Winter skin care favorites!

Hello!

I wonder how everyone takes care of skin in winter - it can be so rough on our delicate skin (T_T). Here in Poland we have temperature from -5C to -25C degrees... Serious freezer situation. D:

I guard my skin from all this winter by using a couple creams every day.

Below are some of my favorites!

WELEDA Skin Food cream

Oh, how I love it!! It is full of natural oils and smells like citrus fruit (mostly grapefruit/lemon to me) and it`s just like a soft warm blanket for skin! I like to apply a lot at night and just go to sleep like that - I wake up with soft, moisturized skin! (*___*) I love it! In summer I would never do that, but now I also use it in daytime, under makeup - just a thin layer and not on my forehead, because I think it would make my fringe oily. It works great. :)

You can also use it on you whole body, especially dry spots like knees, elbow, feet.

Vitacreme B12

It`s a great light cream that feels like it`s treating my skin and curing it. Blemishes, dry skin, acne marks - it helps to remove them faster and also moisturizes. It`s light and has a pleasant rose smell. (^_^*) You can also use it on cold burned/sun burned skin, on your elbows, etc. I already wrote about it HERE!

BABA DE CARACOL snail cream

Well, I dunno, the fad, the snail cream. Actually I`m not even sure there is snail secretion in this one (??), but anyway it hydrates quite well but has shady ingriedients (lots of parabens and mineral oil). I`m not crazy about it, but I`ll use it all anyway. It creates a sort of a veil on my skin, absorbs quickly and it great for layering with other creams I mention here. :D Actually I also have night version of this one too and I like it too. I won`t repurchase though. I found a way better snail extract cream with actual snail extract in it (Velvetin) and I can buy it in the natural products pharmacy right around the corner. (^_^)

IWOSTIN Hydratia Eye cream

From a Polish brand like La Roche-Posay or Avene - we also have natural springs with wonderful healthy water here in Poland, and Iwostin uses it to make really good cosmetics! (http://www.iwostin.pl/) Recently they added hydrating eye cream to their skin care line so I went and got it! I was using Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex, but I`ve run out and it`s kinda pricy, so I decided why not try the 5 times cheaper but still great Iwostin eye cream? ;D I like it and feel it works well. 

OXY5 and OXY10 (benzoyl peroxide acne treatment)

I decide to try it after seeing Gossmakeupartist`s acne treatment advice video! (^0^*) It dries out skin soooooo bad! XD But it really works on acne! I only apply it at night, only on my trouble areas (jaw, hairline, etc), at first I used OXY5 because the stronger one cause irritation, but now I got used to it and I can use both. It does nothing after one use, but after using it regularly I see a big difference! If you have trouble with acne why not try this? I will repurchase and continue using it. :)

What is your winter skincare?? Share your beauty secrets with me, ok?
Kisses! :D

Haul from http://www.adambeauty.com/

Hello! I got my lovely order from http://www.adambeauty.com/ today, yaaay! Here's what I got.

The shipping options are either courier or standart sign on delivery shipping, which is a flat rate of 2$.  

I got: Blanchir Superior Cream Soap (125g), Blanchir Superior White Deep Clear Conditioner (special set with miniatures!), HADARABO whitening-moisturising face mask, JUJU AQUAMOIST Hyaluronic Acid Whitening & Moisture Milk, JUJU AQUAMOIST prime Q10 moisturising toner and B&C Makemania Curvy Lip Liquid lip gloss! :D I am already a fan of the Blanchir Superior line and I really recommend it for people who want moisturising but also whitening (removing blemishes faster) and anti-acne care, becasue I think it really works for acne! :D Then I got some more moisturising toners/lotions and sheet masks. And I really liked the red version of the lipgloss, so I got clear one too!! 

Moisturising toner with miniatures! Also ordered a full size face washing cream soap, which I loooove~ You can see it in the photo above, next to this set. I really like this product. And the whole series! If you have a chance, try it!

The lip gloss and Hadalabo sheet masks. :D

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Talking about the B&C Makemania lipgloss - I really like it! But I am really crazy about lip glosses. :D This one has hyaluronic acid, grape seed oil and other moisturizing, good for your lips ingriedients! :D The other one I had was see through red, this one is clear with pearl colored sparkles, keeps lips moisturised and looking like vinyl-shiny. I like it (and the red one) on it's own (feel moisturising) and over lipstick. 

doe foot aplicator

How shiny is it? :D

Sorry for the hiatus. :D What did you buy recently?

