One of my favourite things about Christmas are Advent Calendars.
I was doing a lot of research before deciding to invest into the one from Look Fantastic, just like I had last year.
Look Fantastic offered a huge advent calendar for "only" 98€, considering that the products hidden inside were worth around 300€, it´s a total bargain.
Another point why I liked to go for a LF Calendar was, that it´s a total secret which products were selected for it and just look at the packaging!
It was a huge box, with 4 drawers that held individual little boxes where the products were inside.
Now let me just tell you a little something about this year´s products...
Day 1: Illamasqua Vixen Lava Lipstick
The month started really good! I was really suprised to find an Illamasqua lipstick in the first package, even more such a beautiful shade. I´ve worn it for christmas, and it´s a gorgeous bright red with a glossy finish, even though the lipstick itself looks matte. It feels moisturizing and comfortable on the lips, so I´m sure I´ll wear it really often, maybe even to work.
Day 2: Ciaté Fierce Flicks Eyeliner
This is the eyeliner I´ve been waiting for. First try and I got to perfect flicks, and from then on I decided I´ll never ever use an other eyeliner again! The tip is really slim and pointy, but also stiff so it´s really easy to make a really fine line. So worth every penny!
Day 3: Grow Gorgeous Scalp Exfoliator
Because of the dry air, I got a really dry and flaky scalp, which looked horrible as I had white skin flakes in my hair sometimes. So this scalp exfoliator came just perfectly in time! I tried it immediately and it was a bit hard to really work in, but once you get the hang of it, it´s a dream! My hair looked so healthy after blow drying, and since then I don´t have that problem with white skin flakes anymore!
Day 4: First Aid Ultra Repair Cream
My lifesaver for the winter months! It says you can use this cream from head to toe, which I´m not too sure about haha, but I use it as a hand cream and I don´t think my hands ever felt that soft! It´s quite a thick cream, that smells not really spectacular but does definitely a good job, so I´m more than happy it came in such a big tube, haha.
Day 5: BalanceMe Flash Cleanse Micellar Water
I´m all in for trying new cleansers/micellar water. This one does it´s job quite well, I had better ones before though. It´s not as drying as some others but I also don´t feel like it cleans my skin enough. Nice to try out but I´m not getting the full size...
Day 6: ThisWorks In Transit Camera Close-Up Primer
I´m just as open to trying new primers, so I was sooo excited to try this multi-tasking primer! It´s also a face mask and moisturizer, which means it´s got a heavy texture, but has a really moisturizing effect. When it´s sunk in, it makes my skin a bit sticky so my foundation definitely stays in place. Just one thing that doesn´t make me use it as often is, that it doesn´t hide my pores that good.
Day 7: James Read Illuminating Tan Mist Body
I didn´t give this one a try yet, and I´m also not really sure if I´ll like it. As I understood the description, you spray it on and it´ll give you a slight shimmery tan? If you know this products, please let me know how to use it, haha.
Day 8: Redken No Blow Dry Airy Cream
At first this product sounded too good to be true. You simply work this cream into your hair and it´ll dry faster, and on top make your hair soft and easy to style. I did as it said and left my hair to air dry. Well, I was left with quite dry frizzy hair, and so a bit dissapointed of the product. Maybe my hair is just too thick? I might give it another try as I really want it to work for me, but we´ll see...
Day 9: BellaPierre Loose Banana Setting Powder
I really like using loose powder, but never tried a banana powder. Simply because I always thought I was too pale, and I´d be left with yellow spots on my face, haha. Now that I got to try it, I´ll never use anything else again. This powder sets my foundation and concealer just perfectly, all while still looking really natural!
Day 10: Oskia Renaissance Mask
This mask is pure luxus! From the moment you open it, you are overwhelmed with a heavenly smell, almost like when you enter a spa. You simply apply this mask after you cleaned your face and leave it on for up to 20 minutes. It feels cooling and fresh, and you can definitely feel that it´s doing something. I´m just sooo sad that the full size costs around 60€, so I´ll definitely have to write this on my wishlists for the next few years, haha.
Day 11: Molton Brown Gingerlily Body Wash
Last year´s calendar also had a molton brown body wash and so I was really happy to find another one in this year´s. The smell of it is really fresh, christmassy and a lot like ginger. I always search for body washes that are moisturizing and this one totally is.
Day 12: Caudalie Moisturising Sorbet
I heard lots of good things about Caudalie and so it´s finally my turn to try it out! I use this cream in the morning, and I have to say it is good for "normal dry" to oily skin but since my skin is as dry as the Sahara right now, it only does a little. The texture is kinda funny to, really jelly sorbet like, and also smells kinda flowery.
