*M&C Must Haves - Suncreens

Hurray, the sun has finally started showing up in the Netherlands! Now Ella and I are almost always wearing sunscreen, even if it is rainy and cloudy all day. We are believers of the damage UV rays can do to our skin, but we also believe that there are good and bad suncreens. Here are three that I personally like using, which are all paraben-free and has never reacted badly on my skin whatsoever.

For the face

This Sebamed Sun Care Multi Protect Sun Cream SPF 50+ is not too oily despite having a really high SPF rate, making it perfect to use on the face. Instead of saying that it makes your skin oily, I would say it gives your skin a somewhat dewy effect. Since it is also sold for a reasonable price and for the fact that it has never broken me out, it is definitely a recomendation for everyone to try out.


For the body

The Sebamed sunscreen can be used on the body as well, but I would personally prefer to use the Ultrasun SPF 30 Clear Spray Sports Formula. Not only does a spray makes applying it to the skin so much easier, it is also quite oily. If you are a fan of that oily body-look (is that even a look?) that celebrities sometime have, this is the product to try out. I am not too sure why, but I quite like that look myself..


For the lips

Don't forget about the lips! This Korres Mandarin Lip Butter Stick SPF 15 in Peach is slightly more moisturizing than the previous lipbalm with SPF that I recommended (This provides enough moisture when my lips are in good condition), and having a little colour is always a plus. Definitely not the best in moisturizing, but definitely the best I can find so far that also provides a little SPF protection.





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*Milk; Tout Tout Pour Lip Gloss (review)

Product description: A trendy lip gloss contains essence like damask rose oil, ylang ylang flower oil, as well as hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen, and honey for lip nourishment. It also gives you a baby pink finish. Good for overnight use. Non-silicon, no paraben.

The product

Clear lip gloss, not the most exciting product but definitely something that is a staple in most people's makeup collection. I initially bought this to use at work. I work in a very dry environment and found that my lips were often chapped. When I read that the gloss leaves a 'baby pink finish', I thought it would be a good alternative to my Dior 'Lip Glow' which is really on its last legs right now! Disappointingly, it does not make my lips appear pinker.

The product reminds me a lot of the Kiehl's '#1 lip balm' as they are both clear, glossy and has moisturizng properties. I can already tell you that I prefer the Tout, tout pour 'Lip Gloss' over the Kiehl's one! The Kiehl's '#1 lip balm' feels a lot greasier in my opinion and may even make you look as if you devoured a piece of deep fried chicken and forgot to wipe your mouth. Not to mention that this is silicone-free and paraben-free!


The packaging


I really love the packaging! Not only is the tube a light peach color, it also has an adorable lace print on it. Most importantly, the slanted tip applicator is easy to use and prevents the product inside from getting contaminated.


The verdict

Despite it not enhancing the colour of my lips, it does make them appear very plump and even when the gloss wears off, my lips remain soft and moisturized for a long period of time. The consistency is not too gloopy or tacky so it does feel pleasant on the lips.

Quite kissable, no? Even if I have to say so myself.

Although nothing exciting, this lip gloss does everything you would expect from a clear lip gloss plus it is packaged in the cutest peach coloured tube. It also helps to keep your lip moisturized throughout the day. If you like the Kiehl's '#1 lip balm', you would most definitely love this as well! Well worth the try!

Rating: 4.5/5

Note: Curious as to where to buy this product? I bought mine off of 'Alpha Beauty UK' on eBay (link). I am NOT (!!!) affiliated with the seller and purchased the item with my own money. I just thought I would include a link since the brand is not largely known and easy to find.

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*Cookiie; Collective Sasa Haul

Holy smokes, it's been a while! Life has been waay too hectic so it was really hard for me to make some free time to blog as well. And to be honest, I haven't really been purchasing much lately since I've become a real typically poor student. *cries* Even this haul post consists of three seperate orders and it isn't even that much! Customs have been more strict lately, so I could only order when Sasa does those $19 free shipping offers. I'm glad Sasa does those offers now, since I really still love them Asian products, hehe.




My cleansers are running out, so I thought it was time to try some new products out. The Kose Softymo White Cleansing Oil sounded really interesting as I read the short reviews on the website. It is supposed to have some sort of melanin-eliminating effects on the skin, but I'm not too confident on that. I've been a fan of the Naive-line from Kanebo, so when I saw the Kanebo Naive Facial Cleansing Foam (Raspberry & Grape Leaf) I just had to get it. It smells really good, but I also haven't tried it out yet. Reviews will definitely come as soon as I've tried them out properly.


Now onto one of my favourite brands for skincare: de herbs! I tried their products out before and despite liking them back then as well, they used to have really sucky packaging. Few years later and the packaging improved so much, that I figured I should try some of their stuff out again. Always having these promotional offers also help by the way. I got this de herbs Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Moist locksas Eye Serum on a BOGO special offer, so I'm all stocked up for now when it comes to eye moisturizers.


