Va Va Voom

Beauty: Vaseline Spray & Go

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 17:12:00 +0000

I always use body butter after a bath or shower but when it's hot and summery, body butter or even normal body cream or lotion, can be too sticky.
Enter: Vaseline Spray & Go!

This handy spray comes in 3 variations (I bought these 2: Aloe Vera and Oatmilk, the 3rd one is Coconut) and is dead easy to use. It has a continuous spray, so no messing about, it hydrates fantastically and you can actually - as it says on the label - immediately put your clothes on without greasy residue.

Much much more lovely to use in summer!

Animal testing info:

Sadly - I was unaware of this - Vaseline is not cruelty free.

Make up: L'Oréal Super Liner Blackbuster

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 13:53:00 +0000

This was part of one of the past Deauty boxes. A jet black felt tip eyeliner.

The handle is quite big, which is handy for some steady handy work and it's surprisingly easy to draw a fine line with this eyeliner. The black is indeed very black but although it says long wearing it's no match for the Urban Decay eyeliner that stays put even after a shower.
I wore this one on a rather hot day, which meant I was a bit sweaty, and the result was that the black had rubbed off a bit.
It's a good eyeliner but Urban Decay is much better.

Animal testing info:
L'Oréal tests on animals.

Beauty: August Deauty Box

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Deauty is 1 year old, consequently this month's box is an anniversary box with 5 full size products! Exciting or what?

From L to R:

- Garnier - Perfect Blur
make up primer that makes lines, imperfections, etc. fade away

- Clinique - Long lasting lipstick 'All Heart'
satin red lippy with beige undertones

- Avril - Blush
highly pigmented and without paraben

- Bioderma - Sensibio H2O
facial cleanser for sensitive skin

- Maybelline - Baby lips
lip balm with anti-oxidants and vitamins

Basically, these 5 products together cost about 50 EUR in total...so this Deauty Box which only costs 15 EUR is a fabulous Birthday edition.

Travel: Cotswolds road trip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 16:41:00 +0000

Monday, 19 August
We leave with the ferry in Calais at 8.30 am on one of the older ships. Since I always get slightly sea sick on smaller vessels, this is not good news. But all in all, it goes OK, I just start to get a bit dizzy for a short while.
Once we disembark we leave Dover and head for Oxford. We get a bite to eat (fish & chips) at a huge service station on the outskirts of London and press on.
Oxford is a wonderful city. Great shops, beautiful for walks and of course Christ Church College. We visit the Cathedral, the great hall (where parts of Harry Potter were filmed) and the grounds around it, do some shopping, have a drink at The Crown and then head onwards to our hotel in Gloucester.
Dinner is a great pasta with mushroom sauce and a fruit salad. The rooms are quite big and there's a nice bar. Opposite our window is a ski slope. myes.

Tuesday, 20 August
We leave the hotel and drive up to Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare. I fall utterly in love with this beautiful little town. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and it's just so picturesque. We visit Shakespeare's birthplace and the shop (where I buy the Tennant Hamlet DVD, they also sell a book that now I regret not buying: Star Wars rewritten as if it was by Shakespeare), the church where he's buried (Holy Trinity Church), Anna Hathaway's (his wife) cottage, stroll along the Avon with the rowing boats, the typical boats, the deck chairs, ... We just buy a baguette at Greggs, rent some deck chairs and sit in the sun for a couple of hours. Resulting in sunburn. People are picknicking the the park and the atmosphere is one of pure relaxation. Bliss.
After spending most of the day here, we head towards Tewkesbury where we walk through some fields, visit the cathedral, ... and then head back to the hotel.
Dinner is a meat dish with a strangely tasting bread bun and ice cream as dessert.

Wednesday, 21 August
We drive through Northleach where we visit the local market (2 stalls, I kid you not), the church and the small streets before heading towards Bourton on the Water. This is a beautiful, small village with some tiny canals and bridges...there are lots of people there and it's just a wonderful place to stroll around. There's a charity market and lots of quaint little shops. Once we've seen it all, we drive on to Broadway, where we have lunch in a tea room. I get a pot of tea and egg mayonnaise sandwiches. We walk through the main street, get sneezed upon by a horse and then return to Gloucester for a city tour there. Gloucester isn't a great city but the cathedral is something else! First we visit the House of the Tailor of Gloucester (from a Beatrix Potter story) which is located near the Cathedral and then get overwhelmed by the majestic interior of the cathedral. This was also one of the filming locations of Harry Potter. There is a choir practicing and it's just really amazing.
After this we walk towards the old docks, and along the Severn before returning back to the hotel.
Dinner is a delicious veggy stroganov with tiramisu as dessert.
And yes, it's time to pack our bags again to check out the next morning.

