Travel Wonders by BIOEFFECT

I'm delighted to present the icelandic brand BIOEFFECT! In the history of miniatures i've never seen anything as fabulous as these products, these little wonders have already gained a cult status. 

At this time of year, as you would expect, women are concerned with making sure their skin is smooth and hydrated, so the summer season is the perfect time to reassess your beauty regime accord, but how to use these products in the correct way to get the best results?  

Begin with the EGF Serum, anti-aging, apply it in the evening on a perfect cleaned skin. During the night it will work renewing the cells, you will wake up with a very moisturized,  plumped and restored skin. 

In the morning apply the Daytime cream, aim to help create radiant, smooth and beautiful skin. 

The wonder  little bag containing these products is not only very handy for travel purposes, yes it's ideal for  weekends away or a short holiday but it can be in your bag to assure a feeling of softness all day long! 

Tested! Qiriness, the brand you will fall in love with

"Well-being and sensoriality, associated with an irreproachable quality of natural ingredients, improve product efficiency. Our desire is to offer every woman in her home, a personalized response to skin care by combining the efficiency of actives and the sensorial pleasure of use, with results comparable to those of a treatment practiced in a spa."

Mi-Ryung Beilvert, Founder

Qiriness was founded in 2004 by Mi-Ryung Beilvert and Vivian Marton, two women who have shared their friendship and their common passion for cosmetology and wellbeing for over 19 years.

LE WRAP NUTRI-REPAIR 

Extreme Comfort Balm

A repairing care with a comfortable texture for a reenergised skin This rich and creamy S.O.S balm provides skin in crisis all the comfort and relief it needs. A true concentrate of vitality, it restores the skin’s restructuring and repairing force and strengthens its defenses against exterior aggressions. Ideal in winter to protect skin from cold and wind, this repair balm leaves dry and even combination skin more supple and elastic.

Revitalised, repaired and soothed, skin is deeply nourished.  More resistant and fortified, it is firmer, healthy and radiant.

For very dry skin and irritated, fragile, damaged skin, lacking in comfort: every evening for 1 to 2 months, apply this intensive night cream on face and neck.
For dry, rough, dull skin: once or twice a week, apply as a mask with a thick layer, for 10 minutes.

TROUSSE SPA CHEZ SOI

Radiance, Moisture, Relaxation

Discover this one month spa-at-home facial treatment for an instantly luminous complexion and a peach-soft skin !

Step I:
Prepare the skin with Le Wrap Exfolys, Radiant Enzymatic Buffing Cream - 20 ml tube

Rid your skin of impurities with this buffing cream with a double enzymatic and mechanical exfoliation that flakes off dead cells and stimulates cell renewal for an immediately radiant effect. 

Step II:

Purify the skin with Sauna Visage, Herbal Facial Steam Bath - 1 tablet Step III:
Envelope the skin with the balm Le Wrap d’Eau, Extreme Moisture Balm - 20 ml tube A touch for the body:
Relax like Cleopatra in a milky bath with Le Bain Lacte, Effervescent Aromatic Bath Tablet - 1 tablet

SAUNA VISAGE 

Herbal Facial Steam Bath

A lilac effervescent tablet imbibed with plant essences that release aromatic fragrances when dissolved in hot water.

A vital purification step that envelops the senses with absolute well-being Immerse yourself in the ambiance of a Finnish Sauna and allow the aromatic fragrances transport you into universe of destress. The unique effervescent tablets release their purifying and relaxing properties into the surrounding warm steam, and permeate the warm face cloth used during the final step. A double action for a divine Zen sensation!

Once or twice a week, gently drop a tablet into large washbasin filled with steaming hot water and let it dissolve completely. Position face 10 to 15 cm over the basin and drape a large towel over head to capture the steam. Close eyes and steam face for 5 minutes. Dip a face cloth in the water, wringing it out well, then apply the warm cloth to face, neck and nape for one 1 minute.  Blot face with a tissue or cotton pad.

Detoxified and purified, skin is cleansed from within and microcirculation is stimulated. The complexion is pure and translucent. All the day's tensions evaporate along with impurities from the skin!

On One Condition!

Don't let winter wage war on your hair. Here some tips and some conditioners i've tried to keep your hair shiny and happy all year long.

