For fall 2012, Estee Lauder brings out two limited collections of nail polishes. The inspiration behind Beyond Black and Metal Mania is Paris by night. If you’re interested in how the shades came about, you can take a look at this clip. Apparently the purples are based on French pâtisserie. Out of the 10 limited edition shades, only the blurple Bête Noire will make it into the permanent line-up, and today I have the swatch/comparison for you!
I’ve never managed to do any monthly favorites features. It seems that the timing is never right! Nevertheless, I grasped the opportunity to test out some of my favorite products in Taipei, and before summer is over I proudly present Mostly Sunny Summer Favorites: Heat/Humidity-Resistant Makeup!
From left to right: Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer, Dior Hydra Life BB Cream, Cle de Peau Translucent Corrector, Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector
It’s that time of the year when this birdie flies south. In two weeks I’ll be boarding the plane for my holiday in Taipei! I am pretty sure this adorable Caudalie set is coming with me. It comes with 30ml of Cleansing Water, 10ml of Moisturizing Sorbet, 30ml of Fleur de Vigne Shower Gel, 30ml of Gentle Conditioning Shampoo, and 30ml of Nourishing Body Lotion. Some of these are old friends (you can see my review of the Moisturizing Sorbet here. It is still my current go-to night cream), and others are new. They come in a travel-friendly bag that has canvas parts to make it extra special. The best part? It retails for 10 euros! Especially if you’re traveling by plane and can’t have your full-size bottles with you, this set is an amazing deal. Even if you’re not traveling, it would be a good start to get to know more Caudalie products!
Also, with the 2-week countdown, I am going on the Oenobiol Intensive Sun treatment today. I will for sure report the results after my holiday!
Hey everyone!
Wheee it’s Friday! I hope trooping through this week wasn’t that tough, and that you’re looking forward to the weekend. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do at all! After the wedding last weekend, I really think I could chill out a bit this one!
I know that the weather has been largely unstable in Belgium, and it’s not the perfect weather to start talking about summer hair and sun protection. However, some of you are probably going on holiday somewhere sunny soon, so today we’re going to look at 5 products that will get you ready for summer!
Hey everyone!
I hope you’ve had a good Monday so far! Today I’m showing you some miscellaneous beauty-related pictures, so sit back and enjoy!
Le Petit Marseillais is hands down my favorite supermarket shower gel. It comes with a wide range of scents, never dries my skin out or leaves it slippery, and did I mention it’s paraben-free?
I do occasionally get tempted to splurge on an expensive shower gel, but most of the time I prefer to keep it budget-friendly. As long as it smells pleasant, doesn’t dry my skin out (and doesn’t leave it slippery either. That I can’t stand), and is preferably as natural as possible, we’re on. Le Petit Marseillais totally fits the bill. Oh and the funny thing? Dr. D likes it too, but he prefers green bottles just because he thinks they look more masculine. Boys…
Here is to hoping against hope.
As some of you might remember, I’ve been suffering from weak and peeling nails for quite some months now. Normally a 3-month-course of vitamin supplement helps, but this time it didn’t work. I was on the supplement from another brand, but now I am continuing with Oenobiol. Packed with B vitamins, it should strengthen nails and hair. I have to take two a day during a meal.
I ran out of base coat recently too, and I got Essie Grow Stronger Fortifying Treatment Base Coat. It claims to strengthen nails in 5 days. It might be the combination of continuous vitamin supplement and a strengthening base coat, but my nails are not peeling further. I’m waiting for the broken parts to grow out, but I think after months and months I’ll finally have decent nails again.
Essie Grow Stronger looks a tad pink in the bottle, but on the nails it’s MOSTLY clear. It might be a bit tinted, but it doesn’t change the color of the nails all that much. I try to keep this on even when I’m not wearing nail polish nowadays, just to have something to protect my nails a little. Here you can see a swatch picture of this.
I will review these two items in detail, but it might be a while. For the base coat, I want to wait till the peeling parts are gone to test and compare it with other base coats I have tried before. For the Oenobiol supplement, I want to at least wait till I’m done (I still have about 66 days left). Maybe even longer, if I want to see how long the effects last!
My name is Sunny and I am a mascaraholic. From left to right: Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume, MAC Zoom Waterfast Lash, L’Oreal Million Lashes, Max Factor False Lash Effect, and Chanel Intimitable.
Behold part of the mascara I still have to try out. It’s not ALL (there is one that has already been tested but not yet reviewed. Two are stuck at clearance, and I don’t know when they’re going to release the package. On top of that I might or might not have got a gift with purchase coming my way…)! I used to be very sober. I would find a mascara to stick to for three months (I actually have to throw it away after three months. Otherwise my eyes start itching), and if I got any samples in the meantime I might play with it too. Nothing THIS dramatic.
Before I knew it however, a trip to the supermarket, a cross-Atlantic swap, an online order or two later, this is what I ended up with. These will be tested out and reviewed in time. Do you have a preference for what you want to see first? I might be able to accommodate!
Oh, before I forget: for those of you who have tried Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara, it is coming out today (14th of May) in this special pink edition exclusively at Kruidvat for 9,99 euros! The offer lasts till the 26th of May. I am currently testing it out, and I must say I am really impressed! I will review it as soon as I can, hopefully by the end of this week so you’ll still have time to decide whether you want to grab a tube!
For those who are going on holiday, Rituals has launched some travel-size products to help you travel light! Besides the mini deodorant (2,90 euros), these retail for 4,90 euros a piece. I’m saying it will definitely last you quite a while as well! The shampoo and conditioner smell SO good. In fact, every time I take them out they become the ONLY thing I can smell! The body products are less overpowering, but still they smell gorgeous (like lotus)!
I basically have everything it takes to go on holiday, but so far I don’t have anything booked yet!
What is your favorite budget-friendly shower gel? Do you have a mascara stash that’s getting out of hand? Which mascara would you like to see me review next?
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx
Disclosure: Some of the products mentioned in this review are sent by the PR for my consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. I am in no way compensated for this review. I have always been, and will always be committed ONLY to my readers.
Bonus kitty photo:
Muffin waiting patiently by her daddy’s dining chair. Can kitty have a piece?
She does get a taste from time to time, and so far she’s very polite (when she loses patience she only puts her front paws on his lap. Nothing further). It’s hard to resist when she looks at you with such bright eyes!
MOSTLY SUNNY 