Mini Beauty Haul & Review

Hello Muggles,

in the last two weeks I bought two lipsticks and a mascara and I thought of telling you about it. :) 

Because my camera wasn't working I couldn't take pictures before, so this is why I used all items quite a lot already and can make reviews as well.

I bought both Astor products very early in the morning when my train has been cancelled about two weeks ago. My thoughts when I entered the drugstore were something like: "I definitely need a new waterproof mascara and I will buy the Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express one because I read good things about it." Standing in front of it, I figured that I didn't like the brush - so screw all the research, which should have helped me finding the perfect mascara and go for one you don't know anything about. :D

This is what I did and I ended up buying the Astor Waterproof Volume Artist in 800 Black.

As you can see it has quite a small wand but I prefer those one to the huge ones because they often already look clumpy and clumpy eyelashes is definitely something I want to avoid. ;)

I'm a little disappointed with the volume the mascara gives - because it's not that noticeable - but it's a nice mascara to wear everyday. It makes your lashes look more black and defined (I know it's a black mascara and of course it makes your lashes look black but my lashes are quite fair and I already saw mascara that looked a little "dusty").

On this day I also bought an Astor Lipstick in "123 - Rose Attraction"

I think the colour could be described as a blue-toned purpely pink. :D It is shimmery but I'm sure it will look very nice in winter because it's quite a cold colour.

At the beginning of this week I went to the drugstore to buy ear-plugs for a concert... and I went out with buying another lipstick and forgot the ear-plugs. :'D

I got the p2 Pure color lipstick in "101 - Rue de Rivoli".

I already mentioned it in my "Tops & Flops (September)" post because I'm totally in love with dark lipsticks. :) I think this one is a very nice autumn colour and a perfect mixture of a dark cherry-red and plum. As much as I love the colour, I have to confess that the lipstick itself is not that overwhelming. As you can maybe see on the picture above it is very pigmented but the colour tends to be blurry and not 100% perfect. This is probably why I got it for 1,95 Euro. :') 

Nevertheless, you can work with it! I will do a post about how to work with beauty products that are not perfect but for now all I do is to apply it with my fingers and put some lip balm on top because it is too dry for me.

As long as I'll not be able to buy MAC lipsticks or anything like that I will like it - it kind of became my favourite thing to wear on my lips. :)

Another product I forgot to include at the top photo is the Neutrogena Visibly Clear 2in1 Wash Mask.

When people ask me what skintype I have I always answer with "Dry!" but actually I found out that it's slightly more a combination-thing. It doesn't make any sense but my forehead is extremely dry and has some oily parts too... I don't know.
Well, nevertheless, the Neutrogena Visibly Clear helps to calm my skin in general. It removes the flakes from my dry parts and helps the rest of my forehead to not become too oily.
Works for me and I'm fine with the product! :)

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I hope you enjoyed this tiny haul.

Comments are appreciated as always. :)

See you next time, 

Hermione

Huuuge giveaway / Tattooed Tealady

Hello Muggles,

sorry for not posting anything for a while but I'm quite busy right now. University and new job confuse me a little. :)

Nevermind, I just wanted to tell you about a super huge giveaway, you can find and enter on: 

http://www.tattooedtealady.com/2012/08/super-big-international-giveaway.html

There are lots of Beauty and Skincare products, which are absolutely amazing and I think it's veeeery generous of Sophia to give them away. :)  

Well, yeah check out the giveaway and have a beautiful day. A new blog post is to come soon! :)

See you next time,
Hermione

Products I've used up #1

Hello Muggles,

I never thought that I would be able to do an "Empties" post but obviously I can now! :)
There are some products I used up and I would like to talk about everyone of it.

First, there is something unspectecular: Toothpaste!

