My Evening Skincare Routine

I already shared my morning skincare routine, so now I will tell about my evening skincare routine. In general, it's not much more different than what I do in the mornings as I use some of the same products, I layer them on my skin, and I use a lot of different bottles. I'm a little less careful at night about product textures as I don't mind if they take longer to absorb, if they leave a little more oiliness/stickiness on the skin, etc. Just because I don't have to wear makeup afterwards, I'm more forgiving, but I still want the products to meet my expectations.

First thing is to clean my skin, and I do it in two steps. If I don't wear makeup during the day, I might skip step 1, and just wash my face. The step 1 is to remover my mascara and then lightly go through the rest of the face using either Promise Organic coconut facial wipes or Pacifica "cactus water" micellar water. These wipes are not my favorite as I prefer another brand currently, but they do a good job. I only wish they were a little bigger and/or a little thicker. Pacifica's micellar water is amazing. In fact, I like Pacifica face washes and micellar waters a lot, and I might do a separate review on this brand.

Next step is to wash my face with face wash. I also use this pink silicone pad from Sephora. At the moment I'm using Acure sensitivee facial cleanser, which I apply on the cleansing pad and massage all over the face. I'm not sure why, but I prefer that rather than doing that with my fingers, but I have no problems rinsing my face off with my hands.

I'm not going to talk a lot about this duo as I told about them in my morning routine entry (HERE). I apply Dickinson's witch hazel toner on a cotton pad and go over my entire face. Next, I spray Kiehl's"Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng" hydrating mist and let it sink in.

Once my skin is clean, it's time to move on to hydration. Just like in the morning routine, I apply The Ordinary "Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG" eye serum on my undereye area, and then apply The Ordinary "Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5" face serum to my entire face. I let both serums to be absorbed, and layer Laidbare "From Dusk Till Dawn" facial serum on top. Now this serum has oil texture, which isn't my favorite. I don't mind it too much for a nightime product, but if I can choose, I never buy oil based serums.

Again, this is mirroring morning routine, and I apply additional product on my eyes. I like using Strivectin intensive eye concentrate for wrinkles for that purpose. I got it in a sample bag, and didn't think much of it, but I really like it once I started using it. It's a deluxe sample size containing 7g, so it will last a long time. The texture is a little slippery (but doesn't feel silicone-y), it spreads easily, and absorbs quickly. I can't comment on how it works on wrinkles, but it feels nice on, feels hydrating, and that's enough for me. Lastly, I apply face cream to my face and neck. By the way, I know I didn't mention that, but anything I apply to my face, I apply to my neck as well (creams, serums, cleansers, etc.). Currently I'm on a mission to use up a whole bunch of mini cream bottles that I acquired through time, so I use them at night. Right now the lucky one is Kat Burki "Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream", which I fell in love with the moment I tried it for the first time. It is so great that I have it in my wishlist.

My Morning Skincare Routine

I discovered Deciem brands pretty recently, and I was very excited to try their products. So I got a couple different items, and incorporated them into my daily routine. Originally I was thinking to do a review on them, but while with some products I'm halfway done, there are others that are still waiting to be started. I know I mentioned Deciem brands, but this post is not just about them - it's something better! I'm about to share my morning routine, and what products I'm currently using.

The first thing I do in the morning is clean my face and neck with with hazel toner. I know I know, I'm supposed to wash my face in the morning, but this method worked for me for years, and I guess I'm just not into morning face washing. Currently I'm using Dickinson's hydrating witch hazel toner, but Thayer's is just as good. I've used Thayer's for many years, and keep switching between these two brands. I'm not a big fan of how this one smells (it's a little too strong smelling too), so next time I might stick to the regular one.

Next thing I do is use spray/mist. Right now I'm into Kiehl's "Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng" hydrating mist, which I really enjoy. While the bottle is only 2.5 fl oz (75ml), it's lasting quite well. This steps gives extra hydration to the skin, and prepares for next step.

