Review - L'Oréal True Match foundation

Aloha ! Long time no see ! The past few weeks have been hectic quite literally; a new exam session is dangerously approaching and I've been to New-York for my birthday. Yep, you read well. NEW YORK. N-E-W Y-O-R-K. Oh dear. Let me tell you, my credit card will remember that one. New York has always been a big dream of mine, but I was pretty excited about going to the U.S in general as the last time I went I was a ten year old kid. Damn long time ago. Ever since I started following beauty Vloggers on Youtube I've been fascinated with Americans and their oh-so-enviable CVS/Walgreens/Ulta hauls. Actually, I was so excited about american drugstores that Walgreens was our first stop and my birthday-mood not helping, I did one of my biggest haul ever...

Enough rambling, you've probably guessed by the title that this post is all about the over hyped True Match foundation. Again, I'm very late on this one, but I have my reasons (kinda?). First of all, if you're a Swiss fellow like myself, you'll know that we only have a few shades available around here - and by "a few shades" I mean the lightest one is three to four shades too dark for me... Second of all, the prices here are ridiculous in comparison to American prices; 20 something swiss francs (= more or less 22$) for a drugstore foundation that might break me out...yeah, let's address that issue; I'm a total foundation snob as some will say. Not that I love spending way to much money on those fancy high-end glasses bottles, but I've always had the (wrong?) idea that drugstores products are more likely to break you out (which isn't entirely wrong really, but hey, let's play fair). That's when I spotted the True Match, in no less that around 6 shades in THREE different tones (warm, neutral and cool). I've never come across anything like this before, it was quite overwhelming. Of course, I went for the lightest shade, in the warm category - the so called W1. Let me tell you it is a true match.

I've once heard someone say it was a pretty good dupe for Giorgio Armani Luminous silk foundation and that's exactly what it is; a buildable medium to full coverage, a glowy satin-y finish not too shiny but not flat either and well, take it from an oily gal', it doesn't move. I barely had to set it and as I didn't want to ruin the finish I simply added the tiniest amount of Hourglass Ambient lighting powder  on top and that was it. I'd say it's one of those foundations that get better and better throughout the day - always glowy, never greasy. Plus, as it says on the bottle, it is super blendable so you can totally wear it during the day or build it up for a flawless night-time look. That babe just does it all.

I haven't anything bad to say about it really, except that I wish they were all sold with the pump (have I miss something here ? Are you supposed to buy it separately or something?) and that I could find my shade in Switzerland but hey, that'd be too easy 'ha? I'd say if you manage to find the right shade for you (which shouldn't be too much of a problem if you're from the UK or US) go and get it. Yeah, you'll thank me later.

xxx

M'

Review - NARS velvet matte lip pencil

Hello again world ! What's my excuse this time ? I know, I've been terrible at blogging during the past few months but I swear it wasn't my fault this time; long story shorted my computer 'kinda passed away - or at least my data did. All of it. Big, big drama. On top of that, no photoshop for a couple of weeks; and well, what am I without it ? Anyway, I'm here now, hopefully for a bit longer this time...

I'm fairly late with this one, everyone raved about those lip crayons thingy throughout the whole autumn-winter season but you may or may not know that Nars is VERY difficult to get a hand on in Switzerland, to say the least- it's almost mission impossible (no online shop that I know of ship Nars to Switzerland, why so cruel?). On my last trip to London in February I had to pick up one - well, actually two - of them. This is where I introduce you to Damned, the most perfect dark berry-red vampy color ever. I know that spring is just around the corner and that you must be sick of me raving about dark autumnal shades, but I promise, I'll make this one the last (of the season).

If vampy colors are a bit daunting for you, give this one a whirl; it has more red that purple in it, which makes it less of a "in your face" scary color. As for the formula, I was expecting it to have a satin to matte finish - velvety - as its names suggests, and to be very long-lasting as many have claimed it to be. If I am being completely honest, it isn't as long-wearing as I'd want it to be, not as the Hourglass Opaque rouge for instance - but its lasting power remains pretty good, and its finish is definitely between satin and matte, looks wonderful on, no complain about that.

