VICHY PURETE THERMALE calming cleansing micellar solution

I have been missing in action last week. I posted early in the week, ment to post on friday but it was so HOT in Croatia that I decided to enjoy my long weekend and went to the seaside without my laptop. Yes, I left technology at home! Did I miss it? Yes, a bit but warm weather, sandy beaches and perfect water made it bearable for me ;):

I was planning to review a different product but I was so THRILLED with this one that I am going to rave about it with all of these positive thoughts still in my mind. It is enough to say that I have butterflies in my stomach when I think about it... Yes, it is that good and effective!

As you can see from the picture this is a sample version. I got a few of these from a friend of mine. I loved it the first time I used it but this one was kept for travelling purposes so it made into my cosmetics bag for this long weekend. I haven't been wearing makeup all the time but one night I wore it, I came home tired as someone who was at the sun during the day (not between 11-16.30) and went out at night, can be. I took this small bottle, applied it and was amazed how thoroughly and quickly this removed my eyeshadow and mascara! It is amazing!!! And when I say amazing, I mean Bioderma class amazing!!!

It will remove all the makeup from your face, it is gentle to your skin, the scent is nice and soft (it reminds me of baby products without being too powdery) and honestly... I can't say enough about this one.

INGREDIENTS:

WATER • HEXYLENE GLYCOL • POLOXAMER 184 • GLYCERIN • ROSA GALLICA EXTRACT/ROSA GALLICA FLOWER EXTRACT • DISODIUM COCOAMPHODIACETATE • DISODIUM EDTA • PANTHENOL • OLYAMINOPROPYL BIGUANIDE • FRAGRANCE

It is ment for all skin types and it will be gentle enough for the most fragile skin and sensitive eyes. It doesn't have to be rinsed off but I do wash my face after using it.

Since I didn't buy this one myself, I am not sure about the price but I googled it and it is 16.50 $ for 6.76 fl.oz in the USA/ 9.35 GBP for 200 ml at Escentual.com (RRP 11 GBP)/ 13 Euros for 200 ml. In Croatia it is sold in pharmacies and 400 ml costs 121,60 kunas which is about 16 Euros.

I would definitely invest in this one. It is more expensive than my usual Essence cleanser but it is better (I must admit). It has my stamp of approval. And you know that I like the product when I am afraid to use it because I don't want to be without it?! I might buy this sooner than I thought...

What do you say? Have you tried it? Tempted?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

Apply morning and evening using a cotton wool pad. No need to rinse off.

John Frieda Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner

Again with the Hair?! I can't help myself... It is my thing.

It seemed smart to review this products before finishing them up since I mentioned them in my Semi di Lino Diamante hair mask post (click on it for link).

As always, this is my personal opinion based on my experience. Having that said, I hope it will help you decide whether you want to try this product or not?! My hair is straight and greasy. When I was a teen it was blonde but as I get older it changes the colour, turning darker. It seems that I will not turn gray, I will become dark haired.
Since I am quite fair, blonde hair is the best option for me so I get it highlighted. All of you, with colour treated blonde hair, know how hard it is to keep it healthy. I must admit that I am successful with that but I flirt with a lot of different hair products because when my hair gets used to something, that is the end. That product won't work for me anymore.
I started using John Frieda products two years ago and must say they are nice and I do enjoy them. This duo I found on sale and since these products are more expensive, I decided that it was the right time to test them out. You can find them everywhere (at least in Croatia), in any drugstore or department stores.
They are 65 kn/13 USD/6.5 GBP/almost 9 Euros for 250 ml of product.

They are good quality products but I haven't noticed that they help with my roots getting lighter. I don't know if they think that they will keep rest of the hair light, but don't think so. If you get your hair professionally done, the colour will be fine. The roots are going to be a chalenge. For me, they didn't perform well. They are really nice shampoo and conditioner if you are only looking for regular products.

conditioner ingredients

It is marketed as a help between colouring your hair. It should lighten your roots making them less visible. Not sure about that. But, it is a good conditioner that will help you with combing out the hair, keeping it healthy and shiny. It might work better for people with lighter hair? If you are one of them, plese tell us.

how it is marketed

shampoo ingredients

The Go Blonder shampoo has a very light consistency but it does a good job. You will need a small amount of product to wash your hair, it foams up surprisingly well and all in all is a nice product. But it is not innovative in any way so I think you can find this type of product for a lot less money.

And now, the big question?
Will I buy them again? Honestly, I don't think so. They are nice products but haven't earned a "holy grail" status. If I would grade them from 1 to 5 (on is bad and five excellent) this would be a three. Not good enough to make me reach for my wallet.

What do you think? Did they work better/worse for you?

Tell me...

Love, beautyandbrains007

Shocking pink (neon)..........China Glaze nail polish

 I warned you. I am all into neon polishes this year! And this is a neon.

It should have been clear to me that this one is a screamer!!!! as soon as I saw the name. But...I am a blonde, so I wasn't listening and now I am writing this post holding Shocking pink in my hands.
No. This isn't a bad polish but it is SHOCKING! My skin tone is quite pale so it seems even more shocking on me. I suppose it will look better more into summer?!