Serum is a product that I skipped many times. In Fact, my skincare routine changes once in a while, and I go from using a bunch of products to minimizing to just a few essentials. Though today is the day of plenty, and I apply all 3 serums every day. The Ordinary "Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG" is an eye serum, which promises to reduce appearance of eye contour pigmentation and of puffiness. One drop is enough for both undereyes, and I use it both morning and night. I have dark undereyes, and I don't believe creams/serums can really help with that, but this serum is really nice, and refreshes, moisturizes, and depuffs my eyes. The Ordinary "Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5" serum for the face goes on next. I've only used a couple hyaluronic serums, but this one is my favorite for sure. It does help with adding moisture to the skin, and I see a difference while using the serum. The texture is a little bit sticky, but once I apply all other creams, and let everything sink in, the face is left soft and hydrated, and there's no stickiness to it. The third serum that goes on the face and neck is Hylamide "Glow Radiance Booster". Directions tell to apply it AM and PM, but I apply it only in the mornings. Over time it gives a little tint to the skin, but nothing dramatic, and nothing like a face tan. It's a nice product, but to be honest, it's not something that I need in my routine, so once I go through it, I'm not gonna repurchase.

By this time my eye serum is absorbed and I apply Drunk Elephant "Shaba Complex" eye serum. I know it says it's a serum, but the texture is like light cream, and I use it as a cream. Even by itself this serum gives me enough hydration. It's light, it's moisturizing, and it's great under makeup.

As for face cream I choose Estelle & Thild "Biocalm" soothing moisture day cream. I only need a small amount of it for whole face, and while it's on the lighter side, it's really hydrating. After trying their body butters and this face cream, I want to try more products from this brand.

My last step  in my morning routine is sunscreen. I used to skip this step many times, because while my skin is normal-dry, my pores get clogged from sun protection products. However, I want to find a product that would work for me, so currently I'm using MyChelle "Sun Shield" with SPF28 and so far it's performing great. I do apply less than recommended amount, but I hope it's better than not using it at all, and I don't have problems with absorption or break outs. This sun protection cream doesn't leave white marks, absorbs quickly, and let's skin breath.

If I'm not too lazy (or not in a rush), I'll use Peter Thomas Roth contouring tool. I'm in the market for a new tool like that, because while this one is great for forehead and for cheeks, I'd prefer something different for the rest of the face as this one is a little too hard on some parts of the face. Just to be clear, I love this tool, and I will continue using it even when I get another one.

Left to Right (top): The Ordinary eye serum, The Ordinary hyaluronic acid serum, Hylamide Glow booster
(bottom) Drunk Elephant eye serum, Estelle & Thild face cream, MyChelle sun protection cream

March Empties

For a while I wasn't collecting empty packaging of the products I've used up as I just wanted to move on to the next product. Though during March I started saving the empties, because I like seeing how much and what I've finished, and also I enjoy getting rid of that pile of things at once. I've been using a lot of samples and minis last month, but I did finish up plenty of full size products.

Ecocare "rose & chamomile"organic facial wipes - amazing! This brand also carries "honey & apple" facial wipes, which I've used many many times, but I tried this scent for the first time. While I still prefer how the apple ones smell, these are just as effective in removing makeup. The wipes stay moist from the first until the last one, they're not too wet and not too dry, they remove any makeup easily and quickly, and one wipe is enough for the whole face. It's a must have in my drawer.

Shiseido facial cotton - another of my must have items. It's soft, big enough, doesn't tear up, doesn't leave cotton pieces on the face. I used to love CVS oval cotton pads, but these are just as great, and the price/quantity are equal too.

Kiehl's calendula deep cleansing foaming facial wash (sample) - it was fine, it did wash my face squeaky clean, but since my skin is normal towards dry, this wash might dry out my skin too much if used constantly.

La Fresh makeup remover wipes - these I got at the hotel, and they do the job. Yet I'm not a fan of the smell, and I can use them while traveling, but I wouldn't choose them as my regular wipes.

     

Andalou "avo cocoa" face mask -  I've used 3 of Andalou's face mask about 4-5 years ago, maybe longer. This was before they changed packaging, and masks themselves (?). Not sure if they really changed the mask, but in my memory it is different. This mask did make my skin soft, but the smell was irritating me, and all I wanted was to wash it off ASAP. It was sickly sweet, so sweet that I applied it as thickly as I could to use it up quickly.

