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beauty empties

Graveyard: January and February Empties 2015

28. February 2015

I tried to use up as much as possible, before I by new products in 2015, and for the first two months I did a good efford in also emptying my sample stash. Here are my product empties for January and February and a quick impression on each product. As usual, I didn’t include any sample sachets or masks.

Frizz Ease Shampoo & Conditioner for curly hair- Repurchase? Maybe.

I used and liked the fullsize of this in the past quite often (these are travelsized tubes), but atm I’m in love with my Shiseido Tsubaki Shampoo, that I don’t want to go back to any western brands :D Within the western drug store brands these are still my favourites.

Iope Super Vital VIP kit- Repurchase? No.

I used up the complete items of this kit and I’m really proud I did without changing to another line inbetween. You can find my review of this highly nourishing and moisturizing line >>here<<.

Secret Key Snow White Cream- Repurchase? Yes.

I loved using this. It gave a nice finish to the face and it smells great! The packaging is very pretty, too! Read my review >>here<<.

Mizon Multi Function Formula Snail Repair Eye Cream- Repurchase? Maybe.

I used this eyecream during daytime because I think it is not moisturizing enough to be used at nights. I like the size of this eyecream and the fact that it is really affordable and can be used up in a realistic period. I could imagine repurchasing it, but I would rather try other eye creams first :D Find my review >>here<< .

SXM I Value Body Amoule- Repurchase? No.

This was part of the MeMeBox Diet Box and I was really curious about this ampoule. You take some drops and put it to the desired regions of your body. I could feel the skin being somehow tightened while applying but it did not show any longterm effects for me.

Shiseido Benefiance NutriPerfect Day Cream- Repurchase? No…sigh

This creamy cream is rich in its consistency and hydrates skin nicely. It also contains SPF 15. I enjoyed trying out this tiny tube, but since it is an expensive brand I don’t think that I’ll be repurchasing.

Welcos Confume Argan Treatment Hair Ampoule- Repurchase? YES!

I’m in healthier-hair-heaven since I bought Confume Argan Oil and Confume Treatment Hair Ampoule! My hair has been frizzy and dry since forever, but these products are amazing! This is the first of 5 tiny bottles and I love it! This indeep hair treatment doesn’t need to be rinsed out. It is mixed by a bit water and turns milky and warmer….can be used on wet and dry hair…I will buy more definitively! and I’ll be doing a review for both the argan oil and the treatment soon!

Only you Green Tea Jasmin Moisturizing Body Lotion- Repurchase? No.

I think this was a gift and came together with a shower gel. The scent was really nice. The bodylotion took a bit longer to absorb, though.

Lancome La Vie Et Belle shower Gel- Repurchse? No.

This was a gift with an order. I like the scent, but other than that there is nothing special about this shower gel.

Kneipp Almond Blossom Oil- Repurchse? Yes.

I used up the fullsized bottle of this last year and I loved it and this tiny version is no exception. The scent is soooo nice and it makes the skin feel very soft.

L’Occitane Karite Handcream -Repurchase? I would love to.

This is a rich and nourishing hand cream with a nice scent. There is nothing negative to say about this and I would love to try more handcream from L’Occitane.

Kerasys Moringa Miracle Essence- Repurchase? Yes!

A very nice smelling and softening hair essence which I loved to use. It is not as super effective as the Confume Argan oil, but it is nice for everyday use without making your hair greasy!

Do you know any of these and did you try them yourself? What is your opinion on these products I showed above? I’d be happy about your comments ♥

4 Comments

asian cosmetics beauty review

Review: Etude House Missing U! Hand Cream Pink Dolphin

16. February 2015

Here is a quick review of the well-known Etude House Missing U! Hand Cream in Pink Dolphin. I received this item as part of a MeMeBox and I was very delighted to see this product at this time. In first place, the packaging was absolutely lovely and I wanted to try one of Etude House’s hand creams anyway.

Some words about Etude House to start with: Etude House is one of the best known Korean brands for cute packaging. If you are a lover of cute, girly and pink packaging, reminding you of being a child and the princess you always dreamt to be, THIS is your brand. Their packaging is usually so adoreable that you cannot keep yourself from impuls-buys – only because you saw the packaging…Also here, the packaging design looks lovely. The Etude House Missing U! Hand Creams are no regular tube hand creams, but they are packed in a container. There are four different types, each shaped like a specific animal. The hand cream I’m showing here is supposed to be a pink dolphin, although I thought it is a duck or something like this. The other animals available are a seal, a penguin and a panda. Each of them has another scent symbolized by a flower held by the animal. The Etude House Missing U! Pink Dolphin shows a rose shaped flower.

Apart from the container even the cardboard box is beautifully designed and displays an island and palms and ocean. The description is in Korean and English. The cardboard box is made from recycled paper and is printed with soy ink, too. The ingredients are mainly shea butter, herbal extracts and olive oil in order to provide moisture to your hands. The full ingredients list is also displayed on the cardboard box and you can have a look at it on Etude House Global site too. According to COSDNA the hand cream contains safe ingredients.

