August Yays & Nays

I've really been enjoying the extra free time from not blogging regularly but empties posts are one of my fave to read and watch on YouTube and I've always enjoyed talking about the products that I've loved or not so much.

First, the Nays or Meh! products:

Macadamia Weightless Moisture shampoo

It says it's supposed to give texture to baby fine hair (such as mine) and lift, bodily and volumize it. Well, I can't truly say it doesn't exactly do that, the downside is that it makes my hair greasy a lot faster and that's definitely not what I'm going for as I already have very oily hair as it is.

Yves Rocher Protectyl Végétal after sun lotion

Although I loved it last summer my skin's not as dry as it was back then so I haven't enjoyed the texture as much as I used to.

Alterna Bamboo Color Hold hair conditioner

I enjoyed the shampoo from this range but the conditioner would leave my hair feeling very coarse and frizzy so I ended up using it as a shaving cream.

Refan deodorant

I 'd never heard of this brand before. It doesn't contain aluminum and it has a nice manly scent which I enjoyed very much. It's the first non aluminum deodorant that I've been able to use consistently without falling back to the anti-perspirant ones. It worked great in the winter time but during the warmer months I had to switch to another brand that didn't make me sweat as much as this one did. 

As for my Yays, most of them are my ride or die products:

The Body Shop Grapefruit shower gel

I've been switching between this scent and the Satsuma for a while now and I've never looked back. I also enjoy the Orangeasm by Soap & Glory but it's harder to get here in Spain.

Garnier PureActive Fruit Energy gel cleanser

This is my third? bottle already, it's very affordable and does a great job of removing leftover make up. I love using citrus scented products when I'm showering in the morning, they really help in waking me up.

Garnier Delial Golden Protect SPF 30

I've been in love with this formula for as long as I've been blogging but sadly it's time to say goodbye as it has been discontinued, whyyyyy???

EX1 Invisiwear liquid foundation

I've been switching foundations looking for the best formula and when I recently went back to this one, I fell in love. It's weird as I didn't enjoy it that much the first time around but compared to the L'Óreal Infallible Pro Mat or the Forever by Dior it lasts a lot longer and looks more flawless on my super oily skin.

July Yays & Nays

I think I'm the only person rooting for the summer to end. Don't get me wrong, I love the heat, going to the beach and the longer days. What I can't stand are the crowds of tourists taking my parking space, filling up the beaches and walking around town in their swimwear, yuk!

For my monthly empties I have a few Yays to share with you:

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil: I only used this to take off my eye make up as it easily dissolves mascara and liner. It's pretty gentle unless you leave it on for too long, then it starts to sting the eyes. 

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Sorbet: I love the scent and the refreshing gel type formula but I feel like it doesn't hydrate as much as a regular lotion.

Soap & Glory Hand Food: It's my forth tube already, I like that it dries fairly quick despite the thick consistency. I tend to go for fresh scents but this one's just the right amount of sweet.

Bióre UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50: My go to daily sunscreen. It's extremely lightweight and doesn't make me any oilier unlike European SPF brands.

Douglas nail polish removal pen: It's very helpful in getting rid of unwanted nail polish that has somehow transferred to the skin.

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging eye cream: It's very creamy and hydrating but feels lightweight at the same time. I haven't had any issue with any brand concealer creasing on me when I'm wearing this underneath so it's definitely something that I'm going to repurchase in the future.

The Body Shop Vitamin C serum: I love the silicone consistency, one pump is enough and sometimes I feel like my oily skin doesn't need a moisturizer on top. I'm already going through my 4th bottle.

As for my Nays, I don't have any this month. The two products above are more like Meh! 

Lancôme Bi-Facil Instant Cleanser: This came in my Glamour Beauty Festival goodie bag otherwise I wouldn't have purchased it. I don't usually like these kind of two-phased cleansers. They work ok but I don't like how sticky the skin feels afterwards.

Hema Quick Dry Top Coat: I use more affordable top coats on my toes as the polish last me for ages. I can't get in Spain, though so I'll have to ask my Dutch friend Myrthe to bring me some next time she comes this way. Last time she brought me this nail strengthener so I suppose I do have a big Nay after all: never going to use that ever again!

Sorry my post didn't go up on Monday as usual but: no Wifi, you know #firstworldproblems. Although, does Spain even categorize as a first world country? You got me! Just kidding, not kidding.