Patchology lip renewal mask (sample) - it's a 5 minute hydrogel lip mask, which I enjoyed a lot! I would want to try out full size. It really lasted only about 5 minutes as it dried or at least didn't feel as hydrating after that time, but my lips felt nice and soft all day long. Though I did struggle a little bit with keeping the mask on - it seemed like it was on perfectly, but once I tried to speak, I couldn't position it as good as before again. By the way, it tastes/smells nice too.

Roloxin Lift instant wrinkle smoothing mask (samples) - I had fun using this mask, but I didn't see results or at least I don't remember them. I also don't have wrinkles, so not sure how it would work on those.

Tata Harper resurfacing mask (sample) - I think I tried this mask before and liked it quite well. Anyway, that was my thoughts before I tried it. This time I used up 2 samples as the directions tell to apply a thick layer, but one sample is barely enough to cover one side of the face pretty lightly. I didn't see any magic after masking, but my skin felt nice, and it wasn't irritated or red.  

Lancer polish, cleanser and moisturizer samples - they were nothing special, very regular. I liked the polish most the 3, and it also smelled nicely.

Tautropfen sea buckthorn misturizer (sample) - it was light, but moisturizing. It was good for a couple uses, and I would use full size.

NARS luminous moisture cream - I didn't like it. It just wasn't for me or for my skin.

Kiehl's pure vitality skin renewal cream - it was way too rich for my skin. I took only a tiny bit of it, and it was enough for whole face. However, after a couple hours I started feeling a pimple coming up on my cheek. This is very unusual to me, and will only happen with very rich creams and pore clogging makeup.

Mario Badescu caviar night cream (sample) - another cream that wasn't for me. I had my usual evening routing, and applied this cream in the end. I needed only a little bit for entire face and neck. 10 minutes later it was sitting on top of my skin, which made me feel greasy and uncomfortable. I wiped down a bit of it, and tried massaging the rest into the skin. Another 20 minutes later the cream still wasn't absorbed, and I had to wipe off as much of it as I could though the skin still felt like I had it on. I used up the rest of the sample on my legs, and I actually quite liked that.

Antipodes avocado & pear nourishing night cream (sample) - I've had the same sample a while ago, and it was too heavy for my, so this one I used up on my legs.

Erno Laszo transphuse eye refiner (1ml sample) - it was an ok eye cream, nothing special, nothing bad to say about it. I used it at night, and it really didn't last long.

Estee Lauder advanced night repair eye (mini) - if I remember correctly, it's only 3ml, but lasted for a couple weeks as only the tiniest amount was needed. It felt too silicone-y for my liking, but it was a good cream.

Caudalie Vinoperfect radiance serum (mini) - I prefer different texture (more watery or gel-like) serums, and since this one was like a very thin face lotion, I don't think I'd buy it full size. I also didn't like the dropper as at least on the mini, it was very uncomfortable in the hand and kept slipping out.

Odacite Marula Neroli serum concentrate (sample) - in general, I'm not a fan of oil based facial serums and mostly avoid them, but neroli is my only exception. Neroli is the only oil that doesn't clog my pores, doesn't sit on top of my skin, doesn't make me break out, etc. This is going to my wishlist as I do want a full size bottle. This serum makes my skin super soft, plump, full of moisture. I couldn't stop touching my face all day long (applied it on the day when I wasn't wearing makeup).

Burt's Bees nourishing lip balm - I love Burt's Bees lip balms! This one is no exception, and I will keep buying them again and again.  

Andalou clementine & ginger shower gel - I loved the smell, but the shower gel and the packaging were just ok. The packaging wasn't comfortable in the hand and felt as if I needed a lot of strength to squeeze out any product. The shower gel itself was like drying jell-o - it wasn't runny, it wasn't thick, but kinda in pieces that stuck together. It was ok if used with a sponge, but when I tried using it without a sponge, most of it would fall onto shower floor as somehow it didn't apply/stick to the skin.

