A month chock full with new mascara discoveries, the most seductive scent ever, skincare for the cold months and a shocking discovery!
Dorit’s October beauty favourites
Heroine Make, Volume and Curl Mascara, super waterproof
A few weeks ago, I found myself on a tropical island (Bali) in a climate that’s designed to bring any European constitution to their knees. It’s hot, it’s humid, and you’re so close to the equator that you burn to a crisp in a few minutes if you don’t bathe in SPF50. Do you pity me yet?! I had bought Heroine Make Volume and Curl mascara with especially the purpose to use it during a vacation that’s filled with a lot of quality pool and beach time, and my, did it deliver! (Yes, I wear mascara to the beach. I feel naked without it.)
If you ever need a mascara that’ll STAY PUT whatever you do, this is yours. I wore it every day, and it did not budge no matter what I did. The brush is so-so (not my favourite wand, but not horrible either), and the formula is very liquid. That’s my only true critique; it’s definitely one of those mascaras that needs to ‘cure’ a bit until it’s truly excellent. Until then, I’ll have to wipe it first before I apply, but even now it gives a nice volume and holds a curl well. I paid about 8€ for it when I was in Singapore, but it’s easy to order on amazon if you’re not located in Asia (around 14$).
Le Labo Rose 31
We stayed at the Fairmont Hotel, which has a custom bath and body line created by Le Labo. All their toiletries are scented with it, and happily, it’s a wonderful scent. Le Labo is a small, high-end company for luxury scents that was founded 2006 in New York. (The numbers in the fragrance’s names indicate the number of ingredients in the composition.)
So, what does Rose 31 smell of? For me, it’s an unisex scent (I loved it on my husband) that’s all spices and roses. The NonBlonde calls it ‘sweet chai mix’ with rose, and I totally get that. There’re also a bit of woody notes, incense and that sexy musky skin scent at the end of the day. All in all I find it an interesting choice for hotel toiletries – it’s definitely different. But as a marketing strategy, it totally worked, because I’ll plan to get a huge bottle of the fragrance asap (beware, they’re pricey – we’re speaking about 150€ for 30ml). In the meantime, I’ll use up the little bottles of body wash and lotion and think longingly of our room at the Fairmont. You can get Le Labo at various Le Labo Boutiques around the world, online at their own site and at Barney’s NYC, Liberty London and Colette Paris.)
MAC Bronzing Powder in Golden
There was a time when you wouldn’t have caught me dead with a bronzing powder on my skin. Sure, I owned some (due to that heady rush of #buyallthethings of a budding makeup addiction), but decided early on that it wasn’t a look I particularly liked. Oh, how the times are changing!
Cue this summer, cue Shanghai heat. I get very red cheeks whenever I’m in the sun and get hot, and pair that with blush? Disaster. But bronzer I could totally pull of, and moreover – it looked good! It had some beachy, bronzy, summery vibe I started to love. I started tot rotate through the few bronzers that I owned, and stuck with Golden. It’s a warm caramel brown shade with a bit of shimmer. Paired with minimal makeup, it became my uniform look during the hot days of summer. It’s permanent, 28€ and you can get it at MAC everywhere.
Astrid’s October Beauty Favourites
After all these years, I still struggle with the changing seasons in Germany and my skincare regimen. It’s getting better now, being so easily acquainted with other beauty geeks and their recommendations (yay for twindly!). Yet the sudden cold (Berlin is the worst!) and extreme lackness of sunshine threw me completely off (there’re only 2 hours of sun this week and the UV index is 0. ZERO!). Needless to say, I’m completely jealous of Dorit’s Bali adventures this month, and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the weather will get a bit better next month!
My favorite products this month are definitely things that exude coziness and impart more comfort to my skin!
Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
I like serums, especially serums that work! Paula’s Choice is famous for a no frills approach to skincare. You can rely on products that are full of ingredients that are scientifically proven to be beneficial for your skin and without things that might aggrevate it. Retinol is like the wonder product of the skincare world, it’s supposed to change anything for the better if you read Paula’s description. Wrinkles? Check. Rosacea? Check. Acne? Check. This one makes my skin feels soft and supple in the morning. I’ve been using it for a little over a month, and I can feel that it helps quite a lot. 1% retinol is a quite heavy amont, though, so start slowly with it – every other night or twice the week is totally sufficient. Also, sunscreen is a must when you use retinol products. Paula’s Choice product are available on her own webshop. This one is 59,90€.
La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Serum
Another serum! I was drawn to this one when my skin developed dry patches. It’s gel-like texture is very hydrating and feels very light – kind of like putting water on the skin. Even better, you can also layer a moisturizer on top of it. The ingredient that makes this one so nice is hyaluronic acid that traps water in your skin. It can also reduce roughness and restore the skin’s softness. A non-fuss, basic moisturizing serum that does just that. Because it’s so light, it’s also good under makeup. It’s available at pharmacies and amazon for about 20€.
MAC Liptensity in Smoked Almond
There was a lot of hoopla about MAC’s new and permanent lipstick range when it launched at the beginning of the month. The 24 shades were developed with a tetrachromat (a person who’s able to see 100 million shades of colours that normal people can’t see) and promises intense colour saturation with a satin finish. I tried the formula, actually hoping to pick up Habanero (the orange-red shade), but picked up Smoked Almond instead. I find the formula very moisturizing and creamy, so I’d rather go with something more natural looking (taking the risk that it could end up smearing all over my face – actually never happened, phew). The shade surprised me a little bit, because these types of color usually makes me look sick. But this one works quite nicely! I like! They’re a bit on the pricey side, though – $21/25,50€.
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