Feb/March Favorites and HELP JAPAN

Hello everybody! I hope you safe in your houses with your families... not all of us are so blessed...
I am still in shock after watching the NHK news and seeing the terrible tragedy that struck Japan! My thoughts are with the people in eastern Japan, where the tsunami was the worst. Please go to http://www.redcross.org/ and donate!!!
Just Hungry Blog: Other Ways to Help
Tokyo may be doing all right, but the situation in Tohoku region is tragic!! (T___T) So many people lost their homes, whole cities are wipes off the earth by tsunami waves... You can watch the latest (and not distorted by unprofessional foreign journalists) news here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-gtv (NHK live news)

poster from: http://blog.signalnoise.com/2011/03/11/help-japan/

(This is an amazing, moving poster btw!)

But, even though I feel so bad for Japan and my friends who are there, there is not much else I can from where I am now, than watch the news and send money. Lets hope the situation gets better for all the earthquake\tsunami victims soon! (I won`t pray, cause I`m not a religious person & I also advice you to, instead of praying, send some money!!!)

I decided to make a post today, so I can take my mind off the shocking news... Too much stress is bad! Please relax also! ...so, in this spirit, here are my february and march favorites:

1. The Body Shop - Body, room and linen scent (green tea and lemon)

The smell is really lovely~ Just a couple pushes and the whole place smells lovely! I also spray it inside my closet and before guests arrive - the smell is not too strong or fake, I really recommend it!! I also got the aroma oil from the same scent line. I smelled the other scents, but this one was the best IMO. Also, last time I went to Body Shop, it was sold out. Popular!

2. IWOSTIN point care anti-acne gel & after acne treatment moisturising cream. (links in english)

Iwostin is a polish brand, similar to Avene I`d say, only available in pharmacy. They also use thermal water from a local source and make specialized skin care cosmetics, also for delicate and troubled skin. I like the point gel so far, and the moisturising cream is really great! Moisturising and my skin absorbs it fast, but it is not fat! I will definitely get more cosmetics from this series!

3. Missha Oriental Herbs BB cream (also knows as Choboyan BB cream)

This is a repurchase and I really like this bb cream!!! I did a short review post on it a long time ago and it is one of the most popular entries on my blog! I will be definitely doing another review with color comparison photos and so on. :)

4. B&C Makemania lipgloss

I got it on sale from AdamBeauty (recommended!) and I really love it over red or pink lip colors or even on its own! Usually I am a glittery lipgloss fan, and this has no glitters or sparkles, just silicone-y "smooth" shine, but I like it a lot and apply it a couple time a day!

5. MAC lipstick in Morange (finish: amplified)

I saw it in JJ (or Vivi, I don`t remember), Matsumoto Ena said she uses it and since I had some MAC empty boxes around, I gathered them, took 6 and went to MAC to do the BACK2MAC program and got it for free! :D The color is suuuper intensive, I think it is best smudged out with a finger and definitely with gloss over it, the Makemania lipgloss works great! I do not feel too good in red lipstick, but this orange-red is much more wearable and such a happy, energetic spring color! I will be wearing it a lot this spring and summer! :D Also when I was getting it, the store makeup artist said he just got a "orange lipstick for photoshoot" request from a fashion magazine and send that color. Ena wears it, stylists want it, I got it, get it too! ;D

6. HadaNomi (肌飲み濃ミスト) Rich Collagen Mist (from SANA)

I got it from AdamBeauty too, just because I was curious and you know, I think "got to moisturise, got to moisturise!!!" all the time XD). I got it, and THEN I got home and went to read the cosme.net reviews on it! XD Some peopl wrote they use it as a lotion, after washing face and before applying milk and cream and makeup, so I tried that, I really like that way of using it! After washing my face with Kanebo Blanchir Suprior cream soap (which I also super duper love and I think it helped with my recent acne problems!!! :D), I spray a couple pumps of this mist on my face and neck and massage gently and pat it into my skin. Then I go on with my regular skincare and makeup routine and when I finish makeup, I spray one pump of this on my face. It is cheap, is non comatogenic (won`t block your pores) and smells nice, I will be using it a lot. Repurchase - I`m not sure yet. 

So, those are my favorites, I also loove love love KANEBO Blanchir Superior whitening skincare line, I am def. buying the big size Cream Soap, and hopefully sheet masks and lotion, but I`ll try to make a separate post about that. 

And to finish this post, a page from latest Vivi issue that I just can`t stop looking at, loooove trench coats!!! I got one from Bershka recently, but it is not perfect, I am still looking! Bye bye! And let`s donate to help Japan!!

Super cute spring style trench coats!! Want them all! XD

WELEDA skin care: Skin Food cream and IRIS moisturising cream

Some pics from my life recently:

went to karaoke and korean/japanese restaurant with friends, I love sashimi, so I had 회덮밥 (huetoppab) a.k.a. raw fish and vegetables (salad, cucumber, etc.) to which you add rice and hot sauce  and mix it all and eat it! Yumyum! This is my 회덮밥 before mixing it with rice and sauce :) If you want to get hungry google the korean name of the dish!

