Monthly Favourites: February

Just like that, it's been just over two months since Christmas! It's like time speeds up more and more each year. There are a lot of favourites this month, both skincare and makeup.

Skincare

As far as skincare goes, there's a lot of new stuff I've been loving this past month. The Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser was part of a K-Beauty travel bag I bought from Glow Theory. I've been using this cleanser in the morning when showering. It's a clear gel that smells like tea tree oil (one of the main ingredients). It lathers up instead of foaming and it cleans my skin without stripping it. My skin feels fresh and clean afterwards. Another K-Beauty product that made the cut is the Cosrx Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. It contains 96% snail excretion (apparently no snails were harmed in the making of this product) which sounds terribly disgusting but it has so many skincare benefits. It's apparently good for hydration as well as taking care of scarring, premature aging, and dry patches. The essence is quite sticky and if you're wondering, it doesn't smell like anything. I take two small pumps on my palms and pat it into my skin after using a toner and before using my serum. I don't think I've used it long enough to say if the claims are valid (I've used it for a couple of weeks and it barely looks like I've used it!) but I can feel that it certainly hydrates my skin. The third and last K-Beauty product for this post is the newly-released Huxley Secret of Sahara Good Night Sleep Mask. At R435 for 100 ml this is quite inexpensive for a sleeping mask, in my opinion. It's formulated with prickly pear cactus extract which is the new buzzword in skincare (as far as I've read). It is high in antioxidants which is always a good thing for a skincare product! It also includes Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid. It's a silky gel cream that sinks into the skin beautifully. The next morning I wake up with plump, clear, and hydrated skin. A definite winner.

Another overnight mask that I've been loving this past month is the Bioderma HydraBio Moisturising Mask for sensitive and dehydrated skin. It's a white gel cream that reminds me of the Avene soothing mask, just a but thicker. I slather it on at night after all my toners and essences and it sinks into the skin completely. This also leaves me with soft and plump skin the next morning. The last skincare favourite is a new lip balm that I discovered after losing the lipbalm I always carry in my handbag. The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Barrier Repairing Balm can be applied to the lips and anywhere else where skin is dry and chapped. It contains 5% Panthenol to soothe and repair skin. It's a thick cream and it tastes sweet (I always taste lip balms, ok!). After applying it to my lips I can still feel it's there an hour later, which to me is quite amazing. It doesn't feel waxy or greasy on the lips, it just feels like a comfortable creamy lipstick. I recently fell and have scabs on my arm that started to dry out and itch. I applied the balm to the itchy area and within two applications the itching was gone and the area felt hydrated and supple.

Makeup

There were two oldies from the drugstore that I used this month but I don't think I've ever mentioned them in a favourites post. The first is the NYX Blush in "Pinched" which is supposedly a dupe for NARS' Orgasm. It's a beautiful pink with golden shimmer running through it. I find it really perks up my complexion and especially on mornings where I don't have time to apply blush AND highlight, I just use this. The second oldie is Benefit's Erase Paste. I believe this has been repackaged and renamed as the Boi'ing concealer, but I could be wrong. This little pot is perfect for your handbag or travel bag. It's a salmon concealer, a corrector, to be more specific. I use it on the dark circles under my eyes to counteract the blue hue of my skin. Afterwards I go in with my normal concealer on top. It's very creamy and blendable and it does the job of hiding my dark circles.

I bought the Wet N Wild PhotoFocus Pressed Powder in "Neutral Beige"  a while ago but I've only recently started using it. It's a pressed powder and I use it with a big fluffy kabuki brush to dust over my T-zone to set my makeup in place. It's a nice little compact, the packaging is sturdy, and the powder does the job of setting my makeup. I do, however, have to be light-handed with this as it can look cakey if I pile too much of it on. Another Wet N Wild product that made the list this month is the PhotoFocus Natural Finish Setting Spray. I love the dinky little bottle and the spray is quite fine and even, no one likes big droplets of water ruining their makeup! It makes my makeup last throughout the day and it doesn't make me look shiny or too matte, it's just the right middle ground. My last favourite for the month is the essence I Need A Miracle Volumizing & Strengthening Mascara. It's supposed to have a lash tinting complex that tints your lashes over time, but I can't speak to that. The wand is slightly hourglass-shaped and the bristles are far enough apart to comb through your lashes, coating each one in mascara. At first I didn't really like it, but as the formula dried down slightly, I've been loving it more and more. This is a super affordable mascara and it makes my lashes look thick and long. There is no clumping and it transfers minimally to my brow bone. All in all, I really like this mascara.

