Review: The Color Workshop: Lip glosses

Today I will review some lip glosses by The Color Workshop that I bought a few weeks ago.

The Color Workshop is a cheap make-up brand that you can buy at some drugstores (Kruidvat and Trekpleister) in the Netherlands.

The prices of their products are low, but the quality isn't that great either.

I bought a set of lip glosses for a few euro's (probably didn't cost me more than €2,-).

Each lip gloss contains 3,3 ml of gloss, and sadly, there aren't any names or numbers on it to tell you what color it is :S.

Anyway, I have a clear gloss and a peach gloss with glitters and shimmer :D.

The clear gloss looks really clear on my lips:

It doesn't feel sticky and the lasting power is ok.

I think this one is nice to wear over a lipstick.

I like the shimmery peach a lot better!

It isn't as pigmented as I hoped it would be, but it does give my lips a bit of colour and some nice shimmer :D.

(Sorry for the blurry pic, but it shows the colour well, and also the shimmer!).

The colour is subdued and the shimmer isn't too much, so this gloss is great for wearing to work or school and when you can't/don't want to wear too much make-up.

The glosses smell sweet and fruity (which I like) and aren't sticky.

Also they last longer than I expected.

Pro's:

*cheap

*nice smell

*non-sticky

*lasts long enough

*nice subtle gloss

Con's:

*even though it's cheap, the glosses are very small!

*there aren't any numbers or names on the glosses to tell you which colour it is

*the glosses are a bit difficult to open

*they aren't very pigmented, so if that's what you are looking for this isn't for you.

Conslusion: cheap lip gloss that smells nice and looks ok. They aren't sticky and last ok, but the glosses are small and don't have any name/numbers and aren't very pigmented.

This probably isn't suited for most people, but it's nice if you don't like to wear make-up very often and want it to be subtle, and also to give to children/teenagers as their first lip gloss.

Rating: I would rate this a 6, since it ain't bad but not good either.

Would I buy this product again: no.

Have you tried anything by The Color Workshop?

Until next time,

Freya

Summer's here: Favourite Summer Products Part 1

I live in The Netherlands where the weather's usually cold and rainy, even in the summer.

However, at the moment this is not the case.

The last couple of weeks it has been HOT HOT HOT in Holland, with temperatures alternating between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius and sometimes even more.

Needless to say, us Dutchies are having a hard time getting used to this.

At first you'd see people wearing jeans and jackets and just way to much clothes on their backs.

Now, girls are walking around in tiny shorts (and when I say tiny I mean TINY), barely there tops and skirts and summery, floaty and often short dresses and tunics.

Even the guys no longer refuse to wear shorts (a lot of them opt to wear those hawaian shorts :S ).

Myself, I had to adjust as well.I digged through my wardrobe to finds some clothes to fit this weather.

I'm usually a jeans and t-shirt gal, but now that's not an option.

Now I wear dresses and skirts (though not too short when I'm not at home) and shorts and tops.

The first week I tried to wear leggings underneath those shorts, skirts and dresses, but that turned out to be too hot, so I stopped being stubborn and I let the world (or at least my town) see my legs (eeeeeks!!!).

Since this weather makes us show more skin, some preparation is in order.

First of all, it's important to scrub your body (and your face) well.

This makes your skin glow, makes your skin feel soft and makes your tan look better (if you are able to get a tan, which I can't :P ).

Body Scrubs I like to use:

*Sugar Babe (Lush)

A coarse sugar scrub that smells like clean babies and makes your skin extremely soft. It's the best scrub I have ever used!!!

*You Snap The Whip (Lush)

This is also a coarse one.

I cut it into small blocks (approx 12 blocks, and I use about 3 blocks to scrub my whole body) so I can get more uses out of it.

This has the smell of The Comforter (a delicious berry scent) and makes your skin extremely soft and sweet smelling.

*Pure Coconut Oil Leg And Body Scrub (Inecto)

This one smells like coconut, obviously and is a milder scrub than the others.

It's convenient because it's in a tube which makes it perfect to take with you on holiday (or to the gym, or your boyfriend's house) or to use when you're in a hurry.

Like I said, this one has a much milder scrub, but still scrubs well enough.

It also hydrates your skin with coconut oil and makes your skin feels mooth and smell like coconut :D (yummy summer scent!).

*Smooch! sugar scrubs (Villainess)

Great scrubs that can be coarse or less coarse depending on which Smooch! you have. There are a lot of diffent scents, which also have different ingredients and scrubby bits, some are barely scrubby though, so be careful to buy the right one for you!

My favourite Smooches! are Ginger Snapped, as pictured above, which is a regular product.

It smells like Dutch speculaas cookies, spicy and sweet, and it scrubs very well but not as coarse as Sugar Babe or YSTW.

When you rinse it of it turns into a milk that makes your skin silky soft, and the scent also lingers after showering.

Most Smooches by Villainess also have a Whipped! (whipped body butter) with a matching scent.

I also like Smashing Smooch! (a spice pumpkin pie scent) and Gloop! Smooch! (marshmellow and chocolate scented), but those are both special editions that aren't available at this time.

Favourite Face Scrubs:

*Silk & Cyanide Smooch! (Villainess)

This is a Smooch! that's made especially for using on your face.

You stir the contents of your jar with a spoon (or your finger :) ) and then apply an amount the size of a strawberry on your dry face (with dry hands) and massage it in.

