A Little Skincare Haul

I'm sorry for the bad lighting!

Well, little… It might not look like so much stuff but my bankbalance isn’t really happy with me. I was in need of some new skincare since I’m running out of my usual moisturizer and as I’m leaving on holiday in a few weeks time, I thought I’d pick up some other bits. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I get really paranoid about running out of stuff whilst on holiday! I absolutely love buying skincare and I think it’s fair to say that I love skincare more than makeup. I think this is just because I’ve had bad skin for such a long time, and now my skin is finally clear I can start using products that would have broken me out otherwise! My skin is oily but can be combination since I do get some dry patches around my nose and on my chin sometimes. I do get some blemishes, but it’s not as bad as it used to be. I suffered from acne and still have some scarring left, so I do tend to look for brightening skincare products that will slowly make those little scars disappear. I also tend to go for brightening products that encourage cell-renewal and inject a serious dose of nourishment. Even when I do have a couple of blemishes, I like to keep them hydrated and try not to pick at them as I find they disappear so much quicker and don’t leave a scar when I do that.

I first went to the Clarins counter and picked up two things I have wanted to try for the absolute longest time: the Exfoliating Toner and the Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream. I’ve heard so many great things about the Exfoliating Toner and have never actually tried a real chemical exfoliant, so I’m really curious about this product. I needed a new cleanser for when I go on holiday and had been eyeing up this cleanser for a while now, so I naturally had to get it! Not the most practical packaging for travelling, but oh well. Even though my skin is quite oily, I hate cleanser that leave my skin feeling too clean and stripped. I do have quite sensitive skin, so I think this will be perfect for me. I’ve only used it once so far so I can’t really say anything about it, but it feels really good on my skin and is great for facial massage, which I like to treat myself to every evening.

Next, I went to the Origins counter. I originally only wanted to pick up the two moisturisers, but I caved and also bought a toner and the cleansing oil. What can I say.

The Clean Energy cleansing oil is quite a new Origins product. I saw it in store a few months ago and immediately knew I had to have it. I’ve actually never tried a real cleansing oil- I’ve tried gel cleansers that turn into an oil as soon as you massage them in- and because Origins is one of my favourite brands ever, I really wanted to try this. By the way, the pump is sold separately- naughty Origins! I would really recommend it though, as it might get a little bit messy and to avoid spilling product everywhere. The United State toner is something I hadn’t ever heard of before. It’s a toner for combination skin, which aims to balance out the oily and dry parts on your face, which sounded perfect for me. I’m also saving this for when I go on holiday because I’m using my Kiehl’s toner up, which I also really like. 

Then on to the best part: the moisturizers. I got a sample of the Ginzing moisturizer a few months ago and I really loved it. It smells really good (like all Origins products, actually) and sinks beautifully into the skin leaving it fresh and moisturized. Perfect for summer, really. The consistency and product itself reminds me a little bit of the Clarins Daily-Energizer Cream-Gel! I also got the High Potency Night-a-Mins, which is a nighttime moisturizer I’ve been wanting  for about a year now but just never bought. Now I have it I couldn’t be happier! I got the oil-free version of it because as I said, my skin can get quite oily and even though I do like (and need!) a lot of hydration, I don’t like it when my moisturizer leaves me with a sticky, greasy face! The scent of these moisturizers is almost the same, although I do find the Ginzing one smells a little bit fresher which is perfect for the morning time.

So I might have spent a little bit too much money on these, but I believe that you have to invest in your face. You only have one, so why not take care of it? I think that if you put a lot of effort and work in something, you get something good in return. And I’d rather pay a little bit more for skincare than waste my money on going out and getting drunk a few times a week.

I really hope I will love these products but I’m quite sure I will, as Clarins and Origins are two of my favourite brands ever for skincare. I really hope I’ve finally discovered my perfect skincare routine, so I’ll keep you updated on that. I’m planning on doing more skincare-related posts, so please let me know if you’re into that! Maybe a post on facial massage or just a post showing you my current skincare routine, or telling you how I’ve cleared my acne? Please let me know! I’m planning on trying some of the Dr. Weil for Origins brightening products next, and I’m also looking more into REN skincare, the masks especially. Let me know if you have any recommendations!