Which of these products have you used before? Let me know in the comment section!

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo

Empties Post #15: Skincare

I know my previous post was also an empties post, but I really have a lot of them to get through so sorry if it feels like that is all I post! I promise Thursday's post will be fresh and new...

It also feels like every second empties post I do contains skincare! That's probably because I love trying out new skincare, and because it's something that I use every day, twice a day.

Serums

I don't know exactly why I bought the Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Cell Renewal Serum (I think it was because Nivea was on a 3-for-2 promotion), but I won't repurchase. It has the same texture and smell as Nivea body moisturisers, and although I love a good Nivea body lotion, I didn't feel that this did anything for my (facial) skin. The Clarins Double Serum, on the other hand, was far more expensive, but a pleasure to use. If it revolutionised my skin I can't say, but I did notice that my skin was more plump and youthful with continued use. Will I repurchase? I don't know... I like it but it's quite expensive so I'd probably repurchase only if it was on promotion.

Moisturisers

The cheapest of the three moisturisers is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. I've gone through two pots of this (I bought one and then I won a pot as part of a competition) and I might just purchase a third one. It has the same texture and feel as the Clinique Moisture Surge moisturiser but at a fraction of the price. It really hydrated my skin well and it doesn't make my skin feel heavy or sticky. I wrote a blog post on the Hydro Boost range that you can read here. Keeping with the "hydro" moisturisers: the Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer honestly didn't blow me away. It's supposed to hydrate your skin as well as smooth out imperfections, but I found it to be very average. I got it on promotion and honestly, if I hadn't received a discount I would feel like I wasted my money. It's alright, but it's not great and I wouldn't repurchase. The Kiehl's Ultra Facial range is the OG of Kiehl's skincare: no mess, no fuss, just simple and straightforward skincare. I enjoyed using the Ultra Facial moisturizer but...I prefer something a bit more interesting (texture, smell, feel). It does what it says on the tin, but I just got a bit bored with it. I might repurchase this small size for traveling, but not the large size.

Which of these products have you used before? Let me know in the comment section!

Until next time!

Hildegarde

xoxo

* All the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me.

Empties Post #14: Toners, Essences, and Thermal Spring Waters

This isn't a category that I thought I'd ever do an entire empties blog post on, but here we are. I love a good facial spritz/mist and recently I've been very into toners as a second step in my skincare routine.

Thermal Spring Water

I used up both the Avène Thermal Spring Water and the La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water. I honestly can't say if there's a difference between the two, but I enjoyed using both. I use thermal spring water as a toner and to refresh my skin during the day. Would I repurchase? Definitely (on both counts).

Essences

Oddly enough I have three products from The Body Shop in this category. The British Rose Petal-Soft Gel Toner is a favourite in my beauty cabinet. It's quite a thick gel toner that I apply with a cotton pad after cleansing. I have used this as part of my take on the 7 skin method (it's a K-beauty ritual where you put layers and layers of toner on your skin for optimal hydration, but I only do three or four layers) and it works beautifully. I have repurchased and I will again! The Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion has a similar function but it's much thinner and doesn't smell nearly as nice as the British Rose one. I have repurchased it but next time I'd rather buy the British Rose one. The Drops of Youth Youth Fresh Emulsion is kind of a weird product and I'm actually not too sure if it fits into the essence category or the serum category. For the price I would have hoped for a bigger bottle and I honestly can't see a difference in my skin. I wouldn't repurchase. The Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner is also perfect for the 7 skin method and is a really fuss-free product. It doesn't contain fragrance and it's very good value for money. I bought a small bottle on Glow Theory and afterwards repurchased the big bottle. I think I will repurchase this again!

