Apivita - Hydration Serum

Autumn has arrived and for me this means that my skin will be going through some changes. Due to acne medication I have dry skin and get dehydration lines pretty easily, which is not pretty when you're in your early twenties. Ever since it got colder outside, I was expecting my skin to get even drier. And it did - but only on my body and not on my face! The only thing that could have made a difference, was the serum I'll review today which I started using more than a month ago.

I have tried a few serums before but they either didn't make any difference or broke me out. This is why I was very careful with choosing a serum and took my time to look at the ingredients. The first thing that caught my eye when I came across this serum from Apivita, was hyaluronic acid. It is a very important ingredient for retaining moisture in the skin and it also boosts collagen production, which is what you want when your skin is dehydrated and looks a bit dull. Since it's a serum, it'll also go deeper into your skin than a regular moisturizer would. The other thing that I was happy to see, was "98% natural ingredients" written on the box. You know I'm a big fan of products that aren't filled with lots of chemicals, so seeing this was a nice surprise. Looking at the ingredients list, I can't say whether the "98%" is accurate or not, but there certainly aren't any ingredients I'm worried about. No parabens, no silicones and no mineral oil!

The serum itself is rather thick, but still not as thick as a moisturizer. Personally, I like the texture because it doesn't glide off my fingers before I can reach my face. You need to apply a few drops on clean skin, rub/tap it in and follow with a moisturizer if you need to. I feels a bit sticky at first, but I don't mind that at all since I always follow up with a moisturizer or SPF. It also has a lovely smell: floral and very relaxing. While 'perfume' is one of the last ingredients on the list, I think the smell mainly comes from the essential oils in this serum.

So, does it work? For me, it does! I started using it when I first noticed my face was looking very dehydrated (end of the summer) and continued using it ever since. The dehydration lines didn't go away completely but they are way less noticeable and my skin looks healthier. A few days ago I got many compliments on my skin and since this serum was the only addition in the last five or six weeks, it has to be thanks to this product.

I'm always on the lookout for new products, but I have a very strong feeling I'll repurchase this one again! It's does what I expect a hydrating serum to do so I won't complain! I'll definitely try more products from this brand and the next one on my list is the Radiance Serum to help fade acne scarring. We'll see how that goes! :)

What are your favourite serums? Any tips and tricks on keeping your face glowy in the cold months? -L.

Rimmel - Match Perfection Gel foundation

Finding a good foundation is hard. Finding a good foundation when you're very pale is extremely hard! I remember buying my first tinted moisturizer, of course for light skin, and I ended up with an orange face. With that in mind, I was always hesitant to buy a foundation because testers always turned out dark on my skin. That's why I was also afraid to buy the foundation I'm reviewing today but boy, I am so glad I did! Oh, and of course I went with the lightest shade - 100 Ivory.

Before you find out why, I need to mention few things. First of all, I need to say something about my skin type. Well, apart from being pale, my face right now is normal with a tendency to get dry around the T-zone. During my teenage years I suffered from acne and unfortunately I have some little scars and discolourations left on my chin and forehead. What I'm mainly looking for in a foundation is nice coverage and a natural finish. The main reason I chose Match Perfection, apart good reviews floating around the internet, is the fact that - according to the producent - it adapts to the skin tone (and the ad with the lovely Zooey Deschanel).

Rimmel's Match Perfection Gel foundation is packed in a small glass jar and contains 18ml of product. That's a pro and con at the same time! Even though it looks pretty, some may find the packaging unpractical and unhygenic (foundation under the nails, eew!). Also most of the foundations available have around 30ml of product so 18ml may seem little comparing to others. However it isn't really a big issue for me, because finishing one little jar took me almost 6 months! Oh, and one important thing! Apparently, there are two different versions of Match Perfection - one with big and the other ones with a small font on the sticker. Since I had both of those 'versions' (by accident) all I can tell is that the one that I'm currently using (big font, the one on the left on the comparison photo) seems a bit lighter than the other one and has better coverage. I really don't know why there are two versions of the product, because I don't remember Rimmel mentioning any changes. So I guess this will be one unsolved mystery for me. ;)

