What I learned from Caroline Hirons

I’ve never been one to stick to a skincare routine morning and evening. I used to wash my face with a flannel and put moisturizer on in the morning and remove my makeup at night, maybe apply a hydrating mask every now and then. The occasional exfoliator would be used in the shower. But really I didn’t care as much as I should.

Picture from here.

I’ve finally blamed my foundation problem on my skin and began to do my research. It wasn’t long until I stumbled upon Caroline Hirons and her skincare blog. Caroline is a qualified advanced facialist trained in over 100 brands. She’s developed facials and trained teams all across the world. Besides working as a consultant to brands and retailers in the Beauty Industry, she’s also a blogger, mother of four and wife. Caroline is straight to the point, gives blunt and honest opinions and has a refreshing attitude. Cheat sheets on everything skincare from routines to facial massages can be found in her sidebar explaining everything a newbie needs to know.

Let me share with you what I learned: 1. Use flannels as in a new one every day. 2. No mineral oils and nothing foaming in your morning or evening routine. 3. Never use wipes to clean your face unless you don’t have access to water.

Here’s the breakdown for all the newbies and those who've always been confused as to what to use when (like me):

Morning Routine:

• Start with a new clean flannel
• Cleanse: any non-foaming gentle cleanser like a milk, balm or gel applied on a dry face
• Exfoliating (acid) lotion, nothing too harsh in the a.m.
• Spray hydrate: hydrating flower mist/water or hydrating toner, avoid alcohol and fragrance
• Eye cream: always apply at this stage or else it’ll be useless
• Serum/oil: if you use both serum comes first then a few drops of oil
• Moisturizer: choose it by your skin type, not your skin condition

Evening Routine:

• Flannel from the morning is okay to use
• Pre-cleanse oil and eye makeup remover to get the majority of your makeup off
• Second cleanse with a balm cleanser
• Acid toner or exfoliating toner to get rid of the build-up if you’re suffering from dehydration
• Spray hydrate which isn’t a necessary step
• Eye cream
• Treatment: oil, serum, mask, etc.
• Moisturizer: depending on the treatment you might not need any

Please feel free to share all skincare tips and product recommendations in the comments!

#GirlLove

Lily Singh recently posted a very inspiring video with a message that I want to spread. Girl on girl hate has unfortunately become a real issue among women and young girls these days. Backstabbing, lying, spreading rumours and name calling are just a few examples. Online and offline there are women sabotaging each other instead of standing together. I feel like most of the hate has its roots in jealousy, whether someone is jealous of someone else's success, family or just their new handbag. Why not take the energy and put it towards complimenting this other woman on what she has achieved. Take the negative thoughts and turn them around. We should just feel inspired to work towards whatever it is that will make us happy. Girl on girl hate isn't a topic up for discussion because as women we know each others struggles, no matter where we are or who we are. We know how much words can affect us so we should start spreading compliments, spreading love.

There are so many women that deserve much more recognition but I want to send love to couple of women that have been a part of my life.

First of all, since the inspiration for this post comes from Youtube, I want to recognize the work of the amazing online content creators. Whether they are beauty gurus, comedians or musicians, women all over the online community have been hugely successful over the past couple of months. They have sold out venues, written books, released products, been on TV, donated to charity etc. And it started in their bedrooms at home. It just shows that you can achieve so much more than you would ever think with hard work and believing in yourself. I think it's a shame that these ladies are getting so much hate especially from girls.

There are many bloggers that deserve more than just one compliment but I picked out two ladies that have influenced me during my journey. Valérie from Moonlitstories has been a great source of inspiration over the past couple of years. She constantly reinvents herself and her blog, from layout to content. Her talent when it comes to design is undeniable and I  always rely on her blogging advice. She has come a long way but constantly thrives for more.
The blogging community in Luxembourg has grown noticeably and I have been following more and more local blogs. Carmen from Clothes and Camera is somebody that I look up to for her content, her continuity and her integrity. Her posts are versatile, informative and entertaining while she's always keeping it real. Among others her blog has inspired me to start blogging again (thanks girl!).

The women that I work with are a great example on how we should support each other. They have each others back no matter what happens or who tries to attack them or their work. They help each other out without asking for a favour in return or looking for their own benefit.

I also want to send some love to my amazing girl friends. I have a great group of friends that I wouldn't want to trade in for anything. There is somebody in particular that I want to mention here. Over the last 5 years we've been through quite a bit: Living together, wild nights, travelling, university, break ups, sad times. And somehow we still aren't sick of each other. Thank you for our friendship!
  

Let's stop the name calling, body shaming and hating! 
And start supporting!

BECCA Afterglow Palette

The BECCA Afterglow palette is my first venture into the brand and into the world of highlighters. Purchasing a highlighter has been a long time coming but I could never find the correct shade with the right amount of shimmer.

This palette comes with the Shimmering Skin Perfectors in Moonstone (a pale champagne), Rose Gold (a wearable pink toned gold) and Topaz (a bronze with a strong gold sheen), and their Mineral Blushes in Wild Honey (a nude brown) and Flowerchild (a peachy pink with gold shimmer - comparable to NARS Orgasm). These all lean towards the warmer side with the gold undertones. 

On my winter skin Moonstone is the perfect highlight and I like to layer Rose gold on top of or underneath blush. Topaz is currently to dark and warm for me but I'm thinking of using it as eyeshadow. Both blushes will have to wait until summer before I'll reach for them more often.

As this is my first purchase from the brand I can't compare these to the full-sized standalone highlighters and blushes. Recording to research they are tad bit drier which makes them a bit more forgiving and less intense on first swipe. However the colour payoff is great , they're smooth and blendable. The application is a bit tricky as the pans are the size of regular eyeshadows so you won't be able to use them with a big fluffy brush.
Overall I'm really impressed with this little palette, from the packaging to the colours and the formula, this works for me. I think I found my perfect highlighter in Becca's Moonstone!

What's your favourite highlighter?

February Beauty Wish List

January was the month of yearly favourites for bloggers and I have been taking notes while reading. There are a couple of products that got a lot of hype online this past year. I'm usually one to hold back and see what everybody else thinks, going through reviews and then make up my mind if the product is worth trying.

Sunday Riley Luna has been in and out of my shopping cart multiple times. The majority of people are raving about this oil and apparently it is a miracle in a bottle. I'm hoping this can even out my complexion and fade my scars while being hydrating and lightweight. But I still can't get over the hefty price tag.

I'm constantly struggling with my skin eating foundation which is why I have been looking into primers to prevent this. Make Up For Ever have released their Step 1 range and I am curious to try the hydrating primer. Would it really make a difference?

Putting the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid lipsticks on this list is the most frustrating because I'm not able to get my hands on these. The liquid lipstick craze has definitely made its way to the European mainland but I can't find the perfect neutral shade. Bow 'n Arrow, Lovesick and Lolita are currently my most wanted colours.

When I first got into make up my mother got me my first high end mascara for Christmas and I loved it. But as I started to buy my own make up I went for more affordable mascaras from the drugstore. I've had my eye on YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils for a while now as my Maybelline Lash Sensational is about to run out.

What is currently on your beauty wish list?

And which high end mascara would you recommend?