Review: L'Oréal Paris Micellaire Water

I got the L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection Micellar Solution in Spain when I realized the Bourjois mascara I had just bought was impossible to get off. This is supposed to be like a dupe for the famous Bioderma Créaline micellaire water, so I thought I'd try it and save my pennies. 

Here are the ingredients:

I was not happy with this stuff. It takes a lot of product to remove a whole face of makeup, and it takes a really long time and a bit of rubbing (not good around the eye area) to remove all eye makeup. Also, if you get too much product around your eyes, it stings. My skin also felt kind of dry after using it. 

This was just kind of a waste of money for me, even if it is cheaper than other cleansers. I'm plenty happy just using a cleansing oil to remove makeup.

Pass.

Review: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Teint Mineral Compact Powder

I ran out of the Wet n Wild Cover-All powder a while ago (not my favorite either), so I picked up the  La Roche-Posay Toleriane Teint Mineral Compact Powder while I was in City Pharma on Rue du Four. It has SPF 25 and claims to mattify and even skin tone without blocking pores, so I was all for it. 

The shade range is pretty disappointing. There are three and they all run pretty pink. I picked the lightest, least pink one, and it's still not as light or yellow as I would like it to be. I have a neutral light/medium skin tone. 

Here are the ingredients, and yes, the powder does contain mineral oil. Why did I pick this up again?

I do quite like the packaging. Although I rarely use the sponges, it is nice that they managed to fit one in here in a compartment at the bottom while keeping the package fairly sleek. The mirror is nice (a step above the Wet n Wild packaging). 

Claims and directions for use:

While the powder sounded really nice to me, it was a total fail. There is some coverage, but only accompanied by a completely heavy and cakey look. It does not absorb oil at all. I get greasy within 15 minutes after applying. It settles into creases and fine lines, and it doesn't wear evenly, so by the end of the day I'm left with a cakey/patchy/greasy mess. Blush does not wear nicely over the top, and it doesn't set concealer well. It also oxidizes. 

If you have oily skin like me, give this a pass. Even if it were reasonably priced (it's not around 10-15 euro) I would not get this stuff. I haven't been this disappointed in a powder in a very long time. 

Review: Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Matte / Shimmer Palette (limited edition)

In my Christmas 2013 gift guide, I mentioned the ( limited edition Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Matte / Shimmer Palette as something to gift to someone because I wanted it at the time. I did end up buying it in the end, and now I regret it. 

I wanted the palette because Emilynoel82 said really good things about the Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral shadows. This palette (although not available anymore; if it is give it a pass) is a combination of both the matte and shimmer palettes. 

When I first saw it in person - I ordered it off Target.com - I was super disappointed. I thought it was going to be as big as the two palettes stuck together would be. Nope. The palette is probably the same size if not a bit smaller than one of the Eye on Neutral palettes, but the shadows are teeny (they had to squish 24 of them in here somehow). 

The rest of the packaging is okay (although the gold "Sonia Kashuk" has already worn off the outside of my palette). I like the cream packaging, and the mirror inside is really nice. 

However, the actual product inside is really just not good. The shadows are super hit and miss. Some of the shimmer shadows are nice, and there are some really good matte shades. However, some matte shades don't show up at all, and all of the shimmers have wicked fallout. Even tapping off the brush doesn't help. I have to apply the shadows to the lid with my fingers, and then after finishing my eyeshadow, I have to go back in and clean up the fallout from my cheeks. 

It's really disappointing because I absolutely love and would use all the colors in here. I even use the matte brown second to bottom row, second to right shadow to fill in my brows, and the black is super pigmented. Some of the shimmers are really pretty, too, and could probably dupe some colors in the Urban Decay Naked palettes.

If this is a reflexion of the normal sized Eye on Neutral palettes, just don't do it. They're 19 bucks each. This palette was way overpriced at 30 bucks. I should've just gotten the Naked palette... Damn. 

How to: Get dry nails in 2 seconds

There are a lot of tricks people have for getting dry nails fast, but I've found that what works for me is just using hand cream.

