Nail Polish: Mavala - 130 Aqua Blue

As I mentioned in my February Favorites this nail polish is one of my favorite nail polishes! I love the colour and just pretty much everything about it. The 130 Aqua Blue by Mavala just ticks all of the things that I love in nail polishes.

I love how it shimmers without being glittery (can't stand glitter polishes), I love that it is blue, I love that it brightens my mood, I love the size of the bottle, I love the brush, I love the consistency of the polish itself. Therefore, this one is a definite keeper! 

I have written about Mavala nail polishes before, for example Sweety and Tropique. 

I actually have couple of nail polish posts ready for this week! My Nail Polish Challenge  seems to be going well and I feel like I am actually accomplishing things! Yay!

Nail Polish Challenge

I've been a bit under the weather for the past weeks and just haven't had the energy to write! One morning I feel better and the next morning BAM I have a stuffed nose again! Horrible.  

Since I am trying to do my best with my 100 Days of Decluttering Challenge I wanted to add another challenge that kind of follows it (can you tell I love challenges!) This one is about my nail polish stash, the other day I was reading this post by Louise over at Make Up Etc, and realized that I have as well way to many nail polishes but most of the time I just grab the usual one and use it. 

I thought about what kind of nail polish challenge I should set for myself, I wanted to use up the polishes that I have and become better at using nail polishes. 

So, the goals for my Nail Polish Challenge are

- Start cataloging my nail polishes by taking pictures and writing a Nail Polish type of post.  

- Start using the Nail Stickers I own more and write about it. 

- Not buying any new nail polish until I have finished the nail polishes that I do have.

- I am allowed to buy a new nail strengthener/top coat if I finish the ones that I own.
- Throw away nail polishes that I hate. 

So, at the moment I own twenty-eight nail polishes, two nail strengthener and two topcoats!


Bisous!

Nail Polish: Bourjois - So Laque Ultra Shine Nail Enamel - Bleu Mystérieux 32 and Catrice Cosmetics - Frosting Top Coat

Part of my decluttering plan is to use up my ginormous make up stash, and that includes nail polishes! 

Without further ado, I want to talk about the Bourjois So Laque nail polish that I have. I only have one of the  colour from them and I know I won't be buying any more. I actually know that I won't be buying anything more from Bourjois because in my opinion they are shit. Yes, I said it. Bourjois products are just awful! I have tried their eye shadow (reviewed here) and I didn't like it so I can officially say no more Bourjois for me. 

The problem I have with the Bourjois So Laque nail polish is that the nail polish itself is just weird, the consistency and the brush are for me just not user-friendly at all. There is one thing that is good about the nail polish and that is the intensity of the colour, but I wouldn't buy it just because of that fact because there are other nail polishes with the same intensity of colour that don't have the issue that So Laque has. 

The colour I chose was The colour that I have is Bleu Mystérieux 32, and as you can see the colour is great. Finger number 1 and 3 have the Catrice Cosmetics Frosting top coat and finger number 2 only has So Laque.

However, I actually wanted to focus more on the topcoat I am using, it is from Catrice Cosmetics and is called Frosting. I love it! When I first bought it I kinda forgot about it and didn't really use it, but, luckily I accidentally stumbled upon it when I was looking through my nail polish drawer and I just knew I had to use it more! It both brings the colour of the nail polish out and gives it something extra! It helps as well how amazing the consistency of the top coat is!

You will definitively see me use the Catrice Frosting Top Coat again and you might see the So Laque polish in my decluttering posts of things I have thrown away or I might use it for some crafts! Do you know any crafts that I could do with awful nail polish?


Bisous

Review: Yves Rocher - Intensive Moisture Mask Botanical Hydration

I love Yves Rocher and I have written several posts about them, I especially love their skincare range. My skin is very sensitive and luckily all of the Yves Rocher skincare range doesn't give my dry patches and hives (I am looking at you Body Shop).

