Caudalie Divine Oil and Scrub

After a rough couple days where everything seemed to go wrong, I needed to really pamper myself with a long hot shower and some nice body products.

The Divine Scrub - a scrub made with brown sugar and has a similar smell to the oil. They don't smell the same in my opinion but they do compliment each other nicely. The scrub has a balm like texture that melts into the skin and only leaves the grains of sugar to scrub your skin with. It feels hydrating on the skin because of the balm like texture. 

The Divine Oil - This oil got it's name for a reason, it smells divine! It's a dry oil which means it sinks into the skin very fast and doesn't leave any oily or sticky residue which I love because you can get dressed right after your shower. The scent of the oil lingers on the skin for a good 4 hours or so on my skin, so you have to either wear it as your "perfume" or try to pair it with a perfume that will compliment it because it will be a noticeable scent if you use it on your upper body. The oil is suitable for use on body, face and hair.

I love this duo, but it is a "luxury" combo so I'll only be using it when I feel like I need a good pamper. The products aren't cheap but not too expensive either and I will definitely buy the oil in full size when I use this one up. The scrub wasn't anything too special and I feel like I could DIY a more effective scrub myself with ingredients from my kitchen. But if you want a luxurious feeling scrub this is a good one. 

~Kira

OOTD - Cozy sweater

It was pretty cold today so I decided to snuggle up in my warm oversize sweater. I love it because it's long and pretty simple looking, but it has zipper details on the front which makes it more interesting.

Sweater - River Island (bought on asos)

Jeans - Pieces

Boots - Rieker

I really like this outfit and it's a look I can wear to work as well, since I work with children it's important to be comfortable in your clothes so you can play both inside and outside and still be warm and cozy.


~Kira 

Keeping warm

I live in Scandinavia so winter cold is already hitting here, which means its time to get out the warm fuzzy sweaters, jackets and boots. I tend to feel cold a lot of the time which is why I wear as much warm clothes as I can. 

This year I've bought some new items for my winter wardrobe, and this is what I'll be wearing when I go out in the cold streets. 

Jacket - Vila

The whole jacket and hood is lined with teddy fabric except for the sleeves, which makes it very warm and soft for the cold months. I've been looking for a jacket like this for a while so I'm very happy with it. 

Boots - Rieker
Lined with fuzzy fabric through the whole boot. The boots have a zip in the side of the boot which makes them easy to put on and take off. The soles are thick and great for walking in snow or on slippery surfaces. They are a bit pricy but I'll be using them for years so in the end they are worth it.

Hat, Scarf and Gloves - H&M
The hat it pretty big so I folded it up a little, other than that it's warm and I think it looks pretty cute. The scarf is a tube scarf that you just pull over your head and your done. It's warm and fits easily under a jacket. The gloves are lined with a soft fleece material that feels very nice, they're probably not the warmest of gloves but they'll work for every day use. 

~Kira

Hourglass - Ambient lighting powders + blush

I've always been fascinated with the Hourglass powders but never thought it would work for my combo/ oily skin because these powders weren't matte. If you have seen my FOTDs you'll know that I use the Diffused powder (light yellow powder) under my eyes and everywhere I have some redness. I've always liked the powder but didn't think the other powders were for me, but since the palette was made permanent in the collection I thought it was a good place to start. 

When I saw the blush palette I knew it had to get it - it is simply too beautiful to pass on!

The powders and blushes are all very smooth and finely milled. The blushes has a nice pigment and can be worn as a sheer hint of color or be build up for more of a pop of color. I knew I'd love the blush palette, not only because the colors are stunning but because blush is the product I love the most and the thing I change the most in my routine.

I was very unsure about the powder palette. I didn't know if the powders would match my skin tone since the swatches I saw online were very dark. Of course these powders are supposed to be a last step in your routine and you're not supposed to pack it on, only sweep it lightly over the areas you want the "lighting effect" on. To my luck the powders work on my skin tone but I do have to be careful with the darkest color because it can look orange on me.

I did my makeup as usual - BB cream, concealer, mascara, brows and lips. I put some oil control powder on my T-zone since the powders doesn't provide any oil control. Then I swept Diffused under my eyes and on any redness on my skin followed by Dim all over the face. I bronzed my skin lightly with Radiant and highlighted with Incandescent. For blush I used a little of every color in the palette. 