I really do like the container of the Etude House Missing U! Hand Cream, but I musst say that the volume of it, being only 30 ml is quite few compared to drugstore tube hand creams. The hand cream has a shelf life of 12 months after opening. On the bottom of the container you’ll find the production date of the cream.

Etude House Missing U! Hand Cream is a cream type hand cream. It has a light structure and feels watery upon application. The cream has a rose scent which is lovely.

Each of these Etude House Missing U! Hand Creams retail at 4.50 US$ on the official Etude House store. I personally think the price is quite expansive for a hand cream of this volume, but it is most likely a result of the cute container. Actually, after emptying this container you can still use it for either other creams or anything else you want…or just as decoration.

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advertorial beauty

How To Winterize Your Nails

27. January 2015

As you know, here in Germany we are in the midth of winter, which means we have a cold and mostly rainy weather here. You’ll feel such changes during the seasons also on your skin, as it feels drier than usual. And it is not only the skin, but also your hair and nails. Julep, a beauty company for cosmetics, nail color, and skincare, shared their nailcare tips with me and I wanted to share them with you and add some of my own tips on how to winterize your nails, since I really liked the idea of writing a post like this (

So, what are specific nail care advices in order to winterize your nails? First of all, you should not neglate your nails during winter, even if you wear gloves and closed shoes you should still think of your nails. Most important is, to regulary clip and shape your nails. I usually don’t have very long nails and in winter I prefer shorter nails anyways, because of wearing gloves for example. When I’m having long nails they tend to break easily, because they get stuck into the wool of the gloves sometimes. Another very important point is to remove the loose skin and cuticles, if you have any. You can prevent this by moisturizing your hands as often as possible and also using hand or finger masks on a regular basis. I reviewed a nail/finger maks some time ago, which I really liked for this purpose. You can check out my review on Etude House Help My Finger Nail Finger Pack here. Here is a list of some helpful tips on how to winterize your nails:

Recently, I discovered some Korean handcreams which I really like and love to use often in these colder days. Below you’ll see my two favourite hand creams, the Etude House Missing U hand cream, which comes in an adorable container and smells of roses, and the Shib Jang Ceng Chun Ji Heang hand cream, which was part of the MeMeBox Oriental Medicine. The latter contains ginseng extracts, shea butter and olive oil and feels really nourishing. If you feel your nails are still dry desprite using hand creams, I can recommend you to use nail oil. I bought one from a local drug store from the brand p2. It is called One Drop Fitness Oil and contains soy, sweet almond and sunflower oil for deep nourishment and hydration.

Even though it might be that we wear gloves I use nail polish from time to time. My best tip for you in cold seasons is to use a nail polish drier. It reduces the time of your nail polish to dry largely. I discovered the Etude House Help My Finger Quick Drop Drier some time ago and it belongs to my favourite items now.

Here are some color inspirations for your winterized nails. You can get these specific colors from Julep. I never tried their nail polishes, but I’ve read positive reviews about them. I really do like the colors Joanne and Shari, because they look like they go well with almost every style. In general, I think you never can go wrong with a classic red nail polish for every season of the year. In the image above I used Etude House Play nail polish in shade 52.

What are your winterizing nail care advices?

Just as a short reminder: This is an advertorial post for http://www.julep.com/. I wasn't paid for this post and I'm sharing my honest opinion throughout this post.

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asian cosmetics beauty KollectionK PR Sample review

Review: Etude House Help My Finger Part 2

14. November 2014

Yesterday, I introduced to you the Etude House Help My Finger Quick Drop Dry and today I’ll show you the second review from Etude House’s nail care line, the Etude House Help My Finger Nail Finger Pack. This is similar like a sheet mask, only it is designed for pampering your poor old nails and letting them recover from nail polish sessions :)

First of all, some words about Etude House: Etude House is one of the best known Korean brands for cute packaging. If you are a lover of cute, girly and pink packaging, reminding you of being a child and the princess you always dreamt to be, THIS is your brand. Their packaging is usually so adoreable that you cannot keep yourself from impuls-buys – only because you saw the packaging…Also here, the packaging design looks lovely, displaying a nail with a happy face probably relaxing while being pampered. Scalloped pink borders all around the cardboard box frame this to an even more cute packaging. :)

The nail packs come in a sachet divided into two parts, one containing the finger packs for the left hand, the other for the right hand. You can tear the packaging open easily by using the indicated arrows. The backside of the sachet contains detailled product descriptions in Korean and in English. You can find the ingredients listed >>here<<. Mostly, the ingredients are safe and green flagged according to COSDNA. There are some plant and fruit extracts for nourishment of the nails and also Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, which has whitening properties.

Below you’ll see the application on my hand. The first image shows my hand before I used the Etude House Help My Finger Nail Finger Pack. I just removed nail polish and my hand feels a bit dried up. In the second image you’ll see the tip of my fingers coated by the packs. It is like sheet mask socks on each of my fingers. These caps are covering half of my finger, so people with long fingers will also be able to use it. Also, as you can see, there is also space left in each cap for those with bigger hands (any male reader amongst us?!). In the last image you see my fingers after removing the caps (after around 15 minutes).

