A less glamorous post

Today's post is not a very glamorous one but rather practical. The urea body lotion wasn't actually meant for me but as it so happened I have put in on my night stand on my last visit to Germany and since my skin was quite dry, especially in my shins area, I have started using it. I am usually never sold on the 24h promises however 24h after application my legs still felt smooth and moisturised. The itching disappeared and the little flakiness got better (I know it sounds rather disgusting but hey, it's winter time and the shaving is not helping). 

This product was designed for dry and itchy skin so it definitely lives up to its name. It contains 5% urea. The scent is o.k. actually reminds me a little bit of pears. 

It absorbs well into the skin and doesn't feel heavy or sticky. All in all I am very pleased and would definitely recommend it for winter time.

Nivea BB Cream review

It has definitely been a while since I have posted a review but I really am trying again to blog more regularly and to do more reviews because after all these posts are ones of the most useful ones.

I was very excited when I saw this BB cream in my drug store. I was still in the market for a decent BB cream and the task of finding one turned out to be more difficult than I have thought (I am aware that I am quite late for that trend). I previously tried the Garnier BB cream and really did not like it. It make me break out, or so I think at least, and made my face really shiny only after a few hours after use. 

Anyways, I had very high hopes for this products so naturally my hopes had to be shattered into pieces.  This BB cream claims to a 5in1 product. Supposedly it smoothes, covers, moisturises, protects and improves the general appearance of the skin. It has an SPF of 10, which is not high at all and in a country like Israel, where the sun is shining most times of year it most definitely is not enough. Its consistency is something between a tinted moisturised and an Asian thick BB cream. It also has a typical Nivea smell to it. It only comes in 2 shades, which are light and medium to dark. 

The application is not complicated by any means and it does not streak too much. Unfortunately the colour selection is rather limited and the light colour is too dark with an orange undertone for me. Having said that the BB cream does cover better than my tinted moisturised would. My biggest problem with it was however, that like with the Garnier cream my face became shiny after only a few hours after applying it, even though I dusted my finishing powder on top. Now I do not have very oily skin, rather combination skin that is dehydrated, thus this product clearly is not suited for people with oily skin. Still I was not giving up and really wanted it to work. I tried using a pump of my Clarins hydra-matte lotion underneath but it could only fight the shine of for so long. 

All in all I am disappointed. Luckily the price tag doesn't hurt too much and my balance was not savaged. I definitely would not repurchase. 

The repurchase

As you all know there are constantly new things coming out and thus a repurchase for make up turns into a big deal. Well, at least I count is as one.

I wrote a very short review about the original loose finishing powder. I really enjoyed it and used it to the very last grain. Obviously it is not exactly the same product however, for me one of the most negative issues about the loose powder was that it literally went everywhere. It was very hard to carry it around and I was always keeping it in a little plastic bag to avoid a mess. 

So imagine my joy when I realised that there is a pressed version of the powder. The ingredients are slightly different and I find that I need to reapply this version sooner to prevent shine, but it is definitely much more practical for travelling.

The style is similar. The packaging is black with sparkles and the compact itself is very elegant and practical. It also contains a mirror making it a valuable companion. 

New in

I have been naughty and as usual paid a visit to my nearest MAC store. Youtube beauty gurus have such a bad influence on my week psyche, so thank you Lily, Anna and Estée.

I wanted to check out the lipstick "patisserie" but of course the highly hyped "plumful" struck me. I was very determined not to buy it because I assumed that it is very similar to my beloved "syrup" and yes, that definitely is a rather subtle hint that syrup does not get enough credit in the beauty world. Upon closer observation however I decided that they more different than I assumed. Plumful had a nice hint of colour on the lips and is quite moisturising. It is a lustre finish, which is one of my favourites from MAC. It looks much darker in the bullet than it actually does on the lips.