Thursday, 22 August
We leave the hotel and head towards Bibury where we visit the beautiful Arlington Row and go for a good walk through the amazing green countryside. There is also a trout farm where they raise trouts and then set them loose in rivers throughout the UK. We get some bonding done with a black swan. :-)
After that, we have tea in a hotel there, The Swan, and then head on to Burford. Burford is full of pubs, tea rooms and lovely shops. After getting some shopping done, we have lunch in a pub there (baguette with cheese and ham) and get more sunburn. :-)
Then it's time to leave for Dover, since it's a long drive there and the motorway around London is very busy. We actually make it *just* in time...to find out that the ferry has a slight delay.
We buy some duty free booze on the ferry (this one was one of the new ferries, just 2 years old), have our final fish & chips on board and then head on home...

It's truly been an amazing 4 days, just driving around this most stunning part of England, in the sun, enjoying the incredible sights and landscapes. I couldn't have enjoyed it more....

You can see a selection of my pictures here.

Shopping: Shoplog Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 10:51:00 +0000

I'm just back from a mini-break to the Cotswolds where my boyfriend and I have been cruising the area. We mainly enjoyed the beautiful scenery - a travel log will follow - but of course, I had to do some shopping in the quaint wee shops over there.
Next to buying 'some' duty free booze on the ferry, I got this....

Yellow handbag in Bourton on the Water
Black handbag with cherry blossoms (totally fell head over heel in love with this on first sight) in Broadway
Sweet pickled chutney in Bibury (excellent with cheese!)
Tardis piggy bank in Stratford-upon-Avon
Book on Britain's Kings & Queens (in addition to the many books I have on Elizabeth I) in Gloucester Cathedral
Hamlet DVD starring David Tennant in Shakespeare's birthplace shop (excellent viewing! saw this on BBC some years back...wow)
Books by Caitlin Moran and Ben Elton

Plus this little fellow in Bourton on the Water :-) (it's a brooch)

Beauty: Clinique High Impact Mascara

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:30:00 +0000

My old n°7 Mascara (very pleased with that, see past review for that one) was all gone, so time to pull another one out of my stash...This past Deauty Box item is a travel sized Clinique High Impact mascara.

The fact that it's a travel size is a bit of negative point because it's a bother when applying. The brush length is just not long enough. Especially the first time, it was a shoddy affair. However, I got the hang of it now and I like the result: long, thin, sophisticated lashes!

I'm quite sensitive in the eye area and I'm really happy with this mascara. It doesn't clump, it stays good for hours and 2 layers give you ample result.

However, seen the fact that Clinique is not one of the companies that do not test on animals, I won't buy this in the future.

Animal testing info:

Clinique states that it want to eliminate all animal testing but has failed to do so to this day.

Beauty: LR Nanogold Silk Night Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 18:00:00 +0000

One of the perks of having a friend who's a make up artist and knows her way in the world of beauty products is that you can find real gems that not that many people know of. :-)

LR Health & Beauty Systems is one of those companies that are not that well known around here and I recently bought a jar of night cream to try and test it.

LR has different ranges (20+, 30+, 40+ ...), products for men and even your pets! I went for the range 30+ and bought the Nanogold silk nightcream.
My mum got the Diamond nightcream. She's very happy with it.
And so am I. The cream is very pleasant, no distinctive scent, light, and just well, downright lovely.
You don't need a huge amount of it but what pleased me the most was the feeling I had in the morning. My skin felt really silky soft and healthy. I've now used this for a week, and I get the feeling my complexion is more radiant and looks healthier.
So, I'm really happy with this purchase.

At the end of September, I'm going to an LR homeparty so no doubt, I'll head home with more goodies then! :-)

Animal testing info:
LR Health & Beauty Systems: do not animal test, do not use animal by product and do not outsource. And they are equally strongly opposed to child labour.

Nails: Dip nail polish remover

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Tired of the business of removing nailpolish with cotton balls and nail polish remover? Then Dip & Clean nail polish remover is your kind of thing!

