Updated Skin Care Routine // Part I

It has been over a year since my last skin care post. There are things that have changed, products that are still the same and others that have been replaced. My skin is sensitive but there are not too many products that break me out. The biggest problem I have with my skin is how dry it can get and this is the skin care routine that helps me manage that.

In my everyday life I usually wear waterproof mascara and my favorite eye make-up remover is the Garnier Make-Up Remover 2 in 1 waterproof. It is gentle on the skin but at the same time it removes all my mascara. If I ever wear non-waterproof I use the Rival de Loop Clean & Care Oil Free Eye-Make-Up Remover which I have used for years before I started wearing waterproof mascara. I do not wear foundation or BB creme so I only use water to remove any make-up residue on my skin and no extra products. I have tried many eye cremes and my favorite - by far - is the alverde Eye Creme for every skin type. This has already been a part of my last skin care routine and I have talked about this in my Favorites 2014. It moisturizes well, sinks in quickly and does not irritate my skin or eyes. At night I also use an old favorite: Weleda Skin Food. If you have dry skin you should definitely give this product a try. It is the most moisturizing creme I know because the skin actually takes in the moisture and the creme does not just sit on your skin without sinking in. It does leave your skin feeling a little sticky which is why I only use it at night but it works really well.

Sometimes - when I feel like my skin needs it - I do like to use the alverde Apricot & Calendula Face Scrub for normal skin. To me it is the perfect mix of effective and gentle. Of course it does not give you perfect skin over night but it definitely has a positive effect on my skin. It helps my skin to clear out and gets rid of dry skin very gently. After that I use the Weleda Skin Food at night or the alverde Face Oil Wild Rose for dry skin in the day time.

If I did not wash my face or take a shower in the morning I still apply a moisturizer in the morning. It is either the Nivea Sun Anti-Age Moisturizer with SPF 50 in the summer or the alverde Teint Perfection Beauty Serum now that the sun is not out that much anymore. I would like the alverde Perfect Teint to have an SPF too so I am not sure if I am going to repurchase this again but I really do like the finish it leave on my skin.

Part II of my skin care routine will be coming up next week. I only realized how many different products I do actually use when I started writing this post so I decided to divide this up into two posts. Today I talked about what products I use on y face but next week I will talk about what else I do to take care of the rest of my skin.

What are your favorite skin care products?

Favorite Top 10 Autumn Nail Polishes // Septemder

After talking about my Top 10 Favorite Lip Products for Autumn on Friday I want to talk about nail polishes next. This top 10 was hard to narrow down because my collection consists mostly of deep dark colors that I love even more in the colder seasons. Again their is no significant order to this list and there are a lot of nail polishes included that are no longer available. This is not a shopping guide but hopefully makes you want to look through your own collection and rediscover old loves before going out and buying new ones you might not even need (as much as you can need nail polish^^).

OPI Nail Lacquer What Wizzardry is This?: OPI nail polishes can be very expensive, so when they do their mini collections I would highly recommend you check those out. This is a limited edition color that is no longer available but there are similar shades out there. The special thing about this one in specific is the texture of the polish when it drys which is rather unique.

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 60 Out of the Dark: This is a rather special color especially considering it is a regularly available nail polish from Catrice's regular line of nail polishes. It is a cool toned, purple-brown nail polish with fine shimmer that paints on wonderfully.

Maybelline Super Stay Forever Strong Gel Nail Color Rouge Couture 287 Midnight Red: This is by far my most used nail polish of all time. I love the whole Super Stay Forever Strong Gel Nail Color range and I have yet to try one that I did not like. It is a long lasting, easy to apply polish in a beautiful deep, dark red that is perfect for any season.

Rival de Loop High Gloss Nail Colour 52: One of my first posts ever on this blog was about this nail polish. The quality is of course awful but it does make me a little bit nostalgic. This is a really simple rose color that you can find in almost every brand's regular nail polish range but I love classics like this. Light pinks make me think of spring and summer but this slightly darker version makes it more appropriate for the autumn and winter time.

essence Nail Polish Limited Edition Cherry Blossom 02 My Little Kimono: I have not worn this nail polish in forever! - I even forgot I had this. Now I am even more excited to try it again.

Manhattan Bonnie Strange 006: This is a beautiful shimmery nail polish with a little twist to it. The base color is actually pruple not red but because the color is so dark you can hardly see it. The shimmer particals are gold and red which is very autumnal or festive.

alessandro Nail Polish Russian Roulette: I have had this nail polish in my collection for ages and I am not even sure alessandro is a brand that is still around? I do not think I have ever tried any other product by them. This is an interesting nail polish because the base color is cool toned, light brown while the shimmer itself is a rather warm toned gold shimmer.

