You probably already know my obsession with tissue masks, I like to use them as often as I can because they boost my skin with hydration and make it soft and baby smooth!
I often post on my instagram funny photos of me wearing the mask and the results afterwards.
Here I was testing out Garnier sheet masks, but recently I teamed up with Mitomo and they kindly sent me some of their top selling tissue masks to review.
PRODUCT DETAILS:
Mitomo Pure Skin Care Pure Facial Essence Mask
Mitomo Pore Care Pore Control Facial Essence Mask
Mitomo Moisturizing Care Moisturizing Facial Essence Mask
Mitomo Black Sheet Gold & Horse Oil Black Sheet Face Pack
Mitomo Q10 + Lithospermum Essence Mask
Mitomo Collagen + Lithospermum Essence Mask
Mitomo Uruuru Tea Tree Essence Mask
Mitomo Camellia Essence Mask
I decided to try out the Camellia Essence Mask that very day (well, that very night to be precise, as I use face masks whilst taking a shower, and as a part of my night time skincare routine.)
In this video , I talk more about the masks & show you a little clip / demo on how I used the Camellia Essence mask and how my skin felt and looked like afterwards:
The Camellia mask felt very refreshing, and left my skin very hydrated. The cotton sheet mask came in the packaging full of essence, but it wasn't sticky at all. It was a true pleasure to do this 20-30 min pampering treatment before going to sleep.
The packaging itself was super pretty!
I really like Asian skincare, they really know what they're doing and our Occidental beauty industry often gets inspired by their ancient knowledge and traditions.
Let me know, have you ever tried any of Mitomo's (or other brands') tissue masks and how was your experience with them? Is it something you'd want to include in your beauty routine?
xo from Italy,
* read more fashion & beauty articles at Glam Express
Today I'd like to present you one of the skincare product that became an essential part of my night time skincare routine. I'm talking about Shiseido Ibuki Total Recharge Beauty Sleeping Mask.
I really love Shiseido products and I've tried quite a bit of them already.
Currently my favorite Shiseido product is this beauty sleeping mask as it hydrates skin overnight and leaves me with youthful and plump skin in the morning.
It's a great product for busy mums, new mums or whoever doesn't get enough sleep during the night!
This will visibly correct dullness and tired looking skin, as it contains some amazing ingredients such as condensed vitamin capsules, that leave skin looking and feeling fully refreshed.
It also contains phytoplankton extract which thrives in the severely dry Sahara Dessert, and phyto-target complex which supplements natural moisturizing factor and intracellular lipids that are key to optimal barrier function.
In a few words, skin will look radiant, dewy and well rested, even after a night of inadequate sleep.
This awesome product contains vitamins C and E, as it helps tired looking skin appear brighter, clearer and more radiant after one night.
You can use it on occasions, or even every night (depending on your skin's need).
My skin is currently quite dry so this product is a must!
Have I told you about its gentle scent? It will definitely relieve you from daytime stresses, as it generates a feeling of relaxation, preparing you for a pleasant sleep (well, hopefully, if your baby sleeps through the night, that is! haha)
I talk more about this beauty sleeping mask in my review video
One Extra Tip:
For greater results, spread the mask from the center of the face outwards. Close your eyes and breathe in the fragrance while applying on the skin. Press the acupressure points for inducing sleep along the eyebrows, and then glide your fingers along the lower eyelids, from the outer corners of the eyes to the inner corners.
This is a quick and effective beauty ritual that you can easily do on your own and pamper yourself a bit after a busy day.
As my skin needs change with time, so does the products I use, but one thing is certain: I always turn to Shiseido. From Pureness line (when I was in my 20-ies and fighting breakouts, to Ibuki or White Lucency, I'm always one very pleased consumer!)
I also reviewed more Ibuki products in this video if you're interested to find out more about this line:
Have you ever used anything from Shiseido? Do you like their products? Which one is your favorite?
xo from Italy,
* see more fashion, beauty & lifestyle articles at Glam Express
Today I'd like to reveal my anti aging secret to you.
When you're in your mid 30-ies, and you're a new Mum with a constant lack of sleep, you need great beauty products to come to your skin's rescue!
Now, when I say "great products" I don't necessarily mean "high end!"
As a beauty blogger, I tried many skincare brands, from high end to drugstore to lesser known, "local" manufactures and I can tell you that the price doesn't always mean quality!
