PRODUCT BATTLE: hair oils

Today I will be reviewing and comparing two hair oils. I'm talking about the L'Oréal Professionel Mythic Oil milk and the L'Oréal Elsève Extraordinary Oil for fine hair. The first thing you should know is that I have very thin hair, and so hair oils were one of these 'dangerous' products for me. I would want to use a hair oil to nutrition my hair ends, not to make my hair greasy or too shiny. Impossible?

My hair dresser convinced me to try the Mythic Oil, but I also wanted to try a drugstore hair oil so I picked up the Elsève one. Keep on reading for my review! 

Claims:

- Mythic oil:

"A reinforcing milky mist for all hair types: formulated with royal jelly and passion fruit seed oil. Immediately absorbs, leaves your hair looking texturized and feeling reinforced and bodified to the touch, without weighing it own. Paraben-free formula. Depending on hair tupe, spray 4 to 5 pumps onto dry or damp hair and style as usual."

- Elsève oil:

"Spray on dry or wet hair. Use before brushing your hair to protect the hair fiber and to give a supple, silky smooth texture. Use as finishing touch for a deep shine and unique suppleness.

Extra light oil texture - micro spray - quickly absorbed"

Consistency:

The consistency of the products is quite different. The Mythic oil is a watery milk solution, while the Elsève oil feels more like a dry oil solution.  

Use: 

First I spray the oil in my hand, then I rub in between my hands and then I gently apply the product on my (very) dry hair ends, massaging it in.

Effect:

The Mythic oil left the end of my hair more nutritioned and less dry. The difference was subtle, but noticeable. My hair did not get more shiny or healthy looking, it just felt more healthy on the ends. 

The Elsève oil makes my hair feel softer and shinier. However, it did make my hair faster greasy and the dry ends felt less nutritioned. I also felt like it weighed down my hair a bit. 

Price:

I purchased the Mythic Oil for €20 while the Elsève Extraordinary oil costs about €10. Yeah, indeed, half the price of the Mythic Oil.

Packaging:

The pumps on both the bottles are nice. I find the packaging for the Elsève Extraordinary oil prettier, but since it is a glass bottle, it is also breakable. I already succeeded in dropping it a few times or swiping it off the bathroom counter whilst blowdrying my hair. Luckily, it didn't break. But if you're as clumsy as me, you might want to be extra careful with it. Hair oil all over the bathroom floor? That could get ugly. 

Conclusion:
The L'Oréal Professional Mythic Oil milk did what I wanted it to do: make my hair ends a lot less dry. It pretty expensive however and the L'Oréal Elsève Extraordinary oil made my hair ends a bit less dry as well. I think I would go for the more expensive option, since the Elsève oil made my hair feel quite heavy and made it just too shiny. Or I might continue my search and look for a cheaper, but still good non-greasy hair oil.

What hair oil do you use? What's your favorite hair care brand?

Xoxo,
Anine

PERFUME REVIEW: Jo Malone Nutmeg & Ginger

Every beauty obsessed creature on our planet has probably already heard of Jo Malone. The UK based fragrance company has taken over with its delicate scents, luxury feel and gorgeous packaging. I've wanted to try one of these scents for such a long time, but never had. Luckily, that changed! Thanks to Mr. Boyfriend, I am able to tell you more about a scent today.

As mentioned before, Jo Malone is famous for its beautiful packaging. The cream colored box, the black details such as the bow, and the beautiful glass bottle and classy label make this perfume bottle the eyecatcher of your dressing table, beauty stand or nightstand.

Now, time for a perfume lesson. What is the difference between a cologne, an eau de toilette and an eau de parfum? A cologne fragrance doesn't stay scented on your skin for very long, lasting up to 2 hours. Eau de toilette lasts between 2 to 4 hours and eau de parfum lasts up to 6 hours. 

The Jo Malone perfumes are colognes, but I feel like they do last a long time, for a cologne! 

I opted for the scent Nutmeg & Ginger. This spicy scent is like nothing I have in my perfume stash. That is also the reason why I chose Nutmeg & Ginger and not Orange Blossom, which was another scent I really loved. Nutmeg & Ginger was that perfect fall/autumn scent I never had. It was the start of a love affair.

I told myself I had to use up my summer scents first and had to wait until it would be fall/autumn before I was allowed to use Nutmeg & Ginger. But I just can't, I even secretly sniff the perfume bottle daily like a drug addict.

Because I'm not very good at describing scents, I will describe what jomalone.com says Nutmeg & Ginger smells like.

"Our first fragrance. Sandalwood and cedarwood seasoned with nutmeg and vibrant ginger. Unexpected and addictive."

Well, what better way to start trying out a new perfume brand than by purchasing their first fragrance. Totally meant to be. 

The scent is definitely very spicy, but not heavy at all. I used to think that spicy scents were always pretty heavy or just way too spicy. But this one is perfect. I'm starting to think spicy scents are the way to go for me, thanks to Nutmeg & Ginger.

This 30ml bottle costs £39/€44, which I think might sound more expensive than usual perfumes, but I do feel like these ones are so much more wearable, more unique and more scent-adapting to your skin.

I am still in the market for a second Jo Malone perfume to combine with Nutmeg & Ginger, since that is what Jo Malone is known for: combinable perfumes. Any recommendations?

I also would love to try out their bath oils and especially their candles! Have you tried any Jo Malone products? What did you think of them?

Xoxo,
Anine

NAILS: OPI Get Your Number - liquid sand

Hey everyone, today I'm showing you the OPI Get Your Number liquid sand nail polish from the Mariah Carey collection. I got my hands on this polish and was just in love with the dazzling color in the bottle. 

However, I hadn't really tried any liquid sand polishes yet and thus was a bit cynical. I never really liked the caviar nail trend and thought this was comparable. Well, I was wrong!

The color in the bottle had me bewitched, but it came out quite different on the nails. However I immediately loved the color and the finish.

Use:
I applied two coats and no top coat, since it says so on the bottle. At first it didn't look like anything special, but when dried the polish looked amazing on the nails. Very glam, but still quite subtle and wearable, especially for a blue color.

Quality:
It stayed on my nails for about four to five days, which I really can't complain about. It didn't really chip but just started peeling off. Of course, as predicted this polish was a pain to get off my nails.

Conclusion:
I couldn't stop staring at my nails, that's how amazing I find this polish. Also, it almost looks like very nice nail art or like you very patiently took your time creating this naillook, while it's so easy. I am in LOVE with this polish, which I hadn't suspected at all!


Have you tried any liquid sand polishes? Did you like them?

Xoxo,
Anine

REVIEW: L'Oreal Sublime Bronze bronzing wipes

Last month, my mom recommended me the L'Oreal Bronzing wipes. Curious about the results, I tried them, expecting not much of an effect. They were just wipes, right?

They come in a pack of two wipes, so we both tried one. You can use the wipes on your face or your body. The wipes felt really nice and refreshing on the skin, and softly smelled like sun screen.

After using the bronzing wipes, my mom left to do errands and I had work to finish. 

A few hours later she arrived back home and when she passed my room, I mistook her for a beach babe! She looked incredibly tan, even after a few hours. I couldn’t believe it! Did a simple wipe do that? 

It didn't take long for me to notice that I looked just as tan. We were both amazed by the effect of the wipes.

After a closer look, however, we did find out that the color had streaked out on our skin. We had some white stripes on our shoulders and arms, probably from quickly wiping the bronzing wipes on our skin, not expecting it would do anything. 

After two days, the miracle was starting to fade from my skin and it went back to normal. This wipe would be perfect if you want to tan up for a special event.

Here you can clearly see the the color difference between untanned and tanned skin.

Conclusion:
You definitely get a bronzing effect, there's no doubt about that. I only wish it lasted a bit longer than just 3-4 days. But they're so inexpensive, that it doesn't matter that much.

Have you ever tried bronzing your skin with wipes? What other weird bronzing products have you encountered?

Xoxo,
Anine

REVIEW: Bourjois Shine edition lipstick

Bourjois has come out with the Shine Edition lipsticks for some time now. They come in 8 colors and I was able to try out 4 of them! 