The benefits of good conditioner are well known, it creates a protective barrier on hair and guard against damages. Using the wrong conditioner could make your hair soft and floppy or have no effect on your hair or even worst, make it greasy. But how to choose the best conditioner? 

It must match your hair type, for dry hair choose for a creamy moisturizing conditioner, if your hair is fine and limp then a leave-in spray will be the best buy, it is also excellent for minimising the frizz and protecting the hair from the heated and the fact that it stays in your hair it means that it is constantly working but avoid this one if your hair is very greasy. When your hair is greasy , only apply the conditioner to the mid-lenths and ends and the best is to apply an intensive conditioner once a week to give a boost.

Once you know which hair type you have, consider what extra benefits you require from your conditioner and try to find one that incorporates these too. Ofcourse, it's very important you rince under water for at least 5 /10 minutes, to be sure there is no residue left at all. 

Klorane hair conditioner, €17 / Aveda hair conditioner, €9,17 / Victoria s Secret hair conditioner, €12 / Bumble and bumble hair conditioner, €23 / Leave in conditioner / Hair conditioner

Night out? Out all day? The Essentials Travel size

Lip treatment / Forever 21 travel size beauty product, €2,50 / Antiperspirant deodorant, €4,02 / Verso beauty product, €47 / Urban Decay beauty product, €13 / White handbag, €2,61 / Smashbox makeup primer, €13

New Years Eve Party Fever #2

New Years Eve Party Fever #1

Remember what i told you yesterday? Do not exagerate! Smokey eyes are on top of your wishes, that's fine but if you have big lips just leave them natural. If you have thin lips, please forget dark colours or certain shades of red, they will look even thiner, so instead put the focus on a great eye make up and contouring your face shape with a darker powder. Natural hair is the trend of the moment, so don't get in trouble with complicated chignons as you are going to marry. Leave them for your marriage if you really like them, personally i don't, i believe in the power of silky and healthy long hair.

By the way, here's a step by step must-haves products

Dolce Gabbana face powder, €48 / NARS Cosmetics makeup powder brush, €42 / Isaac Mizrahi powder blush, €26 / Bare escentuals foundation, €23 / Lancôme foundation, €36 / INIKA mineral face powder, €35 / Nars cosmetic, €28 / TOPS 1-Subject Wirebound Notebook, College Rule, 8 x 10.5 Inch, White,..., €3,52

Deauty Delivering Beauty and more!

It's the latest trend, it's convenient and it's something very cool that any beauty addict can't miss and it's the best gift you can make to yourself or to your best friends, i'm talking about those beautiful beauty boxes delivered at your door every month, filled with every day needs, beauty products we all need to have and use. It's the ultimate beauty experience. 

I have to admit i'm a huge fan of beauty boxes and when Deauty was created in Belgium i was very excited. Deauty has now a wide range of brands, actually the largest range which includes many  luxury and niche brands as Dermalogica, Babor, Filorga, Giorgio Armani, Payot, Shiseido... just to mention a little part! You should check on the website for the full list.

For Christmas, Deauty has created a fabolous box composed with 5 amazing products, i personally loved all of them, the Uriage mask is great during this time of the year, the Caudalie Eau Fraiche Fleur De Vignes has such a relaxing  fragrance, the Mythic Oil from L'Oreal is a cult product for the best hair treatments, then the red lipstick from Yves Rocher is so soft on the lips but so intense, then al last but not least, the bio brand BoHo with a lip pencil in a very trendy colour. All  these items are packed in a very chic, reusable box. What to ask for more? It was just perfect! 

So if  you are still struggling with Christmas presents, Deauty Christmas Box is actually the answer! I recommend it to all my Belgian readers. Then if you try it once, you cannot do without! I believe the best thing is to receive a Deauty box every month and subscribe to this great service at bargain price for one year. We deserve a little, exclusive gift every month! Especially when we don't have much time left to sampling all the beauty products out there or we need to feel unique, or simply when everyday life is charging us a lot, in the end what we need is a little adorable snuggle like this. That's what Deauty was created for.

Tested!