I have used the Intensive Moisture Mask for now about five years! Yes, it has my five year stamp! It is really the thing I go to for my face! I as well use it on my dry patches and it helps a lot!

I usually put quite a lot of the mask on my face before I take a shower and when I step into the shower my skin has almost absorbed it all! I rinse the rest of during the shower and my face is amazingly soft and re-hydrated!

The mask feels almost cool to the touch and it is super refreshing, it smells as well really fresh. I don't really know how to explain the scent but it isn't overpowering but it just adds to how refreshing the mask actually is.

The ingredients of the masks are

All in all I would definitively recommend this face mask to anybody looking for a re-hydrating, refreshing face mask. I use mine twice a week both during winter and summer and it is something I buy again every time I run out! 

Intensive Moisture Mask Botanical Hydration - Yves Rocher - $16.00

Bisous

Nail Polish: Mavala - Sweety

I have only posted about Mavala once before but I swear I have super many of their nail polishes! I love them for couple of reasons, first they have amazing colours and secondly they have 5 ml / 0.17 fl.oz. bottles that are just perfect!

Today I am wearing the colour Sweety by Mavala. I only wear one coat because I love when the polish is a bit sheer sometimes and I just LOVE this colour!

I haven't been wearing nail polish at all for some time because my nails had some epic meltdown and just didn't want to do anything else but break! But with some tender, love and care I managed to get them healthy again.

Today I am as well wearing a nail strengthener from Yves Rocher, I haven't used it a lot so I can't really review it that well but so far I like what I am seeing! It is something I found at the bottom of my nail polish drawer, it seemingly has been discontinued and I can't find it anywhere online. But, it is called Manicure Soin Durcissant or Nail Strengthener.

Mavala in the colour Sweety can be purchaced at Boots.com for £4.30

Bisous

Review: Bourjois Paris Smoky Eyes - 06 Violet Romantic

I might be a little bit biased to this eye shadow trio. Why? Because it is purple and my all time favorite colour is purple and  therefore I just tend to love things a little bit more when they are purple.

I had been lusting for the Bourjois Paris Smokey Eyes for some time, but I never was really sure if I needed more eye shadows. After looking at it almost every time I went to the make up store I decided to go for it! Not so shockingly I picked the shade 06 Violet Romantic.  

At first glance the colours were amazing. I really was looking forward to such a bright purple hue. Sadly I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the colours are great. I like the eye shadows I was just expecting so much more from how they looked, both from the advertisements and from how the eye shadow itself looks in the little box. The dark shade, is more black than purple and the medium and light shades are almost identical.

I will definitely keep on using them but not as a statement eye shadow like I was expecting. I don't think I will be using the little brush that comes with it and I do think that that little brush is both a waste of space and material. 

All in all, even with some flaws I do like the eye shadows. I think I just went in with too much hope of super pigmented purple eye shadow that would rock my world but in reality it is just a normal eye shadow that can easily be used during the day. 

I didn't find any store in the US that sells this colour but boots in UK does sell it. 

Boots.com - Bourjois Smoky Eyes - 06 Violet Romantic - £7.99

Bisous

Review: Clinique BB Cream - Shade 1

I have to admit that I am not a big foundation girl. I think it is a combination between my freckles and the fact that I am super pale. I can never find the right shade that is pale enough and the shades I've tried that come close partially cover up my freckles so it just looks odd. 

Therefore, I didn't really have high hopes for the BB Cream from Clinique. I was sure since it only comes in 3 shades that the there wouldn't be a match and that it would look odd with my freckles like normal foundation does. 

But I was happily surprised, I bought shade 1 and it fits my skin tone perfectly and it doesn't cover up my freckles. 

What is the point of BB cream if it doesn't have any coverage? Well, that is the magic of the BB Cream from Clinique, whilst it doesn't cover up my freckles it makes my skin look better and hides the imperfections. I don't believe that my freckles are an imperfection and I do love that they can shine through the BB Cream. 

I love as well how easy it is to use the BB Cream, it goes on super smoothly and since it isn't to heavy you don't need to be afraid of it being uneven or having the dreaded foundation mask. 