The four colors I tried out were '20 1, 2, 3 soleil', '21 Rouge making of', '22 Famous fuchsia' and '27 Oh my doll'. 

From left to right: Oh my doll, 1, 2, 3 soleil, Famous fuchsia and Rouge making of.

From left to right: Oh my doll, 1, 2, 3 soleil, Famous fuchsia and Rouge making of.

As you can tell, the lipsticks leave a very shiny, glossy finish but are extremely pigmented. I love how you can create an effortless colored lip without it looking like you're wearing a lot of makeup. These lipsticks are perfect for that!

Quality:

They feel very soft, buttery and not sticky at all. They also stay on for a pretty long time. The Shine Edition lipsticks usually last up to three hours, naturally if you don't eat or drink anything.

You do need to make sure your lips aren't chapped or dry, since the color of these lipsticks does tend to settle into the lines of your lips when your lips are very dry. To keep the lipsticks looking nice, you do have to reapply. 

Packaging: 

I do very much like the packaging of these. It is even possible to use the shiny tubes as a mirror if you're on the go. The only thing I kind of dislike (but this is just a minor teeny tiny OCD issue of mine) is that not all of the tubes have the color of the lipsticks on them. 

'1, 2, 3 soleil' and 'Rouge making of' do have the right lipstick colors on the packaging, but the other two colors have green and yellow color details, which I find a bit annoying if you want to store these lipsticks. Of course, that doesn't take away from the quality of these products.   

21 Rouge making of: perfect for a red shiny, effortless looking lip in summertime! LOVE!

22 Famous fuchsia: As the name clearly reveals: this is a shiny bright pink/fuchsia color. It is a bit too purple for my liking, but still is a very nice color.

20 1, 2, 3 soleil: My favorite color out of the bunch. Perfect for a light orange daily look with a pop of color on the lips. Couldn't live without this one anymore!

27 Oh my doll: I like this color the least, just because the pink is a bit too pale for me. However, I gave it to my mother and she loves it as a daily lipstick for a subtle pink lip!

Conclusion: 
- a nice color range
- a nice shiny, non-sticky consistency
- perfect for throwing into your purse
- pigmented


Have you tried any of the Bourjois Shine edition lipsticks? What was your favorite lip color this summer?

Xoxo,
Anine

Perfume collection

Today I want to share my perfume collection with all of you. I don't have an enormous amount of perfumes, but I surely do have enough. I mostly have light summer scents. Let's start off!

Disclaimer: I suck at describing scents.

My oldest perfume in the bunch is probably the 'Live' perfume by Jennifer Lopez in the far right corner. I always love the J.Lo perfume bottles! This one changes color when you move it around in different light and kind of has the shape a love potion bottle would have (and that's my imagination running away with me). It smells very floral and is not very heavy nor very light. A nice in between scent.

Another perfume that is a bit older (and also almost gone! *snifsnif*) is my Davidoff Cool Water for women. I'm really sad that this will be gone because it is the scent I always wore when I met my boyfriend. Every time I wear it again, he feels very nostalgic. That means I almost feel like repurchasing it just for him. I saw that there's a pink version out now? Maybe I'll have to go and take a look at that one.

The smell of Cool Water really reminds me of water and the ocean, for some reason. It's less of an elegant perfume, and more a sporty scent (if that makes sense). It's very light and has some citrus ingredients in it. 

The one on the left is a pretty special one. It's Londres by In Fine. In Fine is a brand that lets you do tests in shop and based on your personality, you get a scent. The bottles are all identical looking. This scent is very heavy and spicy and reminds me a lot of Chanel n°5. I only wear it for very fancy occasions.

The one in the far back is not really a perfume, but a body mist. It's the Secret Charm from Victoria's Secret. This is quite a recent purchase of mine. It's very light, very floral and gets a lot of use now because it's been very sunny here in the last couple of weeks.

Another very recent perfume of mine is the Versace Yellow Diamond. It smells very floral and has just a slight scent of candy in it. 

