Orange, Guerlain Insolence and Kate Moss Velvet Hour.

Hair

Summer + hair is not a really good equation especially here in Malta where we have a very humid climate. I do not blow dry my hair during summer but I tend to use more styling products than usual to keep fly aways and frizz at bay. I use Angel treatment to restore moisture as well as a heat protector and UV protector together with some gel and a good highly moisturizing pair of shampoo and conditioner.

*Make-up Time :D*

Face

In summer, I tend not to wear any foundation to let my sun tan show and also let my skin breathe. I use a very rich moisturizer like Nivea Visage Stay Matte or Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid. I also treat my face to a weekly face mask by Montagne Jeunesse to deep clean and restore moisture levels. Should I have any minor break-outs, I treat them with Effaclar A.I. by La Roche Posay.

I still use my Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer in 103 Soft Honey and set it with my elf Studio Complexion Perfection. I then apply a rosy blusher (my choice is Rimmel Powder Blush in 004 Pink Rose) and contour/highlight with some elf Studio Warm Bronzer. I keep my face looking matte all day by blotting any oil with elf Professional Shine Erasers.

Eyes

Summer calls for a good primer to prevent the eyeshadow from fading or creasing, so I bought my first ever Eyelid Primer from elf cosmetics and which I am very fond of (well actually, I am fond of all my elf possessions!) My favourite eye shadows for summer were the bright ones in the Deborah stories palette and my Cover Girl trio Cafe au lait for everyday natural looks. To really elevate my eyes to a whole new level, I use black waterproof mascara from elf (Earth & Water) or Rimmel 100% Waterproof (which I ran out of). A flick of Waterproof Eyeliner Pen in Black by elf cosmetisc seals the deal and their Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear mascara makes my brows look polished and pulled together.

Lips

Lips don't have sweat glands so I keep mine moisturized with The Body Shop Born Lippy passion Berry lipbalm. When heading out during the day, I like to use elf's Super Glossy Lip Shines with SPF15 for a just-seen sheen and protection against the sun's rays. I like neutral colours on my lips and my favourite lipsticks are Maybelline Water Shine in 02 Cocoa Shake and Deborah Rosetto 24 Ore in 13 Creamy. I like to layer some L'Oreal Glam Shine Crystals lipgloss in 301 Coral Strass over my Maybelline lipstick. I am actually on the look out for a due of the Maybelline lipstick as I think they have renamed the shade or maybe they don't do it anymore (if so it is such a pity!). Another favourite lipgloss is my Napoleon Perdis Protege Lipgloss. I love its coral colour and minty taste!

Nails

In summer, I like to wear bright colours on my both my toe-nails and finger-nails. Here's my choice of colours:

Medium Red, Lilac and Mint Cream by elf cosmetics

Shocker, Pompous and Silver Bullet by Rimmel 60 Seconds

Into the Sunset by Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds

To prevent my nails from becoming stained with polish, I always use a clear base coat (elf clear nail polish), then I finish with some Elegant Touch glossy top coat and nourish my nails with some Revlon Cuticle Moisture Oil.

To instantly upgrade my polish with some nail art, I use Nailene's Bedazzle Earth Angel or Superstar nail stickers... great for when I don't have time to do a free-hand design.

To file my nails, I use these fierce-looking nail files from Peacocks. They are not fierce at all on my nails as they have a very gentle grit.

 

So, these were all my Summer 2010 Favourite Products! I hope you enjoyed this post and I look forward to seeing yours! Should you want me to review any of the items, don't hesitate to let me know! I linked the reviews of products which I have already reviewed. So, there's nothing left for me to say, except bye bye Summer, hello Autumn and we'll wait and see which new trends the new season will bring with it!

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