My everyday FOTD!

Hello beautiful people!
Here's a short post on what I slap on my face every day ;)

Above all, I'm a creature of habit. There's nothing I hate more than standing each morning in front of a mirror with a bag full of makeup products, trying to make a decision on what to put on my mug to disguise the "I don't wanna wake up!" look...

Of course, I enjoy experimenting with makeup- though nowadays I only do it on evenings when I have time to spare and indulge into each step.

Since I'm a renown lazy **s, I've been following a quick&easy routine that translates to a natural face with a certain piece de resistance. That means: a light coverage foundation worn with a bit of bronzer, eyes bare from eyeshadow, and a kick-ass red lipstick...

Mascara series: La Roche-Posay RESPECTISSIME Ultra Doux

This is by no means a new entry in my makeup bag,
though it's my most recent rave...

Meet Respectissime Ultra Doux, the latest mascara offering by La Roche-Posay. Granted, it's manufactured by a a brand that mostly specialises in skincare than makeup, but don't let that fact fool you: it's a mighty lil' guy that delivers flirty lashes! 

Lemme first share my enthousiasm over the killer sleek black tube-
the packaging snob inside me couldn't be happier :)

Now, looks aside, its formula is of 94% natural ingredients, while offering maximum comfort and tolerance to sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers. That's the official description of this mascara and, to be frank, it ain't that enticing.
Give me unrealistic claims + model pics photoshopped to death, and I'm there!
[I shamefully admit it, that's what gets me every time...]

Even if you overlook the boring description, it's not gonna be a love at first sight.
What I mean by that statement is this: in order to show its true capacity, it's necessary to let the mascara dry out a bit- not "to the point of no return" (obviously), but you get the gist: just enough for it to become a little more dense than fluid, which would be about 3-4 weeks' time.

After that period of time has passed, get ready for some serious lashes!
See what I'm talking about in the photos below:

La Roche Posay HYDRAPHASE Intense eye cream

I don't know about you, but personally, finding a face moisturiser of top quality seems like a much easier task than discovering that perfect eye cream that does it all...

It was due to this never-ending quest for THE ONE eye cream that tops all eye creams that I tried out the Hydraphase Intense Eyes by La Roche-Posay. Well, it also helped that many of you guys recommended it to me ;)

Just to get things clear, I'm using the term "eye cream" for a lack of a better expression; in reality, this product has the consistency of a light transparent gel.

Since I'm too sceptic when it comes to skincare products that feel lightweight, and yet make big claims of intense moisturisation, you can imagine my disbelief when I first
used it: is that not-so-promising gel really enough to keep my under eye area nice and plump?

As it turns out, you gotta have a little faith-
not as in "raise your hands to the Lord and pray it works" kind of way, but to its ingredients.

The La Roche-Posay Hydraphase range is targeted to all skin types that are in need of some extra moisture. For that purpose, all Hydraphase products contain Hyaluronic Acid fragments, the molecules of which are so tiny that can penetrate the skin deeper, all while holding up moisture more than 200 times of their weight!
[For more info, you can read my review on the Hydraphase Intense face serum]

Collective haul: La Roche-Posay, Mac, Erre Due, etc.

Well well well, it's been four months since my last haul post;
that's quite an achievement!

If you know me, you'll be surprised by how little I've been shopping lately, cosmetics-wise. To be honest, I kinda enjoy it: it feels as if I've tamed my addiction and turned into a "normal" consumer. Seriously, this is EVERYTHING I bought during the last couple of months!

It's a mixture of some essentials, a couple of toiletries-
and a little makeup to sweeten the pot ;)

La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Eyes: to everyone that commented on my eye cream post, thank you for making me come to my senses! I admit I was inclined towards Retinoids and eye roll-ons at first, though after reading your comments I realised that a good-quality moisturising eye cream was the best bet. I chose this one purely because of its ingredients: Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid fractions? Swell, count me in! Paid: €18,10

Syoss Anti-Grease Dry Shampoo: isn't it a shame there's only three or four dry shampoos available in our stores? Booo... Rather than saving my hair from washing, I bought it in order to infuse some volume at the roots of the hair. By the way, if you happen to know any tips&tricks on the application of dry shampoo, do share! Paid: €4,80

Skincare review: La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Serum

I'm sure you've seen reviews of this product already-
in case you're interested in my point of view, here's my two cents ;)

I've been using this serum on and off for the past two months, so as to allow it a good testing period before writing about it. Personally, I don't consider serum to be essential per se, more like an investment into a good quality beauty regime- if you're willing to spend some extra cash, that is.

In other words: while moisturiser is an integral part of a skincare routine, serum is not.
That being said, if you DO use a serum, your skin will thank you later. Here's why:

Serums consist of smaller molecules than those of moisturisers, thus enabling them to penetrate the skin deeper than regular day creams; they're mainly designed to deliver nutrients to the skin, rather than regulating its moisture level. That's why there's so many different serum formulations targeted to specific skin concerns like skin brightening,
anti-ageing, exfoliating, etc. Moisturisers on the other hand are meant to "lock" the moisture into the skin after cleansing.

Now that the difference between serums and moisturisers is clear, here's what I think of the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Serum:

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!