♥ Four Fabulous February Favorites ♥

Hello my Beauties,

how was your weekend? 

This time i’m going to share with you my Four Fabulous February Favorites! Remember my beauty survey i was doing a few posts back? Many of you wanted me to do a monthly favorites post, so there you have it. 
There is usually no rule on how many items you should feature in a favorites post, so i decided to pick only those, i really used almost every day over the month of february. 

1) Biodroga Institute Power Moist Mask – intensive Moisture 
Back in January i already did a review on this super weapon. After wearing foundation and another kind of decorative cosmetics on my face all day long, it feels like mini vacation for my skin, when i apply the mask after washing my face.
The next morning my skin looks moisturized and fresh. Definitely my must-have item.

2) NYX HD high definition eye shadow base – one of the best eye shadow primers that i’ve used. Not as amazing as the Urban Decay primer potion, if you ask me, but a really good drugstore primer.
(Even if in Germany the only places you can get NYX products are at high-end stores, for at least double the price. But oh well!)
I have quite oily eyelids, and without putting on a decent primer, my eyeshadow doesn’t stay in place much more that for 2 hours.
In the mornings I usually put it on at 8:00 am and before taking off my makeup at 8 pm, my eyeshadow still looks nicely.
When i first started using an eye primer i immediately knew, a new fabulous era has begun. What a huge difference, especially for those who tend to have a “hooded lid”, right?!
Over all it’s really affordable (even more for those of you in the US), blends easily and doesn’t smudge, brings out the true color intensity and makes it last all day.

3) MAC  Technakohl in Plank
The color reminds me somehow of milk chocolate! I would say, it’s really flattering for girls with brownish hair.
You get a very natural look with this liner. It doesn’t smudge and it’s not very dark to really wear it just as defining eye liner.
I usually pick it, if i’m doing a natural daily look for work. It brings out the shape of my eyes, but doesn’t stand out too much, which is exactly i’m going for in those cases.
It wears for about six or seven hours quite well, before I notice some fading. Anyway, it’s a great copper color with shimmer in it and a nice item for the makeup bag in my purse.

4) Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Touch fragrance mist
Tempting. Sensual. Go beyond desire. Italian iris, gilded apricot and amber wood. 

Very Sexy Touch notes per Victoria’s Secret’s website:
Top notes: Juicy red pear, honeysuckle, gilded apricot, fresh citrus
Middle notes: Vanilla orchid blossom, blooming magnolia, white peony, Italian iris
Dry-down notes: Vanilla bean, creamy coconut, clean vetiver, amber wood, musk

Victoria’s Secret launched this one in february 2012 and gave a new flacon design to the well-known 2002 edition – fragrance Very Sexy.
I really like how it smells on my skin, and makes me almost want to embrace myself.
To me, this is one of those want-to-get-upclose scents, which also isn’t overpowering and doesn’t stay on for over 4 hours, which is exactly the reason why i got the mist and not the actual perfume. And even if this scent reminds me of summer, it was my daily pick in february. On the other hand a nice summer reminder is not a bad reason to wear this scent either! 😉
                                     (Click on the pic to enlarge!)

That’s all for my monthly favorites. What do you think? Have you used some of these products before and is so, how did you like them? Anything similar that made it into your monthly favorites list?
Please share your secrets with me.

And until next time – stay beautiful!

Review: ♥ Power Moist Mask by Biodroga Institute ♥

Hello my Beauties.

What would you say we all are looking for during winter, when it comes to skin care – especially for your face? Right, much-needed protection and a really good moisturization. We all know how important the daily and weekly hydration is. And at this point i’m not going to remind you to drink water and have a well-balanced diet, since for each and every one of you, who’s so much interested in beauty, should be obvious – your diet can be a “Make It or Break It” – deal for your skin.

Of course we need to distinguish between a daily moisturizer, that we put under any foundation and masks or other long-term skin care products. 

I don’t know about you, but i’m that kind of girl who likes to put a nice calming and moiturizing mask on, while have a bath or simply relaxing after a long day & watching a movie. Who said, we aren’t multitasking?! 

