Winter favorites

I know I'm long due to this post! Spring has started almost a week ago, but here's a post about some products that I've loved (and am still loving) during the icy winter months.

First some make-up products. I've used the Naked Palette from Urban Decay almost every day since I got it, but I already mentioned that one in my fall favorites post. However, I'm totally hooked on the 24/7 eye pencil in zero. It stays on way longer than any other pencil I've used in the past. I hit pan on the Courtly eyeshadow from the Pedigreed Palace palette from the Fabulous Felines collection that came out around September. I looove this colour! It's great to put all over the lid and then some darker colour in the crease. I haven't used the fluidline in Dark Diversion as an eyeliner that much, but more as a purple base and I love how it looks. And then there's the Rosebud Salve, which I love in spite that it wears off that quickly.



Some months ago I bought a Give me liberty of London polish, in Blue India on a blogsale. I've been wearing it so much, it really goes with anything and looks great against my pale hands. London's Weather Forecast from Catrice and Evening Seduction from China Glaze are some older polishes I have, but they served me well in the Winter months.

The one thing that is so important to have in Winter (and well, basically every season) is a good moisturizing body lotion. Way back in Summer I won some Body Icing from Me!Bath in Vanilla Purity, and it is an amazing product. It is so rich and moisturizing, I don't think I ever used anything other like it. It makes my skin feel the softest ever and it smells divine. I'm almost running out of it, but I think I will buy this eventually. Yes, even if it's 22 euros. It is that good. O and of course, my good friend the Snow Fairy from Lush. It really is one of my favorite shower gels, it makes my bathroom smell like a candy store. I can't wait until next year to buy me the largest bottle there is, I'm so hooked on this but I'm afraid to use it. The day I run out of this will be a very sad day!



Sorry for the craptastic pictures, my camera was doing all weird kind of stuff. I'm kind of glad Winter is over now, I'm totally ready for Spring. But o how I hate Summer.. Can't I just skip it? Anyway, hope you liked my favorites (and maybe found some of yours in these as well). Time to hop in the shower with my Snow Fairy!


xo,
Michelle

Lush Valentine - Magic Mushroom

To be honest, I don't really care about holidays like Valentines Day. However, I do love Lush, so when they came out with some Valentine products, I just couldn't resist. I loved the ideas behind the Ex-Factor and The Frog Prince bath bombs, but I was on a budget so I only took the Magic Mushroom bubble bar with me.

I love the fragrance. It's a mixture of vanilla and strawberry, making it a deliciously creamy scent that fills up your bathroom. I got a ton of creamy, soft foam with this bubble bar, much more than with any other I tried so far. It also turned the water a light reddish colour. My skin felt so soft, and the scent lingered for quite some time. I still got a big chunk left, I think you could get about 3 baths out of it. I really regret not buying another one! I really like this one.

If you're lucky, you still might find one of these at your local Lush shop. But if you're not, you'll have to wait until next year, just like me. Boo!


xo,
Michelle

Lush - my face routine

I bought these products early September and I have been using them ever since, so I think I can give you an honest review about them. I have combination skin, meaning that my T-zone is oily and the rest of my face is normal to dry. I'm also very pale and have red zones on my face. I have had eczema in the past that likes to pop up again from time to time. It was quite a challenge to find a routine that works!
Oh, and sorry about the quality of the pictures. I took most of these a while back when lighting wasn't all too good. Making new ones isn't really an option because the products get a bit messy when in use, haha. O well, here we go.


At night, I remove my makeup with Ultra Bland. It's a pasty substance, but also very oily . I take about a fingertip out of the jar and rub it over my face. I leave my eyes for last, or the eyeliner and mascara turn my face totally black. Then take a washcloth or some cotton pads and soak it with warm water. Remove the oil from your face and you're done! I also like to use Baby Face to make sure I removed all of my eye makeup, mascara can be so stubborn sometimes.

After removing my makeup, I like to cleanse my face some more to be sure it's 100% clean. For this I use Angels on Bare Skin cleanser. It's a clay based cleanser with lavender oil. It also holds ground almonds, so it's a gentle scrub as well. You take about a pea size out of the jar and mix it with some water into the palm of your hand and apply it to your damp skin and rinse off.

