Favorites // July

This July it was ridiculously easy to think of my favorites for the month. Most of the time I find it pretty hard to narrow it down or decide what products to include. This time it was very obvious to me.

Sun Dance Après Creme: Summer has finally arrived and with sunshine and the heat, sunburns were also back. I get sunburned easily (even though I wear sunscreen almost every day) and the only thing I find helps with sunburns is moisturizer. This one helps especially well. I really think my sunburns heal faster - plus this Après Creme has a nice cooling effect on the skin. It does leave your skin feeling a little sticky but when it is as hot as is has lately been I take multiple shower anyway.

Garnier Eye-Make-Up Remover 2 in 1: After having to use the Garnier Skin Active Waterproof Make-Up-Remover All-in-1 for almost a week I was so happy to have this back in my routine I had to include it in my favorites! It remover waterproof mascara well and is gentle to the skin.

 Catrice Liquid Liner Waterproof 010 Don't Leave Me: There is a review of this product coming up soon, so I won't talk about it too much. It is obviously going to be a positive review since it is included in my favorites. Liquid Liner is my favorite type of eyeliner and since this is back in my collection I realized how much I missed it.

I am Earrings: These are by far my most worn accessory of the past few months. I love how simple yet special they are. You can combine them with everything. They slightly curve following the edge of your ear but you only need your ears to be pierced once to wear them.

What were your favorites for this July?

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?

Drugstore Haul // July

This haul is 50% repurchases and 50% new products that I have never tried before but they are all from some of my favorite drugstore brands. I needed a few more things now that summer is finally here and well... I did not really need a new lipstick.

Nivea Creme: I guess this is already a staple in almost every household. Nivea Creme is good for pretty much anything. I always carry a small travel size of it around because you never no when you are going to need it.

Nivea Sun Anti-Age Moisturizer with SPF 50: I get sunburned very easily. I am as pale as a vampire and I never get a tan - I just get sunburned. That is why wearing sunscreen is important to me and I always go for SPF 50. I like the idea of wearing moisturizer with SPF 50 instead of just sunscreen. I guess there is only one way to find if that is just a different way of marketing the product or if there really is a difference. I do not expect a real anti-aging effect but wearing sunscreen is supposed to protect the skin from aging so that won't hurt.

Catrice Volume Waterproof  Mascara Glamour & Doll: This is my all time favorite mascara. It is not actually waterproof - so you probably should not wear this to the pool - but it does stay on all throughout the day and holds the curl of my lashes well. 

Garnier Eye-Make_up Remover 2 in 1: When I last ran out of this I realized how much I missed this product. Right now this is my go-to, favorite make-up remover for waterproof mascara and eye liner. 

alverde Shower Sorbet Rhubarb & Orange: This shower gel smells amazing and I am so looking forward to using this. I have never tried an alverde shower sorbet before so I cannot say how it is different from their normal shower gels.

Astor All in one Lipstick Perfect Stay Fabulous 700 Floral: This is my first ever Astor lipstick. I own three of the Astor Lip Butters and really like them so I wanted to try other Astor lip products. I have only worn this color once by now and while I really like the shade and the texture so far the scent is definitely too strong for my taste.

What did you shop for this month?

Catrice Liquid Camouflage Concealer // Review

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer 010 Porcelain

This concealer has been a part of my everyday make-up routine for about six months now. I generally don't use up concealer very quickly because a) I do not wear make up every day and b) when I wear concealer I don't use a lot of it. I use this concealer under my eyes and to cover up any spots or redness on my face.

Top: Maybelline Fit me! Concealer 15

Bottom: Catrice Liquid Camouflage Full Coverage Concealer 010 Porcelain 

It is not easy to find a concealer that works with my skin. I am as pale as snow and my skin is mostly dry. That means that when it comes to finding the right color for me I do not have a lot to choose from. This is the lightest concealer I could find at the drugstore - it is definitely lighter than the Maybelline Fit me! Concealer 15 that I used before. I would not might another concealer maybe one or two shade darker than this but for right now its fine. Another thing that is great about the color is that it doesn't go darker throughout the day.

When it comes to dry skin I have yet to find a product that handles it perfectly. This concealer definitely doesn't but it is - again - better at it than the Maybelline Fit me! Concealer was. It definitely drys up less and it does not draw unwanted attention to the little wrinkles around my eyes.

I always use concealer rather lightly because I prefer a more natural finish to having everything covered up completely. Even though you can definitely build up the coverage by layering I'd say calling the concealer "high coverage" is misleading. The packaging also claims for this concealer to be waterproof which I cannot confirm. Since I never expected it to be waterproof anyway I don't really mind.

Over all this is my favorite concealer and if you are looking for a light to medium coverage concealer to fit your pale skin tone you should definitely give this one a try.

What is your favorite drugstore concealer?

Much Needed Basics // Haul

I often find that I don't enjoy shopping for basics, because basics are usually not the fun stuff. Recently though I've changed my way of thinking about basics. They are what you use most and what you can build on. That is why now I am trying to build up a good foundation of basic products or accessories to work with.

Balea Shaving Gel Pink Grapefruit: dm no longer sells the blueberry version of this shaving gel which is sad. I still like this one and I will continue to use it but I hope that one day they bring the blueberry scent back. I loved that one!

ISANA young Showergel Limited Edition Vintage Fashion: Again I am not the biggest fan of how Isana packages its products but this time the scent was what won me over. I have only ever used one other Isana shower gel before but I really enjoyed that one so my hopes are high for this one as well.

Garnier Eye-Make-Up Remover 2-in-1: After discovering that I really did not like the Garnier Skin Active Waterproof Make-Up Remover All-in-1 I am so happy to have this eye-make-up remover back. I like this one a lot better.