Astor Perfect Stay Gel Shine Nail Polish 502/503 Crème Brulée: This must be one of my favorite new beauty discoveries of the year and I am pretty much sure it will be included in my favorite products of 2016 post at the end of the year.

Astor Quick & Shine Nail Polish 502 Hot Chocolate Season: Next time you are in the drugstore take a look at this nail polish. It is a gorgeous color and a really special finish - it almost looks like liquid metal. The quality of Astor nail polishes is wonderful and I have yet to try one that I do not like. They also have an amazing color selection and there are more than a few that I have my eye on right now.

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer Limited Edition Match Point C03 Rockby: I do not like this packaging but the nail polish color is really pretty. Autumn is the perfect time of the year to bring back the berry tones into your beauty routine and this is a wonderful everyday berry shade.

What is are your favorite autumn nail polishes?

Products I've Used Up // July

I am sorry some of these products don't look that nice anymore - but that is what happens when you use them for a long time. I could have cleaned them up but since I was going to throw them away anyways right after shooting these pictures I didn't feel like it was worth it. Well, in reality products just don't stay looking all polished and perfect when you use them up.

Rival de Loop Eye-Make-Up Remover: Non-waterproof eye-make-up remover has not been a part of this blog in a long time. That is simply because I hardly ever wear non-waterproof mascara anymore. This month I made an effort to use up the non-waterproof mascara I still had in my collection because it would have dried out soon anyways and that would just have been a waste. Whenever I do wear non-waterproof mascara though this is my favorite eye-make-up remover.

Balea Body Mousse: It says on the packaging that this is supposed to have a light, soft texture and I was afraid that it would not be moisturizing enough for my skin. I was wrong - this is actually a great light-weight moisturizer for hot summer days. It sinks into your skin quickly and moisturizes it well. The scent is barely noticeable which I like.

The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Cream Body Scrub: I used to be a huge fan of the The Body Shop Body Scrubs. Now I am not so sure about that anymore. I still like them but I am not really loving them anymore. Maybe I am just spoiled because I have not actually used a body scrub by any other brand in at least a year and I still have a backup to go through before I can get a new one to try.

Balea Shaving Gel Blueberry Love: Please, Balea, bring this scent back! This my all time favorite scent from the Balea shaving gels range and they have discontinued it. Hopefully they will bring it back soon.

Balea Shower Gel with Oil Pearls: I really enjoyed this product, the scent is nice and it does not dry out my skin like other shower gels do. The packaging is also just really pretty and summery.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Weightless Oil Shampoo: I talked about this shampoo in one of my last favorites post because this works wonderfully with my hair. After using up all the backup shampoos I still have sitting in my cabinet I will definitely repurchase this!

Catrice Glam & Doll Waterproof Volume Mascara: This is my all time favorite waterproof mascara that I repurchase all the time. It holds the curl flawlessly and it stays on all day.

Maybelline the Colossal Volume Express Mascara 100% Black: I have used this up before and said that it wasn't my favorite. So why did I use one up again? I got this as a gift and after using it the second time my opinion is still the same. It does give volume to my lashes and they look great but they don't stay put throughout the day and the mascara crumbles a little.

What products did you use up this month?

Products I've used up - May

I know that this containers do not look the best anymore - but that is what happens when using them over a long time ;)

alverde face oil wild rose

I am loving this stuff more and more. Needless to say I repurchased it already. My skin is very dry and other than the moisturizer from this line - which I do not like at all - this helps with my dry skin amazingly. In the colder months or when my skin is just feeling exceptionally dry I apply another layer of moisturizer after using this. Right now as it is getting warmer and my skin is not as dry as usually using this in the morning is usually enough. It absorbs into my skin really fast which makes it perfect for those mornings were you do not have a lot of time to wait between applying your moisturizer and putting on your make up.

L'Oreal Paris Elvital hair mask

Nothing special - that is what first comes to my mind when thinking about this product. There is a definite difference between using this and not putting on a hair mask or conditioner. Still there are better hair masks. I did not mind this one since I have had a lot worse but I do not think I will ever repurchase it either.

theBodyShop Early-harvest Raspberry Body Scrub

The scent is just wonderful. I like all theBodyShop products I have ever tried (at least I cannot think of one I did not like on the top of my head right now). Right now I am using the Sweet Lemon Sugar Body Scrub by theBodyShop and I like that as well (so far).