First, you need to know your skin type and your skin's need, then you got to focus on the ingredients that a certain products provides; the name of the brand comes last.
Lately, I've been loving snail gel (as gross as it might sound), for my face care!
I picked this product at Drogerie Markt drugstore in Croatia, for a very modest price of cca 5€ ($5.75 USD) and I can honestly tell you that I'm loving it!
My skin has become quite dry and thirsty (especially now that I'm breastfeeding) and this gel really moisturizes and soothes my skin! It works well even as a serum (used before another, even richer, day or night cream).
It's a German product, by a brand Jardin Naturel and it's quite a little gem! It's actually suitable formultiple things: From skincare to body care (it's also great for treating acne prone skin, wrinkles and fine lines, stretchmarks, sun burn etc.)
It contains vitamin B6, allantoin and collagen, all great for your skin!
The only "negative" product is the smell: Well, it's not really pleasant! I mean, I don't like my skin care products to be too fragrant as I think that's too artificial, but this one...I don't know, it's even too natural! When I'm putting it on my face, I can imagine this is what a snail stinks like!
But the good news is that the smell fades away almost instantly, so it's something I can definitely overlook at (but I'm sure that not everybody can!)
Because the benefits are so high, I decided to go on using this unusual beauty product, until I finished the entire container!
The packaging itself is nothing fancy, but it's the content that matters, right?
The formula is a gel consistency that absorbs really quickly and it's non greasy.
Have you ever tried snail cream? Or any other similar, "weird" beauty products (such as viper's poison cream that should act as natural botox)?
I'm curious to hear about your experiences!
If you have really dry skin, you can use this gel in the mornings (it's good even as a makeup base) and at night time switch to a thicker consistency, more nourishing cream (such as beauty sleeping masks or similar).
I like to bring this gel all the way to my under eye area and I put it on top of my under eye cream (for that extra anti aging effect).
When it comes to this product, I really am a satisfied consumer, as it delivers great results for such a modest price! There were more expensive snail gel creams available, by other brands, (I guess there's a lot about marketing too), but I'm quite pleased with this one by Jardin Naturel and since I don't think it's a hyped up brand, I thought I'd be the one to praise it a bit.
You can read more of my Glam Express articles here
I'd like to talk to you about a little "beauty experiment" I'm going to be doing in the next 45 days... I know, it sounds exciting! ;) A company called NaturaCel contacted me about this collaboration, and they asked me if I'd be willing to test out their anti-aging products, the NaturaCel face cream, and the EyeCel cream. I just ran out of my usual moisturizer, so I was willing to give it a go...and these products promise a lot! - NaturaCel cream helps minimize the appearance of age and sun spots, it evens out skin tone. - NaturaCel has moisturizing and skin tightening benefits, which will help minimize and prevent wrinkles and fine lines. - NaturaCel helps shrink enlarged pores by moisturizing the area. - EyeCel treatment contains a de-hyperpigmentation agent, which helps reduce dark circles, and will help keep the puffiness at bay. - NaturaCel moisturizes and nourishes your skin like it's never been before! Aloe Vera has great moisturizing benefits, and it is able to penetrate right down to the deepest levels of your skin. - NaturaCel includes collagen to help tighten your skin and gave it a more youthful appearance. Since the skin cannot absorb collagen, NaturaCel uses the miracle ingredient resveratrol, which stimulates new collagen production, giving you natural longterm effects. After having read all this, of course I wanted to try out these products! :) I'm 32 years old and even though I take very good care of my skin,I think I qualify for the NaturaCel Erase Time Natural Anti-Aging Cream. My goal is to work on preventing wrinkles, fine lines and premature aging, and to keep my skin hydrated with a help of healthy diet & good skincare products (Aloe Vera is for sure one of my favourite ingredients when it comes to skincare!) This is how my skin looks like without any make up:
At the end of this 45 days trial, I'll include the "AFTER" pic, so we can together compare the results and comment on them!
You can find out more about this trial, and my skin's current condition, in my NaturaCel video:
the latest info that I got from the company, when I talked to them, is that you can actually also use the NaturaCel cream for your under eye area, and it'll have the same anti-aging beneficial results!
