frozen spring

cruelty free & sustainable living

Lush Cup O’ Coffee Exfoliating Mask Review

photo lush-cup-o-coffee01_zpsgr90ge0p.jpg

A while back, when I was trying to kill some time while I was waiting for a friend, I visited Lush and this mask caught my eye. The reason it caught my attention was because it contains coffee and smells like coffee, and since I love everything coffee, I couldn’t resist purchasing it. Additionally, it can be used on the face and body, but I use it only on my face since it is a bit pricey. Before I review it, just to mention that I have combination skin with T-zone and I love exfoliation (well, my skin does for sure).

Cup O’ Coffee comes in a recycled plastic container (and, in case you didn’t know, you can collect five of these and take them back to Lush and exchange them for a new fresh face mask). It has a screw-on lid, but for some reason this product does leak a bit despite that. It’s quite thick, but it can be applied with both brush and fingers. Lately I’ve been using a brush to apply it since it’s less messy that way. It does have a warming effect in the beginning and I like to leave it for at least 15 minutes on my skin. To take it off, I use mild water and I gently massage my skin so that ground coffee, which this mask contains, can exfoliate my skin while I’m taking it off. Ground coffee is a bit rough so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with sensitive skin, and I’d definitely recommend to be extra careful when you’re removing the product from your face. You don’t want to cause any irritation. This product leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth on touch, and I’d even say that my skin does look really clean. I would even say that my skin feels a bit firmer and tighter, too.

However, as mentioned above, I would not recommend this product to someone who has sensitive skin, as well as to someone who has dry skin because it might leave your skin dry. That’s why I use it only once a week and I always apply my skin care products after I take it off. :) All in all, I do like it in general and I will be getting a new one as soon as I go through the one I have.

The only flaw this product has is the price. It’s quite expensive considering it can be used all over the body, but as I said in the beginning, I’m using it only on my face and that way, I save some money. I guess it wouldn’t last long if I’d use it all over, maybe 3 times, but since I use it only on my face, I can use it at least 10 times, which seems okay to me and worth the money in that case.

photo lush-cup-o-coffee02_zpsutuydpr8.jpg

photo lush-cup-o-coffee03_zpszqhtopkg.jpg
Cup O’ Coffee on my skin

Ingredients: Organic Agave Syrup Kaolin Glycerine Coffee Infusion Talc Ground Coffee Bentone gel Perfume Vetivert Oil Vanilla Absolute Roasted Cocoa Extract Coriander Oil Caffeine Powder *Coumarin *Limonene *Linalool 
Suitable for vegans? Yes
Where to buy? Lush stores & online
Price? 99 SEK for 150 g / 195 SEK for 325 g

Have you tried Cup O’ Coffee? Or maybe any other face mask from Lush that you’d like to recommend?

Vesna ♥

Favourite beauty products of 2016 ♥

photo 2016-best-of00A_zpsulnidwqn.jpg

I haven’t really shared my favourites during 2016, so here’s one post which covers the whole year.  Even if I wrote a few separate posts, I don’t think my favourites would be any different since I wasn’t using that many products and I was mostly sticking to products which I already liked OR which I purchased after I read good reviews and I figured I would like them.

As you can see, most of these products are actually skincare products, and that’s nothing strange because I was quite focused on skincare in 2016. I discovered some really good brands and I’m looking forward to exploring the rest of their range (as soon as I need a new products, that is; my ‘buy less’ decision from previous post covers skincare, too).

Well, let me tell you more about my favourites and why just these products stood out for me :)

MAKEUP

IsaDora Wonder Nail Quick Dry Nail Polish, shade 540 Purple Paisley (5 ml / 79 SEK / €8.25) – this shade was part of their fall collection and I grabbed it as soon as I saw it in store. I know there are many purple(ish) shades out there, but I really liked this one, and not only that the shade is pretty, but it is more than great when it comes to quality. I generally like IsaDora’s nail polishes, so this one is no exception. It comes with a wide brush which might be a bit tricky for narrow nail plates, but I have wider nail plates so it suits me quite well (I did need a bit of time to get used to it, but now I can’t imagine using any other nail brush!). Anyway, this shade is perfect for all seasons if you ask me, but I do prefer it during fall / winter times. Here’s my NOTD post with this shade – link.