My Summer Home Scent: Zara Home Candle in Nordic Leather

The Nordic Leather line by Zara Home has been a recent and very pleasant discovery of mine. During the winter sales I picked up 3 candles of their new released scents and this one became my absolute favourite at the very first whiff as I love the smell of incense.

When the summer sales kicked off I immediately went online and ordered a few more candles as back up and a diffuser. Both the large and medium sized candles burn up to 80 hours and the 100ml diffuser will last you for a month. 

On their website the scent is described as follows:

"Dreams of incredible journeys through mysterious lands. Vibrant spicy notes are followed by mystical notes of incense intermingled with leather. A sensual base of amber blended with the creaminess of sandalwood."

I also love the pretty packaging, unfortunately they have just updated it to a basic white and grey. Hopefully they haven't changed the scent as well. I like this one much more than any of the Yankee Candle I've had before plus they are very affordable when purchased in the sales.

They've also come out with a hand wash and lotion. I'm so going to try those.

Have you tried any Zara Home candles?

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Charlotte Tilbury on Offer

If I'd known about this awesome offer I would have waited a few months to get the Filmstar Bronze & Glow set. I've used it every day since as it it gives the perfect amount of both bronze and glow as the name suggests. 

Which product would YOU choose? Be quick before they run out!

* this is NOT a sponsored post, NO affiliate links have been used

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Skincare: Citrus Haul

Taking advantage of the sales I decided to stock up on some summer favourites:

The Body Shop was having a 25% off sale. I ordered the body lotions in Pink Grapefruit and Satsuma, the Vitamin C serum that I'm running low on (this is my 4th bottle) and a new item to try out: the Vitamin C energising face mist. As soon as I get home from work I take my make up off but don't apply any kind of product on my face afterwards as I have extremely oily skin so I thought this would give a boost to my skin whilst being lightweight and refreshing during these hotter months.

From Kiehl's I was receiving regularly newsletters but never any discount so I jumped at the chance to order this Vitamin C serum at 45€ instead of 57€: the Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate. I had read some reviews on Vitamin C products and lots of people were mentioning that the one by The Body Shop is plain silicone and doesn't contain a great deal of Vitamin C  and therefore not being that great. I particularly enjoy the silicony texture as it feels like a primer and it leaves my skin feeling silky soft but if that's only an illusion I wanted to compare the two products side by side. I'll let you know my findings once I put it to the test.

Having mature skin means that I'm always looking for anti-aging, firming, brightening and, in this case, antioxidant properties in my skincare products. This article by Paula's Choice is great in explaining the great benefits of Vitamin C to your skin. 

Trind Nail Revive Natural

My nails have been extremely brittle for the longest time. Not that unusual to me but this time I haven't been able to grow my nails since last November. I'm wearing them super short and every Sunday, when I'm supposed to care for them, I find that I either need trim them or file all the growth off as some of them have started to split.

From YouTuber, Pinky Polish I heard about this Dutch brand that specializes in nail care and she said that their products worked wonders: Trind Cosmetics.

When my dear friend Myrthe told me she was coming to Spain I jumped at the chance and texted her to bring me a bottle. She got this from Etos, I think for 14€ a bit up there in price so I had high hopes for this product.

The instructions read as follow:

For beautiful strong nails apply daily for at least four weeks directly to the nails. Before re-applying remove the former coat with the TRIND Nail Polish Remover.

You can now continue to use Trind Nail Revive as often as you like but apply at least one coat weekly to keep the nails strong. Shake well before use. After use, clean off the rim of the bottle.

Tomorrow it will be 4 weeks and I've only failed one day in re-applying the polish (I was too tired yesterday and I couldn't be bothered).

My nails are as brittle as when I started this treatment so I would say this hasn't worked out for me. I have to confess that I've used a regular nail polish remover but I don't think it would have made a huge difference to use the one from the brand.

What I have noticed, though, is that my nails are in much better condition whenever I'm taking supplements, like collagen or biotin tablets. I suppose it's time to start taking those again.

June Yays & Nays

I feel like I've gone through a great deal of products this month. I won't include all the different samples that I've taken with me on my recent holiday and comment only on the big guns.

