Milk & Cookiie

*Milk; Ren Guerande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm (review)

2013-07-07T23:12:00.000+02:00

Product description: A gently exfoliating body balm which removes dead cells and will leave your skin moisturised, renewed and glowing.

How to use: Massage onto dry skin before bathing or showering. Rinse off.

Summer has fiiiinaly arrived here in Holland so in order to make my ~~pasty white~~ skin ready for the sun I bought this Ren 'Guerande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm'.

The product

I never had much luck with the previous body scrubs that I tried. Both of them were oil based salt or sugar srubs and always left me feeling extremely oily and sticky whereas this one rinses completely clean in the shower. No slippery bathroom floor and no sticky legs! The balm gives the salt granules a bit of slip whilst making the skin soft and supple.

As you can see the balm is really thick but not too greasy. I also enjoy the subtle peppermint scent. I don't like heavily scented body products because you apply it on such a large area so it can easily be a bit too overwhelming.

Unlike most salt scrubs, the Ren 'Guerande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm' has very fine granules. The granules in oil based scrubs usually melt because of the oil, but these don't so you can really get a good exfoliation.

The verdict

The reason why I really adore this scrub is because it has helped to smooth out the bumps on my upper arms and legs without leaving my skin feeling dry or irritated. Although I don't use any self-tanner I can imagine that this would be great to use beforehand because it effectively gets rid of any dead skin and creates a great base for the self-tanner to adhere to.

Rating: 5/5

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Life Through Instagram #5

2013-07-02T23:59:00.000+02:00

Ella's italian dinner @ Mazzo, Amsterdam • Afternoon tea, the Greek way • Tiffany's hair donation back in December as a birthday good deed• Shameless selca, wearing the Korres lipbalm from this post • Tiffany's cute dinner with her cousin (Many dinners with cousins this month, yay!) • Tiffany's night out @ Escape, Amsterdam • Afternoon tea, the British way • Pai Combination Skin Cream• Tiffany after being at Holi Festival @ Amsterdam ArenA

We definitely slowed down with putting things up on Instagram, so hence the two old pictures between the new ones. I am not sure whether I should review the Pai moisturizer so I thought mentioning it here in case anyone is interested in one. Let me know if you want a review of it! Ever since I cut off like 23 centimeters of my hair for donation, my hair grew pretty fast. I should definitely do a before and after comparison soon haha. Other than that, the usual eating and I have been going out more often now. I guess that's what having housemates and summer holiday does to me. Really need to watch out with the calories. Anyhow, it was a great month. Hope you had a great one too!

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Goodbye Google Reader? Ways to move your subscriptions!

2013-06-29T01:21:00.000+02:00

Hey all! Just a quick post to let you guys know that Google Reader/Friend Connect is supposedly going to be shut down on July 1st. From what I understood, Blogspot users (bloggers among us) will still be able to use it; non-users will have to find something else to keep up with the updates. Not too sure if I am right on this one, but I do know some ways to make sure you do not lose your subscriptions!

Bloglovin'

You might have already noticed the button on the right side, but it is also possible to follow us on Bloglovin'. Now that Google Reader is closing down, they have provided the option to move your subscriptions from Google Reader to Bloglovin' by simply clicking one button.

This is how your feed will look like, quite pretty right? It has a very clear interface that is very simple to understand. If you are looking for new blogs to follow, Bloglovin' has a whole rating system going on that shows you the top blogs and posts from different kind of categories such as beauty, art, photography, etc.

Click here to move your Google Reader subscriptions to Bloglovin'!

Feedly

And then there is one that is less known in the beauty blogosphere: Feedly! I personally prefer using Feedly for my subscriptions because of its more user-friendly interface. It marks the post as read as you hover through the title, so you do not have to mark it as read by clicking on every single entry. It is a less social reader as it does not really collect much data of the blogs, so you would not be able to find new blogs like you can on Bloglovin' (They seem to have the search feauture though, just not as advanced as the one from Bloglovin').

Quick glance of the interface. A bit boring to be honest, but it definitely does its job well.

Feedly also allows you to move your Google Reader subscriptions with a single click, but sadly enough they do not have a button to easily add a new subscription to your feed. It is still fairly easy to follow new blogs though, all you have to do is click the '+Add Content' button and add the URL of the website. This is also where the search feature is if you want to look for new blogs, but I am honestly not too sure about it yet.

Click here to move your Google Reader subscriptions to Feedly!

Hope this will help you guys a little with finding a substitute for Google Reader so that we can stay in touch!

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*Milk; London beauty haul

2013-06-27T23:36:00.001+02:00

As promised, today I will share with you some of the things that I bought whilst in London!
Base makeup has always been a weakness of mine and as you can see I could not resist the temptation when I went into Space NK. The first brand that I gravitated towards was 'By Terry'. Two of my favourite British beauty gurus, ViviannaDoesMakeup and Gh0stparties have raved about 'By Terry' products and so I wanted to try a few things out as well. I picked out the 'Cover Expert' foundation and the 'Touch Expert Advanced' concealer and oh man, do I looooove the concealer! Hands down best undereye concealer I have used so far! It covers without looking or feeling heavy and the shade is just perfect for covering dark circles.

