Clinique Take the Day Off - review

This cleansing balm is very gentle and doesn't strip your skin of moisture. When you first touch this balm cleanser it seems hard, but the warmth of your hands will melt it and turn it into a beautiful cleanser that will take all your makeup off!

Usually I double cleanse, first with Bioderma, then with a cleansing balm. This will leave my skin clean and soft, ready for toner, serums and all the other good stuff.

(This amount is enough for the whole face)

Take the Day Off cleansing balm is a white balm with no scent, this makes it perfect for sensitive skin. I miss some kind of scent in this balm because it reminds me a bit of rubbing lard on my face, however the balm works wonders and I know some people  like skincare without fragrance.

I'm almost out of this balm, and it has lasted me about 5 months so it's well worth the money, since a little goes a long way.

~Kira

Origins Make a Difference - buy it or leave it?

The Make a Difference range from Origins is supposed to help hydrate the skin. All products are light, gentle and without parabens and other nasties.

Make a Difference cleansing milk: Gentle cleanser that doesn't strip the skin. This would probably be great for all skin types. Since it's a cleanser and it doesn't sit on the skin for long, it's a bit pricy for what it is. You can definitely find a cleanser just as good in the drugstore.With that said it is a nice product and I will be using it all up.
My verdict - leave it.

Make a Difference Serum: This serum contains hyaluronic acid, which can hold up to a 1000 times it's weight in water. The serum is very good at hydrating the skin and it makes your moisturizer work better because of the hyaluronic acid. I've tried a similar product called Hydraluron which is a gel serum also containing the acid and that doesn't work as well as this Origins serum.
My verdict - buy it.

Make a Difference treatment: A gel like cream that can be used before your moisturizer for extra hydration. I've used up the whole jar (quite fast I might add) and I didn't see any major improvement in my skin. This treatment is the same price as the serum, and the serum is way better at penetrating the skin and getting the product to work rather than just sit on top of the skin like the treatment does.
My verdict - leave it.

~Kira

Kiehl's - Skincare

Recently my lovely sister went to London and she kindly took my wishlist with her and got me some stuff. When she returned home I was surprised to get this Kiehl's bag with lots of samples. Originally I just wanted the Kiehl's Midnight recovery concentrate because the bottle I have is running low, and the Skin rescuer because I heard this was great for redness. I was really happy with the samples since a lot of them were stuff I wanted to try but wanted to wait buying, since Kiehl's isn't the cheapest brand.

I've been using the Midnight recovery concentrate for almost a year now, and this stuff is amazing! I saw a difference in my skin the first time I used it. My skin looked healthier and felt smoother. It is an oil but it absorbs very quickly and doesn't leave any kind of oily residue on your face or hands. I use it every night and it definitely is one of my HG products!

I haven't used the Skin rescuer for that long, but Kiehl's must put some magic ingredient in their products cause I swear I see results after the first use. I use one pump of the Skin rescuer in the morning and my redness is 80% gone within a couple minutes. My skin gets flushed easily and I have a lot of scars from acne, and this product really help. It doesn't make the scars go away or heal faster (rosehip oil does, I have had great results with that too!) but it calms the skin and tones down the redness. 

I haven't tried any of the samples yet, but if I get great results like the two products I've mentioned in this blog I will definitely let you know!

~Kira

OOTD - Casual

Casual day, casual outfit. The weather was a bit cooler today so a thin sweater was the way to go. I thew on some black jeans and some flat booties and I was ready for the day. Since it was a casual/ lazy day, I didn't bother to wear makeup or jewellery (hence no face showing).

I like that this outfit is simple, but both the shoes and the top has some cool details to make it more interesting.

Top: H&M
Jeans: Pieces
Shoes: River Island (bought at Asos.com)

~Kira 

Pamper night

I've been feeling down and emotional the past few days, and I really felt like I just needed to relax and have some "me- time", so when my parents needed me to watch their house and take care of their fat cats I immediately took advantage of the opportunity to use their bathtub while having the whole house to myself.

A pamper night to me is nothing without music, luckily my parents have a radio in the bathroom, so I blasted that as loud as I could, while filling the tub with hot water. I added 1/4 of the LUSH Comforter,which smells nice and sweet and... well, comforting - exactly what I needed, as a bonus it makes tons of bubbles! I also added a piece of Each Peach, which is a LUSH massage bar, but it can double as a bath melt. It has a refreshing citrus smell and really helps softening the skin.

To pamper yourself even more, bring a snack and a drink with you. I always make sure to have some kind of drink with me because after sitting in the hot water for a while I can get light headed. 

After the bath I put on the Origins Charcoal mask and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, while cleaning the tub. Following the charcoal mask I used the Origins Drink up Intensive overnight mask. This mask really moisturizes my skin and leaves it soft and hydrated.

What's included in your ultimate pamper night?

~Kira

Hair Oils - comparison

Ever since I first tried a hair oil I've been hooked! With the right amount it tames flyaways and nourishes the dry ends of the hair. It adds shine and makes the hair look healthy. But what is the best oil for your hair type?

I have fine Scandinavian hair, which means I barely have to touch my hair with an oil before it looks like a greasy mess. However my ends get super dry and break easily, so i need an oil that will provide enough nourishment without dragging down my hair and make it look greasy.

Amika Oil: This oil is the heaviest of the three. It has a sweet floral scent, but it's not as strong, and won't overshadow your perfume. This oil will suit thick hair better since it is a heavy product if you dont use it with caution.

Macadamia Oil: This oil is right in the middle. It's lighter than the Amika oil, so you don't have to worry too much about the amount you use. The scent of Macadamia is sweeter and more powerful than the Amika, so this will linger all day in the hair, and it might clash with your perfume. This oil will suit most hair types, you probably just have to test out how much is going to work for you.

Moroccan Oil: Probably the most well known oil of the bunch. It's a deep strong floral scent that lingers all day. The scent is so powerful that I don't wear perfume with this, and people still ask what "perfume" I'm wearing. The oil is, unlike the others, yellow in color but it doesn't stain your hair or clothes. The oil is lighter than the others and I can pretty much use twice as much of this oil and still have clean looking hair. But even when I use a small amount of this, my hair still gets enough moisture. This will suit most hair types, but most likely finer hair types. Moroccan Oil also makes a light version of this oil suited for those with ultra fine hair. I haven't tried the light version but if you have tried the original version and you found it too heavy, maybe the light version is the way to go.

Hope this was helpful!

~Kira