Who doesn't love a good face mask? I'm a fan of quick weekday pampering sessions and I do them regularly instead of saving masking for a special occasion. It takes relatively little time as I can go about my business while the mask dries or treats. I don't think masks are a must-have like a good cleanser or a serum, if you're on a budget I'd invest in just one according to your skin type or concerns.

NIOD Flavanone Mud

NIOD FM claims to work in three phases: purifying surface impurities, decongest and protect against environmental congestion factors for skin health and sustainable purity and glow. This red mud mask tingles on the skin, leaving it firm and supple without being drying. The tingling reduces after multiple uses. I'm quite liking this mask despite its strong smell - full review will follow.

Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment

I should've read the name more carefully, I just picked up a mini size on a whim from Sephora in Denmark. I am not convinced a product works just because it tingles, but I can take the strong tingling sensation. I liked the mask until it dried up and was time to rinse it off: the exfoliating particles didn't soften up at all and felt quite harsh, like rubbing sandpaper on my skin. After rinsing the mask my face was a bit red, firmer, but not moisturised. I far prefer the NIOD FM mask and think I'm going to pass on Glamglow.

Clarins hydraquench cream mask

Overnight mask or a "sleeping pack" like Asian masks tend to read, Clarins hydraquench is a tricker cream you apply as last step in your evening skincare routine. Most of the cream sinks in but leaves the skin feeling a bit sticky, which I'm not a huge fan of in overnight masks. It's nice and moisturising, sealing all my other skincare products in, but not a necessary step. I'd far prefer a luxurious cream with more anti-ageing ingredients. I'm glad I got the deluxe sample size first.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask

I purchased this mask after hearing a lot hype about Origins masks, but I'm not totally convinced. Again in a sleeping pack style, I apply it as last step in my evening routine, sealing all the serums and oils inside. With this I don't feel I need a separate moisturiser, but again, I do prefer a heavier night cream that sink in. In the mornings when I wash my face there is a film of sorts on my face. The texture is lighter than Clarins, if I had to pick between the two I'd go for Origins. Not a bad mask, but not interesting enough that I'd repurchase. The scent resembles mango yogurt.

My Beauty Diary Honey Mask

Now this mask is real skin entertainment. Out of all five masks this has the most interesting and fun texture! The mask resembles real liquid honey, has a mild scent and it heats up when you apply it on your face. The mask feels nourishing and moisturising, but not overly so. I think oilier skin types could also enjoy this mask, for me it's not quite moisturising enough I'd repurchase. Fun on cold days or in the sauna.

As you've noticed, I'm more a fan of masking rather than my actual wash-off masks. I use masks to relax and they act as a nice pick-me-up when my skin needs it. With sheet masks I usually get what I've paid for and enjoy them as often as I can.  What's your favorite wash-off mask? Any recommendations?

Laurantaina Beauty Blog also partakes in the Finnish Beauty Blog Advent Calendar! My post will be up on 19th of December and it may be giveaway related.. Stay tuned! The first calendar posts you can read here and here (English version). Enjoy!

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I've said it once or twice before, but I love a good cleanser. As I wear make up almost every single day, I'm very particular about the way I get it all off and how I treat my skin afterwards. I find cleansers and masks also a a great way to get familiarised with a new brand, as they're usually less of a splurge compared to serums and creams. I was generously sent this cleanser for review from January Labs, and gave it a good test for a couple of months before writing this review.

January Labs Pure & Gentle Cleansing Gel

Currently the Pure & Gentle Cleansing Gel is the only cleanser in January's line. It's designed for all skin types as a 1st cleanse to dissolve dirt, make up and sunscreen without leaving the skin feel stripped. The cleanser retails £23/$32 for 236ml/8 fl. oz on Cult Beauty or January Labs website. £23 is about 26,95€ and got to say it's a very decent price for such a big bottle.

Using the cleanser

The websites recommend multiple uses to the gel: refreshing morning cleanse or removing make up in the evenings - except for eye make up. I've put this cleanser in the use both morning and evening, 1st cleanse (taking of your make up) or 2nd cleanse (cleansing the face), sometimes removing the gel with a hot cloth or just rinsing. The gel is a bit stiff and clumpy when it comes from the bottle but smoothly on damp to wet skin. The gel lathers a bit I wouldn't call it a proper foam. I tend to alternate this product as my 1st and 2nd cleanser, but usually I gravitate towards 2nd just because my face is already damp after emulsifying my oil/balm cleanser. Honestly I think you can do both or even double cleanse with the gel if you're in a pinch. Thanks to its make up melting abilities I find it a bit 'wasteful' to use it as my morning cleanse and I tend to spare it for the evenings.

Ingredients

Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Disodiumlaureth Sulfosuccinate, Organic Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Ppg-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Natural Salt, Grape Seed Extract, Vitamin E Acetate, Willow Bark Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Vitamin A Palmitate, Bark Extract, Phospholipids, Sunflower Seed Extract, Licorice Extract, Papaya Fruit Extract, Vitamin C Palmitate, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate Lauryl Glucoside , Corn Derived Preservative, Sodium Benzoate, Glycerin, Sodium Pca, Lime Oil, Chamomile Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Citric Acid.

The ingredient list is both cleaning agents and botanicals with soothing and brightening properties. I was worried if the gel-to-foam formula contain any skin stripping ingredients like Sodium laureth sulfate, but according to COSDNA there is little to none low acne/irritation causing ingredients. The only warning flags are the Vitamin C Palmitate and Vitamin A Palmitate, which are both forms of antioxidants that have brightening benefits. If you're sensitive, I recommend patch testing, but I don't think the cleanser is on your skin long enough to cause irritation. There is lime oil in the formula, in the case you're sensitive to citrus ingredients. Other notable ingredients are soothing aloe extract, antioxidants like grape seed extract with anti-inflammatory white willow bark and licorice root extracts. 

Performance

Researching for this review, I was surprised to read online the cleanser wasn't for removing eye make up and eyes should be avoided. Lesson learned, the cleanser does sting if you open your eyes while washing. Keeping my eyes closed I have had no problem and irritation and I'm tempted to use it all over my face as the cleanser destroys my non-waterproof mascara, eyeliner and other make up effortlessly. I was dubious if a gel texture would suit my dry skin, as I often associate gels for oilier skin types, but the Pure & Gentle Cleansing Gel leaves my skin feeling clean, soft and balanced. No redness, dryness or that notorious 'tight' feeling you could experience with gels or foams. The scent reminds me of papaya and lime (both used ingredients). According to the meter I use, the pH is nicely acidic 5.4 which won't disturb skin's acid mantle and makes it suitable for acne prone skin (like mine).

Overall

January Labs Pure & Gentle Cleansing Gel is a great multipurpose 'workhorse' cleanser for both taking of your make up and washing your face in a gentle, non-irritating way. It's rare to find a cleanser that is both effective yet non-abrasive with a clean ingredient list. The low price point for a high end brand and big packaging size is top notch. This cleanser is something I would certainly take with me on a trip or in my gym bag.

If you've seen my January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream review you'll know I'm smitten with this Californian beauty brand founded by January Olds. I had a moment of panic when I ran out of the cream and had to purchase a new one in an instant. I'm telling you, this is a brand to keep an eye on as the products are very cleanly formulated with science and 'green beauty' hand in hand. The Pure & Gentle Cleansing Gel is something I'll 100% repurchase once I'm finished with the bottle.

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This post contains product(s) that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

I've always admired the Brush Queen of Sweet Make Up Temptations and her brush award posts have been my favorites to read. I feel brushes are more timeless than make up and these type of posts one can refer time and time again. My brush collection is smallish and humble, but I've been wanting to post my own favorites! 

These categories are completely arbitrary to my own preferences. I gathered the brushes I've reached the most or have left me the biggest impression this year. There are still other beauties I love and adore equally, but these deserve an extra mention. I hope you enjoy!

Best luxury brush

Koyomo Tsuki Cheek brush is one expensive pup, but oh, so divine. Extremely soft saikoho hair with deep red handle coated with aizu urushi lacquer. I love the contrast with white hair, black ferule and deep red handle. For me this brush is a perfect marriage of design, divine user experience and Japanese craftsmanship. The hairs are all white, my brush is just in use and I try avoid washing it too frequently.

I can't live one day without you brush

Old readers might have guessed this: Chikuhodo Z-2. I have a blog post dedicated to this brush and my favorite finishing powder here. Although Wayne Goss Air Brush is a great challenger for versatile and precise powder application, I've used Z-2 the most. Soft and tapered tip has more body than the WG, which I enjoy.