Random coffe around midnight, perfect time for a coffe, right?

In the ceter of Warsaw, I spotted a weird egg-shaped object. When you look inside it has some animated scenes and it seems to be sth about ecology and natural energy living. But people squatting and looking into the little holes in the egg look just really funny xD Like they are asking to get slapped on their behinds ;)

In cosme news, I repurchased the loved and hated WELEDA Skin Food cream (75ml). And while I was at it, I also got another WELEDA cream, Iris Moisturising cream (30ml).

I was surprised at the size of the Iris cream, because it was more expensive than the bigger Skin Food cream and I haven't read the auction description good enough, apparently. It was $14.25. The Skin food cream was $11.07. I got them from eBay and they arrived very fast (3 days) by airmail from UK. :)

What I like about the Skin Food cream is:
-all natural ingriedients, organic, never tested on animals, no parabens, etc.
-simple packaging
-I can use it to soften my hands and feet and elbows, but it also works great on face, I can put a really thick layer of this of this cream on my face at night and in the morning my face looks just healthy and nice

What I don't like:

- THE WEIRD SMELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It smells like citrus-y, kindof like grapefruits, but the smell is soooo so strong :X I can deal with it, because the cream works nice, but I really don't like it. At least it could be less harsh, more delacte, but no, it is real strong and pretty terrible D: oh well...

ingredients

"how to use"

The Moisturising Iris cream is a different story. First of all, I was surprised, because it was more expensive than I expencted. (my bad) The smell is not so opressive, but there is still a smell. The cream is more watery and not as thick, absorbs really fast and well, skin just drinks it all up in second! I used it under my makeup today in the morning, and my face is not oily nor sticky, it feels quite good and works well with makeup. I will be using it and we'll see if I repurchase.

about

ingredients

kinda small!! 30ml only! D:

Natural cosmetics, so tempting though....  Do you think about using natural cosmetics? Do you use Weleda myabe? Any opinions?

Skincare routine after IZOTEK (same as accutane) and red nail polish

Hello my wonderful blogosphere-friends! :)

As most of you know, I recently finished IZOTEK treatment for acne. IZOTEK is a medicine identic to Accutane, which helps acne and dries up skin and the whole body and is a rather hard and long treatment, but the results are really something. After my treatment, so far I have no acne. But my skin did go back to normal a bit - on Izotek it was so dry it drove me mad! Now it sometimes even gets a tiny bit oily on the tip of my nose :D (hahah, it actually makes me happy to have normal skin back again lol)

Anyway, I had to change my skincare routine a little bit and not it looks like this (that's most of the things I use):

I went back to using La Roche-Posay's EFFACLAR face wash/cleanser. It is good for oily AND sensitive skin ,contains no parabens and is great, makes a fine soft foam and even removes makeup (also waterproof eye makeup, amazing). And for daytime moisturizer, I switched to EFFACLAR M, moisturising and mattyfing cream, also from La Roche-Posay. And when I bought 2 LRP items I got thermal water as a free gift, yay! LRP is a pharmacy-brand, so look for it there. ^^* I really recommend this face wash!

I recently bought Cleanique claryfing lotion in #1 (the weakest one), but still I am not sure if I should use it.... I hope it doesn't dry my skin out too bad D:

After washing my face I use HadaLabo Gokujun toner and milk (recently I only use the milk at night). I mix the toner with a drop of pure 1% hyaluronic acid, I bought it in a "make your own cream" store. After toner and milk I use the EFFACLAR M moisturiser for day. And for night I don't care if I'm shiny, I use Missha cream or WELEDA Skin Food cream (love-hate relationship!!) or just plain simple baby cream, this one:

Simple really is best, I love to use creams like this for face, hands and feet and elbows, lips... etc. So gentle and nice and no parabens and no bad ingriedients. :) So somedays I just put this on my face after other skincare. :) Or just apply a thick layer as a mask before sleep - it never breaks me out nor does it make my skin moer shiny. Really, try baby creams! Cheap and good. :)

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 Other news, a better photo of my Cookie monster and Elmo brooches and bracelet! I bought it in this cute store called Bubu! :D

Also, I felt I needed a change in my life and to start this tiny-revolution, got a cherry red nail polish, Feel my Karma from OPI. I looooove this color! I also got Sally Hansen nail growth contitioneer, which works really great as a treatment/base/top coat for me! Try it, me and my sister have been using it for years, it keeps the color on my nails for days.

almost wine red! xD

Also got 2 new pairs of shoes and a trench coat from PROMOD. After a hard week, I had a "self love sunday", like the ones Hana suggestst. Relaxing, taking care of my body and soul and feel-good, really worth spending some time on yourself and straightening all things in your head.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! <3
Thank you for reading! :D

Ichibankao skincare haul ^^*

I reened to buy refils for my skincare routine, so I ordered from Ichibankao! The products I ordered re not on their website, but they are easily available in every japanese drugstore, so I asked them for a quote, they replied and I ordered my stuff! :D Their service is really great! And since I was already ordering from another continent I decided to get a tiny bit of color cosmetics too.