Another undervalued product is the eyeshadow in "soba". It is golden-brownish colour in a satin finish. It generally looks lovely on the eye and is easily smoked out into the crease.

This time I even tried to make some swatches for you. Unfortunately the quality is poor since they were made with my iPhone because my camera is broken, but better than nothing.

I absolutely love both of the new purchases and have been using them loads, especially the lipstick. It is just gorgeous and very easy to wear. The colour goes with practically everything. 

The acids

Recently I have realised looking over my ever growing beauty stash that the acids play a big role in today's skin care.

Unfortunately I have lost focus and so I decided that I need a little list to keep me updated about all the products and their ingredients.

Hyaluronic Acid: (Estée Lauder - Advanced Night Repair)

Hyalorinan is a major component of the skin and is responsible for tissue repair such as damage from UV rays. Further it helps hydrating the skin and its cells.

Salicylic Acid: (Estée Lauder - Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator & La Roche Posay)

It is derived from the white white willow plant. Classically it heals aches and fever nowadays in modern cosmetics salicylic acid is used to fight acne and other skin inflammations.

Some of the alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs)

Lactic Acid: (dermalogica - Gentle Cream Exfoliant)

Its origin is sour milk, hence the name. It helps disinfect the skin and is used as a peeling since it resolved the dead skin cells.

Tartaric acid: (Clarins - Gentle Exfoliator)

It eliminates impurities and clears the skin, similar to lactic acid.

Dermalogica

I love my fair share of Youtube videos and one fine day I was watching the skin care video of Lisa Eldridge and of course everything she uses I also want to try. At some point she mentioned the Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant. Naturally I had to run out and get it.

This product is basically a peeling cream that resolves dead skin cells chemically with the help of lactic acid and hydroxy acid. 

The advantage of chemical exfoliants is that it is less abrasive for the skin, leaving you with the smooth result. 

So far I have only used this product twice and certainly cannot give a full review of it yet. The mask looks like a white paste and when you apply it it inicially tingles a little. After 10-15 minutes you can wash it off and the skin feels really smooth and plump. 

The downside of the product is clearly the price, but then again that hasn't stopped us so far. 

New in part 2

In the second half of the haul I will be showing you guys the produce that I have bought in Germany or in the Duty free.

Three of the items below are repurchases, because I am running low on them. I absolutely adore the Effaclar series by La Roche-Posay and had to stock up on my cream cleanser and the tonic. The cleanser is very mild yet the skin feels squeaky clean afterwards and the toner is without alcohol so it doesn't dry my skin. The whole line is paraben free and is very lightly scented, which I enjoy. Overall I like their products very much.

Then I have repurchased the peeling by alverde, a house brand of dm, a German drug store. Their products are all natural and the brand sort of leans on Weleda. The peeling is very mild, the exfoliating grains are tiny and my skin feels very smooth afterwards. Also it's extremely inexpensive so if you can get your hands on it I would highly recommend it. I also decided to give their moisturising eye cream a go. My Aquamilk is my number one, however I fancied something more rich for the winter time, which I can apply in the evenings. 

I also knew that Nivea have came out with a BB cream. I know I seem to be extremely behind, since there are already CC creams. This purchase was more on a whim though since I haven't read up on it and not seen any reviews. So we will see how this goes. I will keep you updated. 

Now it is time to discuss the make up bits. To start off I have finally added a chubby stick to my collection. It is in the shade "chunky cherry" and suits my pale complexion rather well. It is a lovely stain easy to apply and can be just chucked into one's purse. The texture is creamy and light. Since I got it I have definitely been wearing it a lot. 

I have also decided to venture into some essence products since I have heard good things about them. I went with the gel liner and a lighter bronzer shade. I have never before owned a gel liner because I was always favouring the liquid version but I do have to say that it is extremely easy to apply and the lasting power is great. It has made it through an entire day without any smudging. The bronzer I have not really tried yet but the packaging looks nice. 

