Circle Lenses: Vassen (Fynale) Hello Kitty Green Review

As you might know, I ordered some circle lenses from pinkyparadise.com a while back, and now I have used most of them. The lenses I was most excited about were the Vassen Hello Kitty circle lenses, which are lenses from Vassen that have a hello kitty print on them. As a Hello Kitty fan, I just HAD to have these lenses, and I chose the color green as I already have green eyes and just wanted an extra pop of color.

(picture from pinkyparadise.com)

As you can see from the picture above, these lenses have a distinct Hello Kitty design on them, which is extremely cute and girly. I was of course hoping that you might be able to tell when I was wearing the lenses as well, but from the picture below, you can see that the design is almost hidden.

Diameter: 14.5mm
Water Content: 42%
Base Curve: 8.6mm
Type: 1 year disposal

Color:

These lenses almost look black on me in different lights, especially when I am indoors. They do not look very natural, which I find disappointing. I know that most circle lenses are not supposed to look extremely natural, but when the design does not even show up, I want the color to be bright at least.

Here is a picture I have "sharpened" so that you can see more of the design.

Comfort:

At least the lenses are mostly comfortable. They are not as comfortable as the Vassen Cloud Nine Blue lenses I reviewed earlier, which are also my absolute favorite lenses by far, but I can still wear the Hello Kitty ones for a few hours without them becoming too uncomfortable. 

Enlargement:

The diameter is 14.5 mm, which is a good size for me. The black rim around the edges still give my eyes an enlarging effect, almost doll like, which is nice. However, if you want the appearance of huge eyes, go for 15 mm sizes in lenses. I have still not tried any lenses that size, so I cannot tell you if they would be too much for me or not.

Summary:

Even on lighter eyes, these lenses are not as green as I would have hoped. They are comfortable to an extent and they give my eyes a doll like effect. I will still wear these because I like the feeling of having Hello Kitty eyes (:P), but don't expect these to show up as great as the pictures on the website.

Circle Lenses: Vassen Cloud Nine Blue Review

Circle lenses are a type of lenses that originated in Asia, and they are quite different from other contact lenses. First off, there are so many different circle lenses; brands, colors, design etc. They can last up to one year if you take good care of them, which is great ;)
Most circle lenses are designed to enhance your eyes, making them look bigger and more vibrant in color. I have tried many different circle lenses, but here is my absolute favorite pair, namely the Vassen Cloud Nine Blue lenses.


(photo from pinkyparadise.com)

The Vassen Cloud Nine Series is a series of very vibrant lenses that enlarge your eyes as well.

Diameter: 14.5mm
Water Content: 42%
Base Curve: 8.6mm
Type: 1 Year Disposal

I absolutely love these lenses. I have always wanted a pair of bright blue lenses that did not look too unnatural or made my eyes look alien-like.
These lenses look quite natural on me IF I'm wearing makeup. They do not look natural if I am not wearing any eye makeup, as they then look a bit weird.
Comfort wise, they are extremely comfortable. I have had problems with circle lenses before, but not with these. I cannot even feel them in my eyes when I am wearing them. However, I do need to keep eyedrops with me just in case my eyes get tired.

These lenses also come in prescription if you need that, so you can actually wear them instead of your regular contacts. What you do need to be aware of, is that these do not supply your eyes with oxygen, so I would not recommend using them for more than 6 hours at a time, especially if you are not used to circle lenses.

I got mine from PinkyParadise, and if you click the link it will take you directly to the lens page. I get all my circle lenses from pinkyparadise, as they are an amazing company with the most options of lenses. The shipping usually takes about a week from Malaysia to Norway, and that is with the cheapest shipping alternative. You always get a free animal lens case when you order ;)

Makeup Review: Makeupforever HD Foundation

A product that has been mentioned so many times by bloggers and youtubers that my ears almost bleed, is the Makeupforever HD Foundation. This is the holy grail foundation of so many people that I just had to buy it. It is hard to get here in Norway, and we have to order it online, but I managed to get the right color for my skintone, so here is my review. Is it as good as everybody says it is?

The Foundation:

The Makeupforever HD Foundation is a so-called High Definition foundation, which basically means that it is supposed to look great on camera and in photographs. Other companies, like Revlon, have come out with "dupes" of this concepts, like the Revlon PhotoReady Foundation, which I absolutely love btw.
The bottle looks really fancy and it has a pump, which is great. The price of this foundation though is kind of outrageous. But, as I don't wear foundation that often (I usually stick with BB Creams for everyday use), the price is OK.

