Carmen Bota

So it's December already, hurray! Christmas is almost here and I guess that this thought is was keeps me so inspired and motivated to keep on blogging these days. November was a cruel month, so cold outside, rainy and made me totally unproductive. The good thing is that holidays are approaching and that is just great. November's favourites are here, ladies and gentleman.

I have used this after blow drying my hair and it really makes a difference, especially combined with the Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner. This is, however, my favourite product right now because it's moisturizing without feeling greasy, provides great shine and it's perfect to tame the frizz.

I got this at our annual bloggers meeting at the beggining of November and used it every day since opening it. It's a very luxurious and sensual perfume, I really like the scent and the fact that I can still feel it on my skin and clothes at the end of the day.

I also have this one from our beauty bloggers meeting. I received it with the night moisturizer and also the serum, but I did not want to open them all because I wasn't sure if they were nice to my skin. Although I started using it just recently, I only used this as my day/night moisturizer and I like it so far. My sensitive skin is happy with it.

Have this reviewed here.

I first tried this a few months ago and I was and still am surprised by how good this is. Although it's consistency is very thick and may be too moisturizing at times, I like applying this over my True Perfection day cream on areas that requiere more hydration (on my chin for example). I kept using this also when I had this problem with the skin around my mouth, it started to dry out very bad and soon became red and rough. So I used this every night for about a week or so and even now, when I'm ok with that area, I still use it.

Well of course, I am tempted to try more from Nivea now that the moisturizer above is so good. I like that this little one is moisturizing enough and that fights against early wrinkles. That's it for now, I've only been using it for some weeks but I like it so far. Some people said that it also helps with dark circles, but I guess I'll have to use it more time to see a change in that.

I said a few words about this here.

Have you used any of these products?

I am addicted to red lipsticks as you already know from one of my previous posts. However, this is my first MAC and I was really keen to try their products. I actually received this from my boyfriend as a gift. When I asked him why did he choose the red shade he told me he knows this is the shade I love. So there's the lipstick that's the most expensive from my collection. At first I wasn't very impressed and thought that it was a waste of money, but after a few days I really started to like it. It's a creamy lipstick, with a matte yet a natural shine (something in between) that doesn't dry out the lips and fades nicely. The color is a very vivid one, fully opaque and it glides on the lips evenly. I would say that the staying power is somewhere between 5-6 hours, maybe longer.This lipstick really makes me want to try more from MAC.

What do you think about this shade?

Finally I get the chance to say something about this fantastic product called the Dermablend Foundation!! Wow, I can hardly find the words to describe my enthusiasm for this product :) I will tel you why right away.

So, a few months it happened that a makeup product caused me some really bad breakouts and my L'Oreal True Match Foundation didn't seem to do the job too well so I started looking for a high coverage foundation that I could use until my face recovered from that madness. I found out that this foundation has one of the highest coverage power on the market and, being a fan of Vichy skincare products, it came easily to me to try this out. I went to the pharmacy and requested some samples to try it out and see if it fits my needs and if it was worth the money because it's not a cheap product. 

I used the samples for a few days and I fell in love with this foundation. Let me tell you guys, this can cover anything, from acne to dark circles, anything I'm telling you. When I wear this on my face, I don't have to wear concealer anymore because the coverage is very high and I simply don't need more. On the tube it says that can last up to 16 hours which is not the case with my face...it doesn't last more than 6-7 hours on my skin, but that's ok with me because I have combination skin and also use moisturizing face creams under it and I kinda expect that to happen. This doesn't mean that my face gets very oily, especially when I use my e.l.f High Definition Powder, so it just gets a little shinny.

The formula is very ligh but the amount of pigment really provides a great coverage. I was expecting to find a thick product but no, it's really watery like the L'Oreal True Match Foundation which is kinda impressive. It didn't break me out and I found that the color I tested&purchased fits me perfectly: I wear 25 Nude and love it. Here are the swatches, one in natural light and one with flash.

A very important thing when using a foundation of any kind is to properly prepare your skin for it. That means cleaning your face, exfoliating and using a hydrating product. Until a few months ago, I had a really bad skincare routine (now that I think about it, I couldn't call it a 'routine') and things dramatically changed after I realized it. Another important step is the tool you use to apply it. From my experience, the best one is a damp beauty blender, especially when we are talking about high coverage foundations that can tend to get cakey.

I have been using this product every day since I bought it, even though my face has cleared out. If I still use foundation anyway, I want to use something with a high coverage and this is my no 1 choice now. The effect on my skin is so dewy and natural, it doesn't feel or look like a mask at all! Definitely a great product and I am so happy I found it.

Have you tried it?