Next, I also picked up another bottle of the 'Nars' Sheer Glow Foundation which is my favourite every day foundation and I also asked the sales assistent at Space NK to recommend me a good silicone-free primer and she recommended me the 'Pro-Prime' primer also from Nars. The primer compliments Sheer Glow very well and gives a very natural flawless finish.

The last face product that I got is the 'Kevyn Aucoin' The Creamy Glow cream blush in the shade 'Tansoleil'. I haven't had time to play with it yet, but am very excited! I really wanted to try a cream blush for the summer and read amazing reviews on this one.

I bought the 'Real Techniques' stippling brush to use in conjuction with the 'Kevyn Aucoin' cream blush because it's the perfect size!

Another 'Kevyn Aucoin' product, the expert lip color in the shade 'Blood Roses'. As the name already suggests, it iss the perfect shade of dark, burgundy red.

This 'Giorgio Armani' Flash Lacquer in '521' is also one of my favorite purchases. It doesn't feel tacky at all but still manages to give pretty good color pay-off. The shade selection is also very nice and if I had any money left I would definitely have bought another one!

I already mentioned this one in my London wishlist post and I ended up purchasing the shade 'Lovesick'. I can see why a lot of people love these, but is it me or does it smell a bit like toothpaste?

Another ViviannaDoesMakeup inspired purchase. These two shades are 'Satsuma' and 'Green Berry'.

Finally got my hands on the 'Paul & Joe Nail Enamel in shade '14'. I have been oogling swatch photos of this shade and it looks just as pretty in real life if not prettier. It is a bright raspberry red with ultra-fine mutli-colored shimmer. It compliments fair skin so well.

I had a full-sized tube of this 'Origins' Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask before, but it expired before I finished up using the entire tube so this time I bought the 50ml tube at Harrods. I have been using it almost every other night and fell back in love all over again. Such a great 'lazy girl' mask if you know what I mean.

Last but not least, my first 'Jo Malone' fragrance! I have never been a big fan of perfume because I have a very sensitive sense of smell, but have heard so many people with the same problem say that Jo Malone do fantastic light and unique fragrances that I just had to take a whiff of while I was there. And yes it's true, they all smell amazing and are non-offensive to my nose. The scent I ended up getting is the 'Nectarine Blossom & Honey' one.

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*M&C Go Dutch - Best Kept Secret Festival 2013

2013-06-23T23:59:00.000+02:00

Last Friday I went to the first edition of the Best Kept Secret Festival. It was my first real festival ever, so seeing great bands performing there was more than just a cool experience. I could not really take a lot of pictures since my friend and I were almost literally fighting at the front row to have a nice view, but here are a few to give you an idea of what I did there.

The Maccabees!

Bloc Party

Aand the Arctic Monkeys. It went crazy once they were on stage, we were struggling to stay at the front

It is definitely true that they had a great line-up (we stayed at stage one the whole time, but they had two more stages filled with great artists), but the organization was a mess. It took us at least an hour to get to the actual festival area, even though we paid another 5 euro for a ride to the festival with their shuttle buses. Not exactly because it was so far away, but they kept dropping us at the wrong places and there were no clear directions to the location whatsoever. Oh well, I guess they can always learn for the next time!

The next day I actually went to the Holi Festival in Amsterdam as well, so that's why I haven't gotten the time to write a regular post. I didn't really take pictures there since I was afraid the colour powders would ruin my camera, but maybe there will be some showing up soon that were taken by professionals.

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*Milk; Retro Summer

2013-06-17T23:18:00.001+02:00

Cream polka dot cut out bralet - River Island (€33) ● Pale pink denim hotpants - 'MOTO' available at Topshop (€36) ● Wire wrap head band - 'Johnny loves Rosie' available at Asos (€18,50) ● All Stars Ox trainers - Converse (€60) ● Metal top cat eye sunglasses - Asos (€16) ● 'Geradium' lipstick - Lime Crime (€12) ● Nail Paint in 'Blue Moon' - Barry M (€4)

*** Note: Prices may differ per country and retailer.

I am back from my London trip! Was planning on doing a haul post, but found out that I forgot to include two items when I was editing and uploading my photos. Sadly the sun was already gone when I found out. No worries though, I'll be sure to post it in a few days, but for now I thought I would do an outfit post inspired by the warm(ish) weather.

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*M&C Must Haves - Suncreens

2013-06-09T23:59:00.000+02:00

Hurray, the sun has finally started showing up in the Netherlands! Now Ella and I are almost always wearing sunscreen, even if it is rainy and cloudy all day. We are believers of the damage UV rays can do to our skin, but we also believe that there are good and bad suncreens. Here are three that I personally like using, which are all paraben-free and has never reacted badly on my skin whatsoever.

