Empties (July 2013)

I already have a second Empties post for you all! (check out the first one!) I'm just really enjoying using up stuff and replacing it with new products :)

• I'll start at the top: The little blue bits in the left hand corner are the remains of my favorite solid shampoo from Lush, Seanik. I figured that if I wait until it's completely gone I can't show you anymore... I like this so much that I already bought a new one (probably for the third or forth time by now).
• A jar of Virgin Organic Coconut Oil from Fushi, which I ordered from Feelunique. I use this for a lot of different things but particularly to take off my make up at night.
• Rituals Himalaya Wisdom body scrub, but only a sample package. I have a whole gift set of this line but the scrub is the first thing I used up because it only had enough for 3 or 4 uses. I'm thinking about buying the full size, mostly because I love the scent (it smells like a spa in my own bathroom), but first I'm going to use up scrubs I already have at home.
• A deodorant from Dove, very exciting! ;) Off course, I bought a new one already.
• A sample sized Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, which I got for free when purchasing other Kiehls products. I kept this on my bed side table and applied it before going to bed. It's very rich but not greasy, which I like. I'm not sure if I will purchase it myself, maybe in winter when my hands get dry again?
• A tube of Nutribronze from L'Oréal, a body moisturizer with a little bit of self tanner. I use this on my legs to give them a hint of color because I have very fair skin. I have a second tube at home at the moment.
• A lip balm with Cocoa Butter from The Body Shop. I also kept this next to my bed to apply before going to bed. I liked it but I'm using another lip balm at the moment and it does the job too...
• And last but not least... Ultra Facial Cleanser, also from Kiehl's. This is also a sample size and in fact the second one I used up. It is a good standard cleanser for sensitive (or just normal) skin, plus it can be used on the eyes as well! Just like with some of the previous products I'm trying another cleanser at the moment but I may buy a full size in the future...

That's it! 

More stuff to throw away and replace ;)

Deauty Box July 2013

I have yet another Deauty box post for you all! I know it hasn't been long since I wrote about the previous Deauty Box but I wanted to put this up tonight as you can still order it.* 

That being said, I'm also pretty exited about this month's edition! Deauty did their first themed box and they choose to do a "Respect box". You may have noticed a difference in the packaging (to compare: the "normal" may and june boxes) but the content is also different! All the products are either natural, fair trade or good for the environment.

• An eyeliner by Avril, made from all natural ingredients. 
• A mini nail polish, also by Avril. I'm not crazy about the color but it doesn't contain any harmful chemicals, not bad if you ask me!
• Savon Noir (black soap) from Alepia. This soap is especially good for opening and cleansing pores and can be used for face and body.
• In the little green bag are a hair mask and leave in conditioner with shea butter from René Furterer.
• The last product is a mini Shea Body Scrub from The Body Shop.

I love that Deauty decided to do themed boxes! This one has a lot of products and brands that I normally wouldn't buy or know about but now I get to try them. I'm curious to see what they come up with next!

If you are interested in this box and live in Belgium, you can still order until tomorrow night (21st July).*


* UPDATE: you can't order this box anymore, but you can still subscribe for the following months!

Recipe: Sweet Potato Wedges

I made these sweet potato wedges a few times already and they were a success every time! Sweet potatoes are known to be a very healthy vegetable so why not add them to your diet? They have the same amount of carbohydrates as normal potatoes but more other nutritional benefits. I did some research and found that they contain a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals. 

Let's get to the recipe!

1. Take the desired amount of sweet potato (I used half of a big potato for one generous serving)
2. I like to leave the skin on because it gets very crispy and most of the nutrients are just under the skin. If you choose to leave it on like me, you have to give the potato a good scrub and rinse to take off all the dirt. You can also peel it if you want ;)
3. Cut the potato into wedges (or something that looks like it, I'm not very precise). Just make sure the pieces are roughly the same size!
4. Season the wedges: I used a tablespoon of paprika, half a tablespoon of cajun spice and a sprinkle of salt. You can use any seasoning you like!
5. Drizzle with some olive oil. I don't measure this but I think it's about 1 tablespoon.
6. Mix the wedges, seasoning and oil until every piece is coated evenly.
7. Put them on a lined baking sheet, in one single layer, and bake at 200°C for 20-30 minutes. Flip them half way. 
8. Check if they are cooked (soft all the way through) and dig in!

Summer Fashion Haul (July 2013)

I went shopping a few times since my exams ended and I want to show you the results (aka damage?). Some of the items were on sale, which is always a good thing ;)

Black skirt (America Today - €10) - Striped T-shirt (C&A - €3,95) - Pink maxi dress (C&A - €14,90) - Neon shorts (America Today - €34,95) - Green bralette (Gilly Hicks at Hollister - €13,99) - Nike tight fit workout capris (Decathlon - €39,95 ) - Floral skirt (America Today - €15)

I love how a few new pieces make my closet feel up to date and ready for summer! <3

Organizing 101: My beauty drawer + Top 3 tips

Something I wanted to do for weeks is organizing my beauty "stuff". I accumulated a lot of products, especially sample sizes, over the last few months. I was storing them in a small drawer, originally divided between full size products and samples but there was just too much stuff in it. On top of that I had perfume samples on another cabinet and some Deauty boxes (may and june) I still hadn't unpacked. Obviously, I lost track of what I already had and where it was.

