Dear god, were the last weeks stressful! I had all of my exams of the summer semester plus a term paper that will have to be handed in next monday. But I never forgot about you so now I am finally posting the haul I talked about in the last post! Enjoy!
I have purchased a lot of new items over the internet during the time I had to learn so I gathered the most mentionable picks to give you a personal first impression of them!
First off the things I bought at Sephora:
- Sephora Collection - Eyelash Curlers
- Sephora Collection - Color Proof Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
- Rosebud Perfume Co. - Rosebud Salve
- Sephora Favorites Summer Crushes
(yet only the Caudalie Divine Oil, Bumble and bumble Surf Spray, Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment and Shaveworks The Cool Fix because those are the only things I have been using so far).
First impressions:
- The Sephora Eyelash Curlers was a must buy due to the awesome pink colour! The lash curler is good at handling and does a satisfactory job so far. To be honest I haven't tried out too many lash curlers because my lashes are naturally curled yet I had to get it because it looks so neat. Oh my, this is a good start!
- This Sephora liquid eyeliner could be my favourite product of the Sephora haul. It has a good applicator which takes enough colour on the tip without overloading it. The line can be pulled fine yet also thick with ease. The black is very dark which is lovely too. And as far as I can tell it stays on without smearing and is really hard to remove which speaks for its long lasting qualities.
- The next product is another good pick. The rosebud salve lip balm is perfect for applying at night. In the morning your lips are smooth and hydrated for the whole day. The only thing I am still not sure about is the funky smell. Something between roses and honey but maybe that's just one of the scents you have to get used to.
- So for the next few small products a short review on each of them: The Caudalie Divine Oil is something I can't make up my mind about so far. It's a wonderful smelling oil that does take at least a few minutes to be absorbed by the skin. But I can't really tell if I like the way this oil nurtures. I have very dry skin and I get the feeling that body butters and lotions work better for me. But we will see how my opinion will change when using it more.
Another item I can't really decide whether I like it or not is the Bumble and bumble Surf Spray. I tried to make a beachy wave look with it and it didn't work out at all. My hair which is thick and very stubborn didn't get that awesome "fresh from the ocean" look I wished it had become. Maybe I should try using more spray next time. Do you guys have any advice on how to use this product for a perfect result?
Another tricky first impression is the hair mask by Living Proof. The scent of this hair mask is lemon grassy which is pure bliss when using it. But I can't tell if I like the effect of the mask or if it is any different to the ones I have used before. The hair gets kind of stiff when washed out and dried which I usually don't have as an issue. Maybe this is one of the things you have to use a while until it unfolds its true effect. Did anyone try this mask before?
So the last product I tried out is the Shaveworks after-shave gel. I do get some problems with rashes after shaving and ingrown hair - oh yes! So yuk I know! I first tried this after my normal shaving gel was empty all over my legs; after shaving of course. And oh my. My legs were so soft and smooth. The rashes were getting less and I guess the ingrown hair got treated well with this gel too. It just burned like hell when being applied to the bikini area and armpits which I guess is a minus. I can't really tell if I would buy this in a bigger size because it is kind of expensive and my other after-shave gel does quite a good job as well. I will let you know if I do though!
From the products I purchased at Sephora the things I bought at Douglas:
- The Body Shop - Strawberry Body Polish
- The Body Shop - Brazil Nut Body Butter
- Soap & Glory - Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish
- Soap & Glory - Clean On Me Moisture Shower Cream
- Tangle Teezer - Compact Styler
First impressions:
- This Body Polish by the Body Shop is pure bliss for my nose. I could live in the shower after buying this just by its smell. The texture of the body polish is not too rough and combined with the shower gel it is perfect for smooth skin and a strawberry escape from the real world.
- From the fruity scent to a nuttier, vanilla type of smell. The body butters by the Body Shop aren't this hyped for nothing. The texture is firm and is a little harder applied then the usual body lotion. Yet it leaves the skin nurtured and looking healthy. Putting on too much can make your skin a little sticky so less is more with this products formula. And I am really wondering why I didn't get stuck on this product earlier!
- It is summer sale at the moment and lucky me I got this product as well as the other Soap & Glory product 50% off! And I love not only the prize I purchased these for. First off the face polish. This stuff is amazing. Instead of leaving the skin deeply red and dry it feels smooth and cleansed. This doesn't mean you should cut out your day/night cream but your skin isn't begging for nutrition afterwards. So after the second usage I really see myself including this into my weekly skincare routine.
- I don't really believe in deeply moisturizing shower creams or oils. Yet if there is a cream that is as moisturizing as the L'Occitane Huile de Douche Amande then it's this shower companion by Soap & Glory. At least for my skin after the few times I used it now.
- Last item I got from Douglas is the smaller version of the Tangle Teezer simply because I was afraid my bigger one would lose it's combing qualities being thrown around in my bag without protection so I got this travel brush and like the big one I really like it. Plus it's pink. Gee this post is so cliché-ridden.
Since I didn't buy these at Douglas nor Sephora so I put the best things at the end. This is my new holy grail of beauty - the brushes by Real Techniques. I purchased the Core Collection Kit and the blush brush over Amazon. These tools are the best I tried so far besides a set I got from Annayake. I don't ever want to apply any blush without my brush anymore. Even with very high pigmented blushes it applies them as if they were airbrushed onto the skin. At least that's the magic these brushes do to my skin. These brushes by Real Techniques deserves a love, love, love!
Wow this was really a long post! I hope you enjoyed reading it! And yay I finally got Instagram too! For those of you who care to join me here is the link: instagram.com/katiewinterbottom you are warmly welcome to fellow! By the way who of you would like to have a post on the sale haul I had this week? I could also write about the geeky/nerdy stuff I possess if there is any interest. Just write a comment below!
I wish you a wonderful week and until next time!
xo Kate