The perfect eye blender brush

When my friend recommended this brush I was dubious, thinking it would be the same as Hakuhodo's J142. If you don't want to splurge on TF, is J142 a good option, but Tom Ford Eye Blender Brush 13 is denser, fuller, less tapered has more body to it. I can't resist sexy the gold and black combination and I love the long length and perfect weight of the brush. You wouldn't guess how pleasant using a brush can be before you find the optimal handle weight for you. I will never part with this brush.

Eyeshadow laydown brush

My essential brush every morning. I prime my eyelids with an eyeshadow primer and a nude powder shadow 99% time I do my make up, so an effective brush for a quick laying down the base color is an essential. My go-to brush has been the Houkudou gold & black series brush G-S1. Made of Canadian squirrel hair, it's larger and feels softer than Chikuhodo G-03, my old favorite for the same purpose.

Blush brush of the year

Hakuhodo J110. Now, she's not a new acquisition whatsoever, but I find my hand reaching for this blush brush more than frequently. Although I love my round pom-pom shaped blush brushes, softness of squirrel hair and the flexibility of Kyureido or SUQQU, the Hakuhodo J110 is a true multitasker. Dab, swirl or buff - this brush has got your back with both medium and sheer pigmentation blushes. The handle sits perfectly into my hand, I love the length of the hair as well.

Contour brush of the year

Now, I dislike it when people online say you "need" an item. Nobody needs make up or brushes, but with the lack of better verbalisation I'd want to say: if you contour your cheeks you need this brush. It's soft but not ultra soft, has the perfect density and strength for applying and blending any harsh contour lines. The angled shape fits under jaw line or cheek bones beautifully. The experience won't get much better than this. If you have been umming and ahing between the RMK (harder) and Chikuhodo (slimmer) contour brushes I say go for Surratt. 

Best discovery

When I was in the Koyudo factory store I found an unfamiliar looking bunch of brushes in a jar, made of squirrel hair and priced very reasonably. I don't know other purpose of this brush, except it was limited to the factory store. Maybe a prototype of sorts? The long hairs make this brush feel ultra soft and it diffuses color beautifully. I'm very glad I picked this one up as it's a beautiful brush and brings me back lovely memories from my Kumano trip.

The Set of the year

This could have been the Chikuhodo Lumière set from last year, but the award has to go to Koyomo Hana Gradation set. Ultra soft goat hair, super cute and efficient. One of the best priced fude sets out there. Personally I love pink and using these brushes with tulip shaped handles make me happy every time. Here are more pictures and my full review.

Facegasm brush

I don't have many humongous face brushes, but Chikuhodo Lumière needs to be mentioned here. I love the whole Lumière holiday set, but the powder brush with super long hair is like a huge kitten's paw caressing your face. It has a nice amount of density and width for applying finishing powder. The golden handle is simply beautiful and the glitter stars haven't come off at all.

Unsung heroes

Hakuhodo spoolie S194 and B015 eyebrow brushes are something I reach for every day and simply can't live without. I remember when I asked the SA at Hakuhodo Aoyama store for their best eyebrow brush and without thinking she handed me B015. She was right. B015 is small but not tiny, very precise and comfortable for drawing eyebrows with a powder. Long time I used a disposable mascara wands to comb my brow hairs. Although it works, I would never go back - not after trying a proper quality spoolie like Hakuhodo S194. They're both small investments you'll use and enjoy every day.

Brand discovery

Now this is a tough one, were getting to the 'selecting your favorite child' territory, as I tried Koyomo, Kyureido, Tanseido and Shaquda first time this year. I deeply adore all of these brands, and if I had to choose, I'd go for Shaquda's handles, Koyomo's goat hair, Tanseido's brush shapes and Kyureido's softness. In the end, I think I'd have to pick Tanseido although I love the other brands equally. Insane softness, long handles and interesting shapes just stole my heart completely. Read more about my Tanseido face brushes in this post.

The Most beautiful brush roll

I was presented the most gorgeous brush roll hand-made by the lovely Sarah aka 212kiki. She has recycled old kimonos for the outer fabric and lined the inside is with a dirt-resistant material that can be wiped clean. Perfectly sewn, practical and beautiful. This is certainly one the most unique and thoughtful gifts a brush nut can receive! Sarah is also a Brush Goddess with a divine collection, make sure to check her Instagram account!

And that's it for the Laurantaina Beauty Blog Brush Awards 2016! Did anything catch your eye? Which brushes have you loved the most this year?

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Being "a little" addicted to Addiction, I find it hard to resist their new collections. Their icy Winter collection was pretty, but after getting all the Helene Schjerfbeck inspired eyeshadows from the Fall collection, I decided to not get anything. I was about to skip Spring 2017 as well: although the eyeshadows were beautifully marbled they didn't seem to pack much punch pigmentation-wise. In the end I was drawn to the mattes and decided to pick up one eyeshadow and one blusher: 114 Lady Amaryllis and 40 Favorite Little Dress.

Addiction by Ayako Spring Collection 2017 is inspired by a Swedish abstract painter Hilma af Klint. The blusher retails ¥3,024 (~$26,6) for 3.9g and eyeshadows ¥2,160 (~$19) for 1g.

114 Lady Amaryllis

114 Lady Amaryllis reminded me of now discontinued Equinox Flower, which is one of my favorite and most unique eyeshadows. Equinox Flower is a pearl finish, a medium yellow shade with a hint of mustard. Now available 118 Crown Imperial might work as a good substitute! Lady Amaryllis on the other hand is a medium bright orange, applies smoothly and pigmented without feeling dry or patchy.

40 Favorite Little Dress

I find some Addiction blushes to be on the sheer side, but Favorite Little Dress is nicely pigmented and applies beautifully. It gives a cute healthy flush to the cheeks and certainly packs some 'punch' what some of the eyeshadows in this collection were missing. I think Ayako also came out with a matching lipstick, but I was more drawn to the blusher shade.

Swatches

For once I didn't ended up purchasing similar shades to what I already own (yay!), although now Favorite Little Dress reminds me of RBR Orpheline (review here). The only permanent item in this lineup is Stylish 30, which would look nicely tonal with Lady Amaryllis.

MOTD

Here's a my weekend look using both of the items. I really like the orange eyeshadow, it adds a nice pop of color without being difficult to wear.

Base: Rouge Bunny Rouge Milk Aquarelle Foundation in Coconut Milk Parfait (review here), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla under the eyes + RBR powder in Diaphanous (review here)
Eyes: Brows Viseart Structure palette and little bit of RBR brow mascara. Eyeshadow Addiction 056 Brown Beach in the crease and 063 Truffle in outer 'V', mixed on the lower lash line. 114 Lady Amaryllis on the mobile lid. Mascara Heroine Make Long & Curl (film type)
Cheeks & Lips: Addiction blush My Favorite Dress and THREE Refined Control Lip Pencil in My Lionheart

I'm liking these make up items a lot. Did you pick up anything from Addiction by Ayako's recent collections?

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Hello! I'm sorry for the lack of recent updates on the blog, but as you may see the site has gone through a revamp. I've been working on this layout for a good couple of weeks behind the scenes and now I'm itching to get back regular blog posting. Thank you for your patience!

Today I have pleasure to review this Josh Rosebrook Active Infusion serum that was kindly sent to me from the JR team. To put in one word: bliss. That's the first and only word that comes to my mind when using this serum. To not make this review utterly and completely useless I'll elaborate, but I warn you: it's a rave review.. 

Active Infusion Serum

The Active Infusion Serum is a hydrating, herb-infused oil based serum. The serum is rich in phytonutrients and fatty acids to nourish, moisturize and repair the skin. It retails $70/~65.2€ for 1oz/30ml or $125/116.4€ for 2oz/60ml. You can purchase the serum from Josh Rosebrook (US), A Beautiful World (EU) and Reina Organics (EU).

Packaging

I am so pleased the serum has a pump packaging instead of a pipette, but unfortunately the pump can get a little messy if you hold the bottle vertically. To get the best application, I hold the bottle horizontally and no serum will drip down the packaging. I would prefer serums and oils to be packed in a dark glass containers instead of see-through, as I'm worried they will go off quicker. At least you see how much serum you have used (which makes me panic, I don't want to run out of this any time soon).

