I keep getting a few spots here and there and over a coffee a friend suggested trying out Clear Pores. To be honest, I had never heard of it but a quick search explained to me all I needed to know.
Clear Pores is a 3 step cleansing system for acne. The system is a natural one that is endorsed by both doctors and herbalists. Basically the system helps to kill the bacteria that causes the acne, from the inside and outside of the skin.
Step 1 is a deep cleansing wash that removes all the dirt and grime from the skin. It unclogs the pores and removes excessive sebum while preventing the formation of blackheads and whiteheads.
Step 2 is a herbal supplement that works to protect the skin from the inside. The natural herbs it contains work on the acne bacteria at the source. It also prevents the productions of excessive sebum and reduces inflammation, redness, scarring etc.
Step 3 is the protection cream which provides anti-inflammatory relief, protects the skin and prevents from clogging.
I basically tried this system for a few months to get rid of some spots that seemed to always crop up on my face. The result! I loved it. It doesn’t work immediately, it took me around 2 weeks to start seeing results and then I was very happy with what I saw. Literally no more of those red inflamed spots! I was worried that the spots would return once I went off these products but amazingly 4 and a half weeks have now passed and I still have very clear skin. Definitely a product I would recommend to friends!
One of my latest researched was a lip liner I search from from a cosmetic store. It was BYS and as a range it was inexpensive. I got a lip liner in Flesh Chair no 10 for 2 Euros. The liner was in the usual typical style of a black pencil with a plastic cap as a cover. The colour I chose was a nude shade which I wanted for morning use. This liner did not disappoint. It was a nude brown shade that turns into a slightly bronze look but still looks absolutely natural. It is a matt shade and spreads well over the whole lips so if you are too lazy to apply lipstick, or simply want a matt look you can cover your whole lips with this shade.
The durability of the product is also very impressive. It lasted a whole day of heavy use and that included a couple of coffees and two meals besides the odd snacks.
If you want a dramatic look, this is not the colour for you. This is an understated tone that will blend with the rest of your natural face and give you style and sophistication without looking as though you are trying too hard.
I personally loved this product and I think I will be going back to get a matching lip gloss to use on top of this liner at night time. Don’t snob this product just because it’s cheap, because the quality is top of the range!
Simple is a company that never adds perfume or colour to products, so I was interested in trying out their shower gel just to see how this concept will work. I am used to buying strongly perfumed shower gels so showering with no scent will be a bit weird for me. This Simple Refreshing Shower Gel contains Cucumber Extract and Chamomile Oil so there is plenty to soothe, soften and purify the skin. I used this shower gel and it felt very rich and smooth on my skin. It builds up quite a bit of lather so it feels pretty luxurious. Although it’s meant to be scentless, it did have a bit of mild smell. I’m not sure what it smelt of, but it smelt fresh and clean and didn’t irritate my skin one bit.
Regarding packaging, it’s nothing special so I wouldn’t think of giving this item as a gift but at a mere $3 it’s worth the price. This item is for sale at most department stores and available on Amazon.
I have never used any Keune products so when the opportunity to purchase a professional keune product came along I grabbed my opportunity. I bought 389B Neutral Shampoo which offers deep cleansing mild with a neutral pH level for professional use (hey I’m a professional right?!).
The bottle is a large black bottle (1000ml) so not very handy to have in your shower (you may want to pour some in smaller manageable bottles). On the other hand, a larger bottle makes the product more environmentally friendly and more economical so that’s not too bad after all.
The product smells different to commercial shampoos in that it smells more salon like then the usual perfumed kind I use at home. The shampoo itself is yellow, which to me is a peculiar shade for a shampoo.
The shampoo lathers up very easily and you only need to use a very small amount so a 1000ml bottle is going to last months! The effectiveness of this shampoo though can be observed after the hair is washed. The hair feels and smells clean and if you use the same conditioner that goes with it, it will be easy to detangle.
The best point of this shampoo though is its lasting effects. Although my hair is very oily, this shampoo helps to reduce a lot of its oiliness so I need to wash it less often then usual. In conclusion I would say that I can certainly see a difference between this professional salon shampoo and other commercial shampoos. Definitely a thumbs up products!
Husband and I took ourselves off to the movies yesterday and wound up watching I Love You, Man, which is not utterly detestable. Actually, I laughed out loud. At fart jokes. I was in a silly mood.
