It’s been quite hot here in Belgium the last few days! Finally the perfect weather to use my summer-beauty-kit!

I’ve been using Babor’s Summer Blush for a few weeks now, and I love it! The colors are perfect for summer (a warm hot pink, a soft coral and a deep, slightly shimmery bronze) and it’s so versatile, I use it as as a blush, as a bronzer ànd even as an eyeshadow too!
Summer Blush Collection - €26 - Babor
http://www.babor.be/

My favourite summer-mascara this one from Maybelline. It’s waterproof, looks quite natural (despite its name) and it is easy to apply, essential for hot days at the pool!
Waterproof mascara Falsies Volum’Epress - Maybelline

Do you want to make a fashion-statement by using a hint of color on your eyelids at the beach or at the pool? This (véry) waterproof eyeshadow-stick takes you straight from a dive in the water to the beachparty. Or the other way around, if you fancy a midnight-swim.
Waterproof eyeshadow stick Ombre Blackstar - €30 - By Terry
http://www.cosmeticary.be/

Bumble & bumble is launching a fantastic new line of UV-protective products. The sulfate-free shampoo, the conditioner, the styling balm and the protective polish keep your coloured hair in perfect condition. I recently updated my hair colour, but now my hair feels a bit dry when I wash it with a ‘normal’ shampoo. So I’ve used this Bumble & bumble shampoo the last few weeks, and my hair feels soft en looks shiny again!
Sulfate-free Shampoo Color Minded - Bumble & Bumble
UV protective Styling Balm - Bumble & Bumble
http://www.cosmeticary.be/

My new favourite day cream: the Total Effects sensitive skin- moisturizer! This Total Effects-range of products is fantastic, combining anti-aging, moisturizing and sun-protection.
Total Effects Sensitive skin - €21,99 - Olaz

If you go on holiday, but want to avoid taking a big make-up bag with you, I suggest taking a ‘Flipstick’: Max Factor’s fun and beautiful duo-lipsticks! Soooo many possibilities!!
- Use the lightest colour only, for a subtle effect.
- Use the brightest or darkest colour as a classy evening-look.
- Apply the brightest colour on your lips, leave it on for a few minutes, and then take it off with a tissue. The colour has stained your lips, and it will last a few hours without fading, without you having the sticky lipstick-feeling! You can now add some transparant lipbalm to condition your lips.
- Use the two colours together to design your own lip-look! Use the red lipstick on the outer edges of your lips for example, and add a dot of coral in the middle part of your lips!
My favourite look is this one on the picture below: I used the lightest colour (coral) on the outer edges of my lips, and the bright pink/red on the inside! That way, you get the cherry-lips-effect (as if you just ate a bunch of cherries! :-P)
Flipstick (duo-lipstick) - €12,49 - Max Factor

Last but not least, a summer-kit item for easy beach-hair: the Ocean Spritz spray by Wella!
So easy: just spray it in your hair, massage it a little bit, and you have a beachy waves!
I also like to spray it in my hair before I make a braid or before I put my hair up in a messy bun (ideal for the beach).
If I take the braid / bun out after a few hours, my hair has beautiful waves! Ideal for summer-evenings!
Ocean Spritz spray - Wella

I’ve got a new addiction: argan oil. I was strolling around in Bruges this week, and there was a little artisan market where I found this:

Argan oil is one of the rarest oils in the world, as it only grows in one specific area in Morocco. In fact, all argan oil in the world is produced by a Moroccan women’s cooperative (which exists of 22 smaller factories), so by buying this oil you support these Berber women living and working in the south-east of Morocco!

So… now I can hear you think: this may all be very interesting and all… but what is this argan oil and why should I use it?

Well… because it has a véry large amount of vitamine E, squalane, omega 3 / 6 (anti-oxidants), carotene, etc… it moisturizes, protects and heals the skin, you can use it as a wrinkle treatment, it helps to soften and heal very dry skin (even psoriasis), you can use it on dry hair or nails, it even helps to balance oily skin types.
And on top of all that, you can use it in the kitchen: you can also consume this oil, on a salad or something.

I have been using it the last few days as a wrinkle treatment around my eyes, and I used it a few times on my dry hands and even on my lips (it’s getting cold here in Belgium!)… and I absolutely LOVE it.

