Skincare Empties!

Hey everyone!

So, I'm really starting to feel successful and happy as my 2012 project seems to go really nicely so far. I aim at emptying as many products as possible, first of all to use up all the half-empty products lingering around in my bathroom and on my makeup table and secondly to motivate myself to use some products more often (like eye cream for example).

Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Toner

This is the second bottle I've emptied of this and I still really like it. It's a wonderful refreshment after cleansing your skin and it's moisturizing which is even important if you have oily skin like I do. I'm about to get my third bottle!

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Daily Moisturizer

I had heard lots of good things about this product and so I went ahead and got a tube of this. It's a lovely everyday moisturizer, it's absorbed very quickly leaving your skin soft and healthy. It claims to minimize marks from previous blemishes whilst preventing new ones which I think is true, although I don't believe that my skin has cleared up only because of this moisturizer as I've tried out a bunch of other skincare products during the last couple of months, too. But overall, it's a great product for a great price and I already have a backup of this at home.

Do you have any recent empties? Or are you even participating in Project Pan?

Love,

Nathalie xx

Most Loved Products 2011

Hey guys!

I know that I'm probably a little late with my 2011 favorites, but having lots of school stuff to do (in my holidays!), I finally found the time for it today.

I tried to categorize everything (btw: really picture-friendly weather)

So I hope you enjoy this, and let's get started:

EYESHADOW

BH Cosmetics 88 Neutral Palette

I have been using this almost every day to create my typical neutral eye. The shadows are super pigmented, I just wished they were pressed a bit more firmly. All in all, a decent palette that is worth the bucks you spend on it.

FACE

Rimmel London Powder Blush 101 Pink Sugar

Awesome blush, goes on really nicely, and the subtile shimmer is also a nice feature of it. Used this for over 4 months now!

Maybelline Pure.Makeup Mineral 20 Cameo

This is the lightest shade of the color range and it's only just the shade that suits my skintone as I'm definitely at my palest this winter. It's easy to work with and has a medium coverage which is just perfect for me.

NYX Concealer in a jar 03 light

Love love love. Best concealer I've used so far. Goes on so smoothly! It even hides blemishes very well. Thumbs up!

OTHER EYE STUFF

Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion [Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion] & Maybelline The Falsies

They both haven't been my favorite mascaras this year, in fact, that was L'Oréal Voluminous Million Lashes Carbon Black. But I ran out of it and I wanted to include mascaras, so I took these. I found out that they actually look pretty together, but not too breathtaking when worn alone.

L'Oréal Lineur Intense Carbon Black

I bought this because everyone recommended this to me and I'm so glad I did! Best liquid liner ever, I will probably always stick to it. I can't imagine a better liner.

p2 Perfect Look Kajal 020 brown

There's probably 1/2 inch left of this. This describes how good it is. I'm not a person that often useds things completely up, but I did use up this automatic eyeliner, Perfect for lining the lower lash line ord water line as it stays put forever. 

LIPS

ColorSensational The Shine Plum Reflection

My first real dark lipstick (I'm not a lipstick kinda girl) that I wore during the fall time. I love the color, even though I think it's too glittery sometimes. Overall, a good buy!

Catrice Colour Show Toast With Champagne and Lip Appeal Bare Necessity

These are both lip gloss ranges they offer and I love them both. While Colour Show has the more intense colors and a better lasting power, Lip Appeal is just perfect for a neutral, effortless look.

Carmex Jar

I have always loved this, I love it, and I will always love it. End of story.

FACE CARE

Nivea Visage Daily Care

I used the cleanser first and then bought the tonic and they're both really amazing. They smell good and leave my skin perfectly clean. Repurchase-worthy!

Neutrogena Oil-free Moisturizer

My moisturizer for the winter months as it's a little thicker and richer than the Garnier one I use in summer. Really nice, only the scent had been bothering me at first.

NAIL POLISHES

p2 Calcium Gel

My second bottle in 1 1/2 years, and this is already half empty again. No need to tell that I really like this as a base coat.

Catrice Ultimate Nudes Cotton Candy at Eiffel Tower

Love this milky light pink color, it's my go-to neutral shade. I also have a bunch of other colors by Catrice, but this is my favorite.

essence Colour & Go Trust In fashion

I believe that this shade is not available anymore (sadly!)...my mom got me this and I loved it immediately. It's just so hard to get off...

p2 Last forever dating time & dangerous affair

I'm a sucker for red nail polishes and these two made my heart melt. So gorgeous! And they last...and last...and last...

PERFUME

Kate by Kate Moss

I love this. I love this so much, I could write a single blog post about how much I love this perfume. It smells like roses and it's my every every every single day perfume. I LOVE THIS.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs

This is the small travel refillable size. Isn't it cute? I adore this bottle. And the scent, so summery and so good for spring. It smells fruity and flowery, just perfect for the warmer months.

What were your favorites 2011?

Love,

Nathalie xx

My Evening Skincare Routine

Hey guys!
I really have been in love with my evening skincare routine lately. I have found products that work well for my skin and I've done this routine for about a month, so I got really quick at it and I can proudly announce that it doesn't take me more than 10 minutes to get my basic routine done! I decided to divide this post into what I do everyday and what I do just once or twice a week.
Disclaimer: I'm using products for combination/oily skin.

The Basics

Step 1: Makeup Wipes

Picture is from here 

I used to remove my eye makeup with a 2-phase eye makeup remover, but I discovered that makeup wipes remove my entire makeup way better! I love Nivea's Facial Cleansing Wipes for normal to combination skin, they leave my skin refreshed and not too oily.
What I do: I take one wipe and remove my foundation and concealer with it at first, after that I remove my eye makeup (I don't like having removed mascara/eyeliner smeared all over my face).


Step 2: Wash Gel

Picture is from here

So now that my skin is clean, I'm moving into step 2. I have been using Nivea's Facial Wash Gel for a good 3 or 4 months and it didn't break my skin out. It also smells really amazing and moisturizes my skin.
What I do: I wet my face a little bit. Then I get a normal facial brush (you can get it at any drugstore OR check out the Clarisonic System), wet it and apply an amount of wash gel on it (just the size of a hazelnut). I work the wash gel on to my skin in circular motions, concentrating on my T-Zone. I make sure not to rubb my cheeks to much because they're way more sensitive than my T-Zone. All in all, I exfoliate my skin about 60 seconds.

Step 3: Toner

Picture is from here

I actually haven't planned to feature so many Nivea products in here, but obviously I use lots of them ;) I bought Nivea's Refreshing Toner when my other one ran out and I thought I just give it try because the wash gel had deeply satisfied me. I really like the smell of it (Nivea products smell SO good!). It's alcohol-free and leaves my skin refreshed and moisturized.
What I do: I get a clean cotton pad and drizzle a little toner on it. I gently put the toner on my face and on my neck.

Step 4: Moisturizer

Picture is from here

Surprise: It's not a Nivea product! I just got this moisturizer yesterday but I already fell in love with it. It's a creamy texture, almost like a rich cream (which I love in winter!) and it absorbs very quickly. It evens out my skin leaving it perfectly moisturized. I also used it this morning and I can say that it controls the oils on my skin amazingly!

What I do: I get a pea-size amount on my finger and gently work it into my skin.

The Specials

Face Masks

• Purifying: I swear by masks that contain dead sea mud, they deeply clean my skin. Whenever I notice that my skin gets worse, I put on this mask and after 1 or 2 days, everything's fine again.

• Moisturizing: I love moisturizing sheet masks in fall/winter! My skin is soft and refreshed after use. I usually cuddle up under my blanket, turn on my iPod, apply the mask and relax. After about 20 minutes, I take it off and gently massage the rests into my skin.

• Peel-Off: I sometimes use those masks instead of an exfoliator. They soften my skin and deeply clean it.

Scrubs

No, NOT the TV series (that I love), it's about exfoliating my skin. I usually get dead skin particles off with my facial brush, but sometimes I feel like I need to do MORE. I grab a warming scrub, apply this to my clean skin and leave it there for about 5 minutes. Then I wash it off and use toner and moisturizer,

Vapor Bath (for my face, of course!)

I like to do that because -guess what- it cleans my skin and on top of that, I think it's relaxing.

How I do it: I fill hot water into a big bowl and add two bags of camomile tea (calms my skin). I put my skin over the bowl and then I grab a towel and put it over my head (the vapor is not supposed to go anywhere but in my face!). I set a timer on 10 minutes and just relax.

I hope you liked this blog post! Please leave a comment below and tell me about your routine! I'd love to read how you do it :)

Love,
Nathalie x