Exfoliating Toner

The last product of the post is Pixi's Glow Tonic. This isn't available in the country but there are a few alternatives that I think would work just as well. One is the exfoliating toner from Clarins and I see REN also has one. Glow Tonic works well as a step between toning and moisturising at night, but I won't say it's groundbreaking. It's very gentle and that's probably why I didn't really see a difference in my skin. If I had the opportunity I'd rather purchase some of Pixi's other skincare products!

Which of these products have you used before? Let me know in the comment section.

Until next time!

Hildegarde

xoxo

K-Beauty Haul

I am obsessed with K-Beauty (Korean Beauty) and I've just received my fourth Glow Theory order. Every time I order from them I think, I need to post my haul, and then I forget and end up using everything before I can get a chance to take photos. So what I'll do in this post is give a quick list of what I've bought in the past and then show you in detail what I bought this time. In future posts I will go into more detail regarding K-Beauty, but for now let's just stick to hauls.

My First Couple of Hauls

For my first haul I bought the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in "Berry" (it's nice and thick but I won't say it transforms my lips), J.One Black Jelly Pack (Holy Grail status pending, it's an amazing product!), A'Pieu Milk Sheet Mask in "Banana" (fantastic sheet mask, it left my skin so soft and plump), The Saem Natural Red Ginseng Sheet Mask (haven't used it yet), and the J.One Jelly Pack Vita 2-Step Mask (sheet mask and jelly pack - have only used the jelly pack and I absolutely love it for before makeup).

 

For my second haul I bought the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner (love this), the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner (love this too), Leaders Amino Moisture Sheet Mask (haven't used it yet), A'Pieu Milk Sheet Mask in "Green Tea" (this is even better than the banana one), Tony Moly Kiss Kiss Lovely Lip Patch (haven't used it yet, also not sure why I bought it...), and Cosrx Clear Fit Master Patch (haven't had a pimple to use it on yet!)

For my third haul I bought a bigger version of the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner as well as the "Glow-trotter Travel Kit" which I unfortunately can't find a photo of. It had a lot of travel sizes and samples which I took with me on holiday in December, but I will probably blog about that at a later stage.

For my fourth haul I decided on three products: Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, Cosrx One Step Moisture Up Pad, and Huxley Good Night Sleep Mask.

The Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is a cult favourite under K-Beauty junkies. It promises to visibly repair and revitalise skin and it helps with acne scarring, dehydrated skin, premature aging, sensitivity, dry patches, you name it. I've only used it once and the slightly sticky gel texture is quite interesting. It did leave my skin nice and plump so I have high hopes!

These soaked cotton pads are like the exfoliating pads you get, except these are for exfoliation and hydration. They contain Propolis extract and hyaluronic acid to leave skin smooth and clear. Propolis extract is apparently an antiseptic that is good for soothing red and inflamed skin. Hyaluronic acid, as we all know, is for hydration as it attracts and retains water to keep skin nice and plump.

You know I love a good face mask so when I saw this I had to get it. The Huxley Good Night Sleep Mask contains prickly pear seed oil which is extremely rich in antioxidants. It's a nourishing overnight sleeping mask that hydrates and energises the skin. It comes in such cool packaging (a cardboard tube with a tin lid) and it smells delicious but not overpowering. I tried it on the back of my hand and it's not sticky at all and sinks into the skin immediately, so no ruined pillow cases! At R435 (for 120g - about the size of a full-size Origins tube mask) this was the most expensive item of the three, so yes, K-beauty is very affordable.

I also received a few samples to try out (samples are included in every order). I've received Pyunkang Yul samples before but more doesn't hurt! I also received a sample of the Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream which I almost bought in any case.