Scent

I wouldn't buy or rate a skincare product based on the scent, in fact I prefer fragrance free products as fragrances can be irritating for the skin. However, I don't mind if a product has a natural scent. I've learned the scent profile plays a major part in many eco luxury products, sometimes even aromatherapeutic properties. I adore the scent of Josh Rosebrook's products. I find it hard to describe as I don't recognise ylang ylang or other floral scents very well, there's definitely vanilla but nothing like the overpowering synthetic or overly sweet fragrance. More like a like a cloud of vanilla marshmallow. In case of strong facial oils the scent can be strong, even foul, but Active Infusion Serum smells addictive. If you're familiar with the brand's Hydrating Accelerator or Cleanse, it's similar.

Using the Active Infusion Serum

I'm on the fence should this product be called a serum or an oil, to me it's a hybrid. The texture isn't greasy or thick, but doesn't disappear into my skin in an instant like some lighter oils do. Little goes a long way as this serum spreads on the skin. I use circular motions to spread the serum and press the it in. For me there isn't uncomfortable residue, but I can feel how my skin is significantly moisturised. Often I find it hard to distinguish products' brightening properties, but Josh Rosebrook Active Infusion Serum leaves a beautiful glow on my face. Not the oil slick type of greasy shine, but very nourished and healthy looking. My make up looks extra nice when there's a slight dew underneath.

Ingredients

*Avocado Oil, †Marula Oil, *Jojoba Oil, *Hemp Seed Oil, *Sunflower Oil, *Apricot Oil, *Evening Primrose Oil, *Almond Oil, *Grape Seed Oil, *Sea Buckthorn Oil, *Goji Berry, *Raspberry Leaf, *Turmeric, *Rose Petals, *Sage, *Eyebright, *Dandelion, *Alfalfa, *Ashwagandha, *Black Cohosh, *Rose Hips, *Calendula, *Milk Thistle, *Bladderwrack, *Ginger, *Licorice, *Chickweed, *Elderberry, *Marshmallow Root, *Fenugreek, *Cats Claw, *Lavender, *St. Johns Wort, *Cinnamon, *Ginkgo, *Vanilla Extract, †Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, †Rosemary Essential Oil, †Eucalyptus Essential Oil. (*Certified Organic, †Organic)

The base of the serum is a blend of beautiful, organic oils of avocado, marula, jojoba and hemp. I especially love marula oil as it's very potent source of antioxidants, nutrients and essential fatty acids. These antioxidants provide great protection against photo-aging by neutralizing free radical damage and building healthy collagen. Rich in oleic and linoleic acid, marula oil reduces transepidermal water loss for softer, protected, moisturised skin. 

Despite being packed with intensely moisturising carrier oils, I find the consistency of the Active Infusion Serum light and absorbing quickly (with a little residue). I believe this product can work for a variety of skin types from dry to oily, even sensitive. The rest of the ingredients are plants and herbs that have soothing, anti-inflammatory, firming and brightening properties. Personally I can't find any offensive ingredients: no fillers, no synthetic ingredients. Just pure, high quality ingredients. Even the used oils are low or moderately low on the comedogenic scale, but I recommend patch testing if you're very prone to acne or sensitive to essential oils.

Overall thoughts

I think Active Infusion Serum is an all rounder treatment for a variety of skin types can benefit from. For oily skin types it's an excellent night oil in the place of a moisturiser, normal to dry skins can enjoy it under a light cream or a balm AM/PM. The serum won't make your wrinkles disappear in a blink of an eye, but provides nourishment, moisture and plumping the fine lines. And glow, definitely glow! The scent is easily addictive, but so is the feel it leaves on the skin. I look forward using this product every morning and night. I only wish the bottle wasn't see through, I hope the oil won't go bad in room temperature. Will purchase the 2oz bottle once I run out.

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The product in this post was generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

I've been trying and testing today's product quite a while, the Go & Glow Power Peel Exfoliant by January Labs, one of my favorite skincare brands. I'm a big fan of her beautiful Revitalizing Day Cream (review here) and Pure&Gentle Cleansing gel (review here). This mask is is like a mini facial in a jar, bringing you glowing results, but unfortunately wasn't a perfect match for my skin. I will explain why is this still potentially a fabulous mask for more normal to oily skin types.

January Labs Glow and Go Power Peel Exfoliant

January Labs is a well-curated, eco-friendly brand from California. Their skincare pays a lot of attention in ingredient synergy, producing pH optimised and active skincare without sulfates, parabens or fragrance. Go & Glow Power Peel exfoliant is heat stimulating and skin activating mask that is said to exfoliate the skin while increasing circulation and oxygenating the skin, giving an instant radiance and glow to one's complexion. The mask retails £55/$70/(~65€) for 48g/1.69oz on January Labs official site and Cult Beauty.

Using Power Peel Exfoliant

This mask spreads and applies like liquid honey, which I find quite lovely. There's something so satisfying in dipping to the drippy golden liquid! I'm not generally a fan of jar packaging, but I don't find the application messy at all, the protective inner lid keeps all the product safe. There is a warm and pleasant cinnamon scents, reminds me of the spicy mulled wine we drink during Christmas in Finland. I usually spread a thin layer on freshly cleansed face, the packaging recommends applying the mask also on the neck and décolleté area. Within a couple of minutes the mask starts drying down, making my skin feel little tighter. I rinse it off after 10-15 minutes or alternatively use a warm washcloth. 

Ingredients

Water, Hypromellose, Phenol, Cinnamon Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Chloroxylenol, Grapefruit Extract

The ingredients list is pleasantly short: water, a thickening agent, a few preservatives, cinnamon oil and grapefruit extract. The ingredients rated 1 (low hazard) except for Potassium Sorbate and Chloroxylenol, which rated 3 (low to moderate hazard) on EWG cosmetic database. The star of the ingredients list is of course the cinnamon oil, which is said to enrich the skin with oxygen, increase circulation and reduce the pore size. Stimulating blood flow to the surface of the skin can cause temporary flushing and tingling, which is not dangerous, but brings a youthful glow to the face. 

Results

As much as I love January and her product line, I'm fairly confirmed this mask just doesn't work for me as it should. I've tried it several times, took some time off and tried again, but I found it hard to see any change. The mask doesn't tingle on me, but I confirmed with January that the lack of tingling isn't an issue: our sebum are different and some experience tingling differently. The mask will still boost circulation oxygenate the skin. However, my face was seemingly the same after each time I tried, no added glow or radiance, just a bit firmer but drier.

I wondered if the mask had been compromised somehow while sitting in my cupboards, so I gave a generous sample to a girlfriend to try. She did experience flushing, but the mask was too stimulating and drying for her taste. Finally, I asked my boyfriend to try the mask and he quickly got the tingling sensation, didn't feel any drying and after wearing the mask for 10 mins his skin looked very nice and healthy. I was impressed (and little jealous because I couldn't get the same effect haha). My boyfriend has a normal to combination skin type, me and my girlfriend are on the dry side, her skin being even more reactive.

Overall thoughts

I'm bummed as I had very high hopes for this mask and I've read several positive reviews. January Labs creates wonderful, gorgeous skincare products, but Power Peel Exfoliant mask perhaps wasn't stimulating enough for me. For my boyfriend it was spot on – and now he his first facial mask in his routine. As the mask is quite valuable, I would recommend you getting a sample and perhaps skip it if you're prone to be very dry or reactive/ sensitive. More normal to oily, mature or dull skins could potentially enjoy this mask a lot. I imagine the mask will also benefit people with large pores, as it is quite tightening. I can see this product being a hit at spas where a professional can determine your skin type and individual needs. The ingredient list is short and sweet and if the mask works for you the it does bring instant results.

Have you tried anything from January Labs yet? What's your favorite brightening mask?

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The product in this post was generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

Last November I did a Winter Wishlist post, which I remember being well received (the comments have disappeared after I switched to using Disqus). It was a fun post to put together and I ended up picking up a couple of the items during the Holidays - the others are still on my wish list. Instead of day dreaming about beauty products I thought I'd put together a different beauty list: what's been on my radar for the past month. Not only I get to share and keep a track of my interests, but perhaps you can share your experiences in the comments below!

Face balms

I'm obsessed. Not only balm cleansers, but leave on beauty balms. I'm currently typing away my first review and I have 3 other in my stash. I'm crazy about the texture, look, scent and feel of beautiful eco beauty balms. The cold Finnish Winter months, ocean wind and prescription tretinoid has left my skin parched. As much as I like applying many steps of hydrating layers with toners and lotions, I've noticed a layer of a luscious balm makes a major difference in my skin - especially layered with a facial oil.

Anti-hauls

I've been contemplating wether I should do one of these posts. Basically anti-haul is a list of "the shit you're not going to buy". As social media beauty gurus and influencers constantly tell us to buy buy and buy more, an anti-haul takes a humorous, over-exaggerated spin to capitalism and consumerism and tell you why you don't need X, not going to buy it. Brought to media attention by YouTuber Kimberly Clark, a hysterically funny drag queen. I highly recommend you check out her videos!