Then apply some water on your face and massage some more.

The scrub will turn into some kind of milk and your skin will feel soft, scrubbed an moisturised.

It is a greasy scrub that tuns into a milk in contact with water, and it doesn't leave your skin greasy at all. Just moisturised.

This Smooch! smells strongly and sweet of almonds, but there are also other face Smooches! by Villainess with different scents.

Other Available scents are Bathory and Shanghaied.

*Rice/Ginger Facial Scrub *Suhada Nature)

I can't find a picture of this and my mom still has my camera, so you'll have to do without a pic.

This is a strange but very effective product.

It is important to scoop a bit of this product in a smaller jar to use in the shower, so you don't get water into the rest of the product (this is important because the product will go bad if water get's in it).

To use, scoop an amoun the size of 4 peas out of the smaller jar, add a little water and make it into a past.

Massage this into your face, then apply some water and massage a little more.

Then wash it off and have gorgeously soft skin :D.

*Ocean Salt (Lush)

I rarely use this one on my face, since it's extremely coarse, but I love to use this one on my back and shoulders.

It's great for this purpose!

It really cleans my back thoroughly so I can enjoy wearing summer tops :D.

After all the scrubbing, comes shaving...

You probably know that it's unwise to shave with just water.

It's better to use a Shower Gel, Whipped Cream Soap, special shaving product or even an conditioner.

My fave shaving products:

*Dirty Shaving Cream (Bnever)

My absolute favourite shaving cream ever!!!

Sadly, Bnever has called it quits, so I can't order more of this products, but hopefully Lush will take this beauty into production (a girl ca hope...right!?).

Dirty Shaving Cream make shaving really easy.

The blade glides over your skin and you finish shaving within a short time (some products make shaving hard so it takes longer to shave).

The most amazing thing about this shaving cream are the hydrating properties, I've never seen anything like it.

It has butters and other ingredients that hydrate your skin so much you don't even need body lotion afterwards (and I ALWAYS use body lotion after showering, because I always need it)!!!

I usually still use a bit of body lotion, but it is definately unnecessary.

I don't know exactly how it works, because it doesn't make your skin greasy hut stil really, really, really soft, but I'm really glad I own a bit of this product.

*A Jelly (Lush)

I like to use a Jelly (Whoosh shown above) and put it in the blender.

With this substance I like to shave my legs, armpits, etc.

One blendered jelly provides enough "shaving cream" for weeks, though it also depends on how much you shave and how often.

The special thing about the jelly's is the Carrageenan Extract, which is extracted from Irish Moss Seaweed.

This amazing extract makes skin really soft somehow (and your hair too if you wash it with a jelly or a blendered one ;) ).

A great combo is first scrubbing with Sugar Babe and then shaving with a blendered Jelly!

*Cien Shaving Cream

This is a cheap shaving cream from a supermarket (Lidl) in my town.

I can't find a picture of this one either.

It isn't a very natural product (I use mostly natural products) but it is great nevertheless.

I probably has silicones and other bad things in it, but it's too good not to use.

It makes shaving really easy and fast and makes my skin slippery smooth (not oily though at all).

You definitely do need a body lotion after this, but it's a good product and also a bargain (yay).

I bought this product 2 years ago so it probably isn't sold anywhere anymore.

*Fluffy Stuff Foaming Cream Soap (Grumpy Girl)

I have two of these marvelous cream soaps: Hot Tranny Mess (a Lush Rockstar dupe) and Girly Girl (also a sweet scent, this one is musky).

Both are pink coloured and smell really great.

When I hear the word soap, I think of a drying substance.

This is not the case with this product :).

I just scoop some of it out of the jar, spread it on my skin and start shaving.

Great smells waft up my nose and make me happy.

This is definitely the best smelling product to shave with :D.

Afterward, the scent lingers, which I love!

This is it for now (since it's a very long post).

I still have a lot to write about, so I divided all the info between blog posts.

Part 2 will be about the next important process in looking good: hydrating!

I will talk about creams for face and body and also about protecting your skin from the sun.

Part 3 will be about all the other essentials: deodorisers, perfume and summer make-up amongst other things.

Perhaps there will even be a part 4 if part 3 turns out to big.

See ya next time and have a nice day,

Freya

Review: Lush: Enchanted Eye Cream

Lush's Enchanted Eye Cream is a great Eye Cream that I use daily.

Ingredients: Lavender Honey Water (Lavendula angustifolia), Stearic Acid, Cold Pressed Organic Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Glycerine, Organic Cold-Pressed Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Lush UK Website Description:

Gentle, soothing cream to minimise fine lines around the eyes. It's perfect for night and day. A small dab of enchanted, applied carefully with the little finger, refreshes the area around the eyes and softly tightens the skin. Use it to give yourself a little lift, even if there's no-one else around. If there's a visitor expected, it's nice to know you can use a gentle but effective cream to wake up your saggy eyes a bit. Enchanted works with natural ingredients and far fewer preservatives than alternatives, so as well as an instant effect, it's good for the skin around your eyes for ever and ever.

I really like this eye cream.

It's soft and light and not at all greasy, but it still hydrates very well.

After use I see the dark circles under my eyes mostly disappear, and that's a real miracle!

I have tried lots of eye creams and eye gels, some with rolling systems but none of them worked.