For my nays I've included some rather meh! products:

Biotherm Biosource clarifying exfoliating gel: it's gentle enough to be used on a daily basis but I kept it to 2-3 times a week. I'm done with physical exfoliators as I've been sold on using chemical ones that can't damage your skin as the exfoliating particles can be somewhat uneven at times. 

Katari regenerating anti aging cream with olive oil and hyaluronic acid: it was too rich a formula for my oily skin, even though I used it only at night time.

Hawaiian Tropic sun lotion SPF15: very comfortable on the skin (it dries completely without leaving any sticky residue) and nice smelling but it's too low a protection factor to be using nowadays.

All of these I would repurchase, some of them I already have:

The Body Shop pink grapefruit body sorbet: it's a refreshing gel like formula that smells amazing, perfect for the warmer months. I've been switching between this scent and the Satsuma one.

Alterna Bamboo Color Hold + shampoo: for it being free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and sodium chloride it foams up pretty well. I hate using a sulfate free shampoo and needing to use a whole bottle to be able to feel like I've really cleansed my hair.

Le Petit Marsellais Orange Blossom shower gel: it smells amazing, fruity with a touch of floral. The perfect combination to make help you relax at the end of the day.

Cutex nail polish remover: I tried a cheaper brand to see if it could compare to this one but nothing beats this oldie.

Simply Supplements Multivitamins: I like taking them from time to time as a pick me up, especially during the spring when I'm feeling more tired than usual.

Garnier Delial Golden Protect SPF30: I've raved so much about this but it's time to wake up and face the facts. It's been discontinued so I need to say goodbye to this gorgeous lotion that made my skin glow under the sun. I have one last bottle that I'm going to stretch out as long as I possibly can.

Roc Anti Cellulite lotion: it's been a staple product since I found a website that sells them for a fraction of the price. It helps in making my skin look more firm although it hasn't been able to get rid of all the cellulite I've been accumulating on my thighs for years.

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Adambeauty: Japanese SPF Haul

I never imagined Tokyo could be such a beauty heaven when we first decided to go there for our 10th wedding anniversary. I wasn't even a beauty blogger back then but I think I was born with a love for skincare. I remember being 8 years old and using a cheap hand cream on my face as a moisturizer. In my teens I was addicted to ordering from Yves Rocher, that was way before the age of the internet and I had to place my order by post. 

Many years later, thanks to YouTube, I finally developed a taste for make up and started using it on a daily basis. That meant getting up earlier and that was a huge commitment for me. I'm such a bed person, even now I'm writing this post from the comfort of my adjustable bed and thinking of the nap I'm going to take once I hit the publish button.

Wearing a non-greasy SPF underneath my make up all year round is 110% needed when you live in Spanish-California aka Alicante Region. But being an oily gal as I am you have to be careful of what product you use as your make up could end up melting off in no time. 

I've tried many, many, many European SPF brands and none have worked out for me. My travel to Tokyo changed all that and I'm happy to share this with y'all. As I was so obsessed with finding the right sunscreen for my face I purchased a few different brands to try out. One of them was in loose powder format, very convenient for touch ups without disrupting your make up.

The only downside is that Japanese SPF are reformulated and repackaged every year so if you fall in love with one particular formula you may be unable to get it the following year. Ratzilla has an awesome blog in which she puts everything to the test and publishes the results with her best SPF formulas as soon as the new products come out. 

This year, I chose the 2 most affordable options, although I went for the Sunkiller perfect water essence instead of the perfect strong moisture that she featured in that post. I went for this version because it's alcohol free and, while my skin's not sensitive to alcohol I wanted to try this out to recommend to other people who like to stay far away from this ingredient. 

I'm not sure why I included a picture of the ingredients on the back because I'm not able to read them and I don't suppose any of my few readers can either but, whatevs.

The products came by ordinary post inside an envelope and wrapped up in bubble wrap. It took less than 2 weeks to be delivered from the other side of the world and the shipping is their best feature: only 2$ (U.S.). Of course you don't get tracking but I've ordered from them a few times in the past and I've never encountered any trouble.

I paid a total of 28.50$ including shipping. The Isehan Sunkiller is 50gr and a bit thicker in consistency although it blends out like a gel and the Bioré UV is 90ml and has a very runny consistency. They both have a citric smell to them and they dry on the skin almost immediately leaving it silky soft.