Rival deLoop Clean & Care oil free eye make-up remover & Carmex

These are staples in my everyday routine. I always repurchase these two products and have talked about them way too much in here - so what is there more to say?

What products did you use up this month?

BIG April Drugstore HAUL

Do you need that much shampoo? Well, no, I do not. On the other hand you do use shampoo up, right?

alverde Clear SOS - Serum

I do own the face mask from the same range and really like it. That is why I wanted to try their serum.

Nivea lemongrass & oil shower gel

This scent is so wonderful. I like Nivea shower gels but I have never had this one before. A lot of shower gels make me break out but Nivea products have never troubled my skin but actually helped it.

Dove advanced hair series youthful vitality shampoo

This is where the shampoo madness begins. Never have I ever bought this many shampoos in one day. This shampoo says it will make my hair more youthful (whatever that is supposed to mean?) which I do not think my hair needs. Then why did I get it? I have heard such good thing about the Dove advanced hair series and I have wanted to try it for a long time. Normally it is a quite expensive range (at least for the drugstore) and when I spotted this one on sale for 50% off I got it.

Herbal essences shampoo oriental dream with argan oil, Herbal essences shampoo for volume & Herbal essences shampoo with honey and apricot for stronger hair

I just could not decide which one to get - so I just got them all. Somehow I managed to buy three different versions of the shampoo packaging. How often does Herbal essences change their product designs? At this point I just find it confusing... 

NIVEA deodorant fresh natural

Aluminium-free and not strong scent are basically the only criteria I check for when buying deodorant. I bet it is not going to last 48 hours but who actually needs that?

Balea creme soap raspberry & lemongrass moisture care

There are so many great new Balea hand soaps out right now. Is it strange to be excited about that? The scent is amazing - if you have not already you should definitely check them out. 

Rival de Loop Clean & Clear oil free make up remover & Theramed original toothpaste 

What did you shop for this month?

Products I've used up - March 2014

Guhl Shampoo for long hair

Do you have 'shampoo holly grail'? I need to switch up my shampoo quite a lot. I might love it for a week and the next day it suddenly does not work as well as before. That is so frustrating. I really liked this shampoo but in the end (again) I needed to switch. 

FIT me! Concealer

The FIT me! concealer in 15 i actually to dark for me  but since there is nothing lighter available I use it anyways. I have had this particular one for so long (these things last forever) that it darkened over time. I already repurchased it. Maybe I will get a little tan this spring so the color will match better? Probably not ;)

alverde eye creme for every skin type & Weleda Skin Food

Two staples in my every day skin care routine. I have dry sensitive skin and these two help me take care of that. I use the alverde eye creme day and night while Weleda Skin Food is a night time product to me. 

Rival de Loop eye make up remover, Balea shaving gel Blueberry Love, ISANA Nail polish remover, tetsept bubble bath winter fairy tale 

What did you use up this month?

Products I've used up - February 2015

Treacle moon shower creme warm cinnamon nights

The packaging and the scent are wonderful. I really like the concept of the brand, I just do not love the product. When it comes to shower gel a lot of them make me break out. Sadly this was one of them. (I still used it on  my legs were my skin is a lot less sensitive.) It s rather expensive shower gel compared to other drugstore alternatives and does not moisturize my skin or anything like that. Needless to say I will not repurchase this.

Labello lip butter blueberry blush

I actually finished this lip balm the day after my January Products I've used up post went up. That is why there are actually two lip products in this one. I own way too many lip balms and I am trying now to use up most of them so that I am only left with Carmex (because I always want that around) to use on the go, one other for at home use and one to go into my gym bag. I love the labello / Nivea lip butters and I really like the blueberry scent. 

Maybelline Baby Lips Peach Kiss

There is such a big hype around the Maybelline Baby Lips. I can not fully support that. I like the packaging and I like the color of this particular one. For a lip balm in a stick version it is actually pretty good but compared to Carmex, the labello lip butters or eos lip balms I just cannot recommend it. It simply does not do enough.

Balea moisturizing sheet mask

I have used this before and I quite like it. It does not really have any long lasting effects on my skin but it does make it feel nice and soft after you apply it. Plus you look like you are about to commit a crime like rob a bank or something, so that's cool ;)

Tetesept Winter fairy tale bath salt

I still have back-ups. Oops. I might have bought a little too many of these but there are already new versions that I am dying to try! 

theBodyShop tea tree squeaky clean scrub

This is a though one. Every time I use it I love it but then I feel like I would not want to spent that much money on it again. It is not actually that crazy expensive but still. I think I will repurchase it at some point but not right now. W will see how much I miss it :P

Rival de Loop oil free make-up remover

This is pretty much a staple on this blog. I feel like I talk about it in every other post. I still love it and I already got two more back-ups.