For the face

This Sebamed Sun Care Multi Protect Sun Cream SPF 50+ is not too oily despite having a really high SPF rate, making it perfect to use on the face. Instead of saying that it makes your skin oily, I would say it gives your skin a somewhat dewy effect. Since it is also sold for a reasonable price and for the fact that it has never broken me out, it is definitely a recomendation for everyone to try out.

For the body

The Sebamed sunscreen can be used on the body as well, but I would personally prefer to use the Ultrasun SPF 30 Clear Spray Sports Formula. Not only does a spray makes applying it to the skin so much easier, it is also quite oily. If you are a fan of that oily body-look (is that even a look?) that celebrities sometime have, this is the product to try out. I am not too sure why, but I quite like that look myself..

For the lips

Don't forget about the lips! This Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF 15 in Peach is slightly more moisturizing than the previous lipbalm with SPF that I recommended (This provides enough moisture when my lips are in good condition), and having a little colour is always a plus. Definitely not the best in moisturizing, but definitely the best I can find so far that also provides a little SPF protection.

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*Milk; Current favorites & mini reviews

2013-06-05T23:52:00.000+02:00

It has been a looong time since I lasted posted a favorites post. I have been sticking to the same products for a while now and rarely experiment with skincare anymore since I have found a routine that really works well for my high maintenance skin. I will do an updated skincare and haircare routine soon, but for now I will show you a few products that I have been enjoying as of late.

Phyto has become my favorite haircare brand as none of their products contain any silicone and they are free of many harmful ingredients. The newest addition to my haircare routine is the 'Subtil Elixir' which is a pre-shampoo oil treatment. The oil smells so good and spreads easily through the hair. After leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes you can then shampoo, condition and style your hair as usual. The oils really nourishes my hair leaving it very smooth and glossy (but not at all greasy!).

Something that I have repurchased multiple times already is 'Phyto 7', a leave-in conditioner with 7 plant extracts. My mom and I both share this product. She rarely has an opinion about beauty products and everything feels about 'the same' for her, but she says this is great for smoothing her frizzy, unruly hair.

The only makeup product in the bunch is this RMK 'Pressed Powder N' in shade '01'. The compact contains 3 semi-matte shades and one shimmery shade. Together, it gives a very natural pearly finish. The powder is extremely fine and smooth and doesn't look cakey at all. It is a great powder for normal to dry skin, but if you are looking for something to mattify or control oil then this is not the product for you.

Night serums have become quite popular recently. Take for example the Estee Lauder 'Advanced Night Repair' and the Kiehl's 'Midnight Recovery Concentrate'. I have tried a sample of the latter, but wasn't too impressed. The Ren 'Omega 3 Night Repair Serum' however works wonders for my skin! I first tried it in a sample kit and ended up purchasing a full-sized bottle! It plumps up my skin without clogging my pores and leaved my skin looking fresh and radiant the next morning!

I have the most horrendous looking cuticles! They always peel and crack which is so painful. I really wanted to get a cuticle cream instead of an oil because I wanted to use it on the go because I always forget to apply something on my cuticles when I am at home. The only time I remember to do so is when I am on my way to work and have nothing to do so I start to examine my horrible looking finger nails and cuticles. This 'Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream' by Burt's Bees smells great and is very easy to apply. It isn't the most nourishing product out there, but it does the job.

True story: Last weekend I was on a 2 1/3 hour train ride to Antwerp and since the weather has been quite nice the past few days, the other passengers literally REEKED of sweat. I held this little tin up to my nose so I could smell the sweet lemon scent instead of the icky smell of B.O. Taking multi-purpose to a whole other level yo!

Last but certainly not least, the 'Tour Tout Pour Lip Gloss. I reviewed this a while ago so I will not go into too much detail, but this is a great product for plump looking, kissable lips! You can read my full review here!

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Life Through Instagram #4

2013-06-02T23:07:00.000+02:00

Shin Ramyun, the best instant noodles everr • Street musicians in Amsterdam • Enjoying the rare great weather at a park in Amsterdam• Sunset after dinner • Ella's french pharmacy haul • Yukgaejang goodness • Ella's 'healthy' food haul • Sushi dinner • Tiffany's birthday accessories tree

It's totally obvious that we have a big love for Korean food or food in general. My accessories tree is so cool, it has like a bunny, birds and a plane on it- my rings collection totally makes sense now haha. The coming week will be my last stress period before summer holiday, because I'll be handing in my last paper of this academic year on Friday; wish me luck! In the meantime, hope you all don't have too much school stuff left to do and can be able to enjoy the weather (it's going to be consistently warm here this week, lovely for my concentration! ~~NOT~~) in this new month.

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M&C Rad Readings #1

2013-05-28T22:36:00.000+02:00

Sometimes ~~oftentimes~~ I am a little busy with my study or other things in real life. I might then not be able to update as frequent as I would like to, but I always try to keep up with my blog feed so that I don't get off track too much. K from Cosmeddicted always have these Weekly Reads posts that I love checking out because every now and then there are a few links up there that are interesting to read for me. Now if you check out my Tumblr you will see that I have been listing everything up there that I can use as inspiration, usually things that are fashion and DIY-related. I realized I haven't been able to list other things up there since that would just make it too random and messy (Yes I'm very anal about these kind of things, don't mind me haha~ ). And so, inspired by K I decided to list my interesting readings as well. I present you, the M&C Rad Readings número uno:

Not Fashion Related: Blogging 101 from Wardrobe Oxygen. Some very useful tips; worth reading for the bloggers among us.

