Tag: beauty

Product Review: Burt’s Bees Exfoliating Facial Cleansing Towelettes

Hello all 🙂

Today I wanted to review a product that I quite like: Burt’s Bees Exfoliating Facial Cleansing Towelettes. I have always been a big fan of Burt’s Bees products, but alas, I am unable to get my greedy little hands on them as much as I would like. Happily, I do see some Burt’s Bees products arriving on the European market and that makes me a happy girl!

I purchased these while in the USA this past summer. I had never tried them before and wasn’t sure if I would love them or not, so I only grabbed the 1 pack. If I’m ever there again, I’ll be sure to grab more! We were in N.C. for a portion of the trip, and that was really great as far as Burt’s Bees products go. Since they are produced in North Carolina, the price there was awesome! Here, its priced like a luxury item. There, it’s like…everywhere!

I really like these towelettes. They are really great for a lady on the go. I could use these wipes as a dual. I used 1 side for makeup removal, and then folded it and used the other side for exfoliating. My face felt clean, like just washed clean, after using them. Even if I was having to get myself together while in the car.  (Yes, it happened & I regret nothing.) They smell really great too.

I will happily purchase this product again. Burt’s Bees really is something special!

What’s your fave Burt’s Bees product?

-Mliae

Product Review: Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser by The Body Shop #thebodyshop

Hello everyone 🙂

I’ve been looking for a new facial cleanser for awhile now. I love my high-end products (as you well know), but after all the money we said goodbye to this summer for the wedding, I needed to find something a bit more … affordable. Affordable and hard working. You can imagine my surprise when my new hubby came home bearing gifts of Tea Tree Oil products from The Body Shop!

We had a mixed reaction to this product in our house. I really like it, but my husband is not a huge fan. Here’s why: He loves tea tree products, but the foam feels really light (not so heavy as the other ones). I love that the foam is light. He doesn’t. For him, I think that it being so lightweight kind of makes him feel like it isn’t really working. For me? As a woman, especially one who uses daily facial products, I think it is so refreshing to not feel like I’m smearing another layer of anything across my skin. So, it’s a divided outcome. However, we both agree that it works! After my surgery, I feel like I’m going through puberty all over again. My face is breaking out, I’m hot all the time, my arms are breaking out. This cleanser helped to clean out my pores enough so that I didn’t  have to think about it so much. A daily wash with this, and then followed by Toner, Vitamin C and moisturizer – I was set!

I haven’t used this product in a week now and I miss it. Funny how you can only tell how great something works, when you stop using it…

I would happily purchase this product again!

Have you tried The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil products? What do you think?

-Mliae

Spontaneous Stop-off Results in Serious Smiles

Greetings 🙂

Ever have those days when your spontaneity results in something super?? I did! I was really happy about it too because many times, my spontaneous shifts from schedule don’t exactly make everyone around me happy.

So here we are, driving through the country-side and I spot an old building with a museum placard by the front. I figure, hey, I love the odd museum and since this one is set back amidst tons of trees, lakes and fields, it might be very different from what I’m used to. Let’s go!

Firstly, it was free. I love that! The place was small and quite rural, but it really only added to the charm. There were 2 wooden planked floors in this historical building and the art it held really captivated me.

Here are 3 of my favorites:

IMG_7108

I’m not usually a huge fan for landscapes. But this one just kind of made it impossible for me to stop staring at.

IMG_7107

This one, I realized, is the evolution of the family throughout the past 200 years. A very interesting piece which really speaks volumes.

IMG_7111

And this one, I want on my wall. I know that the composition isn’t perfect, but I like that about it. The bright colours really made me swoon and I went back to this piece like 3 times!

What do you think? Success??

-Mliae

Holy Gladiolus, Batman!

Look what I did! As I mentioned in my previous gardening post, I planted lots…I mean LOTS of different kinds of bulbs this Spring. May of my plants have died from over-loving. But some strong ones have come out just magnificently! I have never planted bulbs before and had no idea what half of them would actually look like!

These beauties are growing tall and strong and GORGEOUS! I felt kind of silly, whilst walking through a flower shop with a girl friend, and saying ‘ooohhh…these are beautiful! I’d love to get some of these, but there 15€ a stalk!’. And what did I hear in reply? ‘Why don’t you just wait a few weeks for yours to bloom? You DO know they’re growing in you yard…don’t you?’ Talk about putting on the dunce cap…immediately.