L'occitane shower oil (mini) - I know a lot of people go crazy for its smell, but for me it wasn't that special. Yes, it smelled nice, but a little soapy. This oil lathers up once in contact with water, and it is very long lasting as only a tiny amount is needed.

Estelle & Thild spring rose body butter - must have for sure! The smell is heavenly! This body butter is in the form of cream, not too thick, not thin, but a small container lasts a long time. The smell is lovely on all of them (I used up a couple of these butters before), but it isn't strong. It moisturizes the skin well, and I will definitely buy them again.

Secret clinical strength deodorant - one more of my must haves. When I need 100% protection, it always does the job. No wetness, no smell.

Skin & Co citrus amaro hand cream (mini) -  it was good though I prefer my other hand creams. I did like the size a lot as it is perfect for carrying in the handbag.

John Masters Organics hand cream samples - I'm throwing these away as I've had them for a long while, and they're probably not good anymore. I might still have the same hand cream in full size somewhere around the house, and I should get rid of it too. While I love JMO as a brand, and I have my wholly grail products, this wasn't one of them. It's a little too thin, and also it makes my hand skin itchy once in a while.

Andalou exotic marula oil hair mask - this is supposed to be for one time use, but my hair is long, and it lasted me 3-4 times. I use all masks on my ends and go up half the hair length. This mask has a little bit minty smell, but it's very pleasant. It gives moisture to the hair, and leaves hair soft and manageable.

Moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner samples - I'm not big on rose fragrance in my skin/body/hair products, but I really enjoyed the way the shampoo smelled. They both did their job, but I don't think there was anything special that would make me buy full size.

Laura Mercier pressed mineral foundation - this is my one and only mineral foundation since I discovered it almost 2 years ago. Laura Mercier also has loose mineral foundation that I enjoy equally though I prefer pressed version as it's easier to travel with.

Priti NYC nail polish in Ginger Snap Orchid - it's a beautiful color and a wonderful nail polish. I've mentioned this brand in my recent post. It is one of my favorite brands, but it's hard to get, and the colors online aren't accurately the same as in real life. Though the nail polish stays on well, applies easily and dries quickly.

The fragrance samples that I used up weren't anything special, and not something I must have in full size bottle, and since I'm not best as describing how fragrance smell, I'm not gonna describe them separately.    

My Nail Polish Collection + Favorites

I was one of those kids who bit her nails when I was little. Then one day I decided that it's enough, and that I want beautiful nails, and I stopped my biting habit just like that. Well, of course it wasn't success at first try, but I managed to stop doing it with my willpower (no bitter nail polish, no other things to occupy my hands with, no other methods). While my nails started growing, they weren't what I wanted them to be - painted! The truth is that one painted, nails right away look way better (even when they're not perfect). I started with clear nail polish, then moved on to light colors, but I didn't feel I could get away with brighter or darker nail polishes as I haven't mastered nail polish application, and I didn't feel good if it didn't look perfect. I can't remember how I started using a wider array of colors, but I still remember my first nail polish - dark, almost black, wine color with sparkles. Funny how even now it is one of my favorite colors.

While I colored my nails all the time, I didn't have that many nail polishes. However, like anything in makeup and beauty department, my nail polish collection started growing. Suddenly instead of a couple bottles I had 29, and then 50, and then... Well, I lost count when it was over 125. I had all kinds of colors and shades available, but I still used my favorite ones, so some of the bottles weren't even opened. When time came to move, I decided to clean up my nail polish collection, and get rid of the ones I don't use, the ones with bad formula, or those that got too thick. This is how I lost about 30 bottles, and around the same I got rid of recently, because the first time I still saved some that I shouldn't have.

All the nail polishes that I have currently are the ones I love or like enough to keep (for different reasons). Let me show you all of them and tell a bit about different brands.

I keep my nail polishes in this box, and my unofficial goal is to have no more bottles than can fit in it (I still have space available!). I organized my collection by color recently instead of organizing by brand as this makes it easier to pick the shade that I go for. Anyway, the bottom photo contains nail care products, such as base and top coats, and nail polish thinning drops. Zoya's base/top coat as well as nail polishes and nail polish remover are probably my favorite. They are all easy to work with and give great results. SpaRitual's peel off base coat comes in handy with highly glittery nail polishes that otherwise seem to be impossible to remove from the nails. I've tried a few of such products, but nothing compares to this one. I also have a separate review about this base coat HERE.