Spread sheets

This year I'm trying to be a better consumer in many aspects, one being sensible when I purchase an expensive skincare item. As there are many gorgeous products on my radar, I'm not only keeping an eye on the INCI but also the price tag in euro/dollar/pound and how many ml/oz you get. Spread sheets help me to keep a proper track of the currencies of interesting products, ingredients, product open dates and my ratings.

Oil serums

After trying out the Josh Rosebrook Active Infusion Serum (review here) a totally new world of luxurious, oil based eco beauty serums opened its doors for me. I talked about the Vintner's Daughter in my Winter Wishlist post, but the hefty price tag has made me postpone my purchase. Also, I have several other beautiful face serums on my radar like the Mahalo Vitality Elixir, Lina Hanson Global Face Serum and May Lindstrom The Youth Dew. So many beautiful serums, only one face!

Tom Ford Summer 2017

Lately I've been more into skincare than new make up releases, the Spring collections just haven't spoken to me (except for the new SUQQU collection: first review here). But then I saw sneak peeks of the upcoming Tom Ford Summer releases, which crazily enough were ready for pre-order in February. I could feel my heart pounding faster. I love Summer 2016 Bicoastal cheek palette, so I'm excited for the new duos and cream and powder eyeshadows. Give me all that glitters! Haha

Vogue Beauty Secrets

I'm "a little" addicted watching beauty videos on YouTube, but sometimes I'm astonished how many drag queen make up techniques are required to get ready. Mind you, I also wear a lot of make up and there's nothing wrong with it, but I could imagine not everyone have the time, energy or skill to do baking and elaborate cut creases every day. Vogue's Beauty Secrets are casual get ready with me videos with some of the most gorgeous women on the planet. They make it look so effortless, easy and damn chic. I could play these videos on repeat. I especially love watching how Karen Elson, Dree Hemingway and Jessica Jung get ready.

What were your beauty highlights in February? Any oil serum recommendations for me?

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I've been meaning to do more brush posts, but since my last Japan trip one year ago I've been on a "brush diet" or "no-buy". I'm still quite smitten with the brushes I purchased at that time and new acquisitions have been few. You can read here my top brush picks for 2016. I hardly purchase brushes on a whim, but too much browsing reddit's /r/fude made me to impulse purchase a Koyudo x CDJapan collaboration blush brush with gray squirrel hair and yakusugi handle (屋久杉軸 灰リスチークブラシ. It's an unique brush and quite pricey, so I thought I'd share some pictures and thoughts.

Stats

Full length approx. 164mm
Hair length 39mm
Thickness 17mm
Ferrule base 20mm

Price ¥9800 (approx $85.83)
Hair material: gray squirrel
Handle material: Yakusugi tree
Shape: Flat, rounded

Yakusugi tree

"Ancient Cedar Trees" from Yakushima Island were added to the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1993 and registered for Japan's first World Natural Heritages. The cedar trees grow on the Yakushima island, south of Kagoshima, more than 500 meters above sea level. In general the Japanese cedar lives for about 500 years, but Yakusugi lives much longer: only more than 1000 years old cedar can be called a Yakusugi tree (屋久杉). Those less than 1000 years old are called "kosugi" (lit. small Japanese cedar). Cutting and trimming the yakusugi trees is prohibited by law. The wood used for brushes and souvenirs are from fallen down trees, naturally blown down by strong wind or a typhoon. These trees are called "domaiboku" (lit. buried trees in ground). The natural grain pattern of each brush handle is unique.

Fragrance

Yakusugi trees contain more resin than regular cedars due to Yakushima's high rainfall and high humidity, making the tree harder to rot. As a result these trees have longer lives, but also a distinguished aroma from the natural resin. To me the scent of the handle is very mild, it can vary from handle to handle. Upon close sniffing the scent is a bit lemony-peppery, not really woodsy at all. I was hoping the scent was stronger, as I bought the brush mainly for a collector's piece.

Usage

Instead of just displaying my valuable or "collector's" brushes, I do use all of them. CDJapan lists the usage for foundation (I hope they mean powder foundation), powder, finishing and bronzer. Personally I only use it for blush. The hairs are very soft, spayed a bit like a fan. I find it excellent for picking up very pigmented blushes and lightly swiping on the cheeks. The shape nor softness of the hairs isn't ideal for blending my blush, but you can nicely build intensity. Here's what the application looks like with one of my most pigmented blushes (Kevyn Aucoin Myracle). The handle is surprisingly light on my hand, very pleasant to hold. I like that the ferrule is black, creating a beautiful contrast to the light wood of the handle. What I'm not very keen about is the brush sheds quite a bit. It's natural for a brush to shed a little bit, since there might be loose hairs when the brush has been assembled; this doesn't mean the glue has loosened up. Still, I don't like finding stray hairs on my cheeks.

Thoughts

The brush is beautiful but very much a collector's item, I don't find it necessary for everyone's brush kit. I don't have a similar brush in my collection so I'm happy to own it. If the fragrance was stronger I might hype this brush to the moon and back, but since it isn't, I'm a tiny bit disappointed. I don't regret my purchase but I'm glad I didn't go for the more expensive powder brush. To someone else the brush may be just a souvenir material turned into a brush, but personally I love Japan very deeply and love to have a piece of its natural history. Maybe some day I get to see the Yakusugi cedar trees!

Which brush are you loving right now?

Happy holidays and season's greetings everyone! I try to resist the holiday craze, but now the Xmas is just around the corner. Even if you don't celebrate it I want to give something back to my readers and thank you for supporting me during this fun ½ year I've been blogging.

I'm giving away one of my favorite products from one of my favorite brands: the Rouge Bunny Rouge RAW GARDEN: Caliche palette! Caliche is the cool, brown-mauve toned eyeshadow quad with buttery soft pigments and insanely beautiful satin finish. The winner obviously gets a brand new unopened one, the palette depicted is mine. I've reviewed it's more neutral sister version, Antigo, here. This palette retails for 59€/$59 and the giveaway is open internationally!

The winner will be randomly chosen on December 31th 23:59 Finnish time (GMT+02:00). I will contact the winner by email and update the winner's username in this post! Please reply my message within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. To be eligible to participate please follow these simple rules:

- Comment this blog post answering the questions: Which post(s) have you enjoyed the most? Any post ideas you'd like to read about in the future? (general feedback appreciated)

- Optional two extra entries: Following me on Bloglovin' (remember to post your username in the comments)

That's it! Good luck! xx

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

The winner is username Henna73! Congratulations! I'll email you asap!

This post is a part of the Finnish Beauty Blogger's Advent Calendar! Most of the blogs are in Finnish, but I highly recommend you check out yesterday's posts by the beautiful Myy of Nutturapää and the lovely Ilona of Eyeshadow and Flame. They've both created gorgeous look with Colorpop shadows! Tomorrow's post will open at The Domino Effect -blog. Banner by Elämää smykkinä.

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I've said it before and I say it again: if you have healthy looking skin and beautiful brows you won't need any (other) make up. I am fortunate to have somewhat decent brows - and by decent I mean they grow and have color. I did my best to ruin them as a teenager by plucking and shaving my brows in odd places, smudging black kohl on top of them. Oh how times have changed.. Nowadays I try my best to keep them looking natural and filled in, not very graphic or arched. Rouge Bunny Rouge kindly sent me their brow products to try, today I'll share my thoughts about the Long-Lasting Brow Liners!

ALCHEMY Long-lasting Brow Liner

RBR eye pencils are sort of 'automatic pens' which you can twist up and down, without the need to resharpen them. The tip is very fine and small for precise drawing. Comes in two shades: Trona (lighter) and Antimony (darker). The brow liners retail 26€ for 0.09g / 0.003 oz.

The brow liner

My first impression was the brow liners are very thin, smaller and lighter than a regular mechanical pencil, but in the use I haven't found any problem to hold and draw with the pencils. The nib is also tiny, which is great for drawing individual brow hairs or filling in the tail of the brow. If your brows are very sparse you may try filling them in with a brow powder first and then with a liner for definition. If you've got fuller brows then this liner should be enough to style your brows.

Formula

The Alchemy Long-Lasting Brow Liners waxy, the formula won't slide or move around. In my opinion the nib has optimal hardness for precise drawing. You can blend a fresh stroke a bit, but it quickly sets with a matte, smudge-free finish. The color opacity is medium for easy-to-achieve natural brows, it's hard to go overboard with these liners. I wouldn't say any brow liner could replace a brow gel/mascara, but the wax can help to keep your brow hairs in place if they aren't particularly unruly.

