*Milk; Current favorites & mini reviews

It has been a looong time since I lasted posted a favorites post. I have been sticking to the same products for a while now and rarely experiment with skincare anymore since I have found a routine that really works well for my high maintenance skin. I will do an updated skincare and haircare routine soon, but for now I will show you a few products that I have been enjoying as of late.

Phyto has become my favorite haircare brand as none of their products contain any silicone and they are free of many harmful ingredients. The newest addition to my haircare routine is the 'Subtil Elixir' which is a pre-shampoo oil treatment. The oil smells so good and spreads easily through the hair. After leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes you can then shampoo, condition and style your hair as usual. The oils really nourishes my hair leaving it very smooth and glossy (but not at all greasy!).

Something that I have repurchased multiple times already is 'Phyto 7', a leave-in conditioner with 7 plant extracts. My mom and I both share this product. She rarely has an opinion about beauty products and everything feels about 'the same' for her, but she says this is great for smoothing her frizzy, unruly hair.


The only makeup product in the bunch is this RMK 'Pressed Powder N' in shade '01'. The compact contains 3 semi-matte shades and one shimmery shade. Together, it gives a very natural pearly finish. The powder is extremely fine and smooth and doesn't look cakey at all. It is a great powder for normal to dry skin, but if you are looking for something to mattify or control oil then this is not the product for you.


Night serums have become quite popular recently. Take for example the Estee Lauder 'Advanced Night Repair' and the Kiehl's 'Midnight Recovery Concentrate'. I have tried a sample of the latter, but wasn't too impressed. The Ren 'Omega 3 Night Repair Serum' however works wonders for my skin! I first tried it in a sample kit and ended up purchasing a full-sized bottle! It plumps up my skin without clogging my pores and leaved my skin looking fresh and radiant the next morning!


I have the most horrendous looking cuticles! They always peel and crack which is so painful. I really wanted to get a cuticle cream instead of an oil because I wanted to use it on the go because I always forget to apply something on my cuticles when I am at home. The only time I remember to do so is when I am on my way to work and have nothing to do so I start to examine my horrible looking finger nails and cuticles. This 'Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream' by Burt's Bees smells great and is very easy to apply. It isn't the most nourishing product out there, but it does the job.

True story: Last weekend I was on a 2 1/3 hour train ride to Antwerp and since the weather has been quite nice the past few days, the other passengers literally REEKED of sweat. I held this little tin up to my nose so I could smell the sweet lemon scent instead of the icky smell of B.O. Taking multi-purpose to a whole other level yo!

Last but certainly not least, the 'Tour Tout Pour Lip Gloss. I reviewed this a while ago so I will not go into too much detail, but this is a great product for plump looking, kissable lips! You can read my full review here!




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*Milk; Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 2 (review)

Shop N' Chomp requested an in-depth review of the Kerastase 'Nutritive' Bain Satin 2 from my hair products overview.

Product description: Softly bathes hair’s most vulnerable areas and provides complete nourishment for dry, sensitized hair.

The patented 'DOSAGE GLUCO-ACTIVE 2' technology combines optimal dosages of proteins, lipids and glucose to restore hair's ideal nutritive balance.

As mentioned in my previous entry, the Kerastase 'Nutritive' line is divided into 3 types; 1 is for 'Normal to slightly sensitised hair', 2 is for 'Dry, sensitised hair' and lastly, 3 is for 'Very dry, sensitised hair'.

The Nutritive line is definately meant for damaged hair. If you only suffer from slightly dry hair I would suggest using the shampoo in type 1. I have relatively dry hair as a result of years and years of torture, but the Bain Satin 2 manages to keep my hair looking a lot healthier than it actually is.


As you can see, 'dimethicone' is the fourth ingredient on the list which contributes to giving hair that shiny, glossy look but it can also weigh the hair down. The Bain Satin 2 also contains 'Sodium Laureth Sulfate' (a foaming agent) which is an ingredient some people prefer to avoid.



The product gives a thick, rich lather so a little goes a long way. The texture feels very luxurious and it feels more moisturizing than a regular shampoo. I cannot judge if the shampoo truly moisturizes my hair because I always follow up with the matching conditioner or hair treatment, but after rinsing out the shampoo my scalp does not feel dry or irritated at all.

The shampoo retails for a whopping $34 (ridiculous!) on the Kerastase USA website, but I normally purchase Kerastase from HQhair.com where it retails for £11.65 (~ $18.50) which is a huge difference! Plus, I only buy it when I have a coupon code.

Is it worth the $34? Absolutely not! I think $34 for a 250ml (8.5 fl. oz.) shampoo is absurd, but for $18.50 I think it is quite reasonable. When I first switched from drugstore to salon haircare products, I noticed a difference in how my hair felt and looked after only a few uses.

If you were to purchase this shampoo I would strongly recommend to also get the matching conditioner as I feel that the two products compliment each other very well. But if you have a tight budget I would choose the conditioner over the shampoo because a conditioner plays a bigger part in nourishing your hair.

Rating:

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*Milk; deep conditioning

It has been a hectic week due to the start of the new school year so I apologize for not being able to update.

Aside from being a skincare junkie, I also looove haircare products. You might not realize it, but if you have long hair, your ends can actually be a few years old! I have been growing my hair out since I was approximately 17 years old and now, almost 4 years later my hair has gone from above shoulder length to about an inch above my belly button. :D Quite an achievement if you take into account how ridiculously slow my hair grows.

I like to deep condition my hair at least once a week to make up for the torment it has been through.

Products I use:

— Hair mask of your choice.
— Wide tooth comb.
— Hair dye brush.
— Shower cap.
— Towel.

It is best to apply a deep conditioner on clean hair. What I like to do is quicky shampoo the crown of my head where it tends to get greasy. If you don't use a lot of styling products it is not necessary to use a lot of shampoo on the lower half of your hair since this will only dry your hair out. Now that your hair is clean, pat your hair dry using a towel.

Use a wide tooth comb to gently detangle your hair. Always detangle from the bottom to the top. When your hair is tangle free use a hair dye brush to apply the hair mask. I find that using a brush helps to distribute the product more evenly and it prevents you from wasting too much product. You want to focus more on your ends and put less product on the top part of your hair because you don't to weigh your hair down.

When you finish applying the hair mask, twist your hair up and put it into a shower cap. If you don't have a shower cap handy, you can also use plastic wrap instead. This part is optional, but you can wrap a towel around your hair to retain a little bit of heat. A really good tip is that you can apply a hair mask, wrap it up in a towel and go sit in a sauna. The heat will allow the hair mask to penetrate even deeper into your hair. Perhaps your gym has sauna cabinets available so give it a try when you have the chance.

I usually rinse my hair after 30 to 45 minutes. Lastly, I would rinse my hair very quickly with cold water to seal the hair cuticle. This will give your hair more shine, or so I've read. :P

Hopefully this was a bit informative for you guys. If you have any other great hair care tips, I would love to hear them!

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