It costs about 20e and its promises are to make your lips softer, moisturized and even bigger. It's winter time and our  lips need a lot of protection and more care.  I'm using this lipstick cream since a month now and none of  the 3 promises has been realized completely. I was very disappointed with this product from Elizabeth Arden, as you may know, the 8 Hour Cream is an award winning cream able to keep constantly you skin protected and soft. That's why i had so many expectations about the 8 Hours Lip Protection Cream. I've used it many times a day as a ritual, but the dryness of my lips was always there. Yes, they were more shining and ofcourse bigger looking but that was not the result of a volume filler product. Moreover it doesn't stay long on the lips and obviously it can't protect 8 hours, not even 2 hours. I started off this post talking about the price of this item, i believe that for that price, which is  absolutely uncovenient, you can find much better on the cosmetic market. So if you are thinking to invest in this lip cream keep in mind that Labello SOS Lip Repair works better and it costs less and if you put a thin layer of your daily cream on the lips - just remember to gently massage it untill it's completely absorbed- you'll be happier with the results.

Vote: 1,5/5

Tested!

Immagine that moment right after you take off your make up, especially after a long night, most of the time the skin is dry and blotchy or you even have some red patches, sometimes your skin is not sufficently clean and you haven't removed all mascara completely, result : you struggle with your skincare!  I've struggled too! And i've tested so many produtcs, from gel to mousse, wipes and different micelle water, when finally i've tried Crealine H20 from Bioderma. It was made to respect fragility of sensitive skin, but every type of skin can use it. Effectively it cleanses and remove make up -even waterproof mascara- purifying face and eyes while protecting it and it produces an immediately sense of instant freshness. It is very gentle and left the feeling of a very mosturised and soft skin. Moreover it has a nice, delicate fragrance and you don't have to rince after. So i become devoted to this amazing product, it is a great way to keep my skin supple and flawless and now i just can't do without. It so important to go to sleep with a completely cleaned skin, and this wonder product is the perfect solution. The formula is alcohol free and paraben free. Something i really liked also about this product is the format, i travel a lot so i need a good selection of daily products in travel size and Bioderma help me with the 100 ml bottle -always with me-,  this format is also very good for testing this product but once you try it, you'll buy the other bigger formats -i'm sure!- (250 ml or 500 ml) to keep them at home. In one word: indispensable!

Vote: 5/5

The Golden Age in Beauty

Too Faced Cosmetics eyeshadow
€29 - toofaced.com

Shu uemura eye shadow
€14 - liberty.co.uk

Becca moisturizing lipstick
€30 - sephora.com

Eyeshadow
€7,85 - ulta.com

Rms beauty concealer
€29 - beauty.com

Make up for ever eye liner
€14 - sephora.com

Stila eyeliner
€16 - beauty.com

Guerlain honey comb
€125 - nordstrom.com

Elizabeth arden skincare
€59 - elizabetharden.com

Natura Bissé body cleanser
€69 - net-a-porter.com

Paul Joe nail care
amazon.com

Guerlain gold nail polish
€23 - selfridges.com

Horoscosmetics!

Fendi fragrance, €83 / Sisley Paris face moisturizer, €155 / C Wonder zipper pouch, €31 / Lip gloss, €23

Giorgio armani perfume / Rodial face moisturizer, €165 / C Wonder nylon bag, €31 / Mascara

Victoria s Secret fragrance, €47 / Estée Lauder face care, €125 / C Wonder nylon travel bag, €31 / Mac cosmetic

Valentino perfume, €94 / Philosophy face moisturizer, €52 / C Wonder nylon zip bag, €31 / Gucci eyeshadow brush, €27

Viktor Rolf rose fragrance, €200 / Rodial face moisturizer, €66 / C Wonder nylon zip bag, €31 / Pencil eyeliner, €2,82

Prada floral perfume, €55 / La Mer body moisturizer, €1.690 / C Wonder logo bag, €31 / Charlotte Tilbury lips makeup

Gucci fragrance, €69 / Lancôme face moisturizer, €80 / C Wonder bag, €31 / Lancôme voluminous mascara, €26

Christian Dior fragrance, €87 / Sisley Paris rose face mask, €135 / C Wonder bag, €31 / KILLER KAJAL in COLLECTIONS - PUPA Milano

Burberry rose fragrance, €76 / La Prairie beauty product, €265 / C Wonder nylon bag, €31 / Glossy lip gloss, €27

Chanel perfume, €120 / Face moisturizer, €805 / C Wonder nylon zipper pouch, €31 / Blue mascara, €9,80

Chopard perfume fragrance, €135 / Elizabeth Arden face moisturizer, €40 / C Wonder bag, €31 / H M lip gloss, €1,89

Lancôme lancome fragrance, €68 / La Mer beauty product, €380 / C Wonder ball bag, €31 / Tory Burch lips makeup, €26

Curl Crazy!