The only reason I haven't shopped at Adambeauty more often is that they only had PayPal available as a payment method. I've had many problems with PayPal in the past and was reluctant to take the chance of getting my payment details hacked again but I found out that you can actually pay by card without signing in to PayPal, yay!

What's your favourite SPF? Does it work well under make up?

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Cleansing Make Up Brushes with Brushegg

Sunday is brush cleansing day. Make up brushes get cleansed every sunday and hair brushes every month. I started out using olive oil and dish washer but since then I've moved on to Lush Shampoo bars. I came upon the idea when using the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser. It's a smaller version of the Lush shampoo bars so I thought I could try the shampoo as a brush cleanser and see if it would give the same results. But it didn't, it worked even better.

I used to swirl my soapy brushes on the palm of my hand until all the built up make up came out but now I have the help of this tiny rubber gadget.

The textured surface helps out to get your brushes cleansed in no time. It's a real small and cheaper version of the Sigma Spa Brush Cleansing Glove or the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette.

I found it on Amazon and ordered a few of them to give to my friends as it was only 1,56€.

I highly recommend the Brushegg if you where thinking of getting it's grown-up version but you don't want to spend that much. You can see it in action in this video by Kathleen Fuentes:

How often do you clean your make up brushes?

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May Yays & Nays

This month I decided to go through my lip products and toss out the ones that I don't reach for often to make place for new ones, of course.

Colab dry shampoo in New York. I think I already mentioned this product in a previous empties post. I don't like it as much as the one by Batiste. It's less gritty and it barely leaves a white cast but it doesn't absorb much oil.

L'Óreal Glam Shine balmy gloss in 913 Dare The Dragon Fruit is a gorgeous bright pink shade but it has some tiny sparkling particles and I'm all for a matte and long-lasting lip formula nowadays.

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Crayons by Soap & Glory. I got these in a holiday set at Boots and I've worn them quite a lot last summer but they aren't too long wearing so, bye bye.

I was trying to find some pinky and peachy nudes to include in my collection but the two I ordered online wash me out completely and don't suit me at all: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 38 Rosetto and Maybelline Color Sensational in 832 Kiss Pearl.

Smoky Extravagant mascara by Make Up Forever. This came in a Sephora Favourites mascara set. I'm trying them all out but I haven't found any that compares to my beloved Lights, Camera, Lashes! by Tarte. This one had too fat a wand so it made for a difficult application, it actually got better with time but it only added some definition, nothing life changing.

As for my yays I have some mixed feelings but I didn't include them in my nays as I ended up liking them more or less.

Dr. Organic Snail Gel. This has an overpowering baby cologne scent, very fresh and very zesty. I'm not overly concerned with perfume but this was a tad too much. The texture is light weight, nice for us oily girls out there but it left kind of a sticky residue so I ended up using it only on the weekends that I stayed in.

Fekkai Lifting and Texturizing Spray Gel. At first I couldn't notice any difference in my hair when using this until I stopped. It really lifts the roots and gives some volume, don't spray too much, though as it can have the opposite effect.

Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream. This came in a Cult Beauty goody bag from Spring 2015, if I remember correctly. It smells like marzipan, which I hate (the marzipan, not the smell) and is a very creamy and rich formula, maybe a tad too much for my oily skin. 

Roc Anti-Cellulite Micro Active. I'm already on my forth tube, I found a website that sells them for a fraction of the price. I enjoy the texture and how it allows to massage it into the skin for a few minutes but doesn't leave a sticky residue once it fully absorbs. My skin looks firmer and it has noticeably reduced my cellulite bumps, let's see if I can get rid of the rest.

Foundations: High End vs High Street

What's the deal with some high end foundations having such a strong scent? Not that I mind it, just wondering. I'm not particularly sensitive to scents, although there are a few that I just can't bear. Oddly, lavender is one of them, but for the most part I don't mind using scented beauty products and I love going to Lush and have a whiff around.

Of course there are certain type of scents that I like more than others but if a product smells too parfumey it sort of feels cheep to me, if you know what I mean. 

Aside from my beloved Dior Airflash foundation I've been pretty much using drugstore foundations so it just struck me that the two high end foundations that I purchased recently should have such a strong smell.