An added benefit is that it has spf 30 which is always a big deal for me! I know that it isn't enough for the summer but it is enough for the winter when the sun barely shines! 

All in all I love it and I will defiantly buy it again! 

Age Defense BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 - US$37.00

Bisous

P.S. I have been having this awful headache all day, and every time I have bad headache my face looks all wonky! 

Make-Up Monday #10

Stress is my middle name these days and it just keeps on piling on. Therefore, I have been hiding on my couch like I do in stressful times!

Today I am using the same things I used at Make-Up Monday #5 except for today I am wearing an eyeliner as well.

Skin -

(Clinique SPF 30 - $19 SPF 50 - $19)

Eyes - 

(Clinique Butter Pecan (04) - $19.50) (4-5)

(Clinique - High Impact Mascara - Black - $15) (3)

(Lancôme - Le Crayon Khôl - Black Ebony - $25.50) (2)

Lips -

(Sears.com - Maybelline New York - Color sensational - Red 547 - $6.50) (1)

I love wearing lip liner as a lip stick, I find it easier to use and it stays on for such a long time. It as well gives me the matte look I am after. If I want some shine I just add a lip balm on top and it is glossy! 

At last, here are the swatches! 

Bisous! 

Make-Up Monday #9

The weather has been amazing here in Geneva! Sunny and hot and I am stuck inside writing a final essay and studying for the finals! Well, in 9 days it will all be over and I can start enjoying my summer!

I used a powder that I have from Clinique that is way to dark for my skin as a base for the Clinique eye shadow.  I don't believe in just throwing it away and this way it is really useful. As you  can see on the swatches the powder (nr. 1) is extremely dark for my skin!

Skin:

Sunscreen - Clinique SPF 30 - $19 SPF 50 - $19

Eyes: 

(1) Clinique - Stay-Matter Sheer Pressed Powder Stay Beige -$21

(2)  Eye Shadow -  Clinique - Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo - Butter Pecan (04) - $19.50

(3) Mascara - Clinique - High Impact Mascara - Black - $15

(4) Eye Liner -M·A·C Eye Kohl - Smolder - $15.00

Lips: 

(5) Tinted Lip Balm - Elizabeth Arden -Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint SPF 15 - Blush-  $19.50 (reviewed here) 

Bisous

 

Make-Up Monday #8

I would like to start this Make-Up Monday with another close up of my eyelashes. As you can see they are almost back to their former glory! 

Lips

1. Lip balm 2. Eye shadow 3. Eye liner 

Elizabeth Arden -Eight Hour® Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint SPF 15 - Plum -  $19.50 (Reviewed here)

Eyes

Eye shadow 

Yves Rocher - Single Eyeshadow - Bleu Volubilis - $8

Eyeliner  

Yves Rocher - 3-in-1 Eye Pencil - Plum - $10

Mascara

Clinique -  High Impact Mascara - Black - $15

And the result was this: 

Bisous 

Make-Up Monday #7

Today I'll just make a quick Make-Up Monday! I have another post that I am in the middle of writing and I am doing some school work! Busy bee with a headache!

As I mentioned last week my eyelashes fell out! They are growing back! You can still notice it a bit but it is getting better and better! 

I love the M*A*C lip-gloss that I used! It is just fantastic, when I was looking at it in the store I wasn't really sure about it but I like it more every time I use it! I think I will make a special post about it one day! The same thing about the eye-shadow. Here I am only using one of the 5 colours in the palette. I love it! I use it a lot! I have had it for a while now and I really think I should do a special post about it. 

Anyways, here are the after pictures. My hair is still wet and not at all brushed or anything since I did this straight after coming out of the shower!   

Lip-gloss  - M*A*C Kissable Lipcolour - Love Peck - $19 

Mascara - Clinique High Impact Mascara - Black - $15

Eye-shadow - Yves Saint Laurent - Ombrés 5 Lumières - Lilac Sky - $58

Bisous! 