It was so funny to me when a couple of days ago my mother saw me wearing this polish on my toes and said:" WOW... Your feet. This one is really bright! I mean...it is not bad but it is so pink?!" I don't know what to think about that reaction (I told you I was blonde), I will wear it but probably not as often.

Don't think that this is not worth buying. Because with a right skin tone and additude this is perfect. It is just the fact that I am the queen of french manicure and neutral nail polishes, so people around me are not used to seeing this much colour on me. This is a good polish. And it is just what it says it is. Shocking pink neon nail polish.

one coat/daylight/no flash

One coat will not be enough, two is much better but I wouldn't stop there.

two coats/daylight/no flash

Three are ideal in my opinion.

three coats/daylight/no flash

Since it has a matte finish, for extra shine I added Seche Vite as a top coat. My manicure is a bit messy because I didn't like how it looked on my hands, so I took pictures and removed it after that. I wanted you to see the colour. Honestly, it is a nice colour but a bit too much for my profession. It looked like the colour was wearing me and not the other way around. I don't want my hands to shout HEY YOU! YEAH YOU. I AM TALKING TO YOU. WATCH MY HANDS, YOU!

three coats + seche vite/ daylight/no flash

with flash

So this is my conlusion. It is a nice and extremely fun polish, great for every girl on a summer break, perhaps a bit too loud for corporate world (weekends excluded). The quality is great, it has a nice, easy to use brush, and if you are young or bold enough, you will love it! I am not sure that I am in that category but it will be my companion on the beach. Maybe I will even wear it during winter to bring some sun and summer feeling into my life when it is cold and grey outside?!
And for my hands... I think that the chemistry between them and this polish is over.

This is a 14 ml/.5 fl.oz bottle that I bought on ebay for 7$.

What do you say? Do you like it?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

SEMI DI LINO DIAMANTE ILLUMINATING hair mask (ALFAPARF MILANO)

That's a big title, I know.

Generally, I love Alfaparf products and that is the reason why I bought this mask. They have great hair colours which my hair stylist used to use, and she also treated my hair with their hair care products. They were great, too! So, when I saw this in Kozmo (our national drugstore) it looked like there was a light behind this little box and a choir was singing Alleluiah! Since I earlier tried and liked their products, decision was made. I am going to buy this one. One day....

The price was like a cold shower. First it was 40+ $/30+ Euros/25 GBP for 200 ml/6.87 fl.oz of product. I waited and the price went down to 15 GBP/19 Euros/25 $. I also had some coupons so the price was better and I bought it. I am glad I bought it for reduced price because I would be very angry if I paid even more for it.

This mask won't damage your hair but it won't help it, either.
You should apply it to a clean and damp hair, leave it for 5 minutes, comb it out and rinse off with lukewarm water. I gave it even more time and left it for 10 minutes but nothing happened.

The consistency of it is weird. It is like some kind of jelly?!

When applied it doesn't feel heavy but it leaves your hair a bit greasy. I put it mainly on my ends but since I do have colour treated hair I need some care on my scalp, too. But there I put only what is left on my hands after massageing it into my ends.
The other thing that is very strange to me is that it doesn't help with combing out your hair one bit. It is like you don't have any conditioner on. And to me, that is a must! I don't want to pull my hair. Mask should help with combing it out to prevent any breakage and damage. And keep in mind that my hair is more on the greasy side, I have no curls, it is straight with highlights but nothing major.
Your hair will look shiny, but not that healthy looking shine from the commercials, rather a beachy look but with healthy hair (which mine is; if your hair isn't this will not help you). Don't know how to better describe it?
To each their own, but I expect more from a product with this price tag!!! It doesn't help better than any conditioner (I currently use John Frieda Go Blonder), so I don't see the point?

This is how the company describes it:
A new dimension in Luminosity...an exclusive combination of the unique shine of Linseed Extract with the luxurious sparkle of Diamonds! Highly concentrated in Karite Butter and enriched with Diamond Crystals, Microcrystalline Mask deeply nourishes dry, treated hair, leaving it soft, shiny and easy to comb. It smoothes the hair cuticle, making it softer, glossier and more manageable.

And now me... You wish!!!  My hair is pretty greasy and it couldn't help it, so what would it do for dry or damaged hair?

I would skip this one.

What do you say? Have you tried it? Do you have different experience?

Tell me....

Love, beautyandbrains007

LOVE LUSH!!! LOVE LETTUCE face mask

I am not particularly fond of Mondays... So what better way to start a week and deal with a Monday than with my LOVE LUSH section? And when the product is also a love of mine...it is PERFECT! Just perfect.

Don't get me wrong. Just because this is a LOVE LUSH section, it doesn't mean that every Lush product is going to be raved about. BUT this one deserves all the praise in my book.