Idun Minerals Akvamarin Nail Polish (11 ml / 89 SEK / €9.30) – I haven’t posted it on the blog, but I did show you on my Instagram how this shade looks on my nails – link – and I still love it as the first day! It’s the most perfect winter shade that is out there and I love how it screams cold and winter.  It has to be applied with 2 coats, because the first coat is streaky, but I still like it and use it at least once a week! Idun nail polishes have wide brush, too. Love!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, shade Ash Brown* (4 g / 255 SEK / €26) – even though I purchased this product not so long ago (after months of debating with myself weather I should purchase it or not, LOL!), I have to say this is one of my favourite purchases last year! It’s so worth every cent and I regret not buying it a long, long time ago. I dare to say that my brows have never looked better! It goes on so smoothly, it can be applied lightly or heavily, depending on how you like it, and once you apply it – it stays there. I will be reviewing it next week, just need to take some before / after photos. Until then, you can see HERE how it looks on my brows.

Catrice Illuminating Blush, shade Kiss Me Ken, limited edition (4,5 g / 35 SEK / €3.60) – last year I couldn’t get enough of this blush! I tried using other cheek products, but I kept reaching for this one. It’s a shame this is no longer available since it is a limited edition product, and I’m sure there is something similar out there, but I still think this product is such a steal considering the quality you get for such a tiny price. Again, you can see it in the same post as the ABH Dipbrow Pomade – HERE – but this was taken in the evening, and I did apply my make up many hours earlier. ;)

Rouge Bunny Rouge Aqua Primer* (30 ml / 500 SEK / €53) – I’ve mentioned this product more than once so I won’t be repeating myself once again, but you’re more than welcome to read my review – link – where I tell you all you need to know about this primer.

photo 2016-best-of00_zpsfjmfc8ep.jpg

SKINCARE

LUSH Cup O’ Coffee Face Mask* (150 g / 99 SEK / €10.30) – not sure when exactly I got this mask, but I think somewhere in October, and since then it has been something I’m using on a weekly basis. I may not be a true coffee lover, but I love the smell of it and I think I could walk around smelling like coffee! I love how this is a 2in1 product – scrub and mask for your face and body, but I do think it’s a bit pricey to be used on the body, so I’ve been saving it for my face exclusively. Not that I don’t mind that since my face loves it! I have combination skin, so this mask really suits my skin since it cleans it and scrubs well, and it is in no way harsh for it. But it might be a bit too much for someone with dry skin. Even though the effect of using it is only temporary, I do like using it regularly since I do like the feeling of fresh skin.

Minimal Chic Oil-based Make Up Remover** – this lovely oil-based make up remover is my must have when it comes to removing my make up in a gentle, but effective way. It is safe to use around eyes and I love using it to remove my mascara since a gentle massage is all it takes to melt all eye make up. Not to mention that, in the end, I don’t have any oily leftover trace once I wash it off with warm water. All in all, it is affordable and it basically lasts forever! Another thing that I really love about this product is that it’s handmade by a dear friend of mine, and I got this bottle as a gift from her. She has some other lovely products and you can check her range HERE. It’s Croatian based brand, but it can be shipped to other countries. :)

Zoya Goes Pretty Shea & Cocoa Butter* (30 g / 80 SEK / 8.50) – even though this is a multi-use product for face & body, I use it mostly to nourish my lips when I’m at home. I love the combination of shea and cocoa, it smells so delicious and it makes me wanna eat it!  This is a quite easy and effective way to take care of my occasionally dry lips, and when I say ‘effective’, what I mean is – I see results a few minutes after I apply it! No more dry lips thanks to it! At least if I use it regularly (which I try to do).