The application isn't really problematic; the product blends well and doesn't 'cake' on the skin . You have to be rather quick because it may dry quickly on the skin before you blend it out so I use my fingers to apply it. It was quite surprising to discover that the foundation gives a little cooling effect when you put it on your skin! After my first application I was really shocked with the result! Match Perfection looked like my skin, only better - glowy, healthy and with a satin finish. It has medium coverage, so bigger imperfections still need some concealing, but still, it doesn't look like I was wearing a mask. On my face it lasted for about 10 hours but people with oily and combination skin may need some touching up after a while. Just so you know, I rarely use powder, mainly because the one I'm using is rubbish, so more or less 10 hours for a foundation to last on the skin is a pretty nice score. Oh, and even though Match Perfection contains silicones, it doesn't clog up the pores. However, a good peeling and moisturizer is a must because unfortunately it has a tendency to exagerrate chapped skin. Also, from what I know, the foundation does not contain SPF, so it might be a problem for some. Apart from that I was really pleased with this foundation. So pleased, I have bought a second jar and that doesn't happen very often, right? I have tested it for the whole year and it failed me only during extremely hot weather, when it disappeared from my face after one or two hours.

Overall, if you're looking for a foundation that will adapt well to your skintone, give you a nice and fresh finish with decent coverage, this is truly a perfect match for you! Even though I'm planning to test some other foundations, if disappointed I will most definitely come back to this one.

Did you try out Match Perfection already? Feel free to share your opinion!

A.

Phyto - Phyto 7

Since I have rather long hair for a guy (in need of a trim, though!), taking care of it is important. I'm not blessed with hair that just needs some shampoo and looks perfect after drying. No, definitely not! It's wavy to curly, thin and has a mind of its own. Also, weird things happen to it at night! Sometimes I can't believe what I see in the mirror after waking up... If that's not enough, it also tends to get frizzy on rainy days.

In order to deal with all of that, on some days heat can be necessary. I'm not a big fan of heat protection sprays, though! They always leave my hair feeling dry and stiff. This is why moisturizing and protecting leave-in treatments are the way to go for me. As everyone knows, many of the leave-in products tend to weigh hair down, which isn't a good look if you have fine hair. However, the product I'm reviewing today doesn't weigh hair down or make it greasy but instead provides moisture, protection and some shine to the hair. Sound good, right?

Phyto 7 is like a daily moisturizer. You can apply it either on damp or dry hair. Personally, I only use it after washing and not every single day. I tried using it on dry hair, but it didn't seem to do much other than making it a bit frizzy (eek!). However, when used on damp hair, it makes it really soft, frizz-free and looking healthy! You won't get the shine you would from a product filled with silicones, but that's not what I use it for anyway. It's just a 'simple' product to moisturize the hair and prevent it from drying, breaking or splitting. And it definitely does the job!

It's formulated with seven plant extracts and contains no silicones. Other than that, there are not many other ingredients on the list. Which is good! The only thing I don't like, is that the product contains parabens. I'm sure you've heard different things about them and although I haven't made up my mind yet about how I feel regarding this ingredient, I try to avoid them if I can. But since this is a product you apply to your hair (which is dead) and not directly on your skin, I don't see any problems!

So if you find your hair is dry, you use heat on it and basically it deserves some pampering - try Phyto 7. It's a very basic product that doesn't promise any wonders, but (for me) does the things it claims to do! It's not that expensive and the tube (50 ml) will last you a long time.

What products do you use to moisturize and protect your hair? Also, have you tried Phyto 9? Definitely going to give it a try once I run out of Phyto 7! -L.

NOTD - Essence Colour & Go 111 English Rose

In my previous nailpolish post (click!) I mentioned that Essence, a German drugstore brand, changed the bottle and the formula of their nailpolishes series and I was curious to check out the results of that. And voila, look what I accidentally found in my local drugstore during grocery shopping! :) There were only few new shades available so I went with a colour I didn't have in my collection - 111 English Rose. (already loving the name!) As you can see the new bottle is quite similar to Bourjois, isn't it? At first I wasn't a fan but it looks pretty on my shelf!

These photos don't really do justice to the colour, but for me it is a medium brown with a hint of dirty pink and I don't know why, but sometimes this shade in particular lightning reminds me of milk chocolate. The application is easy thanks to a thick brush and it takes just one glide to cover the whole nail. I'm also surprised with the opacity because after one coat I got full coverage! However I still applied two coats just in case (it dries very quickly btw!) and I'm glad I did because here's a downside of this nailpolish - it chipped a bit in less than 24 hours! That's why those who don't like to change the colour of their nails every day will not be pleased. I'm still curious if this new formula will thicken in the bottle as quickly as the old one used to, but I guess I still need a few weeks to find out. Overall, I'm a bit disappointed in the durability but I guess I will try some other shades that are available just to ensure my opinion.

 Did you try out the new Essence nailpolishes? What shades do you like the most? Feel free to comment!

A.