That's right. Hand cream. 

After you've applied your top coat, maybe wait a minute or two (like you would between every coat of nail polish - that helps the drying process, too), then take your hand cream and dab a little bit on each nail and smooth it over the nail. You can then finish rubbing the hand cream into your hands because your nails are dry now. BA BAM.

I do this every time I paint my nails, but this trick is awesome for those moments when you've painted your nails, realize you need to get dressed, and then need to do the pants dance to get your jeans on. (Because it's 3pm, and you've painted your nails but haven't even put on jeans yet). Maybe that's just me though because I've been eating too many pastries here in France. But you get the point. After this you won't mark up your nails instantly after.

Now, you can use cuticle oil or even olive oil to do this. However, I like the hand cream because it works just as well, moisturizes the whole hand (obviously...), and it's not greasy after. If I use the olive oil, I usually have to wash my hands after. 

There are a lot of people that like the freezing water thing or even like to use cooking spray to dry nails. However, the water thing is painful for me, and both of these methods are messy and more of a hassle than I'd like. Hand cream really is the easiest thing.

Hope that was helpful! ;)

Review: Mavala Switzerland Base Coat, Mavadry, and nail polishes

I didn't bring any nail polish with me to France this semester because I thought it would be too much of a hassle to take all of the polishes I wanted to take with me over seas. I thought I could handle another five months without nail polish, but I was so so wrong. When I saw the cute little Mavala Switzerland nail polishes in the pharmacy, I couldn't help but pick some up. By the way, all nail polishes should be this size! (And cheaper). Who actually finishes a whole USA-sized bottle of nail polish before it goes gloopy and gross? 

I picked up three colors: 69 (hee hee) Bordeaux, 163 Black Oyster, 269 Deep Blue. Since I didn't bring base or top coat with me, I picked up Mavala's offering, including the beloved Mavadry. 

I have actually never worn a red nail polish before for more than three seconds. I usually paint it on because I'm all like "Yay let's look all vintage-y and cool with red nails!" Then I look at my hands, realize that nope, I'm just not a red nails person, and then I take it off and repaint. However, I really liked the color 69 Bordeaux. It's a pinky yet still warm red, and when you first put it on it has some shimmer in it. The shimmer is not visible upon drying though. It has kind of a thin gel/enamel-like consistency, so even with two coats (what I have above under the Mavadry top coat) you can still see the white tips of your nails showing through. This color applies better than the other two colors that you'll see later in the post, however, it chips like a beyotch. I haven't had a polish chip so badly since I was using Essie. (If you're new here you should know that I hate the Essie formula *gasp* because it chips on me in two seconds.) I put this on, and within four hours I had wearing at the tips of the nail. With my Deborah Lippmann, Butter London, OPI, and Revlon polishes, I can have polishes on for 9+ days without any chips and minimal wearing. If you don't want to repaint your nails every two days, steer clear. 

Black Oyster was a really disappointing color. In the bottle (in person, not this photo), the polish looks like it should have a lot more shimmer in it. On the nails it just barely looks more than a regular black polish. It applies gloopily and streakily. I have two coats on under Mavadry. Yep, still chips within a day. When I want a color similar to Essie Wicked (my one exception to my hate for Essie), I layer a couple coats of this under one coat of Bordeaux).

This is my favorite color I picked up from Mavala. Deep Blue is that gorgeous mermaid under the sea color. It has blue shimmer, but if you look closely, you can see some green shimmer in it. However, all the same problems from the two above colors still apply. It applies and lasts horribly. 

As for the treatments, I was incredibly disappointed. The Mavala Base Coat is the weirdest thing I have ever put on my nails. First of all it smells like Elmer's glue, but it's so tricky to apply because even when you wipe off the brush a few times on the neck of the bottle, you'll apply it to the nail and it floods the nail with product. This could be fine with any other base coat, but this takes a while to dry, and then the product starts to droop from the center of the nail outwards, creating these weird "hills" of polish on the sides of your nail that look horrible when you've applied your polish (if you didn't see they were there when you go to apply the color) and make the application of the polish difficult because the excess base coat mixes with the polish. However, even when you try to apply as little of the base coat as possible to the nail, there will be these little holes where the base coat didn't touch the nail. Weird, weird, weird.