I am super proud of the lip products I have used up. What did you use up this month?

BIG Drugstore HAUL

This a collective haul from the last few weeks. I bought a lot of products I have never used before so I am really excited to try them all out. 

 

Maybelline FIT me! concealer 15

This is the best concealer I have ever tried. It is also the lightest. Right now it is still a little two dark for me but when I blend it out it can still work. Since I cannot find a lighter shade of concealer anywhere I will just have to make it work. Other than color I like the coverage and the way you can blend.

Maybelline FIT me! powder 105 natural ivory

I own the Maybelline FIT me! concealer and foundation and know that right now they are too dark for my skin tone but I needed a new powder. My old one was translucent and I did not really like that. Back then I bought it because no powder was light enough but it does not give me the effect I want. Hopefully this new powder will. I only heard good things about the Maybelline FIT me! product range.I think they sell an even lighter version of this in the US but I cannot get my hands on that here in Europe. Other then that I love the packaging! I do not know whether I will actually use the sponge but I like the idea (and the mirror!).

essence I<3 NUDE eyeshadow 03 crème brûlée

I could have bought a lot more products from the new spring releases by essence but I held back! After reading all the good reviews and swatching it in store I  could not pass this up. I have not tried it yet but I imagine it looking amazing as a single shadow on the lid with a little highlight in the inner corner and simple eyeliner. I do not like 'normal' essence eyeshadows but the baked ones work great.

alverde moisturizing face mask wild rose shea butter for dry skin

I own other products from the alverde wild rose line and I do not like them all. I love the face oil but the moisturizer is not enough for my dry skin. Alverde products never make me break out or anything like that so when looking for a new face mask I automatically turned to this one.

Nivea long repair  shampoo

My hair is long and it needs to be repaired - so this is just perfect. I like Nivea shampoos in general and hopefully will be happy with this, too.

Nivea three in one cleansing fluid

This is supposed to cleans your skin, rove make-up and moisturize. We will see if it does all that...

Balea shaving gel blueberry love, Rival de Loop oil free eye-make-up remover, Isana nail polish remover

These are all evergreen products I repurchase all the time. It is the only eye-make-up remover that does not irritate my eyes. The nail polish remover works fine for me and I love the packaging and scent of the shaving gel. What is there more to say?


Do you guy know any really light face powders from the drugstore? Please let me know!

Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin

Throughout the last year I have been on the hunt for skin care products that could help me deal with my suddenly super dry skin. Here is what I found.

This is a very basic skin care routine. I am only talking about products that I use every single day. Of course I do face masks or exfoliate my skin but since I have not found a holy grail product yet I have not included any here. My skin is generally very dry, sensitive and does not absorb product easily.

Rival deLoop Clean & Care oil free eye make-up remover 

Most of the time I only wear eye make-up and a little bit of concealer under my eyes so I only use eye make-up remover on a day to day basis. This one is by far my favorite one. I have tried Balea, Garnier and other brands and they all make my eyes burn. This does not dry out my eye area too much while still getting rid of mascara, eye shadow and eyeliner.  

alverde eye creme for every skin type

I have tried a lot of different eye cremes in the past year and none of them worked for me. This again is the only one I found that does not irritate my skin and still moisturizes enough. There is no eye creme by alverde that is especially made for dry skin but if there ever will be I would love to try t.

Weleda Skin Food for dry skin

This is the most amazing skin care discovery of 2014! I use this every night and I would not want to miss it. I only use it at night because it takes a while to sink into you skin. If you want to know more about it you can check out the review I wrote right here: click.

alverde face oil wild rose for dry skin

This is the newest addition to my skin care routine. I use this in the morning after I took a shower and my skin is still wet. You only need a few drops and massage it into your skin. It does not take long to sink into your skin and after I got dressed and blowdried my hair I continue to use the next product:

alverde intensive repair avocado moisturizer for very dry skin

Here is what annoys me about alverde: this is the one and only product from the skin care range of alverde for very dry skin! Come on, one product?! Please do more! Other than that I really like it. Throughout the cold past months I added this on top of the face oil but maybe it will be enough on its own in the summer time? Anyway, I really love this product. I like the scent of avocado and I have never had a moisturizer with a consistency like this one. It almost feels like it absorbs into your skin the second it touches it. My skin loves this stuff.

Do you have any skin care product recommendations for dry skin? I am always looking for new ideas!