Then it's toner time! I use Eau Roma Water for this. It's a mixture of lavender and rose water, very soothing. Just spray it 3 to 4 times on a cotton pad and rub it over your face. There shouldn't be anymore dirt on the pad now, or you didn't do a good job on the previous two steps!

Don't let the toner completely dry, apply moisturizer when it's still damp. I use Imperialis, a herbal mixture in a cute pinky colour. It holds lavender, orange blossom, tiger lily and St Johns wort. This is the first moisturizer I tried and it was perfect from the beginning. I tried a couple more after I bought this, just out of curiosity but this is the only one that works.

The last step is applying eye cream. I use Enchanted Eye cream, but sadly they're discontinuing it. I don't really see why because it does help to combat under eye redness. Don't apply your eye cream directly underneath the eye, but tap it onto your cheekbones. I've been told that the thin skin under your eyes work like sponges and they'll soak up the right amount of cream it needs. When you apply too much eye cream directly underneath the eye, it can cause under eye redness and puffyness instead of helping it.

So yup, that's the routine I do every night. It looks a lot but it only takes me about 5 minutes. I know I'm coming across as a total Lush-loony, but I can't help it. I really believe in their products and they work for me. Have you tried any of their face products yet, or do you just like their soaps and fragrances?


Michelle xo

Lush UK order

A little while back, my friend B. and I wanted to order some stuff from the UK lush website. Products are slightly cheaper than on the Dutch website, even when you count in shipping costs. He ordered on Monday and it arrived 2-3 days later. Wow, these guys are FAST! Check out the stuff I ordered.

I ran out of Angels on bare skin and my Eau Roma Water so I ordered another pot and the big version of Eau Roma Water. I love this stuff so much. I also got a big pot of Iced Wine because I love it so much and I needed a back up. I got another jelly, Calacas, from the Day of the Dead products. It reminds me of candy I used to buy at the bakery after school when I was a kid. So good! And I got two retro bubble bars, Hot Toddy and Christmas Kisses. I don't get why they ever discontinued these, they smell divine. Expect some reviews very soon.


O, and Merry Christmas. I hope Santa brought you some awesome gifts!

xo, Michelle

Lush - Cinders ballistic

Another product from the Lush Christmas collection. Out of the ballistics I took home with me, this one was my favorite. It has such a strong, cinnamon spicy smell. I placed it on the heating system in my room for some time so it would smell like Christmas. Mmm..

It also looks just too pretty! The red sugary bits makes it look like it's on fire, it's gorgeous. It contains almond oil, cinnamon leaf oil and sweet orange oil. Such a gooood combination. Honestly, writing about it makes me want to go out and buy more of them, haha. The bathroom smelled so good, very warming and spicy with a hint of sweetness. It also lingered on the skin for quite some time. I took a bath with this in the evening, and when I woke up, I could still smell it on my skin. What a good start of the day! The oils also really hydrated my skin, it was ever so smooth again.



Pro:
- frangrance
- vegan
- soft skin

Con:
- no bubbly effect, it just melted away

If you love spicy scents, I strongly suggest you go out and get this one. It smelled sooo good to me, it was like Christmas in the tub. Yummy! Hurry up though, it's limited!

xo,
Michelle

Lush - Satsumo Santa bath ballistic

Another item I got at the Lush Christmas VIP. I almost didn't take this little guy home with me, but it just smelled too good not to. It reminded me of Fanta Pomelo! Nomnom.

I love how this ballistic looks! It's a big, plump jolly santa. Really cute. It mainly contains mandarin and bergamot oil and orange blossom absolute. Pretty sweet combo if you ask me. I smashed this little santa up in two pieces because I thought I'd be too big for just one bath. Too bad I was wrong! I already put half the santa in the tub, but I still didn't smell a lot of it. Okay, let's put the rest in it too. Nope, no success. I was so sad, because the ballistic on its own smelled SO DAMN GOOD, but no such thing in the tub. Blah. It did turn the water a bright orangey red, really looked nice! And as far as hydration goes, my skin was really smooth again, as always after a Lush tub.

Pro:
- orange water!
- very smooth skin
- it looks so cute

Con:
- didn't had a strong smell
- so it also didn't linger on the skin
- no cool bubbly effects

Nope, I won't be repurchasing this one I'm afraid. I'm quite disappointed to be honest, I had great expectations because it's such a big ballistic. O well. If you still want to try it, you can get it at Lush for 4,95 euros. Be quick, it's a Christmas-only product.