 

I've always wanted, but I've never mastered (nor did I have patience) nail art, so glitter or different color on 1-2 nails was my go to thing. I'm not gonna tell much about any of these as I can't remember the last time I did that as I'm going to one color nails for years now. Though I do keep my glitter just in case.

As you can see Zoya dominates my nail polish collection. It's an amazing 5-free brand that offers any color and finish you could think of. The colors are rich, pigmented (unless you pick a sheer one), they go on smoothly, and dry quick, and they last long. The brush is easy to work with and doesn't mess up cuticles or skin around the nails. While they're not the cheapest ($10 per bottle), Zoya constantly has promos where you can get this nail polsih for a very reasonable price.

Another of my all time favorite nail polishes that you can see in these photos and in ones that will follow is Sephora by OPI. It's discontinued now, so I'm not gonna talk much, but they used to be sold at Sephora, and they are amazing. Most of them I got 7-8 years ago, and they're still as good as new without any thickening, formula or color changes.

While I only have a few bottles from Mineral Fusion, they are great polishes as well. They dry quickly, last long, and give all you can want from a nail polish. Mineral Fusion's top coat is probably my favorite one - I've gone through tons of it. I went to get it again last weekend, and noticed they had gel top coat, which I got instead, and I still have to try it.

Priti NYC is another clean nail polish brand. I have only a few bottles of them just because it's so hard to find swatches online, and they aren't sold around me locally. When I bought these a few years back, I had to trust what my computer showed, and when I got them in the mail, it wasn't 100% accurate. That's probably one of the reasons that keeps me from getting more of them. Yet they have a lot of colors, last long, and dry in an instant.

I love my reds and burgundies! Well, not much to tell here as Zoya dominates these photos. I also have Sephora by OPI, Essie, OPI, China Glaze, and H&M in them.

I'm not a fan of blue, green, yellow, orange, etc colors (basically if you don't see them in my collection, I don't like them), but I have a few shades that go with me. Again, it's mostly Zoya with its grey-ish blues and golden greens. Though I have to mention Milani nail polish as well. I have only 2-3 bottles in my collection, and while I could live without them, Milani's black is a must have. This black is the blackest black you've ever seen. One coat is enough to give full coverage with no nail/lightness peeking through. It's incredibly opaque, dries quickly, one coat is enough and it looks like gel polish. I love it on its own, but I also love a light layer of see through glitter on top to give it a different look.

7 Day Challenge With OLE HENRIKSEN'S 3 Little Wonders

I love trying out new products, and finding my must haves among them. I love skin care, body care, makeup, etc. Yet while makeup can make skin perfect, it's what underneath that matters, so I'm especially into skin care and making my skin beautiful.

One of the advantages of shopping online is samples that one gets with his/her order as that is a great way to discover new brands and products. While shopping at Sephora, I always look for what samples or point-based rewards it offers, and one great set that I got recently was Ole Henriksen's 3 Little Wonders. It's a 7 day transformation kit with 4 samples to be used daily (2 AM and 2 PM).

The products included:
*Truth Serum (Step 1, used in the morning)
*Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer (Step 2, used both in the morning and at night)
*Invigorating Night Transformation Gel (Step 2, used at night).

If you shop at Sephora, it might still be offered as a reward for your points. You can also get 3 Little Wonders mini set or 3 Little Wonders regular size set.


Truth Serum: it's consistency is thin, yet not runny, and not too thick to be a gel. It is light, and absorbs to the skin quickly. It never made my skin feel tight, or uncomfortable.

Invigorating Night Transformation Gel: this gel is clear, absorbs to the skin quickly, and once in a while I would feel a tiniest tingly sensation after applying it. This is due to the AHA complex that it contains. This gel seemed to get into skin quickly, and not leave a film, but if I ran my fingers over my face, little pieces of product would come of (as if that glue that is used to attach samples to magazine pages). I didn't mind that as I really didn't need to touch my face, and also because it was used at night, so no makeup application and nothing to interfere with how skin looked.

Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer: just like other products this is a very quickly absorbent cream. It's light, feels almost airy, yet it gives plenty of moisture. It feels very nice and light on the skin, and it could be one of those creams that you can use all year round.

This regimen promises a lot, and by a lot I mean improving skin texture, improving and evening skin tone, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin radiance and brightness. Let's review this 7 day challenge by talking about each of these claims.

*Improve skin texture: Yes, this promise was delivered! My skin definitely is and feels very smooth and even.

*Improve and even skin tone: Not so much. At least for me this didn't work 100%. My skin can be sensitive at times, and has some red spots, so I was expecting to reduce that, but that didn't happen. While my skin felt very plump and soft, I still had my red spots, and sometimes more or in different areas than usual.

*Reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles: I don't really have many of those, and the reason I'm so much into skincare, is that I want to prevent the signs of aging for as long as I can. I can't say I noticed much difference with that, but like I said earlier, my skin felt very plump and soft, so I assume it might help with fine lines, but maybe over a longer period than 7 days.

*Improve skin radiance and brightness: Yes, and yes. Even though my skin wasn't even toned completely, I did notice that it looks healthier and more radiant. It was like my skin is beautiful from within.

Would I recommend this set? Yes, of course. While everyone's skin is different, and reacts to the same things differently, I believe this is a nice regimen, and it's easy to use. It also does what it promises.

 E♡

My Everyday Makeup Products and Routine

Throughout the years I've used different makeup products, different makeup application techniques, different styles, but for the last couple years I've settled down. I know what looks best on me, and what I feel most comfortable in. I do change up my makeup routine once in a while when I get a new product or when I try something different, but mostly the end result is the same. I don't restrict myself to use nude lipstick in the morning, and red at night, and so on. I wear whatever I feel comfortable at that moment. Yes, I might use a stronger highlighter for going out at night or more blush, but in the end I don't change dramatically.

So in this post I decided to share my everyday makeup products. I'll review some of them a little more in detail, because they are ones that I keep repurchasing over and over again, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Let me start by introducing my skin, which is normal-dryish. I don't necessary call my skin sensitive, but over the years I noticed that whenever I use liquid foundation, BB/CC/etc cream or tinted moisturizer, my skin reacts to those products. It doesn't matter what the brand is, if they are natural or not, if I'm using fingers, brush or sponge for application, my skin always gets irritated. Once I apply such product, I get red spots on my face, and my skin feels hot and itchy. To tell the truth, I was never on a mission to find such product that I could use without any discomfort, but I did try a fare share whenever I came across something interesting. I'm also not too skillful at applying liquid color products on my face, so after I found mineral makeup, I just stuck with it.

L to R: Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder, Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer,
Qtica Intense Lip Repair Balm, Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder 

L to R: Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder in Real Sand,
Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach
Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection

Left: Lily Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach
Right: Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection

As far as I remember, the first time I tried out Laura Mercier mineral foundation was a couple years ago. I fell in love with it right away! I have a brand new one in my photo as I finished up one today. It comes in loose and pressed form, and I've been using both. I do love both of them, but I must say I prefer Laura Mercier Pressed Mineral Powder (0.28oz/8.1g, retails $42 ) just for convenience of carrying it around. While both pressed and loose forms give me the same beautiful effect, and feel the same on the skin, the same exact colors are a tiny bit different. I'm a shade Real Sand, and the loose mineral foundation has some sparkle in it (you can't see it when on the face) while pressed mineral powder in Real Sand is more matte. They have a tiniest difference in shade too when looking at the containers, however, once on the skin, they look and feel absolutely the same. This powder gives medium to medium-full coverage, and makes the face look healthy and glowing from within. I only need to even out my skintone and hide some red spots, and it works amazing for that, but it might be not enough if you need to do more coverage.

Once my mineral foundation is on, I apply Qtica Intense Lip Repair Balm (0.5oz/15g, retails $12) on my lips and let it sit until I finish the rest of my makeup. It tastes a bit medicinal/vaseline-like, but I love how soft my lips become after using it.