Make-Up Monday #6

If you follow me on twitter you might know that I had a major eyelashes fall out on Saturday. If you are not following me on twitter you can do it here! I wasn't at all sure if I should even do the Make-Up Monday for the next couple of weeks until the eyelashes look decent again! I though about it for a while and decided that I should just face the world and show how my eyes look at the moment. 

The thing is, I don't really know why this happened. What happened is that my eyelashes started feeling like they had tremendous pressure under them and I touched them and they just fell out and then my eye felt better. 

As you can see on this picture about half of my eye doesn't have any lashes! The hairs are growing back, I can see a difference since Saturday. Hopefully they will look normal again in two weeks. 

1) Clinique Chubby Stick - 07 Super Strawberry - $16
2) Clinique High Impact Mascara - Black - $15
3) Yves Rocher - Luminelle - Lilas Violette -$5

I wrote a post just about the Clinique Chubby Stick ages ago, you can find it here. I use it frequently, it is my go to when I want a quick pick me up or when I am running out the door and I need to look fabulous.

 A before picture, I haven't had one for some time. I have some leftover curls in my hair. I love having curly hair once in a while and since I stopped using shampoo the curls last so much longer!

And now after, first a close up of my eye, as you can see the mascara managed to coat the tiny eyelashes that were left.

Bisous 


P.S. Check out my previous Make-Up posts.

Make-Up Monday #5

I'm again almost finished with my sweater that I am knitting, the first try didn't go exactly right so I had to make some adjustments! 

I really wanted something today that had a wow factor, I wanted something that made me feel pretty. What else could I choose then some red lips? I like matte red lips, I like juicy shiny red lips. Today I wanted matte. 

Skin -

(Clinique SPF 30 - $19 SPF 50 - $19)

Eyes - 

(Clinique Butter Pecan (04) - $19.50)

(Clinique - High Impact Mascara - Black - $15)

Lips -

(Sears.com - Maybelline New York - Color sensational - Red 547 - $6.50)

I haven't used shampoo now in over 4 months and my hair is going all wavy and pretty! I love it! 

Bisous 

Make-Up Monday #4

I can't stop watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show! It has nothing to do with my Make-Up Monday it's just that I have been watching her ALL DAY LONG! She is just soooo funny! 

Well, my make-up today was inspired by the fact that it is spring outside and everything is fresh and colourful! This is the first time I wore this cream eyeshadow and it lasted all day long!

Skin -
As always and  I really cannot hammer on this subject enough! Sunscreen is our friend! As usual I used my Clinique sunscreen!
(Clinique SPF 30 - $19 SPF 50 - $19)

Eyes -
Last week I used this mascara as well, it's really good. I'll deferentially keep on using it!
(Clinique - High Impact Mascara - Black - $15)

As a base for the eye shadow I used this powder from Clinique that is WAY to dark for my skin! I got it as a sample and now I use it as an eye shadow!
(Clinique - Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder - 03 Stay Beige - $21)

This is the first time I used this eye shadow. It looks like lip-gloss but it has the texture of an eye shadow! As I previously mentioned it went on my eyelids like a dream and stayed like a true friend!
(Yves Rocher - Pastel Cream Eyeshadow - Mauve Brume - $17.00)

1. Clinique High Impact Mascara - Black
2. Yves Rocher Pastel Cream Eyeshadow - Mauve Brume
3. Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder - 03 Stay Beige

Lips -
Today when I was trying to choose what I wanted to wear on my lips I decided that I wanted to wear a lip balm. That solved only about 25% of the problem since I have so many lip balms and they are all different and unique (at least in my mind). I had to choose how tinted I wanted it to be and what kind of smell. At last I chose "I love... raspberry & blackberry". I bought it on a whim and I haven't regretted it, it is really smooth and smells like heaven! As you can see on the sample below it isn't very tinted, it gives more of a shimmer than colour!
(Superdrug - £0.99)

Bisous 

P.s Check out my previous Make-Up Posts! 