I wanted to buy more products (I am obsessed and I had a birthday discount code, why not?) but they were all sold out. I'll just have to place another order then...

Have you every used any of these products before? Which of them look interesting to you? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Hildegarde

xoxo

Current Favourite Netflix Shows

I was ill a lot during the last quarter of 2018 and one day when I was in bed, again, booked off sick, I decided to download Netflix and open an account. I mean, if you can't lie in bed on your sick days and watch Netflix, then when can you? I asked on Instagram stories (if you don't follow me yet, my handle is @hildegarde_k, same as on Twitter) for recommendations and I got a lot of good stuff! While looking for these titles on Netflix and scrolling through the offerings, I found a lot of other series as well. This extremely non-beauty, non-travel post list the shows I've been enjoying most. Who knows, you might find something here you like.

Two things I like about Netflix original shows (in particular) is that they're fresh and new in their themes, characters, storylines, and they make you think. Some of the series are also only one season which means that the storylines aren't drawn out until infinity (I'm looking at you, Grey's Anatomy).

Shows That I Would Recommend (Thus Far)

One of the first Netflix show I watched was Maniac starring Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux, and Sally Fields. It's a quirky series about two struggling strangers who both enter a drug trial for a dodgy new pharmaceutical. The doctor in charge of the drug trial has problems of his own as well as serious mommy issues, not to mention an emotionally complex computer. It's off-beat and not your typical predictable TV series which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. The show focusses on deep and meaningful issues but there is also plenty of humor.

Ozark is quite a dark show and if you liked Breaking Bad, you're going to like this. Financial advisor Marty Byrd moves his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel. In a bid to save the life of his family he promises to launder $500 million in 5 years' time. Just like Breaking Bad kind of taught us how to cook meth, Ozark teaches us how to launder money. I still don't completely understand all the processes, but it's not something I would want to get into. The series also focusses on family issues to a lesser degree and most of the other characters are also equally messed up, from the gay FBI agent to the druggie lodge owner to the farming couple with their secret business.

On the other end of the spectrum we have The Good Place. I've heard lots of conflicting reviews on it but I personally love it. The show stars the charming silver fox Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. Kristen Bell's role is much more Jeannie Van Der Hooven from House Of Lies than it is Veronica Mars. Kristen plays the role of Eleanor Shellstrop who dies and wrongly ends up at The Good Place instead of The Real Eleanor. Ted Danson is Michael, the keeper of the neighbourhood in The Good Place. Tip: if you start off watching it and think it's a bit weird, give it a chance. There's a nice little twist at the end of the first season that's bound to have you coming back for more. What I love about the show is the fact that it's unpredictable and that they manage to write an entire show about heaven and hell without calling it that and without bringing religion into it whatsoever. I can't wait for the next season!

If you're looking for a hilarious comedy, look no further than Schitts Creek. The extremely wealthy Rose family fall onto hard times and are court-ordered to go live in a town, Schitts Creek, that Mr Rose bought for his son as a joke years ago. They have to stay in the town's motel and try to adapt to small-town living. Hilarity ensues. One of my favourite characters has to be the son, David, who is pansexual (Roland Schitt, "Pansexual? Does he have a pan fetish?"). I love researching series I am watching and an interesting thing I found out was that Schitts Creek is a real-life family affair: the father and son team on the show are father and son in real life! They also produce the show with the help of another family member.

I started watching Orange Is The New Black years ago when it first came out so I just continued watching it on Netflix. Piper Chapman lands in jail after her involvement in a drug ring comes to light. The woman she was in a relationship with at the time lands in jail beside her. The show focusses on different characters and why they landed in jail, as well as their relationships in jail itself. I've always loved prison stories (hello, Prisoner: Cell Block H and Prison Break seasons 1-2), so there was never any doubt that I would like this!