Grey Areas from Lips So Facto. Honestly, I'm really good at neglecting my skin when it's not my face's. This post definitely made me think about the rest of my skin. I should really invest some more time into taking care of that as well, but I'm afraid I'm just too lazy..

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain from Beauty Swatch. Not really a long read, but Yishan sure convinces me with her well-moisturized luscious lips that these balm stains are worth trying out.

Coffee Shop Oatmeal to Go! from A Beautiful Mess. Oatmeal. To go. And it supposedly tastes good?! This might actually awaken my never-existed oatmeal craving.

Get styled head to toe at Bubblekid from Overdose.am. An article about a cool shop we have here in Amsterdam. Never been there before, maybe something worth writing about again when I actually have.

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*Milk; Candy Doll Cheek Color in 'Pink Flamingo' (review)

2013-05-24T23:59:00.000+02:00

The product

This is not the first Candy Doll Cheek Color that I have reviewed so therefore I will keep this one short and simple. For more detailed information about the price and etcetera, you can read my previous review here.

Aaanyways, Candy Doll released a new color since my previous review and I have been eyeing it for a while now. The shade 'Pink Flamingo' is a really adorable orange apricot which is very flattering on Asian skintones. Similar to the 'Strawberry Pink' shade, this blush contains ultra fine golden shimmers that is barely noticable when applied on the cheeks.

Despite how I love the color, it does not show up on my cheeks as bright as I would like it to. I have to apply quite a bit of it for it me to achieve the desired effect (and I am already quite pale!). Below you can see a photo of the two shades swatched side-by-side. I swatched the 'Pink Flamingo' quite heavily for it to show up nicely whilst I only needed to swipe the 'Strawberry Pink' one very lightly to get that bright, intense color.

Pink Flamingo (left) & Strawberry Pink (right)
The verdict

I was really impressed with the quality and pigmentation of the Cheek Color in 'Strawberry Pink' that I decided to purchase this shade, but unfortunately the pigmentation is not that great. You really need to layer it on for the color to show up nicely on the cheeks which results in a slightly cakey look.

Rating: 3/5

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*Cookiie; Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream All Day Strong in #3 (review)

2013-05-20T01:42:00.000+02:00

Product description: Precious Mineral BB Cream promotes silky complexion and brightened look with pearl infused sheer coverage. Improved SPF protection with a hypoallergenic and oil-free formula.

How I use it: Apply evenly on skin with 1:1 mix of foundation. Continue reading for more details!

For the longest time, I hid this product because it was just way too pink for me. It looked fine in yellow artificial light, but when I was in the sun my head was just obviously a lot pinker. I solved this problem by the directions I mentioned above. I will explain this more in detail, so continue reading if you want to know why this would work out and what the results will finally look like!

The product

Like most BB creams, the Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream All Day Strong in '#3 Sheer Flawless Skin' promises skin-improving effects like anti-wrinkle, whitening and anti-darkening. It contains SPF 30/PA++ which is pretty good already for the always cloudy Netherlands. The formula is quite liquidy and gives you medium-coverage, but after application it makes your skin look dewy and almost flawless. I still haven't found the perfect BB cream for me yet, but I have to say that this one is quite close. However, like I said before the undertone was way too pink for me so once again I was disappointed and almost gave up on it. I went back to my so far favourite foundation called the One Step Makeup Foundation from Stila in '04 Medium'.

Yes, I have never written a review about this favourite foundation of mine. The main reason for this is that Stila discontinued it (Why?! ) so it was really no use of recommending it anymore. I won't go into too much details about this foundation, but the reason why this product works so well with the BB cream is because it is a very thick, high-coverage foundation. The thick formula makes it very hard to blend, so I used to always mix it up with a moisturizer. I figured a BB cream will be able to do that as well, but it will be even better because of the extra coverage and skin benefits.

The results? Semi-matte finish with great coverage and no obvious pink undertone. I tried looking for a picture where I could show you how good it looks, especially in pictures. I had a minor break-out when this picture was taken, but as you can see they have been almost completely concealed even without actual concealer. For the first time I have had friends complimenting me how good my skin looks with this on, so I'm really satisfied with the combination.

The verdict

For some of you with pink undertones, this might just be the perfect BB cream. For more neutral or yellow-toned, please do try to mix it up because the formula is still amazing. I would advise you to try it with a thicker, matte foundation, but obviously you can always play around with different formulas to see which one suits you the most. A 4/5 for this one, since I still want Etude House to come with more shades.