NaturaCel and EyeCel cream
My first impressions: These creams are very nourishing and they leave your skin so soft! As a part of this trial, I'll have to use these creams mornings and evenings, but so far I prefer them as a part of my night time skincare routine. The EyeCel cream is a little bit harder to apply (pasty), but it does bring back the elasticity to the skin. The NaturaCel cream is good even as a make up base, but a little bit of the product goes a long way! I have to apply less quantity of it, then I used to with my regular moisturizer, otherwise the skin won't absorb it and it'll just kind of sit on your skin & be sticky... (But I guess that's good...the fact that you don't need to use that much of the product to make it work! It means this cream is really concentrated and it'll last me a long time!)
Mark on your calendars...45 days starting from 28th. of January (the date when I actually started using these creams)...and I'll see you with a follow- up on these products and we can discuss together the results!
I hope you liked this post!
If you enjoyed reading, don't forget to comment & follow my blog if you aren't a follower yet! It means a lot! :)
Also, we can chat further more about all things beauty related on my facebook,twitter, and for your daily fashion fix, you can find me on chictopia and instagram :)
In my today's post I'd like to present you a product that's been a true ally of my skin!
Whenever my skin is acting out (breaking out), I reach for this product and I know that the blemish will be gone in a matter of a day or two!
My skin type is combination (it used to be oily, and I had frequent problems with breakouts), but when I stepped into my late 20.-ties I started having less & less breakouts and my skin started to improve significantly :)
Now that I'm in my early 30.-ties, I enjoy my clear skin (occasionally I'll have a blemish, or two, when I'm stressed out, in "that" time of the month, or, if I don't eat healthy food!).
When this emergency situation happens, I always reach for my La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I. and I know the situation will be put under control again in a matter of a day (or two...It all depends on how big the breakout problem is!)
La Roche Posay
Effaclar A.I.
15 ml
(image source: internet)
In the past, I've tried many similar products, targeted towards blemishes and breakouts, but none of those products worked as wonderfully as this one does! Other products were just making my blemishes more sore, and more painful :(
When I use Effaclar A.I. I know the blemish will be gone! :)
I got my tube in my local pharmacy here in Italy, and it retails at cca 11 € (all La Roche Posay products have accessible prices!).
Here is a pic of my tube, as you can see, I used it quite a bit already (but I've had it for months now!)
As you can notice, on mine it says: "Made in France"
(on the above pic, that I took from the internet, it says "Made in USA". I don't know if they differ in any way, because I've never tried the american version, but they shouldn't!)
I use tiny little dot of the product (apply it directly on my blemishes). You can apply it before your regular moisturizer (before applying your foundation) in the morning, and in the night time, before going to sleep (for faster results).
I don't have big breakout problems anymore (I did have a lot of breakouts in my early 20.-ties), so on my skin Effaclar A.I. works in a matter of one day (max. 2, if the breakout is bigger).
I did a bit of a research and found how it works when you have bigger breakout problems:
In 7 days of treatment, the skin is cleared.
(image sorce: internet)
You can hear more about La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I. in my video- review:
My skin ♥ La Roche Posay products!
They contain thermal water of La Roche Posay, they are safe to use even on sensitive skin, without parabens.
In my skincare routine, I have used the following products from La Roche Posay (click on the titles for a link that will lead you to a review!):
If you have any other concern/question, about this topic, don't hesitate to drop me a line, I'm always happy to answer & help you out if I can!
Don't forget, you can also connect with me on Facebook,Twitter,Instagram (recently opened!); that way we'll stay in touch on a daily basis & you'll always get the latest updates :)
On a different note... I opened a new "corner" here on my blog, where you can shop my handmade jewellery /or thrift (things that I don't use anymore & I'd like to find a better home for them!).
This "fashion corner" will be updated weekly, so check back often for "new arrivals"!
I have discovered another awesome beauty product & I don't want to keep this a secret, so I'm going to share my review with you!
:)
I'm always on a lookout for the best under eye cream...I always dedicate a lot of care to that delicate area of my skin, because I know the signs of aging, fatigue or stress, are first going to be visible there!
Over the years I have tested out some really great products for under eye skin care (one of them, that I still use a couple of nights a week, is 100% pure argan oil, 100% pure jojoba oil, and some luxurious creams such as L'Occitane Imortelle Precious Eye Balm, Clinique All About Eyes, Lierac Diopticalm etc.; the list goes on & on...)
My recent discovery is Shiseido (I always loved Shiseido products for my skincare!), and it's a very luxurious, rich in texture, under eye cream, for mature skin.