But I must tell you, I’ve been so excited watching these bloom and grow, I just can’t stop myself walking by the flower beds and staring out the windows with a satisfactory smile on my face! 🙂

I am loving having fresh flowers in the house – ALL THE TIME! Winter will be so drab without them.

How is your garden growing?

-Mliae

Fresh from the garden :)

Hello everyone 🙂 I hope you are enjoying the last bits of summer!

I was so excited about this, I just had to share! Yours truly, has a very nasty track record of killing off almost every plant she comes in contact with. So you can imagine my fear and frustration when I spent a ton of money I didn’t have on bulbs and roots for pretty plants and flowers I feared I would ultimately murder.

But look-y what happened! I planted tons of lily and gladiolus bulbs (being consoled by friends and family the entire time that they would not sprout until next year) and 3 peace rose ‘bushes’ (nope, not bushes…really tiny sticks with a root-y part). I only managed to ‘over-love’ one of the rose bushes that just didn’t make it. But two of them did, as did some of the lilies!

So here is a photo of my first Massive peace rose from my baby stick and a beautiful lily next to it. No, the lily isn’t miniature, the rose is HUGE. YYYYEEEAAA! Who’s your gardening lady now?!

How’s your garden growing?

-Mliae

Product Review: Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator -Eyes

I am finding myself to be rather partial to this product. Granted, it is a bit of an investment, but as a lady in her late 30’s, I can easily tell you that an investment into skincare is a solid investment indeed!

Similar to the Clarins eye cream that I loved, the difference seems to be subtle…until you stop using it. After a 3 days forced break from this eye cream, I looked in the mirror and realized that OK, this is actually making a HUGE difference!

Although I’ve had a problem with dark circles under my eye area this year, Forever eye cream by YSL has actually made a difference. The lines and darkness are reduced, but not eliminated. I have to say though, that I would much rather look in the mirror and see the slightly tired eyes of a late 20 something, as opposed to the dark exhausted eyes of a 50 year old staring back at me. This made that difference, so I recommend it!

Runs at $100 and can be purchased in many upscale department stores or online by clicking here.

What are some of your to-swear-by eye products?

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

CARMEX Original Lip Balm Review

I reblogged this post by The High Ponytail  because its a good review of this product. I’ve heard many good things about Carmex. Unfortunately it isn’t available in my corner of the world, so I wanted to share an honest review of it as pertains to my seemingly never ending search for the products to produce the perfect pout. Read and enjoy…and drop by the High Ponytail for more great posts!

Product Description: Generations have relied on our hardworking original lip balm formula. Soothes dry, chapped lips  Creates a long-lasting water barrier with petrolatum, which acts like a bandage…

Source: CARMEX Original Lip Balm Review

Product Review: Burt’s Bees Hydrating Lip Balm with Coconut and Pear

As I find myself using every product I can get my hands on – or in this case, my lips on, it begins to dawn on me that all products, are in fact, not created equal. I’m a Burt’s Bees fan. A big one…and for more than a decade now I’ve been using every Burt’s Bees product I can manage to get. But, after using a variety of lip products on my quest for the perfect pout , coming back to this old favourite made me remember why I began this experiment in the first place. After only a few days of regular application, my lips are beginning to dry out again.

What I like about this product: 

  • 100% natural. With an ingredient list that reads with basically all things you can find in the market (sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, beeswax, castor seed oil, shea butter, lanolin,pear extract, soybean oil, soybean oil & rosemary leaf extract) it’s hard not to love it.
  • Price. About 4 British Pounds, 4$ or 5€ you can obtain a tube of this stuff.
  • It’s Burt’s Bees!
  • Smells yum and feels good
  • Fits in my jeans pocket

What I don’t like about this product:

  • The more I use, the more I need, the more I need, the more I use and my lips start to dry out :/

Overall Decision:  It saddens me to say, but once this tube is finished, I won’t be replacing it with another of the same kind.

The hunt continues…..

What are your lip product recommendations?

-Mliae

Product Review: Teadora Nourishing Lip Balm

Teadora Nourishing lip butter from Brazil is the product I am reviewing today on my search to find the products to create the perfect pout. I really like this product. It does not leave my lips dried out after 1,000 uses. I found that, even better, I’m not applying it all day long. It lasts much longer than the average lip balm, so I re-apply maybe 5-6 times per day.