Another comedy worth mentioning is Grace and Frankie. This isn't my absolute favourite thing I've watched on Netflix, but it is watchable. The star-studded cast include Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, and Sam Waterston. Grace and Frankie find out that their respective spouses are gay and have been cheating on them (with each other) for the past 20 years. Stylish Grace and eccentric Frankie move into their joint beach house and try to make sense of everything that happened. I think I'm about 20 years too young to fully appreciate all the humor, but I like it nonetheless. The show is made a bit "younger" by the fact that both couples' adult children also frequently feature. My favourite by far is the feisty Brianna (daughter of Grace and Robert) who speaks her mind but is also absolutely hilarious and gorgeous.

One of the most talked-about shows recently is Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Marie Kondo is a Japanese "organising consultant" who has written numerous books about the subject, most notably her best-seller "The life-changing magic of tidying up". I read the book a few years ago and instead of inspired, I felt overwhelmed and bleak. The book comes across as very rigid and judge-y: throw away your possessions or else! But, this is not a book review, it's a TV show review! I find the series to be much more relatable and doable. After episode two I was ready to #KonMari my house! On the show she visits a different family in each episode and helps them to declutter their homes. She shows them what to do and then leaves them with their "homework" until the next week. The only problem I have with this method is that it relies on you having drawers to put your clothes in, while I (and most of us, I'm gathering) have shelves. That being said, I already KonMari-ed Olivia's clothes in her dresser and I couldn't be more chuffed! There's a lot of divided opinions on the show (my husband doesn't understand how I can watch something "so boring") but I personally really enjoy it as I've always loved anything to do with organisation.

The last two shows are the ones I've finished most recently. Sex Education is an absolutely brilliant British show (featuring the American actress Gillian Anderson of The X Files) about teenage sex and all the issues around it. It not only focusses on sex, but also on relationships between parents and children, relationships between friends, and relationships that the children have with themselves. Awkward teenager Otis lives with his mom who is a renowned sex therapist and his best friend Eric is gay and struggling with his own issues. Otis befriends alternative rock chick Maeve and they open a "sex-therapy clinic" at school where they charge their fellow students money for advice provided by Otis. The show is set in an 80s flashback and, apart from the great content, the scenery is breathtaking. Apparently the show was filmed in the northeastern part of Wales (note to self: book tickets to Wales).

Lastly is You, the show that's been on everyone's lips these past few weeks. Penn Badgley from Gossip Girl stars in this psychological thriller about a brilliant bookstore manager who falls in love with an aspiring writer and student. He stalks her and tries to insert himself into her life at any chance he gets. He believes he loves her and would do anything to protect her- with dire consequences for anyone who tries to come between them. I really, really enjoyed this show because I enjoy thrillers, the story was very exciting and unpredictable (I didn't read the books), but it also made me question my own morals and ethics. Joe is clearly the bad guy, but often I found myself rooting for him. And the leading lady, Beck, really worked on my nerves. I don't like her character at all. There are quite a couple of crazies in this show, be warned. I finished the series just as I was busy writing this post, and oh my goodness, what an ending! It wasn't the ending I had hoped for ór expected and now I don't know how to feel about it. Hopefully the second season will clear things up.

Other shows that I'm busy watching with the husband are Narcos and Godless. Both received excellent rating but I'm struggling to get into them. Narcos is very good but it's dark and there are a lot of subtitles, which makes it difficult to do anything else while watching (eating, playing on my phone *ahem*). Narcos documents the rise and reign of Pablo Escobar's cocaine trade in Colombia and it's very interesting to see how and where it all started.

Godless is a short one-season show but the episodes are very long and I find that I lose interest after a few minutes. It's a western but there are a lot of characters and I find it confusing. Some parts are very watchable but currently I'm just watching it to finish it.

The One Show Thus Far I Didn't Like...

I heard average-to-good things about Santa Clarita Diet, and because Drew Barrymore stars in it (what a babe!) I decided to watch it. Now, you have to know this about me: I have issues with starting something and not finishing it. I have to really dislike a TV show to stop after a season or three (case in point: I watched all six seasons of Desperate Housewives even though I only really enjoyed the first few. I stopped watching Prison Break after they broke out of prison, I mean, wasn't that the point?). So I gave Santa Clarita Diet three episodes chance and I honestly don't like it. I love Drew Barrymore and it is quite funny, but I found the whole blood and flesh-eating thing gross. Plus, I'm scared of zombies (even though I watch and enjoy The Walking Dead).