Enjoy your lazy Sunday!
xo,

Michelle

Lush - Candy Cane bubble bar

When I bought this at the Lush Christmas VIP for, it was lying on a table together with the Snow Fairy shower gel and the lip tint and little bowls of candy. Picture perfect! The cane is pink and swirly, and it smells like a candy store. Of course I had to take it home with me! This is the first bubble bar from Lush that I bought and it was an instant hit. So. Many. BUBBLES!

I used this bar about 3 times, you can easily cut it into pieces with a knife. I crumbled it under running water and there were instant bubbles. I'm not kidding, I never saw so many bubbled in my bath. And the smell.. I love it! It reminds me of Snow Fairy, but it's not that heavy. It didn't really smell of vanilla to me, it's more of a sweet candy store scent. It also turned the water pink, I'm not a big fan of colored water but it looked cute. I'm sad the scent doesn't linger very long on the skin, but it did made it very smooth.

Pro:
- fragrance
- ton of bubbles
- you can use it up to 3 or 4 times
- soft skin

Con:
- limited edition
- smell doesn't last long


I'm definitely buying this again before they go out of stock and I'll have to wait an entire year before it's back. That would be drama. No, seriously.

Meow xo

Lush - Iced Wine shower jelly

This is the first jelly from Lush I bought. I always thought it looked superweird and unpractical to use. It's not that bad actually! But more about that later on. This is a limited product from the Christmas collection, so be quick if you still want to try it.


Let's start of with the fragrance. I saw this product at the Christmas VIP, and as soon as I smelled it, I knew I had to have it. It's so sweet and fruity, really something for me! Its main ingredients are grapefruit oil, iced wine and buchu oil. Seriously, if there's anyone out there who doesn't like the smell of this, he or she must be insane. I just can't stop sniffing it! I might even like this one more than Snowfairy, but shh.


There are different ways to use a shower jelly. Personally, I like to just take the whole jelly and rub it over my body. It doesn't lather all that much, but I'm fine with that. The only problem I see people could have, is to hold on to the jelly. It's super slippery! I got the small pot, which makes it easier to hold I think. No worries if you drop it the first few times, you'll get the hang of it ;). I put it in the freezer once, but the combination of the icy cold jelly and the slipperiness made me dance around in the shower, haha. Anyway, you can also take some of the blob and rub it in a body puff so it lathers a lot, I also enjoyed it that way.
The problem I get with Lush soaps is that I dries out my skin. Not with this one! My skin is not super hydrated, but it just feels really soft. At it smells delicious. Seriously, sometimes I feel like a walking sorbet. Yummy.


Pro:
- FRANGRANCE!
- soft skin
- multi-use

Con:
- might be a bit tricky to use
- limited edition

If there's anything I would recommend buying from the Christmas collection, it would be this shower jelly. I think I might go and buy another one for Summer!

Purr,
Michelle x

Lush - Miranda soap

I got this as a tester on one of my Lush visits. I absolutely love the smell of Lush soaps, Sandstone and The Godmother are my absolute favorites. However, I haven't bought a Lush soap in ages. Somehow, they don't work for my skin. Or maybe I haven't found one that suits it. My skin is pretty dry and Lush soap makes it 'squeaky' clean. I mean, rubbing on my wet skin, you can actually hear this 'rubbery' sound. So weird, and so unpleasant.

The smell is awesome though. Really fresh and fruity! The main ingredients are fresh kiwi fruit, juniper berry oil and bergamot oil, which smells of oranges. This is a great soap for summer time I think, I really felt refreshed after using this. Or for winter mornings, when you need a little kick to start the day.

