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Hello babes! I feel like lip scrubs have become more popular over the last couple of years, as more and more brands have brought out their version of them. They come in all kinds of different flavors and textures, but the one I will be talking about today is a coffee lip scrub, so keep reading if you are interested!
Packaging + Price
The lip scrub and lip balm come as a set, and they retail on the Frank Body website for 19.95€. I had ordered from this website before, when they were a smaller company and when the products still had to come from Australia. However, they now have distribution centers in Europe and the US as well, because I did not have to pay any import taxes.
The lip scrub comes in a small pot, containing 0.51 fl.oz. (15 ml), and the balm comes in a squeeze-tube and contains the same amount of product. I have to be honest, at first I thought this was not a lot of product for a kind of high price. However, a little bit goes a long way, so I don’t think I will need a new jar or tube soon.
If you are unfamiliar with this brand, they do have a different way of marketing their products, just check out the website to see what I mean. Another example of this, is on the back of the lip balm, where it says this product is only tested on babes.
Experience
Lip scrub
The scent of the lip scrub is like really sweet coffee, due to the sugar and coffee in the product. However, it does not – I repeat: does not – taste as good as it smells, let me tell you. Do not try to eat it, resist temptation.
As far as the scrub goes, this is actually a really good lip scrub. The coffee and grains of salt act as scrubbing particles, which are big enough to scrub nicely for your lips. And do you know how some lip scrubs do break up your skin but then do not remove the excess skin so you have excess skin hanging on your lips? This one does not do that. It scrubs nicely but at the same time makes sure your lips are really smooth as well.
It is easy to wipe off as well, I usually just grab a tissue and go over my lips twice and the product is gone.
Lip balm
I am not completely sure about the lip balm yet. It is a good lip balm, very hydrating, but the scent kind of puts me off, and it has this really thick texture. It is similar to the Elizabeth Arden 8h cream, if you are familiar with that one. I did have a problem with scent as well with that one in the beginning, but now I love it, so I’m guessing this will go the same way. As far as the thickness is concerned, I do like it because you do not need a lot to cover your lips, because it does spread out nicely.
Moreover, on the website it says that you can use this lip balm on cuticles, brows, lashes or cheekbones as well, so it is a multi-purpose balm.
Conclusion
I really like this lip scrub and lip balm duo. It has some really great ingredients in both products, which help with collagen production, and keeping your lips hydrated and nourished throughout the day. I would definitely recommend this, so look into it if you are looking for a great lip scrub and balm.
Have you tried any Frank Body products before? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know!
Saskia
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Frank Body: lip balm + lip scrub Hello babes! I feel like lip scrubs have become more popular over the last couple of years, as more and more brands have brought out their version of them. -
Six beauty products worth the splurge
Six beauty products worth the splurge
Hello babes! Even though I am still studying and do not have a big budget to spend on money, I do like to spend a bit more on higher-end make-up once in a while. I also really enjoy seeing which (more) expensive products other bloggers/vloggers like, so I thought I’d share with you 6 products I think are worth splurging on. Keep reading to find out which products I recommend!
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Hello beautiful babes! If you are like me and are not always able to splurge on make-up, affordable products are a must, but drugstore products do not always deliver. However, if you know Colourpop, you know they are not only affordable but also have some really great products in their online shop. Today I will talk about a palette of theirs, called Yes Please!, tell you my thoughts and show you a look with it, so keep reading!
Packaging + Price
Colourpop is known for being very affordable. This palette was only 16$ and you get 12 shades of 0.85g, which is a little bit less than average I would say, but still a decent amount. (The shades in most of the palettes I own are around 1g).
As far as the packaging goes, it is really lightweight, compact and made of carton. I prefer that my palettes have little mirrors in them, this one doesn’t, but I guess that is why they can keep the price so low. So, honestly, it doesn’t bother me, because it is an affordable product.
Experience
I have played around with this palette a few times now, and all the shades are Colourpop quality, meaning they are pigmented and easy to blend. They are a litte bit powdery, but I do not find that a problem personally. There is a whole variety of shades in here, so you can make really bold looks, but also go for more natural looks. There is a nice amount of matte shades, which is really important because I only want to use shimmer on my lid and not anywhere else. At the same time, the palette also has 4 different shimmer shades, so you can create a whole array of looks, from day time neutral to night time party-ready!
The names of the shades are on the back of the palette. It does confuse me, though, because I am always unsure how to read the shade names. Do they correspond with the color on that spot or do you have to mirror them? (If you understand what I mean). So I would prefer the names under the colors as to not cause confusion.
As far as the longevity of the eyeshadows goes, I have had no problem with it and they seem to stay on very nicely during the day/evening. They also do not have any fall-out, not while applying and also not during the day.
Swatches
I swatched the colors row by row, and put the photos in order of the rows.
Just look at how gorgeous that shimmer orange-golden shade is though!!
Make-up look
Lastly, I decided to create a look for you guys, to show how they work on the eyes. I only used the mattes of this palette on my eyes, nothing else.
Conclusion
I really recommend this palette. It has such gorgeous colors in there, so you can do a neutral day-time look, but also opt for something more bold. The eyeshadows are of very good quality, they blend nicely and they are pigmented. So, if you are looking for a more affordable eyeshadow palette, but do not want to compromise on quality, go take a look at Colourpop’s range of eyeshadows/eyeshadow palettes.
Have you tried any Colourpop products? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Let me know in the comments below!
Saskia
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Colourpop: Yes please! Palette: Review + Make-up look Hello beautiful babes! If you are like me and are not always able to splurge on make-up, affordable products are a must, but drugstore products do not always deliver. -
Happy Friday babes! Hope you had a lovely week. I do not know about you, but for me, if there is one thing I cannot live without, it is mascara. I have quite long lashes, but they are blonde, so you can barely see them without mascara. So, I am always on the hunt for new mascara that accentuates my long lashes without giving them a spidery effect. Naturally this means I try out a lot of different mascaras, and for the past few months I have been using this L’Oréal Paradise Extatic mascara (US: L’Oréal Lash Paradise), so keep reading if you are interested in the results.
Packaging + Price
The mascara comes in a plastic wrapped box, that most L’Oréal make-up mascaras come in, and you get 6.4ml for 14,99€ (at Kruidvat, or Di).
The European packaging is different from US packaging, but I will just talk about European packaging here. It is a rose golden round tube packaging, with the name of the mascara in dotted letters.
Experience
I originally bought this mascara because I like to try out new mascaras, and I heard this was a very good alternative to the Benefit Roller Lash, which is one of my all-time favorite mascaras. And I do have to say that it comes quite close to the Benefit Roller Lash in the sense that this mascara gives me the same effect as the Benefit one. Formula-wise both are different though.
The mascara is a bit watery at first, but the formula dries up a bit the more you use it, making it easier to use in my opinion.
The brush on the mascara is slightly thinner in the middle compared to the edges. I am not that big of a fan of these brushes, as I am quite clumsy and I get mascara on my eyelids and under my eyes every time when applying, but that does not mean this brush will not work for you of course. The brush does pick up quite a bit of product. So, especially when the formula is a little watery, I recommend wiping the brush on a tissue first, as you will otherwise have too much mascara on your brush and your lashes will clump together very easily. Nonetheless, even when the formula has become thicker, my lashes will still clump together, so I like to comb through my lashes after applying mascara to separate them.
It is supposed to give volume and lengthen your lashes, but I feel like it just lengthens and curls, but it is a very long lasting mascara, and it does not smudge on me, so all is good, really.
Conclusion
I really like this mascara. However, it does tend to clump my lashes together and create a spidery effect, so I do have to comb through my lashes after applying. All of this takes a bit of time, so if I do not have lots of time, I just go for a different mascara. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a good mascara that is not too pricey, I definitely recommend this one as it is a fine mascara.
Phew, I feel like this was a long blogpost, but I had so much to say about this! Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts? Let me know!
Saskia
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L’Oréal Paradise extatic mascara Happy Friday babes! Hope you had a lovely week. I do not know about you, but for me, if there is one thing I cannot live without, it is mascara. -
Happy Sunday babes! Face masks are probably my favorite type of skincare products, so I do have quite a few of them. In my collection you can also find the Eyes Lips Face (or E.L.F.) hydrating bubble mask, which I picked up last summer when I was in the US. If you want to know more about this intriguing face mask, keep reading!
Packaging + Price
As there is no more BE/NL E.L.F. site, I cannot look up the price here, but I do remember paying 14$ for it in the US, which is quite expensive for the brand, and for a drugstore face mask. Nonetheless, I really wanted the product because a face mask that bubbles? That sounds intriguing!
The product comes in a plastic jar that contains 50g (1.69 oz) and it has a pump system, where you have to push the top down and then it dispenses product right there on the top, if you get what I mean. I am not sure what to think of this packaging. It’s fun, but I think I would still prefer either just a jar, or a pump that dispenses it onto your hand/brush.
Experience
I have found it very difficult since the first time I’ve tried it to get the mask divided evenly across my face. It starts bubbling quite fast, so you have to work really fast to get everything covered, and if you forgot a spot, you will have to go over it and in the process you will already get rid of some bubbles that have formed.
It is really fun when it starts bubbling and you look like a cloud. However, it itches so bad I have to remove it after a couple of minutes every time. I get that it is supposed to lightly itch because there is bubbles forming. However, I do not think that an unbearable itch should occur. (PS. I do not think I am allergic to the product, because there is no redness, bumps, itching or breakouts after using the product)
I also did not really notice the hydrating effect it is supposed to give you. However, when I applied it on the back of my hand to take photos of the bubbles, I did notice some residu was left behind after application, leaving my hand feeling soft and hydrated, so I guess it does something after all.
Conclusion
For me personally, this mask was a big no. I have not used it very often, because it itches really bad every time, and it doesn’t do anything. If I spend 14$ on a face mask, I expect it to have an effect on my skin. It is fun, but that is all there is to me.
Have you tried this product? If so, what is your opinion? Let me know!
Saskia
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E.L.F. Hydrating bubble mask Happy Sunday babes! Face masks are probably my favorite type of skincare products, so I do have quite a few of them. -
Hello babes! It’s been a minute since I did a make-up post, but today I am serving you a product that is perfect for spring/summer. I do not like to wear full coverage make-up on hot days, unless I am bored and playing around with make-up. Otherwise I will just put on something that is lightweight on the skin. Today’s product is the Yves Rocher pure light moisturizing foundation which will be perfect for those hot days, so keep reading if you want to know more!
Packaging + Price
The product comes in a glass bottle with a dropper to dispense the product. It is 19,90€ for 30ml, but if you check their website or store regularly, there are often discounts. I myself found the price quite high for Yves Rocher, but again, keep an eye on the discounts.
I really like the dropper, as it makes sure you do not take too much product at once, and it is very hygienic.
Experience
When I applied the product for the first time, I was not a fan at all. It flaked and it separated immediately after applying and it just did not stick to every part of my face evenly. However, through experimentation I have found out that you have to find a primer that works with the product. For me personally, the W7 Porefection works nice under this foundation.
Powder is definitely necessary with this foundation to make sure you get the maximum wear out of it. It tends to move around a bit, due to it’s liquidy texture. I also advise not to use any liquid products on top of this (e.g. liquid highlighter) as it can also make the foundation separate.
Beautyblender or brush?
As for beautyblender or brush, I have to use a brush with this foundation. A beautyblender moves the foundation around and creates patches where there is no foundation. I don’t know why it happens, it is the only foundation that does this with a beautyblender. Moreover, there is better coverage with a brush. I do have to mention, however, that it takes a bit longer to blend nicely with a brush as it is a bit streaky at first, but keep blending and it will look better.
Before and after:
As you can see on the photos, the coverage the foundation provides is quite light to medium but it evens out your skintone nicely and is perfect for summer due to being so lightweight. It oxidizes a little bit, but nothing out of the ordinary. I am wearing the color Rose 200.
Conclusion
It takes some time to be able to work with the foundation in my opinion, but once you have found what works and what doesn’t, it is quite a nice, lightweight and natural foundation. However, there are foundations out there that are easier to work with for the same price, so I do not think I will purchase this again.
Have you tried this foundation? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let me know!
Saskia
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Yves Rocher: Pure light moisturizing foundation Hello babes! It’s been a minute since I did a make-up post, but today I am serving you a product that is perfect for spring/summer. -
Hello babes! Another skincare item today on the blog for you guys. It seems like I’ve been loving The Body Shop a lot for these past months, and this is another product I’ve been using by them. I am talking about the Vitamin C glow boosting moisturiser today, so keep reading if you are interested!
Packaging + Price
The moisturiser comes in a hard plastic jar, that contains 49g of the product (or 1.7oz), and if I remember correctly I paid 21€ for it in the store. I bought this because I ran out of moisturiser and it is advertised for dull, tired and grumpy skin, which describes my skin perfectly, especially when I am tired.
There is no paper box that the jar comes in, but all the instructions and ingredients are listed on the bottom. The jar itself is hard plastic, as mentioned, making it really sturdy and hard to break.
Experience
The first thing you notice when opening the jar, is the scent. It has a lovely, but soft citrussy scent.
At first I was not the biggest fan of this product, for the simple reason that I had been having some trouble with extremely dry skin, and this was just not enough moisture. However, as soon as my skin turned back to normal to a little dry, I started using it more often and currently it is my go-to moisturiser. So, I would not use this moisturiser on itself if you have extremely dry skin.
The gel-like texture of the product is cooling on the skin and really wakes up your skin in the morning. The scent is there in the beginning, but it goes away pretty fast. It has a sticky texture. However, if you do not use too much of the product at once – just enough – the stickiness tends to disappear within a few minutes, leaving your skin hydrated and soft. This is an important thing I noticed. You have to start with a small amount of product and if needed at more. Less is definitely more for this moisturiser.
After application, I do notice that my face looks more glowy and hydrated than before. It keeps my face hydrated for the rest of the day, and it works perfectly under make-up as well due to its stickiness. (I do still always use a primer though)
Conclusion
If you have normal skin, this is definitely a moisturiser for you. It is not heavy on the skin and provides a nice amount of moisture. Moreover, a little can go a long way, so you can use this product for a long time before you even notice you have used up some product. Lastly, if you feel like your skin needs a ‘wake up’ in the morning, or it can use some glow, I recommend this moisturiser.
Have you tried this moisturiser? If so, what are your thoughts on it?
Saskia
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The Body Shop Vitamin C: Glow boosting moisturiser Hello babes! Another skincare item today on the blog for you guys. It seems like I’ve been loving The Body Shop a lot for these past months, and this is another product I’ve been using by them. -
Hello beautiful babes! I have an exciting blogpost that I’ve been meaning to write for so long. I finally sat down and took my time to go over all the skincare items I’ve used up over the last couple of months. I will try to keep it as short as possible, but also review each product, so keep reading to find out what I loved and would repurchase, or maybe what I will not repurchase.
Face cleansers
- Tony Moly foam cleanser. Loved it, would repurchase. Cleansed the face, without being too harsh on the skin and did not dry out my skin. Rating: *****
- Yes To cucumber daily gel cleanser. I loved it at first, but the longer I used it, the more I noticed it was not for me. After a while it even started to sting when I used it, and it slightly dried out my skin. Rating: **
- North American Hemp co. face wash. This was such a gentle face cleanser that would turn into foam. Would definitely repurchase. This is more for a gentle cleanse, and not for a deep cleanse though. Rating: ****
- Pixi Beauty glow tonic. Even though this is not a face cleanser, I will mention it here also. I love this product, I repurchased it before I ran out of it. It helps with keeping my skin clear and hydrated. By far one of my best skincare purchases so far. Rating: *****
Face wipes/Make-up wipes
Disclaimer: I only use face/make-up wipes to remove swatches and I never use them on my face since my skin is really sensitive. That also means I won’t do ratings for these.
- Yves Rocher Pure calmille. These wipes were really gentle on the skin, but dried out pretty quick since the top didn’t really close, but that might be my fault.
L’Oréal sublime soft. These can be quite harsh on the skin, especially when you have to use them on the same spot multiple times.
Moisturizers/Face sprays
- Avène Hydrance Optimale cream. I have repurchased this. It is a really nice moisturiser with SPF in it. However, because my skin is on the drier side at the moment, I don’t really use it anymore since I just need that extra hydration. This works very well for those of us with normal to combined skin-types. Rating: ****
- The Body Shop oils of life cream. It took me almost 1.5 years to empty this, because it was such a big jar. I loved this product so much, and would repurchase. Made my skin feel super soft and hydrated. Works for dry skin as well, in combination with a serum. Rating: *****
- Tarte drink of H2O hydration boost. Loved this product and the gel-like texture. Would repurchase a full-size product. Got into my skin quickly and gave it some nice hydration. Rating: *****
- Tarte marine boosting mist. This was a face mist like any other in my opinion. It smells nice, but in my opinion if you are looking for a face mist, there are cheaper options on the market that do the same. Rating: **
- Caudalie eau de beauté. This smelled really nice and I liked putting it under skincare, over make-up or any other way you would use a face mist. It is nice, but again there are cheaper face mists that give the same hydration in my opinion. Rating: ***
- The Body Shop vitamin-E serum. I loved it and repurchased it. Still use it. Works great to hydrate the skin. I use it under my night cream. Rating: *****
Eye creams
I am going to be honest with you. Both eyecreams were nice but I didn’t notice any visible difference while using either. I do remember liking the Skyn Iceland eye pen, but I do not remember why, it might have been the formula.
- Skyn Iceland Icelandic relief eye pen
- Balance Me wonder eye cream
Face masks
- L’Oréal Pure Clay detox mask. I wrote a blogpost on the L’Oréal face masks a while ago. (here) I did like how purifying this mask was. However, it dried out my skin tremendously, so I never reached for it. There are definitely better masks out there, that are a bit pricier maybe, that will have the same effect, minus the drying out your skin. Rating: *
Phew, we got through all the products! Do you see any products you love/dislike?
Saskia
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Product Empties: Skincare Hello beautiful babes! I have an exciting blogpost that I’ve been meaning to write for so long. -
Hello beauty babes! It’s been a while since my last blogpost. I’ve been so busy these last couple of weeks so that is why it has been quiet on both instagram and here. I do have an exciting read for you today, as I will be talking about one of my all-time favorite face scrubs today. So keep on reading if you want to know more about this product.
Packaging + Price
The product comes in a tube of 75 ml and is about 12€ on lookfantastic. You can also purchase it through the official Nip+Fab website, for the same price. The tube does not come in a cardboard box, so all the ingredients and the directions are on the back of the product, which I really like.
I do like the fact that it comes in a tube as you do not squeeze out too much of the product at once and it is just really hygienic.
Experience
I bought my first tube of this product over two years ago in the US and I was immediately in love. The scrubbing particles are quite large, but I actually prefer this to smaller scrubbing particles where it sometimes does not even feel like you are scrubbing your face. It has a citrussy scent.
I also like that it is not just a regular facescrub, but it also has glycolic and salicylic acids in there and it is supposed to refine, brighten and renew your skin. I do feel like it does indeed renew your skin and blemishes are less visible the day after using this. Moreover, my skin is bright after use and most importantly, my skin will not become dry after using this, which is a problem with a lot of scrubs in my opinion. I do also use this on my lips sporadicly.
I do have to mention that my face is sometimes a bit red after using the product as it can be quite hard to get all the scrubbing particles of your face with a washcloth. That is why I recommend using this under the shower as you can just rinse away the particles really easily.
Conclusion
Overall, I would definitely recommend this if you are in need of a good facescrub. I did repurchase it once already and I definitely will repurchase in the future.
Have you tried any Nip+Fab products? If so, what are your thoughts?
Saskia
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Nip+Fab Glycolic Scrub Fix Hello beauty babes! It’s been a while since my last blogpost. I’ve been so busy these last couple of weeks so that is why it has been quiet on both instagram and here. -
Hello babes! With spring here (date-wise, not weather-wise I guess), and summer nearing I thought I would share one of my all time favorite after-sun products. I have used this many times when I was in Greece, and it is about time I share some details with you, so keep reading to know more!
The product I am talking about is the Eau Thermale Avène after-sun repair. As skincare after being out in the sun is suuuper important, I decided to buy this because I really love Avène products, and I hadn’t really found an after-sun lotion that worked well.
Packaging + Price
I have to be honest and say I don’t remember the price exactly, but going on what I find on the internet, I think it was around 14/15€ for 200ml. There are also different formats of the bottle, I also found 1l bottles, so depending on how much time you spent in the sun it might be worth looking at the different formats.
As far as the packaging goes, it comes in a bottle with a pump, which I really like because that way no product is wasted (like when for example if you have a pot, you might take too much product at once and then have to rinse off the excess, causing it to be wasted). And on top, it is more hygienic as you only touch that amount that is dispensed.
Experience
The product itself is marketed as ‘creamy gel’ and that is exactly what it is. It has a liquidy cream texture but it is also clearly a gel. It is non-sticky and non-greasy and gets into your skin super fast so your clothes will not stick to you after applying this. Moreover, it makes your skin feel supersoft after applying. The scent is typical Avène scent (I do not know how to describe it, but Avène products all have a similar scent in my opinion).
Of course this product is an after-sun product, so it is important to know how it works after being out in the sun. If you have a light sunburn, this product will help your skin heal within the day, and you will not have a red spot anymore afterwards. It helps when you have no sunburn at all also, to get your skin’s hydration levels on point again. Further, when you have a really bad sunburn, it also helps in cooling the skin and it helps speed up the process faster. Within 2 days your skin will be back to normal. Of course I highly recommend not getting sunburnt, but I guess we’ve all been there.
Conclusion
I would repurchase this product and I definitely would recommend it. It is one of my all-time favorite after-sun bodycare products. It works so well, is non-greasy and non-sticky and gets into the skin super fast.
Have you tried this Eau thermale Avène product? If so, what is your opinion?
Saskia
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Avène after-sun repair Hello babes! With spring here (date-wise, not weather-wise I guess), and summer nearing I thought I would share one of my all time favorite after-sun products.
