August Wishlist 2017

august wishlist

It’s been a long time since I last shared my wishlist with you. Today, I was browsing through my PR mail and decided to write a post like this every single month – as a reminder for myself not to buy products on a whim, but also to assist you in making better purchase decisions for yourself.

august wishlist Essence Cubanita

This month, my wishlist is overflowing with skincare, so let’s start with make-up items as there are only a few of those. First on my list is the Essence Cubanita highlighter in the shade Mi corazon. I’ve hit major pan on my The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer and I think that this will be the perfect replacement for everyday makeup. I admit that I don’t get very excited for Essence summer collections (they seem a bit too childish for my taste), but I’m willing to make an exception for this gorgeous highlighter.

august wishlist Balm Contour palette

The other make-up item on my wishlist is The Balm Highlite n’ Con Tour palette (love the name!). It’s been a year since I added the last contouring palette to my collection (Kat Von D Shade&Light Contour Palette – review *here*) and I believe the time is ripe for a new one. I really like The Balm since they dare to do things differently and always surprise me with their packagings while retaining the quality.

august wishlist L'Occitane shower gel

Summer is the time to pamper my skin, so here are the skincare items I’ll be purchasing this month. Let’s start with the L’Occitane Citrus Invigorating shower gel. I love refreshing scents in the summer to wake me up and fill me with energy. I’m well acquainted with the Citrus line and I’m yet to meet a product I don’t like. I assume this shower gel won’t disappoint.

august wishlist Caudalie

Next up on the list is a moisturizing mask for my face that’s constantly a bit dry from abundance of SPF products and air-con in my car and at work. I’ve got my eyes on the Caudalie Cream Mask for intense hydration with grape-seed oil. I’ve also had many good experience with Caudalie products. Not only are the formulas great, they also get extra points for looking wonderful in my bathroom.

august wishlist Clinique take the day off balm

I’ve been using the Pixi & Caroline Hirons Double Cleanse for a month now and I must say it’s working great, but I’ve also heard great things about the Clinique Take The Day Off Balm. The concept is quite similar – the cleanser needs to be massaged into the skin to gradually remove make-up without any tugging or pulling. I use this time to give myself a short face massage, then use a muslin cloth with lukewarm watter to take it all off. I find this concept of make-up removing much more pleasant and effective then using cleansing cloths or micellar water.

august wishlist Nuxe

I already wrote a few posts about the Nuxe Oil, but it’s been a repeat purchase for quite some time now as I’m slowly getting to the bottom of my third bottle. I use it all over my body and occasionally apply it to hair as well. I like its scent even though I’m usually not the biggest fan of perfumed body products. Nuxe says they’ve improved on the formula so I’m looking forward to testing it out.

august wishlist BiodermaI won’t repeat myself about the importance of sun protection throughout the year – I’m sure I’ve mentioned it at least ten times this year alone. I’ll be using Bioderma Photoderm Spot 50+ SPF cream to protect my face in August. My skin is extra sensitive because of all the acids I’ve been using in my skincare, so I’m really intrigued by the promise that this cream protects against hyperpigmentation. I’ve tried several Bioderma products for my body, so I’m curious as to how I’ll like this one.

This is my August wishlist – I think it’s neither too short, nor too long. Is there something that impressed you recently and that should be on here? Let me know in the comments and, as always, stay beautiful until next time!

My love affair with the summer

I really, really love two months in a year. December, since it means spending time with family, joyful experiences and good food, and May, because it brings the beginning of the summer. This year, I had to wait a bit longer for that, but now summer is really here and I couldn’t be happier.

Here are ten things that make me happy in the summer, in no particular order.

~ Long days. I am miserable during the months when I get to the office in half-darkness and leave when it’s pitch dark. I feel like a vampire and it drains all my energy. I love it when the days get longer and I can enjoy the sun for hours and hours after I get home from work.

~ The taste of great ice cream. I am super picky when it comes to ice cream and I often ask for a tiny sample before ordering my two scoops. I would say that about 8 times out of 10, it doesn’t cut it. I am quite partial to Zvezda and Lolita ice creams in Ljubljana but won’t say no to Carte D’Or, Haagen Dazs and Ben&Jerry.

~ My birthday. I am a summer baby and I always get the day off since I celebrate on the day that Slovenia won its independence. Special bonus: I can celebrate the day before with my friends and nobody has to go to work with a hangover 🙂

~ Wide selection of fruit for pennies. Tangerines, watermelon, strawberries and cherries. I can live off fruit for most days in the summer. I had to make some cutbacks this year because I have to think about baby M as well, but I still manage to get my fair share of the tasty fresh goodness.