Scent aside, they both are beautiful foundations for oily skin. They have a medium coverage and are quite long lasting. As the weather's still mild I can even forgo setting my foundation with some powder and that's pretty awesome as I'm usually such an oily mess.

For my winter tone I prefer to go a lighter shade and use a bit of bronzer on the perimeter of the face and for the summer I need to go a few shades darker as my body gets tan so much faster than my face.

The Clarins Ever Matte foundation goes on beautifully with this Shiseido brush that I got when I was in Tokyo a few years ago. To be honest, I only got it because it was just 10€ but I never got round using it because it's tiny compared to my Coastal Scents flat top brush. For some reason I've been really enjoying application with this more dense brush as it buffs the foundation into the skin so smoothly and seemlessly that I haven't even been reaching for my Beauty Blender lately.

After hearing/reading a lot about the Diorskin Forever foundation I decided to give it a try. Of course I waited for a discount and was able to get it for 40€ instead of 50€. I've been only using it for a few days so I'm still not sure how it applies best, with a brush or with the BB. For primer I'm trying Instablur by The Body Shop, which I didn't like using with the Clarins foundation, but I'm still on the fence.

What are your preferences, high end or drugstore?

Drugstore Concealers

Despite having many "flaws", under eye circles, darkness or bags are not included in the list. I'm very lucky in that department so I could totally skip using concealer. I also almost never have any blemishes to cover up, my skin has always been pretty forgiving. I only have to deal with certain hyper pigmentation due to some sun damage from when I was young and careless but I'm not overly worried about them peaking through my foundation.

With everyone in the beauty world being obsessed with the highlighting trend and wanting to be the next Kardashian I was finally drawn in and went on the hunt to finding the best under eye brightening concealer.

First on my list was the hyped about Instant Age Rewind by Maybelline. Many people don't like the sponge like applicator it comes with as they feel its most unhygienic but I particularly love it. It helps blend the product better than fingers or a brush. You could use a dampened Beauty Blender but I felt like it absorbs some of the product and makes for a more sheer application. Although I wouldn't repurchase it as it didn't work out for me (I couldn't tell any difference when using it), I recently recommended it to a friend and she absolutely loves it. 

On one of my visits to London I went into Boots with the idea to get the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer everybody keeps raving about but I couldn't find it so I settled for this Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer by Collection, instead. Now that I've been able to compare the two of them, I'm absolutely sticking to this one. It's more brightening, it may not cover up darkness like the Lasting Perfection but it wears beautifully during the day and does't crease or look cakey.

A friend of mine was able to find the Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer for me when she was in the UK last year. It has great coverage and blends easily but on me it emphasizes fine lines that I can't otherwise see and it tends to look a bit cakey after a few hours' wear.

The Wake Me Up by Rimmel is my favourite of the bunch. It isn't as brightening as the Illuminating Touch but it wears beautifully, it feels so light and imperceptible that it looks like your own skin but with photoshop.

Last to arrive to my collection is the Fit Me by Maybelline. I'd tried the foundation a long time ago but it ended up being too greasy for my oily skin so I avoided getting anything else from the range. After hearing so many YouTube beauty gurus talking about how good this was I finally decided to give it a go. First time I used it I liked it better than the Wake Me Up but I haven't used it for long so I'm still undecided. It's slightly pink toned so that it helps create more brightness but I'm more used to yellow tone concealers so I need to test it out a bit more.

As for the prices, the Collection concealers are the most affordable, then comes Wake Me Up, next Fit Me and last the Age Rewind, although they are all under 10€.

Have you tried any of these? Share your thoughts, don't be shy!

April Yays & Nays

There's nothing more satisfying than to use up a beauty product that you've enjoyed using, isn't there? This month's empties have been very prolific, so let's dive right in!

Two of these have really changed my game: the NYX micro brow pencil in taupe has taken the place of my Integrate brow pencil as it can mimic the brow hairs when you apply it in feathery strokes; and the Sephora smoothing primer, I can really tell the difference when using it, it makes my foundation look flawless for longer, it helps control shine and my pores are visibly reduced.

Of course I have to mention the Satsuma body butter and the Vitamin C serum by The Body Shop, they are staple products in my skincare routine and I've been repurchasing them for a long time now.

The Katari body lotion I mentioned in an earlier post and I have to update you on this because I ended up loving it. It's so lightweight but intensely moisturizing that I felt my skin was very happy whenever I used it.