RBR claims the brow liners to be waterproof and last over 10-hours and with the latter I can agree. I haven't tested them in water, but my brows do stay put during a sweaty exercise session. The only con I can think off the liner doesn't have a lot of product, and if you use one every day to completely draw your brows I think you'll run out fairly quickly.

Swatches

Here's Trona and Antimony in indoor lighting. They're both earthy browns with ashy undertones: Trona lighter for blonde to medium brown hairs and Antimony from dark brown to black hair. I like the shades as they don't have excess warmth/red and look very natural on the browns, especially Antimony is very cool. If you're very blonde or ginger there might not be a perfectly matching shade for you. With my medium brown hair I think I can pull off both shades, so I rotate them depending my mood. If I had to choose for myself, I prefer the lighter Trona:

Below are the both liners in natural light after hard rubbing. As you can see, they did fade a bit but didn't smudge excessively. I don't think you'll be rubbing your eyebrows in this manner you should be worried about messing your brows.

Overall

I'm very happy RBR finally came out with brow products and they perform very well. I'll reach for the Alchemy Long-Lasting Brow Liners especially on the days when I want the ease of quick application or need good longevity from my make up. However, I try to be sparing as the price is quite high. I hope RBR comes out with one or two additional colors in the future, but if either of these shades spoke to you I can highly recommend them.

Feel free to use the code  RBR-LAURALOUKOLA20 (non-affiliated) to get 20% off your Rouge Bunny Rouge order! It should be valid until the end of the year.

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This post contains product(s) that were generously provided for consideration. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. The links are for your convenience and do not contain ads.

I wish you a beautiful and bright festive season and a Happy New Year!

xx Laura

Happy Monday! I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and happy holidays if you celebrate them. Today I'm reviewing a gorgeous highlighter from one of my favorite high end brands: Tom Ford. I remember when my friend hyped the Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo duo last year, but at the time I wasn't too interested in another highlighter. The darker shade looked way too deep and intimidating for my skin tone, but after purchasing and falling in love with THREE's Shimmering Glow duo (review here) I knew I had to get the TF powder version...

SKIN ILLUMINATING POWDER DUO 01 MOODLIGHT

Unfortunately in Finland we only have a Tom Ford counter at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport duty free, and they didn't have it in stock. The kindest SA informed me the duo wasn't a limited edition, and luckily I managed to find it in the Copenhagen Magasin department store during my trip last August. Originally Moodlight was a limited edition release for Fall 2015. The powder duo comes in a classic Tom Ford rectangular packaging with gold detailing, protected by a brown suede pouch. The two powders are embossed with cross-hatch pattern and TF initials. The embossings last nicely on the powder, even after several uses. The duo is fairly expensive ~67€/$70 but you get massive 12g/.42oz of product.

The packaging

Tom Ford products are always exquisite, they simply don't look stunning but the packaging is sturdy and has some weight to it. The compact is secure although there is no a visible clasp or a magnet to keep the lid closed. I like it how the lid opens whole 180° degrees. The mirror is large like in all TF compacts, perfect for travel.

USING MOODLIGHT

I use the white opal one for a subtle glow on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. On my light skin the copper one is too dark as a highlight, but I apply it as a blush topper for a bronzy glow or mix with the lighter shade. The lovely SA at Tom Ford showed me a way to bronze your face with the bronzy powder, but I think the look might be better suited for medium skin tones. On medium skins the white shade will appear as a more visible highlight, on deep skin tones the contrast will be more evident. I do think this palette will compliment a nice variety of skin tones and be almost universally flattering.

Look and Performance

The pigmentation of these powders is sheer (white) to medium (bronze), both buildable and visible on the skin. The powders are finely milled and nicely blendable as you would expect from Tom Ford. I simply love it how light hits these powders, giving a youthful sheen to the face without being frosty or having chunks of glitter. The colors seem to have a mix of pigments, both having peachy-pink undertones.

Needless to say, not both sides are created equally. Whereas the bronze copper shade is very pigmented and soft to touch, the white opal highlighter feels stiff with a very subtle payoff. I don't know if mine is a dud, but feels like the powder was pressed too hard. This wouldn't bother me if I didn't feel the need to almost rub my brush in to the pan and check if there's product on the brush. I do love the color and have nothing against more subtle highlighters, but I'm confused with hardness of the other powder. On medium to deep skin tones I think the light shade will be beautiful and more evident. Tom Ford powders still blend and adhere beautifully to the skin and last on me a long time without fading.

Swatches

- A pale opalescent white with pinky undertones and very fine golden shimmer
- Light copper shade with a beautiful champagne sheen

The THREE Shimmering Glow Duo (review here) is a pinker and darker with more warm, coppery undertones compared to the Tom Ford. Whereas THREE is more glittery, the finish of Moodlight is more refined with a high sheen. 

Overall

I don't want to say I'm disappointed because I paid a pretty penny for this product, but I wanted both sides to be as silky soft and pigmented as the copper shade. Otherwise I would claim this duo is a must have. The look of both powders is simply exquisite, sophisticated, subtle glow for any occasion. Despite the white powder being on the stiffer side it will still win many high end powders in comparison.

Have you tried Tom Ford highlighters or his other products?

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For this post I'm doing something different: recreating a make up look that I like. This is more of a 'get ready with me' style post than a tutorial. I'm a bit shy when it comes to posting my photo (or any creation to be honest) as I'm not a natural in front of a camera. But I love make up looks done by bloggers and seeing the reviewed products in action, so I try my best to share you mine. Hopefully you enjoy this post!

I took inspiration from Rouge Bunny Rouge's Rebel Princess Rhapsody look, which is a stunning shimmery smokey eyes with a red lip. It reminds me of Natalie Portman's Odile make up in the movie Black Swan. I dug out my RBR make up and tried my best to use similar products I had at hand. I've linked all my product reviews available for more swatches and information. Thank you for RBR for providing me the new Long-lasting Duo Cream Shadow in Birdwing Beauteous and Brightening Eye Duo in Glacier Flower to recreate this beautiful make up look. Let's start!

Base make up

Here's my almost bare face. I mixed the Serene Light Skin Perfector with my usual RBR Milk Aquarelle foundation in Coconut Milk Parfait for a light-medium coverage. Serene Light is an odd one - I'm about to review this product, but haven't quite gasped if it's a primer, a foundation topper or what. It just makes your skin appear extra good, healthy and luminous. I dust a light layer of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light to set the make up and pinpoint conceal any blemishes with Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-2.

I pencil my brows with RBR Alchemy Brow Liner in Trona, topping with some RBR brow mascara in Earthshine. Under eye concealer is a must for me, I've used the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla for years. It's pink undertone cancels out the purples of my under eye and inner corner area. I'm setting the concealer with Diaphanous loose powder and the Wayne Goss Air brush. I applied some RBR Tinted Luxe Balm in Pinch of Nude as my lip balm, letting it sink in while I work on the eyeshadow. Please ignore the color of my lips, I just had some coffee. Having a cup has become a part of my make up routine, I feel weird without having some.

Color make up

Time for the eyeshadow! In the original look a black kohl was used as a base, but I applied the cream shadow directly with the doe foot applicator, working one eye at the time. RBR Silk Aether cream shadows blend nicely with fingers, but achieve the wing shape I reached for my flat Hakuhodo BJ004S brush. I use the Kihitsu small eyeshadow brush to blend the edges - I want them to be smokey, messy and a bit grunge. Go for the kohl base if you want cleaner, less sparkly eyes. The Kihitsu brush diffuses the color without being too precise. Birdwing Beauteous cream shadow leaves a beautiful, almost oil slick finish while the sheerest layers are more powdery. I apply a couple of coats to get an opaque finish and pay attention to get the color as close to my lash line as possible. The pointy tip of Hakuhodo BJ004S is wonderful for this purpose.

I started adding the champagne shade directly with the applicator but quickly switched to Koyudo C001 to not get the doe foot dirty. I applied the shadow to my inner corners and blended to the black about 1/3 of my lid. I could have reached for a larger blender brush for this purpose, but in the end I let Koyudo C001 do the job. Seriously, if you're getting one pencil brush - get this! It's so good, firm but soft and precise. The contrast between the black and champagne shadows is strong but beautiful.