Pro:
- fruity smell
- very soft and foamy
- vegan and not tested on animals

Con:
- squeaky feeling

Hope that helped,
xo Michelle

Lush Christmas VIP

I had so much fun on the Lush skincare VIP, I really wanted to go to the Lush Christmas VIP. This was so different! Me and my friend were a little late, but once we got in, the store was super crowded. The lovely Lush ladies were all dressed up in Halloween or Christmas outfits and like last time, there were a lot of snacks and drinks provided for us. We were divided into 4 groups and told to visit the different stands. There were four stands, I don't remember all of the names but there was one about the day of the dead that I liked a lot. Here's what I bought:

- Candy Cane bubble bar
- Iced Wine shower jelly
- Snow Fairy shower gel
- Satsumo Santa bath ballistic
- Cinders bath ballistic

What came with the goodie bag:


- Sexy Peel soap
- 9 to 5 cleanser sample
- Whip Stick lip balm
- Keep It Fluffy bath ballistic

I'm super happy with all the stuff I got. I swear, if money wasn't an issue I would've picked up a lot more. I loved the Snow Fairy lipbalm, Lip Dip lip scrub and the Calacas shower jellies too. I really suggest that you all go out and get some Lush goodies for Christmas, they're so worth it!

Meow!
Michelle xo

Lush - Baby Face

This was the first cleanser from Lush I got. A lot of people think it looks cute, but I just think it looks a bit.. creepy? I don't know, faces in objects are weird!

I tested this little guy for about a month, I basically used it as a make up remover. There are a few ways to use it: you can rub it all over your face or rub it in your hands and then over your face. After this, you can remove it with some damp cotton pads, and you'll need a lot of them, because it truly removes EVERYTHING! Don't forget to use some toner with your last cotton pad to get rid of any residue. I tried both of these methods, but after 2 weeks I started to break out on my chin and nose. I was also using a couple of other new products from Lush, so I headed back to the store to ask what could be the problem. They suggested I took some warm, damp cotton pads and rub these over the Baby Face and then just use the pads to remove my makeup. They guessed the Baby Face was too oily for me. Hmm, I still got some new spots after that. Then I decided to use a face wash after using the Baby Face, and this worked pretty well. No more break outs and my face is super clean afterwards.

I have combination skin, it's dry to normal with an oily T-zone, so you can break out from it in the more oily zones. I don't really use it that much anymore because I found a better Lush product to remove my make up. I also think it takes up too much time to rub about 5 pads over a piece of buttery substance and rub it on your face (and then cleanse it some more, use toner, a moisturizer and eye cream). I mean, I do this right before I go to bed when I'm dead tired and I hate to spend too much time in the bathroom when I don't feel like it. Boo! Anyway, I do like to use this one to remove eye make up. It's great to get rid of excess mascara or eyeliner.

Pro:
- vegan
- great (eye make up) remover
- smells lovely

Con:
- may cause break outs
- very oily
- takes up some times to use

I'm afraid I'm not buying this again, I like how it removes all dirt and makeup perfectly, but it takes up too much time in my opinion. I think it's great for people with dry skin because of the butters. If you're looking for a good makeup remover, I'd suggest to give it a try, I paid about 7 euros for it, so it's not expensive at all for how much you can use it. You have to be quick though, I heard they're discontinuing it.

ox Michelle

Lush - Lemony Flutter

This product is so hyped on nail blogs. So obviously, I just had to try it. My hands, fingers and cuticles are the driest ever.

You get 50 g for 9,50 euros, which is a normal price in my opinion. A lot of people are talking about the pot being to big and not ever being able to use all of the product before it goes over date. Well, not for me! I love this stuff so much I'm using it on other dry patches on my body, like my knees, elbows and feet. And don't even think about walking around in the house after rubbing this on you feet, you will slip and almost break a leg.. Woops ;$. But seriously, you only need a tiny amount of product, so it'll last you a long time.


I love citrus smells, but this one reminds me of lemon candy I used to eat as a kid. Seriously, I LOVE the scent. But does it work? It really works on dry patches on my body, my elbows and knees are super hydrated. But my hands and feet.. they're tough! It helped my cuticles a lot, but I have weird dry finger tops on which it's not very effective. But, out of all hand or nail treatments I have used so far, this one is the best.