I slightly burned my shoulders recently. I totally forgot to put some sunscreen on them as I wasn't going to the beach and I'm still not used to wearing sleeveless tops. My go to high duty after sun is the Balsoderm spray intensive. It really calms down the burning sensation and helps rehydrate and lessen the damaged skin.

And last but not least the Soap & Co. nail buffer that I've had for ages and was looking worse for wear. I mentioned in my Primark haul that I'd purchased a set of two so I could finally throw this one out. 

As for my Nays or Nahs I have to be a bit more specific. They aren't bad products per se I just didn't use some of them for what they were intended to. For example, the affordable Deliplus make up wipes I use them to clean off make up swatches and the Laura Mercier eye cream I ended up using as an overnight lip balm.

The Katari 90 shower gel doesn't foam up and that's a must for me. I don't like using bar soaps for the same reason. I just don't feel like they cleanse my skin properly.

I had this travel size Clarins Daily Energizer Cream lying around in my drawers and I decided to use it up before it went bad. It's just a regular moisturizer, nothing to comment on this.

My only negative review goes to the Benefit That Gal brightening face primer. I don't know what it is with Benefit's primers that they don't work out for me at all. And yes, I'm looking at you:  Porefessional! 

Sephora & Primark Haul

The perfect chance to go shopping is when you're in a faraway town you hardly ever visit. The hubby had to go for some tests to a hospital far away from home. As he's such a cry baby with anything medical I decided to take a day off from work and go with him for moral support. I brought my eReader with me in case it would take up all morning but within 15 minutes we were out the door. 

Nearby there was a huge department store and, you know me, well you don't but you can imagine, can't you? We went there to have a browse and I stumbled upon a Sephora counter and I couldn't not stop and peruse through all the products. I decided on a whim to get the Kat von D Everlasting liquid lipstick in Lolita after hearing 300 zillion people rave about it, and now I know why. It's the most gorgeous and complimenting shade ever! 

I also picked up a midi size Make Up Forever Step 1 Smoothing Primer to test out as I've been quite disappointed in the Instablur primer by The Body Shop.

Total expenditure: 37.50€

Kat von D lipstick = 20€

MUFE primer = 17.50€

On the way home we stopped at a Primark store and hauled a few things. I was in need of some new bras so that's what I went in for even though you know deep down that you'll never succeed in getting to the till with just that. You always end up throwing random things into your basket while thinking "it's such a bargain!" or "I really do need this!".

So I ended up getting a velvet sleeping mask, a glitter phone case and some nail buffers. The PEZ dispenser shaped like Darth Vader and the Chalkboard magnet are gifts from the hubby because he's also unable to stick to his list.

As for the bras, I got a cute summery bralette to wear under my tank tops, some comfy padded ones and one with no padding. 

This summery dress is perfect to wear to the beach. It's very airy and comfortable but cute and girly at the same time.

The hubby bought me this tank top because he liked the message: Less is the new more. It looks great with my denim shorts. Sorry it's a bit wrinkled, I just washed it.

Having bought my first black trainers ever, I needed some socks to go with them as all my other sport socks are white.

Rose gold fairy lights, anyone? Enough said.

The hubby picked up this chalkboard for the entryway so we can hang our keys and leave cute messages, such as: Take out the garbage, you lazy bum!

At the till I grabbed this set of velvet hangers. My thought process was as follows: if I change all my bulky hangers for these slimmer ones I could fit more clothes in my closet and that means that I can go shopping for clothes!

What do think of my reasoning? On point or not? What do you like shopping for?

Cleansing Devices: Clarisonic, DermaNew or Foreo Luna?

Although I never got around to purchasing a Clarisonic device and I can't say how it compares to what I've been using instead, I wanted to share this post with y'all.

A few years ago I decided to get the Dermanew Microdermabrasion system as it was far cheaper than the Clarisonic and it seemed to work quite similar. The bristles don't rotate, they only vibrate but I preferred using the other head it comes with, a sponge type one, in conjunction with the microdermabrasion cream, in order to get a deep exfoliation once a week.

