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!

Manicure Monday: My first Essie experience + Essie Off the shoulder

Essie - Off the shoulder

At the end of last month I bought my first Essie nail polish ever! I had been wanting to try the popular American brand for a long time but it was only available in Belgium at very few salons... Until about two months ago, when selected Kruidvat* stores started carrying the brand! Can you imagine my excitement? :p 

I went to one of the selected shops that carries the brand with my sister, just to get my hands on some much anticipated Essie polish! When I spotted the Essie display I was overwhelmed by the beautiful colours and at first I couldn't decide which one to get, but I went for one of the polishes from their Summer Collection. I chose the hot pink one, called Off the shoulder because I didn't have anything like this in my collection yet.

When I first applied the polish I was really impressed by the quality! I really like the broad brush, it makes the polish very easy to apply. The pigmentation is outstanding: you could get away with only one thin coat, however I like to always apply two for a more even look. The polish dries very quickly which made painting my nails not as time-consuming as it usually is. I was happy with the durability of my manicure (it lasted about four days), especially because I didn't apply a top coat which I normally do. 

The only downside I could find is that the polish has a very strong smell in comparison with other nail polish brands I've used. I noticed this when I opened the bottle for the first time but while painting my nails I wasn't bothered by it.

Last but not least, I LOVE the colour! It is the perfect summer hot pink in my opinion. It is very in your face so it may not be for everyone but if your on the hunt for a bright summer pink I advise you to have a look at this one. When I first used it I couldn't stop looking at my nails and for the first time ever I immediately repainted my nails in the same colour :)

For some reason the photo above doesn't do the striking pink shade justice, in person the colour is brighter and a bit darker**. I liked the picture on my laptop but when I uploaded it, it just wasn't the same colour. I advise you to take a look at the polish in stores if you're thinking about buying it!

In short:

+ broad brush for easy application

+ pigmentation: 1-2 coats

+ fast drying

+ durability

+ LOVE THE COLOUR

- strong nail polish smell

XOXO Jorien

* Kruidvat is a chain of drugstores in Belgium and The Netherlands
** I found that if you click on the photo to see it in full size, it gives you a better representation of the colour ;)