Pro:
- smells awesome
- natural, contains A LOT of beeswax
- large pot
- very thick and creamy substance
- absorbs quite fast

Con:
- didn't help my dry finger tops like I wished it would

I'm sitting here behind my laptop, thinking about other negative stuff I could say about this product. But I really can't! I have read some other reviews, and it's probably not fixing my dry finger tops because it doesn't penetrate the skin enough? I don't know, but I'm always on the search for other remedies. Someone suggested almond or olive oil, so I'm going to try that. Anyway, I really recommend this product, I love it.

xo Michelle

Lush - Butterball ballistic

This is actually my first ballistic from Lush ever! I bought it at the Skincare VIP. I got this one because it's simple. No glitters or heavy colors, and the smell.. it's so creamy. It has simple ingredients, just cocoa butter and ylang ylang oil. It also contains some musk, the combination of the three is divine!

It contains little lumps of cocoa butter, which dissolve in warm water. You can actually see little bubbles of butter floating on the surface. Just stay in the tub for a little while, and it will leave your skin super soft. This is perfect when you don't feel like using a body lotion or butter.

Pro:
- cheap
- vegan
- moisturizing

Con:
- fizzed up within 3 minutes
- smaller size of ballistic

Would I buy it again? Definitely. I love how simple it is, but I'm also curious for the more 'exiting' ballistics, but no glitter, please! ;D

xo
Michelle

Lush Skincare VIP

Yesterday I went to my very first Lush VIP and it was loads of fun. I really didn't know what to expect because I read some mixed reviews about it. The girls were super sweet and they had plenty of food and drinks to offer. One of the girls basically did all the talking, but she was pretty clear and informed us about the products one by one. I can really recommend going to one of these VIPs. No one pressures you to buy anything! It's super nice to get to know their products and find out what works for you. There's a Christmas VIP coming up, which I already signed up for, ha! Another plus side is, when you spend a certain amount of money, you'll get a goodie bag. And it's mighty good!

What I bought:
- Enchanted eye cream
- Ultra Bland makeup remover
- Butterball bath ballistic



What's in the goodie bag:
- Colour supplement dark pink sample
- Colour supplement dark yellow sample
- Geo Phyzz bath ballistic
- Whoosh temple balm
- Heavenly Bodies butter cream (2x, haha)
- Summer Pudding soap



Samples I asked for:
- Gorgeous moisturizer / for all skintypes and a ridiculous high price, so let's see if it's worth it.
- Vanishing cream / because I still get some spots sometimes
- Aqua Marina cleanser / because I like the texture more than Angels on Bare Skin


I'm really happy with the free stuff (and what I bought of course), and I can't wait to try them all out! I seriously already got a ton of stuff to review, it's getting absurd.

Purr,
Michelle xo

Lush - Trichomania Solid Shampoo

I got this as a sample on my last visit at Lush. I didn't want to try it at first because I'm not a big fan of coconut and I'm in love with my current Tigi shampoo. But then I tried it anyway... and hated it.

What Lush says on the website:
Moisturize, condition and fragrance dry and processed hair with squeezed coconut. Use it all over for delectable, soft skin and hair. Perfect for very dry and afro curls. Trichomania is for hair that's lost its moisture and needs to be tamed, particularly curly hair. It smells like a tropical cocktail.


First of, the smell. Dry, it smells of regular coconut, nothing too special in my opinion. Wet, it smells of coconut but with another funky smell to it. It sort of reminded me of bacon, but I guess that's just me, haha. Then I applied it by massaging the bar in my wet hair. I kind of liked this part, it's something else from the regular shampoo. There was enough foam, but not like a regular shampoo. I washed it twice and rinsed it thoroughly. Then I tried to comb it. I have never, ever had so much trouble detangling my hair before! I think I spent a good 10 minutes before I could finally just comb it like I do normally. At this point I was seriously considering washing it again with my regular shampoo, but I decided to sit it through. Time to blow dry my hair. This didn't went as planned either. I couldn't use a brush because I couldn't get through my hair again. 10 minutes of detangling wasted! My hair felt super dry, as if there was still soap on it, but there really wasn't. I really rinsed it well. It also felt like rubber bands, so elastic! Once I got it dry, that's exactly what it was. Dry. And very, very dull. Luckily, that 'funky' smell wasn't there anymore, just a slight coconut scent. I made some pictures of how my hair looked. Left is Trichomania, as you can see it's very dull and it has absolutely no shine to it. Right is my usual shampoo from Tigi. Both pictures were taken in daylight with flash. Well, I think you can already tell why I was so disappointed ;).