I also discovered Catrice make-up on this trip. I have heard of it but never tried anything before. The concealer palette looked great so I decided to give it a try. It contains 5 different shades. Three concealer shades so one can easily customise the colour, a salmon coloured one to neutralise dark circles and the green one to help against redness. So far the colours have been relatively sheer but very creamy. I haven't had a proper chance to try it though. Also I bought a cream eye shadow, that very much reminds me of the Maybelline colour tattoos in a lovely green shade and a matching pencil for smokey eyes. I really am a sucker for everything green. 

I very much like my Chloé perfume, however my signature scent is the EDP by Elie Saab called "Le Parfum". I have first bought the 30ml bottle but since I am running very low it was definitely time to buy the bigger version of it (50ml) in the Duty free. I absolutely adore this perfume. It is very elegant and feminine and sensual. According to Fragrantica  this is the composition: Jasmine is in the heart, including Grandiflorum and Sambac, whereas the base consists of cedar, patchouli and rose honey accord.

New in part 1

For New Years I went to Germany so this haul will be divided in 2 parts. In the first part I will be showing the things that I have bought shortly before my trip and in the second post I'll be showing the stuff that I bought in Germany and some duty free products.

Because now it's winter gels or oil free moisturizers are not enough so I needed a new, richer night cream. I really like Lancaster's Aquamilk thus I decided to get the cream for normal to dry skin for winter. It is a great cream that doesn't make my face feel greasy and absorbs quickly. I have also repurchased the eye cream from the same line. Since it is a repurchase clearly I must have enjoyed it. The hand cream I received as a gift because I bought several Lancaster products. Since my skin is dehydrated I also purchased the flash mask. It is minty and once applied the face feels very fresh and at the same time very hydrating. Overall I have been very impressed with the Lancaster products.

I also went a little crazy at the Estée Lauder counter and one thing let to another resulting in me buying three things there. 

I needed a new concealer because I was running very low on my MAC concealer and somehow the Double Wear concealer drew my attention. I have intentionally picked a slightly lighter shade to create that under-eye-highlight.

I was also in the market for a new foundation primer and I saw that Estée Lauder brought out two primers: the illuminating and the matte one. I decided to give the illuminating one a go. So far I have only used it once and thus cannot offer a review on it yet.

To finish the spree I decided to venture into their mascaras and glosses since I only ever owned eye shadows and bought this lovely duo. It contains the Sumptuous Bold Volume™ Lifting Mascara in Bold Black and the Pure Color Gloss in Cosmic Pink. I think this duo is really lovely and definitely handy for travelling.

My morning trio

For the new year I thought I start with something I have been using for the past months and so far my skin has been really liking it. You can call it my morning routine if you will.

After washing my face I apply my serum "The even skin tone illuminator" by Estée Lauder. As the name suggests it evens out the skin tone and gives it a nice shimmer. It also fades acne scars and discolorations as it contains vitamin C. However bear in mind that you have to use a cream or foundation with SPF afterwards.

Next in line is a product that I have actually purchased a year ago but wasn't satisfied with it as I had very dehydrated skin last winter and the lady sold me the "hydra-matte lotion" by Clarins as a hight time moisturizer which of course didn't do the job. But this winter I discovered it again after it has been lying around unloved in my drawer. I started using it as a base for my tinted moisturiser or my foundation and I really like the finish it has been giving me.

Finally last but not least is my SeboCalm tinted moisturiser. In summer I used to use it on its own however in winter I find that it doesn't moisturise my face enough thus the lotion underneath it. I have written a post about the Sebocalm products. It is an Israeli brand and I have been really enjoying them. The moisturiser has an SPF of 29 so it's ideal for summer and it doesn't feel greasy whatsoever .

OOTD

Please excuse the lighting. Finally an outfit post again. As I realised everything I am wearing here is from Mango. The jumper, the shoes and the bag were all from new collections, so should still be available. 

Everything is from Mango