Coincidentally, while the subject matter is bromance, I developed a girl crush on the female lead, Rashida Jones, and her cute wardrobe of cardigans, shrunken tees, yellow blouses and jeans. Oh, and the wedding frock. If I were to get married again, I'd model it on hers.
Not since Audrey Tautou in Priceless and Kate Hudson in How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days have I been quite so influenced by the fashion aesthetic of a modern film. Mind you, I'm a simple jeans-and-tee girl (with a satchel) with a few surf-label tees to my name. I own one D&G frock: couture I am not.
But it was also Rashida's wholesome look (not starving!) and sunny smile that got me thinking, "This is a girl I could hang out with. She looks like fun. Let's go shopping!". How refreshing to see a new face on the rom-com scene whose name isn't Jennifer, Jessica or Kate.
I had been too busy to do much for the past months and I needed a break before going back to face the renovation that's yet to finish... Sigh...
Anyway, I will have access to Internet but not to my stash, apparently. However, I've brought samples (and also few full sized products) to try and use.
As for now, here is my most recently updated MAC Pigments Collection. I lied when I said I should swap some away and I lied when I said I should just stick to Make Up For Ever Star Powder. We are liking a lot of MAC Pigments now! So shoot me!
MAC Pigments - Full Size
Just the new additions... Tan
This is just as the name suggested, a very warm dark beige with red undertone. It is a bridging colour for me. Meaning: too pigmented as highlighter but not deep enough in the crease/liner. Nevertheless, I still adore this colour. :)
Azreal Blue
A light shimmery light blue that's the cross breed of sky blue and turquoise. It serves as a bridging colour for me as well.
Provence
This is very close to my skin tone so I like it as a highlighter for many things. And it's only lightly shimmered so I find it versatile.
Golder's Green
This is a fresh, lively golden green. It works well with golds and brown for me.
Sunpepper
This is a stunning reddish copper and brown mixed in one. However, it looks cooler than warm so I have the feeling there is purple too. I don't even think I describe it properly but this swatch is rather accurate. It's most gritty in comparison so it requires a little bit more work. Otherwise, it's rather unique. A good combination for this is actually a gray or a silver! Weird huh?
Apricot Pink
This is a warm pink. Not only on the eyelids but it's also good on the cheeks, provided you use it lightly.
Teal- sample size
This is a warm green blue. More green than blue. The colour looks a lot darker in the container but when swatched, it is an amazing bright colour. It will be great as a striking liner too.
Dark Soul -sample size
This is a matte black with silver shimmers. I think the name suits it well. A cool smoky must-have.
Steel Blue - sample size
This is an interesting mix of blue and steel (gray???) I have not tried a pigment this colour in the past. It is sheerer than how it appears in the container. A good colour for smoky eyes if you use a dark gray or black. It is also good as a liner alone.
Violet - sample size
I have been told this is one of the must-haves for browns eyes. I think I know why! It is a vivid purple with only slight hint of blue. An eye-catching colour. And purple is my favourite shade for eyes!
Pink Opal - sample size
This colour looks yellowish but swatched pinkish. I'd use it as a highlighter with a pink or a cool mauve or even a silver gray.
Naked - sample size
Despite of its boring look, this is quite an useful colour. It can be a highlighter on lids and cheeks both as it's almost invisible but adds a little bit of shimmers. When used more, it looks a little warm and almost peachy.
Goldern Olive - sample size
This colour looks a lot darker than Golder's Green but when swatched I find them are not too different. This has a tad of brown (khaki) while Golder's Green has hint of gold (yellow). Therefore, this is more muted in comparison.
Shimmer Time - sample size
This looks rather peachy in the jar but once swatched, it's a warm whitish peach. Other than on the eyelids as a highlighter, I think it's also suitable for dusting over a dull matte finish blush colour to bring up a glowy effect.
The Body Shop Body Butters which are pretty good but strangely not always heavy enough in the winter. So what to do? I’ve discovered the joys of Body Oils - they definitely bridge the gap.
Abahna’s version in Frangipani and Orange Blossom is the first one this discovered and it has been an absolute godsend. It smells delicious and comes in gorgeous packaging. Also with the spray format, you don’t end up with more oil than you actually need. we also love the Miller Harris body oil in Fleur Oriental. It’s a fabulous way to wear a pretty fragrance in the summer. Korres’ Coriander Body Oil was also impressive – particularly since we thought we’d hate it – the African in me thought ‘Why would we put coriander on my skin?’ But hey what can I say, we can’t explain it but it just works.