Lush's Enchanted Eye Cream doesn't promise to get rid of your dark cicles, but it does anyway.

Enchanted Eye Cream also reduces the fine lines around my eyes and makes the skin extremely soft.

This all results in fresh looking eyes without dark circles and less lines around the eyes and softer skin.

When I get a new bottle, the smell of the cream reminds me of the smell of an eye shadow brand I used to have when I was still a kid.

I quite like it but I can't describe it.

Prize: 9,85 pounds for 45 grams..

Verdict: Cheap eye cream (one bottle can last for six months) that works wonders.

It gets rid of dark under eye circles, reduces fine lines around the eyes and makes eyes less puffy.

It also makes your skin really soft, so it's a great eye cream!!!

My Eyeko Package :D

I received my Eyeke Packaage 2 weeks ago :D.

It was well packaged and everything looked awesome.

There was just one problem, they forgot to include some products that I ordered!

I ordered the Magic Set (that's the Magic Mascara + the Magic Eye Liner).

So I contacted them saying some products were missing, and the next day I got an email from Eyeko saying that they were sorry, they will send me the missing items, and if I would let them know when the package has arrived.

I think their customer service is really good.

Anyway, here's what I got:

From left to right:

-Cosmic Polish

-Indigo Polish

-Lilac Polish

-Nude Polisj

-Vampira Polish

-Vintage Polish

-Raspberry Fat Balm

I haven't tried the nail polishes yet, but I think they look good.

The Raspberry Fatbalm I did try, and I loved it!

It smells very nice, like raspberries and makes my lips a natural dan bit dark raspberry colour.

The Fat Balm also hydrates my lips well, and I really had not expected that.

The Fat Balm I got for free, but when I've used it up I think I will order a new one, and possibly the strawberry one as well!

I will do a real review (with LOTD/swatch) later.

And I will let you know when I receive the Magic Set.

What do you think of Eyeko?

Freya

Make-up Haul 1 (+ reviews and swatches)

I've done some shopping the last few weeks, but I was extremely busy, so I couldn't find the time to write a blog about them.

I moved all my furniture and most of my stuff on saturday, so now I have more time to blog :D.

This is what I got at a Dutch drugstore called Trekpleister:

*Catrice Blush Brush

*Catrice ...

*Catrice Lip Gloss 140 Melon Red

*Catrice Lip Gloss 150 Soft Apricot

I really love the lip glosses, especially ... , I've been wearing that one a lot!

Swatches of the lipglosses:

The swatches aren't that great.

The darkest one looks brown here, though it's more of a glittery orange.

It's not extremely opaque, more sheer and it complements my skin tone very well.

It also makes my lips look fuller (yay).

The lighter one is a light salmon colour that looks very sweet on the lips.

Since it's sheer it looks very good, if it was opaque it would have looked bad.

I will post same LOTD (lips of the day) of these lip glosses, as soon as I find out how I can photograph them wel.

I haven't tried the nail polish yet, so I don't know how I feel about that one yet, but I bet it's good!

I'm not a big fan of blusher, but I do like to use the blusher brush to put powder on my face and it works well for that purpose.

Have you tried some of these products?

Leave a comment if you have.

Freya

Review: The Body Shop: Sweet Lemon Body Scrub

I got a sample of this at my local The Body Shop store, and decided to use it when I took a bath this week.

Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sucrose, Sodium Chloride, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Silica, Citrus Medica Limonum Seed Oil, Glycerine Soja Oil, Limonene, Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil, Parfum, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Citral, Cl 19140.

Scent: I'm not usually a big fan of lemon scents, I mean they are ok, but nothing special, this one however I really liked.

It was fresh and zesty, summery and cheerful.

It smelled like I was rubbing actual lemons and lemon peels on my skin and I found that to be a very natural experience.

After use, the scent doesn't linger well.

First it turns a bit musty and then it's mostly gone.

I think I'll go get a sample of the body butter, because if the smell stays when using the body butter, I'll get a jar for summer, since I really love it (though I never thought I would).

I had never used a TBS scrub before, and this one did not disappoint.

It isn't a very coarse scrub, but it still manages to make my skin smooth.

I tried it on my knees and elbows, and they were considerably softer after use.

I think the oils really hydrated my skin, but they didn't make my skin oily.

Not that I mind oilyness after scrubbing, but it's nice to not always use an oily scrub.

Since this scrub isn't oily, it's also suitable for people who don't like oily scrubs.

Verdict: Not very coarse scrub, that scrubs very well nevertheless, it makes skin hydrated and soft without being very greasy, smells very realistically lemony during use, but smell fades fast afterwards.

I don't know If I will buy the scrub again, maybe in a different scent.

Will try to get a hold of a sample of the Sweet Lemon Body Butter

Have you tried anything of the Sweet Lemon line yet?

Any thoughts?

Review: Yves Rocher: Jardins Du Monde Deodorant with Lotus Flower

A few months ago I ordered a few of these, since I've used this deodorant before and I liked it.

Ingredients:Aqua, Aluminum Chlorohydrate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Steareth-2, Perfume, Nelumbo Nucifera, Steareth-28, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal.

It smells light and flowery (like lotus flowers) , the fragrance is mild.

It keeps me fresh as long as I don't work out or sweat a lot and wear to much clothes.

It's easy to apply (and re-apply when necessary) and dries quick without staining skin or clothes.

This one also hydrates your skin and makes your armpits soft.