Mavadry isn't as horrible. It dries wicked fast and is super shiny. However, it really does nothing for the lasting power of the polish. If you want longevity and super shine, go for any of the Deborah Lippmann top coats. The Revlon Colorstay top coat is also really good (although less shiny than the DL). 

For those of you thinking about getting Mavala products, just pass. There are cheaper and better polishes out there. I'll finish what I bought (probably before I leave Europe because the bottles are so tiny) but I won't be picking up anything else from Mavala.

French pharmacy haul + cheapest pharmacies in Paris

I obviously have quite the obsession with beauty products, but when it comes to the French pharmacy I'm absolutely crazy. I've discovered a couple pharmacies with the cheapest prices here in Paris (and, therefore, they're the most crowded and unpleasant to shop in) so I've picked up many things. I also had to get a couple things from Monoprix as well. 

I picked up a few polishes from Mavala Switzerland, as well as their base and top coat, Mavadry. This is quite honestly the worst polish brand I have ever tried. I think I need to write a whole post on the stuff I picked up just to rant. Just don't go crazy on the Mavala, no matter how cute the little bottles are. 

I also picked up the hand cream and lip balm from Caudalie. The lip balm is essentially the stick version of the Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm that comes in the pot (and yes, it's more similar to the pot lip balm than Nuxe's own stick version of the lip balm). The Caudalie hand cream is the best hand cream I have ever used. While it may not be as moisturizing as some hand creams, it's still hydrating and leaves no greasy feeling. It also smells incredible. I like the Nuxe Rêve de Miel hand cream in consistency, but the smell is more perfumey than the natural fruity/herbal smell of the Caudalie. I think the formula is nicer than the L'Occitane formula as well.

I also repurchased for the third+ time my favorite Caudalie shower gels. They were two for seven euros. Steal. They smell so good. Definitely looking forward to using these again.

The two wearable nail soaker things were actually an eBay purchase. My mom sent them to me by accident here in France, but I ordered them from the US ebay for about 4 bucks for the twenty. I got these to remove glitter nailpolish instead of using the foil method. You just put some nailpolish remover in them, soak your nails for two minutes, then the glitter's off. 

From Monoprix, I picked up some wax strips since I left my epilator at home. Yes, I prefer ripping my hair out every once in a while to shaving. These don't work that well though, unfortunately. They just don't really grab on to the hair.

I also picked up the 1 second nail polish remover from Bourjois. This stuff is just as incredible as everyone says. While it doesn't get the polish off in one second, it gets it off pretty damn fast without the need for cotton pads. It's also acetone free and smells good. Only downside is that you can only use it for fingers, and it also leaves your fingers pretty oily after. I have to wash my hands after I use it to get oil off my nails before painting again. 

I went to my other cheap pharmacy and picked up the Phyto Phytokératine shampoo and the Phytobaume conditioner. These were among the only sulphate free shampoos in the pharmacy. 

I also got the Bioderma Nodé DS+ anti-dandruff shampoo (gross, I know) because the hardwater here in Paris is killing my scalp. It works okay so far, but I need to use it longer to say anything more about it. It also came with a mini Nodé shampoo that is sulphate free. 

The pharmacy also had my favorite toothpaste of all time, Marvis. It was way cheaper here than in the states. Instead of picking up my usual Jasmin or Cinnamon Mint, I went for the Classic Strong Mint to see how I like it. I also picked up their new mouth wash. It's luxurious stuff. The packaging is to die for, and it looks so pretty in my bathroom. However, although it says it's alcohol free, it's not, and it stings like Listerine. 