So while my skin is combination to sensitive, i need to think twice, before putting anything i’m not sure about on my face. Sometimes the product ingredients sound amazing on the cover, but it just doesn’t feel right after applying it on my skin. As you might have guessed i’m a  picky mask user. 

In december 2012 i was lucky to get my hands on a 1.1oz / 30g sample of the Power Moist Mask – intense moisture – by Biodroga Institute in the Glossybox Golden Christmas Edition.
It was definitely a lucky day, since the products aren’t too cheap and i would have been probably too unsure to just get it without trying a sample size first. (Aren’t we all like that?)

What do we know about the brand Biodroga?
Biodroga Systems is a company that began back in the 1950s, and is now run by a group of executives in Germany. Even though it is stated that Biodroga Systems are only available in fine spas/salons, they appear to be sold via the website too.
Among them you will find products like Cleansing Oil, Milky Cleanser, Effective Lift Mask, Mud Mask, Power Moist Mask, Anti-Time Reactivating Day Care, Age Performance Formula Restoring Night Care, and Alpha-Energizing 24-Hour Care for dry skin.
Some of the key ingredients used in these topical treatments are Matrix Optimizer, Hyaluronic Acid, Baden-Baden Reislin Grape Extract, Vitamin E Acetate, and Grape Seed Oil. As with most skin care lines, these products should be used daily in order to achieve the desired effect.
This is what Biodroga Institute claims about the Power Moist Mask:

Description:

Refreshing, silky mask that nourishes, pampers and protects moisture-deficient skin. Optimizes and stabilizes the skin’s moisture balance over the long term and promotes skin elasticity and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. Gently stimulates collagen and elastin formation in the skin and reduces tautness and dryness. For moisture-deficient skin. Suitable even for neurodermatitis.

How to use:
Apply a 1 to 2 mm thick layer to the skin as needed after thorough cleansing or exfoliation. Leave on for 10 minutes or more. Remove residue using a cosmetic sponge or a compress. Follow up with skin-specific care.

Key Ingredients:
AquaCacteen, Himalayan raspberry root extract, Macadamia nut oil, Wheat protein and Apricot oil.

My experience:

The mask has a typical facial cream scent, which didn’t bother me at all.
Even if it’s actually a mask, i had the feeling it was less “sticky” or heavily creamy and greasy, than a usual night cream.
What i personally did, was to apply a quite thick layer of the mask on my clean face and just leave it on.
There were no problems to spread the mask all over the face, since it has an even texture.
After a few seconds i felt a cooling effect, which might be incredibly nice during summer. (Especially if you leave the mask in the fridge before using it).

Even if the brand tells you to remove the residue, i didn’t feel the need to do so, since my face was absorbing enough of the product by itself. Again here i was reminded of a night cream.
I assume if you apply a heavier layer of the mask, you might feel the need to remove the rest after a while.

Overall i had a good experience using the mask. Any possible allergy, itching, break outs, burning or redness, that i sometimes experience when using a new product luckily did not appear. (I’m always testing the product on the inside of my arm before applying to my face!)

The sample is now almost finished and i’m really thinking about getting a full size. I don’t know if it’s really diminishes fine lines or wrinkles, but the performance of moisturizing and soothing was sure there.

My Conclusion:

If you are looking for a great birthday or Valentine’s Day gift for your mom, sister or girlfriend, this would be definitely a good option. As i was saying before, it is rather expensive in comparison to many other brands (  50 ml around $50 on their homepage ), but some might appreciate the fact that this skin care company has been around since the 1950s and it’s a spa skin care line, which has won a few times the intense moisture formula award.
(Who doesn’t want to have a little bit of a spa in your own home?!)
(Picture taken from the biodroga.com site)
Besides i have to point out, that i have found many online stores that sell this line for much cheaper, almost half of the price. For example on Amazon. You just need to keep your eyes open.
I hope you will consider trying this mask (i can not speak for other products of this brand, as i haven’t tried them yet). If you do, please let me know about your experience.