All in all, I think this is a very nice product and what I love the most about it except for the color is its form; pencil are the easiest, quickest, most full-proof to apply, hands down. Can't beat that ! I'd say it's a good shopping-afternoon or couple-drinks kind of product, not so much appropriate for going out for dinner or clubbing all night, unless you're willing to have a hand-mirror ready for regular check-ups and touch-ups which I, as the lazy 'gal I am, am not so much.

xxx

M'

Nails talk

I used to hate Sundays. Not so long ago, Sundays meant nothing to do (no damn shop is open on a Sunday in Switzerland), the end of the week-end and well...the after-party not-so-glamourous state (hangover anyone?). For various reasons, I'm not going out as much as I used to - Am I getting old already ? I therefore wake up earlier and try to enjoy this off-duty time, and now Sundays mostly mean pamper time ! Today I went for a manicure and I thought I would share the products I've used with you.

RITUAL MIRACLE SCRUB: It's one of those products that I absolutely couldn't live without. It completely got me the first time I've tried it in store, and the love grew bigger and bigger after a few uses. It is a brilliant scrub that get ride of any dead-cells on your hands and cuticles, while moisturising them - I'm not even kidding, no hand cream is needed after using this! I recommended it to pretty much every female fellow of mine and everyone loves it, even my Mum is addicted to it. It's name says it all really.

RITUAL GINKGO'S SECRET HAND BALM: Like I said, you don't really need anything else after going through the heavenly scrub experience, but if you're a skincare junkie like myself and want to give some extra love to your precious hands, then this is the way. I bought it because it obviously has the exact same smell as the scrub and I love it that much (so relaxing!). Plus if it was as good as the scrub, I had to give it a go. You may know now that I have a very sensitive skin and that any too intense fragrance or ingredient can break me out - well, my hands are no exception. I usually stay away from fragranced hand cream because they literally burn my skin. Not this one. I don't have anything bad to say about it, except that as for any Ritual product, it's hard to get your hands on it if you live in Switzerland. If not, do your hands a favor and go for it.

ESSIE NAIL POLISH IN SHEARLING DARLING: How cute is this little pack ? I grabbed it in Boots and it's from the Winter collection, not sure whether it is still available, but you probably can get your hands on the nail polishes individually. Shearling Darling is one of those dark burgundy, not completely black, not really red either. I'm obsessed with vampy lips and the same goes for vampy nails; I find it quite chic, less harsh than black, definitely easier to wear.

L'OREAL FAST DRY TOP COAT: My favorite top coat, hands down. It does what it says on the packaging and does help your manicure to dry faster - God knows that there's NOTHING more annoying than waiting for your nails to dry after painting them. It also adds and incredible shiny, almost gel-y finish that looks very professional. I used to be the Queen of the failed manicure, but this baby changed it all.

What do you like to do on (rainy) Sundays ? 

Lots of love,

M'

2013 Favourites

One thing that I love about Januaries is that most beauty gurus of youtube post their favourites of the year. I find it very interesting to have a review of the entire year and compare what was my own favourites in comparison to theirs. Now, I don't have a youtube channel (you've been spared, trust me) but I thought I still could give you a sneaky peek of my favourites of the last year, the blogging way. 

I've chosen skincare because that's mostly where a (drastic) change happened to be quite honest. I've obviously discovered tons of new make-up as well, but that's what a beauty blogger/addict/obsessed does right ? Plus, I find skincare products particularly clever to share; who knows, if those products worked for me, maybe they could work for you, too.

Fair enough, let's move to the heart of the subject; my skin saviours. Bare in mind that my skin type is between combination and oily, more on the oily side and pretty damn sensitive. I have a blemish/imperfection prone skin, that thanks God become more and more manageable with time (and efforts). In other words, I'm normal, fortunate enough not to suffer from severe acne, but never spared by that oh-so-wonderful time of the month. Aren't we lucky to be women?

1. CLEANSERS

To do things in order, let's begin with cleansers. Like most of the products that I'm going to share with you here, those are no strangers - most have been featured in many blog posts, youtube videos and for a reason; they do work. So don't expect any life-changing surprise if you're already a subscriber of youtube's beauty community, but it never hurts to have another opinion.