I like roller deo's much better than sprays, since sprays usually contain a lot of alcohol, are very irritating and don't seem to work as well on me.

Prize: When not on sale it costs 3,70 euros for 50 ml, but on sale I usually pay 1,85 euros which is an absolute bargain!!!

Verdict: Nice deo, smells nice and flowery, works well, though not amazing, easy to apply and cheap.

I'll definately buy these again!!!

So what kind of deo do you use?

Roller, stick, creme or spray?

Review: Rituals: Honey Touch Body Créme

A while ago I got a sample of Rituals Honey Touch Body Créme and this week I finally used it.

Ingredients: The website doesn't have an accurate list of all the ingredients in the products.

All they say about the ingredients in this product, is that it contains Indian Rose and Himalayan Honey.

It smells like honey and vanilla to me.

The longer I had it on my skin, the more it smelled like vanilla, not like honey.

The honey smell wasn't very strong and I think that's too bad, since I adore honey.

It still smelled great though, like vanilla and something sweet and fresh that reminded me of honeydew melon and it reminded me a bit of a Bpal scent called "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat" (though that also has grapes and lemon in it).

The fragrance is nice but not overly strong, it's refreshingly mild.

Honety Touch made my skin very smooth and soft (it probably has silicones in it) and that felt nice.

Price: 14,90 euro's for 200ml which is a normal price.

Verdict: Smells nice, though very different from what I expected, makes my skin soft and smooth.

May consider purchasing a jar in the future.

Have you tried any products by Rituals?

Any faves?

Review: Villainess : Raspberry Swirl Smooch!

I used the last of my Raspberry Swirl Smooch! by Villainess a few weeks ago, but I couldn't find the time to write a review until now.

Ingredients:

Sucrose (Sugar), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Polysorbate 60, Prunus (Cherry) Kernel Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Fragrance, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Powder, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Meat Powder.

Raspberry Swirl is supposed to smell like raspberry and vanilla, which sounds very nice.

Sadly, it didn't smell very nice at all.

It smelled extremely sweet in a disgusting way (like artificial sweeteners), and I din't smell the vanilla at all.

To me it smelled exactly like a Raspberry smoothie from the brand Optimel tasted.

It was filled to the brim with raspberries, dairy and a truck load of artificial sweeteners, and I thought it was disgusting!

The Raspberry Swirl Smooch! might have been spoiled since the seal was broken, so I got a refund from Alice & Jo (they have great service!!!)

Luckily the scrubbing properties were great, so I did use up the whole pot.

This wasn't a very sticky scrub.

The texture was a bit like Smashing Smooch! and reminds me of moist cake.

It scrubs well but not very harsh.

It does the job but I don't mind a scrub that's harsher than this one (like Ginger Snapped Smooch! for example, I LOVE that one).

After scrubbing I put some water on the scrub and scrub and lather it all over my body before washing it off.

I pat my skin dry and use Body Lotion.

I bought this scrub to combine with my Raspberry Shower Gel from Yves Rocher and my Artemis Cream Body Lotion from Lush.

It combined very well and my skin smelled great and felt very soft afterwards.

Verdict: Smells gross, but it might have been spoiled.

Scrubs well, but could have been better, hydrates well and makes skin soft and smooth.

Won't buy this one again because of the smell.

I will continue to buy Villainess's smooches however!

NOTD: Catrice: 050 The Pinker The Better

So here's my first Nails Of The Day :D.

I'm not very good with nail polish, so it doesn't look all that perfect, but it's good enough for me!

The colour of the nail polish isn't exactly the way it is on the photo.

In real life it's a hot pink.

I painted my nails with 050 The Pinker The Better by Catrice.

My nails have no base coat, 2 layers of 050 The Pinker The Better and 1 layer of Nail Expert Up To 10 Days Ultra Long Lasting Top Coat by Catrice.

I really love the color of The Pinker The Better.

I'm not a pink kind of girl, but I DO like hot pink, and hot pink also looks good with my pale skin.

I like that this nail polish has a shimmer in it, since it tends to look a bit more glamorous on me than a nail polish without shimmer.

It is the first time I have used the top coat and I really love that as well.

The nail polish and top coat combo dried really fast and it made the nail polish very hard.

Usually a lot of nail polishes can stay a bit soft for an hour or so, and therefore I always end up with marks in my nail polish, like finger prints, fabric impressions or dents.

With this top coat I get no marks in my nail polish at all, so that's really nice!

I think Catrice is a good nail polish brand.

The nail polish is 2,50 euro a bottle and the top coat is approx 3 euro.

Not a bad price for good nail polish!

What do you think of The Pinker The Better?

And have you tried any Catrice nail polish yourself?

Review: Lush: Slammer Shower Gel (Retro)

Slammer Shower Gel is a Retro product, which means you can only order it from the UK Lush website from the Retro section.

The Retro section contains a lot of products that used to be a hit in their day, were discontinued for some reason, and were brought back because of high demand.

Before, you were only able to buy 500g bottles of Retro Shower Gels, but now you can buy 100g bottles of Retro Shower Gels, Shampoo's and Conditioners!