Rating: 4/5

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*Milk; London beauty to-buy-list

2013-05-17T23:44:00.000+02:00

My cousin and I will be going to London in the beginning of June for a 4-day shopping trip! Tiffany and I have been there together twice before and both times we ended up spending a looot of money. This time, to prevent myself from making impulse purchases, I made a list of items that I have been lusting after for a while. So here are a few things that I wish to buy or at least check out whilst in London.

1. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation: This is my favourite everyday foundation! It sits very comfortably on the skin yet is able to give a good medium coverage. The shade that I use is 'Ceylan'. Nars is not sold
in the Netherlands anymore, so I can only purchase this online but the Nars website charges a pretty high shipping fee.

2. Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow: Since summer is approaching soon, a cream blush would be a great way to achieve a more healthy and glowy complexion. The shade that appeals to me the most is 'Isadore'.

3. Benefit Benetint Lip Balm: This lip balm will give the lips a cherry red tint with a jelly-like finish. The original Benetint is a bit drying on the lips so this would be a great alternative.

4. Paul & Joe Nail Enamel: I already own two of these and absolutely love both of them! The shade that I want is number 14 'Strawberry Glaze'. A bright pink toned red with fine shimmer and a jelly-like finish.

5. Origins Plantscription Concealer: Origins skincare is now also available in the Netherlands, but unfortunately they don't sell any of their makeup products. This sounds like a great concealer for under the eyes since it is supposedly very creamy and does not settle into fine lines.

6. Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stains: Another hyped about product that is not available here! I have always been very interested in the 'Clinique' Chubby Sticks, but they are so sheer. These seem to be much more pigmented and cheaper too!

Now let's just hope that I won't stray too much from my to-buy-list.

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*Cookiie; Etsy's DressGreen Smoothing & Reparative Facial Serum (review)

2013-05-12T23:41:00.000+02:00

Does the packaging look familiar to you? Almost three years ago, I made my first beauty order on Etsy.com and I loved it (Click here to read about the purchase!). I don't really look on the website there often but when I do, I just can't seem to find something that looked just as promising as DressGreen did. As the cheapskate that I am, the shipping costs always threw me off to buy on Etsy more often as well.

However, the long winter that we had and the stress I have been having due to my hectic life really made my skin very dry and even more sensitive. I was advised the REN Omega 3 Night Repair Serum. The sample I was given really was impressive, but I was hesitant on buying the full sized product (1.7 fl. oz/50 ml) because I wasn't sure if I could finish it all before it goes bad since it's an oil product after all. It just didn't feel right since it isn't that cheap either. And that's where DressGreen comes in: very affordable 1 fl. oz (30 ml) oil serums!

DressGreen has always impressed me with their packaging and three years later, it still is so pretty. The serum came in a ziplock bag, wrapped cutely with their usual wrapping paper and was sent in a bubble wrap envelope.

Product description: This serum is the key to providing important nutrients to your skin, and at the same time helping to smooth and repair damaged areas. The combination of natural oils in this serum works to hydrate and restore the skin, especially around the sensitive eye and neck areas. At the same time, a special combination of essential oils works to soften and improve the tone of your skin, as well as balance oil production. This serum can be used as a daily moisturizer, or as a cleanser to break up and remove old makeup residue and oils that clog the pores. The result is smoother, healthier skin that is revitalized and cleared of impurities. ~~The description is way too long, click here to read the rest.~~

Price: $8.00(!)

The product

This oil serum is quite thin, very similar to the REN's oil serum. I have enough to apply it on my whole face with just one pump, so a little takes a long time. Depending on your skin type, your skin will either absorb it really fast (dry skin) or a bit slower (normal to combination). I apply it right before bedtime and it will be all absorbed when I wake up, so even though it doesn't absorb that fast it definitely doesn't just sit on my face either. After applying, my skin feels very moisturized and comfortable. According to the very long description on Etsy, this oil serum is filled with all kinds of vitamins and goodness; perfect for when your skin needs a little bit of extra.

I was a little disappointed by the fact that it doesn't smell as good as REN's, because that one smells amazing. It isn't unpleasant though, at least now it's for sure it won't be irritating because of the added fragrance. This product doesn't irritate me at all and doesn't break me out either. My skin does seem to be less dry after using it for a few nights so I am very satisfied with it so far. Pretty good substitute for Ren's oil serum for just 8 bucks I'd say!

The verdict

Definitely worth trying out if your skin has been a bit on the dry or dull side. Especially if you need something that is affordable and will probably take forever to finish! A 4.5 out of 5 because I do miss the apricot smell from REN's and I just wish this one had something similar.

Rating: 4.5/5

Here's an extra picture to show you the sample they added along with my order. DressGreen seems to always add a sample along with the order, which I think every seller should do. I am in no way affiliated with the seller, I only talk this positive because I think that's only fair when they take so much care and love in packaging and customer service. Their webshop is definitely worth taking a look at, so go check them out!

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Life Through Instagram #3

2013-05-08T22:38:00.001+02:00

Our second Bibim Naengmyun picture ~~because apparantly we love it so much~~ • Febuary Snow • Queen's Day Selca • Roadtrip to Brussels • Hotpot goodness • ABN AMRO Tennis Tournament Finals • Homemade Macarons! • At Ella's work • Tiffany's ~~previous~~ studying spot at the public library

Totally forgot the time since I'm having a one week break at the moment, oops! There will be a review coming up this Sunday, so stay tuned for that.