Finally I use the Brightening Eye Duo in Glacier Flower for my waterline. I didn't expect much from a pencil, but after trying it I fell hard in love. It applies perfectly creamy and smooth. I'm always looking for the perfect inner corner highlight and Glacier Flower is maybe my top 3! In the original look the pinky highlight shade is used for the inner corner, but I wanted mine to be more sparkly. I smudge the RBR brown eye kohl in 'Lola' for the lower lash line and apply two coats of the RBR Magnitude Mascara. It nicely defines and lengthens, but sometimes smudges on me at the end of the day.

Lastly I use the Original Skin Blush in Delicata to give some definition to my cheeks. It's one of my favorite blushes, a perfect 'contouring' blush for paler skin tones. I didn't have the lip products used in the original look so I went with a juicy cherry red named Relish of Heaven. The formula is moisturising and sheer, an easy to wear alternative to a strong red lipstick I no longer tend to wear.

Swatches

- Relish of Heaven lipstick: wet effect scarlet with sheer/medium opacity
- Delicata blush: a nude beige with a hint of rosy peach.
- Lola eye khol: chocolate brown with copper overtones
- Birdwing Beauteous duo cream eyeshadow: Gorgeous icy champagne shimmer and a black with blue shift and multi-colored micro glitter
- Glacier Flower brightening liner duo: pinky vanilla with subtle shimmer and white beige

Finished look

And here we are! I am very happy I decided to try the 'Rebel Princess Rhapsody' look, it was both fun and pretty easy to do. My make up isn't as dramatic as the original, but to me it's a lot as I rarely stray away from my usual neutral eyeshadows. I love the feline eye effect and how the 'wings' peek when I have my eyes open. Please leave me a comment if you enjoyed the style of this post as I'd love to do more! xx

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The Skin Perfector, Brightening Liner Duo, Long-lasting Brow Liner, Tinted Luxe Balm, Brow Expert Gel and Long-lasting Duo Cream Shadow provided courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge. As always, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. 

Happy 2017! I'm glad we're in the new year, but instead of being brisk, bright and prepared I'm having a mental post-holiday slump.. It's the 3rd of January and my energy and creativity just isn't here. All I want to do is binge watch detective series, nap and dream about treats instead of working on my projects, going to gym and starting the year on the right foot..

Let's talk about something more fun - any by fun I mean eyeshadow. Earlier last Fall while I was typing my review for RBR Antigo palette, I asked 'when can I get more of this?!'. Now Rouge Bunny Rouge delivers, they've now released another RAW GARDEN eyeshadow palette named Caliche. If you've never tried RBR eyeshadows before I urge you to read this post! 

RAW GARDEN: Caliche

As I've already reviewed Antigo, I won't babble too lengthy here but let the pictures do the talking. The palette has four shades seamlessly in one single pan, being on the cooler-neutral side compared to Antigo. Caliche retails 59€ for 7 g / 0.25 oz on Rouge Bunny Rouge's website. This palette was a also a price in my Holiday Giveaway, won by username Henna73. Congratulations!

The packaging

There's a beautiful zig-zag embossment on the powders. Despite all shades being in all in one big pan, I've had no issues to pick up individual colors with a brush. The palette has a magnetic closure, which feels secure enough I would travel with this palette. Beautiful, sleek and minimal.

Texture

It's my pleasure to tell you that RBR delivers in consistent quality and Caliche feels and performs as spectacular as it's warmer sister. I'm still blown away by this formula. It's silky, blends with no effort and feels ethereally light-weight on the skin. In the pan the shadows look matte, but they have a satin-matte finish on the lid with a slight sheen. I've seen a fair share of satin shades in my make up life, but not quite something as seamless as RBR. There isn't much excess powder kickoff, but the pan is quite soft to touch. I recommend only the softest brushes for this formula or you might pick up more product than you intended. I've experienced no fallout during the day and the longevity of RBR shadows are excellent. I have hooded (but non-oily) lids and I can wear Caliche easily +8 hours without creasing.

The formulation is high with dimethicone, a silicon based polymer, which to my understanding gives many powder products their silky nature. According to the RBR website the powder is also enriched with argan oil and encapsulated hyaluronic acid.

CALICHE - ANTIGO

By themselves Caliche and Antigo look rather neutral to me, but side-by-side they pull much cooler and warmer. Caliche has more pink and mauve undertones than Antigo, making it a bit softer and more feminine palette.

Swatches

- Pale pinky white
- Medium eggplant purple
- Greyish ash color
- Medium dark taupe grey brown

MAKE UP OF THE DAY

Eyeshadow look with Caliche: cream shade all over the lid as a base color and inner corner highlight. Mauve shade applied in a triangle shape in the outer V, taupe on the mobile lid, dark brown smudged in the lash line with RBR Lola eye kohl. With my hooded lids it's always hard to take photos of eyeshadow of looks, but similarly to my NYE look the V shape peeks from my outer corners when I have my eyes open.

Base: RBR Genesis primer, Milk Aquarelle foundation in Coconut Milk Parfait (review here), Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder in Light, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer. 
Brows: RBR Antimony brow pencil (review here) and Earthshine brow mascara. 
Blush: THREE 10 The Never Ending (review here) and lipstick Surratt Lipstique Hevyn.

Overall

Rouge Bunny Rouge Caliche palette exceeds expectations in its formula and performance. I wish the shades were a bit more different compared to Antigo, but one can easily justify having both palettes. I just can't get enough of this buttery soft satin formula and next I'd love to see a more bold, colorful palette in this formula. 

Have you tried the RAW GARDEN palettes or anything from Rouge Bunny Rouge?

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As much as I love the New Year, I decided to skip yearly recaps and ranking my favorite beauty products for 2016. I wasn't prepared to do resolutions either, but during the first week of January I started thinking about my goals for 2017. I thought it'd be fun and useful to share my goals/resolutions for 2017, maybe you'll find similar interests!

Shopping my stash

This year I'm going to make the most of my make up wardrobe or 'collection' and show some love to any oldie products I have. I do rotate my daily make up all the time, but there are some products I just haven't reached for in a while. I'm going to tackle this by mixing things up and physically re-organising my make up from time to time. I also plan to depot more make up into a Z-palette.

Sensible purchases

As a beauty addict, I often indulge and end up purchasing something because "it was on sale", "it's a limited edition" or "Instagram made me do it". Sounds familiar? There are items I've had in my cart or wish list for weeks, but they never get purchased as I end up shopping for something completely different. I'm going to keep a list of the items I'm interested in and won't do any other purchases without checking first my priorities.

Less temptations

I want to avoid running to purchase an item just because it's a limited edition. New collections and LE items get released all the time, if I miss something there's always going to be more innovative, intriguing and beautiful items. I'm trying to keep my cool when I browse new pretties on Instagram and also unsubscribe from any newsletters that might tempt me to shop. If I really want something I try sleeping on it first.

Keeping my skin clear

My skin has been exceptionally clear after my Roaccutane/Accutane medication and I want to keep it that way. My plan is to cleanse gently but thoroughly every morning and evening, introduce gentle acids to my routine and take care of general hygiene (pillow cases, not touching my face, clean phone screen etc).

Massaging and dry brushing

I've read about the health benefits of both, but often I just can't be arsed to rub my legs with a coarse brush. I'm also a bit lazy to do facial massages, although I do like the feeling and results. This year I'm taking the extra 5 minutes for myself and try dry brushing at least once a week, same for the massages. Better little than nothing!

Did you make any beauty related resolutions for 2017?

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Last Fall I did about 2 months of Accutane medication for my acne, which talked about in this post with my old AM skincare routine. After watching some related videos on YouTube I thought it would be a good time to do an update how my skin has been doing after the medication. I also share which skincare products I've been enjoying lately. If there is no link to my review, it may be work in progress.

My Accutane experience

Like I mentioned in my earlier post I was a heavy user of acid exfoliants, but since starting Accutane (called Roaccutane in Finland) my skin turned into a peeling, flakey mess and I had to take a break from BHA/AHAs. I was fortunate and didn't get other bad side-effects from the medication, but you should consult your doctor first if you're considering the medication. The break from all exfoliants caused my blackheads to temporarily worsen, but most of them shrunk back to their usual non-prominent size (my trouble area is still the side of my nose). My lips were especially dry during Accutane, but it was a small price to pay for not breaking out. Within the past 1/2 years I've only had one pimple, which was still during the medication. I usually got break outs once a month before, but now I haven't suffered from the odd hormonal break outs either. I took Accutane with a low dosage for about two-two and a half months and after that my skin has been clear. I'm very happy with the results, but I pray I don't need to do it again.