What I like about this product:

  • Exfoliating properties. Because this is the slightest bit gritty, it gently exfoliates the dead skin on your lips, so you don’t find yourself mindless rubbing your lips.
  • I think it smells good. I can’t exactly place what the scent is, but it smells…clean, not chemical-y.
  • It lasts for-ev-er! Due to the fact that its super thick, its virtually impossible to get a ton of it to use at one go.
  • Product is Vegan. The ingredients I found are as follows: Buriti, Açaí, Cupuaçu, Buriti, Brazil Nut, Andoriba, Maracujá (Passion Fruit), Açaí oils, Cupuaçu, Murumuru, Mango butters & Carnaúba Wax
  • Price. This product is very affordable, and with the fact that it lasts soon long it’s a good buy. Solid 🙂

What I don’t like about this product:

  • The almost un-noticeable grit contained within, takes some getting used to
  • You have to use your finger. You’ll be swiping for ten minutes with a lipstick brush to get any, because it is solid its so thick.
  • Labelling. (I know, it has nothing to do with product performance) But if you’re like me, you like all your tubes and bottles looking new and beautiful. With heavy use and banging around in my bag, the ink does rub down a bit in some places such as the container lid.

Overall decision: 

For me, this one is a keeper. I will have it in my beach bag this summer. I will be buying more, and I like this product so much I want to try to some of the other products in Teadora’s line as well.

Keeper Tally: 2

  • Teadora Nourishing lip butter
  • Clarins lip balm with rose wax

I’ve linked Teadora’s website and amazon pages here, just click on where you want to go.

I would love to hear your thoughts about Teadora products.

The search continues!

-Mliae

 

Product Review & Recommendation: Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lipbalm

On my quest for the perfect pout, 2 bloggers recommended Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lipbalm to me. I have to say…Oh yeeeaaaa. This stuff is great! Thank you to The Utopian Universe and Neeka Doll for the recommendation!

The first day I used this product, I fell in love. For someone who re-applies lip balm 100 times a day, I used this once during the day, then again right before going to sleep. When I woke up, my lips were still moist and soft. After that, I started referring this product to my family as a God-send.

What I like about this product:

  • It lasts. I mean really. You might think that 20€ is a ton of money to spend on lip balm, but when you only have to use it – max 5 times a day for constant moisture. It’s worth it, it really is.
  • Works FAST! After one days’ use, it patched up my super dry lips big time.

What I don’t like about this product:

  • Honestly, the only thing I don’t like about this product is the price. But thats actually ok because 1) it’s worth every cent …and 2) the price seems to vary by store. For example; I purchased this tube at a high-end store for 20€, when ironically, the not-so-high-end store was selling them for 30€. (Sometimes it pays to shop around)

Overall decision: I will be keeping a tube of Clarins lip balm with essential rose wax in my bag. This product is a really good one and I’m sure that when I am much further along in the challenge to find the products for the perfect pout, this item will still be in the top 5 lip balms. I am certain of it. THIS IS A KEEPER!

I love to hear your product suggestions, so please share! Many of the products I am trying, I would never have found if it weren’t for the suggestions of others…so keep it coming! Also, please understand that I am purchasing these products myself to try, so it may take a bit to sample all of them. It seems that since I am in Europe, and most of the firms which desire product reviews, prefer them in the States. So I am currently unsponsored and un-sampled as far as my reviews go. (If anyone knows of a company which would like product reviews done in Europe, please share this information too!)

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

Lip recommendation: Coconut oil

Well folks, I said I would try your recommendations..and I am. Misstery blog was kind enough to share some of her favourite lip products on a comment feed discussion prior to my bath and body works honey mania lip balm review. Thank you! I never would have thought to try this if it hadn’t been suggested to me.

This is an organic, cold pressed coconut oil that I purchased to try for cooking purposes. I jumped at the chance to try this for my lip challenge, because…how awesome would it be to find the perfect that was just hiding in my kitchen cabinet!

Here’s how it went down:

On day one, my lips were already in atrocious condition. Dry, cracked and bloody. Really bad. I filled half a shot glass with coconut oil (in solid form) and started smearing it all over my lips as often as I just could. No kidding, my lips were that dry that they were sucking this stuff up like it was a mojito in the desert. I tried it on my hands too…same effect. I’ve never been this dried out; I’m starting to think its the water in the new place or something. After about 5 hours  of constant re-application, the skin around my lips and on my knuckles started to get red and itchy. (Could this be a bit of an allergic reaction or what?)