pro:
- vegan
- smell before and after use is okay
- solid shampoo is a nice variation

con:
- dried out my hair and made it feel elastic
- weird smell when wet
- impossible to detangle hair or blow dry it properly

Conclusion:
I am never, ever buying this product. In fact, you won't be able to in the future because it's getting discontinued. It's supposed to be for dry hair, but it just made it worse in my case. It also made the rest of my skin (I used this in the tub) squeaky clean, which I don't like either. I think they should only hand out samples with a sample of the conditioner included, maybe that would've helped? I don't know. Sorry Lush, I can't love all of your products!


xo Michelle

Lush - Sugar Scrub

This is truly one of my favorite products from Lush. When I'm done with this one, I think I'm going to buy 20 of them, that's how much I love love looove it! Here's why.

I have some kerastosis pilaris on the back of my upper arms and legs. I really, really hate this, but there's nothing you can do about it. You can change how it looks, though. When I do nothing about it, the red spots get really dry, red and flaky. Not a pretty sight. However, exfoliating and hydrating the skin makes it look less aggressive. I have tried a billion scrubs and hydating crèmes, but never found something that really worked. And when I say I tried everything, I mean everything! Even expensive prescription soaps, lotions, ointments, ... You name it! Until I used this scrub. It makes my skin super soft and takes away a lot of the redness. My skin just looks way healthier and normal. With the right bodylotion or butter, you can hardly tell it's there.


This product mainly contains fennel, ginger, lavender oil and sugar. Lavender is probably responsible to counter the redness of my skin in some areas. The main goal of this scrub is to battle cellulite, and that's exactly why I bought it. I can't really tell the difference though, but I also wasn't expecting so. I don't believe in anti-cellulite products. However, fennel and ginger are known to stimulate blood circulation, and that's exactly what's needed to tackle cellulite! So I guess it must be helping a little bit? Anyway, it smells pretty good. Not the best scent ever, but it's fresh.


Another thing about it, is its structure. It's a hard ball of sugar basically, which makes it ideal to scrub with, in theory. However, I read some stories about it falling apart in the shower. To prevent this, I crumbled it up into little pieces (with a hammer, haha) and stored these in a Tupperware box in the bathroom. This way, I can use it 10 times more than when I use the entire ball to scrub. Thank you Makeupalley! (;

Pro:
- helps kerastosis pilaris
- ingredients stimulate blood circulation
- smells okay
- when broken into pieces, it lasts a long time
- price (5 euros)
- vegan

Con:
- rough scrub, better use this gently
- falls apart quickly when used in the shower

Obviously, I'm a big fan of this scrub, mainly for my skin condition. So if you suffer from it too, try it! I'm not guaranteeing it'll work for you, but it's worth the shot.

Hope that helped!
Michelle xo

Shopping: Lush haul and some more!

I rarely go out on a big shopping trip where I spend a ridiculously amount of money in one day, but I do buy one or two items at a time. Stuff I recently bought:


A new haircolour! It's going to be the lightest I have been in a year, boyfriend's pick so I'll see how it turns out. I also really love those little earrings from H&M. They had bunnies too but I knew I wasn't going to wear them so I gave them away. And I looove my new bag!

Now, my new Lush purchases! I really wanted a new skincare routine since I found out Nivea tests on animals. It did always work pretty well for me, I have really sensitive skin, and it can get superdry sometimes, but I also have an oily T-zone. Tricky! What I bought:


1. Sugar scrub: 'Tough on cellulite, kind to skin.' - kind of obvious why I want to try this one out, haha. Not that I need it so badly, but the littlest dimple makes me shiver!
2. Baby face: 'Natural butter bar for effective cleansing.' - I already tried this one, I love it. I never knew my face could get so dirty.
3. Eau Roma Water: 'Gentle rose water for dry skin' - I don't like the smell of roses, but it's bearable. Just a toner, I don't really know what to expect to be honest. It contains lavender, so it must be good?
4. Lemony Flutter: 'Cuticle butter' - Mmm, the smell of this product is so gooood. Let's hope it helps my extremely dry cuticles.
5. Angels on bare skin: 'Angelic and medieval recipe for the skin.' - Some sort of a cleanser, it's like a clay. This smells quite nice, you can even see bits of lavender in it. Got high hopes for this one!
6. Imperialis: 'Imperial and majestic moisturiser for oily skin.' - I'm confused, on the UK site it says it's for oily skin, while on the Dutch one it says it's for combination. Hm, we'll see I guess. This also contains lavender.