Anyway, next step is contouring with LiLy Lolo Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Miami Beach (~0.3oz/9g, retails $26). I only apply it under my cheekbones, and then apply Honest Beauty Luminizing Powder in Midnight Reflection (0.35oz/10g, retails $25) on my cheekbones. Usually after this step I take a big fluffy powder brush and go over my cheeks to smooth out any lines and blend all products together. While I use Honest Beauty luminizing powder as a highlighter, I also apply it lightly under my eyes to brighten them up. It gives a fresh, glowy look without looking oily, too sparkly, too glittery, etc.

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows, 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel,
Sante Eyebrow Pencil

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde,
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe
Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde

L to R: 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde,
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe,
Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde

Next step is eyebrows. I rarely have bad eyebrow days, but this step in not one that I love. No matter that I do it everyday, I still can't always make my eyebrows look identical, and I don't like that. Yet I love my eyebrow products! I've been using 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Eye Brow Powder Gel in Taupe (0.10oz/3g, retails $20) for as long as I can remember. I went pot after pot after pot. It might seem like a small amount, but you only need a tiny bit for your eyebrows, and this product last for months (6+ months for me when used daily). Sante Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde (0.049oz/1.4g, retails $15) is not so long lasting, but I love it nonetheless.I grab for the pencil when I'm in a rush or when I'm just too lazy. It gives great results, but since I have to sharpen it after each use (or every second use), it doesn't last long (1-2 months for me when used daily). Since I'm already crazy for 100% Pure eyebrow product, I've been eyeing 100% Pure Long Last Brows in Blonde (0.16oz/4.5g, retails $25) ever since it went on the market. When comparing the two, I'd go for powder gel as long last brows have a creamier texture, and I find it harder to work with. Also the color is a bit darker, and comes out more bold, so I usually use it when I'm going out or when I want to accentuate my eyebrows, and keep the rest of my makeup light and minimal.

L to R: Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer,
Giorgio Armani Black Ecstasy Mascara,
Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascare, and eyelash curler

As for eyelashes, I love big, bold lashes (not sticky and clumpy) though many days I go without mascara. I have somewhat sensitive eyes, and while most mascaras don't give me problems, most eyeshadows do, and that's the reason I barely ever use eyeshadows. Usually I will apply eyeshadow when going out or in most cases I will use my bronzer as eyeshadow. I also included an eyelash curler, which I use almost every time when I apply mascara. This one I got off ebay for a couple of dollars. While there are so many different eyelash curlers out there, this one works great on my eye shape. So back to mascaras... After curling my lashes, I apply Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer (0.33oz/10ml, retails $29.50). If I'm really in a hurry, I will skip this step, but otherwise I use this lash primer, and I see the difference in how my eyelashes look. It's not a dramatic difference, but it's big enough for me, because I'm on my third tube of this goodness. When it comes to mascara, I like the ones that give big, defined, separated, volumized lashes. Currently I have two mascaras: Giorgio Armani Black Ecstasy (0.33oz/10ml, retails $32) and Stila Huge Extreme Lash (0.44oz/13ml, retails $23). Both of them give me what I want, but Stila really packs up that mascara and gives full on doll lashes while Giorgio Armani is a bit more natural, yet still gives very full looking lashes. I go for Stila for evenings while I tend to reach out for Giorgio Armani during the day. The lash primer and mascaras are in sample/mini sizes in my photo, but they last me for full 3-4 months until I get new ones.    
  

