Products I've used up!

Five months of meticulously using the same products have finally paid off:
I've now collected a bag full of empties to share with you!

Along with the Project-10-Pan, I've committed myself to use up most of my beauty products, i.e. all the junk that has taken over my bathroom, closet, and bookshelves...

Here is the first batch of the products I've used up!

The Body Shop Vitamin E face mist*: I've been familiar with this product before and I've already mentioned why I'm not really loving it. To put it shortly, it benefits dry or dehydrated skin- the conditioning Glycerin and Panthenol aid for that matter. However, what I'm looking for in a facial spray is an overall feeling of refreshment, not some extra moisture on top of my sunscreen or makeup. Would I repurchase it? Probably not.

Avene Thermal Spring Water: this, I love. I truly believe it helps my skin to be healthier and less irritated. I've used up yet another 50ml can and I'm planning to buy the big one (that bares a strong resemblance to hair spray!). Would I repurchase it? Hell yeah!

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing facial exfoliator: umm, allow me to rant over TBS some more... The Seaweed range is targeted to combination/oily skin and it carries some fantastic products- but, dear TBS, why make a face scrub that feels exactly like the Seaweed face wash with a few added grains? And the latter don't even exfoliate the skin! If I want to amplify my own face wash into a scrub, I'll add some baking soda instead. Would I repurchase it? Never- stay clear of it, people!

The Body Shop Aloe Calming facial cleanser: this, on the other hand, is lovely. Rich in Aloe Vera juice, no parabens, no fragrance, it gently cleanses the skin without stripping its moisture. I like it. Would I repurchase it? Definitely, some time in the future.

Clinique 3-Step: my experience

Alright, time came for me to share my thoughts on a subject that is controversial among customers, aestheticians and beauty bloggers alike...

Clinique 3-Step has a long history, with its launch dating back during the '60s. It was conceived as a personalised skincare regimen to cater the needs of the new working force that could afford a bit of spending on themselves. 

But, here's the big question: is it really drying on the skin?
Some say the alcohol in the Clarifying Lotion shouldn't be there in the first place.
Also, many reviewers have mentioned their skin got worse after using it, so is there any truth in all that?

My experience: I used Clinique 3-Step Type III in tubes of 30ml each, which lasted me for approximately 4 weeks. There's some particular science involved behind each product, though I feel the main focus right from the start has been the Clarifying Lotion; the soap+moisturiser seem to have been developed around it, if it makes sense.

To be frank, there's not much character in the Liquid Facial Soap (too mild, indifferent list of ingredients) or the -moutful- Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel (not adequate moisture, needs layering of another cream on top). However, there's a lot to talk about the toner. Which isn't really a toner, more like a brilliant exfoliating little helper!

Let me get started:

September '12 favourites.

Oh man, I can't believe it's October already;
that means we're only 2 months away from Christmas time- the "C" word, damn!!!

September wasn't as exciting in regards to the "beauty front", hence the lack of cool and fancy products featuring on this post. Still, it all reflects my recent tendency to concentrate more on my skincare, along with opting for the "no makeup" makeup.

Starting with Clinique 3-Step, the past month's skincare entry:

These mini 30ml tubes lasted me for 4 weeks, used twice per day. Contrary to what I expected from the reviews I had read online, my personal experience with the 3-Step was positive overall: there's noticeably less acne and my pores have become smaller in size.
Now, I can understand why there's a lot of confusion/misconception about this trio, but the main thing to remember is to take it as a cleansing regime- not as a complete skincare routine. More about that on a separate review ;)

As for the makeup products I loved during September...

Choosing an eye cream: I need your help!

Time for some serious talk on Lipstick Wardrobe.
No, really.

After what seemed like forever, I finally used up my Elderflower eye gel. So this time, instead of settling for yet another eye cream from the Body Shop, I spent the last couple of days browsing online for a nicer alternative. And whad'ya know, there's so many good ones to choose from!

That's why I need your help:
I've narrowed below a few eye creams that sound promising- and because I value your feedback, I'd love us to have a little chat on what to look for in an eye treatment.