Another special offer that I enjoyed was from the de herbs Hyaluronic Acid actif White locksas Toner that came with three full-size au lait-Milky Treatment Masks for free. I don't really feel much for the mask and I haven't tried the toner yet, so maybe a review after I've used it long enough.


These de herbs Rosewater Soothe Moisture Mask were also on a BOGO special offer. I already used a few of these and I have to say that de herbs is very generous with their products. The masks are completely soaked and there would still be some liquid left in the sachet. I'm quite satisfied with these, so I definitely recommend trying them out.

Sasa also gave me a Foot Repair Essence, but I'm really not impressed by it that I don't even bother saying more about it than this. De herbs always having special offers going on, so check the brand out if you plan on ordering at Sasa.


The last two items were picked along for the order because I simply needed to reach the $19 limit for free shipping. I use this Acne Needle to pop my pimples yeah I know gross haha. Whenever I went for a facial treatment I'd see them use this tool to do so as well, so I think this is probably the best way of doing it. Remember to never force it if you plan on using this tool, because then it'll be more likely that you will hurt the skin around the pimple which can lead to scarring.


Last but not least, I got this sample-sized Estee Lauder Pure Color Long-lasting Lipstick. I'm a little greedy when it comes to my lipstick collection because I'm always so in love with the packaging. With this little lipstick I don't really have to worry about finishing it and yet I get the good quality from Estee Lauder. I do like the colour as it seems like a very universal red that will probably look good on anyone.

That's ittt, let me know if you've tried these products already or if you want to see a review of them. Or just anything, because it's been waaay too long that I've talked to you guys.

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*Cookiie; Lime Crime Opaque Lipsticks in 'Retrofuturist' & 'Glamour 101'

Product description: Say goodbye to sliding, fading and sheer-ness with our best-selling opaque lipsticks. Loaded to the brim with pigment for maximum impact, these beauties offer unparalleled coverage in a rainbow of statement-making shades. Cruelty-free/vegan formula is smooth, non-drying and lasts for hours. Each lipstick comes encased in the signature purple tube adorned with a sparkling unicorn.

Retail price: $15.99 (Ordered at LimeCrimeMakeup.com)

The packaging

I actually wanted to rave about the packaging thoroughly, because it is simply brilliant. Even the parcel box that came with it was completely in LimeCrime's style, making the whole unboxing experience a lot more fun. However, I already have too many pictures to show so I'm skipping this part. Besides, now I won't spoil you the experience when you order it yourself. As for the lipstick packaging itself, the quality is quite good. The outside is made out of sturdy plastic and the inside from metal, making the lipstick fairly heavy. The weight is actually something I prefer, because it makes the lipstick feel more sturdy and less "cheap" (does that make sense?).


Retrofuturist
The product

Honestly, I don't have much to complain about the product. It is very similar to the Tom Ford lipstick I have, which is one of my favourites. It is very moisturizing, making it possible to use it without a lipbalm. However, because it is so moisturizing and creamy (even creamier than Tom Ford's), it will slide around very easily when you do apply lipbalm beforehand. I personally don't find it much of a problem, but not wearing lipbalm at all times is some sort of pet peeve of mine so it's just something that I noticed.


Glamour 101

Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Diisostearyl Malate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Castor Isostearate Succinate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Ozokerite, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Microcrystalline Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Vanillin, Capryl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Vegetable Oil, BHT. [+/-] Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Yellow 5 Lake (CI19140), Red #7 Lake (CI45410, CI15850), D&C Red #6 (CI15850), Blue #1 Lake (CI42090), Yellow #6 Lake (CI15985).

The pigmentation

Again, I find it similar to Tom Ford's lipstick. The pigmentation is great and the product will also stain your lips, making the fading less noticeable when the product strips off.


However, the colours show up slightly different compared to when I swatch it on my hand. The colours look a bit lighter, making it more vibrant but also pinker. This occurs more to 'Glamour 101' than 'Retrofuturust, whereas the latter one looks more true red in person than on the picture below. 'Glamour 101' turns out to be more like a rose/cherry red than a dark wine shade. The lip swatch picture below shows an even lighter shade than the hand swatch picture; this is mostly because of the lipbalm I applied beforehand. It does turn out darker when I skip the lipbalm, but it will still show up slightly lighter.


Bare lips, applied lipbalm.


Lime Crime Lipstick in 'Retrofuturist' applied.


Lime Crime Lipstick in 'Glamour 101' applied.


Full face pictures. The quality isn't great, but I didn't have time to take them properly.
The verdict

Pretty good. Not as good as my favourite Tom Ford lippie (As it should, that baby costed me a whole lot more! Or am I just biased?), but the colours are really nice and they're very moisturizing for lipsticks. I'd definitely recommend these lipsticks to anyone who's looking for some good reds or are in for some even more daring colours, as Lime Crime is known for their bold and vibrant colours in general.

Rating: 4.5/5

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