And that's my Netflix picks thus far! Do you have any recommendations of what I should watch next? Please leave your suggestions in the comment section.

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo


*All images are courtesy of Netflix

My Spring 2018 Favourites

I haven't blogged in ages and I haven't done a favourites post in even longer, oops! I thought that I'd combine the previous months' favourites post into one and then it hit me: I haven't done any favourites posts during the past three months, so this is now my spring favourites post.

I've pretty much used the same products for months because that has just been the easiest. Between working full time, taking care of a baby, and running a household, there hasn't been too much time or energy for blogging or trying out new products! In today's post I'm only mentioning skincare and makeup products that I haven't mentioned in a favourites post before.

Skincare

I've placed three orders on Glow Theory (let me know in the comments if you'd like to know what I bought) and I've been trying to incorporate more Korean Beauty skincare products into my routine. The K-Beauty rituals absolutely fascinate me and who wouldn't want glass skin? My K-Beauty favourites of the past three months include the Pyunkang Yul Mist Toner, J.One Jelly Pack, and the J.One Black Jelly Pack. The Pyunkang Yul mist toner comes in a spray bottle (obviously) and I spritz it onto cleaned and exfoliated skin. It gives my skin a nice burst of hydration and everything just feels nice and plumped and refreshed afterwards. I don't like the smell, but luckily it goes away very quickly.

The two J.One products are, however, the stars of the show! At first I was a bit hesitant to use the J.One Jelly Pack (white tube) as the consistency is very weird: it's a clear gel but it's extremely tacky. When it comes into contact with your skin it almost turns into superglue. You can't rub it in, you have to pat it in. It creates a sticky base for whatever you put on afterwards. It is to be used as the last step in your skincare routine so it makes an excellent base for your foundation or BB cream. My makeup goes on beautifully and it stays put all day long. It really is quite an amazing product! I love the J.One Black Jelly Pack as a sleeping pack (at night, obviously). The product comes out as a blue-gray jelly and it smells good too. It almost feels cooling on the skin and it leaves my skin plump, juicy, and hydrated. I honestly don't know what else to write about it - just go and try it!

Other skincare favourites include the Nivea Q10 Plus C Anti-wrinkle + Energy cream and La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50 sunscreen. I was skeptical about the Nivea Q10 cream because if I'm being honest I'd much rather slap Nivea on my body than on my face. That being said, I did read a few positive reviews from bloggers I trust so I decided to try it. I can't say that this has revolutionised my skin, but I can say that on nights where I've used this, I wake up to clear and smooth skin the next morning.

I've been a bit slack with applying SPF to my skin, especially my face, so now I'm making a concerted effort to protect my facial skin at least. Some recommended the La Roche-Posay and I have to say, I quite like it. It's a little bit more tacky and greasy than, say, the Kiehl's SPF50, but it's a lot less greasy and sticky than what I used in previous years. Makeup goes on easily afterwards and I don't experience more shininess than usual.

Makeup

I've heard lots of overseas bloggers rave about the Catrice Prime and Fine Multitalent Fixing Spray and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't used it for the full three months, but for as long as I've used it I've like it. I like this more than the Catrice mattifying fixing spray (it smelled weird and made my lips tingle). I've used this both as a primer and as a fixing spray and I like it both ways. It makes my skin dewy without making it look oily.

At long last we have the Maybelline Instant Anti-age Eraser concealer in South Africa! When I saw it in my local Dischem I nearly fainted. I have it in the shade "Light" which I thought was going to be too light for me, but in actual fact is a good match. I apply it on my undereye area (on top of a bit of Benefit Erase Paste) and blend it in with a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I absolutely adore this concealer and will definitely repurchase.