What’s your favorite facial mask at the moment, that are on the market? Or are you preparing your own masks out of ingredients found in your refrigerator or pantry?
Please share your beauty secrets with me! 😉

*This review is based on my own personal experiences with that brand and product.

Related blog posts:

• Home-made facial masks
• What is One Spa Treatment you Can’t Live Without? Facials!
• DeVita Skincare | Cappuccino-Cocoa Mud Masque
• Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask Review
• SJB Beauty Giveaway feat. Peach & Lily, Deluxe BB Cream & Facial Masks
• Facial Mask Tuesday
• Say Buh-Bye To Your Dry Winter Skin
• Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum

 

♥ Glossybox Golden Christmas Edition ♥

Hello my Beauties!

Hope your Christmas celebration was a nice experience this year and you are ready to get the New Year 2013 started. 

As a little addition to the Christmas presents, i got my Glossybox – Golden Christmas Edition delivered right the day before Christmas Eve. It’s one of the special limited edition boxes, that you could purchase back in november for 30 euro.
Obviously it’s more expensive than the usual Glossybox subscription, but the products that were promised supposed to have an over all price of 70 euro and higher. 
I wasn’t really sure if this Christmas box was really worth it, but of course my curiosity & excitement were stronger. 😉

So what did i get?!

Biodroga Power Moist Mask – 50ml / 27,50 Euro
is a “refreshing, silky mask that nourishes, pampers and protects moisture-deficient skin. Optimizes and stabilizes the skin’s moisture balance over the long term and promotes skin elasticity and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. Gently stimulates collagen and elastin formation in the skin and reduces tautness and dryness. For moisture-deficient skin. Suitable even for neurodermatitis.”
BECCA Beach Tint – 7ml / 25.00 Euro
“BECCA Beach Tint is a beautifully blendable crème stain for cheeks and lips that suits all skin types. Kiss-proof and water-resistant, it dries to a perfect, streak-free, non-greasy and non-drying finish. Each shade is deliciously scented in its synonymous name.”
BM Beauty Lash Thickening Mascara – 8ml / 15 Euro
“Black lash thickening mascara from BM Beauty is infused with minerals with a blend of nourishing oils and waxes. Contains beeswax, sunflower oil, vitamin E and rosemary leaf extract. Use to achieve full, voluminous lashes without clumping. Cruelty free. BUAV and PETA approved.”
Kryolan Professional Make-Up High Gloss  – 4ml / 16 Euro
Brilliant Lip Shine in Catwalk
“High Gloss is a newly developed lip gloss with special pearl pigments based on Mica providing the lips with extraordinary radiance.”
Elite Models Strass Liner Black – 2,5ml / 11,90 Euro
The perfect eyeliner for the festive occasions. It’s waterproof and gives your eyes a diamond shimmer.
Nails INC London Lowndes Square nail polish – 10ml / 13 Euro
“A dusky grey lilac shade. Lowndes Square is an understated, chic shade guaranteed to impress.”
False Lashes by Glossybox & a golden make-up bag as two additional goodies

Everything came in full size and i really liked how the box itself, the card and the ribbon were coordinated in sparkling black and gold. Very festive & shiny. The products are really high-class and mostly match one theme as well.

I didn’t quite get the color pick of the nail polish, but i guess Glossybox was trying to fit all the different kind of tastes out there. As for me, i’m not a big fan of plain simple clean creme polishes, but the dusky grey-ish lilac is not a bad color at all. But shouldn’t it be something more in red or gold? Just wondering…
I can’t wait to properly get to use these products and see how good they really are. Already loving the strass liner. It’s a great dark black with many shiny sparkles in it. Exactly what i want for this time of the year. I’m especially interested in testing the Beach tint and the Biodroga face mask. Have you tried any of these products before? As far as I know, Becca is already quite popular and slowly becomes a more known brand here in Germany.

So in my eyes it was the right decision to get this special box. A total price of 108,40 Euro isn’t bad at all for a holiday box.
If you wish a review on any particular product, let me know in the comments below.

What about you my Beauties?? Have you purchased any kind of party/glamour/Christmas box this year? Please share if you did.
Wishing everyone a fabulous last week of 2012 for now.