Day 13: MorrocanOil Treatment
This hair oil was also included in last year´s calendar, and I´m soo happy it´s again in this one! I love it so so much, as it´s pretty much the only oil that makes my thick, heavy hair feel soft and light. It smells really lovely, and you only need a pea-size amount for your whole hair. I already purchased a full bottle of this one, and so I´ll definitely keep this little version for when I´m traveling.
Day 14: Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial
Coming back to my not normal dry skin, I switched to using this sleeping facial for the nights, as it´s really thick but sinks in really fast. I feel like it does help me a bit to stop my skin for getting worse. I´m not too sure if I´ll purchase a full size, but it´s definitely nice to try out.
Day 15: Look Fantastic Contour Brush
I´m so in for trying new brushes as often as possible, and it was a really pleasing suprise to find this golden brush. The bristle are really soft but still stiff and since I didn´t think it should be used as a contour brush, I started to apply my foundation with it. It works really well! Because it´s so big, it blends my foundation in really well and fast and gives me a beautiful even look. I´ll give it a try as a contour brush, but I´m sure I´ll stick to it as my foundation brush.
Day 16: ModelCo Retractable Brow Pencil
Brow Pencils are something I found myself always reaching for, more often than powders or pomade. Before I always went for my smashbox brow pencil, which is basically the same as this one from ModelCo shape-wise. The difference though is that this pencil´s texture is a lot more waxy and more pigmented. It takes me like 2 minutes per brow and because it´s so waxy it even keeps my brow in place the whole day. It´s perfect for traveling as you also got a little spooly brush on the other end.
Day 17: Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist
I´m the most unsure about this little gift. The smell is something completely unique, not flowery nor fresh or anything like that. It´s quite hard to describe and so I´m not sure if I like it. My sister and mum think it smells good, but I guess I´ll just have to give it another try. Other than that, the bottle is really pretty. A milk glass bottle with silver details looks really pretty on my dressing table.
Day 18: Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Cream
If you are as curious about this cream as I was, I´m really relieved. I had to take a second look into the description to see if the real purpose was for the nipples haha.
But no, it´s actually for the lips and it´s sooo good! It´s more a wax than a cream, but gets soft really fast after I start rubbing it into my lips. After that my lips feel so moisturized and soft, and look so shiny. I really like to apply it before using lipsticks, as it makes it more long lasting and the finish is a lot better.
Day 19: Crabtree La Source Hand Therapy
I gave this hand cream to my mum, because I already have the First Aid Cream and she loves it. I tried it out today and it´s quite nice. It´s more a gel than a heavy cream, but because of that sinks in really fast and has a really strong scent. Again a unique scent but kinda lovely, haha.
Day 20: Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Another facial cream, that is texture-wise nothing like the other one. It´s more a watery gel, that is especially for anti-aging. Well, I don´t think I need that yet, so I might give it to one of my female family members, but who? Haha.
Day 21: Magnitone Cleansing Cloth
I finally get to try a cleansing/ makeup removing cloth, eeek! I´ve been curious about one of these ever since they first came out. I couldn´t really imagine them to really remove all of my makeup just with water, but it actually does work! I first tried it with a full face makeup, with foundation, eyeshadow, contour, etc. and it was all removed so easily. The only thing that I´m having trouble with is mascara. I just don´t have that patience to rub my mascara away with water, haha. I really prefer it over micellar water, as my skin isn´t left with that tight dry feeling afterwards.
Day 22: High Definition Foxy Palette
I can´t have too many eyeshado palettes, especially ones with natural browns, champagne and nude shades. Right after unpacking the palette, I tried it out and I was totally suprised by how pigmented, soft and easy to blend the shadows are. I´ll definitely use this palette a lot on a daily basis, maybe even take it with me when I´m traveling as it´s so handy and includes everything you need!
Day 23: Doucce Max Lash Mascara
I´m always unsure about trying new mascaras as I´m soo picky with mine, haha. Sometimes I like one that is more wet and makes my lashes long and sometimes I prefer drier ones that give me more volume. This one does both, it has a really wet formula and gives me like spider lashes, but also the effect as if I have 10 times more lashes than I actually do. I´ll get so much use out of it, and definitely need to do some research on where to get the full size!