On day two, began feeling an improvement, no more redness. Still thirsty, still lathering. After about 100 applications, the skin on my lips started to peel off – in sheets. I know that this was just that horrible dry skin shedding away so that new healthy skin could appear.

On day three, lips looked much better, and even fuller. Not exactly like collagen or a shellfish allergy, but not dry and small. Pretty and a little puffy (in a good way) and MOISTURIZED = happy blogger

On day four, everything normalizes. I’m still applying this stuff constantly, but I know enough about its reactions with me to write this review.

What I like about this product:

  • Accessibility: This is a somewhat common kitchen product that serves multiple functions. The 217 ml container is 50x the size of your average lip balm container and the cost is low
  • Moisturizing!
  • Feels very smooth on the lips
  • Smells coconut-y
  • Affordable
  • Multi-purpose: cooking, lip moisturizer, face and hand moisturizer, super hair and scalp treatment and about a bizillion other things

What I don’t like about this product:

  • Maybe not for sensitive skin in some cases, as I think I might’ve had a small reaction to it.
  • Should be cautious of using any oil product on your face, hands or body during parts of the year when UV is high
  • Kind of melted as soon as it got close to my face, so I was using tons of it and all the time
  • Container issues: Since you can’t exactly carry around a bucket of coconut oil in your clutch, how do you repackage it nicely for mobility? I kept it in a shot glass at home.

Overall decision: Unfortunately, this is not the perfect lip product for me. However, I will be using it on my lips again in the future because it was really nice and super moisturizing!

The hunt for the perfect pout continues! Any more recommendations for me to put on the try list? I must admit, I’m having a really good time doing this experiment!

-Mliae

Product Review: MAC lipstick in Hue

Let me begin by saying that I am a huge proponent of M.A.C. I have been a fan of this cosmetics company for the past 15 years. I thought it only appropriate to test out one of my favourite brands while searching for the perfect lip products to create the perfect pout. So I did. This lipstick runs for $17 in the states or 21,50€ in the EU.

That said, I decided to take a chance on this shade (Hue). I normally wear a lot of nude shades for a day-to-day basis so this didn’t seem like too much of a stretch.  I have to say, I do not like this shade. Its too young for me and washes me out completely. I’m sure that this shade would look AH-mazing on a olive complexioned early 20 something. But for me? Honestly? Nope.

What I like about this product:

  • It’s M.A.C – one of my favourite brands!
  • It lasts through life activities and shows well under stage or club lights
  • Stays put. Doesn’t creep through the sid

What I don’t like about this product:

  • The shade
  • If your lips aren’t properly lined and moisturized, this light shade shows every crack and dry spot

Over-all decision:

  • Not for me. I will buy and use MAC lipstick for years to come, but not this shade…ever again.

The hunt for the perfect pout continues…

What are some of your fave lipsticks and shades?

-Mliae

Product Review: The Body Shop honey lip balm

I wanted to review this product in my quest to find the perfect products to create the perfect pout. I really love products from The Body Shop. They carry Lip balm, lip butter, lip gloss, lip care, lip stick, etc. Just for the lips. This is their 10 ml Honey mania lip balm.

What I love about this product: 

  • Use of Community trade honey harvested by the Beza Mar Beekeepers
  • Price is reasonable at 8.50€, 4£ or USD$ varies by store.
  • Softens lips
  • Smells like honey! Yummmm!

What I don’t like about this product:

  • The more you use, the more you need. Lips dry a bit when product dries.
  • Im constantly rubbing my lips together to smooth it over, so my lipstick wears off much faster. Very wax-y
  • Have to use your fingers to apply it if you are out and about without a lipstick brush

Overall decision:  Although nice, I would forego this product if you use lip balm more than  5 times daily or if you plan to use a lip colour on top which lasts long. Constant use will slightly dry out your lips.

Keep it in your bag if you’ve got it on hand for occasional use, or are going for a beachy lip look.

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

 

New Experiment: The Perfect Lips!

Hello, I’m Mliae and I’m a beauty junkie! I love face care, body care and all things pretty. Only one teensy little problem though…As a woman, I spend a fortune on beauty products but only half of them actually do what they claim and some of them actually make problems worse?! So, I’m setting out to find the best and worst products for those smackers of ours.

