Garden of Wisdom: natural skincare haul

I've hauled from an old favourite in skincare:
Garden of Wisdom is an artisian American webshop that has been selling simple but potent products for skin. They have a mixture of well balanced serums, cleansers, and all types of facial care. You can also purchase some raw ingredients to mix up your own, or to keep it to one simple but potent oil when dealing with oversensitive skin.

I have been a great fan of them around 2008 when I gotten into late 20s preventing-wrinkles stage. Well-known commercial brands were often too fraganced and too expensive: Garden of Wisdom singles out a couple of power ingredients in a uncomplicated blend that my skin tolerated and loved.

Since the organic skincare boom I've stopped buying from them for a while. Until I ran out of my favourite pimple buster: the Manuka Tea trea essential oil. Tea trea mixed with a dash of Manuka extract is even more potent and healing when pimples threaten to pop up.
Manuka tea trea essential oil, Wine Cabernet mask, Lightening serum, Yarrow healing facemist
I added some new serums and a wine mask to make my haul more interesting. How fun do do a Cabernet wine mask while taking care of your inner Cabernet needs as well?

Most of their skincare is available in dinky sample sizes. You can check them out over here: their site is artisan [read: a bit difficult to navigate] but even Makeupalley agrees there are some real gems out there. Ofcourse, I will keep you updated when I find a personal gem again.

Surf's Up Beachhair Texturizers

There is something about the fantasy & the reality version, and beach-hair is probably the best example out there. 

Or this version: note that I think the reality girl is incredibly pretty sans makeup and dreadlocky hair (her blog is here, she lives such a cool life)
Fantasy: after dipping in the ocean we will appear with lithe, slim legs, glossy lashes (our waterproof mascara works as a charm) and our wet hair will dry into a wavy substance that looks like it has been glistened by angels.

Reality: we actually don't wanna swim because it will mess up the no-makeup-makeup, when we still do (because the pretty girl over there could pull it off), we choke in some salt water - that comes out of our nose so the nose will look bloated. We avoided the jellyfish waiting to sting us, but we fall into the sand while doing so -> result, we look like a breadcrumbed fish. The waterproof mascara was not that waterproof -> zombie eyes & our hair will turn into a poor Bob Marley version and we need 40 minutes in the shower afterwards to [somewhat] make it comb-able.

But magazines tell us we will look like Doutzen on the left, IF we do the right things (buy too much stuff, lotsa time in the bathroom, etc etc)

And some products may help, and not take hours-n-hours-n-hours of effort:

So let's discuss the texturizers: 
a. Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Powder dry shampoo:
All the glossy images around of beach hair...it supposed to be slightly matted. This powder does smell oceanic and gives it the right grip for the next step: waves

b. L'Oreal SuperDust
Reviewed here: similar as Bumble & Bumble but only with a more matte feeling. It's amazing for volume but I suggest looking at this tutorial for making it work (replace her 'Microdust' by 'Superdust' or your dusty volumiser of choice)

c. Batiste Dry shampoo:
THE original. I am choosy with dry shampoos and I think most of them, this included, makes the hair too white and are not suitable for everyone that does not have blonde roots (regrowth girls, brunettes, redheads, black hairs, that's about 98% of all women). But for texturizing reasons and the idea of the matte beachlook, I use this one.

d. Tony & Guy Sea-salt Retexturizing spray
I dislike most saltsprays but this one is actually reasonable. However, I use it in a hairspray kind of way (after curling hairs) because my own hair is as stick-straight as it could be and no salt will make it wavy.

e. Bumble & Bumble Thickening Spray
Awesome for giving hair the plumped up feeling you get from normal beach-activities. You can pair it with other styling products (see above) or keep it on its own.

F. Unite Blowset lotion
This gel formulation is perfect for prepping moist hair before blowdrying, and it will give the right kind of hold when creating waves on straight hair.

As for waves, this one looks realistic and takes only a couple of minutes:
I really like Jenny's tutorials because she's quick and no-nonsense on these things: Just replace her 'recommended hairproducts' with the ones that you have.

And how do you like your summer-hair best?

Marc Jacobs Eyecon Palette 7 in Dreamer

Last week I showed you my latest palette, only as a teaser. Today I'm gonna swatch my Marc Jacobs Eyecon in Dreamer.

Marc Jacobs' Eyecon palettes have gotten some mixed reviews. The case was supposed to be not that luxe, the eyeshadows were not as good as ...[fill in a good name]...

I still bought this palette and basically for the gorgeous mix of sunset colours. There was also this mustard-y colour which was still golden enough not to mix with pickles or hotdogs...


But before swatching, I'll show you the pleasure of a new palette layout:



Now the joyous experience of feeling 'back to school' has passed a bit, let's check the content:

Earlier reviews told me that there would be a mirror, and no brush. I don't mind the absence of a eyeshadow brush, as I prefer my Suqqu or my Hakuhodo ones anyway. Often the brush with a palette is not that fancy, but there are exceptions, ofcourse.

As for the colours inside, MJ has the simplicity of the numbering system. So you can make up your own names like 'sizzling sunset', 'almost sex at the beach but he had BO' or 'I tripped over a coconut'  kind of names:

For your reading sake, I'll keep to Marc J.'s one to seven:


Swatches: shadow

This set of swatches has been photographed in sunlight:

 My base is Kose Addiction Dewy Glow Foundation in 2 Madeleine: it might be that it expired because I think it looks a bit pasty on my arm. In my earlier review (here) it looked a lot glowier.