Day 24: Dr. Botanicals Moroccan Rose Facial Oil
Lately I´ve been searching for a serum or facial oil, as I never really had one before, but heard really good things about them. This one is really watery more than oily and smells really flowery. It sinks in quite fast and so I like to use it right after cleansing and before I apply my night moisturizer. Next thing I´ll have to try it on one of my dry cream eyeshadows, if it works to bring it back to life, haha.
Day 25: Pixi Hello Glow! Kit
The "main" present this year was this Glow Kit from Pixi, how lovely as I´m all about a glowy look! This kit contains three products, a liquid illuminator, a blush & highlighter duo and a glossy lip plumper. I´m planning to post a full review soon so I´ll keep myself short. This kit comes just perfectly in time to bring some life back to my skin, haha.
Which advent calendar did you have this year? What were your favourite things inside?
BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
Post a Comment
NYX Full Throttle Lipstick in Locked
This lipstick is life! I always worry about wearing really colourful shades on my lips, because once they start to fade away, you are left looking like a fool. This one though, is completely waterproof, I even have troubles getting it off with normal micellar water. Besides that amazing fact, the texture is also really soft, highly pigmented, and just soooo comfortable to wear on my lips. Every year I´m excited all over again to put it on.Maybelline Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate
I take most of my makeup inspiration from places like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. and one look that appears really often is a classic berry eye. Nothing else in the crease or the outer V, one berry eyeshadow is used all over the lid, blended out perfectly, and that´s exactly what I use this Maybelline Cream eyeshadow for. Sometimes I do love to add a bit of glitter to the center of my lid, but really nothing more. Simple but absolutely fab!KIKO Tinted Lip Balm in Blueberry
I received this little balm at my latest blogger event and I use it every day ever since.It´s really hydrating, kinda a wet texture, smells really fresh and natural like blueberry´s and gives my lips a lovely berry tint. It´s really handy to throw in any bag and probably my most used product at the moment, haha.
HYPOAllergenic Creamy Rouge Glow Stick
I just recently started using this product, after I got it at my first blogger event. I really like how you can easily build it up, it´s really easy to blend in with my fingers and gives me the most beautiful hint of berry colour together with a fresh glow. It´s just perfect to bring some colour to your face during the colder months. It´ll also definitely find it´s place in my carry-on makeup bag, as it´s so easy to reapply on the go.What are your berry makeup favourites?
BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
Summer is over since a longer time now, yet I found myself reaching back for my summer makeup items, especially during the last days where we still had around 20 degree celsius. After a sudden drop in temperature I thought now is the perfect time to bring out my autumnal makeup favourites and keep them out for a very long time.
During summer I was more likely to reach for a light BB-Cream, instead of heavy full coverage foundations, a natural eyemakeup look and on the lips I preferred also a more natural pink/nude shade.
Well, for autumn I go for the complete opposite...
The reason why I love all three of them is easy, with combination skin I always had the problem of it either being too oily or too dry.
When I have the case of too oily skin, I reach for the RImmel or MAC foundation. Both have a semi-matte finish, and you can literally see every dry patch, but keep oil at bay.
During dry skin days I reach for the L´Oreal Foundation, as it has a really glowy finish and dry skin patches are completely hidden and covered with it. The only negative thing about this foundation is, that it needs to be set again during the day as otherwise, things get too oily and glowy.
For the eyes I switch from a subtle shimmery nude to a full on daytime smokey eyes, or for autumnal shades from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. This palette is just made for this time of the year. I really love to use the caramel/beige or berry shades in the crease and the glittery nude shades on the lid for an easy everyday look. If I´m not using this palette, I reach for something like the MAC Satin Taupe Single Eyeshadow, which is a grey, slightly glittery shade all over my eye or an eyeshadow stick, like the RImmel Scandaleyes, a golden bronzey shade that I apply in a line along my lashline and then blend it out towards my crease. Simple but effective :)
My lipstick choice is probably the most different during the colder months, as I switch from nudes to berry and brown shades.
By far my favourite berry lip choice is the NYX Full Throttle in Locked. It´s waterproof, like you can literally drink everything, even really hot beverages, and it doesn´t fade or smudge at all. The colour pay off is really lovely and the lipstick just feels really comfortable to wear all day long.
I find myself reaching for liquid lipstick every now and then, and one of my current favourites is the NYX Lingeries, they are really pigmented and when used with a lip balm underneath also comfortable to wear. The colour range is really big and goes from paler pink/nudes to really dark browns and reds.
How do you switch your makeup up for the colder months?
Shop the Post:
My favourite step in the morning, which I like to take the most time for and makes me feel put together is applying foundation. At the moment, I actually choose between 3 every morning. The Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, is one that I like to use when I need a medium semi-matte finish, that lasts for a long time and my skin is more oily than dry as usual.