I would love to have white teeth (my natural teeth colour isn't that flattering) but I don't use any toothpaste, which says it makes your teeth white because there is fluoride in every single one I know!  Unfortunately many people say it's healthy and it's good for your teeth but that's not true! Fluoride is a toxic substance, which was given to the jewish people during World War II to make them abulic and easy to control and now I should believe that it helps me when getting in touch with it while brushing my teeth or even while drinking it (there are many countries that have fluoride in their drinking water - officially Germany is not one of them but I'm not sure about it)? 
For me it just doesn't make sense at all and long story short: This is why I'm using the Lavera Toothpaste, which doesn't contain fluoride and which you can by in health-food shops (in Germany). It costs 1,99 Euro, so maybe slightly more expensive than the average toothpaste but it's worth it for me.


The next two items are shower gels. I didn't use them up alone but my boyfriend helped me. Not that he would have his own shower gel, if you know what I mean. ;D
They both were very cheap because I don't see any sense in buying an expensive shower gel if a cheaper one does the same job. ;) To be perfectly honest, the only expensive shower gel I ever owned (it was one by Yves Rocher, which I got as a gift by my boyfriend's mother) gave me some unpretty rushes and irritated my skin immensely!
So, the first one is the Balea Shower Gel Sensitive with Aloe Vera and on the packaging it says that it's especially mild and protects your skin from drying out. I got it because my skin is super dry and well, it's fine. Doesn't work wonders but what do you expect? I'm okay with it as long as it makes my skin feel fresh and clean and that definitely worked. ;) The scent is all right; it basically smells like a normal soap.
The second one is the NutriSkin Intensive Clereshing Shower Gel by Fa. There's a tiny story behind this one... last year I went to the Netherlands with my sister, her husband and their children for holiday. I then got the Fa Shower Gel because it smells like peaches (this was the only reason) and I love peachy scents. While using it I wasn't really impressed. It's okay but the peach scent doesn't really work out that nice on my skin, which might sound strange. Nevertheless I actually only bought the second one, which you can see on the picture above, because it reminded me so much on that holiday and that's just nice. :) All in all I'm not a super fan of it and I wouldn't recommend or repurchase it... except for nostalgic reasons. :D

Now we have some more interesting things.
First, there are Cleansing Wipes by bebe. I got the ones for dry skin and on the packaging it says that they even remove waterproof makeup, moisturize your skin and they're extra mild on your eyes. 
I really liked them! They really did remove my waterproof Mascara (which I also used up) and my skin seemed to like them basically. ;) The only thing I didn't like that much was that they were very wet. I often took one wipe out of the packaging and left it outside for some time so that it dried a little. Right now I'm using the ones for normal skin (same brand) because you got them for free when buying a moisturizer and they aren't that wet but perfect! Nonetheless I will repurchase them after using up my cleansing wipes for normal skin.
Next, there is my favourite mascara ever. It's the Essence No Limits Mascara in waterproof... and it was cheap as hell! I'm not sure about the exact price but it has to be something like 2 Euros. This was actually the first Mascara in my life I really used almost everyday. My lashes are not very long and curly, so I'm always looking for some extra length and volume. The Essence Mascara isn't the perfect one for that but for an everyday eye-makeup it does a lovely job! Your lashes do not stick together at all and the products also doesn't clump. It's perfect if you're in a hurry and you need a product you can really rely on. I will definitely buy this one again and do a precise review (with pictures and comparisons to other Mascara).

The last thing I used up is the Schwarzkopf "schauma" Cotton Fresh Dry Shampoo. It is supposed to give your hair an extra day of freshness without washing them. You only have to spray a little on your hair parts, let it dry and brush it out. 
Now, I've got some problems with this one. This is probably the third can I bought and it always worked fine but the last couple of times it didn't. Does anyone know why that is so? There's just no difference in my hair after using the dry shampoo, which makes me mad. In the end I'm glad that it's empty because now I can look for another one. Any recommendations? :)
Oh, and before I forget: I hate the scent of this one! It smells like lemons but in a cleaning agent kind of way. Urgs, it always makes me think of super clean toilets - but this is not what I want to think about after using dry shampoo! ;)




Okay, that is it. Sorry if this post was a little too long but I just have to say a lot about everything (and I could say even more). :D

I hope you liked it! Leave me a comment down below and follow me if you haven't already - that would make me haaaaappy! :)

Oh and let me know if you are interested in a guest post! ;)

See you next time,
Hermione

xx

Lush Review

Hey everyone,

so today I'm going to write a more or less short review about my first three Lush products I bought about 2 weeks ago. :)

I'm quite late when it comes to beauty stuff, so this is why I'm just exploring the big wide world of Lush... nevertheless I can already say: It's a Lush life! :)

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The first thing I bought was the "Snake Oil". On the UK page it says:

Once you’ve worked this bar into the scalp, the cocoa butter will start to soften and lift dead skin. Meanwhile cade oil, tea tree, peppermint and lavender oils will go about treating and balancing the scalp.