Now I have to describe colours, which is not really my thing.
1. A slightly ashy vanilla with a micro-glow, not entirely matte
2. A neutral to slightly warm gold with a gorgeous lustre
3. This one is more glowy than on my photos: coconut & banana with a lovely glow. Perhaps my latest favourite highlighter colour now I have a bit of a faux-tan
4. A charcoal dark, also with microglow and not entirely matte
5. Peach with milk: it reminds me of Rouge Bunny Rouge Bashful Flamingo
6. Glowy peach, similar to D&G Quad Stromboli (the peach colour)
7. YES, mr Mustard is all I want him to be! So unlike my other mustardy colours. It's a burnished gold with a tiny hint of green. I think it lights up different in different kind of light: see the 2 different swatches.

Verdict:
  • the pigment in on the sheer to medium side. A good primer helps to make it vivid let it last for 9 hrs 
  • I personally love the colour blend and think they are so Summer-adequate
  • The charcoal dark is a bit off IMO. I think it would be too stark for shading with the softer other colours.
  •  The case is sturdy enough without being heavy. I'm sorry to contradict the other reviewers but a lot of so-called stronger cases will have their flaws too and Urban Decay is made from almost carton
  • So I think it's a pretty and sleek case so perfect for travelling/around and the 'pencil' protection case is another extra protection that looks elegant.
  • It's on the expensive side
 Conclusion:

 A palette can be a personal hit based on some personal preferences. Or, I'm a happy dreamer...so a husky-voiced tune to conclude:

Juli's Used Ups

Let me start with a lippy I consequently used until I reached bottom (or tube): 


Really, this one is from MAC's 2008 collection (see Temptalia). I have a special storeage for MAC's LE's (some never used) in a dark, cool place and sometimes I revisit Zeeee Box-e and I find myself something useful or fun. Ofcourse, I'm aware of expiry dates so I use my sniffer, and some good ol' logic to see if it is still fresh. 
MAC slimshines are lovely & creamy moisturizing hints of colour for the lips. Funshine is a coraly pink that is lighter than my natural lip colour. I get a wonderful nod to lighter lips with colours like these.

The rest:
July has been somewhat unproductive, but I used up some things:

1. Fairy Drops Mascara  Platinum Mascara film type
Ok, not quite used up but logic and knowledge of mascaras told me it is time to let this one go. I know lots of women love Fairydrops but somehow most of their mascara do not really work for my type of lashes. They do not hold curl that stubbornly as the likes of Majolica Mallorca or Fasio and that is mostly what I need. It's still a good mascara, though, but only with a base.

2. Nude Nailpolish: Nails Inc Basil Street, Essie Barefoot & OPI Let Them Eat Rice Cake
With nailpolish the logic of throwing away is a lot easier, because they are often dried out or separated. I've also finished a bottle of Seche Vite Thinner which can bring some dying nailpolishes alive again. Then again, I have so many nailpolishes that I screen the ones that I really want to thin up again. Or, I need some space and will use some other nudes before possible repurchase.

3. Tatcha Restoring Eye cream (right corner- small sample)
Lovely, but also a bit too pasty/thick for summer time.

4.  Saniflore Aqua Magnifiqua toner (review here)
Absolutely delicious for congested [summer] skin. I can feel it doing something extra when my skin is congested, but without having that stripping feeling those generic anti-acne potions have. It smells so herbally fresh too: repurchase!

5. Rene Furtherer Naturalia Dry Shampoo
I gotten into this one thanks to MostlySunny's rave. AGREED!  It's so delightfully thin and mops up the right amount of grease. And, hardly no white residue! For the supermajority that doesn't have blonde roots it is so wonderful to have a spray that doesn't make you look like you have grey hairs. Even blondes will get a slightly greyish look with about most dry shampoos so I have no idea why companies don't make them better like this one.

6. Vichy Cellu-destock Serum Flash
6%! 
-> 
for the ones that read my neverending stories of battling the ghost of cellulite (albeit very alive) know that I have a serious Caffeine habit. This serum has 6% Caffeine in it. I liked it but it also felt like my 1st tube of Cellulite-busting potions from 1993: perhaps the scent or the texture. I didn't feel it was too effective but I've been slightly inconsequent with it. It's also quite expensive per ml so I think I'll try something else next time.

7. French Girl Organics Rose Noir Cleansing Oil
I featured this baby as a part of my Organic black bottle collection (here). It's a dense cleansing oil that does not foam: I always expect a foam as I'm used to Asian cleansing oils, but Organics seldom do. It cleanses up heavy duty makeup and/or sunscreen but I do need a sudsy cleanser afterwards for rinsing off the oily feeling. It smells lovely like a soft rose.

8. REN Radiance Perfection Serum
This serum is actually meant for younger skins in need of a radiance boost. However, I often serum up twice a day so I really liked this one in the morning: it has some antioxidants (eg: Bitter Orange, Lingonberry) that combat the oxidant effect of sunrays during the day.

That has been my round-up of July's Used Ups. It has been wonderful to take a step away from my normal lipstick routine by taking up a paler hue like MAC Funshine: it does take some more work with the rest of the face (more eyemakeup, etc).  For this month I'm thinking to step out of the box again with lipcolour: perhaps a good berry hue for Indian Summer? We'll see ; )

Something New

Something easy & something new. 
Ok, easy might be a big word but easier is more matching for my 2nd Sephora haul:

Despite various bloggers warning me about the quality of Marc Jacobs palettes, I still ordered his latest Dreamer. Truth is, I'm not dissapointed at all...

Koh Gen Do has already wowed me with the Maifanshi foundation: how will the Maifanshi powder perform?

I'll elaborate on Marc Jacobs in one of my next posts and will test the Maifanshi powder soon.