Chanel Joues Contraste Power Blush Review

Pros:

Nice packaging and nuances.

Cons:

You can‘t use the brush that‘s part of  the packaging – it‘s pretty useless.

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I really like my Chanel rouge – the packing is sleek which is always a plus. But most importantly – they have some very nice nuances, which I haven‘t seen other brands have. The minuses are a few too though: 1. You have to re-apply this rouge several times a day since it doesn‘t really stay on for too long. 2. The brush is rubbish – so you have to get a new brush and carry it around with you – considering the price of the rouge this feels pretty annoying. The thing with the bad brush seems to be more of a rule for rouges then exception, but still I really don‘t think its too much to ask to get proper tools when you buy make-up this expensive.

Overall: 

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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Kiehl’s Nourishing Olive Fruit Oil Shampoo Review

 

Pros:

You can recycle the bottle at your local Kiehl‘s counter and get samples in exchange for it.

Cons:

No shine or hydration – as was promised.

More:

So usually I shop my Kiehl‘s products in the US, since the tax difference makes them pretty overprices in Europe but ok reasonable in the US. But this one I got in Europe, desperate for a new shampoo for my dry hair. I think its true for most of us that our body in general needs more up-keeping in the beauty department during cold winter months: dry skin, dry hair…so I spend most of my annual beauty budget October – February – sheet masks, hair masks, fat body lotions and lip moisturisers – you name it.

This shampoo was bought in a bid to make my hair more hydrated and shiny – because no matter what I do – it always looks pretty dry and lifeless in these months. And since this shampoo promises exactly that (hydration and shine) and contains the right ingredients for it (avocado oil and olive fruit oil) – I awaited success. What did I get? Actually I noticed no real difference after I started to use this shampoo. Not at all. You might say maybe – you are not using the other magic ingredients needed for hair success (hair mask, regular hair cuts, hair oil, conditioner made for your hair type) – and the answer is YES I DO. I use all of the above and a bit more (leave-in conditioner, extra spray on oil for very dehydrated day, a varied diet). So my conclusion for this shampoo is – its pretty useless and I don‘t recommend it to any of you.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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The Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask

Pros:

Good price.

Cons:

Doesn‘t have as much effect as I would wish for.

More:

I guess this is some kind of budget version of Kiehl‘s cilantro mask (read my review here) – promising to get rid of dirt from pollution and leave you with clearer skin. The cilantro mask has en extra plus: it‘s overnight and thus gives you skin loads of hydration. This matcha mask doesn‘t give your skin any hydration – it makes your skin tingle, and after your skin does indeed feel very clean. It doesn‘t really get rid of any impurities like blackheads. After use my skin feels very “clean and clear”. I think it‘s a good budget options, but I‘m not going to repurchase this mask again. It has a clay like consistency but does not leave my skin as clear as I would wish for.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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Dior Dreamskin – 1-minute Mask Review

Pros:

A quick fix – you only have to keep it on your skin for a few minutes (one minute not enough)!

Cons:

Your skin looks radiant but this is no miracle mask in any way.

More:

I‘m a huge fan of the DreamSkin corrector – which has helped me out with some great glow on many bad days – so wanted to see if this mask is just as efficient as the skin corrector. Turns out it‘s not. It‘s very easy to use – not sticky, easy to apply, nice light texture. I use mine several times a week because its very light. The result? Brighter skin and a nice glow, but nothing fantastic or long-lasting. I will not repurchase this mask again – but just got another bottle of their DreamSkin corrector and my skin is glowy all all day long.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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The Body Shop Nicaraguan Coffee Intense Awakening Mask Review

Pros:

Gives my skin a good energy boost in the morning.

Cons:

Don‘t see any impurities cleaned or my skin does‘t really look more refined after use.

More:

I had pretty hight expectations on this mask – the idea of having coffee on your skin sure should make you wake up quick – and I‘ve actually been using this mask on weekday mornings when I felt my skin really needed that extra push. My verdict: the mask is a bit sticky, but easy to remove. The smell is ok – but not super energising or boosting. My skin feels good after use but that is it. Body Shop promises A LOT with this mask – that it helps reduce the signs of fatigue so skin feels awakened, cleared of impurities and looks more radiant and pores look refined. This is all true but the effect is pretty bleak – but for this price I‘m still satisfied – even though I‘m most probably not going to re-purchase this mask again.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Mask Review

Pros:

Instant hydration.