~ Beach hair. Gone are the days of hair straightners and blowouts. Nine times out of ten, I will let my hair air dry which produces various kinds of curls. I just put in a bit of mousse to give them some texture and I’m good to go.

~ Good vibes. Have you notices how everybody gets a little less cranky and a bit more adventurous in the summer? It takes one to know one, so I see it all around me.

~ Summer baby clothes. This is a new obsession, obviously, but I don’t think the little tops and cute shorts could get any cuter. Baby M has a wardrobe that is fit for Nice or Cannes. And I just Can’t. Stop. Spending. Thank goodness he’s growing so fast 😉

~ A quick shower after getting out of the sea. I love swimming but hate the feeling of being salty afterwards. The combination of a good water workout and a brisk shower leaves me feeling awesome.

~ Natural make-up and playing with the colors. Everything goes in the summer, right? With a bit of strobing I can go for a natural, healthy looking skin or I can pull out a colorful palette and play around with it.

~ Creating memories. As far back as I can remember, most of the best moments of my life have been tied to summer. So I am writing this from the seaside, enjoying special moments that will become tomorrow’s precious memories.

I would love it if you share what’s special for you in the summer time. <3

Until next time, stay beautiful.

Essence trend edition SUMMER FUN

For some reason, I get the most excited about the summer and Christmas special edition make-up. I find that I’m much more willing to experiment in the summer – more color, more shimmer, more everything!

This is why I’m on my toes waiting for the Essence The Beach house collection (*click* to find out more about it) to finally hit the stores, and while waiting for that one, I’m already looking forward to the new line called Summer fun. Essence says it includes bright colors, exciting cooling textures and must-haves for hair.

I’m always most drawn to the nail polishes. This edition includes four of them, all with a wet look effect. I wonder how pigmented these will be, especially white and pink polish, but to tell the truth I’m most excited about the turquoise polish named “Meet me at the pool”. These will retail for 1,79€.

A make-up product I’ve never seen before is a cooling eyeshadow. The concept intrigues me! I also wonder if they apply with a wand or a rollerball. These will retail for 1,99 €. View Post

Knowledge is power (a.k.a. all about SPF)

The topic about sun protection is close to my heart since I inherited a skin with many birthmarks that I always need to keep an eye out for. I also didn’t pay much attention to my skin in my early 20’s and I’m trying to be better about it now.

Before we start looking at different products that can help you with keeping your skin safe, let’s start with some basics. Sunscreen helps prevent the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to penetrate the skin. UVA and UVB rays (which sunscreens protect from) cause wrinkling and sagging of the skin and are one of the primary culprits for skin cancer. So, in short, it’s not a joke. View Post

What’s in my beach bag?

Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, I’m either on my way to my well-deserved vacation or possibly already lying in the sun. Either way, I needed to do some packing and I thought I’d bring you along for the ride.



This is most likely just a part of everything I will be hauling to the beach every day (and by that, I’m sure you can tell I really mean that my hubby will be the one at risk of a spinal injury). I will add tons of books, magazines, some temporary tattoos, fruit and water, phone, tablet and other bits and bobs I pick up along the way. But in the beauty sense, these are the main things that absolutely need to come with me.

My bag was a freebie from Max Mara Weekend a couple of years ago and I love it. It’s a lovely boho-chic bag that doesn’t look too fancy and I don’t really care if it would get dirty (or worse, stolen). I can easily pack it away in the suitcase since it’s very soft.



Inside the tote, I always keep a smaller bag – this one is another freebie from Decleor and I really like it since it can be pulled out and sealed (see the pink part), but when tucked in, it can also act as a large wallet & phone holder when you want to go get a drink at a cafe whilst at the beach.



Of course, SPF is the bare essential when going to the beach. I normally keep two large bottles at hand. First one is for the first days when I’m still pale as a ghost – it’s the Nivea Sun Kids Pure&Sensitive lotion with SPF 50. The other one comes in handy when I get a bit of tan and I don’t risk getting sunburned as much anymore – that’s the Garnier Ambre Solaire with SPF 15.

Naturally, we mustn’t forget about the face. I got this Decleor Aroma Sun Expert with SPF 30 this year and I’m hoping it will do its job well. View Post