non-stop November: sample Saturday: Ren, YSL, Ojon

I finished a few more samples that I wanted to share with you. Some of these I was able to use a few times, so I formed a bit more of a complete opinion.

One of the samples that I got with one of my Sephora orders is the Ren Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk. This is a cleanser with a thin consistency. It has a scent to it that I can't place- it reminds me of something you would smell in a hospital or at the doctor. However the scent doesn't linger long or isn't very potent. It removes your makeup including any eye makeup, but I can't confirm whether it removes waterproof mascara because I don't use it. After you have cleansed it does leave your skin feeling very soft and as if you just applied moisturizer. Also, it does remove all the makeup on your face. I think this would be great for people with very inflamed and dry skin, because of the way it soothes. Not something I would personally purchase because I didn't feel it worked any better than what I am doing right now.

A sample my friend gave me is the Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation. I have been wanting to try this for a while, so I was really excited! This foundation has a very thin, runny consistency and a fruity/floral scent. I placed this all over my face with my fingers and then used a buffing brush to blend it. I noticed that it can stick a bit to dry patches but it isn't too drying. It has medium coverage and gives you a natural finish. It doesn't really "dry" so I would set it with a light powder to get rid of that tacky feeling.

As for staying power, it does pretty well. I only noticed a bit of oil in the t-zone, but like I mentioned before, I would set this with a powder. In the pictures you can see my bare face (top left), and then my face with the foundation as well as a close up. I don't think I will purchase this foundation because the coverage is a little too much for me- I like to have more of a light coverage foundation. Also, I don't like how it stays tacky.

My last sample is the Ojon Color Sustain Pro Fade Fighter. I'm not quite sure what this is supposed to be...a conditioner, a treatment? I really don't know, but I used it as a conditioner. This has a runny consistency and a musky perfume smell. I had to use a lot to to feel like I got my hair coated completely. Once I washed it out, it didn't leave my hair feeling soft like a normal conditioner would. However, when I blow dried my hair it did feel relatively soft. As for the claim that it protects your hair color- I can't really comment on that because I didn't use it long enough. Can't say I would buy this again.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and enjoyed all my non-stop November posts! I can't believe the month is already over! Look for more posts coming soon.

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

non-stop November: black Friday haul

I don't know about you, but I love going black Friday shopping. I mean, of course, there are great deals going on, but mostly I like to see the crazy people. Some of them are just NUTS! So every year my sister, her best friend and I go to the mall to check out the deals (and the people). I think this year I scored some sweet items, so I wanted to show you what I got!

Our first stop was Walmart, where unfortunately people got a little bit too crazy and police had to get involved- yikes. Luckily, we went after all that happened, just to check it out. I didn't end up getting anything there so off to the mall we went!

First stop, can you guess...Sephora! They had a bunch of $10 deals that I wanted to check out and I ended up getting the The Art of Shaving The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Kit as a present for my dad, as well as the philosophy Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser for Face and Eyes (pictured, center). They had a lot of other cool kits, but none that I really felt I needed.

Next we stopped at Express. Here I got the Sexy Stretch Leggings in black and camo (pictured, center) and the Reversible V-Neck Racerback Cami in a blush and taupe-grey color (pictured, right). Everything was 50% off here, so I could've gone absolutely crazy but these were pieces that I wanted to add to my closet.

Our last stop was Old Navy, where everything was 50% off as well. We also came here again around noon today, so this is what I got on both trips. On the left you can see two Boyfriend V-Neck Cardis in a hunter green and a beige. I also got a pair of round crystal earrings and a Performance Fleece 1/2-Zip Pullover in a grey and aqua split, which you can see in the top right.

I'm excited to wear my purchases out and happy that black Friday is over. All that shopping, and standing in line, made me so tired! Let me know what deals you scored this year!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

non-stop November: L'Oreal Miracle Blur

For about a half a year now, the L'Oreal RevitaLift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother Finishing Cream has been the talk of the town. I heard many good things about it, but at like $25 for a little bit more than an ounce I wasn't convinced by just reviews. Then one day, as I was walking around Walgreens scoping out new beauty products, I came across a mini version of this for only $7...so my immediate thought was "yes! I gotta try this".

This product has many claims so I want to mention some of those and then tell you how truthful I think L'Oreal is being.