Fading scars

After my medication ended my skin has been on its usual dry side. I've been layering more humectants with oils and beauty balms. The rest of my time and energy is going to anti-ageing and fading acne scars: I'm more diligent with my Vitamin C routine and I also went to see a doctor to get prescription for a tretinoin cream. I'm now using the tretinoin 0,05% about 3-4 nights a week. My skin is still showing sensitivity and looks like dry lizard's scales, right now I can't use acids even on my off-tretinoin days. Before tretinoin I had incorporated an acid alternative from NIOD and a mild glycolic acid toner into my routine.

Current Goals

Anti-ageing, nourishing with antioxidants, scar fading and adding moisturization. I try incorporating an active ingredient (such as Vitamin C or tretinoid) to both my AM and PM routines, layering with loads of moisture and antioxidants. I've used facial oils before, but in 2017 I've really gotten into eco beauty and obsessed with oils. I still do like my Asian skincare with sheet masks, essences and lotions, but I like to layer them with beauty oils and balms. I do rotate my products, but initially the routine stays the same.

AM routine

A mild cleanser, Vitamin C, essence, hydrating toner/spritz, eye cream, serum, facial oil, cream/balm, sunscreen

I start my routine with a mild cleanser, such as Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing balm (review here) and remove with a warm cloth. I sometimes do a little facial massage because my eyes tend to be puffy in the morning. After cleansing I'm using an active: currently Drunk Elephant's Vitamin C serum, which I'm quite liking under my make up. I'll write a full review once I've tested it out a little longer. After actives I concentrate on hydration and protection.

My favorite essence so far is the Estée Lauder Bio Essence, but I'm also trying to use up my SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. I'd normally start with the Bravura Calendula toner and add Hadalabo Gokujyun hydrating toner/lotion on the top, but while on tretinoid even this gentle toner stings my skin. If I'm feeling sensitive I opt for Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelator, which is a fine mist that doesn't irritate my skin and adds a layer of hydration. Pur~lisse eye cream gives some needed TLC for my eye area, but so far I haven't seen other benefits except added moisture. The cream itself has a little bit of light reflecting particles, but my dark circles look still about the same. After layering my skin with an essence and toner I'll add Kypris Antioxidant Dew or Josh Rosebrook Active Infusion (review here) as my serum step. They're both very nice and light under make up, plumping the skin with added antioxidant benefits. As my skin is severely dry, I might add layer of gorgeous organic facial oil by Max and Me. I still swear by my January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream (review here), but in the case a cream stings I'll move straight to my sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++ by Innisfree.

When it comes to body care I'm a bit lazier as I want to apply body butter on a damp skin but get dressed up quickly after showering. I like rich but fast-absorbing body butters with mild or no scent as I don't want it to interfere with my perfume. Right now I'm using a Kiehl's whipped body butter which I'm liking a lot texture-wise, but the grapefruit scent isn't my cup of tea. I exfoliate my body once or twice a week using a sugar scrub.

PM routine

Double cleanse, facial mask (optional), prescription tretinoid (+ wait time 10-15 min), essence, hydrating toner/spritz, eye cream, serum, facial oil, sheet mask (optional) beauty balm

My PM routine is similar except I bring out "the heavy guns" while cleansing and switch up my actives. I start with an oil based cleanser such DHC cleansing oil (review here) or Heimish cleansing balm (review here). After bulk of my make up and sunscreen is removed I'll use a low pH foaming cleanser or January Labs gentle cleansing gel (review here). I aim to be fresh and properly cleansed, not dry or 'squeaky' clean. You can read all about my cleansing philosophy and methods in this post. On some nights I use a wash-off mask like the May Lindstrom The Honey Mud, but then I'll move to my tretinoid.

I apply my prescription tretinoid (Vitamin A) treatment 3-4 times a week + wait for it to absorb about 10-15 minutes or more. My aim is to work up my tolerance and use the cream daily for a while. This is my doctor's instructions - it all depends on the type and percentage of your Vitamin A cream and your personal skin sensitivity of course. After I've let the cream to sink in, I repeat my essence and toner step, apply the Verso eye cream, Kypris Antioxidant Dew serum and a facial oil - either Max and Me, Josh Rosebrook or Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil (review here). I finish everything with a beauty balm: such as Mahalo Rare Indigo, Mahogany Naturals the Blue Lover or Lina Hanson Global Treasures. Can you tell I'm obsessed with oils and balms? If I'm sheet masking, I'll do it before applying the balm. It's a personal choice do you prefer a sheet mask as your essence step or after serums and oils - personally I think it can help oils and serums to penetrate better.

I know my routine is quite extensive, but I love skincare and experimenting with beautiful products. For me skincare is also an essential part of my daily self-care ritual, a few minutes for myself while caring for the biggest organ of my body. I'm curious to hear are you as obsessed with skincare and what products are you currently loving?

Some products featured in this post were generously provided for consideration, others purchased with my own money. Regardless, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views.

I wish you a beautiful and bright festive season and a Happy New Year!

xx Laura

Happy Monday! I hope you've had a wonderful weekend and happy holidays if you celebrate them. Today I'm reviewing a gorgeous highlighter from one of my favorite high end brands: Tom Ford. I remember when my friend hyped the Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Powder Duo duo last year, but at the time I wasn't too interested in another highlighter. The darker shade looked way too deep and intimidating for my skin tone, but after purchasing and falling in love with THREE's Shimmering Glow duo (review here) I knew I had to get the TF powder version...

SKIN ILLUMINATING POWDER DUO 01 MOODLIGHT

Unfortunately in Finland we only have a Tom Ford counter at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport duty free, and they didn't have it in stock. The kindest SA informed me the duo wasn't a limited edition, and luckily I managed to find it in the Copenhagen Magasin department store during my trip last August. Originally Moodlight was a limited edition release for Fall 2015. The powder duo comes in a classic Tom Ford rectangular packaging with gold detailing, protected by a brown suede pouch. The two powders are embossed with cross-hatch pattern and TF initials. The embossings last nicely on the powder, even after several uses. The duo is fairly expensive ~67€/$70 but you get massive 12g/.42oz of product.

The packaging

Tom Ford products are always exquisite, they simply don't look stunning but the packaging is sturdy and has some weight to it. The compact is secure although there is no a visible clasp or a magnet to keep the lid closed. I like it how the lid opens whole 180° degrees. The mirror is large like in all TF compacts, perfect for travel.

USING MOODLIGHT

I use the white opal one for a subtle glow on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. On my light skin the copper one is too dark as a highlight, but I apply it as a blush topper for a bronzy glow or mix with the lighter shade. The lovely SA at Tom Ford showed me a way to bronze your face with the bronzy powder, but I think the look might be better suited for medium skin tones. On medium skins the white shade will appear as a more visible highlight, on deep skin tones the contrast will be more evident. I do think this palette will compliment a nice variety of skin tones and be almost universally flattering.

Look and Performance

The pigmentation of these powders is sheer (white) to medium (bronze), both buildable and visible on the skin. The powders are finely milled and nicely blendable as you would expect from Tom Ford. I simply love it how light hits these powders, giving a youthful sheen to the face without being frosty or having chunks of glitter. The colors seem to have a mix of pigments, both having peachy-pink undertones.

Needless to say, not both sides are created equally. Whereas the bronze copper shade is very pigmented and soft to touch, the white opal highlighter feels stiff with a very subtle payoff. I don't know if mine is a dud, but feels like the powder was pressed too hard. This wouldn't bother me if I didn't feel the need to almost rub my brush in to the pan and check if there's product on the brush. I do love the color and have nothing against more subtle highlighters, but I'm confused with hardness of the other powder. On medium to deep skin tones I think the light shade will be beautiful and more evident. Tom Ford powders still blend and adhere beautifully to the skin and last on me a long time without fading.

Swatches

- A pale opalescent white with pinky undertones and very fine golden shimmer
- Light copper shade with a beautiful champagne sheen

The THREE Shimmering Glow Duo (review here) is a pinker and darker with more warm, coppery undertones compared to the Tom Ford. Whereas THREE is more glittery, the finish of Moodlight is more refined with a high sheen. 

Overall

I don't want to say I'm disappointed because I paid a pretty penny for this product, but I wanted both sides to be as silky soft and pigmented as the copper shade. Otherwise I would claim this duo is a must have. The look of both powders is simply exquisite, sophisticated, subtle glow for any occasion. Despite the white powder being on the stiffer side it will still win many high end powders in comparison.

Have you tried Tom Ford highlighters or his other products?

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For this post I'm doing something different: recreating a make up look that I like. This is more of a 'get ready with me' style post than a tutorial. I'm a bit shy when it comes to posting my photo (or any creation to be honest) as I'm not a natural in front of a camera. But I love make up looks done by bloggers and seeing the reviewed products in action, so I try my best to share you mine. Hopefully you enjoy this post!

I took inspiration from Rouge Bunny Rouge's Rebel Princess Rhapsody look, which is a stunning shimmery smokey eyes with a red lip. It reminds me of Natalie Portman's Odile make up in the movie Black Swan. I dug out my RBR make up and tried my best to use similar products I had at hand. I've linked all my product reviews available for more swatches and information. Thank you for RBR for providing me the new Long-lasting Duo Cream Shadow in Birdwing Beauteous and Brightening Eye Duo in Glacier Flower to recreate this beautiful make up look. Let's start!

Base make up

Here's my almost bare face. I mixed the Serene Light Skin Perfector with my usual RBR Milk Aquarelle foundation in Coconut Milk Parfait for a light-medium coverage. Serene Light is an odd one - I'm about to review this product, but haven't quite gasped if it's a primer, a foundation topper or what. It just makes your skin appear extra good, healthy and luminous. I dust a light layer of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light to set the make up and pinpoint conceal any blemishes with Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-2.

I pencil my brows with RBR Alchemy Brow Liner in Trona, topping with some RBR brow mascara in Earthshine. Under eye concealer is a must for me, I've used the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla for years. It's pink undertone cancels out the purples of my under eye and inner corner area. I'm setting the concealer with Diaphanous loose powder and the Wayne Goss Air brush. I applied some RBR Tinted Luxe Balm in Pinch of Nude as my lip balm, letting it sink in while I work on the eyeshadow. Please ignore the color of my lips, I just had some coffee. Having a cup has become a part of my make up routine, I feel weird without having some.

Color make up

Time for the eyeshadow! In the original look a black kohl was used as a base, but I applied the cream shadow directly with the doe foot applicator, working one eye at the time. RBR Silk Aether cream shadows blend nicely with fingers, but achieve the wing shape I reached for my flat Hakuhodo BJ004S brush. I use the Kihitsu small eyeshadow brush to blend the edges - I want them to be smokey, messy and a bit grunge. Go for the kohl base if you want cleaner, less sparkly eyes. The Kihitsu brush diffuses the color without being too precise. Birdwing Beauteous cream shadow leaves a beautiful, almost oil slick finish while the sheerest layers are more powdery. I apply a couple of coats to get an opaque finish and pay attention to get the color as close to my lash line as possible. The pointy tip of Hakuhodo BJ004S is wonderful for this purpose.

I started adding the champagne shade directly with the applicator but quickly switched to Koyudo C001 to not get the doe foot dirty. I applied the shadow to my inner corners and blended to the black about 1/3 of my lid. I could have reached for a larger blender brush for this purpose, but in the end I let Koyudo C001 do the job. Seriously, if you're getting one pencil brush - get this! It's so good, firm but soft and precise. The contrast between the black and champagne shadows is strong but beautiful.

Finally I use the Brightening Eye Duo in Glacier Flower for my waterline. I didn't expect much from a pencil, but after trying it I fell hard in love. It applies perfectly creamy and smooth. I'm always looking for the perfect inner corner highlight and Glacier Flower is maybe my top 3! In the original look the pinky highlight shade is used for the inner corner, but I wanted mine to be more sparkly. I smudge the RBR brown eye kohl in 'Lola' for the lower lash line and apply two coats of the RBR Magnitude Mascara. It nicely defines and lengthens, but sometimes smudges on me at the end of the day.

Lastly I use the Original Skin Blush in Delicata to give some definition to my cheeks. It's one of my favorite blushes, a perfect 'contouring' blush for paler skin tones. I didn't have the lip products used in the original look so I went with a juicy cherry red named Relish of Heaven. The formula is moisturising and sheer, an easy to wear alternative to a strong red lipstick I no longer tend to wear.

Swatches

- Relish of Heaven lipstick: wet effect scarlet with sheer/medium opacity
- Delicata blush: a nude beige with a hint of rosy peach.
- Lola eye khol: chocolate brown with copper overtones
- Birdwing Beauteous duo cream eyeshadow: Gorgeous icy champagne shimmer and a black with blue shift and multi-colored micro glitter
- Glacier Flower brightening liner duo: pinky vanilla with subtle shimmer and white beige

Finished look

And here we are! I am very happy I decided to try the 'Rebel Princess Rhapsody' look, it was both fun and pretty easy to do. My make up isn't as dramatic as the original, but to me it's a lot as I rarely stray away from my usual neutral eyeshadows. I love the feline eye effect and how the 'wings' peek when I have my eyes open. Please leave me a comment if you enjoyed the style of this post as I'd love to do more! xx

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The Skin Perfector, Brightening Liner Duo, Long-lasting Brow Liner, Tinted Luxe Balm, Brow Expert Gel and Long-lasting Duo Cream Shadow provided courtesy of Rouge Bunny Rouge. As always, my opinions are my own honest and unbiased views. 

Happy 2017! I'm glad we're in the new year, but instead of being brisk, bright and prepared I'm having a mental post-holiday slump.. It's the 3rd of January and my energy and creativity just isn't here. All I want to do is binge watch detective series, nap and dream about treats instead of working on my projects, going to gym and starting the year on the right foot..

Let's talk about something more fun - any by fun I mean eyeshadow. Earlier last Fall while I was typing my review for RBR Antigo palette, I asked 'when can I get more of this?!'. Now Rouge Bunny Rouge delivers, they've now released another RAW GARDEN eyeshadow palette named Caliche. If you've never tried RBR eyeshadows before I urge you to read this post! 

RAW GARDEN: Caliche

As I've already reviewed Antigo, I won't babble too lengthy here but let the pictures do the talking. The palette has four shades seamlessly in one single pan, being on the cooler-neutral side compared to Antigo. Caliche retails 59€ for 7 g / 0.25 oz on Rouge Bunny Rouge's website. This palette was a also a price in my Holiday Giveaway, won by username Henna73. Congratulations!

The packaging

There's a beautiful zig-zag embossment on the powders. Despite all shades being in all in one big pan, I've had no issues to pick up individual colors with a brush. The palette has a magnetic closure, which feels secure enough I would travel with this palette. Beautiful, sleek and minimal.

Texture

It's my pleasure to tell you that RBR delivers in consistent quality and Caliche feels and performs as spectacular as it's warmer sister. I'm still blown away by this formula. It's silky, blends with no effort and feels ethereally light-weight on the skin. In the pan the shadows look matte, but they have a satin-matte finish on the lid with a slight sheen. I've seen a fair share of satin shades in my make up life, but not quite something as seamless as RBR. There isn't much excess powder kickoff, but the pan is quite soft to touch. I recommend only the softest brushes for this formula or you might pick up more product than you intended. I've experienced no fallout during the day and the longevity of RBR shadows are excellent. I have hooded (but non-oily) lids and I can wear Caliche easily +8 hours without creasing.

The formulation is high with dimethicone, a silicon based polymer, which to my understanding gives many powder products their silky nature. According to the RBR website the powder is also enriched with argan oil and encapsulated hyaluronic acid.

CALICHE - ANTIGO

By themselves Caliche and Antigo look rather neutral to me, but side-by-side they pull much cooler and warmer. Caliche has more pink and mauve undertones than Antigo, making it a bit softer and more feminine palette.

Swatches

- Pale pinky white
- Medium eggplant purple
- Greyish ash color
- Medium dark taupe grey brown

MAKE UP OF THE DAY

Eyeshadow look with Caliche: cream shade all over the lid as a base color and inner corner highlight. Mauve shade applied in a triangle shape in the outer V, taupe on the mobile lid, dark brown smudged in the lash line with RBR Lola eye kohl. With my hooded lids it's always hard to take photos of eyeshadow of looks, but similarly to my NYE look the V shape peeks from my outer corners when I have my eyes open.

Base: RBR Genesis primer, Milk Aquarelle foundation in Coconut Milk Parfait (review here), Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder in Light, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer. 
Brows: RBR Antimony brow pencil (review here) and Earthshine brow mascara. 
Blush: THREE 10 The Never Ending (review here) and lipstick Surratt Lipstique Hevyn.

Overall

Rouge Bunny Rouge Caliche palette exceeds expectations in its formula and performance. I wish the shades were a bit more different compared to Antigo, but one can easily justify having both palettes. I just can't get enough of this buttery soft satin formula and next I'd love to see a more bold, colorful palette in this formula. 

Have you tried the RAW GARDEN palettes or anything from Rouge Bunny Rouge?

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