If my skin is really dry though, I switch to the L´Oreal Perfect Match Foundation, which also has a medium to full coverage, it looks a lot more dewy and feels lighter on the skin. And the last choice I have is at the moment by far my favourite, it´s the L´Oreal Glam Beige Cushion Foundation. I´m all about the dewy glowy finish a cushion foundations gives me, it has just the right amount of coverage for every day and it doesn´t need to be set with a heavy powder to make it last all day.
By the end of the week, no foundation has enough coverage to hide the tiredness under my eyes. That´s why I reach for the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, I just love this stuff! Perfect colour for my skin tone, really light weight, and medium coverage. Once it´s blended and set, it stays in place. Speaking of setting my makeup, I recently switched from powder to just setting spray. A brave step, but so far it works really well. I use the NYX Matte Finish Spray, it holds back any oil during the day, while still giving me a really natural finish.
The finishing basic steps are doing my brows, with my still absolute favourite and beloved Smashbox Brow Tech ToGo, I think I have spoken enough about this product on my blog, but just to be short, it´s fab!
For mascara, the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, has quickly become my favourite. It gives my lashes enough length and volume to make them look like falsies, how amazing!
What I also really love is, that even when I put on more layers on, my lashes still feel soft and not crispy and hard at all.
So that´s how much I´m able to do at 5 in the morning, haha. Simple but effective!
What is your morning makeup routine? Do you only do the most necessary or already for a whole makeup look?BLOGLOVIN | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST
*This post contains PR Samples
I´m not that picky when it comes to the scent, but I do like the fresh scent that a good in-shower product can give you. Apart from the smell I, of course, also search for things that hold up their promises. I get especially picky when it comes to hair products, as I have quite thick hair that can get frizzy really easily and needs to be tamed. Considering shower skincare, I only want something that hydrates my skin and smells lovely.
Recently I added some new products that completely live up to what I like...
Zoella Beauty Jelly and Gelato Shower Shake
You have probably read several reviews about Zoella´s newest beauty range, but there´s a really good reason why, it´s just amazing!
So far I only own the Shower Shake Body Wash, which is as thick as a body lotion, has the most beautiful (instagramable) packaging and just smells absolutely incredible! It´s one of those scents that is quite strong, but not uncomfortable strong. I would describe it as a sweet flowery scent, that you could easily wear throughout the colder months aswell as in the summer time. Now that it is so thick, it has come just perfect for autumn, as my skin tends to get a whole lot more drier and I´m too lazy for that extra step of applying body lotion after getting out of the shower, I just want to get into my warm pj´s then haha.
L´Oreal Elvital Oil Magique Coco Hair Mask
Recently I really got into using hair masks. My hair has improved a lot ever since I started, in things like how hydrated it is, how light it feels, and especially in how often I need to wash it. My favourite so far has been the Moisturizing Hair Mask by Tony & Guy, as it is more on the expensive side, I have decided to try something from the drugstore.
The L´Oreal Elvital Oil Magique Coco Hair Mask can be used in three different ways, during the hair wash, as a leave-in mask, or to tame little fly aways. So far I only used it during washing my hair, and its texture is really soft, smells really lovely and not too strong like coconut and makes my hair a lot easier to comb through, blow dry and style afterwards. An absolute bargain for only 3€!
Davines Oi All in One Milk*
This product came just perfectly, as recently my hair has been soooo dry!
It is a leave-in spray that contains Roucou-Oil and Vitamin B5 and simply helps your hair to be hydrated, shiny and voluminous in an instant. I can tell you that it is working really well! I keep this small bottle in my handbag and since I wear my hair in a ponytail most of the times, I notice that the ends of my hair can look and feel really crispy sometimes. If that´s the case I put some spritz of this Milk Spray in, wait a moment until it has sunk in and my hair feels so soft and a lot lighter than before!
Davines Oi Shampoo*
This shampoo is from the same range as the All in One Milk, but for some reason I don´t get along with it as good, sadly. I´m really picky when it comes to shampoos as my scalp can get itchy really fast and so far I have only found one shampoo that I can work with, so I had high hopes in this one to be the second good working one. It also contains Roucou-Oil and rose essence, and so has a really strong unique scent when you have it on, maybe that´s why I can´t really work with it. Nevertheless I also find that my hair looks quite greasy on the second day already, and is also kind heavy. So I don´t think I´ll come back to this...
Have you recently bought new shower products?
Shop the Post:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)