Not long ago I came across a blog post, sorry I forget who it was by, in which the blogger mentioned that granulated exfoliators weren't that good for the skin. What she had to say about the matter was that the tiny exfoliating particles could be uneven and cause microscopic damage to the skin. So, not noticeable immediately but on the long run your skin could suffer without you knowing what had caused it. She recommended using chemical exfoliators and mentioned a few products. Of course it could be that the post was sponsored but what she said sounded very reasonable and it stuck in the back of my mind. I went for the cheapest option also because I wanted to try something from this brand that I kept hearing about. I got the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. Unfortunately, I can't say much about them yet as I'm trying to use up my other exfoliators first.

On Black Friday last year I finally decided to get the Foreo Luna mini as I thought that the silicone protrusions would be more gentle on the skin than the plastic bristles on my Dermanew. I got a very good deal as it was already on sale and on top of the reduced price I got 25% off so I only had to pay 88.42€, yay for me! 

I've been using it regularly ever since, usually in conjunction with my favourite gel cleanser: the PureActive Fruit Energy energizing and purifying gel by Garnier. I am also using it once or twice a week with any type of exfoliating product, such as my Dermanew Facial Rejuvenation Formula. 

The device is very easy to use: it has a button down at the center to switch it on and off. It will start to vibrate and will give a set of pulsations every 15 seconds to indicate that you need to change your cleansing zone (chin, nose, cheeks and forehead). After you're done with your whole face, the device will give you a final more insistent pulsation to tell you that you need to switch it off because the cleansing routine has ended or you could go on in case you'd like to continue, it's up to you.

I don't feel the need to use this every single day but I could as it's very gentle, although I don't need to be careful as my skin's quite bulletproof. Whenever I use it my skin feels silky soft and smooth, even for a few days after its use. It's small and therefore more travel friendly than the regular size, plus it's cheaper. It's very easy to clean and it dries down quickly to avoid any bacteria from building up. It's 100% waterproof so you can use it and store it in the shower, like I do. The batteries are rechargeable and will last you for up to 300 uses. The only downside for it lasting so long is that I've forgotten where I put the charging cable :(

What do you think? Do you regularly exfoliate your skin? Do you think it makes a difference?

Don't be shy and comment below or send me a tweet to @13byeva.

Glamour Beauty Festival - Part 3

I wished I had planned my visit better because I had to catch my plane back to Spain and I was a bit in a rush. I had time to visit a few stands and got my hair and eye make up done but I feel like I could have done better. 

As I was waiting for the doors to open I saw Jim Chapman and Fleur de Force arrive to the Saatchi Gallery. I so wanted to talk to Jim but my shyness got the best of me and I remained seated and watched 2 other girls approached him to get a photo.

The doors were opened punctually at 10AM and those of us who had chosen to attend the first talk had to wait in line for a few minutes to enter the theatre were a discussion on Beauty x Social Media was hosted by Jim Chapman. YouTubers Estée Lalonde and Fleur de Force, and Glamour beauty director, Alexandra Steinherr where part of the panel.

After the talk I first had a look around before deciding which beauty stand to visit. I was so focused on taking pictures that I missed what was just in front of me: Estée Lalonde was talking to a small group of people at the Illamasqua stand. I would have loved to say hi and tell her how much I enjoy her videos.

I also missed on a pro cleanse at the Liz Earle stand but I'd a full face of make up on and we got a full size bottle of their Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser inside our goodie bag anyway.

My favourite stand was the Balance Me one. I had my skin scanned for a personalized diagnostic. They didn't tell me anything that I didn't know before hand but it was nice to get confirmation. 

Before going up to the second floor I had a glass of bubbly at the Chandon Bar. I even had an extra ticket that the winner of my last giveaway had given me when I handed over her prize.

At Lancôme I got to try out their new Juicy Shaker glosses and the make up artist fixed my mascara and added some blush. The gloss is supposed to be super hydrating but it didn't feel like it was. The pigmentation is very sheer and doesn't last so I left without purchasing any.

Before I left I had someone take a photo. My eye make up was done at the Illamasqua stand and my hair was up in a rose bun by Redken. Unfortunately, I had only brought warm jumpers and jeans with me expecting cold weather but it was unseasonably warm.

I very much enjoyed the experience and would love to come back next year. If you lost your chance and would like to go to a similar event have a look at the Vogue 100 Festival in association with Harrods. 

You may also like:
Part 1: Glamour Beauty Festival Goodie Bag
Part 2: Glamour Beauty Festival Haul