Curls are still going strong and thy are certainly the sexiest texture to be wearing this season. I'm not talking about the horror perms from the 80s! The new looks are a million miles away from those crispy curls, which are now soft and bouncy. For an ultra modern texture with loads of volume choose Velcro rollers every time and show off the sexy kitten in you! 

Labbra & Occhi in Primo Piano!

Labbra e occhi sono zone ad alto rischio, ad ogni cambio di stagione è molto importante trovare una strategia che le protegga e le nutra. E' molto frequente che la pelle sia più arida nella zona oculare, oltre che estremamente delicata. Se il vostro problema è uno sguardo stanco e spento e magari delle occhiaie vi consiglio di applicare mattina e sera la White Caviar Illuminating Eye Cream de La Praire(1). Poi la sera, prima di massaggiare la zona con leggeri movimenti circolari vi consiglio di tenere in posa due dischetti di cotone imbevuti di Acqua di Rose, almeno per 15 minuti. Al risveglio è consigliabile tamponare gli occhi con dei cubetti di ghiaccio. Una dermatologa una volta mi disse che fra le fessure delle labbra si depositano umidità e smog, causa dello screpolamento, spesso quando le sentiamo secche tendiamo ad inumidirle con la lingua ma ciò non fa che peggiorare la situazione, è consigliabile invece portare sempre in borsa un balsamo specifico, fra i migliori in commercio il Lip Balm de La Mer(2), effetto morbidezza istantaneo!

Se state cercando uno di quei favolosi prodotti due in uno, Sisley Paris ha creato un'emulsione, da utilizzare preferibilmente la sera, che oltre a idratare è un potente anti aging, Eye & Lip Contour Complex(3)

Tested!

This combo of products will give fabolous results to get a smooth skin, moreover it's an incredible "budget saver". I often shop at Sephora, trying a lot of different products, last time my eyes were captured by this body mask/gommage. I must say i've used it preferably as a mask to have a better result. I cover the whole body with a layer of product and i wait 10 minutes before wash it away. It's very important to massage the mask while you wash it away, like this all the dead cells are gone and  the skin is ready to receive the other treatments. As second step i use this ultra rich shower cream from Etat Pur, which moisturized the skin during the shower and leave it smooth and soft. I've said this combo is a budget saver, indeed with less than 20 euros ( for both products) you get a real bargain and a healthy skin. For an extra softness, you can apply few drops of baby oil and massage it all over the body, then dry it.
Vote: 4/5

                                                  www.sephora.com  www.etatpur.com

                                                             

Tested!

Quali sono i migliori ingredienti per ricompattare le cellule? Sul mercato ce ne sono moltissimi, uno fra i più funzionali è il collagene. Durante le mie ricerche sui nuovi prodotti da testare ho scoperto una linea professionale, Phyto Sintesi, che offre una gamma vastissima di cosmetici a prezzi molto attraenti. Per iniziare, ho acquistato questa maschera viso al collagene e l'ho sperimentata subito applicandola su viso e collo, lasciandola in posa 15 minuti come consigliato. Questo prodotto ha una texture morbida e un profumo delicato, io preferisco stenderlo sul viso con un pennello. Dopo la posa, ho rimosso la maschera con acqua tiepida. Il risultato? La pelle appare immediatamente più compatta, soda e sorprendentemente non  avevo più quel colorito spento "grigio metropoli". In seguito, ho sperimentato la maschera in un altro modo, altrettanto efficace, perchè la mia pelle da fumatrice (ahimè) richiede una cura costante e più profonda. Una sera, dopo la pulizia, ho applicato sul viso alcune gocce di Attivi Puri di Collistar al collagene e ho poi steso un velo leggero di maschera Phyto Sintesi e sono andata a dormire. Il mattino seguente la pelle era radiosa, compatta e nutritia in profondità. Ora la utilizzo due volte a settimana, una volta alla sera,  per lasciarla agire tutta la notte e l'altra in vista di qualche uscita serale, soprattutto il venerdì, quando arrivo al week end praticamente cotta. La maschera conferisce una pelle talmente levigata che è ottima anche come base per il trucco, ma questo lo consiglio esclusivamente alle "portatrici" di pelle secca/molto secca. E dopo il make up non dimenticate di vaporizzare  sul viso dell' acqua termale, il trucco durerà più a lungo.  

