Maria goes Organic(ish)

3 months ago, I purchased this skin care product called Ole Henriksen at Sephora. I have read great reviews about their Vitamin C serum (the orange one) so I decided to try it out myself. I also added a few of its sisters/brothers (whichever you prefer).

I waited a few months to review this because I wanted to see if it actually does something with my face; unfortunately, it did but negatively. It broke my skin out. 

My face/skin: I never really thought of my skin as 'sensitive' because I have used products that is infused with alcohol, oil or just nasty chemicals. It did not break my skin out like this one (I now have pimple scars even though I left those pimples alone). 

I quickly checked the ingredients and found out that it contained 'fragrance'. The problem with skin care products with 'fragrance' is it could contain products that is really bad for your skin. Products that are used as pesticides. I vowed from that day forward to only use products that are either organic, natural or if I'm familar with the ingredients.

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Please note that skin types vary and some skin types react differently to different products. If possible, do a patch test on your skin before purchasing!

 check this blog often for more organic product review 

-Maria

L’occitane Review: Verbena Products

Hey guys! This is my first ever review for L’occitane products. A little background information – L’occitane is a French company started by Olivier Baussan when he was 23 years old. He started distilling rosemary essences and selling them at the village markets in Provence. He later on expanded to making soaps and the rest is history.

L’occitane usually name their products based on the ingredient they use and pride themselves in using natural ingredients. I was going to first review their Almond line but since I’m already using their Verbena/Verveine products I’ll start off with this.

Verbena is a citrusy plant that grows commonly in France. Its leaves have often been used historically for alternative medicine. The three products I currently use are:

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1) Verveine Deodorant – It smells nice, my armpits don’t sweat, it hasn’t made a stain on any of my shirts but it’s not very strong. If you're into an active lifestyle, you will need to reapply this deodorant frequently. It could be better used during winter or colder temperature when you don’t perspire so much.

2) Verveine Eau de Toilet – Very refreshing scent, extra citrusy since it also has lemon and grapefruit essences in it. I’m sometimes reminded of dishwashing soap with this scent but so far people have been commenting on how fresh and delightful the scent is.

3) Verveine Sorbet Body Cream – My most favorite product to date. It is absolutely refreshing on my body because of its cooling effect. I love to apply this before after a shower. It’s also perfect for the summer when you’re feeling hot and sticky. This cream feels like the breeze is on your skin. I can’t go to sleep without having my sorbet body cream ritual. I honestly have an easier time falling asleep. I’ve also been waking up better the past few days.

I hope you find this review helpful!

xo,

Astrid

Astrid's Basic Essentials Kit

I don't wear make up even if I'm a working girl and I admit I still get mistaken for a high school student. I personally want to learn how to make myself look more mature. However, I still haven't made time to sit down and learn how to apply make-up.

I just have a basic prettifying kit that I use whenever I feel too bare or ugly. I think it's important to have that something that will lift your confidence up a bit. For me, it's my lip tint. I may forget the rest of my arsenal, but as long as I have my lip tint I feel like I can face people. I've added a few more things to that. Here's my Bare Essentials Kit:

1. Bobbi Brown Velvet Plum Pot Rogue Lip/Cheek Tint- I fell in love the first time I tried it. It has a rich dark brown colour that makes my lips stand out more but in a very natural way.
2. Burt's Bees Tinted Lipbalm- The tinted lipbalm adds a hint of colour to my lips. It's not as obvious as the lip tints but it helps so i don't look as pale as i already am.
3. Burt's Bees Lip Gloss Ruby Moon - It's one of the darker shades of their lip gloss series. They almost have the same colour as my Bobbi Brown tint but this one has a gloss on it. I love it because even it loses its sheen overtime, the colour still sticks.
4. Art Deco Mascarra - I fell in love with this when i first tried it. It elongates my lashes in a very natural way. It's perfect for day make-up, as I don't look like I have a lot of goop on my eyes.

I'll post a before and after photo soon. What's in your Basic Essentials Kit?

-Astrid

OPI Nail Polish

I bought two OPI nail polish. My favourite being pink and electric blue. I really wanted to buy a range of neutral colours but OPI's quite expensive. I think the best nail polish colours are the ones that's a few shades lighter/darker than your finger nails. I love how they look, very polished, classy and some shades actually elongate your fingers.

I like OPI because it lasts long and doesn't chip too much however I've been doing a lot of housework lately and I'm not too sure if they will last as much.

If anyone can reccommend another great nail polish brand, I'd love to know!

Back to School Hair Care

What happens to a lazy college student with dry frizzy hair every morning?
--A college student with bad hair day all week!

I dont really want to wake up early in the morning to be able to tame dry frizzy hair, 'cause... 'ain't nobody got time for that!

So, I am very glad to find the garnier fructis moroccan sleek oil. My hair feels so weightless and I feel like I am in those shampoo commercials (Sumusunod sa galaw mo kinda hair).

I apply it before and after blow drying my hair which takes less than 10minutes. It gives me more time to sleep-in!

I've used a couple of hair products like pantene, frizz-ease and tresemme but garnier was definitely THE BEST, plus it was cheaper too. You can buy it in any superstores like Walmart, Safeway etc..

Minimalism

I have a very tiny built; so,I rarely fit any dresses perfectly. However, Brandy Melville carries clothes for girls my size! I don't normally wear tight dresses for the fear of looking 'too skinny' but this dress was an exception.

 I wore a simple black dress paired up with a 'gladiator' sandal.
The dress has this little cut in the back which made me feel sexy! 

I got the gladiator sandals from Spain. It was 2 years ago so I totally forgot the store name but if you walk around Madrid Downtown I'm sure you'll find it.

Crabtree & Evelyn Citron Soap

Look, I have another Crabtree and Evelyn soap review. My mother loves their soap collection. I particularly liked the citrusy scent of this soap and how fresh and natural it smelled.

-Astrid