Nivea Anti Age Hand Creme: I did not get this hand creme because of its anti-aging effect (I doubt it will have any). I got it because it says it helps with dry hands and because it has SPF. I guess these two things can help reducing the signs of aging in the future but I don't think the Q10 will have anything to do with that. Well, if I am wrong and it really does help I will happily welcome those results of course.

H&M Shoes: These shoes are so out of my comfort zone, it is ridiculous. I like these sorts of shoes on other people but I always thought they looked kind of strange on me. Lately I have been looking into sneakers to get simply for practical reasons. They are great for rainy but still warm weather - those days when ballet flats are not enough but is definitely too warm to wear boots. I considered buying white keds or Converse but when I went into H&M yesterday and saw these shoes on sale I just thought I would try them on. The problem with sneakers in my shoe size (41) is that they usually make my feet look very long and I don't like that. These however made my feet look small! That is when I decided to get them. Now that I have them, I am very happy that I did not spent that much money on keds or Converse considering how long those white shoes will actually stay white. Now I just have to find a way to combine them without feeling weird wearing tennis shoes.

What did you shop for this month so far?

Nivea Intense Repair Shampoo & Conditioner // Review

I am not entirely sure these two product are from the same line - did Nivea redo their packaging again? At least the claim to do pretty much the same thing so I thought it would be best to review them together.

Nivea Intense Repair Shampoo

Let's start with shampoo. I have been using this for a few months now but I bought it as a back up a long time ago so maybe the packaging has changed by now. This is not my favorite shampoo but I also do not dislike it. I wash may hair every other day and the Nivea Intense Repair Shampoo can keep up with that. However my hair does not look and feel as good as it does if I use other shampoos, for example the Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Weightless Oil Shampoo. I feel as though if your hair is not as dry as mine this would work better for you. That's kind of contradicting the name 'intense repair' which I do not think fits this shampoo very well.

In conclusion this is a good shampoo for people with 'normal' hair but I would not necessarily recommend it as an 'intense repair' shampoo for people with damaged or dry hair.

Nivea Repair & Care Conditioner

The ends of my hair are dry but not necessarily damaged. That is why I use some kind of conditioner or hair mask almost every time I wash my hair. I have already found my holy grail hair mask ( Garnier fructies Hair Mask Oil Repair 3) but I am still looking for the perfect 'in-between' conditioner that maybe isn't as heavy but still does a good job moisturizing my hair because I do not want to use the same hair products on my hair every single day (in fear of my hair getting used to it and it not working anymore).

The Nivea Repair & Care Conditioner was a little too light for me. My hair was easier to brush through and I could definitely tell a difference in my hair after using this conditioner but it just did not moisturize my hair enough. This is evidently not the right conditioner for me but I know a lot of people that actually like lighter products for their hair. If your hair easily gets weight down by heavy hair masks or conditioners than maybe you should give this conditioner a try. (BTW I really like the consistency of this product - it is thick enough to actually stay in your hair when you apply it).

Over all these are both good products they just aren't for me.

What is your favorite shampoo & conditioner combination?

Garnier Skin Active Waterproof Make-Up Remover All-in-1 // Review

Garnier Skin Active Waterproof Make-Up Remover All-in-1

What is the waterproof part of your make-up? While my concealer also claims to be waterproof the only products that I use that are actually waterproof are my mascara and my liquid eyeliner. That is why when I use a make-up remover that is advertised to remove eye-, lip- and face-make-up I get one that also removes waterproof make up. If it cannot remove waterproof mascara then there is no point in getting a make-up remover that claims to be able to get rid of waterproof make-up - at least for me.

That is why this product is an absolute flop for me. I have to use a lot of product and it still does not get all my mascara off. On top of that this product has a very distinct, chemical scent to it and I just cannot stand that. I do not like the products I put near my eyes to be scented - much less smell that chemically.

Another thing I noticed is that when I compare this to the other eye-make-up removers for waterproof mascara that I have used before this one is not as gentle to my skin as the others used to be. I much prefer the Garnier Eye-Make-Up Remover 2-in-1 Waterproof and the Nivea Double Effect Eye-Make-Up Remover Waterproof. I pretty much like them both equally and even though they are a little more expensive than the Garnier Skin Active Waterpoof Make-Up Remover All-in-1 I will still go back to repurchasing those.

What is your favorite eye-make-up remover for waterproof mascara?

Favorites // June

This display looks kind of christmassy, doesn't it?

Red can be a very summery fresh color and who does not think that 'golden beaches' sound like hot weather? Summery night skies are also easy to picture - but somehow together red, stars and gold make me think of winter. Well, the weather isn't really that sunny lately anyway so maybe that also influences my associations.

Maybelline Super Stay Nail Polish Rouge Laqué 501 Cherry Sin: For some reason I forgot how much I love red nails in the summer time. I just put the color on one day because I could not decide on anything so I went for a classic shade. I am almost surprised by how much I love it.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: This had to be included in my monthly favorites. I flew through this book as soon as I got it. It is not my new favorite book ever but it was still great. I usually do not read contemporary books so maybe this one was my entry to a whole new genre for me to discover. I am generally trying to read out of my usual comfort zone of fantasy or dystopian. While I do know now that thrillers are not my cup of tea (even though I have only ever read two) maybe contemporary is.

Dove Advanced Hair Series Pure Care Weightless Oil Shampoo: I am sorry this bottle does not look that clean anymore but that is just what happens when you use your products - and I have been using this for a while now. I actually shy away from using it because I do not want to use it up. I have dry hair that I want to wash every other day - so that is what I need my shampoo to be able to handle. This shampoo does that beautifully. It is meant to help with dry hair and make it shiny again and that is precisely what it does for my hair. It feels moisturized, looks shiny and keeps looking good for two days until I wash it again.

What are your favorite products or books of the moment?