When I was done I looked at my skin close up in the mirror and I felt disappointed. I didn't see a difference other than a slight "glow" to my skin. I thought the whole "lighting effect" was a scam and that I had just spent my money on an indifferent powder palette. Then I got up from my makeup table and wanted to check my outfit before heading out the door. I looked at my face again and yelled "WOW!". I couldn't believe the difference the powders had on my skin when I was in natural daylight, so I checked all the mirrors I could find and inn every one of them my skin looked so healthy and glowing like never before - and I was even going through a breakout at the time but it wasn't even that noticeable anymore. I even caught my reflection in a car window and thought "damn those powders are good!". They are like a filter you put on pictures - just in real life!

I'm super happy I tried the powders out! I can't explain how they work they just do, and I'm loving the result! 

~Kira

"Chubby Stick" - Comparison

It's no secret that a lot of companies make their version of the "Chubby Stick" but is the expensive ones from Clinique better than the ones from the drugstore? In this post I wont pay attention to the possible color dupes since a lot of companies carry very similar colors, but I will focus on color pay off and lasting power.

Revlon offers good color pay off as well as a stain which mean they will last hours, if not all day, on your lips. The darker colors provide a longer lasting stain than the lighter colors but for the price you pay I think they are very good and I get a lot of use out of them. 

Bourjois offers more of a shiny finish to their sticks, and as far as I know they don't have as many colors as either Revlon or Clinique. They do have a decent color pay off but since they are quite shiny I find that they wear off within a couple hours. As a drugstore product they are nice if you want a pop of color and some shine to your lips.

Clinique offers a ton of different colors and a shiny finish to the lips. The color pay off isn't that great, they are all pretty sheer and leaning towards being a tinted lip balm. These last maybe an hour at best on my lips.

Compared to the other sticks I think you pay more for the brand name than the actual product with the Clinique sticks and I'd much rather have more pigment and longer lasting power than a stick with a fancy name on it. The drugstore "Chubby Sticks" takes the trophy this time!

~Kira

Intensive acid exfoliation

I've been using this trio treatment every time my skin has been looking worse for wear, and every time I felt like I was breaking out too bad. I do this treatment about once a week maybe two if I've had a bad skin week, but mostly once a week is enough. 

Origins - Clear improvement charcoal mask: Any mud mask would do the trick really. I use a mud mask to get the impurities to the surface of the skin, so the exfoliation will catch all the nasty spot the mask brings to the surface.

Paula's Choice - 2% BHA liquid: This is my everyday night time toner. I use it after the mud mask because the BHA exfoliates the skin deeper into the pores which makes it great for getting rid of blackheads and spots in general.

Alpha h - Liquid gold: This is a treatment that can be used every other day at the max. It is an AHA exfoliant which means it exfoliates the surface of the skin but doesn't go deep into the pores like the BHA does. This acid will also help heal the spots quicker. 

You can choose to clean your skin and then use this trio combination and then leave your skincare for the night at that, but if your skin feels like it needs moisture then go ahead and put on a serum and/or moisturizer.

I hope this trio combination was helpful. I notice a difference in my skin the morning after I do this treatment, where I wake up with smoother, less bumpy and less red skin. 

~Kira

Rosehip oil - Comparison

I love using rosehip oil on my skin, and since using it I've noticed that my scars and redness fades quicker than before and making my skin look more even in tone.

Pai - This oil has a very strong earthy herbal-ish scent. I don't really like the scent but it doesn't linger on the skin for too long so I can live with it. This oil also has a very strong color, it doesn't make your skin orange but I would avoid getting it on your clothes or towels just in case it could stain them.

Trilogy - This oil is pale yellow and has no scent at all. I really like that it has no scent or color but I would still avoid getting it on clothes and towels.

Both of these oils sink into the skin really fast and they don't leave a greasy residue. They feel similar on the skin in terms of moisture and how fast the sink into the skin. I haven't noticed one being better at fading scars than the other, so besides scent and color they are pretty similar.
In terms of price Pai gives you a little more product for your money, however if you haven't tried rosehip oil before Trilogy makes a 10 ml bottle which I think is ideal if you just want to try it out without committing to a full size bottle. 

~Kira