As you can see, the tips are soaked nicely with essence. The essence is a milky type and smells of fruity yoghurt, which I like personally. Also, the sachets contain a lot of excess essence, you can use it on other days, like a hand cream…if you press on the opened sachet parts it will stick together tightly and be even usable after some weeks (that’s what I discovered at least while tidying up my room ^_^’). The finger packs have a rough and a smooth side. The smooth side is for pampering you nail, the rough side for the other side of you finger. I didn’t know what function it has, except of trying to make your life easier in these 15 minutes while using you hands.

It takes a couple of seconds for the moisture to fully absorb, but your skin feels super soft afterwards. I must say it has a tiny sticky feeling to it though, but if you use it before going to bad it will hardly disturb you. It was a bit tricky to separate the single caps from each other when I took them out of the sachet. Especially the second hand is difficult, if you already hooded your other hand before. But nevertheless it was a nice experience and my nails were happy about the pampering time. Next I would love to try a full hand mask :) I received mine from KollectionK for 1.69US$. I think the price is very reasonable.

Just as a short reminder: All products mentioned and reviewed on this blog are of my personal opinions. This product here was sent to me for reviewing purpose by http://kollectionk.com/ which doesn’t influence me in providing my honest opinion on the products.

8 Comments

beauty review

Cold-days Favourites: Neutrogena Hand Cream and Smith’s Rosebud Salve

5. April 2013

Hey ♥

Winter doesn’t seem to end these days and the cold weather makes me and my body totally unhappy, dry skin all over :( Especially hands and lips (also the whole face) seem to suffer a lot. Nevertheless, I figured out a good “winter-combo” for my handbag, which is my constant friend in these times. This combo is made by Neutrogena Hand Cream and a jar of my beloved Smith’s Rosebud Salve.

Neutrogena’s Hand Cream is a concentrated cream based on glycerin, hence it has not a creamy consistency. It is concentrated, that means little goes a long way, and it has a soapy clean smell. There is also a perfume-free version of this cream, which I gave to my boyfriend, because he started to complain about dry hands, too. This might be an alternative for scent-sensitive people. The main ingredient is glycerin, which is supposed to permeate through several layers of the epidermis and prevent the loss of moisture through it. A 50 ml tube costs around US$5 and it lasts for ages…

Here is the description from Neutrogena’s US web page, the German web page gives more information, though:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Neutrogena® Hand Cream delivers effective relief for dry, chapped hands.This clinically proven, highly concentrated formula rapidly heals dry hands. It noticeably improves the look and feel of your skin.Hands feel soft and smooth after just one application.

Long-lasting
Glycerin-rich
Concentrated
Available in Original and Fragrance-free

Ingredients:

Aqua, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Sodium Sulfate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Perfume

The second product I want to share with you is Smith’s Rosebud Salve, a classic for most people, and I also really love it!♥ The one I own is the classic Rosebud Salve with it’s wonderful rose smell. It consists of a petrolatum base and has thus a similar effect to the Neutrogena hand cream by building a layer on the skin and preventing the loss of moisture. It is greasy as petrolatum is supposed to be, but it doesn’t feel sticky or unpleasant at all. The lips have a feel like velvet. The best about this product is, that you can use it for all other things, like for removing make-up, for putting it on rough and dry parts of your skin in general and it is good for nails and cuticle as well. It costs US$6 at sephora and contains 23 g in a retro style metal tin. This is quite a lot product and it will last you a while. At German stores you find Rosebud Salve sometimes, but it costs 12 €, which is way too much!

Here is the description from Rosebud’s web page:

Smith’s Rosebud Salve
A miracle in a can! Our world famous Rosebud Salve has been a family favorite since 1892. Celebrities love the consistency and emollient texture of this #1 selling lip balm and all purpose salve for chapped lips, dry skin, and minor burns. (0.8 oz)
Ingredients: Cotton Seed Oil and Aromol, with essential oils blended in a special petrolatum base.

Cosmetic Uses:

Outline lips with lip liner of your choice about ¼ inches from the outside of your lips toward the center. Then use a lip brush to blend the salve to achieve a “pouty look”.
Use Rosebud Salve alone or over your favorite hue of lipstick to moisturize and give a “dewy effect”.
Apply Rosebud Salve to eyebrows to tame an unruly brow line while also giving sheen.
Rosebud Salve is great on fly-away or frizzy hair. Dab a small amount on the palms of your hands and apply sparingly to tresses.
Use Rosebud Salve as a subtle accent to cheek bones, collar bones, shoulders, or any other body part that you want to moisturize or enhance.
Apply Rosebud Salve lightly to the skin above the eye as a base for powered eye shadow, and then add the desired colors you wish to dazzle your eyes with. The rich emollient properties of the Salve will help to hold that look all day.

All Purpose Uses:
Rosebud Salve is perfect for travel as an eye make-up remover, cuticle softener, sunburn easier, dry skin healer, and frizzy fighter. Use Rosebud Salve around the eyes and on the throat for severely parched, dry, or wrinkled skin.

I really like both products a lot and they do a good job during these cold days and I recommend them a lot!♥

Rating:

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