• blends in seamlessly to create a perfectly smooth surface
• diffuses light on skin for a soft-focus blurring effect
• erases lines, wrinkles and reduces pore size visibility
• defend against future signs of aging
• and protect against sun rays.

So, let's crack down on this supposed miracle worker. When you first squeeze the product out of the tube it has a white tint and is very thick. When you rub it in it has a bit of a silicon feeling to it and is very easy to spread. It dries to a matte finish and doesn't feel sticky or anything, just like your skin. L'Oreal suggests to put this on after you cleanse and use your day cream, and you can use it under your makeup or alone. It does have a tiny hint of that typical sunscreen scent but it is basically unscented.

When I first got this, I just didn't believe it would "blur" your skin and make you look photo ready...but I can say with confidence that THAT is exactly what it does. In the top left picture, you can see a close up of my skin with only moisturizer. You can tell that my pores are visible and I have some redness going on, as well as some blemishes. The bottom left, is a close up of the Miracle Blur applied. You can see the pores are not as visible and the redness is toned down. In the picture on the right, I show you a side by side comparison- the left side has the Miracle Blur applied to it and the right does not. Also, the left side looks more matte. I was really just amazed (I had to ask my mom and sister to make sure I wasn't imagining things, lol!).

As for lines and wrinkles, that is not something I really struggle with but you can notice that the wrinkles under my eye on the left side are not as noticeable. The SPF 30 definitely helps with protection against sun rays, but I can't yet say if I feel that it defends against future signs of aging.

This picture shows the product applied to both sides, and I really like how it looks. I think if you want to go bare-faced but struggle with pores, redness and lines, you can slap this on and feel more confident walking out the door. Under makeup, it looks beautiful as well. Also, you can concentrate this on only certain areas to "blur" your problem sections. I think blending with your fingers suffices and to really fill in pores, use tapping motions.

As for staying power, this doesn't really make your makeup last any longer (not that it claims to). The packaging says to reapply every 2 hours if this is your main sunscreen- which for me, it is not.

I really do think this product is worth every penny, because it actually lives up to it's claims. I usually use very low coverage foundations to begin with but I wouldn't mind walking out of the house with this on and some mascara (I wouldn't mind walking out of the house completely bare either, but even just mascara gives you a boost of confidence). If you are weary, try the smaller size...$7 stand between you and perfectly blurred skin!

I hope you all had a lovely and safe Thanksgiving with your families, and got to enjoy a beautiful meal with each other!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina

non-stop November: light matte smokey eye

I am a huge fan of dark shimmery smokey eyes, but sometimes I just want to take it down a notch and do something light and matte. Generally I don't like how a complete matte looks on me, but I really thought this looked beautiful!

To start off this look I primed my eyes with the Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. This will help the look stay put all day. Then I took the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk and put that all over my lid. A white primer will help the white eye shadow look brighter and stand out more. I blended that out a little bit with my fingers to make it even.

For shadows, I first used the Balm Meet Matt(e) Nude Palette and took the shade Matt Malloy in the same places I applied this jumbo eye pencil as well as in the inner corner. I used patting motions to apply this shade because it will create the most opaque color. Then I took the L'Oreal Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Cuppa Joe and applied the top color in the crease to act as a guideline. 

Next going back to the Balm palette, I took the shades Matt Garcia and Matt Wood and applied those in my crease with a fluffy brush VERY VERY lightly. These shadows are very pigmented, so lightly tap the tip of your brush in them and go back for more if the look needs it. Then I took those same two colors onto the lower lash line using a pencil brush. Again, you want this to be pretty light.

For liner, I used the Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian to create a general shape and then a black matte shadow to perfect the line. This gives the look some smokey-ness without looking too intense- I have really been loving this technique lately! I also lined my water line with the Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude to brighten the eyes up even further.

To complete the look I applied my mascara and also decided to go with falsies! I used the Revlon Fantasy Lengths Maximum Wear Eyelashes in the style Flirty. These are only a little bit longer than my natural lashes and are practically even in the middle and the outer corner. A style like this is a little bit more appropriate for daytime.

I hope you enjoyed this look, it was definitely a little something different for me. I do see myself wearing this look again though because it is daytime appropriate but still nice for "fancier" occasions!

Always stay happy and healthy! :) Tschüss, Katharina