By the time you wash it off, your scalp should feel like new.

The cade oil in here may smell of creosote, but that is because it has natural constituents of creosol, guaiacol, cadinene and terpenes. All of which might sound a bit scary, but in fact it makes this a natural antiseptic and anitmicrobal, perfect for treating many skin complaints.

Other products that work well in conjunction with this scalp bar are Soak and Float shampoo and Hair Doctor treatment. 

It's not nice to talk about it but my scalp is very sensitive and I've got some problems with it for a few months now. I've got neurodermitis and my sculp also is affected by it, which makes it itchy and not nice at all.

About the product: It smells horrible - seriously! I really don't like it because it reminds me of a mixture of menthol and gamon. BUT I'll try to overlook it and just hope that it will help. ;) The consistency is strange because it's like s piece of soap and you have to rub it between your hands to get some oil. This is not very funny or nice but doable. You then massage the oil onto your sculp and wait for about 30 - 60 minutes - at least I waited that long. After that you just wash your hair normally and the smell says "Goodbye!". :D

When I first used Snake Oil I felt pretty good. My sculp didn't itch and felt fresh and nice but after the second time I couldn't really make a difference. :/  It was itching again and you can see some neurodermitis on my parting in the hair again.

All in all: I will try it again and keep you posted. ;)

***

The second product I got was the "Rehab Shampoo". And again - on the UK page it says:

Our shampoo base has added carrageen seaweed gel to soften the hair.  Jojoba oil closely resembles the natural sebum of the skin, so is great for giving the scalp a little gentle help, without greasiness.

Olive oil gives tensile strength to the hair and helps it to survive brushing and combing.

Kiwi and mango are included for their nutritious minerals and vitamins. Rosemary gives shine to the hair. Papaya and pineapple contain papain, a natural enzyme, which breaks down dead skin cells and helps to clean.

Then, we add juniper and mint to help the scalp and encourage hair growth.

When your hair is crying out for help, Rehab is here to help you bring it back from the brink and put you on the path towards maximum health of the hair and scalp and everything working in the proper way.

Use with Retread Conditioner for a real turn around for neglected hair.

I don't like the smell again. :/  It's very minty and "herby" (does this word exist?^^) BUT it really works! I recommend to use it with a conditioner because it just cleans your hair and leaves them in a squeaky condition (which is good btw. but I have some problems to brush through my hair later). After using "Rehab" my hair looks healthier and feels very nice. It just does the job - what can I say? :)

 ***

I also got the "Big Blue Bathbomb" for my mother's birthday but can't say anything about it yet except: It smells goood! :D So my Mom can't see it before her birthday, I put the bathbomb in my closet and everytime I opened it I felt like I'm on vacation on the sea - nice, indeed. :)

As a little gift from Lush I got a tiny version of the "Charity Pot". And oh my god, this is THE product! :D I'm obsessed with it and sad that I only have this tiny pot because it's a miracle on my hands. As I only got a sample I didn't use it all over my body but only on my hands and it made them softer than ever before in my life! I'm not exaggerating! I had to get used to the smell (reminded me of very creamy oatmeal gruel with almonds and cocoa) but now I think it's okay - especially when it makes my hands this soft. What I also liked is that it's combined with this Charity Project, so all the money you spend on it will go to charity. Isn't that nice?

Here's a link to the Lush UK page, so you can find out more about the Charity project:

 https://www.lush.co.uk/product/84/Charity-Pot-Hand-and-body-Lotion-240g

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Sorry this post was a bit long - I hope you don't mind it and had fun anyway. :)

See you next time,

Hermione