Hylamide SubQ Anti-Age Advanced Serum* (30 ml / 350 SEK / €36) – I got this serum in the beginning of September and I’ve been using it ever since which means I owe you a more detailed review (soon), but let me just tell you how much I love this serum! I love the texture, which is easy to work with and which absorbs quite quickly, but not to mention it does why I purchased it in the first place – it rehydrates my skin amazingly! I literally feel the effect the moment I apply it – my skin feels so supple, fresh and satisfied. The biggest difference is – my skin doesn’t feel like it’s suffering during winter time in Stockholm. I still have 1/3 of it left (I’m in no way sparing, that’s for sure!) and I am getting a new bottle as soon as I get to the last drop of my current one.

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil* (30 ml / 247 SEK / £22.00) – in the end of November, I wrote a mini-review where I shared my first impressions about this product, and obviously, I haven’t changed my opinion since this product made it to my favourites! If you’re struggling with some scars and skin firmness (or, the lack of it), I would honestly recommend you get this oil, like, yesterday! I raved so much about it to a friend of mine, that she ended up buying it in the end, and today she told me how she’s beyond thrilled with it!

photo 2016-best-of01_zpstoc8nfuq.jpg

VARIOUS

Lunette Menstrual Cup* (299 SEK / €31) – some 10 days ago I wrote a detailed review about my Lunette menstrual cup, why I love it and can’t imagine my life without it, but also why you should get it, too. To make the long story short: this tiny cup changed my life in ways I couldn’t even imagine it would happen. I know it might sound silly, but after 20 years of having periods, I can finally say that I am looking forward to them, and I’m not cringing at the thought of walking around while I have a period. My life got so much easier and I don’t even waste my time thinking about my periods any more. If you’ve been considering buying a menstrual cup, be sure to read my review!

Foreo Luna Mini 2 (1295 SEK / €135) – even though skincare products are my top priority when it comes to taking care of my face, I found this face brush to be more than useful when it comes to effective cleansing. The fact is, no matter how much I try, I have the feeling like my skin is much cleaner when I use Luna Mini 2. Of course, It isn’t a must have products, to be honest, especially if you’re expecting new skin and few years less on your face, but I’d say it has been more than useful as part of my skincare regime. My pores are less clogged when I use it, especially those around my chin area because that area is the worst on my face. On top of that, I love the additional level of clean skin. I mean, it is clean either way, but with this brush it does feel like that feeling is stretched a bit further.

Clean Skin EdP* (30 ml / 470 SEK / €50) – I can sum up description of this perfume in one single sentence: my skin but better. It is so subtle, yet so captivating. It completely mesmerizes my senses and the things that cross through my mind when I smell it are – warmth, the touch of skin, sensual. It might not be strong and it might not last for two days, but I love it just the way it is. To be honest, this is the only perfume I need in my collection. ♥

photo 2016-best-of02_zpsmmpmkacc.jpg

photo 2016-best-of03_zpsn2gcobhy.jpg

These were my favourite products. Maybe we share some of them? Or do you have a completely different list? Feel free to share in the comments, would love to know what you’ve been using!

Note: all products are cruelty free, those marked with * are vegan (not sure about those unmarked, so I just marked the ones I know for sure are vegan)
** this product was given to me for review

Vesna ♥

Want It: Autumn Edition ♥

Long story short: everything is on my wishlist. Still, not like I really can buy everything (nor do I really want to since I already have too much stuff and there wouldn’t be any fun in buying everything, right?). Anyway, after seeing a lot of new products, here’s what ended up on my list.

  • Smith & Cult Dark Like Me, Filth Noir, No Poem (swatches here and here)
  • Kat Von D Studded Lipstick, shade Bauhau5 (swatched here)
  • LUSH Cup O’ Coffee Face and Body Mask (info)
  • Clean Fresh Laundry
  • Rituals Lotus Secret Home Fragrance (info)

photo wishlist-autumn_zpsvaisczui.jpg

Anything on your wish list lately? :)

Vesna ♥

New In | August ♥

photo new-in-august00_zpsdxrqz0v6.jpg

Somehow I managed to collect quite a nice bunch of products in August and since it will (probably) take me forever to review them, I think it’s not a bad idea to post another new in post where you can see what I got! Most products were purchased in August, while some of them were purchased in the beginning of September, but I decided to post them together since, hopefully, I won’t be buying anything in September. We’ll see about that, though… :D Anyway, let me start!