The Everyday Summer Makeup

First off: chronic bitchface alert, sorry. Second: ‘everyday summer’ as in ‘what I wear on my face when it’s super hot outside’, not ‘it’s summer every day wooohooo!’, even though I wish the latter was true. Seeing as the weather has been absolutely amazing the past couple of weeks, I had to change up my make up routine a little bit. Not I’m really extravagant in my daily make up choices, but hey, even changing up my everyday lipsticks is a big deal for me. I’ve even been experimenting with blue and purple eyeliner, but I’m saving that for another blog post. I feel like these posts are becoming a little bit boring seeing as most of the products featured here I’ve already talked about numerous times before, but I’m not really one for buying makeup (I’m more a skincare kind of girl, even though I don’t really talk about skincare much on the blog) and therefore most of my makeup fits into one box. But for those of you who are interested on what I wear on those hot and steamy summer days, keep reading.

For my base, I’ve been cracking out the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation. I wasn’t really loving it when I first got it because it’s a lot different than the foundations I usually try, but a couple of days ago I thought I’d give it another go and I have been wearing it every day since. The finish is just so beautiful and glowy, and it makes me look more awake in seconds. I haven’t really been sleeping that well the past couple of days duet o the heat, but this foundation seems to cover that really well, which is why I’ve been loving it so much, I think. It lasts all day on my oily-combination skin, but I do need to use a powder when I use this, which is my trusty Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre. A light dusting of powder is definitely a must for me in this weather, as my T-zone can get quite oily during the day which means my makeup can slide off my face. I do like a dewy finish, but I don’t like looking too oily either and I find it quite hard to find that balance.

For concealer, another usual suspect; my Estée Lauder Double Wear concealer. My favourite concealer ever, and I’m not planning on purchasing another concealer anytime soon.

I’ve been dusting quite a lot of the Chanel Les Beiges powder in B40 on my cheeks as a bronzer. I find that this is the perfect shade to warm up my face and it looks super natural. I love these kind of sheer, natural-looking powders and even though I’m more of a blusher girl, this has swayed me over to the dark side.

For brows, my Catrice eyebrow pencil is my best friend. It’s the perfect match for me and I love that it has a little brush on the end.

I recently repurchased the l’Oréal Telescopic mascara and I’ve fallen head over heels in love with it- again. I bought it around this time last year and I absolutely love dit, but because I’m such a beauty addict I always want to try something new when I run out of a beauty product, so I didn’t repurchase it. I missed it, however, and because my Clinique mascara is slowly drying up I thought I would give this another go. It’s love. Perfect length, definition and separation; this is hands down the best mascara I have ever tried. I love the thin brush, which makes it so easy to apply and separate the lashes and it has made my lashes appear longer than any other mascara I’ve ever tried. I just love it. I think it’s getting discontinued though, since it was the only one left when I went to pick it up and I’ve never seen it in any other stores, which makes me a very sad girl.

On the lips, MAC’s Lovelorn is the perfect sheer blue-toned pinky lipstick. It’s moisturising and the colour is really buildable, which means I’ve been reaching for this most days.

So this is my fuss-free long-lasting summer makeup routine. I love every single one of these products, and they’re almost all holy grail products to me. Have you tried any of these before? What are your favourite summer makeup items?

Currently Reading, A Lack of Motivation and Love, Love, Love

Books are my one love. As I’ve said numerous times before, reading is my biggest hobby and my dream is to own a huge library in my house when I grow up (this makes me sound like a child). I don’t really have much time to read anymore however, but when I do, I cherish those moments and try to make the most out of the few hours I have to read. This frequently results in me finishing a book in less than 24 hours.