My Thoughts:

I had really high expectations for this product due to all the rave reviews on youtube and on blogs, so I was kind of disappointed when this foundation turned out to be just like any other foundations. Don't get me wrong, it does look great in photoes and in person, but so do my other foundations.
The finish of this is actually really matte on my skin, almost like the Revlon Colorstay's finish. I don't typically like matte finish foundations anyways as I have normal/dry skin and prefer a more natural, dewy glow, so that was a bummer.
However, I like that this foundation stays on my skin all day without me having to touch it up with powder. My skin looks flawless, albeit a bit too flawless when I wear this and I do get compliments on it throughout the day. But people can definitely tell that I am wearing makeup, unlike my beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.

The coverage is great: medium to full, but you could always sheer it out or build it up without a problem. I use a Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush to buff this into my skin since it is the best brush for me when I use this product.
It does not feel heavy though on the skin even though the coverage is medium to full, which is great. I think a part of the reason is that I buff it into my skin with the brush instead of just "painting it on". For instance, I cannot wear the Max Studio Fix Fluid foundation due to the fact that it is way to heavy for me and my skin cannot breathe at all with it on. I don't have that problem with the MUFE HD.

I mean, I like this foundation and will definitely use it, but more for going out and parties etc than for everyday. So if you want a good coverage foundation with an almost matte finish that is not too heavy for your skin, then this is the foundation for you. However, I think you could find a foundation just as great as this, that costs way less. It is not worth the price. I will stick with my Nars Sheer Glow and my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua when it comes to higher end foundations.

As you can see, the color of this foundation (118 Flesh) is quite dark for me atm,  but it will work during the summertime :))

My Skincare Routine - Day and Night

I previously wrote about my skincare routine on my old blog, which was in Norwegian, so I thought I should share my routine again with all of you here on my new blog. Some things have changed in my routine, but most items are the same :)

My Skin Type:

My skin is normal/dry, but can actually become extremely dry/dehydrated during the winter months, which is why I use products that leave my skin feeling soft and smooth. I use a ton of moisturizing products like serums and lotions, because if I don't, my skin retaliates and becomes rough and patchy. I had previously thought that my skin was oily as it produced lots of oils to compensate for the dryness, so I had used a lot of cleansers and toners that would strip my skin of the oils, which only made it worse. It was only when I actually started working at Lush and my awesome trainee David told me that I had to put a lot of moisture back into my skin and use products made for dry skin, that my skin started feeling like its amazing self again!

Morning Routine:

In the morning I start off by using Lush's Aqua Marina Cleanser to cleanse my face. This product is absolutely amazing as it leaves my skin feeling soft and reduces any redness that my skin might have. It contains calamine and seaweed, which cleanses and softens the skin while leaving it to soak up the minerals in the seaweed. My skin never feels stripped of moisture with this cleanser.

After I cleanse my skin, I use Lush's Breath of Fresh Air Toner and spray that all over my face and let it soak in before I do anything else. This product works extremely well with Aqua Marina since it also contains many of the same ingredients.

Now comes the fun stuff: moisturizing. I use 3 different serums/moisturizers. The first one is Lush's Full of Grace Serum Bar which I smooth all over my face and massage it into my skin. It really is a miracle worker and it prepares my skin for any other products I might apply. Then I use Loreal's Youth Code Luminizer Serum and let it soak into my skin. This product is supposed to even out your skintone and give you a fresh glow. I haven't used it long enough to give a full review yet, so stay tuned for that. The moisturizer I use is Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. It is absolutely aweome: it is light and sinks into my skin like nobody's business, but it still is plenty moisturizing enough for my dry skin. My skin does not feel greasy or sticky afterwards, which is also a plus.

Then I start my makeup routine. Currently I am using Missha's Perfect Cover BB Cream as my "foundation".

Evening Routine:

In the evenings, my skincare routine changes depending on how my skin feels and whether or not I have makeup on. I usually start off by removing my makeup using Lush's Ultra Bland. I massage it onto my skin and my eyes, and remove it using a wet cotton pad.

Every other day, I use my Clarisonic Mia to exfoliate my skin and deepclean it, and I use this with Lush's 9 to 5 Cleanser. This makes my skin feel so smooth and soft and it gets rid of everything that has been hiding in my pores. I cannot use this every day though, but I love it! I would invest in one if I were you. I did. If I'm not using my Clarisonic, I use my Lush Aqua Marina.

After I have cleansed my skin, I use the same serums and moisturizers as I do in the mornings. The only things I might do differently, is use my Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil if my skin is feeling very dry. I only use about 3 drops of this in areas where I need to. I do this about once a week.