I picked up the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Teint mineral powder since I ran out of the Wet n Wild one already (that stuff does not last long). This might be the worst powder I have ever tried. It's cakey, heavy, and does not mattify. Avoid at all costs! 

I also picked up the Bioderma Sébium Mat moisturizing mattifying fluid. It's the same idea as the La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Mat, but it doesn't have alcohol in it. It smells incredible (like watermelon), and it sinks in and really hydrates the skin. It's like a refreshing drink for your skin. I'm not sure how we'll it mattifies, but it is a great lightweight moisturizer. 

I also picked up a tube of Boiron's famous Homeoplasmine. I got this because I was sick and blowing my nose constantly. It works wonders to soothe a dry under-nose, and it is nice for lips, too, although it's not as good as the Nuxe Rêve de Miel or the Caudalie lip balms. 

Here are what the nail polishes I got look like on the nails. They're pretty, but I do NOT recommend the Mavala formula. Again, full review to come later.

The pharmacies I went to, and the cheapest pharmacies that I've found in Paris, are Pharmacie Place Monge (Place Monge stop metro line 7) and City Pharma Rue du Four (Metro line 10, Mabillon or Odéon, or line 4 Saint Sulpice). 

Both are always packed with people. If you shop at these places, come with a list of what you want or else you'll get overwhelmed trying to look. People are crazy and mean when shopping for skincare. 

I prefer Pharmacie Place Monge because I think they have more brands (and more interesting brands), and depending on the brand, it's even cheaper than Rue du Four, and it's a bit less stressful (not that much less stressful though). They also have a special checkout for people that want to get a tax refund upon returning to their country. 

I also like Place Monge because it's closer to where I go to University. Convenience for the win!

Review: Rimmel BB Cream and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

I have really oily skin. If you read this blog, I think you'll know that. That's why whenever something claims it's going to mattify my skin, I'm all like "Oooh be mine." The Rimmel BB Cream 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Makeup SPF 25 in Light and the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (001 Transparent) both claimed to do that. Nope. They were fails for me. I know the powder has a huge hype around it, so if you like it, don't be offended. This new formula just didn't work for me. The old one did though...

I'm going to start by saying that the shade range for this BB cream is awful. When I was in Spain, there were only two colors: Light and Medium. I would have fallen exactly into Light-Medium (the Light ended up being okay for me as my summer tan faded) but I had to go lighter. People at the extreme ends of the spectrum are going to have problems though. The Medium was too dark for me, but if anyone two shades darker than a light medium wanted to try this, it would be way too light. If you're any paler than me, there's no hope for you with this cream. Also, the cream runs pink. I have neutral to yellow undertones, so I wasn't completely a fan of that.

 I was interested in the BB Cream because it claims to prime, moisturize, minimize pores, conceal, cover, smooth, mattify, brighten and protect. Wow. Sounds SO awesome. 

I'm going to lump a few of those claims together though, because for me, moisturizer means moisturize, brighten, and protect, prime engulfs prime (obvs), minimize pores, smooth, mattify, and concealer means conceal and cover. Meaning this isn't a 9-in-1, it's a 3-in-1, day moisturizer/sunscreen, primer, concealer. Redundancy. Rant. Over.

As for ingredients, this product does not come out on top. I'm not a fan of mica as an oily skinned person (why would I want something that's going to give me a glow in my mattifying product??), shea butter is way too heavy for a day cream (and probably explains why I would get oily within 30 minutes of application), and it has a fragrance that was kind of obnoxious to me. 

The worst part about this BB Cream, however, was the application. Unless you apply on a completely clean face (no serum, extra sunscreen or mattifier, etc underneath), this goes on with a weird gummy texture and won't blend into the skin, but will leave you with a bunch of streaky patches and very very obvious pores. I would have to wash my face and start over again.

If I were in a rush though, I would apply this straight after toner (and try not to care about the not high enough for me SPF), and it would go on somewhat nicely with a decent amount of coverage (not enough to eliminate the need for concealer, but enough to even out skin tone). It still felt a bit tacky though, and right away I would get oily. By the end of the day, this just looked greasy, patchy, cakey, and horrible. I managed to finish the bottle, but boy was it hard (and ugly). 