The book I’m currently reading is one that I’ve seen on many beauty bloggers desks. I had never really heard that much about it, but since I discovered Grace through watching ‘the September Issue’ I fell a little bit in love with her personality, so I figured I would really love this book. I’m not even halfway through, but so far I’m really loving it; reading about her childhood, haute couture in the 60’s-70’s and I absolutely love reading about the Vogue offices and what happens behind the scenes. There’s also a chapter about Anna Wintour, which I can’t wait to read, and the book also contains lots of photos of Grace when she was younger. All the illustrations in the book are drawn by Grace, and I really love them since they’re so quirky and funny. In the end, there’s also a few pages with pictures of editorials she shot which is absolutely amazing to look at. I do enjoy reading it, but I do however find that it can sometimes get a little bit dull and- dare I say it- boring. This isn’t really a book that you should complete in a day; reading tiny chunks is enough and definitely helps to keep it interesting.

On to general ‘life’ stuff: I have my beauty therapy exam on Wednesday, and I’m stressing out. There’s just so much to study and a lot of things we need to know are quite irrelevant to it all, like how the respiratory system and digestive tract work. But it’s nice to possess that knowledge and I guess that it can come in handy later on. I’m more nervous about the practical part of the exam, though. We need to do one half of it this Wednesday and then the other half on the next Wednesday, and I really hate it when people are paying close attention when I’m doing something like painting someone else’s nails (which I’m not good at to begin with) so I’m really, really nervous about that. I’m better with ‘theoretical stuff’, if you know what I mean. I started this course purely out of interest and just because I love everything beauty and especially skincare related, but I just don’t know if I want it tob e my job- yet. I’m starting university in September and then we’ll see what comes next, I guess. I do, however, lack the motivation to study and especially to practice doing my facials and manicures, so I need to find my spark back and go hard the next couple of days. I’ve only got tomorrow and Tuesday left, eek!

On another note; I’ve been loving loads of blogs and YouTube channels/videos lately, and I thought I’d share the love. The first blog I’ve fallen head over heels in love with and which is actually quite a new discovery to me, is The Dauphine. The photography is beautiful, just as Chelsey herself. She just has such a chic parisian look to her and always looks effortlessly gorgeous. Next up are From Roses and Vintage Machine, which are two blogs which I’ve been loving for a few months now. Not only is their photograpy absolutely beautiful, but their choices in beauty products are absolutely perfect!

I’ve also been obsessing over the Saccone-Jolys and I’ve been watching their holiday videos religiously for the past week or so. I love, love, love, love having a sneak peek into their life, and now they’re on holiday I’m vicarously living through their videos! I can’t wait untill I’m off to Mallorca next month, but until then, this has to do. Also, that’s some true dedication and passion there if they’re even blogging on their holiday!

I’ve also been loving Anna’s guide to holiday packing- I’ve printed out the PDF files she made and definitely scribbled down some notes for future reference!

I’m not really feeling my blog at the moment- I feel like I say this all the time, but I’m just really a perfectionist and way too hard for myself. I’m planning on taking better photo’s and improve my photo editing skills, and I also really want to improve the quality of my writing. I know my English spelling and especially grammar isn’t the best and I’m learning everyday, but it just is quite hard for me to write and describe things in English whilst everyone around you is talking Dutch and you’re simultaneously talking to a friend- or maybe I just need to stop multitasking and start focusing more on what I’m doing. To make things short, I just want my blog to keep evolving. I love blogging so much and it’s definitely become something I look forward to, and even though I don’t really blog that much, the moment I sit down and start writing is always such a moment of relief and creative freedom. Even though I’m not really creative, but whatever.

I want this blog to be more personal and I want it to be my creative outlet, a place where I can truly be myself and develop my personality, style, writing skills, photography etcetera.

I’m really sorry for this monster of a blog post. For those of you who have stuck until the end, I love you, I really do. I really hope you like these more kind of lifestylish posts, and if you want to, please leave a comment saying what you would like to see more of on this blog. I hope everyone who reads this has a lovely week!