L to R: Greenland Lip Balm in Passion Fruit,
Honest Beauty Lip Crayon in Marsala Kiss,
Algenist Splash Hydrating Setting Mist

Remember when I talked about Qtica lip balm? Well, it should still be on my lips when I come to this step, and what I do with it, is I use it as lip scrub. Instead of just wiping it down. I use towel, and remove lip balm from my lips in circular motion. This way my lips are hydrated, soft, and free of any dead skin, which makes any lip product application go on smoothly. While my lips are already prepared for lisptick/lip gloss, I like to dab a tiniest amount of a lighter lip balm on my lips and blot excess off. Now my lips are really ready for any product I choose to apply. I have a bunch of lipsticks and lip glosses. Very often I'll wear lipstick alone or with lip gloss on top. I used to prefer lip glosses, and had only a few of lipsticks, but now it's the opposite. I've mentioned specific products under the photo, but I have many more that I love and use daily. However, Algenist Splash Hydrating Setting Mist (4oz,/120ml, retails $35) needs to be mentioned again. I spray it all over my face once I'm done with my make up. I also use it throughout the day to refresh my face no matter if I wear makeup or not. I love that the bottle is graded, which makes it easy to see how fast it's being used. This is probably the longest lasting spray I've ever owned, and it's been filled to the very top, so during a month that I use it, I've used up just a little bit. The only downside for me is that the smell is really strong, and while it's nice, it's too overpowering.  

Well, applying my everyday makeup seems so quick and easy, but this post looks very long. I hope you find something useful in it, and maybe find new products to try. 

E♡

Lipstick Wars: Bellapierre "Va Va Voom" vs. Dior "877 Turn Me Dior"

When I opened Nordstrom's email advertising new Dior lip lacquer sticks, I needed them instantly. All colors right here and right now. Though there was one "but" - they weren't out for sale yet. Luckily I can be patient, and finally I got my hands on a couple of them. This post will be just about one of the colors, because the moment I put it on my lips, I felt deja vu.

That special color is Dior Addict Lip Lacquer Stick in 877 Turn Me Dior (3.2ml, retails $35). A bold, bright pink red color that could be simply described as raspberry red. It's the color that attracts looks, but it's not over the top to wear in the morning or during the day. In my mind this is that perfect bright color that's more wearable than regular red. I had to put it on my lips right away, and once I did, I had to double check what's in my hand, because right away I thought of another lipstick.

The lipstick I had in my mind was Bellapierre Mineral Lipstick in Va! Va! Voom! (3.5ml, retails $20), which is described as deep pink, yet I would describe it exactly like I did Dior - raspberry red. I got this lipstick last summer, and I reach for it whenever I want something bright. I've worn it plenty of times, so after trying out Dior for a few times, I decided to make a comparison of these two so similar shades.

I didn't save Bellapierre's packaging, but it's nothing fancy compared to Dior's holographic box. Though I love nice packaging, I don't really care about it too much as it gets into trash the moment I unpack my products. As for the lipstick tube itself, Dior has a heavier, more sturdy packaging, and the metal part and lipstick are slimmer. While Bellapierre's tube is more simple and feels lighter, it kept well since summer and has no cracks, etc. in it.  

L to R: Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

Looking at the colors in the tubes, they are very very close, and if you really try hard, you might notice that Bellapierre has a tiny bit more pink tone. Yet this is just looking at them, and as you might know, products can have even greater difference from outside, but they swatch identical.

L to R (daylight inside): Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

L to R (in the sunshine): Bellapierre Va! Va! Voom! , Dior 877 Turn Me Dior

As you can see from the photos above, both colors swatch the same - a beautiful raspberry pink! Dior has that shinier, more wet look, and feels very gel-like while Bellapierre has less shine and comes on creamy. They both apply wonderfully, and feel comfortable on the lips. Both colors stay on well as well. However, as time passes Bellapierre starts feeling a little drying (though you can't see that, and it still looks perfect on the lips). Dior feels very light and comfortable start to finish.

As for taste/smell, I'm not a fan of both lipsticks. I used to use Dior lipsticks a lot in the past, but this one smells more perfume-y, more intense, and it's a little annoying for me personally. I'm sure I will get used to it later, but for now it bugs me every time I use this lipstick. Bellapierre smells more like vanilla/cocoa, but again it is a bit overpowering for my taste. If I had to pick the one I prefer, I'd pick Bellapierre just because it smells a bit more food-like, not perfume-y.

To sum it up, I couldn't say that one is better than the other. Price-wise and from ingredient standpoint, I prefer Bellapierre, but if this was the color to be worn everyday (or often), I'd go for Dior. Besides, I love wet/shiny lip look no matter what the product is.

E♡