Hi guys,
Today's post will be a very personal one. We all have our favorite beauty products which we've discovered throughout the years. We do, however, all have different types of skin and hair, so it's needles to say that not every product will work as good on you as on someone else. That being said, today I'll be sharing my all time beauty-favorites and some other useful information: where to buy them and at what price, the pros and cons, etc. So let's get started.
Hair
I’m sure you all know that one certain person who is
obsessed with their hair: brushing it every hour, going to the hairdresser’s
every week to keep it healthy etc. Well sadly, I’m not one of those people. Sure,
I love beautiful hair as much as the next person, but to be honest, I’m not
willing to spend hours in my bathroom trying to achieve it, and I simply can’t
keep it up. That’s why I count on my haircare products to do the trick for me.
These next items give your hair the pampering it needs,
without having to do a whole lot yourself.
I’d categorize my hair as normal, because it’s neither greasy nor dry.
If you have the same type of hair, these products will probably work great for
you.
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| Bed Head Shampoo & Conditioner, CHI Silk Infusion & Biosilk Silk Therapy |
The Bed Head Urban Antidotes Resurrection Shampoo and Conditioner (€25 each) is normally meant for dry hair, but in my
experience it works just as well on normal hair without making it too greasy. It
smells subtle yet sophisticated and gives your hair an instant glow. I buy
these products at my hairdresser’s and the packages are huge (750ml), so
they’ll last you a very long time.
For me, silk care products are absolutely irreplaceable: it makes your hair shiny and healthy looking. These two different brands both
kinda do the same thing, only the texture makes the difference: the one from
Biosilk is very liquid while the CHI product is thicker and a bit more oily.
It’s whatever you’re into, really. You can use it on wet hair as a leave-in
conditioner, or on dry hair as an extra heat protector. If you love these products just as much as I do, you should keep a look out next time your’re in Holland:
they’re a lot cheaper across the border.
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So Sexy Shampoo, Conditioner, Shine Mist & Hairspray– Victoria’s Secret
|
Another range of hair products I really love are those of
Victoria’s Secret. The main thing I adore about them is the smell. And although
they’re also quite good for your hair, I don’t use them every day. I mainly use
them when I go out or when I’m planning on curling or straightening my hair.
Like I said, the smell is a major plus, but it’s quite strong, and I don’t
think it’s a suitable ‘every day’ scent. The products themselves are available
for all different kinds of hair and on top of that they’re relatively cheap ($12-$14). The
only problem is that you can not order every product in this range online. Due
to restrictions Victoria’s Secret cannot ship certain products to Belgium (or other
countries), like the Hairspray and the Shine Mist. I just restock whenever I go
to the U.S.
Make-up
Everyone has their own make-up rituals and favorite products that they’ve come to know and love during the years. Personally, I have switched between brands and shops so many times, I can’t even keep count. Every few months I try to clean up my make up drawer and throw out the things I no longer use. But they’re are some products I just love so much that I always keep them around. Here are my current favorites.
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| Make up favorites |
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| Phyto Teint Eclat & Phyto-touche Gel (Mat) - Sisley |
Phyto Teint Eclat – Sisley (€74): the perfect ‘nude’ foundation: makes your pores
smaller and really blends in with your skin, so you don’t end up with that
horrible mask effect. Works even better when you apply it with a MAC 217
foundation brush.
Phyto-touche Gel Mat – Sisley (€54): A must have during the summer. This liquid
highlighter looks extremely dark when you put it on your hand, but when you
blend it all over your face, it gives you an all-natural sunkissed skin without
looking like you’re tanorexic. Definitely my number one beauty discovery of the
year 2012.
 |
| Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick & VS Eye Liner |
Shimmer Brick Compact – Bobbi Brown (€43): This has been my favorite blush
for a long time now. The brick contains five different shades of blush, which you
can blend yourself depending on what you want that day: from a subtle peachy
glow to a dark sunkissed skin: this palette has everything you need to create
the look you want.
VS Eye Liner – Victoria’s Secret ($12)- During the week, I never use a lot of make up: too much of a mess, too little time. I only apply a BB cream or foundation, eye liner and some mascara. After a LOT of searching, I finally found an eye liner that I really love and use every day. Not only is it cheap, it also stays in place the whole day and doesn’t smudge!
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| The Porefessional (Benefit) & Diorskin Extreme Fix (Dior) |
The Porefessional (€32)– Benefit: I’m a big fan of the whole beauty range of the
brand Benefit (available at Inno and Sephora), but their absolute star product
is this Porefessional cream. As you can guess by it’s name, this balm minimizes
the appearance of your pores. Apply the paste before your foundation and it
will level out your skintone and prepare your face for your make up.
Diorskin Extreme Fix - Dior (€40). Aside from having a great make up base, it’s
also important to top it all off with a suitable finishing powder. My favorite
is this translucent/white one from Dior, which you apply after you finish your
make up or before going out. It keeps your make up in place and gives your face
a matte finish. Keep in mind to distribuate the powder evenly though, you don’t
wanna leave the house looking like a coke addict.
Skincare
Next up: skin products. A lot of people underestimate the
importance of good skin care. But: you can have all the make up in the world,
nothing is as hard to cover up as bad skin. I used to be horrible at cleaning
my skin at night, I was just too lazy and went straight to bed with my make up
on. Needless to say this habit caused me some skin problems, so I switched up
my attitude, and now it’s all just about routine. The following products really
helped me out a lot and are definetly worth trying.
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| Skin Care favorites |
Masque Aromatique Purifant – Clarins (€27): Although I often
forget to put on a purifying mask every few days, I am a big fan of this
Clarins mask: it doesn’t smell, the stickiness is kept to a minimum, and after
using it your skin is clean and soft. Simple but effcient!
Visible Difference Moisture Cream – Elizabeth Arden (€50): Simply
the best moisturizer I’ve ever had. Over the last few years I have used so many
different products, and not one of them comes close to what this baby does. You
can use it day and night and I love how it keeps your skin clean and fresh: no
zits and a healthy glow.
Mousse Nettoyante Energisante – Roc (€13): If you have a
relatively greasy and sensitive skin like mine, it’s hard to find a cleansing
product that really works. After a lot of experimenting, I’m sticking to this
cleansing mousse by Roc, which smells delicious and leaves your skin thoroughly
cleaned. One small disadvantage: you run out pretty fast, so I always buy a few
at once when I’m at the pharmacy.
Sugar Crush Body Scrub – Soap & Glory (€10): I don’t think
this brand is available in Belgium yet, but I got a few of their products at
Boots in London a while back. Not only are the names and the packages really cute,
the products are also highly effective. This scrub is my favorite: the grain is
very rough, but your skin will feel extremely soft afterwards. Another big
plus: the smell gives you the feeling you’re having a Caiparinha under the
shower. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want that?
Hope this post was useful to you guys. More coming soon!
Love,
A.