1. BIODERMA MICELLAIRE WATER : Do I even need to talk about it ? It has been everyone's "micellarious" holy-grail for years now, so I'll make it short; it is a very clever product that is brilliant at removing eye make-up (if not waterproof) and at pre-cleansing. YES I said pre-cleansing, if you still use it as a one-step-cleaning, then stop reading, and go back here.

2. LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH : That's a winner, year after year, no matter what skin type you are, it works for everyone. Haven't seen any bad reviews on this baby so far, so the love needs to be shared: if you have a dry or normal-ish skin, you'll love it's creamy consistency, very nourishing, not ripping at all. If you have a skin type more similar to mine, you'll love it too, as it is particularly gentle on the skin. It's meant to be applied on dry skin, and removes any trace of make-up (I still like to use a separate eye make-up remover though).Whenever my skin freaks out, I go back to this as I know it will calm everything down and get it back on the right track.

3. REN CLEARCALM CLARIFYING CLAY CLEANSER : The entire line is a miracle for blemish-prone skin; like Liz Earle's this one is very gentle on the skin and like it's name says, calming. While healing the current breakouts, it prevents others from pointing their nasty nose. You can't go wrong with this one really.

4. CLINIQUE TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING BALM : In winter, balms are a definite must have, especially if you have dry skin; if you haven't tried it yet, go for it, but be prepared to fall in love. As for oily skins, please get over that myth that you should stay away from oily products; it is true that oil-free moisturisers are more appropriate, mostly to provide a matte finish, more adequate as a make-up base as well as to keep those pores unclogged. But most of oily skins are as dehydrated as any other could be and treating your skin with good oils can really, really help. To sum it up, this balm is amazing at taking all of your make-up off (makes wonders with mascara !) in the smoothest way possible.

2. TONER

MICHAEL TODD BLUE GREEN ALGAE TONER : This is an easy one, Michael Todd's toner is the only one that made it through the year really. I've tried several, such as Liz Earle's, but this one is by far my favourite. It works pretty well at maintaining a clear, imperfection-free skin as it is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory toner. 'Loving the smell, the effect and the price. A definite keeper.

3. SERUMS/TREATMENTS

1. HEALGEL : I've talk about this product before and not much needs to be said really, it is impressively effective at reducing stubborn scars and healing the new ones. AND it doesn't clog pores, like so many rich treatments do.

2. ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR : Again, you've read about this little one before; one of the most loved serum ever. It is great at, like its name says, repairing any kind of damages. I find it especially brilliant at fading breakouts and scars as well as helping dull complexions (hello hangover saviour) You can bet that this one is going to be featured in many favourites posts to come, if not all of them.

3. ROSEHIP OIL : Rosehip oil is known for helping to tone the complexion in general, reducing redness, restoring a balance and sometimes even to fade scars. I love to use it at night as a moisturiser whenever my skin is in trouble, to weak up with a healthier-looking skin.

4. MOISTURISERS

1. REN CLEARCALM REPLENISHING GEL CREAM : Like I said, I'm the biggest fan of the entire Clearcalm line. It is brilliant at both clearing and calming your skin. This moisturising gel has been a total skin-saviour during the past few weeks, especially during my exams - 'cause there's no better occasion for breakouts than stressful periods, 'ya all know how it works. It definitely helped calming down angry blemishes while preventing new ones from appearing. I'm pretty sure it helped with the scaring process too, as I have a damn sensitive/thin skin and spots usually left their mark on my skin for aaagees. Well, not anymore my friends, the war against breakouts has started. Ren has your back.

2. KORRES WILD ROSE BRIGHTENING MOISTURISER: This baby hasn't been in my collection for that long, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, because it is amazing. I have the combination/oily formula, and it's perfect as a day cream, even though you could totally wear it day'n night. I'm in LOVE with its rosy scent and its texture,it gets on smoothly and gets absorbed by the skin in no time, leaving a shine-free, smoother, brighter skin. Nothing bad to say about really, even its price is seductive (you can find it here).

3. ORIGINS GINZING ENERGY-BOOSTING MOISTURISER: 'Gonna sound a bit shallow and obsessed with scents here, but this moisturiser smells just as heavenly as the previous one. Now, I know, it doesn't mean a product is any good, plus strongly fragranced products usually break me out. Thank god those ones don't. As suggested by it's vibrant orangy packaging, this moisturiser has a divine fresh scent that instantly boost you - it's the best when it comes to early moody mornings or hangovers. I fell for its gel-y consistency, that makes it lighter on the skin. It is not formulated for oily skins, but I've been just fine with a good mattifying primer on the top if I really want to wear make-up. I have to admit that I just followed the hype for this one, it was everyone's choice last summer and I just couldn't stay away from it - and honestly, I'm glad I didn't.