I am a lip balm addict during the cold months. Under, over or in place of lipstick. I am now that frustrated because some of our most popular products are tearing my lips to shreds. So I’ve made up my mind that I will use and review every product I have within  my grasp…and then some; until I find the perfect combo for soft, supple, beautiful pouty lips that hold long lasting colour and make this girls smile look Ahhh-mazing! 😀

Stay tuned…Product reviews and more coming soon!

What are some of the products you swear by?

Let’s get this party started!

-Mliae

The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner

I am featuring The Body Shops’ Vitamin E Hydrating Toner as this weeks’ Friday find challenge by A Dark Word Inside. This little beauty has been a lifesaver for me!

I was so sad when my Clarins alcohol free toner finally ran out. I found this little guy in my The Body Shop advent calendar this year and was absolutely relieved to use it. It works better than I had expected. Especially on aging skin. I’ve been so set on using Higher end facial care products due to a constant influx of ‘meh’ experiences with affordable products.

This one surprised me though. My pores are staying clean and it is not drying out my skin. (A biggie at this point) I guess the ultimate test will come when I go in for my next facial and am thoroughly scrutinized. But I can tell you that this particular toner actually works! Yay!

What’s your favourite toner?

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

Product review: CHANEL concealer in #10 beige clair

I will start by saying that this product is worth every cent spent on it. I’ve been searching for a concealer that can give me full coverage without looking like I’m wearing a mask of make-up, and I think this might be the one.

I have been using MAC on a semi-religious basis for years. But when my concealer was finally finito this time, I decided I would try something new from another one of my favorite brands and see if it suited me any better.

My skin tone fluctuates drastically between summer and late winter. In the winters, I really think I’m heading in the Morticia Adams direction by the time the sun starts shining. Now, winter skin is never a bad thing. But winter eye bags are. If you’re anything like me, your sleep is erratic at best, and those monstrous purple bags shine brightly like a trophy of a night well spent. NOT. COOL.

I went in search of a product that was thick enough to actually cover the dark circles, but not paint-it-on thick. After trying out several, this one really seemed to do the trick. I’ve been using this daily for more than a month now and I can definitely say that I love it! It smoothes and blends in easily, covers the bad spots and is even suitable for contouring. This is a product I will purchase again.

What are some of your favorite products?

Thanks for reading!

-mliae

 

What to look forward to…

Hello peeps 🙂

I’ll try to keep this brief, since I know that time is valuable. It’s because of that, that I am writing this post. Since we only have one life (Which makes time far more valuable than money, in my opinion) I thought it might be beneficial to map out what kind of posts you can expect from me & what experiments I’m facing over the next several months. This way, you can decide if it is worth your time to read and follow, if there is something specific that you are looking for.

  • The weightloss/diet/fitness journey continues. Unless a major breakthrough occurs at some point, this will be updated on a once weekly basis until I reach my goal weight.
  • Covering the never ending quest for beauty: Facials, cosmetics, new beauty products & reviews, creams, oils, treatments & peels, nutrition, etc. These will be posted once I’ve had time to notice results. Or on the day-of facials.
  • Fashion and decor: Photos, stores, links, prices and opinions
  • Health and wellness: Home remedies, massage and I will begin the cellulite cupping treatments. (I’m so excited!) These will be posted on a same-day or day-after basis, continuing through each treatment to follow progress.
  • Home renovation. Yes, you heard me…DIY! This should be the most entertaining of all of it…especially since yours truly can barely wield a hammer. I purchased an old farmhouse this summer and well…lets just say that I can clearly see that in the next 10 years or so, this place will have had all but the bones replaced, repaired, redecorated, rerouted or modified in some other way. These posts will be sporadic at best, but will follow my progress here.
  • Recipes: OK, so I’m not the best cook…especially when I’m traveling. But occasionally, I do happen to stumble upon some super easy, seriously yummy stuff. When I do, I’ll post it…promise! Forever on the lookout 😉
  • Travel, travel, travel! I travel frequently and will be posting more about my travels in multi-part updates. At the moment, I’m kind of here, there and everywhere so you can expect updates from some of the places I’ve been going with things to do/see, and then future updates containing additional information, places, people, prices, and fun stuff when I just have a chance to get it all together, back up my research (I want you to have the same great experiences I do!) and make sure that my tourist brain doesn’t take over.

That’s what you can expect. I only post when I actually have something to say, so you don’t have to worry about your email inbox flooding over with one-liners. All of my experiences are real and from my own life, so they will not be found anywhere else on the web (except perhaps my instagram: my_life_is_an_experiment ).

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!

-mliae