A good highlighter:
It has been a matter of utmost interest to purchase THE highlighter/illuminator, a good product that would become a staple and replace my old sheen stick (unknown brand, i suspect an old Lancome, but i'm not sure). Funnily enough, i've been using this for several years (after i got it in a swap from one of my best friends) and so far absolutely no signs of decay, plasticine smell or changes in consistency or color. It still works great; although there's just a tiny bit of the stick left and all the info has rubbed off, the bar code appears intact :)
This stuff is great- basically a frosted bar of shimmer- though a bit old, quite a little left and gray-pearly toned.
The sheen it gives is fantastic only if applied on made up complexion/eyes; on my bare skin it kind of shows its original silvery tint, which tends to look a sort of cheap-ish sometimes, pretty much faux.
I don't mind it, not at all, i absolutely love it. Nevertheless, given the aforementioned considerations, i figured it was time i got a new one....and the quest began. I started looking for highlighters in all their forms- loose/pressed powder, illuminating stylo (concealer included), creme, stick, etc. I didn't find anything. After a couple of failures (the Clarins Cotton Flower being discontinued in Sweden and the utter failure of YSL Touche Eclat) i entered the Face Stockholm store...and there IT was!
The tiny wonder is a small black lacquer compact with the brand name embossed on the lid, very chic and simple. I love the mirror inside every compact they sell, whether it's a tiny highlighter, a bronzer or face powder. Apparently this is a rather new or Europe-only design of the case since on Makeupalley the product is pictured in a similar packaging with MAC concealers and solid foundations- the ugly, plastic case with transparent lid. Bleh. This is so much better!
I have mine in Dignity, which according to the sales assistant, is their most sold highlighter. The product comes in a variety of 7-9 shades as far as i can remember.
This tiny fellow is so cute and classy i instantly fell in love with the miniature. The creme inside is WONDERFUL. It's a very pale champagne/pearly white with yellow-ish undertones. I absolutely loved it the first moment i saw it. with flash-
-without flash (lamp light)
It's simply stunning. I've been looking for THIS for many many months. Initially i assumed the YSL was going to do the trick simply because everybody raved about it. It just didn't work on my skin (upcoming post).
Dignity is similar to my old shimmer stick with several differences. First off, it doesn't contain glitter. The particles are indeed true light reflecting particles and a lot of shimmer. It's not the rather bulky grained shimmer from the classic drugstore highlighter but a creamy one. It doesn't settle into the fine lines or pores and doesn't look like 'glitter' or 'frosting' at all. I love it.
Biosilk Silk Therapy serum:
This was also another product i wanted to try for a while and i just decided to pick it up, once and for all :) The glorious reviews on Makeupalley and an aficionado friend convinced me. I haven't used it yet but i've applied a little on my skin to feel the scent...and i absolutely love it. I'm surprised by the negative reviews which bashed the scent, on the contrary, i think it's a fantastic, Nivea creme and roses scent that i really really like. It smells like clean, plump rose petals and i can't wait to try it on and see what happens.....
Face Stockholm Liquid Foundation:
After i decided to take a break from my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation (nice stuff but not so cool shade...upcoming post 2) a new foundation was a must; something non-drugstore, liquid, sheer coverage, very light, that would come as close as possible to my real complexion tone and help it glow...in a healthy way. The Face Stockholm SA claimed this would be the best choice since the Picture Perfect Foundation tends to be quite heavy and more difficult to work with.
The foundation comes in a beautiful, square shaped glass bottle with a black plastic cap and the simple design reminds me of Erno Laszlo's Regular Normalizer.
It retails for 275 swedish crowns (30 € or 24 GBP)and contains 1 fl. oz (29 ml). Rather pricy, but worth it. I haven't applied any of the foundation from this bottle but i've worn it before and i absolutely love it.
One little downside is the absence of a pump and the 'stick system' Revlon foundations used to be marketed with...which i don't really like, but i don't hate either. Compared to Estee Lauder's Double Wear, which comes with nothing, not even a stick to give the feeling you're picking up the product in some sort of way, this is more than ok.
However, as i am going to commit to this foundation for several weeks at least, i am expecting final results and a verdict to take a while...so far i love it, but we'll see how it goes from now on.
Ardell 105 and 116 Lashes:
I never got the '100% human hair' thing about the Ardell lashes and i honestly don't want to give it too much thought. I'm not one of those who would easily wear human hair extensions, for example, but (apparently) i see no problem wearing human hair false eyelashes. These two models are by far my absolute favorites from the entire false lash model plethora i've ever tried (and seen). The 116 are a tad more dramatic due to the more prominent clusters of hairs, which give them an anime sort of look, and are slightly longer at the ends- Sherilyn Fenn eyes guaranteed.
The 105- a real disappointment :(
Body America Organics Body Butter in Southern Belle- Peach and Mango
Courtesy of my lovely friend who got this as a gift but is allergic to strong scents...and the perfume of this body butter is more on the stronger side.
I'm really excited to be trying this because the Body America products are 72% based on organic fruit oils. The Southern Belle body butter contains no parabens and is based on organic Aloe juice, mango kernel butter, organic extra virgin coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, shea butter, peach juice extract, cocoa seed butter and glycerin. It's supposed to be a luxurious, deliciously scenting butter that locks in moisture from head to toe, leaving the skin plump and freshly moisturized 24/7.
The packaging- this butter usually comes in a jar but i got the pump version, which is safer, germ and travel-wise. The pump dispenser pushes the bottom upwards so no matter the color of the bottle you always know how much you have left.
While i can't say apricot scent is my favorite, i do like this product because it gradually fades away and leaves the skin gently perfumed with something very similar to one of my childhood's shampoo. Whenever i sniff my wrist i remember my hair scent during my fourth grade summer holidays, and it's a great feeling <3 !!!
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