Voto: 4/5

Bags of Appeal

A good make-up bag is essential to keep your favourite make up pieces organized and clean. Here some tips when you're investing in a purse.

1. It will inevitably get mucky so you want to make sure you can pop in the washing maschine or be able to wipe it down.

2. It must contain separate compartment to keep lots of different pieces.

3. There must be a few pockets for brushes, but well, this depends on how many brushes you're going to keep in the bag.

4. An extra mirror contained in the bag is a plus.

5. The hardest point to consider is the bag big enought to contain all the pieces and small enough to fit in the handbag? Try to look for a medium size bag!
6. Are you extremely chaotic with your make up? Consider buying a transparent bag so you can see and find easily all the products. 

Warehouse cosmetic bag, €23 / MARC BY MARC JACOBS toiletry bag, €82 / Bao Bao by Issey Miyake make up bag, €130 / Fendi make up bag, €115 / Lulu Guinness bags case, €105 / River Island make up bag, €16 / Gucci bags case, €150

Il Rito del Bagno

Quali miracoli nasconderà mai un semplice bagno caldo? A fare la differenza sono i prodotti da miscelare nella vasca, per ogni tipo di esigenza, dal relax alla lotta alla cellulite. Vi ho stilato una lista di piccole esigenze che ciascuna di noi ha e vi ho svelato qualche segreto in più per risultati visibili in poco tempo.

Snellire e drenare: Al bagno caldo aggiugente 1 kg di sale grosso, qualche goccia di olio drenante anticellulite che oltre a "sgonfiare" ammorbidisce la pelle. Fra i tanti in commercio vi consiglio L'Huile "Anti Eau" di Clarins. Una volta terminato il bagno applicate la vostra crema trattamento con un massaggio che parte dalla caviglia fino ai fianchi (ottimi e diversi a seconda delle esigenze specifiche Lift Minceur Anti-Capitons o il Lift Minceur Haute Definition sempre di Clarins). Un'attenzione particolare alla zona del seno, il calore infatti tende a rilassare i tessuti e noi non vogliamo che oltre la forza di gravità ci si metta anche l'acqua a 30 gradi del nostro bagno. Occorre applicare un prodotto specifico per la zona, mi sono trovata molto bene con Gel Buste Super Lift di Clarins, effetto tensore immediato!

Idratare e ammorbidire: La ricetta per trasformare il momento del bagno in una vera e propria terapia è aromatizzare l'acqua con alcune goccie di olio di lavanda o eucalipto. Favoriscono un rilassamento immediato. Mentre siete ancora nella vostra vasca da bagno vi consiglio di massaggiare ogni zona delicamente con un guanto apposito, (sono super purificanti quelli con fibre di bamboo)  dove precedentemente avete steso una noce di prodotto, io mi trovo molto bene con Ocean Salt di Lush. In seguito con la pelle ancora bagnata vi consiglio alcune gocce di Olio Lusso di Rodin, infilatevi l'accappatorio ben caldo e tamponate delicatamente. Potrete ripete l'operazione con l'olio anche una volta asciutte. 

Tonificare e rassodare: in questo caso il trucco è, oltre ad aggiungere alcune gocce di Oil Tonic di Clarins,  un risciacquo con doccia fredda di alcuni secondi. Una volta fuori dalla vasca, massaggiare con forza le zone critiche che tendono al rilassamento con la fantastica Firming Body di Sisleya dalla texure ricca e vellutata. 

Una volta che il corpo è curato e rilassato è pronto per essere messo in mostra, alcuni fra i prodotti che non possono mancare sono una cipria profumata per esaltare i punti luce come il Body Shimmer di Victoria's Secret con pennello applicatore per un risultato più uniforme. Altrimenti se volete mettere in risalto solo alcune zone del corpo e nello stesso tempo sentirvi una diva Hollywoodiana potete spruzzarvi di polvere profumata e iridescente di Guerlain, Coque D'Or.