My skin isn't "mature" (I'm 32), so why did I get this cream then?
I bought it because I wanted a luxurious under eye treatment, that I would use on an occasions (once or twice a week, or in the periods when I feel my skin is a little bit more stressed out, dehydrated, and my fine under eye lines, more visible.)
If you're a teenager, or in your early/mid twenties, you really don't need to use this cream. Shiseido has got other great under eye creams, more suitable for your age.
If you're in your thirties (as I am), don't use this cream on a daily basis, your skin might get too used to it! Try to alternate it to other creams (hydrating/ lighter texture formulas). Use this product as a skin's recovery treatment, when you feel it's needed!
If you're in your mid forties, stepping into fifties, this is the perfect product for you! An under eye cream that will be your ally and that you'll enjoy using on a daily basis, mornings and night.
An ultra rich age-defense eye cream that protects skin from a harsh, dehydrating environment and dramatically minimizes the appearance of wrinkles and lines to promote a youthfully smooth, radiant look.
My under eye skin feels softer, smoother and it looks more radiant after applying this cream.
The texture is very rich, but it absobrs really well & quickly (remember, it's a concentrate, so a little goes a long way!)
All the fine lines are instantly less visible!
How does it work?
- Utilizes advanced emulsification technology to provide superb delivery of exceptional moisture to renew skin's supple, dewy-moist feel.
- Developed with Shiseido exclusive Anti- Photowrinkle System consisting of aquatic plant extract Chlorella to counteract the appearance of future wrinkles. (Chlorella promotes higher TSP-1 protein levels in epidermal cells. This protein helps maintain elastin fibres that keep skin resilient and firm.)
- Contains Hydroxyproline, a high- technology amino acid that parallels skin's own natural building blocks and helps natural collagen production.
This cream will also work in preventing wrinkles and fine lines, as it improves skin's elasticity.
Since I'm using this cream, I feel my under eye area is looking better and smoother. I only use this cream once or twice a week, and the results are still visible!
If you have more mature skin, apply this cream each morning and night (as the last step in your skincare routine). To ensure product purity, use specially provided spatula when removing cream from jar. Pick up a little bit of product from the jar with your spatula (remember, a little goes a long way!), then, using fingertips smooth gently over eye area.
If you'd like to learn more about this eye cream (& my impressions), check out my review video:
I hope this review was helpful!
Let me know, have you ever tried anything from Shiseido?
If you have any requests for my future reviews, don't hesitate to let me know!
You asked me to talk about my summer skincare & make up routine in summertime, particularly for the beach...
I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write about it sooner, but I did manage to film a video about it, while I was on my summer vacations!
I filmed directly from the beach and showed you all the products I use in my skincare (how I prepare my skin for the sun exposure), and I answered your question about wearing make up on the beach!
These are all the products I need to have on me in the hot summertime:
As you can see, there are just a very few products that I use when I'm on the beach, but these are truly my essentials and are all that I need!
You can check out my video where I talk to you about my summer skincare & make up for the beach, here:
My thoughts about wearing make up to the beach:
I think there's no point in doing that, really!
The most important thing is to protect your skin from the damaging UV rays with good skincare products.
Protect your natural beauty & let it shine :) In summertime, at the beach, you're going to be hot, you're going to sweat, go for a swim, be active (hopefully!)...your make up won't last...it'll be cakey on your face, it'll melt off, and you're going to look ridiculous!
If you feel that you need to wear at least something, go for a lipgloss with spf, and you can also use one of those mineral compact foundation with very high spf (I use Bioderma), that are designed specifically to be used at the beach/for sunbathing, and have a very light, mineral based formula that won't clog your pores and will just blend in with your skintone.
At risk of sounding cheesy... but, with no make up, letting your natural beauty shine, you're going to be the most beautiful girl at the beach :)
Make up can be our best friend sometimes, but the beach is just not the place for it!
A few pics of me at the beach, wearing no make up...
I often say that a nice summer hat & a good pair of sunglasses, are my make up for the beach!
For summer skincare/ make up, these are the products I recommend:
- Bioderma Photoderm spf 30 Matifying Sun Fluid (if you have oily/combination skin); look for the one specific to your skin type!