To make things easier, I've divided them in 4 groups:

1. The first ones that came to mind were the usual suspects: Kiehl's Avocado eye treatment, Clinique All About Eyes and Origins GinZing. With the exception of the latter which promises to brighten and depuff eyes, the rest couple of eye creams are pretty humble in their claims, talking only about providing enough moisture for the under-eye area. Which I don't count as a con; in fact, the less the claims, the more likely it is for the product to do what it's supposed to!

Winner of Clinique 3-Step giveaway

This is just a short notice to let you all know the winner of my recent giveaway!

The lucky lady who will receive this set is...




dora.dk !!!
Congratulations, girl!

    There were 278 valid entries, along with the Twitter and Facebook links.
    The winning 103th entry was Dora.dk's, counting from the top.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of your entries,
so I might host another giveaway in the near future ;)

Thank you all for taking the time to enter this giveaway,
and thank you so, so much for supporting this blog, it means a lot!

Evi   xx

Clinique 3-Step giveaway!

Time for another mini giveaway for my lovely readers ;)

This time, I'll be giving away one mini Clinique 3-Step System (type 3), along with a
Clinique Vit C Lip Smoothie that I bought from the Beauty Bazaar last week.

The obligatory "rules":

* You have to be a public follower of this blog through GFC (Google Friend Connect). This giveaway is targeted to my readers only; if you want to follow my blog, you can click on the "Join this site" blue button on the right column!
* Leave a comment on this post with your GFC name (the name you're following my blog) AND your email address, so I can contact you in case you win. Simple as that!

If you'd like to earn some extra entries, you could also do the following (optional) steps:

* Tweet about this giveaway with a link to this post, and state your Twitter username in your comment. +1 entry
* Publish a link of this giveaway on your Facebook wall, and state your Facebook username in your comment. +1 entry

The giveaway is open internationally until the 3rd of June;
then I'll pick a random winner through randomizer.org, as always.

Good luck to everyone that enters this giveaway!!!

Evi   xx

Beauty Bazaar; a small haul and my thoughts

Yep- I've been there too...
Amidst all the craziness that was going on and the long waiting hours, me and my sister managed to make a decent little haul at the Beauty Bazaar that is currently being held at the Estee Lauder central offices at Halandri (click! for more info).

All in all, it was a pretty tiresome experience; you couldn't get in if you didn't have that "special ticket" that you could only get between 8:00-11:00 am. So naturally, me and my sister as "newbies" had to wait outside for more that 2 hours, until the guys at the front door pitied the ticket-less ladies and let us all in at the end...

     Estee Lauder nail polish- €6. Mac Circa Plum pigment- €7. Pupa lipgloss- €6

So, what did we find there? First of all, lots and lots of Carroten, Str8 and B.U. eau de toilettes and gift sets at ridiculously cheap prices. But we were hungry for the Mac and Estee Lauder counters, so we headed further on to the good stuff!

Now, I should probably have guessed beforehand that there would only be old-ish/ discontinued/ gift sets/ limited-edition products available at the bazaar, but silly old me thought I could get any Mac product my heart wished in a fraction of the retail price... Nope, not in this case. Besides that, all the good ones were gone by the time we went in, so we had to make do with whatever was still in stock.

     Clinique mini 3-Step system with a free lipgloss- €5

Notes on the products we got:
the Estee Lauder nail polish is THE most perfect colour for a french manicure. About the Mac Circa Plum pigment- boy we were lucky to find it, must have been a leftover from Daphne Guiness collection! The Pupa lipgloss was my sister's all-time favourite lipgloss, so happy she finally found a back-up! And of course, the mini Clinique 3-Step system was hard to pass by... I'll let you know how I get on with it ;)

Would I suggest you going at the Estee Lauder Beauty Bazaar? Well, if you can endure a little discomfort for some bargains - namely: long waiting hours outside the venue, having to encounter women in "shop-to-survive" mode and then waiting again at the cashier line for an hour- then yes, by all means go for it! As for me, I'm not entirely sure if I'll make it again next year...

Now, raise hands: who has been (or is planning to go) at the Beauty Bazzar?
The next post is going to be on a mini giveaway, so keep an eye for it ;)

Evi   xx