Let me start with Nabla Cosmetics since I already posted that as soon as my order arrived, so click HERE to check all the details and swatches! Next up is Hylamide which I ordered from Lookfantastic.com when they had a 3 for 2 deal on Hylamide. I’ve never tried anything from this brand so I was pretty excited when I saw the deal and I ended up getting these products: SubQ Eyes, C25 Booster and  SubQ Anti-Age. I was primarily interested in C25 Booster and SubQ Anti-Age (erm, not really getting younger, LOL), but I don’t mind a free product! It’s been a week since I started using these and my first impression is good, but I will wait a few more weeks to give some extra details.

Before I ordered Hylamide, I decided to work up on my skin care routine and that’s how I ended up ordering my first Paula’s Choice products – Resist Anti-ageing Repairing Toner and Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. I got a sample of Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum With Retinol as well, and it’s a good thing I ordered just a sample and not full size product because I didn’t like the texture in the end – turns out I’m not really a fan of silicone-based products any more. I’ve been using the first two products for almost two weeks now and I really, really like them! Definitely a must have for my combination skin!
Lush is my go-to store ever since I decided to support only cruelty free products and last month I got two additional products – Helping Hands Hand Cream (my skin loves it, but it really has a funky smell which I barely tolerate; hopefully my hands appreciate it!) and Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (I keep purchasing it over and over again!).

At the beginning of September I attended the vegan fair in Stockholm where I discovered two completely unknown brands! The first one is Zoya Goes Pretty – they make the most adorable shea butters! I picked two butters: shea butter & cacao and shea butter & rose oil. Both smell deliciously, but cacao is my favourite one! I could eat it, I’m not kidding! :D The second brand is puroBIO cosmetics, an Italian brand. They have a nice selection of natural and organic make-up products and even though I was interested in most of it, I got only one product – Compact Eyeshadow n 06 – Purple. I already swatched it so I will be posting it any day now!

As always, IsaDora managed to launch a gorgeous fall collection with beautiful nail polish shades, and one in particular got my attention – 540 Purple Paisley. Here can you see a swatch that shows how nice this shade is! Perfect for fall! And, last but not least, I got a new perfume for this fall – Clean Skin. Oh my, how mesmerised this perfume is! I purchased it almost instantly, no convincing was necessary, I just new it was perfect for me. It really smells like my skin, only better. ♥

I also got some fashion details, both brooches. That lovely bird you see is handmade by Marina Marinski and you can order it HERE. The other one, silver, is second hand and purchased at a vintage store in Stockholm (it was a gift from a friend).

Continue reading to see photos and close-ups.

[Read more…]

Beauty Favourites | Summer Edition

photo summer-favourites00_zpsigftisko.jpg

Instead of posting favourites every month (as I used to do ages ago and I see that most bloggers still do that), I think I’ll do better with posting favourites every three months. Since it’s September, it’s perfect time for my summer favourites, and in December I’ll be posting my fall favourites and so on, you get where I’m going with this. :)

Since I don’t really use too many products during summer, this post won’t be that long. On top of that, I’m not much into make-up when it’s warm, so you’ll notice right away that I included only two (!) make-up products,  and one of those two is nail polish! :D Anyway, let me tell you what is so amazing about these products that they deserved to be among my favourite ones! ♥

  • Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream (220 ml / 195 kr / €20) – The Ritual of Sakura is my favourite range and whenever I’m in Rituals’ store, I keep checking this range as if they managed to launch something new in the meantime, haha! The texture of this body cream is really rich, but not thick and greasy, rather completely the opposite and not to mention how nourishing it is. The smell of it is so mesmerizing and it lasts for hours! My favourite way to apply it is before going to bed since in the morning I smell as if I just applied it.
  • Rituals The Rituals of Sakura Shower Foam (200 ml / 90 kr / €9.40) – if you’re considering which Rituals product to test first, please get this one since this one is the reason I fell in love with Rituals! I love the packaging and the fact that you need the tiniest possible amount to get loads of foam! The scent might not last long on the skin (which isn’t important to me since I do use body cream and / or perfume on top), but my bathroom smells deliciously! And for hours! Anyway, this product doesn’t dry out my skin, but I prefer to apply cream for a long lasting Sakura scent.
  • LUSH New Shampoo Bar (55 g / 99 kr / €10.00) – this is my first ever shampoo bar and I have to admit I was completely sceptic about using it. Not sure why, but I think I was mostly afraid it won’t do the job properly. Turns out – I was SO wrong! I love it! I’ve been using it for three months and I still haven’t used it up! I think I still have a piece of it for the rest of the month and after that I’ll be getting a new one.  This isn’t really expensive considered how long it lasts, especially since I wash my hair every other day, so that’s a lot of washing during those three months! My hair is so sleek and squeaky clean, I have no need for conditioner afterwards (if I use ‘normal’ shampoo then I need a conditioner since my hair is all over the place!) and it smells deliciously – cinnamon! Who doesn’t love cinnamon?! ♥
  • John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen (30 ml / 28.50 GBP / €32) – before summer I decided to get a mineral sunscreen and after doing some research, I picked up this product. It has some really good reviews and I can say that it worked more than well for me and that I’m more than satisfied with it. The texture is kinda strange – you definitely need to shake it well before using it since it is a bit on the watery side, but it is okay once you shake it. Once it’s applied it does leave a white trace on the skin, but it absorbs rather quickly and that’s something that I was worried about the most – that I’ll have to wait long before it absorbs, but that’s not the case. It works well with my combination skin and it’s good under the make-up, but I wouldn’t really recommend it to people with oily skin since my face does get shiny during the day. It doesn’t bother me personally, but it’s definitely something to think about before buying it. I think it would be perfect for those with normal – dry skin since it’s quite rich in texture.
  • Lumene Bright Now Vitamin C Day Cream SPF 15 (50 ml /  189 kr / €19) – this is a product that I purchased without reading any reviews, but it turns out my skin loves this cream! Even though it says ‘brightening’ on the packaging, I didn’t really expect any significant change on that plan, but I’m really satisfied when it comes to moisturising since this cream has a kinda thicker texture but on the same time it goes on so easily and it absorbs really quickly. It almost feels like I applied some sorts of a make-up primer since it’s making my skin look and feel so smooth! Definitely perfect under make-up! When it comes to SPF, that part isn’t important to me since I have a separate product for that, but since this is a day cream, it would be much better if it had higher SPF like SPF 30. I still love it, though!
  • Catrice Cosmetics Illuminating Blush (4.5 g / €4.00) – this is a blush that I purchased last year, but I started using it just a few months back and now I can’t get enough of it! It’s my perfect go-to blush! Unfortunately, it was limited edition, but hopefully Catrice will launch something similar in the future!
  • Minimal Chic Make-up Remover, oil-based (100 ml / not sure about the price)* – my skin loves oil-based make-up removers! My whole face needs approximately three pumps of it – it removes completely my make-up, but I do avoid my eyes since I lately prefer to remove my eye make-up separately (usually before removing my face make-up). However, I did use it for eyes as well and it works just fine, in case you’re interested. This product is really gentle, yet effective which results in my skin feeling so soft after each use. ♥
  • Wet n Wild MegaLast Nail Polish in 2% Milk (13.5 ml / 49 kr / $1.99) – this is my first Wet n Wild nail polish and it’s probably my go-to shade since I love to apply it whenever I want a nude, barely there nail polish on my nails. Usually such shades don’t suit my skin tone, but this one works perfectly! It might not be the best quality out there, but it is more than good considering the price range.

Keep reading to see more detailed photos of my summer beauty favourites!

[Read more…]