On the right you find my very much loved Daisy by Marc Jacobs. This I've had for about a year now, I've used a lot and the bottle is still so full, it seems to be an endless kind of product. This is very light and floral and perfect as an everyday perfume.

Last but not least my newest perfume, Me by Lanvin. This perfume I find very hard to describe. It's pretty floral, but not too much. It is more heavy than the other floral scents, but still not very heavy at all. 

I don't know how it is with you, but I've actually never purchased a perfume myself. I can't bring myself to spend money on it and I've always gotten them for christmas so I never had to buy them myself. I do love nice scents though and if I'd run out of perfume, of course I would buy one for myself.

What's your favorite perfume?

Xoxo,

Anine

MASCARA REVIEW: Rimmel Scandaleyes

Here I am with another mascara review! It’s been my first time trying a Rimmel mascara and since it looked so amazingly volumizing, I wanted to try it.

Quality:

This mascara volumizes and seperates quite well, but I still like to layer another mascara over it for lengthening and more seperating. However, I find it sometimes difficult to use because of the huge brush.

Packaging:

Yes, because of the huge brush! Seriously, how gi-normeous is this thing?? I had such a hard time not putting mascara on my eyelids because the brush is too big for my tiny, hooded eyes. Never thought I would ever bump upon a stupid issue like that!

 I don’t really dislike this mascara. It’s okay. It’s workable and looks nice when layered with a lengthening mascara. However it’s not jaw dropping. And I did notice I disliked it more and more once it got drier. I'm not repurchasing it.

Have you tried the Rimmel Scandaleyes?

Xoxo,

Anine

INTERIOR: workspace wishlist

You know these Obsessive Compulsive Disorder people that plan out all the events in their entire life before it's even happening? Yup, I'm that kind of person. I like things clean, I like things organized and I like to think and dream about things I totally should not be worrying about yet.

Let me draw you a little picture here. I live at home, in a pretty standard sized room that I (thank God) have entirely for myself (and occasionally Mr Boyfriend). I don't have very little space, however every cranny of my room is filled with STUFF. Oh, stuff that I need by the way. Stuff that I bought for when I would be moving out, even though I... still live very much at home. With my parents. 

That's my eternal curse as an OCD planner; I plan out stuff, find great decoration, buy it, and have to stock it away since I don't have any more room in my chamber. About a year ago, I decided to forbid myself to buy any more room decor until I at least would actually be moving out. However, my decorating vibes are killing me, and I started dreaming about this perfect appartment...

One of the things I find most important in a beautiful appartment, is a well organized desk area. As a writer/journalist/blogger, the chances of my finishing work at home, are pretty big so I want my desk area to look impeccable. I started thinking about how I wanted it to look, and all of a sudden I had made this collage of my future dream desk space.

Don't blame me, blame OCD, it's a serious disease.

Xoxo,
Anine

ORGANISATION: Acrylic drawers

For a few months, I had been struggling with my daily makeup organisation. I kept a makeup bag on my desk, where I daily apply my products. But the makeup bag just wasn't working out for me, and I secretly wanted the Muji 5-drawer set *pause for light ascending from heaven and angelic singing*. This acrylic drawer system is every beauty bloggers achilles heel, and I found myself wanting to give in as well.

However, since this beauty blogging thing is just an expensive hobby, I wanted to choose a cheaper option. On Amazon I got the InterDesign clear drawers, that look suspiciously alike to the drawer set from the Container Store (which you can't get outside of the US).

Price:
I paid around €18, shipping included. If you compare this to the Muji 5-drawer set, it is a bargain! The Muji is just as big as this one, but has five drawers instead of three and costs €19, without shipping costs.

Quality:
I was afraid the quality of these drawers wouldn't be as good as the Muji 5-drawer set, but I really can't complain. It is very sturdy and of decent quality, especially for it's low price range.

Conclusion: I love these drawers for storing my makeup. There's nothing much more to it. It makes me do a more minimal makeup application, it makes me use products I have to try out or products I have to use up and... it just looks so pretty!

You can find the drawers here!

How do you store your makeup?

Xoxo,

Anine