This will give you a flashback in photos btw. 

Onto the next fail from Rimmel... the Stay Matte Powder.
Don't shoot.

I used to use the old Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (in the black packaging), but they reformulated it and added oils. Thaaanks. But no thanks. 

The powder would go on thicker and cakier than the old formula, and I would get oily almost right away. At the end of the day I would be a greasy mess. And this would not be transparent for those with darker complexions. Just sayin'.

The Rimmel powders' packaging just always tends to stink as well. 

Again, I finished the powder, but I only used it on days I didn't go out in public for too long, and I couldn't bother to finish up that last small ring of product in the end. 

Ingredients: Mica, coconut oil, mineral oil (it's basically the same thing as pertrolatum or parafinnum liquidum). *Cries river* 

Do you like these products? Leave your opinions below so that others may read multiple takes on this, 'cause this is just mine. :)

Favorite Hair, Body, and Fragrance 2013

Last of the 2013 favorites series. Let's get crackin'!

Shampoo and Conditioner: Free Your Mane Sulphate Free Shampoo and Detangling Conditioner

If I ever talk about a shampoo and conditioner on this blog, I always compare it to these, the Free Your Mane shampoo and conditioner. I discovered these when I first started working in my local beauty store, but I finally tried them in January 2013. In one use, they took my hair that had been dried out by the Bed Head shampoos and conditioners and made it soft and shiny and healthy again. It was incredible. Everything I tried after these (including the completely overhyped Ojon and Oribe haircare) has not been able to measure up. If you have thicker, frizzy hair, I highly recommend these. They are sulphate-free, and the lather is still incredible. A little goes a long way, as well, so while they are more expensive than your normal shampoo, you'll still have the bottles for a really long time.

Favorite Treatment/Styling Product: Free Your Mane Baobab Hair Oil

Again, Free Your Mane has just been incredible for me. I have tried a few hair products this year that I did really like (the Garnier hair cream stuff and the Ojon Damage Reverse Serum), but this oil just comes out on top. It's really thick and hydrating, but at the same time it never made my hair feel oily. It just completely takes out frizz and makes the hair so soft. Combined with the shampoo and conditioner, this is the perfect haircare regime for me. It also smells amazing.

Best body wash: Caudalie body washes

I first got a tube of the Fleur de Vigne body wash this winter from Sephora, and it was kinda expensive for the quantity. However, I got to France and found that these were actually pretty cheap (less than 4 euro, depending on what pharmacy you find them in). I then kinda went crazy. I tried three of the four scents (Zest de Vigne didn't really call to me) and loved them all. My favorites, however, are still Fleur de Vigne and Pêche de Vigne. They have an incredible lather and super fresh scent, and they don't dry out the skin. I liked the scent of Thé de Vigne, and adore the perfume, but the formula didn't lather as well as the other two. Caudalie body care in general is really nice. I really like their body lotion, the hand cream, and the lip balm as well.

Best Moisturizer: Vaseline Aloe Fresh

I went through a lot of body lotions this year, but I decided to repurchase an old Vaseline one that I knew I liked, and yep, I still liked it. I still think it's the best one I've used all year, as it's really hydrating yet sinks really well into the skin. It smells super light and fresh, and it's paraben free. I also like how you can turn the bottle upside down to get every last drop towards the end. Good packaging. Oh. It's cheap. Can't forget the cheap.

Fragrance: West Third Brand Saint Patron

I went to Chicago in April to get my visa for Spain, and when I was in Wicker Park, I discovered this beauty. It's that perfect spring "the flowers are blooming right outside my window" scent, and it has no synthetic smell to it. I used up the whole bottle in four months, as I could just not put it down. It's so lovely, and for a perfume it wasn't too expensive either. I also just love not smelling like anyone else, as West Third Brand is rather hard to find.

What were your favorite body products of 2013?