I also use Lush's Lovely Jubblies Breast Cream as my eye cream. Yes, I really do!! :D It works wonders for my under eye area :)

Sometimes I use a toner tab from Lush to steam my face and open my pores really well. I do this about once every 2 weeks if I remember it :) I also use face masks once in a while. Some of them are from Lush, while some of them are from My Beauty Diary :)
I have already ordered a few things online to add to my skincare routine. I will let you know what I think of them. The things I have ordered are the Sirius Aurora Light Therapy System, Cure Natural Aqua Gel and a whitening "toner lotion" :) And also a face mask from Skinfood.

Haircare: Lush Shampoos Overview & Review Part 3

If you haven't seen part 1 and part 2 of my Lush Shampoo Overview, click here and here.

Lush Rehab Shampoo:

Rehab is a shampoo for people with dry and damaged hair types that need a little bit of extra care and "lovin". Your hair may be damaged from a lot of different things, namely bleaching, dying, heat, styling products and generally ill health. Rehab contains a lot of different ingredients to tackle all these problems, and to make your hair both look and feel better.

Seaweed leaves the hair feeling soft, jojoba oil and olive oil strengthens the hair and helps the scalp, kiwi and mango gives the hair minerals and vitamins, rosemary gives shine, papaya and pineapple which breaks down dead skin cells and clean the hair thoroughly, and lastly juniper and mint which encourage hair growth.
Yes, that is a lot of ingredients for a shampoo, but I promise you; it works! I absolutely love Rehab, and I think it is my favourite all time shampoo from any company I have tried. My hair had a tendensy to misbehave, meaning it was frizzy, dry, could be a little greasy etc. But by using Rehab religiously for about a month, my hair started feeling and looking a lot better. It helped my hair so much that it even looks great no matter what shampoo I use. I still use Rehab on days that I feel that I have mistreated my hair, meaning; used heat on it without a heat protectant, used hairspray, teased it etc. And afterwards it is so smooth that I can hardly believe it.

Yes, this shampoo smells weird. To me it smells like the After Eight mint chocolates that I used to eat at my grandmother's house when I was younger, but I don't care. I cannot smell it on my hair afterwards anyways, so it's all good :)
If your hair is dry or damaged, you really should try this shampoo. I absolutely love it!!

Ingredients:
Sodium Alkyl Sulfate,Carrageenan Extract,Water, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate,Cocamide MEA, Perfume,Freshly Juiced Papaya,Propylene Glycol, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Fine Sea Salt, Fresh Kiwi Juice,Fresh Mango Juice,Organic Cold Pressed Jojoba Oil , Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Lavender Oil,Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Juniperberry Oil,*Limonene, *Linalool,Benzyl Alcohol,Methylparaben,Propylparaben

*occurs naturally in essential oils

Lush Trichomania Solid Shampoo:

Trichomania may be the weirdest shampoo Lush has to offer, especially if you have never tried a solid shampoo before. It is not shaped like a shampoo bar (round and nice), rather it's solid and the person in the store has to cut it up for you. You can decide yourself approximately how much you want cut up, but you will have to find a way to store it yourself. I use a bodybutter tin from Lush to store mine and I cut up the shampoo to fit into one of the tins :)

Trichomania is a coconut shampoo for people with dry hair or a dry scalp, but me having neither of those still love this shampoo. It softens my hair and tames all the frizz, leaving my hair feeling amazing. I never have to blowdry my hair or straighten it to make it behave when I use this shampoo, which is great.

So on days that I am feeling lazy and don't want to do anything to my hair, I use Trichomania, and it works great. A great thing about this shampoo compared to the shampoo bars, is that you don't have to airdry this after every use. I find that it works better when it is already a little moist.

I love the scent of this as it smells like coconuts, and not the generic, fake kind, but the real coconuts you find on islands far, far away.

Ingredients:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate,Stearic Acid, Creamed Coconut, Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate,Cocamide DEA, Soya Lecithin, Perfume, Vetivert Oil

*occurs naturally in essential oils

Makeup Review: Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

You might have seen my review of the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, and if you did, then you know how much I absolutely love it! Another BB Cream that I really like, is the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream. Here is a review of it.

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream:

This BB Cream is quite different than the Missha one in many ways. First off, it does not contain any SPF, which is very rare for a BB Cream. Secondly, it does not have whitening agents to lighten your skin etc. It is also a different color.

The color of this BB Cream is more warm toned which fits most people perfectly. It is not grey or ashy on the skin, and on some people this cream may even be too dark for them to wear. I find that it blends in perfectly with my skintone and makes me appear fresh and glowy, but in a natural way.