Samples:
- Miranda: Soap with kiwi and juniper berry oil. I seriously want to eat this soap, that's how sweet it smells. Nomnomnom.
- Trichomania: Solid shampoo bar. 'Coconut softener for dry hair.' - Smell alright, I'm not a big fan of coconut actually. I still don't know if I'm going to try this one out, I'm a die-hard Tigi-fan.

I'm quite happy with what I got. You can expect some reviews about this stuff pretty soon!

xo Michelle

Random: summer favorites

I thought it would be fun to share my summer favorites. Summer in Belgium is always weird. Some days are hot (30°C and up), others are rainy and muggy. Don't hate me for this, but I really don't like summer. I'm a winter type, I love cold snowy nights in bed watching one movie after the other. Anyway, these are the products I loved (and am still loving) during summer:



- m.a.c. eyeshadow quad with mylar, satin taupe, corduroy and shadowy lady
- Sephora blush me! blush in peche tendre
- Urban Decay's Big Fatty Mascara
- Lush None of your beeswax lipbalm
- Catrice Clay-ton My Hero nailpolish
- m.a.c. fluidline in black track
- m.a.c. 266 brush
- Pierre Cardin All over high-light cream

xo Michelle

Lush - Love Lettuce

On my last visit at Lush, I got a sample of 'love lettuce' fresh face mask. There was quite a big amount of product in the sample, so I got to use it twice. Since I could choose which sample I wanted, I asked for something to neutralize my oily t-zone.

On the lush website:
Balancing face mask for normal to oily skin. Love Lettuce is a mask which gives as it takes away. On the taking away side you've got Fuller's earth and kaolin which are clays to dig deep and extract dirt. Then you have ground almonds and almond shells which you massage in to exfoliate away old skin cells and smooth your skin. On the giving side you have a decoction of agar agar seaweed with lots of lovely minerals to be absorbed into your skin, plus moisturising almond oil and balancing lavender to control oils. All fair in love and lettuce.

I really liked using this mask. It felt really fresh on my skin and it wasn't like one of those masks that get really hard after a while. It also didn't smell bad, just a bit like clay and seaweed. You could also really see the seaweed in it. I like this because then you know it's a real fresh product. Because of the almonds, my skin got a good scrub too. After using it, some sort of a film had formed on my skin, which felt oily, but after 10 minutes my skin was super soft! So, did it neutralize my skin? Yes. My oily t-zone wasn't oily anymore, and the rest of my face (where my skin is dry) was hydrated.
Would i buy it? For €10,75, maybe. You get about 3 masks out of a jar, but i bet i can pull 4 out of it. I'm more interested in trying their moisturizers and cleansers first.

Shopping: Antwerp

I got a new cameraaa! Nothing fancy, just something that zooms in close enough.
I took my boyfriend to antwerp yesterday. I picked up a few things for me and a friend of me. First stop was Lush. I got me the 'none of your beeswax' lipbalm (YAY!) and i must say, this stuff is so awesome. It stays on for hours and it has a very sweet scent, citrus with a hint of vanilla. Plus, it is all vegan. The ladies at lush were very helpful (as always) and they even gave me a free face mask, called 'love lettuce'. I'm trying it later on this evening.

I also stopped at mac because i wanted one of those 4 e/s quads. I got mylar (satin), satin taupe (frost), corduroy (matte) and shadowy lady (matte). I think this is a great basic palette, i use the corduroy for filling in my eyebrows as well. I spotted some other colors i really want, so i'm going back in a few weeks. I also bought the brush cleanser for a friend (and got it too) and the mac pro chromaline in black black. She wanted the blacktrack fluidline because i have it (and love it), but the girl at mac told me chromaline has a lot more product for about the same price. I paid about 15 euros for the fluidline, and the chromaline was 18, and you get about 2g more so i'm sort of jealous now, haha.



My boyfriend got me this supercute cupcake book! We made the banana-honey ones today, and they were delish! I'm making vanilla-white chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese and strawberries on sunday, mmm.


Have a nice weekend, everyone! xo