Ingredients:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Fresh Lime Peel Decoction (Citrus aurantifolia), Fresh Scottish Sea Water (Aqua), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Fresh Lime Juice (Citrus aurantifolia), Honey (Mel), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Rock Salt (Sodium chloride), Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Perfume, FD&C Red No.4, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Lush UK website description:

An early-morning citrus slap in the face for days you'd rather stay asleep. The alarms are tingling, beeping and buzzing, your partner pours coffee down your throat through a funnel and plays The Jam very loudly, but nothing will stir you from your work-day slumbers. This is when you need a bottle of Slammer waved underneath your nostrils. Be invigorated by its sharp lemon and lime bubbles. Your brain will flicker and come to life with wafts of stimulating litsea cubeba oil. Your skin will tingle with refreshing sea salt and be soothed with honey; you will be wide awake and smelling fresh as a lime tree. Start the day with a Slammer (The virgin kind).

To me it smells like a whole basket of citrus fruits: limes, lemons and grapefruits in various shapes and sizes.

It doesn't actually have grapefruit in it, but that's not the point.

The point is that showering with Slammer is like taking a fruit basket and a juicer with you in your shower, like your are squeezing the fruits above your body and let the juice splash on your skin.

Slammer's extremely fruity and juicy and zesty.

You can smell the juice of the limes, lemons and litsea cubeba, but you can also smell their peels (luckily without the bitter smell, I really HATE bitter!!!).

Slammer just smells lovely!

Slammer is a really refreshing Shower Gel that gets me awake and happy.

Its scent energises me and I feel ready to take on the world.

The Shower gel is a bright orange (though mine has faded into a dark yellow/very light orange), and it makes your skin nice and smooth.

Slammer Shower Gel is much more hydrating and smoothing than say The Comforter Shower Gel.

This is probably because of the salt that's in the Shower Gel (the salt in Rub Rub Rub makes my skin feel soft and smooth as well).

Verdict: Extremely juicy, citrusy Shower Gel that makes me awake and happy and my skin smooth and soft.

I really recommend this!!!

Review: Lush: Artemis Cream

Artemis Cream is a Body Lotion that was only available at a Forum Party.

It was named after Forumite (user of the Lush UK forum) Artemis, who had been bugging Lush to make a Body Lotion scented with raspberry and lime.

So they did.

Ingredients:

Fresh Lime Infusion (Citrus aurantifolia), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Organic Raspberry Seed Oil (Rubus idaeus), Glycerine, Staeric Acid, Triethanolamine, Fresh Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Myrrh Resinoid (Commiphora murrha), Lime Oil (Citrus aurantifolia), Cetearyl Alcohol, Isoeugenol, *Limonene, *Linalool, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Eugenol, Perfume, Merhylparaben, Propylparaben. *Occurs naturally in essential oils.

Artemis Cream is a Body Lotion with a very fruity smell.

It's a bit of a sweet and sour Raspberry and Lime scent.

It isn't exactly sour but not overly sweet either, more of a mix.

The Raspberry and Lime really complement each other and blend very well in to an enchanting scent.

This is once again a Lush scent that can't be described very well, you just have to smell it for yourself (Lush scents have a tendency to be that way).

Artemis Cream is one of the lighter Body Lotions, just like Vanilla Dee-lite.

It is nowhere near as hydrating as Dream Cream or oven Charity Pot.

It is a light Body Lotion that spreads very easily on your skin and is easily absorbed.

It doesn't make your skin greasy or extremely hydrated, but it does make your skin smooth and soft, like your skin is covered in an Artemis Cream layer that protects it.

Because of it's fresh scent and because it is one of the lighter Body Lotions, it's a perfect Body Lotion for spring and summer!

What I really like about Artemis Cream is that it is the Body Lotion with the longest lasting scent ever!!!

If you apply it on your skin on tuesday morning, you can still smell it very well (read: fairly strong) on wednesday morning.

Most of Lush's Body Lotion's have a scent that can still me smelled 24 hours later, but not as strong as this one.

Verdict: Amazing smell that lasts for ages (longest smelling Lush Body Lotion ever), light Body Lotion that is perfect for spring and summer.

I find the scent uplifting and energising and I ham really have 3 bottles of this!

Review: The Secret Garden: Sweetie Pie Whipped Body Butter

The Secret Garden is a Dutch webshop run by a woman named Serena Verbon and her mother Rita.

I think Rita makes the soaps and Serena makes everything else.

Sweetie Pie Whipped Body Butter

Ingredients: Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera), Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Babassu Seed Oil (Orbignya oleifera), Ricinu Oil (Ricinus communis), Teunisbloem Oil (Oenothera Biennis), Grapeseed Oil (Vitis vinifera), honey (mel), silk protein, vitamin E, perfume oil

The website describes their Whipped Body Butter as pure luxury for every skintype.

Its made of whipped shea butter combined with six luxury skin-nurturing oils.

It also includes silk protein which makes the Body butter easier to apply, honey for softening the skin (it also has anti-bacterial properties) and vitamin E to protect and repair your skin (vitamin E is an anti-oxidant).

Sweetie Pie Whipped Body Butter has, according to the website, the structure of whipped cream.

I think it has more of a mousse (you know, the dessert) structure.

You're supposed to only need a little of it because it spreads out easily and is very hydrating.

However, it's even more hydrating if you use more than just a little bit.

I bought a 30g jar which held only 15g and costs 3,50 euro.

That's alot for a little bit of Body Butter.

It's a very hydrating Body Butter, but since I used more than just a little bit, the little jar is empty in no time (say 2 to 3 uses max) and that's just way to expensive for me.