Make-Up Monday #3

I wanted something natural today, calm eyes and a small dash of colour on the lips. I only used 4 products today! Sunscreen, eye shadow (two different colours) and lipstick.

I don't have a before picture today, I just totally forgot about it! Because I use so few items this make-up it took barely five minutes.

Skin - 

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! It is a vital thing for me! I am a pale person. Sun doesn't tan me it BURNS me! I once had a scar after a small sunburn for over a year! So I cover up and I use a lot of sunscreen. As usual I used the Cinique Sun SPF 40 Face Cream, (Clinique SPF 30 - $19 SPF 50 - $19)

Eyes - 

Eye shadow: I've showed this eye shadow here before. That was January 2011! It has been lying in my make-up box since then. I used it this morning and I love it! I don't know why I haven't really used it before. I think it is because it is brown and just oh-so natural. Today when I was trying to find an appropriate eye shadow I looked at it and just wanted to use it! I am pretty sure I will now start using it more often! The eye shadow is as well from Clinique, it is the Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo, the colour is number 4 called Butter Pecan. Today I used the lighter colour as a base for the eyelid and the darker colour as the eye shadow itself. The eye shadow is super smooth, it applies amazingly and I just love it. (Clinique Butter Pecan (04) - $19.50)


Mascara: Today I used as well a mascara from Clinique, the thing is my eyes have been really irritated lately. Thus, I wanted to use a mascara that is allergic tested and Clinique is! So far my eyes are fine, maybe I am just getting annoying allergy towards my other mascaras. I find that a bit devastating because I do love my other mascaras. However, today I used the High Impact Mascara that Clinique has. I've used it before here and I loved it at that point and I love it now. It is definitely something you'll start seeing more here. (Clinique Black - $15)

Lips - 
Today I used a lipstick from Yves Rocher, I've had it forever and it is almost finished! It is called Rouge Dragée and the colour is Rouge Pigment. I just quickly dab it on my lips, just to stain the lips and I love it. The texture of the lipstick is very smooth. (Clinique Rouge Pigment - $5)

Bisous 

Make-Up Monday #2

Today's make-up is all about purple!

Skin - 

As usual I used the spf 40 sunblock from Clinique, I just can't stop praising it, it is really the best sunscreen I've ever bought! It is definitely worth the money! When I finish this bottle I am going to buy the spf 50! (Clinique, spf 30 - $19 and spf 50 - $19) 

Before 

To conceal my lovely pimple on my chin and the circles underneath my eyes (slept awfully!) I used Clinique Almost Powder Makeup. It is spf 15 and covers wonderfully! The shade I used is 01 Fair. I rarely use it for my entire face since I like having my freckles as visible as possible, I used it in this post over my entire face. Freckle power! (Clinique - $24)  

Eyes -

Eyeliner: I bought this eyeliner from Yves Rocher just last week. I've been lustfully looking at it for weeks and I finally bought it and I do NOT regret it, it is so smooth! It is called  Intense Eye Pencil - Ultra Long Lasting. The colour I have is only available in Europe at the moment (no idea why). It is called Violet Électrique, it is possible to buy it in Navy Green in the USA.

Yves Rocher - Navy Green - $3 (Violet Électrique - 6.90 Swiss Franc) 

Mascara: I have had this mascara for some time now, I never seem to be able to decide if I like it or not. I think  the brush on the mascara is just too big for my liking. I use it once in a while when I don't want to flashy eyelashes or when I just need a little bit to look fresh enough without looking like I have a lot of make-up on.

(Benefit - UK - £16.50; USA - $19)

Lips - 

I love this lip gloss! It's from Clinique (shockingly), it's called Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour and the colour I use is number 05 and it is called Mango-thon. It is really smooth and makes my lips feel amazing!
(Clinique - $17.50) 

1. Yves Rocher Lip Gloss 2. Benefit Mascara 3. Yves Rocher Eye Pencil 

Please do look at my other Make-Up posts.