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*M&C Go Dutch - Last Queen's Day (OOTD)

2013-05-02T23:58:00.000+02:00

So last Thursday we celebrated our annual national holiday Queen's Day and it was a lot of walking as usual. We ended up being too early at a pretty cool party when there weren't a lot of people yet. It was still a lot of fun despite our awful sense of timing and it was a unique experience again like every year.

My lunch of that day, everything was so cute! I had a little fish pie and it really was delicious. There were vegetable toppings at the table (although a little dirty because it was outdoors) that made it a complete meal, I was even able to share it with a friend haha.

After having our lunch we went to this area where there were DJs performing. The music was really great, but it was sooo empty and cold that we didn't feel like staying. Worst decision of the day because apparantly it got more crowded and all the other parties we ended up at just weren't as good.

My OOTD! Really simple because I was so busy with my deadlines. The dress is from Boohoo and I wore my red Converse All Stars so that I could comfortably walk all day. I have to say it was a really wise choice because we probably walked about 15 km and my feet survived haha.

A Queen's Day isn't complete without people partying on boats at the canals. I haven't done that myself yet so me and my friends are actually considering to do that next year haha.

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*Milk; Orange madness!

2013-04-28T22:10:00.000+02:00

Queen's Day is the biggest national holiday in the Netherlands and is celebrated on the 30th of April. As the name already suggests, it is a day that us Dutchies celebrate our Queen Beatrix, but this year will mark the last Queen's Day as Prince Willem-Alexander will succeed as king. So from 2014 onwards, Queen's Day will be known as King's Day.

The cool thing about Queen's Day is that the entire country will become one GIGANTIC flea market as everybody is allowed to sell their items on the streets! There will also be a lot of street parties and festivals so that is why I put together a casual, festival inspired outfit with of course, a lot of orange accents!

Fluro cut-out skate dress - River Island (€46) ● Oversized denim 'Tova' jacket - Monki (€55) ● Fluro orange beanie - 'Ragged Priest' available at Topshop (€20) ● Dr. Martens 8-eyelet boots - 'Dr. Martens' available at Urban Outfitters (€131) ● Classic Sheffield Lady watch - Daniel Wellington (€159) ● 'Morange' Lipstick - MAC (€17)

*** Note: Prices may differ per country and retailer.

I would totally wear this outfit (if I had the money to purchase everything lol)! I already have the 'Dr. Martens' boots and 'Monki' oversized denim jackt. This is the first time that I posted an outfit so please let me know if you like it and want to see more of these kinds of post in the future.

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GlossyBox NL April 2013

2013-04-25T21:53:00.005+02:00

YES! It's still April, so this time I actually made it in time hahaha~

This month's box is about spring essentials. I'm not too sure how these are supposedly spring essentials, but let's just see what the products are...

So there is the Creative Extreme Hold Hairspray from Toni & Guy, the Nail Color Cream (in 179 Lemon Cream) from MAVALA, the Aquasource BB Cream (in Light Beige and Dark Golden) from Biotherm, the Advanced Génifique from Lancôme and the Aromatic Blends Skin-Softening Body Cleanser from Kiehl's. I guess these are products that either make you think of the spring, or can come in handy during spring, or any season really.

This month's best pick are the Aquasource BB Cream samples from Biotherm. The formula is quite thick like a BB cream usually is, but it feels very light on the skin yet moisturizing. Both shades are actually quite dark, perfect for your sun-tanned skin during the spring (Aha, that's where the theme comes back!). They are definitely too dark for my always-SPF-protected-skin, but I have a feeling they will be good for mixing with your regular base make up for a glowy, bronzy, summer look.

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*M&C Go Dutch - Marks & Spencer back in Amsterdam!

2013-04-22T02:43:00.000+02:00

There were rumours for quite a while that Marks & Spencer would be back in Amsterdam, but I was skeptical about it since they must have closed down the store here before for a good reason. Last week however, I suddenly saw bus stops promoting the store opening and there it was: a brand new Marks & Spencer store in Amsterdam!

Marks & Spencer is a very succesful British company where customers can buy basically anything - from clothing to food and stuff for the house. I personally really just like it for their food and drinks because they have so much to choose from and it is never boring (They even sell virgin cocktails in really cute bottles, how cool is that?!).

This store is supposedly just the beginning of their expansion in the Netherlands, where they will be testing out their e-boutique concept. I quite like the concept of checking out samples in stores and ordering things through devices. I can definitely see how more and more stores will start doing the same thing, let's hope it's a good change.

Obviously I can't end this post without a few pictures of the food and drinks they sell haha.

They sell a lot of different fruits that are usually harder to find unless you go to a market. I haven't bought anything yet because I was just passing by real quickly, but the prices seem very fair.