I now understand why they call it ‘liquid gold’ in Morocco… (and also maybe because it’s quite pricey )
You can find this oil in different price-ranges. As it is produced in relatively small amounts it is obviously not cheap, but I think you can find it at a reasonable price if you look around a bit.

The brand that I bought the oil from, apparently has a webshop:

http://www.maison-du-savon.com

So dear blogreaders, are there any other argan-oil-addicts out there? I’m curious to hear about your experiences, because I’ve only been using this oil for a few days now. But I’m seriously hooked already! (Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!)

I am always a bit reluctant to buy stuff in online shops. When buying clothes, you never know if they will fit, and with beauty products, I like to feel the texture and see the colours in real life before I buy something.

I make a few exceptions, especially when the beauty products are extremely cheap or extremely fantastic.

The webshop ‘e.l.f.’ (eyes lips face) is in the ‘extremely cheap’ category, and most of the products are even quite good! I like the nail polishes, lip glosses, some of the eye shadows and some of the brushes!

lipgloss - € 1
eye shadow palette - € 4
kabuki brush - € 5,80
http://nl.eyeslipsface.be/

Another webshop I adore is the Cosmeticary online shop. I LOVE the stores in Antwerp and Brussels, but when I don’t have the time to drop by, I order these fantastic goodies online!
You can shop hard-to-find brands here, such as By terry, diptyque, Laura Mercier, bumble&bumble, Duwop, dermalogica, Essie, … and more.
 

Rosebud salve (for chapped lips and dry skin) - € 10
Nail polish ‘mint candy apple’ - € 13,75 - Essie
Satin oil for hair en body - € 45 for 200ml - diptyque
http://www.cosmeticary.com/

Happy Easter, everyone!

What a great easter weekend we had here in Belgium… Sunny weather, perfect for easter egg hunts, barbecues with family and working in the garden! Hmmm lovely, I feel like I’ve been on holiday or something…
Anyway, back to business!

I’ve been wanting to write about my favourite moisturizing day cream for a while now, but didn’t find the time. So here it is:

I ADORE Louis Widmer’s Emulsion Hydro-Active!! Instead of all those supercreamy day creams, this is a non-greasy moisturizer: it hydrates the skin, without giving it that sticky feeling. And I have a very ‘thirsty’ skin, so it absorbes the emulsion immediatly.

I found the active-ingredients-list online:

I use this emulsion as a day cream, and in the evening I use Louis Widmer’s ‘Crème Nutritive’, which is a bit richer. That way, the dryer spots of my skin can absorb all the nourishing ingredients, all night long.

Oh, and I also like the fact that there is a ‘no perfume’-version as well as a ’slightly scented’-version.

Highly recommended!

Founded in 1851 as a small apothecary in New York City, Kiehl’s is now a worldwide brand of skin and hair care products. After Brussels and Antwerp, Kiehl’s is now also available in a new store, situated in Ghent. Last week I had the chance to go discover the new (and very adorable) store, and try out some of the latest Kiehl’s products. Idris Henry, Kiehl’s Education Manager, was there to explain the new products to us.

First of all, all Kiehl’s products are always perfume-free and have natural ingrediënts and botanical extracts. This is why they are especially suitable for people with skin problems!

One of the products I tested was the Over-night biological peel. Forget irritated and sensitive skin after a (scrub)peeling, because this product works completely different. When I put it on my skin in the evening, it felt like putting on a very hydrating and soft moisturizer. That is in fact exactly what it is: a moisturizer which also stimulates skin cell renewal, and helps the skin to release the dead skin cells over night. The next morning, I washed my skin, and it felt very smooth, hydrated, and looked fresh and glowing! I don’t think I will ever use another peeling again!
€54,50 - 50 ml

Another great product I tried, is the Centella Recovery Skin Salve. This product contains aloe vera, honey and tiger herbs. You could use this salve as a daycream, but I use it on dry spots on my face and hands, and on spots where my skin is a bit irritated. I like it because it has a very soothing formula but it isn’t greasy or sticky at all.
€52 - 75 ml

At the moment I am testing a few line-and-wrinkle-reducing products from Kiehl’s, so in a few weeks I will share the results with you here on my bloggie!

Kiehl’s Store: Lombardenvest 80, 2000 Antwerpen
Kiehl’s Store: Koestraat 18, 9000 Gent
Kiehl’s @ Senteurs d’Ailleurs: Louizalaan 94, 1000 Brussel