Before (almost too embarrassing to share!)

I started by emptying the bigger drawer I wanted to use and divided the products into categories (hair, skin, body wash, etc.). Fast forward to the result:

After :)

This was long overdue but I'm very happy I finally did it! It's like a small drugstore in my own room! I'm not using these products (regularly) at the moment but when I run out of something I will have something new on hand and be able to find it ;)
Can you spot the empty Deauty boxes I used for storage? They look so neat!

I'm in no way an organization expert but here are my top 3 tips:

1. Collect storage boxes of all shapes and sizes you already have at home (mine are mostly from Ikea and empty Deauty boxes). This allows you to try and fit the right combination in the space you want to organize. 
2. Keep cleaning supplies on hand. That way the newly organized spaces are clean as well.
3. Decide which things you want to keep, throw away (keep a trash can on hand) and give to someone else. Make sure you get rid of these last two as fast as possible!

I've been tackling some other cluttered spaces in the house, let me know if you're interested in more blog posts about that! I know it motivates me when I read about other people's organization...

Deauty Box June 2013

I know it's a bit late but I want to share my June Deauty box with you! (Deauty is a Belgian beauty subscription service)

From left to right, first to third row:

• Absolute NUDE eyeshadow palette from Catrice. I like it when my box has make up products but I was a little disappointed to be honest. Catrice is a relatively cheap drugstore brand that's very easily accessible here. My sister even has the exact same palette.
• The most interesting product this time is from Etat Pur. Not every box has the same product but mine is a serum for skin that tans difficultly (product A83). It contains tyrosine, an amino acid extracted from soybeans. I can't wait to try it and I hope it does what it promises!
• Revitalizing Supreme moisturizing cream from Estee Lauder. It is an anti-aging cream but the explanation says it can work for everyone so I think I'm going to try it.
• This box smelled very good when I opened it, courtesy of a natural soap from Lamazuna. It's a traditional soap from Syria with olive oil and roses.
• Even more make up, also from Catrice! A matte lipstick in "It's a Matte world", which is a bright coral-red color.
• The last product is a travel sized shave cream for men from Eucerin, which I gave to my boyfriend ;)

If you want to know what was in my May box, click here.

Manicure Monday: Bond with whomever

Essie - Bond with whomever (2 coats, natural light)

I'm totally in love with this pastel lilac color! It's not too pale but not too bright either and it doesn't make my hands look dead. I feel like it's different from your usual reds and pinks but still goes with almost anything.

It's yet again an Essie polish from the spring 2013 line. I don't know if you can still get it but I would definitely recommend checking it out!

You know how much I love Essie polishes so I'm not going to talk about the formula any more ;)

Drugstore Haul (July 2013)

A few new goodies I picked up from the drugstore recently :)

I accumulated some new beauty stuff over the last couple of weeks, so it's time for a drugstore haul! 

I bought: 

• Nail files
• A Burt's Bees lip balm
• A clarifying face mask by Formula 10.0.6. Hopefully it works better than the last one I tried.
• A BB cream from Rimmel. Maybe I'll have more luck than with the Garnier one?
• Deodorant, a regular sized one and a mini for my handbag 
• Dry shampoo from Batiste. I've written a lot about my love for dry shampoo (here, here and here), but never used Batiste before, so I'm curious!
• The most exciting part: two Maybelline Super Stay 14h Lipsticks! They were on sale so my sister and I picked the two colors we liked the most.

430 Stay with me coral - 110 Neverending pink

First impressions: Garnier Ambre Solaire BB Cream

I received this BB cream in my May Deauty Box about a month ago and I promised to keep you updated. Without further ado: my first impressions of this product...

If you read the post linked above you may remember that I actually never used a BB Cream before! One of the reasons being that I love my foundations. I prefer a medium to high coverage because I have a lot of little imperfections and pigmentation.
My mom and sister on the other hand are big fans of tinted moisturizers and BB creams. So after receiving one in the mail I had to try it!

Excuse the bad photos but I had to add some, I hope I get better at this ;)

First thing I noticed is that the cream is very dark and orange for my fair skin (as you can see in the photos above). However, I have this problem all the time, especially with products that come in a limited number of shades...


About the formula: it promises five results

• UVA-UVB protection (SPF 30)
• Illuminates and evens skin tone
• Hydrates skin
• Protects against sun-induced skin damage
• Anti-dark spots

It does have a high SPF, which is always a good thing! However, I think promises 4 and 5 are only a result of this, which makes only three main results in my opinion!

I did not really notice the illumination and evening part of the claims. I thought it made my blemishes even more noticeable. Maybe because the product was just to dark for me? If it had been the right color I would have applied a second layer and maybe my skin would have been more even.

To me it did not feel very hydrating. In fact, I thought it just felt and looked a bit oily. I have combination skin that tends to get a oilier in summer so if you have dry skin you might like this part better.

Overall, it just didn't work for me because of the color. In addition to that I'm not 100% in love with the formula. The result: I'm giving it to my mom, she has a darker complexion and drier skin.

Would I recommend it to you? This is a difficult one but I believe some people would like it. If you are looking for a light coverage BB cream with a high SPF, have dry to dry combination skin and a normal to dark complexion you might like it more than I do ;)