The consistensy is actually more of a heavier tinted moisturizer, and I find that this really does moisturize my skin even better than the Missha counterpart. However, since this BB cream does not contain spf, whitening agents, or anti ageing properties, I have a problem with calling it a BB cream. It is more of a middleground between a tinted moisturizer and a foundation. I would absolutely loved this if it did what the Missha cream does for me (lightens my scars and acne etc), but it doesn't. I will still keep wearing this, especially during the summer when I need a warmer color than the Missha one, but for now, I will keep using the Missha until my scars have cleared up.

The packaging of this BB Cream however, is to die for! It is cute with white and pink patterns and even a crown! I have this in the 30 ml size, but if you get the 50 ml size which I had previously, it comes with a pump :)
The staying power is great as it stays on my skin with a powder on top and a setting spray, all day. The coverage it gives you is medium, but buildable. It works amazing as a concealer as it covers up absolutely anything you need it to.

I recommend this product if you are looking for a good "foundation" which looks natural and moisturizes the skin, and even works great as a concealer.

Where:

Prettyandcute.com
Ebay

Haircare: Lush Shampoos Overview & Review Part 2

If you missed my previous post about Lush shampoos, please click here to read about Big and Godiva and to hear my thoughts about them. This time, my focus is on Daddy-O and I Love Juicy from Lush.

My hair has been very dry and damaged previously due to a lot of bleaching, coloring and by heat styling tools. Now my hair is much better and I have not colored or bleached my hair for about 2 years. The color is a natural medium blonde which in the summer time when exposed to the sun turns a lighter shade.

Daddy-O Shampoo:

Daddy-O is a shampoo designed for blondes or people with greyish hair, who want to visibly lighten or brighten up their hair colors. Blondes have a tendensy to have yellow streaks or tones in their hair, which is not always very attractive. To brighten up their hair color and to get rid of the brassiness, one uses purple pigments in a shampoo to counteract the yellowness. Daddy-O is such a shampoo.

I started using Daddy-O a couple of weeks ago to brighten up my hair color as I wanted more of a cool tone to my hair. Now I use it about once every other week to maintain the results. I leave it on for about 5 minutes to let it work its job and then rinse it out.

I must admit that I haven't really seen much results myself, but other people have commented on my hair color and they say that it is very nice. So I still use this shampoo, not very often, but I do it to keep the results other people say that they have noticed.

I have to tell you that I do not like the smell of this shampoo at all. It says on the Lush website that it smells like parma violets, which I have never even heard of before, but I don't really like it. And the smell lingers in your hair, even though you use a conditioner afterwards. Which is something to think about before buying this product. 

Ingredients:

Fresh Organic Lemon and Toothed Wrack Seaweed Infu, Sodium Alkyl Sulfate,Sodium Laureth Sulfate,Fresh Sea Water,Perfume, Cocamide MEA,Propylene Glycol, Glycol Cetearate, Fresh Organic Lime Juice, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, Rose Absolute,Bergamot Oil, Cananga Oil, *Limonene, *Linalool,*Citronellol, Coumarin,Isoeugenol, Methyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol,Methylparaben,Propylparaben, Colour 42090, Colour 17200

*occurs naturally in essential oils

Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo:

I Love Juicy is a shampoo designed for oily hair types or people who use a ton of products in their hair and need a deep clean to get rid of all the residue. It contains fruit enzymes that dissolve and clean away oils, dirt and product build up and seaweed to maintain softness.

I will say that this shampoo really gets my hair extremely clean and I can go days without washing it again, but the things is that it can dry my hair out pretty easily if I am not careful. I do not have particularly greasy hair, but I still use this if I know that I have long workdays ahead of me and I don't want to spend time washing my hair too often. I also use this when I have been using a lot of hairspray etc to get it all off.

If you have really greasy hair, then this shampoo is for you. I cannot use this more than once a week myself, but it really does work in keeping my hair in shape.

Be careful though if you do not have greasy hair, because you will need a good conditioner afterwards to put on the ends of your hair.

The smell of this shampoo is supposed to be very fruity and fresh, but to me it smells exactly like applecider. It does not smell bad at all, just strange for a shampoo :) But the scent does not linger in my hair, so even if you do not like the smell of it, you will not walk around with an apple cider scent in your hair afterwards.

Ingredients:

Water, Sodium Alkyl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulphate,Cocamide MEA, Propylene Glycol, Perfume, Lemon Oil, Freshly Juiced Papaya, Fine Sea Salt,Carrageenan Extract,Sweet Orange Oil, Fresh Pineapple Juice, Fresh Kiwi Juice, Fresh Mango Juice, *Citral, *Limonene,Benzyl Alcohol,Methylparaben,Propylparaben