5. LIP CARE

1. EUCERIN ACUTE LIP BALM: A winner if you suffer of chapped, dry and seriously damaged lips - we've all been there right? It even beats Carmex.

2. LUSH LIP SCRUB: A cult product, if you've never heard of it, where the hell have you been ? Smells good, works good, it even taste good.

3. FIGS & ROUGE : My personal favourite. Now, I picked the coco-vanilla scent, and I won't lie to you, it stinks. Maybe it's only me, but I got seriously put off by it, so much that when I purchased it I left it in the back for a while. What a mistake. If my skin in general is quite sensitive, my lips are super sensitive, can't even tell. ANYTHING breaks me out. Yeah, I break out on my lips. The odds are on my side though, because I haven't been in too much trouble with lipsticks, but as soon as I try some fancy lip balm such as the so hyped Nuxe Rêve de Miel, bam, break out. Why is this balm different ? I don't really know, maybe because it is 100% natural? It is definitely thick, the kind of product you want to apply before heading to bed. And man, it's so cheap ! There's no way I'm falling for the By Terry Baume de Rose trend, I swear.

6. MASKS

Last but not least, let's talk about masks. I'm a huge skincare junkie and I get very excited when it comes to treatments. In 2013 I discovered some amazing new products that deserve to be properly shared (and I swear it was such a pain to choose only five, so bear with me).

1. LIZ EARLE GENTLE FACE EXFOLIATOR: Definitely my favourite scrub - I fell for its relaxing smell and its divine texture. Like fire and ice, this exfoliator is literally hard and butter-y at the same time *sounds very wrong, sorry*. Perfect if you have a sensitive skin like mine, you'll be left with the smoothest skin ever.

2. YSL TOP SECRET GRANULE-FREE EXFOLIATOR: I've never read any review about this product before, and it was the first time I tried a skin care related product from a high end brand such as YSL but I wasn't disappointed. It is very strongly (amazingly) scented, but is suitable for sensitive skin as mine coped with it just fine. It has a very thick consistency, almost waxy, that you have to work on your skin with you fingers until it breaks out into an oil - that's when you know the job is done. It leaves the skin feeling softer than ever and when applied at night, you wake up with a brighter complexion too. It feels and smells very luxurious, and well, so does its price, but I'd definitely repurchase it when I run out of it.

3. REN CLEARCALM CLARITY RESTORING MASK : Aren't ya sick of reading about this Clearcalm line ? Sorry, I've warned you, 'loving those babies. Like the rest of the line, the mask is meant to help freaked out skins by calming down the inflammation, reducing the appearance of those red heads and preventing others. It's amazing, that's all I have to say really.

4. ORIGINS CLEAR IMPROVEMENT MASK : This charcoal mask is what I've been reaching for during the past year whenever I was truly desperate. The Ren one is amazing at calming everything down, but this one is brilliant at kicking the ass of those spots. Very effective at gently drying them out, it really makes them go away faster. 

5. AESOP PARSLEY SEED CLEANSING MASK: My first ever Aesop product. I 'no, I'm late on this one. It is a multi-tasking mask that does it all, ideal to use once a week to a) cleanse everything in depth, b) help dull skin and c) heal break-outs. The myth is real you people, go and get it if you haven't already.

YOU MADE IT ! I'm done talking. Well, writing. I know it was a very long post, but I hardly could have cut it down any more. I hope that it gave you some inspiration/motivation to take care of your skin in 2014. If you have any further question(s), please don't hesitate to post a comment, I'd gladly try to help you out.

I'm finally heading back to London on Wednesday, I have no words to express how freaking thrilled I am to go back ! I literally wanted to go back ever since I went on that plane last August. Be prepared, I'll have a LOT to share when coming back. My credit card's gonna hate me forever.

Enough rambling, I hope you started the year well, let me know what were your 2013 favourites !

With love,

M'