I got Hadalabo Gokujun series milk, toner, sheet masks (not in this photo) and face wash!

And the extra cosmetics are Kanebo KATE Gradical Eyes palette in GD-1 and a new product from Canmake, called Shimagelic Eyes (lol) in 02 sugar milk tea. It`s basically a gel glittery eyeshadow/eyeshadow base. The color of the container is the color you get (it said so on the container).

I already have the KATE palette in BR-1 and I looooove it, it`s so long lasting, the color payoff is great and they are shimmery and just look great, and for the great price you get a shimmery cream base and 4 eyeshadow colors! :D But, if I understand corectly, recently the line was remodeled and the eyeshadows are a bit different, this GD-1 palette is definitely different than my BR-1 and I don`t know if it`s because it`s a different color or if it`s because of the line renewal. One big diference is the text on the box and the cream base is not as shimmery. Still nice though! I want all of the colors from this (*_*)

It looks shimmery and pretty on eyelids! I like shimmery and glittery stuff, so for me this is subtle... ;) It has multicolored smal glitter pieces and the cream is light warm beige, well, like sugar milk tea indeed, with a lot of milk! It says it`s waterproof, I apply it and blend it in with my finger and apply some eyeshadows on top (beige/brown nudy ones mostly). It lasts all day. :D

The palette is nice, really golden/yellow, especially the golden eyeshadow. The white and the browns are regular and pretty, warm and not too strong.

Those are the shadows only, without the cream base. Really pretty colors! :D Pigmented too. And shimmery. :) It`s recommended. I think i would recommend BR-1 more than this, but if you like yellon/golden shades more than rather nudy natural lovely browns, then go for GD-1! :)

I have to work saturday this week, so that`s all for now and I hope you all have a great weekend!

review: Missha Misa 美思 Choboyan deep relaxing ginseng cream

My cream arrived and here are some photos of it! 

The packaging and the extra present are genius, I can`t force myself to throw out the box... xD

Here`s everything that comes with the cream, Choboyan toner with gold and lotion, and serum, on the far right. I am currently using all of those along with my Hadalabo lotion and toner and hialuronic acid and my skin is soooo happy! I have to warn you though - this is NOT a cream for anyone with even a tiny bit oily skin - this is for people with very dry, tired skin. If you feel like your skin is being pulled even when you moisturise it well and your skin never gets oily or shiny, you should try this. Maybe people with normal skin could try this at night. It`s supposed to do "practically everything", like most Missha products, but I think of it as the relaxing, nourishing (sooo many patented ingredients and herbs in it!) and deeply moisturising cream. I love it!

There is also a little thing for scooping the cream.

The packaging is sooo pretty and looking cute and gorgeous! <3333

There are golden pieces in the cream.

The cream is very very thick and hard, definitely not watery, like wax. It is easy to apply after warming with fingertips though, goes on smooth, like lip butter. It seems a bit shiny, hmmmm... maybe has a little bit of oil like shine, when you apply it, so I was worried whether I can use it in the morning, but I have really dry skin and when I put makeup on, the shine doesn`t even show, my skin just looks really healthy and natural. Not super matte and dry, just dewy and happy :D

And this is what the toner looks like - it really has golden pieces inside and it smells like herbs (but I like it). I really like this whole series! Ahh, too bad it`s so hard to get! The american Missha website doesn`t carry this line (why??) and it`s not available on eBay neither. Poop! Lucky me to have good friends in Korea :o I want to continue buying Missha, their korean website should ship worldwide!Missha ILU, but become more availlable!

I also got some extras, including the new Missha Real Complete bb cream, that cl2425 did a review of! It really is very watery and very pink, I thought it would be more sheer, but it actually gave a nice medium coverage and looked good on skin. But I am rather happy with my Missha Oriental Herbs bb cream, so I will be skipping Real Complete bb cream. BTW, their bb cream names are ridiculous. xD What will the next one be called? Super Honestly This One Is Perfect bb cream?? xDD I need to try out the other samples yet!

I also bought some great INGLOT nail polish, but I will make a separate entry for that! :D