Cons:

Expensive (at least if bought in Europe compared to the US)

More:

I think Kiehl’s is a brand with very uneven quality – I love their hair mask and coriander face mask. But their hand cream feels like a pharmacy balm which won‘t get absorbed, and their vitamin C serum – which I spent a fortune on – did absolutely nothing for me. But sometimes they really get it right – just like they did with this face mask – which I discovered at random. It feels like a regular face cream when you apply it – so not too thick. It gets absorbed very quickly – and it you see an instant result. Next day my skin looks extremely smooth, plumb and hydrated. Some overnight masks can be very rich causing sensitive skin like mine to break out – but this mask can be used several nights a week without any break-outs or feeling that you “overfeed” your skin with too much goodness.

An obvious minus with Kiehl’s and many other American brands is – that they are more expensive in Europe. The price in the US is completely ok but in Europe buying Kiehl’s is a bit of an extravagance.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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Revlon Eksperience Wave Remedy Anti Frizz Hair Cleanser Review

Pros:

Actually holds frizz down.

Cons:

You need a lot per use.

More:

I‘m currently on a bit of a break from my war on frizz – its been raining non-stop for 2 weeks in my part of the hood and I‘m exhausted from trying to keep my hair looking ok.  I have given up and am focusing all my love and selfcare on my face. But I still would like to recommend this shampoo which has been a good friend in my anti-frizz war (even though even this shampoo can‘t do anything when the rain pours down like it does right now). What I like about this shampoo is that its easy to use: easy to wash out of your hair, and doesn‘t make my scalp dry – which most other shampoos do. It also gives great subtle volume and most importantly – holds my frizz back from ruining my good hair days.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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Biotherm Aquasource Everplump Smoothing Moisturizer Review

Pros:

My face becomes super soft after use.

Cons:

You can‘t pile make-up on top.

More:

Hello this is your acne prone friend again! I was looking for a day cream which only gives hydration but no fat/oil and marries well with a good layer of make-up on top. And important was also that the cream would not clog my pores. So I got this one. The problem is that when I applied powder on top of the cream – the cream rolled off my face as thin make-up sausages. So it was not really worth the money. This, one would think would be the end of the story – but no nooo I don‘t give up and I returned to my local Biotherm desk asking for direction. They recommended me to use a smaller quantity of the cream – this did not help. Now I‘m stuck with this superexpensive cream which I can‘t use. This cream also has a very strong scent – for me it‘s ok but I can imagine it could be a problem for others. Don‘t buy it if you have oily skin since you will probably have problems with absorbing it too. The sad thing is that besides hydration the commercial for this cream promises fast absorption. I have tried waiting up to 20 minutes before applying my make-up but still the same effect of make-up coming off my face.

The cream itself feels very pleasent on and really plumbs my skin, giving it a very nice glow. But I use make-up daily so this cream is not compatible with my routine.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution Review

Pros:

Low price for relatively big quantity.

Cons:

Doesn‘t really do anything for my skin.

More:

This is your writer with the acne again – after a little miracle (pregnancy) my skin turned much clearer – but I still got problems with greasy and acne prone skin. I got this solution after reading several raving reviews and watching numerous youtube videos where it was described as the saviour for problem prone skin. The actual product description doesn‘t really promise anything but after reading all those reviews that rave about the removal of excess skin and exfoliation; one comes to assume that it could make ones pores smaller and diminish pimples. Result: nothing really happens. After application I don‘t even feel any lingering sensation on my skin, and I don‘t notice any exfoliating effect. My skin looks the same after continuously using this solution twice weekly for a month. I will not repurchase it.

What attracted me to this solution is its high concentration of acids but super low price – making a salon treatment available for most wallets. Unfortunetly it did nothing for me.

Overall:

Value for money: 

Does what it promises: 

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