I have already reviewed Lush Cupcake face mask (click on it if you want to see my review) which is to blame for my second purchase, Lush Love Lettuce face mask. When I was purchasing it, a lady at the store was convincing me to try Love Lettuce but to a Chocoholic like me....well, it was a lost battle. Since I loved Cupcake, I went back to Lush and bought Love Lettuce and as in real life lettuce turned out to be a better choice. I must say that I will buy Cupcake again but for my skin Love Lettuce is a must because this one is needed all the time since it deep cleans pores, and Cupcake calms all the redness and any break outs which aren't always present on my face. But, I love them both, would recommend them both, and will keep buying them over, and over, and over again! They have a special place in my fridge ;)...

They both have small particles to exfoliate the skin but Love Lettuce is more abrasive. That is the reason I'm not sure if I would recommend this for dry skin but for normal and oily skin this will be amazing! If any of you with dry skin have tried this mask, please write your opinion below. It will be much appreciated.
I've read many reviews on makeupalley and everyone wrote that this has a lavender scent but it doesn't smell like lavender to me. To me it smells like algae. Some will like the smell, some will hate it (although it is not overwhelming) but I like it 'cause it reminds me of a period in my life when I was a teenager and had some break outs so my mother took me to a dermatologist and beautician who solved my problems in like 2 or 3 months. THANK YOU MOM!!! I have no bad memories about that period of my life and no scars left, algaes helped me then as they do now. Beautician was putting a similar mask to my face, it also had an algae scent so this is like a walk through memory lane for me. After this mask, I have a feeling that my face is clean, firm and disinfected (if that makes any sense to you).

This is how Lush describes it:
Ideal for those who want to clear away dead skin and brighten the face, whilst also gently treating it to softening ingredients.
First we make a seaweed gel using agar, then we add honey and almond oil to soften and moisturise the skin. Kaolin and fullers earth deep clean, absorb grease and debris and tighten the skin. Finally there are ground almonds and ground almond shells, so that when you come to wash this off with water, you can work it over your face for a few minutes to exfoliate away dead skin. 

As you can tell, I agree with them and would recommend this mask. I apply it to a clean and dry face, leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse it off with warm water (usually in the evenings). It is good to apply it while you are taking a bath because your pores are more opened and will soak in all the ingredients quicker and more efficient. It is always good to apply masks when you are taking a bath.
I've noticed that in the morning there can be some green residue left on my cotton pad while cleaning my face with a lotion but it is not visible on the face.

Since this mask is made out of fresh ingredients, it has to be kept in a fridge. Everyone in the States keep saying that this masks last for only two weeks but they are not labeled like that in Croatia. I put these masks on once a week each and they last my for two months. There is enough product for 8 applications. They don't go bad or change the consistency or smell, and they work just as good as they did when I first bought them. I wouldn't recommend buying them online because they could go bad, especially at this time of year. I've seen that you can order them online in the UK. Don't think that is the case in the States.

INGREDIENTS:
Agar Agar Gel, Kaolin, Honey, Fullers Earth, Glycerine, Almond Oil, Ground Almond Shells, Ground Almonds, Lavender Oil, Chlorophyllin, *Geraniol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume

The price of this mask is 5.75 GBP for 75 g in UK/ 9,95 Euros for 45 ml in Germany/10,90 Euros for 55 ml in Austria/ 6.95 $ for 2.1 fl.oz in USA, so you can see that the prices vary. It is 59 kn for 75g of product in my country (Croatia).
Keep their boxes because Lush recycles and you will get a free mask if you bring five empty containers. Check that in your store.
I am not affiliated with Lush, just like their products.

What do you say? Do you like them? Have you tried this mask? Will you buy it?

Tell me...


Love, beautyandbrains007

Avon Perfectly Flesh nail polish (Nailwear Pro+)

 Although I am currently all about neons, I decided to go more neutral this time.

I have this nail polish for a while but, honestly, haven't been wearing it much. I was looking for a nude type of polish and tried this one.
As soon as I got it I was surprised because its name suits the product. It is like a foundation. Seems neutral but it can be tough to wear. I am a fair person and in the winter when I have zero tan, it looks...well...not flattering. Now, when I actually got some sun on my skin it is tolerable.
As you can tell, I am not crazy about this one.
The consistency is light and a bit watery. It separates but that doesn't affect the quality. Mine stayed the same. Just roll it between your hands before application.
I don't own any other Avon nail polishes because I had some earlier (when they had a different formula) and didn't like them. They were too thick. These aren't, at least not this one.
The brush is OK, not too small or huge and does the job.

Avon devides their polishes in several categories and this one has a shiny (not frosty) finish. The finish is really nice and it is not neccesary to put a top coat on. It does take a while for the polish to dry. I guess my mattes spoiled me?!
One coat isn't opaque enough, two are better, but for a perfect manicure look, I suggest three coats.

one coat/daylight/no flash

two coats/daylight/no flash

three coats/daylight/no flash

three coats with flash

You can buy this polish from any Avon lady or order it online. It costs 8$/4,80GBP/6 Euros for 12 ml of product (in my country, I guess it is less expensive in the States) but they are often on sale. Currently, they are 40% off so if you want to try any of them, now is the time.

That is my take on this polish.

What do you say? Tried it? Have any other polishes from Avon? Like this one?

Tell me about it...


Love, beautyandbrains007