Shopping Time - Testing New Products

Every time I go to Stockholm I end up treating myself to some beauty products. I just cannot help myself. Stockholm, being the capital city, has the best selection of shops and unique brands and only there can I smell, swatch and feel some of the products I read about on the Internet. My recent visit was no exception. Truth to be told, one item was a  re-purchase and two I considered 'necessary' as I run out of their predecessors but a few wishlist items ended up in my basket as well.

January Favourites - 2014

How exciting it is to start a year with some new cosmetics and new favourites. I got to try a number of amazing products last month and got to re-discover some old ones too. Some of them may even become my all-time favourites. Check out this post to read more about what I used in January.

Sunday Spa - Ziaja Antibacterial Algae Gel Mask

Sundays are usually my spa days. I make time for some hair treatments, pedicure and manicure and for face masks. Those moments are particularly exciting when I get to try a new product and this Sunday it has been Ziaja Antibacterial Gel Mask with 100% algae spirulina.

I purchased this mask from my beautician who recommended it after hearing about my problems with hormonal break-outs. This mask is supposed to be perfect for problematic skin as spirulina algae has clarifying and antibacterial properties.

Winter Special: How to take care of your lips in the winter time?

 Together with dropping temperature and falling snow our bodies begin to protest. Skin becomes sensitive and red, hair frizzy and brittle and our lips chapped and dry. This is the time of the year when I stock up on moisturizing body butters, hair oils and lip balms. Especially when it comes to the lip balms, I have quite an obsession. I love bright and dark lipsticks but that means my lips have to be in perfect condition. Therefore, I do have quite a collection of lip balms - both from from drugstore and high-end brands - so let me give you a quick run-through of my top lip saviours.

Brand focus: Bath and Body Works

Remember how I told you about all the differences between America and Europe when it comes to shopping for beauty? Well, one of the major disadvantages of the European market is that many American brands are simply not available here. One of them is definitely Bath and Body Works. If The Body Shop and Yankee Candle had a baby together, Bath and Body Works would be that baby. I can only describe it as a scent shop: a place where you will find beautifully smelling candles and matching body lotions : things for your body care and for your senses.
Bath and Body Works has only recently opened its stores in three European countries: Russia, Turkey and... Poland. Therefore, I finally had a chance to get my hands on some of their stuff and I can now review them for you. Unfortunately, the brand is still not available in Britain or Sweden.

December favourites 2013

From left: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, L'oreal Mythic Oil, Nivea Q10 Plus, Emma Hardy Amazing Moringa Cleansing Balm, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, Real Techniques Contour Brush, M.A.C Blot Powder

Ladies and gentlemen - last favourites for 2013! After careful consideration I decided to write about products I enjoyed using in December rather than make a long post about 2013 beauty favourites. I just thought that, given that my blog is still relatively new, it actually does not make much sense to sum up a whole year at this stage. So here are my December awards:

What I got for Christmas - Skincare and Make-up

I can't believe that December is already over and 2014 has begun. I spent Christmas with my parents in Poland and had an opportunity to meet both my family and my friends. Those last two weeks of December were so busy I didn't have time to look around the shops for new cosmetics but I was lucky to receive so many lovely Christmas presents that I thought I could show you some of the things I got.

November favourites 2013

Left: NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo, Lernberger Stafsing Blowdry. Front: Benefit Rockateur, O.P.I Make Him Mine

I'm sorry to come so late with my favourites but, as the saying goes, "better late than never." Here comes a list of products I particularly enjoyed in November. I chose something from skincare, haircare and, of course, make-up. You will probably notice that some products have already appeared in my previous posts - I guess this is a clear sign I am really obsessed with them.

My cleansing routine

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner, REN Clarifying Clay Cleanser, M.A.C Cleanse Off Oil, Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, Bioderma Micelle Solution

I believe in clear skin. I also believe that making this extra effort to remove your make-up and wash your face every evening is a recipe for healthy and beautiful complexion. I'm sure I'd mentioned this before but - just to put it out there - cleansing is what I enjoy the most in my skincare routine. I love discovering new products and finding those that work well together to create a perfect combination for my skin type. The actual routine differs sometimes depending on my skin's needs and on the amount of make-up I have on but there is one thing I always try to be consistent about - washing my face every night regardless of how tired or lazy I feel.

The face mask fix....

Back: Origins Clear Improvement, Origins Drink-Up Intensive, Nude Miracle Mask, Bliss Steep Clean. Front: Ren Glycolactic Mask, Bio-line Red Clay, Ziaja Nourishing Mask.

 We don't always have time or means to go to professional beauty salons and get expensive hour-long facials. Having said that, devoting 10-20 minutes of our weekly time to a skincare treatment sounds doable and will definitely provide our complexion with many long-term benefits. Face masks are aimed at various problems, differ in formulas and are less or more effective but they all have one thing in common -  they are to make us look better, practically after one use, and improve the general quality of our skin. I am a dedicated user of face masks and I apply them religiously twice a week. I generally divide them into three categories - cleansing masks, radiance masks and moisturizing masks.

Treasures of...Greece

I hope for the "Treasures of..." series to be particularly useful to those of you who love to try new, often unique, cosmetics from all over the world. In today's post I focus on Greece - one of my favourite countries when it comes to natural beauty products. Greeks now how to transform raw ingredients, such as various oils and fruit extracts, into the most amazing and effective beauty remedies. 

Brand focus: goodies from Kiehl's

Left: Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner, Over-Night Biological Peel, Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser, Creamy Eye Treatment, Ultra Light Daily Defense.

I like reading blog posts devoted to a particular brand. Sometimes it is simply useful to know what particular label has to offer, especially when encountering their products for the first time. I had a look at my own stash and I realized there're certain brands I clearly lean towards. 
I hope to make this a regular thing on my blog and I thought I could start with one of my beloved skincare brands - Kiehl's.

October favourites 2013

Left: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused light, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Grey Pearl, REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser, Origins Drink Up Intensive, Origins Plantscription Concealer in 02Light/Medium

October is one of my favourite months. It is the month of change. New, warmer clothes, different shades of lipsticks and nail polishes,weather-adjusted skincare. Last month I got to try a number of exciting products, both from the make-up and skincare department. Here comes a list with a brief review of each and every item.