The virgin cocktails I mentioned before are at the top right of this picture. I tried it once before when I was in London and it is actually pretty good. Now I have more time to try them all out hehehe~

Whenever a visiting friend or relative from England would ask me what I would want as souvenirs, I somehow always just ask them for Marks & Spencer cookies and cakes. No matter which one you choose, they are always really yummy. I'm afraid I'll be trying all these as well...

Oh Marks & Spencer, please stick around this time. I was very young when you closed down the first time, but I'm not sure if I will be able to accept the loss if you leave again~

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*Milk; Tout Tout Pour Lip Gloss (review)

2013-04-17T12:11:00.001+02:00

Product description: A trendy lip gloss contains essence like damask rose oil, ylang ylang flower oil, as well as hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen, and honey for lip nourishment. It also gives you a baby pink finish. Good for overnight use. Non-silicon, no paraben.

The product

Clear lip gloss, not the most exciting product but definitely something that is a staple in most people's makeup collection. I initially bought this to use at work. I work in a very dry environment and found that my lips were often chapped. When I read that the gloss leaves a 'baby pink finish', I thought it would be a good alternative to my Dior 'Lip Glow' which is really on its last legs right now! Disappointingly, it does not make my lips appear pinker.

The product reminds me a lot of the Kiehl's '#1 lip balm' as they are both clear, glossy and has moisturizng properties. I can already tell you that I prefer the Tout, tout pour 'Lip Gloss' over the Kiehl's one! The Kiehl's '#1 lip balm' feels a lot greasier in my opinion and may even make you look as if you devoured a piece of deep fried chicken and forgot to wipe your mouth. Not to mention that this is silicone-free and paraben-free!

The packaging

I really love the packaging! Not only is the tube a light peach color, it also has an adorable lace print on it. Most importantly, the slanted tip applicator is easy to use and prevents the product inside from getting contaminated.

The verdict

Despite it not enhancing the colour of my lips, it does make them appear very plump and even when the gloss wears off, my lips remain soft and moisturized for a long period of time. The consistency is not too gloopy or tacky so it does feel pleasant on the lips.

Quite kissable, no? Even if I have to say so myself.

Although nothing exciting, this lip gloss does everything you would expect from a clear lip gloss plus it is packaged in the cutest peach coloured tube. It also helps to keep your lip moisturized throughout the day. If you like the Kiehl's '#1 lip balm', you would most definitely love this as well! Well worth the try!

Rating: 4.5/5

Note: Curious as to where to buy this product? I bought mine off of 'Alpha Beauty UK' on eBay (link). I am NOT (!!!) affiliated with the seller and purchased the item with my own money. I just thought I would include a link since the brand is not largely known and easy to find.

Swap with Bijinblair! ♥ ♥ ♥

2013-04-14T22:15:00.000+02:00

There is one thing we like more than beauty products and that is food. You would probably already know that if you follow us on Instagram (helloooo foodporn!). When we did a swap with the lovely Blair we asked for snacks instead of beauty products and this what she sent us.

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

I pretty much have already tried everything and the 'Meiji' Strawberry Chocolate is definitely my favourite! Nom nom nom ~

And of course she had to throw in a few beauty bits in as well because we are beauty bloggers after all. Thank you so much for everything! We will defintely enjoy devouring all these yummy snacks!

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GlossyBox NL March 2013

2013-04-10T23:34:00.000+02:00

The Dutch March box goes bio-tiful! This box supposedly only contains green products; not organic because it definitely isn't, but more like eco-friendly I guess.

Let's open up the box... (Yeah I've been having too much fun making these GIFs haha)

The green products are: Shea Body Butter from The Body Shop, Hazelnut Truffle Tea from Tea Forté, Mineral Botanics Velvet Cream Wash from AHAVA, Summer Care Day Cream from Ginkel's, Shimmer Eye Shadow from Da Vinci Cosmetics and the Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter from Lush.

Best pick of the month goes to the Mineral Botanics Velvet Cream Wash from AHAVA, because I think I would actually purchase this if it really does what it promises. On the tag it says that it is skin-friendly, animal-friendly and eco-friendly; it is paraben-free, SLS-free, contains no petroleum, tested for allergies yet no animal testing and all packagings are recyclable. Obviously a lot of the things written on the tag don't really mean a lot, but I appreciate the fact that it is paraben-free and SLS-free. Aaand after asking my friend (the one who actually get these boxes), she told me that she absolutely loves the product because it smells really good and isn't drying at all. Very promising!

...Yeah I said I would put up this GlossyBox on time but that failed miserably haha. Perhaps the next one?

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*Cookiie; Pasta Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing (recipe)

2013-04-07T19:22:00.000+02:00

The first recipe on the blog! I thought I should start with an easy but very delicious one that I tried for the first time at a friend's place (Thanks Roxanne! ). I liked it so much that I asked for the recipe, so here it is!

No quantities this time, because it really just depends on how much you want to eat. You can make this for lunch or dinner (of if you're like me, this can work as a breakfast as well ) so depending on what kind of meal it is, you can adjust the amount to your liking.

The salad

Any kind of pasta (I used a shell pasta/conchigliette, but any will do just fine)
Bacon bits
Cherry tomatoes
Parmesan cheese flakes
Rucola
Pine nuts, toasted or roasted (optional)

First start off with cooking the pasta. It usually says on the box how long you need to cook it for it to be al dente; in my case it was about 7 minutes. When it's cooked properly, pour out the water and rinse the pasta with cold water. After rinsing, use a strainer to get rid of the excess water. You want the pasta cooled and dry, so that the rucola that you are adding later won't get all soggy.

While you are waiting for the pasta to be ready, you now have a little bit of time to prepare the bacon bits, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts if you like them. No instructions for these, because I think it is pretty self-explanatory. Just make sure to get rid of the oil that comes out of the bacon so that the salad won't get too oily.

One last preperation before mixing it all up: the dressing!

Honey mustard dressing

Mustard
Honey
Mayonaise
Vinegar

There are no quantities set for this one either, because I always just guess the ratio. I would say two tablespoons of mustard with one teaspoon of honey would be about right to get the taste I want: not too sharp and pungent but not so sweet either. Add a little mayonaise for a nice colour and to give the dressing a little extra (Not too sure how to describe it, but you will get it when you try it out). Lastly, add a few drops of vinegar to thin it out into a refreshing salad dressing.

The final step: mix it all up! First the dressing with the pasta, and then the rest with the rucola last.

Pretty easy right? I can make this salad within 15 minutes and it's so good yet so healthy. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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*Cookiie; Me, myself and iPhone

2013-04-02T03:01:00.000+02:00

This picture was taken in Brussels, where I found out that they sell macarons at the McDonalds for 95 cents each. This was also the last picture I took for our Instagram, because just a few days later my iPhone was stolen. Yes, and that's mainly the reason why I have been off the social media platforms lately and will continue to be on a hiatus until I figure out what new phone I want to get; a new iPhone or maybe just hop on the Android-wagon after all (I'm still having a lot of doubts, so any phone suggestions are welcome ).

Aside from this, I think I can safely say that for both of us, we have been struggling to think up of what posts to write which resulted to not posting much at all. And then there is still so much going on in our real lives that we probably just haven't taken much time apart for the blog. We have thought about scheduling our posts, but that is just something we need to discuss properly about first since we are maintaining this blog together.

However, I do have short periods of time where I am completely free of any obligations (like right now, since exam period just ended) so I will be trying to write as much as I can (and want) until I am all busy again with university and other stuff. And I am happy to say that I do have some ideas of what to post for the time being.

There is an anti-acne post series that I wanna write because I have so many people around me asking for skin advice, especially about acne. I figured I should just write down everything I know about skin and acne and whatever helped me to get rid of my own. After all, it's a lot easier to figure out how you can help your own skin when you know everything about it instead of just little pieces of advice and tips that you usually get when people are trying to give you some advice. I know that a lot of people that have acne problems usually just don't understand what's causing it and that can be very frustrating, so hopefully this little series will be useful.

This blog has been mainly focused on beauty-related things since the beginning, but we have always occasionally strayed to other kind of categories and we do plan on doing that more in the future. There is a little bit of fashion, lifestyle and M&C Go Dutch, but I actually plan on writing about food recipes that I like since I have been cooking a lot more ever since I got into my university life. And if you do follow us on Twitter/Instagram, you probably can already tell that we're kiiinda crazy about food; so I guess it's a bit strange that we never actually write about it. Basically, we just want to stop restricting ourselves to beauty because there's so much more cool stuff to share with you.

That's all for this little update, I'll go back to finishing my Gossip Girl marathon since I haven't been able to watch it all for a long time. Perhaps it's the lack of using other kinds of sources to keep track of my own life online, but blogging about what has been going on with me feels comforting in some way. I do hope I can go back on Instagram and Twitter again like how normal people do soon, but for now I shall end this post with my last (at least for now) Instagram picture of me:

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GlossyBox NL February 2013

2013-03-06T15:02:00.000+01:00

Last month's Glossybox from The Netherlands! ...I know it's March already, but I'm not too late right?

This year's box in February is back with their regular pastel pink box. I'm not too familiar with Glossybox yet so I'm not sure if they do special boxes occassionally or more often, but their usual box is nice too. My friend always says that the best part of receiving Glossyboxes, is getting the box itself hahaha ~

The contents this time: Biomains Age Delaying Hand & Nail Treatment from Biotherm, Air Flow Lotus Effect Nail Polish from Bell, Body Lotion (Coconut-Vanilla flavour) from Bodhi, Cheek + Lips Tint (in Rosy Red) from ModelCo, Hydro Active Moisturizing Mask from Dr Van Der Hoog.

My "best pick" for this month will be the Cheek + Lips Tint from ModelCo, simply because I think liptints are always good to have. This liptint has a gel texture and actually turns out quite sheer when you blend it out. It's definitely buildable and easy to blend, so it probably is very nice on the cheeks as well.

The next Glossybox will arrive at the end of this month, I'll probably have enough time to update on time then.

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