- Vichy capital soleil spf50+ uvb+uva
- Bioderma photoderm max spf 50+ mineral compact very high protection sensitive skin
- Shiseido anti-aging foundation sun protection compact foundation spf 30 water-resistant (my shade is sp60)
- Sun Dance lippen balsam spf30 uva+uvb protection (exclusive to DM drugstores)
- Bronzingold lip gloss with spf (exclusive to deliplus)
- Nice summer hat
- A good pair of shades ;)
We're just a couple of days before the official ending of summer, but I hope this quick post will still be useful to you, for whenever you're sunbathing, or spending time at the beach!
In this blog post I'm going to share with you beauty products that I've used up over the past couple of months, and let you know my opinions on them...if they're worth repurchasing, or not!
Hopefully you'll find this post interesting, as I have 15 "empties" to share with you today!
Here we go...
- Thermal waters are my must-have in my daily beauty routine!
I loved the grape water from Caudalie and thermal water from Uriage. Vichy was also nice, but when I was spraying it on my face, the mist wasn't coming out so fine as when I was using Caudalie, or Uriage. With Vichy, I could have actually felt the little drops of water on my face...which I didn't like.
Top place goes to Caudalie (awesome grape water!), I'll say "yes" to Uriage too, but I'll skip Vichy for now.
- Aussie haircare products are probably the best drugstore hair care products on the market! I simply love them! I've used up 2 Miracle Moist conditioners, and 3 Minute Miracle Deep conditioning Treatment.
I will be repurchasing all of these products!
Thumbs up for Aussie :)
- Liabel hair mask costs only 1€ and I got it at my local supermarket. This one was enriched with line seed oil and keratin, and it was actually a very nice product :)
Super inexpensive, it'll really "save your hair's life" on the days when your budget for beauty products is running low!
- Professional Hair Care Keratin Complex hair mask was very hydrating and it was doing great job at detangling my long hair!
I also loved the scent!
Pretty good product, it's possible that I'm going to repurchase it in the future, it's just not on my priority list right now!
- Keune Protein Spray is the product I was very curious to try out!After a couple of months of using it, I didn't see any major positive effects in my hair, but it was working well as a leave- in conditioner/ detangler.
I was still happy with it while I was using it, but it just didn't give me enough reasons to repurchase it...
- Schwarzkopf Gliss hair conditioner is the product I've repurchased many times already. Before I tried out Aussie products, Schwarzkopf was my best drugstore brand for hair care.
Nice price, effective...when I was low on beauty budget, these reasons were good enough for me to keep repurchasing it!
Now that I've tried Aussie, this has changed, so I doubt I'll be repurchasing Schwarzkopf any time soon (only if I can't get Aussie products!)
- Afrodita foot bath, let me just say a big "YES" to this product!I love all Afrodita products and was never disappointed with any of the products this brand has to offer!
I was using this relaxing, soothing foot bath for my "at home pedicure weekly routine", and was extremely pleased with the results!
My verdict: This product is definitely on the top of my shopping list! :) Will be repurchasing it very soon!
The downside of it is that being a slovenian product, I can't get it in Italy, but I have to wait to go to Croatia, to be able to get it...
- Shower gels: Bourjois Wake Me!, Vidal argan oil, Le Petit Marseillais Sweet Almond Milk...
All three were nice shower gels, good priced drugstore brands.
Out of these three, the Bourjois one is a little bit more expensive , but was also my favourite, and is the first one that I would repurchase.
Le Petit Marseillais won me over with its scent of sweet almond milk, taking a shower with this product was a real pleasure!
Vidal with argan oil was my least favourite, but still ok, there is no reason for me not to repurchase it some time in the future.
It just wasn't anything spectacular, but it was also the most convenient one (less than 1€ at my local supermarket).
- Gardin apicoltura shampoo surprised me with its quality!
I paid less than 1€ for it at my local supermarket, but it was worth more :) It was very mild, gentle shampoo, suitable even for daily usage. It contained natural extracts of royal gelly, an ingredient very appealing to me :)
This was a nice shampoo and I was surprised with its low price.
Because it's so gentle, it's a shampoo that I'd use in summertime, for frequent usage, when I'm going to the beach, and when I need to wash my hair every day.
The downside of it is that this brand is probably harder to get, as it's a local production and maybe targeted towards just a selected supermarkets of my area.
Those were all the empties I had prepared for you this time! I really hope this was helpful & interesting to you :)
You can also watch my "Empties" video, to hear more about these products:
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