I probably would buy it again if they sell it in bigger jars though, because then it's less expensive.

The Sweetie Pie scent is just yummie!

It's supposed to be almost sickly sweet, but it's not extremely sweet to me.

What I smell is a lot of musk and vanilla with sandelwood, a bit of cotton candy and berries.

You don't really smell the cotton candy, the berries or the sandelwood.

I smell mostly the musky-vanilla goodness, and the other scents are very well blended in that so you can't really identify the individual notes.

It's an amazing smell which I can't get enough of it.

I think it smells very feminine and sexy, and grown-up but also playfull.

I love this scent and would really like a lot of products in this scent (I prefer a Shower Gel or Soap, big pots of the Whipped Body Butter and a perfume!!!)

Sadly there are not products with the Sweetie Pie smell in The Secret Garden webshop at the moment.

Verdict: Really yummy smelling, very hydrating body butter, just too bad it's so expensive.

My skin really soaks up this stuff so I won't get far using only a little!

Reviews: Lush: The Comforter Products

Lush has a lot of products in the "The Comforter scent".

Some of the products are regular products, and others are Forum Party Products.

The Comforter has a berry/cassis and herbs scent.

It is very berry and sweet and a bit spicy.

Its not something you can accurately describe, its a must smell kind of scent.

The products available in the "The Comforter line":

*The Comforter Shower Gel

*Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly

*You Snap The Whip Scrub

*The Comforter Bubble Bar Slice

*The Comforter Body Lotion

*The Comforter Solid Perfume

*The Comforter Liquid Perfume

*The Comforter Shower Gel

Ingredients: Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Bergamot Ol (Citrus bergamia), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens)m Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume, Cocoamphoacetate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, *Limonenem *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 17200. *Occurs naturally in essential oils.

This is a Forum Party Product which you cannot buy anymore!

The scent is heavy, just like You Snap The Whip.

Much heavier than Sweetie Pie Jelly.

When you put it on your skin the scent is very strong.

Even when you use a small amount, you can smell it very well :D.

It doesn't foam very well, so you need more than a little to properly wash yourself.

You can also wash your hair with it, and that makes it smell really nice.

The Comforter isn't one of the best hydrating Lush Shower Gels.

It gives you more of a squeaky clean feeling than a thoroughly hydrated feeling (which you would have after showering with Shower Gels like Snowcake or Butterball).

The scent does linger quite well after showering and patting your skin dry.

You will smell like The Comforter for hours and if you washed your hair with it, your hair will smell like it too.

Verdict: Amazing smelling shower gel. Isn't very hydrating but makes you smell nice.

You can was you hair with it as well. Great to combine with other "The Comforter" products.

*Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly

Ingredients: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cherry Infusion (Prunus cerasus), Glycerine, Propylene Glycol, Coconut Infusion (Cocos nucifera), Perfume, Carrageenan Extract, Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens), *Limonene, *Linalool, Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephtalate, and Acrylates copolymer), Snowflake Lustre Colour, Colour 61585, Colour 18050, Methylparaben.

Description on the Lush UK Website:

Sweet and sophisticated fruitiness. Lashings of blackcurrent and bergamot essential oils in a sour cherry and coconut jelly make this about as fruity as you can get. It is incredibly difficult to resist taking a spoonful. Instead, take a handful and smooth it over your hair and body. Passing strangers will smell you and find their minds wandering to fruit pastilles.

The scent of Sweetie Pie Shower Gel is not as strong or as spicy as the scent of The Comforter Shower Gel or You Snap The Whip Scrub.

Also, it's sweeter.

Apart from that it is the "The Comforter" scent, just a tad bit different.

It's harder to use than a Shower Gel, obviously.

You can take a piece of the Jelly and smooth it over you body (and hair if you wish) with a puff, a washcloth or your hand, or you can take the whole Jelly and wash yourself with it.

Some people also take a bit of Jelly, put it in a stocking and hang it under the faucet of the bath.

That creates loads of bubbles!

What I do however, is put a Jelly in the blender or a kitchen aid, and blend it very well.

Don't add anything (like water), because then it will expire much faster.

When you take it out of the blender (or kitchen aid), you will have a jelly cream that has a lot of air in it.

That's why it looks like you have a lot more than you started out with.

The air will mostly be gone within a day or so, so the amount of jelly cream will shrink.

Now you have a jelly cream, you can scoop up a bit and wash yourself with it.

It lathers and foams very well and it's really easy to use!

It's also amazing as a shaving cream!!!

Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly is much more hydrating than The Comforter Shower Gel.

That's because of the Carrageenan Extract!

It makes hair and skin very soft and smooth.

Sweetie Pie doesn't give you the squeaky clean feeling, though you'll definitely feel clean after using it.

After showering and patting your skin dry, your skin (and hair) will still feel soft, and you can still smell the scent very well (although maybe less strong as the scent after use of the "The Comforter Shower Gel).

Verdict: Smells less strong and spicy than The Comforter SG an YSTW.

Makes your skin and hair softer than The Comforter SG, but the smell that lasts on your skin is less strong than The Comforter SG.

*You Snap The Whip Scrub

Ingredients: Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Organic Macadamia Nut Oil (Macadamia ternifolia), Laureth 4, Powdered Charcoal, Pumice, Perfume, Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens), *Limonene, *Linalool.

Description on the Lush UK website:

Hard core body scrub and butter bar to show skin how to behave. It's black, it's fruity and it scrubs your skin really, really hard. Get soaked in the shower and start your punishment. You Snap The Whip forces your skin to submit to its pumice and charcoal cleansing regime. Once the wickedly effective exfoliation is over, it comforts you with luxurious macadamia nut oil and scents you with fruity blackcurrant and bergamot essential oils. Your skin feels as if you've just peeled off the old one and revealed a sexy new one (which you have, in a manner of speaking).

The scent of You Snap The Whip Is strong, like in the The Comforter Shower Gel.

When using this scrub, you can either use the whole bar or cut the bar into pieces and use one or two pieces a shower.

It's better to cut it into pieces, because You Snap The Whip melts easily and if you use the whole bar you can only get one or two showers out of it, but if you cut the bar into, say 9 blocks, you can have a whole lot of showers with it :D.

I always cut the bar in blocks and use two blocks for a shower.

A few years back I used YSTW to scrub as hard as I could.

I don't do that anymore since the pieces of pumice in YSTW are too big these days, and it can scratch your skin and leave scars.

I had 2 large scars on my right leg, caused by You Snap The Whip!

One was approx 10 centimeters and the other one approx 15 cm.

That's why I haven't used YSTW for over a year.

The scars have mostly faded now and I am going to try it again.

I just bought 4 bars and I will use them more careful now.

As long as your careful, you will not scratch your skin, but you will scrub your skin very wel!

You Snap The Whip is a coarse scrub that will really get rid of dead skin cells and bumps on your skin and possibly ingrown hairs.

What I really like about this scrub, is that in turns your skin a purplish-grey in the shower :D.

It all washes off, but it's fun to be this dirty in the shower.

Also, I get almost intoxicated with the strong smell, it's just so lovely.

After showering, your skin feels really really smooth and soft.

You Snap The Whip has hydrating butters, but it doesn't give you the greasy feeling Buffy gives you.

YSTW gives you a smooth, soft and hydrating feeling without any greasiness at all!

Also the scent really lingers on your skin.

After using You Snap The Whip, you really want to slather your body in The Comforter Body Lotion, so you won't cover the great YSTW smell, but instead enhance it!

Sadly I have never combined the scrub and the Body Lotion.

That's because when I got the Body Lotion, I was too scared to used the scrub again.

I will try it soon, when I've used up my buffy.

Verdict: Nice strong smell, really great, coarse scrub, but you have to be careful when using it so you won't scratch your skin. The scent really lingers well on your skin and it's great to be combined with other "The Comforter" products.

*The Comforter Bubble Bar Slice

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamide DEA, Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress Oil (Cupressus sempervirens), *Limonene, *Linalool, Colour 45410, Colour 17200.

Description on the Lush UK website:

This fruity bubble bar gives the feeling of being hugged by a jolly blackcurrant. When life is getting you down, crumble The Comforter under hot, running water for purple water and creamy bubbles. The warm aroma of cassis absolute is so relaxing that you'll go to bed feeling happier and the world will feel brighter the next day.

The scent is just as strong as the Shower Gel and the scrub/body butter.

I have only used a sample of this Bubble Bar Slice in the bath but it still smelled really strong and gave more bubble than any of the other BBS's I have used whole.

What your supposed to do with a BBS, is crumble it under hot water in your bath.

I always did that but never got loads of bubbles.

I was already happy to have maybe 3cm of bubbles instead of mountains of at least 50cm you are supposed to have when only using a half or one third of a BBS.

In the newest Lush Times they finally wrote the key element for getting loads of bubbles when using a BBS.

The key turned out to be: after crumbling the BBS under hot water, swish, swish, swish etc.

I never thought of that...

Anyway, I will try swishing next time I use a BBS, and hopefully I will then have mounds of bubbles!!!

The Comforter BBS smells stronger than other Lush BBS's and also gives loads more bubbles.

It is also bigger and more expensive, but you can have more baths out of this one.

The Comforter BBS turns your bath into a very pretty purple-pinkish colour.

It isn't very hydrating, but none of the BBS's are.

Also, after bathing and patting your skin dry, you can still smell the scent but it isn't extremely strong (just a bit stronger than with other BBS's).

Verdict: Lovely, great smelling BBS, that smells stronger than other BBS's and gives more bubbles, gives more baths than other BBS's because it's bigger, but also costs more.

Isn't extremely hydrating, but neither are the other BBS's.

It's great to combine with other products from the "The Comforter" line.

*The Comforter Body Lotion

I haven't got a picture of this yet, but I'll make one soon.

For the time being we'll just have to go without.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma Cacao), Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Treithanolamine, Bergamot Oil, Cassis Absolute (Rubes Nugrum), Cypress Oil (Cypressus sempervirens), Cetearyl alcohol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

This is a Forum Party Product which you cannot buy anymore!

The colour if this Body Lotion is light pink and it's stored in a big black Lush pot, in which it was sold.

It was also sold in a Lush bottle before that.

The scent is heavy like the Shower Gel and the scrub, not like the Jelly.

When you put it on your skin it smells really nice, like The Comforter.

However, for some silly reason it turns into a wine smell on the palms of my hands.

Luckily the rest of my body doesn't smell like wine, but like The Comforter.

The smell lingers on your skin a very long time.

You can still smell it a bit the next day :D.

The Comforter Body Lotion isn't Lush's most hydrating Body Lotion.

It's more hydrating than Artemis Cream an Vanilla Dee-lite (which are very licht), but not nearly as hydrating as Dream Cream, Creme Anglaise, Skinny Dip or Jungle Body Lotion.

There isn't a Lush Body Lotion that is the same in hydrating properties so I'd say it's more hydrating than Artemis Cream and Vanilla Dee-lite and less hydrating than Charity Pot and Sympathy for the Skin.

It hydrates, makes your skin soft and makes it smell nice, but it isn't nearly hydrating enoug for dry skin.

Verdict: Nice smelling Body Lotion, that is hydrating, but not hydrating enough for dry skin.

It has the "The Comforter" smell so it combines great with other products of the "The Comforter" line.

*The Comforter Solid Perfume

Ingredients: Japan Wax, Perfume, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Carnauba Wax (Copernicia cerifera), Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), *Limonene, *Linalool, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress oil (Cypressus sempervirens), *Citral.

Description from the Lush UK website:

A warming blackcurrant blanket. The Comforter fragrance has quite a history. Back in the 20th century, it started out in the Cherie Ripe Massage Bar. Its distinctively comforting element is blackcurrant absolute. If you were brought up on blackcurrant drinks as a child, or always choose the black jelly babies, you will feel safe and secure with The Comforter. Fruity bergamot and reviving cypress oil will make the world seem much brighter.

The scent of the Solid Perfume is really strong, just as the Shower Gel and the scrub.

When using a Solid Perfume I usually scrape a bit off with my nail and apply it on my wrists, behind my ears, on my neckline and between my breasts.

This will ensure that I smell like The Comforter all day long.

The smell is strong and it lasts which is really nice.

You can go ages with one tin.

Verdict: cheap, one tin lasts a long time. It smells really strong and the scent lingers on your skin for a long time! Great to combine with other The Comforter products.

*The Comforter Liquid Perfume

I still have to make a pic of this.

I will do this later, and I'll ad the pic then!

Ingredients: DRF Alcohol, Perfume, Bergamot Oil (Citrus Aurantium bergamia), Cassis Absolute (Ribes nigrum), Cypress Oil (Cypressus sempervirens), *Limonene, *Linalool, *Citral. * Occurs naturalli in essential oils.

This is a Forum Party Product which you cannot buy anymore!

The scent is strong like the Shower Gel and the scrub.

The scent throw is stonger than that of the Solid Perfume.

Also it lasts longer.

This perfume stays strong and sweet throughout the day and I've gotten compliments about it.

Other people seem to really like it when I'm wearing this.

Verdict: Nice, strong perfume. Scent throw stays strong throughout the day. I really love The Comforter smell, so I love this perfume! Great to combine with other The Comforter products.

If you really want to smother yourself in the "The Comforter" smell, you have to use more products in this line!

Ideal would be to use:

(-The BBS)

-The Shower Gel or the Shower Jelly

-The scrub

-The Body Lotion

-The Solid or Liquid Perfume

I own all the products of The Comforter line, except for the Jelly.

I have used that one all up.

I will make some pics of some of these products that don't have a pic yet!

So, what do YOU think of The Comforter???

Twilight (The Movie)

About 6 months ago I decided to find out what the Twilight hype was about.

Everywere I read and heard about Twilight and the actors that played in it.

So I went to a local video rental and rented the DVD of Twilight.

Excited of what I was going to experience (I thought it must be good since it was such a big hype), I put the DVD in the DVD-player and pushed the PLAY button on the remote.

The movie started all mysterious with a deer being hunted and a girl saying: "I've never given much thought to how I would die, but dieing in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go."

I thought that was wisdom and I wondered what the movie was going to be about, where the story would lead me.

As it turnes out, the story is about a girl named Bella, Bella Swan.

She used to live with her mom, but she's going to live with her dad for a while, in a place called Forks.

Life in Forks is completely different from her life in Arizona, where she used to live with her mother, and she finds it difficult to fit in.

She hangs out with some guys and girls and they like her.

However she still feels like she's alone.

Then she meets a guy named Edward, who isn't average in any way.

Things with him are strange and soon she finds out what he really is.

After that things get really complicated but she know that she's not alone anymore.

Now she's got something to live for and she's not going to give up easily.

I'm not going to say much more about the plot or the characters, since I don't want to spoil it for everyone that hasn't seen this movie yet.

What I will say however, that it's a movie filled with emotions: insecurity, loneliness, fear and love, amongst others.

There's humour in it, drama and action, all crammed in one movie.

It's one of my favourites and I think I've seen it at least five times now, sadly never in the cinema.

A few of the most important characters in the movie:

Bella Swan (Played by Kristen Steward):

Edward Cullen (Played by Robert Pattinson):

Jacob (I don't recall his last name, played by Tailor Lautner):

Bella & Edward:

The Cullens:

The cast:

And the trailer:

It took me a while to find a good trailer, but I finally found one that's acceptable (you just need to stop the trailer at 2:25).

So enjoy!

So what do you think of this movie?

Have you already seen it?

Or do you still have to?

(If so, go see it, it's really worth it!)

The movie is not the same as the book.

The book is much better, and in the movie events are different.

If you want to have the best viewing experience, you have to read the book "Twilight" by author Stephenie Meyer first!