I bought two, the Bourjois (I suspect the first one that entered the nail polish market with this kind of product) and the Hema one. Nowadays, you can find something like this in almost any brand that has to do with nailpolish.
I was slightly sceptical but it does work really well. You just place the tip of your finger in the jar, move it about a bit and the nail polish is all gone! even the glittery ones came off quickly.
It's also ideal when your doing your nails and one finger went wonky...it used to mean you had to re-do all your nails cause you had nail polish remover on other nails too. Now you just open the jar and you can re-do one nail easily.
I doubt it that this is handy for toenails though. :-)

Beauty: Kruidvat goodies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:10:00 +0000

Kruidvat (similar to Superdrug in the UK - some of the range is the same, btw) has given its face care products a retro look in glass bottles & jars and I couldn't resist buying some of the range...

Kruidvat's own label sells quality products that are great for your skin. I bought the cleansing lotion, cleansing milk, eye cream, scrub and nightcream.
So far I've tried the cleansing lotion, mainly in the evening to erase the last traces of make up, and it's a soft, nice-smelling lotion. I'm happy with what it does.
I'm pretty sure the rest will also be good, but I'll review that later on....

Animal testing info:
Kruidvat doesn't test on animals

Nails: Catrice Mint Me Up

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 17:54:00 +0000

I love green nailpolish. I bought this one a month ago...

below is the actual colour in daylight

Mint Me Up is a great mint green colour. You need 2 layers but then you have a fantastic covering nailpolish with a great finish. It's very chipresistant.

I finished it off with Seche Vite topcoat, as usual.

Animal testing info :

both Seche and Catrice don't test on animals.

Beauty & Hair: Order from Lookfantastic

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:23:00 +0000

I did a jumbo order at Lookfantastic.com with 15% reduction ànd 2 free gifts to boot.

Burt's Bees facial wash, jumbo super skinny shampoo by Paul Mitchell, Freeze & Shine by Paul Mitchell (free gift), Gloss Drops by Paul Mitchell, lip balm and cuticle oil by Burt's Bees (free gift), Urban Decay eyeshadow primer and Burt's Bees muscle balm.

It's worth checking out lookfantastic's offers, you can really get some great reductions and gifts!

Nails: Red Carpet Manicure

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 16:42:00 +0000

I'm slightly nailpolish-obsessed (no? really?) and at the moment there's a trend of making gellish nail kits affordable/easy to buy.
Gellish is basically applying long last nailpolish by using special products and a LED light to cure the various layers until you have nails so neatly polished they'll last up to 3 weeks or even beyond!

I bought the Red Carpet Manicure kit on BeautyBay.com with a serious reduction. I paid 90 EUR for the kit, including one colour (red). If you go to have a manicure plus gellish, it's easily 30 EUR over here. For 1 visit. Just saying.
Plus I like to experiment with these things.

Here you see the whole kit (LED light, various coats, cleansers, ...) + 3 colours (dusky pink, red and black with a glitter)

This is the result

And this is after 2 weeks...pretty amazing, huh?

It's incredibly easy to use. Just buff your nails, clean them with the products included, structure coat, cure it for 45 sec under the LED, 1 layer of colour, cure for 45 sec, 2nd layer of colour, cure for 45 sec, brilliance coat and cure for 45 sec.

Then use the purify cleanser to get rid of the stickiness on your nails and the colour that might be on the skin next to your nail, apply the cuticle nourishment, rub it in and you're done!!

Amazing long lasting result!! Also tried it on my mum who can't keep nail polish intact for more than 2 days and she's still have impeccable nails after 2 weeks.

5 star products!!

Animal testing info:

sadly no information is to be found about that...

Make Up: Urban Decay De-slick mattifying powder

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 14:21:00 +0000

Being trapped in the current heatwave, I try to keep my make up fresh and glimmer free...Sadly, my trusted Kryolan transluscent powder is not sufficient under these conditions.
However, I bought Urban Decay's de-slick mattifying powder recently and it's a miracle! My face stays glimmer-free ALL day!!!

It's a compact powder, white, but with fabulous qualities...here's what BeautyBay.com writes about it:

Urban Decay Vintage De Slick Mattifying Powder is a sheer, lightweight powder which keeps oil and shine at bay.

Formulated with super lightweight, oil-absorbing Rice Powder, Vintage De Slick Mattifying Powder is weightless on application and instantly removes shine for a beautifully matte finish. Infused with healing Green Tea Extract, Vintage De Slick Mattifying Powder also works to calm and soothe sensitive skin.

Vintage De Slick Mattifying Powder looks lavender in the compact but applies invisibly and suits all skin tones from the darkest chocolate to the palest porcelain. The sleek, mirrored compact makes it easy to touch up on the go wherever you are.

Wear it alone on bare skin or over foundation, this shine-fighting powder helps you to achieve a shine-free complexion.

When I applied it, my face actually felt fresher. I don't use the cotton that comes with it for hygienic reasons.

This powder really does what it says and is an absolute must-have for hot summer days (and nights).

Animal testing info:

Urban Decay doesn't test on animals and is on the Leaping Bunny list.

Beauty: Deauty Respect Box July

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 18:52:00 +0000

This month's Deauty Box is a Respect Box. All products are biological/cruelty free/organic/...
Totally my cup of tea! And did I mention that all 5 products are full sizes?

from L to R:

- The Body Shop Shea Body Scrub

A soft and nourishing body scrub made with biological sugar, soy oil and shea butter from Ghana.

- Alepia Organic soap

Soap slash scrub to let your pores breathe again.

-Alepia Lava stone

ideal for a good foot scrub.

I tested this already and I must say it works like a charm! Much better than your standard foot scrub!

- Avril Bio Eye Pencil

Ideal for very sensitive eyes and consisting out of 100% natural ingredients. (not sure about the bronze colour though...must try that soon)

- Korres Nail Polish

containing myrrh extract and vitamine B5. Pale green colour.

Beauty: Burt's Bees deep cleansing cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 16:58:00 +0000

In my quest for the perfect daily facial wash/mild scrub/... I've used a few. My latest one by Jason was good but in the end, the scrubbing was just a bit to rash.
It seems now that I've finally found the perfect one for my skin! Hurrah!

The Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream (so no scrub!) with soap bark and chamomile with a hint of menthol is just....a breath of mint fresh air. You don't need much of it, but when you apply it on your wet face it's like you've inhaled a bunch of powerful Vicks tablets...except it's your skin...well, you get the point. Your pores are nuked by total freshness (sorry for the repeated use of fresh but that's the only word I can come up with here) and when you've washed it all away, your skin feels as young as a phoenix risen from its ashes (yes, I get lyrical now)

Amazing product. I've found my grail. The search ends here.

Animal testing info:

Burt's Bees doesn't test on animals and is on the Leaping Bunny list.

Shopping at Hema

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 16:05:00 +0000

I went for a bit of shopping to Hema the other day and got hold of these items...

Ring with a rotating round stone (I find it hilarious) (4,95 EUR)

bracelet with flowers (2 EUR)

Blush & Go (5,95 EUR)

The Blush & Go is a really handy blusher available in 2 colours: very pink and more dusky pink. I got the latter.

You just open it, rub it on your cheeks, use your fingers to create the wanted result and you're done. It's fab! And the colours are great! Very happy with this!

Animal testing info:

Hema doesn't test on animals and is on the Proefdiervrij list.

Beauty: Payot Hydra Crème and YR Hydra Végétal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 18:30:00 +0000

I tried and tested 2 new products recently.

Payot Hydra crème was part of a Deauty box. It can be used in the morning or/and in the evening and is a lush creamy texture that gives your skin hydration.
I use it in combination with the YR hydra végétal booster. I started using the booster on its own but my skin didn't benefit at all from that alone so I use the Payot cream with it now with a much better result. My skin feels more nourished in the morning.
It's handy to take along on holiday cause you can use it both as day cream and night cream. A good cream, nothing more nothing less.
The YR Hydra Végétal booster is more of a liquid gel texture. It gives instant refreshment but that withers away very quickly.

Animal testing info:
Both Payot and YR are not on the list of cruelty free companies.

Nails: OPI Cozu-melted in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 17:23:00 +0000

I bought this one when it was on sale on lookfantastic.com
It's a lovely light shimmery summer shade that makes me think of beachy days and parties.

it's light, nude but with a nice twinkle to it. It's understated yet playful. Yep, I like it!

Animal testing info:

OPI doesn't test on animals, but it's mother company Coty, does.

Personal: Sales & Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 16:27:00 +0000

Last weekend, I hit the sales and got back with some nice items.

L to R:

- Vero Moda tunic/sheer shirt (half price)

- Desigual shirt + free T-shirt (opening new shop in Bruges) (10%)

- Sasha Biker boots (25 EUR off)

- Catrice eye shadow and nail polish

I also got my hair done...went a tad bit shorter again. And I'm really pleased with the result! (it's shorter at the back and also more layered)

Nails: Barry M Teal & OPI Polka Dot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 10:39:00 +0000

I bought this lovely Barry M polish when I was in London in March. It's gorgeous and 2 layers give excellent cover. As with all Barry M polishes, it's very chip-resistant.

I finished it off by using OPI Polka Dot on my ring fingers. Not utterly impressed with this sparkly one. It's hard to apply without having a layer that's too thick. I wouldn't recommend this one. But I do like the result. As usual, I finished it off with seche vite.

Animal testing info:

Barry M doesn't test on animals.
OPI doesn't test on animals but it's mother company, Coty, does.

Beauty: June Deauty Box

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Another month, another Deauty box!

Some items varied from box to box (especially the Etat Pur and Mascara)

Mine had (from L to R):

- Catrice Glamour Doll Mascara (full size)

Extra volume and intensity is promised for my lashes

- Catrice Ultimate Color Lipstick 'It's a Matte World' (full size)

Vibrant red lippy!

- Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Duo for face and eyes (5ml and 1,5ml)

Hydrating and rejuvenating and amazing quality (so they say!)

- Lamazuna Natural soap (full size)

Soap from Syria with laurel and olive oil.

- Eucerin Shaving foam (travel size)

- Etat Pur A30 (full size)

with vitamin PP or B3 (against dry, sensitive skin)

Hair: Shampoo galore

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 18:30:00 +0000

Here's the verdict on some haircare products I've recently used.

Kérastase Cristallisté Shampoo & Conditioner:

I took this duo (that was part of a previous Deauty box) on our cruise holiday.

I liked the shampoo. My hair was glossy, fresh, healthy and this for a rather long time.

The conditioner is not that suitable for my hair. It leaves it too soft and frankly, hard to manage. My hair became a bit limp and yes, glossy, but without the usual schwung to it.

Truthfully, I expected more of these.

Paul Mitchell Smoothing Shampoo:

My haircare hero Paul Mitchell (recently bailed out on selling in China because of the mandatory animal tests there and now on a crusade to make others do the same) has a wide range of haircare products.

The smoothing shampoo is very lovely and with my type of hair (thick, wavy, sometimes prone to fizziness) I had better results than with the Kérastase wash.

I'm a fan! You can buy Paul Mitchell products on lookfantastic.com

Animal testing info:

Kérastase tests on animals.

Paul Mitchell doesn't test on animals and carries the Leaping Bunny logo.

Beauty: Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 19:30:00 +0000

I won this product some time ago and I now started using it after the serum I used ran out.
I used the bio serum by YR before and wasn't that happy with it. I didn't like the texture and it smelled like stale tea (you can read a review elsewhere on this blog).
Vichy's serum makes a very nice change!

The texture is light, there's not really a scent to the product and my skin feels smoother. It's also better to apply day cream and/or foundation on top of it (that was another problem with the YR one).

It's anti-wrinkle and also ideal for the more sensitive skin types. One of the key ingredients is rhamnose, derived from a Brazilian plant that fights the signs of ageing. It's also paraben-free.
The serum can be used in the morning and/or evening, alone or with a day or night cream.

I find it a very pleasant product to use that gives rather good results!

Animal testing info:
Sadly, Vichy tests on animals for some of their products.

Beauty: Moisturiser Summer Glow Body

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 13:35:00 +0000

When the cold times are over and the warmer times begin, there's always a period of time when my legs are a bit too white to look good in a skirt. Instead of using full on tanning products, I usually buy moisturiser that gradually gives your legs a bit of a tan. Priority: it has to look natural!
I've used a range of products over the years, this year it's YR's turn.

I bought this months and months ago, trying to be fully prepared for summer...not knowing that summer would take forever to arrive! :-)

The scent is quite pleasant. It's not amazing but it's better than some other products I've used.

It's easy to apply and it does build up over 2-3 days. At day 3 (even when taken showers every day), I did feel it started to look a bit, not much, too dark. Bear in mind that I have very fair skin.

There were no streaks, however, I was careful not to put it on my knees etc...The result looked naturally tanned. Not orange or fake tanned. just naturally tanned.

So, basically, I'm quite pleased with this product. Although my favourite is still Etos' body milk with summer glow.

Animal testing info:

YR is deleted from the Leaping Bunny list and sells in China where animal testing is mandatory.

Beauty: Hema Soft Eyeliner

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:45:00 +0000

I'm on a bit of a Hema-fix as you can notice.

Hema Soft Eyliner is a wonderfully good felt tip eyeliner that holds a whole day without smudging, creasing, fluff, running, etc. You can draw very thin lines or thicker lines (you choose) and the result is just brilliant. The black is intense.

At this price, this eyeliner is almost too good to be true!

Animal testing info:

Hema doesn't test on animals and is on the list of Proefdiervrij.