Next up are two mascaras, Smashbox Full Exposure mascara and essence I Need A Miracle Volumizing & Strengthening Mascara. The Smashbox has a cone-shaped brush and I find that it does a great job at adding length and volume to my lashes. It's very black and it's not too wet so that it smudges everywhere. The essence mascara has an odd almost hourglass-shaped wand that also adds a good amount of volume to my lashes. It's supposed to tint your lashes over time but I can't say that I've experienced that (I don't use the same mascara each day). I love the packaging and since it's essence, it is super affordable.

My final favourites for spring are two eyeshadow palettes that look quite the same but aren't in the same price bracket: Smashbox Cover Shot: Neutrals eyeshadow palette and Makeup Revolution Reloaded Iconic Fever eyeshadow palette. The Smashbox eyeshadow palette is small and compact and contains eight shadows and a mirror. There are three matte shadows and the rest are gorgeous subtly shimmery shades. It's very warm toned and ranges from a rich camel brown to a deep dark chocolate brown, with bronzy red shades in-between. The Makeup Revolution palette contains 15 large eyeshadow pans and no mirror, but the price point is fantastic (R130 at selected Clicks stores). Nine of the shadows are matte and the rest are shimmery. This palette is also very warm toned but I feel that the difference between the different shades aren't as pronounced as in the Smashbox palette. Both palettes' shadows are buttery and soft, but I find that the shimmery shades in the Makeup Revolution palette don't layer as well on top of the matte shades as I would like them to, but maybe I should use it with Mac Fix+ spray or something.

And that's a wrap for my spring 2018 favourites! Which of these products have you used? Let me know in the comment section.

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo

Empties Post #13: Cleansers

Over the past few months I have accumulated a lot of beauty junk and I think it's time that I start blogging about them so that I can finally throw the empties away! Today we'll start with cleansing products, both facial cleansers and micellar waters.

Cleansers

I really enjoyed the Neutrogena HydroBoost water gel cleanser. It's a gel that foams up but it doesn't leave my face feeling squeaky clean - my skin feels nice and clean but still comfortable. It also smells nice, comes in a pump bottle, and is very affordable. Would I repurchase? Definitely.

I think as far as cleansers go, the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel is by far one of my favourites. It might even hold the number one spot. It's very expensive, but the larger the bottle you buy, the cheaper it works out. I started with a few travel sizes, then this medium size (250 ml), and last year I bought the gigantic bottle (500 ml). It's also a gel that foams up and doesn't strip your skin. Compared to the Neutrogena one, my face feels even more comfortable after using the Dermalogica. I started using the special cleansing gel on holidays and found that my skin looked really great after using it once or twice: it's as if the cleansing gel "balances" my skin out. It smells very medicinal and on some weird subconscious level I feel as if that makes it work better (it doesn't). Would I repurchase? Well, I have already.

This Melvita milky cleansing oil for face and eyes is very, very old. I bought it overseas a few years ago and I don't think you can get it here. It's a very liquidy oil and it does remove every last trace of makeup. It's quite heavily perfumed but I don't mind it as it smells like roses. Scent is an important part of skincare (well to me at least) so I associate the rose scent with nighttime and winding down for bed. I also like the fact that it comes in a pump bottle. Would I repurchase? Yes, but sadly I don't know where.

Micellar Waters

The Nivea Perfect & Radiant 3-in-1 Micellar cleansing water is good, but I've used better. The gigantic bottle is good value for money (around R100 for 400 ml) and the micellar water itself is good, although I struggled to remove mascara with it. I'm glad I tried it out but I'd rather use one of the Garnier micellar waters.

Speaking of which...this green Garnier Fresh micellar water is still not available in SA as far as I know (I bought it in Italy). I was quite disappointed with it as I found that it didn't do much. Out of all the Garnier micellar waters, this one is my least favourite (my favourites: yellow, then pink, and then blue green). If it launches in SA I won't be repurchasing it.

Have you ever tried any of these products before? What did you think? Leave me a comment down below.

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo