frozen spring

cruelty free & sustainable living

Empties Vol. I

In today’s post I’m sharing products I’ve used up in the past few months. As you can see, it’s mostly skincare, which isn’t surprising. It is a lot easier to use up skincare than makeup. There is not a lot to say about these products since I’ve mentioned them before on my blog, so I’ll just quickly go through them.

I’ll start off with estelle & thild. A few days ago I reviewed the BioCleanse Make Up Remover so there isn’t much to say about it except that I already have a new bottle ready for use. Next two products are as well from their BioCleanse range – Fragrance Free Cleansing Gel and Multi-Action Facial Toner. I repurchased those as well. I think I’m using my third tube of cleansing gel and fifth bottle of toner! Needless to say – I love these products! Last year in February I wrote about my first impressions and I still stand by them. I really do love this toner and I’m happy with the cleansing gel as well! I don’t think I’ll change them any time soon, I just don’t feel like it’s necessary and, to be honest, I don’t feel like testing something new all the time. I’ve come to the point where I want consistency in my skincare. :)

The next product I used up is Skintegra Hydra B Advanced Hydration Serum. I’m actually on my third bottle already! This si a really light, and yet hydrating serum that kept my skin under control this whole winter. Of course, it’s important to mention that this is not the only product I’ve been using, but it definitely is one of the few I keep going back to. The thing that I like about this product is I can use it all year round – it’s hydrating enough for winter, and yet light enough for summer. This product can be used both in the morning and evening, but I use it mostly in the morning since it suits me better. I will be reviewing this and other Skintegra products in my upcoming post(s).

My last skincare product of the bunch is Green Girl Cosmetics Hydrating Serum LIGHT. This is the first time I used a product that contains niacinamide, and I was so glad I tried it! I don’t think niacinamide is talked so much about, but if you haven’t tried it – be sure you do! I instantly noticed my skin texture improved and any spots left over from ocassional pimples faded much quicker thank usual! I have to write a more detailed post about this serum as well, and I can tell you right now that I will order it again for fall!

My last empty product is a product I mentioned many times, over and over again, and it’s no surprise I used up another bottle of Rouge Bunny Rouge Aqua Primer. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to repeat myself since you can read all about it in my review that I wrote back in January, 2015! I think I’ve been using this primer for almost four years now! Of course, I already repurchased it! ;)

What are yours recent empties? :)

 Vesna ♥

estelle & thild BioCleanse Eye Make Up Remover Review

estelle & thild Biocleanse Eye Make Up Remover

Last year in January, I wanted to test some new skincare brands (Swedish ones) and estelle & thild was one of those brands. At first I purchased only their toner and cleansing gel, but with time I ended up buying a few more products. So far I have four products from the BioCleanse range: multi-action facial toner, cleansing gel, eye make up remover and micellar water. I’m satisfied with all four products (I already repurchased all of them except for micellar water which I still haven’t used up) and I’ll share my reviews on them in upcoming posts. Today I’m sharing my review on the eye make up remover.

The main reason I purchased this product is because I needed something that’s suitable for sensitive eyes. My eyes have gotten really sensitive in the past 2 years or so and I haven’t been able to use just any product to remove my eye makeup so I’ve been trying out different products until I came across this one. I was already using estelle & thild toner and cleansing gel (which I liked) before I purchased the eye make up remover so I was really hoping it will be good because back then I already tested (and wasted money on) 4-5 different eye make up removers which did not work for me. And, well,  this one did work for me! Just recently I purchased another bottle of it so you can imagine that I really do like it!

So, what do I like about this product? First of all, my eyes don’t react to it and it removes all my makeup without any issues. Since it’s dual-phase, it’s great for waterproof makeup. It’s fragrance free (it has this typical estelle & thild scent which isn’t perfume but rather clean scent?). Even though it contains 150 ml, which at first I thought wasn’t enough, but it really is since you don’t need a lot of it for each use, even if you have heavy eye makeup. I always place the cotton pad on my lid and I wait around 30 seconds for my makeup to dissolve. That’s much easier, better and more effective than rubbing.

What I don’t like? I really don’t have anything negative to say about it.

Details

Suitable for vegans / cruelty free? Yes
Where to buy? Sweden: most stores carry estelle & thild (Åhléns, KICKS, apotek hjärta, etc.);  if you don’t live in Sweden then you can get it through estellethild.com or naturisimo.com  
Price? 189 SEK / £18.50 / $21.5 / €18
Ingredients: aqua, simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, glycerin**, gluconolactone, disodium phosphate, sodium chloride, sodium gluconate, citric acid, sodium benzoate. *Ingredient from Organic Farming. **Made using organic ingredients.

Vesna ♥

New In | October Edition

I did some shopping in October and here’s what I got!

ecotools Finishing Kabuki & Perfecting Blender Duo – I wanted to try these sponges for quite some time and since they were on sale, I decided to purchase them and to see if they are any good. They are drying at the moment but I’ll be testing them tomorrow. Another thing I got is this big finishing kabuki. Kabuki brush is probably one of the first ones I purchased 10+ years ago (I’ve been using a flat kabuki since forever) and that’s why I wanted to buy one that’s even larger because I wanted a brush that I can use on my body and larger areas :) This one feels really soft, as is the case with all ecotools brushes, but I’ll see how well it works.

H&M Fluid Hues Eye Colour in shades Mulberry Mist and Vintage Tulle – this launched recently and it caught my eye when I was buying ecotools kabuki and sponges. The reason I decided to purchase these two shades is because these aren’t typical creamy eyeshadows. These actually dry down completely and then they stay put! Looking forward to using them on my eyelids. Hopefully they will come out with more colors since half of the colors were quite similar.

IsDora Twist-Up Matt Lips in shade 67 Dark Velvet – IsaDora has some great lip products and I never miss an opportunity to buying it on sale. This one was 70% off – a bargain! Not to mention how perfect this shade is for winter!

Make Up Store Mixing Liquid – I’ve been looking for this product since probably last year, but it was always sold out! Finally I came across it a few weeks back and purchased it as soon as I saw it! I was surprised it contained 30ml, because usually this type of product contain less than 10ml. It was a pleasant surprise. Already used it, works great!

estelle & thild Biomineral Silky Eyeshadow in Marble – this brand came out with their own makeup range not that long ago and I’ve been checking out the shade Marble ever since! It’s actually a really interesting shade, I swatched it (scroll down). It’s really hard to capture it because it’s so multidimensional, but I hope you get at least a tiny glimpse of how beautiful it is.

Green Girl Vitamin C Serum & Hydrating Serum Light – a while back Green Girl launched a new website with three completely new products. I immediately ordered Vitamin C and Light serums. I’ve been using her products for years and I have only positive comments for them. For now, she only has three products and doesn’t ship outside Croatia, but I hope that will change in the future. All her products are both cruelty free & vegan which is another reason why I love this brand!

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Body Scrub, Hand Creme and Shower Gel – this is my favourite range from TBS and, as it usually is, it’s being discontinued in Sweden :( Apparently they won’t carry this range any longer, just occassionaly when they have some special deals. Since everything was already 50% off, I decided to grab these 3 products.

H&M Fluid Hues Eye Colour
Mulberry Mist (left), Vintage Tulle (right)

estelle & thild Biomineral Silky Eyeshadow – shade Marble

What did you get recently?

Vesna ♥

Beauty Products I Won’t Be Buying Again

Since I managed to collect a few products I won’t be buying again, I though a post about them would be a good idea. This way I can give you a short review and the reason(s) why I won’t be repurchasing any of these products. So, let’s get started!

IsaDora Mascara Volume 2.0 – this is a product I’ve actually purchased a few times before and I really liked it, but for some reason this last tube has been really weird, to say the least. I don’t remember this being an issue before, but this time I experienced something I’ve never experienced with a mascara – after a long day, this mascara kinda disappeares from my lashes?! I was even thinking I was going crazy for a second, but I know I applied it in the morning, plus there were some leftovers, but all in all, the most of it was gone. On top of that, it got dry quite quickly and I’ve maybe had it for a month?

IsaDora Big Bold Extreme Ultimate Volume Mascara – another mascara I won’t be repurchasing. First of all, it has quite a big brush which I don’t like – I get mascara almost everywhere, even when I’m super careful. But the other issue is that it dries so quickly. Not like the mascara above, but after 2 weeks it was significantly drier and even harder to work with. A bit expensive hobby, if you ask me (and I do change my mascara often, 2-3 months max., but every 2 weeks? I don’t think so).

Hylamide SubQ Eyes – this is the only Hylamide product I don’t like (I’ve tried 3 of them – SubQ Anti-Age and SubQ C25) and not because the product itself isn’t good, but I’d say it’s just not enough for my under eye area. After a really long winter in Stockholm, I can see how this serum just wasn’t good enough – my under eye area is really dry and it definitely needs something more hydrating. I’d say this might be good for someone in their 20’s and who doesn’t have issues with dry under eye area.

Lumene Color Correcting CC Cream (Light) – this is actually a product I purchased for the second time, BUT, after they changed the packaging, they changed the ingredients as well OR my skin is getting crazy and is reacting to products it didn’t react before (not sure which option I dislike more). I didn’t notice it at first, but after two weeks of using it regularly, my forehead was full of tiny red spots and small white pimples. At first, I thought it had to be a reaction to a skin care product, but I was confused since I haven’t changed anything and then it hit me – Lumene CC! As soon as I stopped using it, my skin got better. I’m actually really sad about this product since it was my go-to product and I love everything about it. Such a shame.

estelle & thild Biohydrate All-In-One Tinted Moisturizer (01 Light) – the only reason I won’t be purchasing this product again is because it doesn’t contain SPF. And I wouldn’t mind that at all, but everytime I use it on top of my SPF cream and after it absorbs, it starts peeling off as soon as I touch my face. So, unfortunately, I won’t be buying this after I use up this bottle. Other than that, I really love this product since it looks good on my skin, love the texture and everything, but I guess I’ll be using it on those days when I’m staying inside.

Paula’s Choice Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner – after using up this bottle, I didn’t get another one since I didn’t find this toner to be anything special. I mean, it was okay, but no “wow” effect. Plus, it is a bit pricey for only 118 ml. Instead of this product, I got estelle & thild BioCleanse Toner which I’ll be reviewing soon.

Anastasia Beverly Hill Conceal (shade 0.75) – this is a concealer which I got only recently, but I already decided to never buy it again (or getting anything similar). As mentioned, I have dry under eye area and this concealer is really difficult to apply. It’s quite heavy and it looks really dry on my skin. I’ve tried different things to make it work, and I will try some additional “tricks”, but not sure if that will help. Until then, I’ll use it under my brows or something like that. Oh, I also have to mention how it has a seriously weird smell. Not sure how to describe it, but not pleasant, LOL. Anyway, won’t be buying this product again.

Lindex Eye Make Up Remover – I don’t know what was I thinking when I got this make up remover, especially since they did have a sample bottle at the counter, but it’s a really terrible product for my eyes. It stings and it’s heavily scented, to the point where I feel a bit sick after using it. Now I’m using it to remove my swatches, but even that is a challenge because of the smell. I really wish companies would stop adding so much perfume in products, especially those which are used as skin care products.

Well, these were the products I won’t be buying again. How about you? Did you buy something that you ended up not liking or it just wasn’t something you’d buy again? Ler me know! :)

Vesna ♥

First impressions | estelle & thild

photo estelleampthild_zpso1dxgxpq.jpg

Three weeks ago I picked up a few products from estelle & thild, a Swedish brand based in Stockholm. I’ve read some good reviews about their products and since I was running low on my toner and cleansing gel, I decided to give their products a go. Along with these two, I grabbed their tinted moisturizer, too (I got it instead of a new liquid foundation, and since I don’t like liquid foundations either way, this product seemed like a better option). As I mentioned at the beginning, I got these products three weeks ago which means I’ve used them for some time now, and here are my first impressions.

BIOCLEANSE Fragrance Free Cleansing Gel (150 ml / 189 SEK / €20 / 20 USD) – estelle & thild has two cleansing gels, and I chose this one because it’s fragrance free (I got really sensitive for the past few months and I try to buy products that have mild scent or, if possible, no scent at all). This product has a funny jelly formula and I have to be careful when I’m squeezing it out, because it is a bit watery/thinner, and I have to be careful not to end up with too much product. This gel isn’t just for washing the face, but it also removes make up. I have been satisfied with both options, even though I don’t use many layers of make up / mascara / eye shadows so I don’t know how it works with heavier make up. However, it does remove my daily make up which consists of tinted moisturizer, mascara, blush and brows.  All in all, I do like how it works, I feel like my skin is really clean after each use, but I’m not sure if I would recommend it to someone with really dry skin. I do have the feeling like my skin does feel a bit drier after I use it, but I do have a good skin care regime so that doesn’t really bother me since I apply my products right after I washed my face.

Ingredients: aqua, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, xanthan gum, gluconolactone, sambucus nigra flower extract*, glyceryl caprylate, sodium gluconate, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate.* Ingredient from Organic Farming

BIOCLEANSE Multi Action Facial Toner (150 ml / 189 SEK / €20 / 20 USD) –  before getting this product, I was using another toner from Paula’s Choice, but I decided not to re-purchase it since I wasn’t really impressed. I mean, it was okay, but nothing special. I just figured I could get something a bit cheaper, with the same effect. For now, it seems like I found a good product – I feel like my skin likes it, it feels hydrated and refreshed after each use, and it works well with the rest of my skin care regime. All in all, haven’t noticed any negative changes. Another reason, why I got it is that it has an alcohol-free. However, it isn’t fragrance free so that might not be a good option if you’re after fragrance free skin care. It has a mild plant-based scent which disappears soon after application.

Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Glycerin, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract*, Gluconolactone, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Parfum, Limonene, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

photo estelleampthild01_zpsoygmzrt9.jpg

BIOHYDRATE All In One Tinted Moisturizer Light (50 ml / 299 SEK / €31 / 33 USD) –  instead of buying a new foundation or a CC cream, I decided to go with this tinted moisturizer, but I do think I will be getting a foundation as well or something with SPF since this product doesn’t contain any SPF. The lack of SPF is the only thing I don’t like about this product and that might be a deal breaker for many (especially today when we all know how important SPF is). But, if I put that aside and if I had to describe this product in one sentence, I would probably describe it as ‘my skin but better’. I really love how it looks on my skin, how light it feels and how easy it is to work with. This is how estelle & thild describes it: “The custom all-in-one formula provides natural coverage, hydrates the skin and infuses it with radiance.” I completely agree. However, if you look for something that has SPF and offers medium coverage, you might want to look elsewhere since this product is really light in coverage. It looks completely natural and it does give this lovely healthy shine to the skin. Additionally, even though it says it’s for all skin types, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone with oily skin. It’s not fragrance free, but its scent is really mild. It comes in two shades: light and medium. My shade is light.

Ingredients: aqua, titanium dioxide, aloe barbadensis leaf juice*, rosa damascena flower water*, glycerin**, prunus armeniaca kernel oil*, coco-caprylate/caprate, simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, butyrospermum parkii butter*, glyceryl stearate citrate, lecithin*, gluconolactone, sodium hyaluronate, glyceryl caprylate, tocopherol, cetearyl olivate, sclerotium gum, xanthan gum, sorbitan olivate, parfum, limonene, linalool, sodium gluconate, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, CI 77491,CI 77492, CI 77499.

Suitable for vegans? Yes, all three products are vegan
Where to buy? estelle & thild or naturisimo (both ship worldwide); if you’re in Sweden then you can get their product at Åhléns, KICKS, etc.

Vesna ♥