Origins Sensory Therapy Peace of Mind On-the-Spot Relief

When I was still at uni and I was in the middle of my Christmas exams, my mom came home with this. Because it says ‘spot’, she thought it was a spot treatment. When I told her it was actually a stress-relief serum, she was a little bit shocked but also amused because I could use that as well at the time because I was in a lot of exam-related stress. The Origins Sensory Therapy On-the-Spot Relief (phew, quite a mouthful!) is, like I said, a stress-relief serum which can be used to calm down your anxiety or make you feel less stressed. I usually take a little pump of this, rub it between my fingers and massage i tinto my temples, neck and earlobes as suggested on the packaging, and it just feels so soothing. It smells really minty and fresh, but not too strong, which makes it really comforting. When massaged in, it leaves an almost stingy sensation, but I really, really like that feeling. It also feels quite cooling at well.

When I’m somewhere really busy, I usually just take a little bit of this on my hands and put them over my nose so I can really sniff up the gorgeous, calming scent of this and I don’t know if it’s just placebo effect, but for me, it really does help.

I was feeling a little bit anxious and sad tonight so I reached for this and I do already feel a bit better. I really do believe that scents are such a mood-booster and different scents have different properties.

This post is probably not written so well (my English grammar is outstandingly rubbish tonight), but it’s midnight here and I can’t sleep (hence the quick Instagram snippet), so I thought I would write just a quick post about one of my favourite products ever.

Do you have this? What do you think of these serums?

An Update #4

001. I’m currently sitting in the sofa with a facemask on, finishing my cup of tea and smelling my freshly washed hair- Toni & Guy is where it’s at, review coming soon! This week has been really really busy, and I’ve finally 
made an attempt to sort my life out, starting with the cabonets in my bedroom. I threw away so many of my clothes and sorted out one of my closets which hadn’t been touched in years- really! Opening my closet and realising there are only clothes in there that I really like and actually wear is such a good feeling, even though it kind of hurts throwing out old clothes that have so many memories to them. But oh well, it really had to be done and my mind feels so much clearer because of it. I also bought some new, fresh bedding from Ikea and sorted out my books/school stuff cabinet, which now looks so much more organised and pleasurable to open. I do love me a bit of organising.

002. I had a bit of a revelation this week in terms of school and my future. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you may or may not know that I was studying Psychology but decided to drop out in January. Since then, I always thought that Journalism was where it’s at, but the past couple of months it just didn’t feel right. Whenever I thought of going to study Journalism coming September, I got this strange feeling that I can’t really explain, but I thought that were just nerves and it was normal to feel that way. On Friday, however, one of my best friends took me and another friend of her to my old uni for some presentations, and I suddenly missed it so much. My old uni was in Holland, and the schools there are just so much nicer than in Belgium. The people are friendlier and more spontaneous, and it’s a really international school with lots of different people, making it really interesting. The lecturers are so nice and the atmosphere there is just SO much nicer than in Belgian unis. When I got home, I was browsing their website for an overview of all the courses they had there, and I suddenly saw a course called ‘Health Sciences’ which seemed right up my street and I immediately knew this was what I wanted. I’m not quite sure if this is what I’m going to do coming September, but it sure feels more right than Journalism, which just doesn’t seem right for me one way or another. And if I really want to become a journalist, I can always follow an adult education course in it! I’m so happy I finally came across something that will probably suit me, and I’m also really grateful for having kind of a gap year. I have reflected so much about my past and especially my future, and it has helped me so much. I really hope I’m going to be making the right decision. I have always told my mom that my biggest goal in life was having a job I actually thoroughly enjoy and be passionate about, and I really hope I will achieve this goal in the next couple of weeks!

003. I don’t really have anything else to tell you right now. I haven’t been blogging that much in the past week because I just didn’t feel like it and I’ve been so busy, so I really hope normal blogging can resume this week! (Even though I’m not that much of a regular blogger, but sssht). I've been reading a lot these past two weeks, and I've finished The Fault In Our Stars in under 24 hours because it was just so amazing! I'm currently reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower (finally!) and have composed a reading list full of books I've yet to read. Any recommendations, throw them my way! 

004. Oh yeah, as you probably may know already, Google reader is disappearing tomorrow, so feel free to follow my blog on Bloglovin’!