Avon shopping haul

This is a story about changing the perspective, or better said, perception of a brand. Until recently I always thought of Avon as a brand for older ladies who prefer to buy make-up and cosmetics out of the comfort of their own home. But then I stumbled upon their leave-in conditioner a couple of years back when I went on vacation without any and borrowed it from a friend. And guess what? I absolutely loved it! And a couple of weeks later I learned another piece of information – my mother-in-law is actually an “Avon lady”.

And yes, I started using a number of hair and body products from Avon but remained hesitant when it came to make-up. But again – I dove right in and this is the mini Avon haul from last week.

First up, I picked up a scented body spritz called Vibrant (orchid and blueberry). It has a very distinctive smell of alcohol when you first apply it but turns into a nice flowery smell afterwards. Being a body mist, it doesn’t last that long, so make sure you apply it right before you want to be smelling good. I found it especially refreshing during the last few warmer days when I needed to freshen up.

The story is similar with the Sparkly Citrus Eau de toilette. It has a verystrong citrusy smell in the beginning but it fades out quickly – on my skin, it only lasts about 2-3 hours. It would be a nice purse bottle if it only came with a cap. But it doesn’t so it’s impossible to carry around. This is also a negative from the aesthetical point of view – it doesn’t look very nice next to my other perfume bottles, so I will not be making a repeat purchase. I will be trying the Parisian Chic Eau de Perfume though, because the tester they sent me smells absolutely beautiful – it’s more of a flowery smell (to me, it smells like raspberries and roses), but I still think this could be my fall/winter smell for when I’m feeling a bit down. Do you have a pick-me-up scent?

Office must-have products

There are not many things I need in my office to keep me happy throughout the day. Actually, there are just 6 staples that are always, always somewhere around when I need them.

1) A glass of water in a cute mug because I forget to drink when I’m busy and therefore need a constant reminder.

2) A handcream – currently the Yummy coconut hand cream which I just ordered from Click2chic. It has a beautiful summery smell to it and although it takes some time to absorb I really feel like it’s doing the work.
3) Guarana Natural energy vials by Medex – these give me a kick when I’m feeling under the weather/have not slept enough/am burnt out. These vials are just a natural burst of energy and very convenient to use as well. Otherwise, Medex is one of my favorite Slovenian brands of all times – they have so many great natural products in different categories, which include many cosmetic products.
4) Tissues. Any tissues will do, but I prefer Kleenex because I find them the softest.
5) Antibacterial gel because let’s be honest – our office space isn’t exactly the most hygienic around. The keyboard, computer mouse and telephone themselves carry so many nasties that I find it absolutely imperative to use this gel several times a day. Right now, I’m using the Bath & Bodyworks gel in vanilla – berry sorbet, but normally I have the *24 gel which is easily available in Slovenia.
6) A lipbalm. I am in love with my eos lipbalms. They are so easy to carry around since they won’t open and get any filth in them. The flavors are fantastic and they really keep my otherwise very chapped lips under hydrated.

Which are your beauty products in your office/workspace/study?

Until next time, stay beautiful, stay awesome!

July Favorites

The first real month of blogging went by in a flash. So it’s now time for my first favorites. This month, they are mostly connected to the the recent shopping activities.


First favorite definitely has to be the Bath & Bodyworks cande in mango coconut scent. I’ve really been looking for a candle that would have a summery scent and would make my evening routine even more pleasurable. This candle does all that and more, but is of course not available over here so I’ll soon be on the search for a new one. Until recently I was a real fan of Yankee Candles, but when comparing those to this particular candle they fail in comparison – this candle really gives away so much scent it’s ridiculous.

Next favorite has to be the Neutrogena naturals purifying pore scrub. This was an impulse buy because I just placed my Olay ProX into the basket and felt I needed to get something to use it with. I love the smell of it, the pilling is not too intense and it washes off easily compared to some other cleaning/pealing scrubs.


The third favorite of July is my Tarte Maracuja Brazilliance Self Tanner. A long name for a great product. This bronzer doesn’t take too much effort – I used it several times now and only did a scrub once before. No matter, it won’t stick to your elbows or knees. It contains maracuja oil which leaves the skin feeling incredibly soft and well moisturized well into the next day, but at the same time it only takes 10 minutes for it to absorbe into the skin – then you’re good to go!

Application with the enclosed glove is super easy, because the product itself is pigmented to show where you’ve already applied it. This pigmentation of the cream also gives you an instant “tan” which is great if you’re just about to slip into your shorts and go out for the day. It has absolutely no smell which I know many of us connect to the bronzers we can stock up in our drugstores. View Post

(Low) Maintenance Beauty Massive Haul – part 1 (face & body care, perfumes)

This post could have also been addressed – I flew, I bought, I conquered. And I am sorry that I’ve been gone this long, but workload before holidays was insane and I barely had the chance to pull it off before we flew to US.


Obviously, shopping wasn’t the sole purpose of the trip, but in the end me and my hubby bought way more stuff than we even thought possible. We flew to San Francisco with 28 lb of luggage between us (2 suitcases) and flew back with 148 lb + all the stuff that we packed in our carry-on bags. So yes, quite insane.


But the thing here is that you guys that live in the States probably have no idea how lucky you all are. The clothes from the brands we like (Banana Republic, GAP, Levi’s, VS, Abercrombie etc.) were so inexpensive that we bought enough clothes to last us at least a year. How lucky you are that you probably all live across the street from Bath & Bodyworks. I spent 2 hours in there and my only though now when I’m trying all the products out is that I should have bought another suitcase. And make-up…yes… but this is the story that we’ll get into a bit more in-depth.


I bought both drugstore and high-end make-up. Some I got because it was so ridiculously cheap compared to prices here in Slovenia (I will try to compare prices where I can). And some I bought because I wanted to try all the new, pretty, shiny brands that were attacking me from every corner. I will try to go over the purchases in the same order I would use them. So without further ado, here is THE haul.


FACE


I must say, that I am a bit skeptical about all these gadgets that supposedly make your face feel like newborns. So I didn’t go for the Clairsonic but instead opted for the less expensive version – the Olay Pro X. So far I must admit that I’m very impressed so this might just be a step towards actually getting the Clairsonic. But I can tell that I’m breaking out less and that’s what’s most important.


ProX also came with a pore scrub of some kind which I haven’t tried out yet. I also purchased a Neutrogena purifying pore scrub. First impression – not too crazy about it. It seems kind of difficult to wash off. But it’s early days still.


ProX cost about $30 , I’m not sure if you can get it in Slovenia. I did try to look for the Neutrogena scrub and couldn’t find it in my local drugstore.




Next up was Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel. This was a Sephora purchase and since it was so inexpensive, I actually bought 3 instead of just 1.


Just to give you an idea – this puppy cost $26 in Sephora. In Slovenia, I would have paid $64 for the same amount. So basically, I could say that I almost bough 3 for the price of one.

BTW, I don’t know why the prices of Clinique in Slovenia are so sky high. I must look into that. View Post