Review | Bourjois Java Rice Powder

Everyone is/was talking about this product, so I got sucked into the hype. After looking for it everywhere I found it for 50% of! It was meant to go this way you know! I heard it was a gorgeous, highlighting powder. So I had very, high hopes for this one!

It comes in a small, minty container. I actually do not like the packaging very much. The powder is going everywhere! The scent to this product is a love/hate thing. I personally really like that all Bourjois products smell amazing! This powder smells like roses, I think? Love that!

At first I did not see the hype at all. I thought it would’ve more shimmer to it and it could be used as a subtle sheen. However for me, when I look at the powder, I can hardly see a sparkle. I tried it out on my hand and I saw that it's not your usual translucent powder, but still it's not what I expected.

I tried it out again last week and I do see why people rave about it. It gives a healthy glow to your face without overdoing it. I wouldn't say it’s a highlighter, but more a glowy, setting powder.

I wouldn't recommend this for people with oily skin. In the beginning it looks lovely, but you do not want to make your face look even shinier during the day. Powder your face with a matt powder and then put the Java powder on top. This might solve the problem for us combination/oily gals.

End conclusion: I think it's perfect for people with dry to normal skin. It will make your skin look very healthy and glowy. Oily to combination skin: not so much. I bought it, but I don't think I will use it very often, which is a shame. Especially in the summer when I will look shiny very quickly, this won't be my go-to powder product. Maybe I will change my mind when fall is upon us?

Have you tried the Bourjois Java Rice Powder?

My Life | One Direction Where We Are Concert Amsterdam

Two days ago was thé day for me and my friends. We went to the One Direction Where We Are Concert in the Amsterdam Arena. Now I am not your typical 1D fan. In The Netherlands One Direction is sort of a band for 14 year old girls, who scream, draw their names all over there face and go crazyyy when they see them. Me on the other hand.. I am the opposite of all that 'fans going wild' stuff. I just like their music and do think they are very cute, but I leave my obsession there. No posters, no stalking and NO fights with other fans on Twitter. Anyways since I am 20 (huge gasp) it’s maybe a bit weird to see a boyband that has a young audience, but we (me and my three other friends) don't give a damn and are still going to the concert with all the 12-year olds. Yep, we are that cool, lol.

The day itself was a bit crazy for me. I was in a rush to get there, because I had my internship and a resit that I had to take that started at 16:10-17:50. The concert started on 18:00, so you see my problem? I wasn't happy when I found out about that. I made the exam as quickly as possible and rushed to the arena that is 15 minutes away when you take the tube. I did not want to miss 5SOS, so there I went, in my pineapple skirt and buckled sandals. Only I would pick an outfit like that, when I know I am in a hurry. The test went oké, at least I hope haha. Otherwise: good luck next year with taking it again Mar, as I am thinking in my head :P. 

Lucky for me the concert started later, so I hurried up for nothing. I met my friends at the nearest McDonalds which was sooo busy. They already ate so I just ate four, healthy, date bars and hoped it would be enough. I also had hopes to buy some cheeky food, a sandwich or fries hmmmm, at the train station when we were going home. Unfortunately due to craziness to get on the platform and in the train I didn't make a pit stop to get some yummy food. 

The fun thing was that everyone was in orange. Oké not everyone, but al lot of people were. Orange is our national colour. At football, and now with the World Cup going on, we go crazy with orange hats, paint etc. The boys love football, so they asked everyone to come in orange last year at their concert. Same goes for this year! I was wearing a bold, orange lip, so I was kind of orange.

I loved all the songs they played before the show! I am hooked on Olly Murs now! I can't get 'Dance With Me Tonight' out of my head! When 5 Seconds Of Summer came up I was really excited. To be honest I only knew 'She Looks So Perfect' which is one of my favourite songs at the moment! So there was not a lot of singing involved except the moments they sang 'Teenage Dream' and 'She Looks So Perfect'. I really liked there performance and should maybe download there new album? :). 
At 8:45-9:00 it was finally time! The people, mainly girls, went crazy. I think I never heard such loud yelling in my entire life. The boys came up and it was just unreal. I really liked there performance even though, due to our seats, we could not see and hear everything loud and clear. I mainly followed the concert on the big screens. Besides that it was an amazing concert and such an amazing experience! The boys where lovely and performed really well. I took some pictures with my phone, not the best quality though... I will keep the videos for myself, since there is some really bad and loud singing involved. I recorded one of my favourite songs 'Little Things', but now I can't enjoy it because you hear me screaming the lyrics and my voice goes all weird. 

I also thought I would be deaf and lose my voice for two days. Luckily that didn’t happen even though today my voice started to get weird. Lots of green tea with honey will solve that problem!

Anyways, I loved the performance and would go again if I could. I actually would have wanted to go to the second show in Amsterdam, but I didn't :(. Till next time boys, but then maybe a bit closer to the stage! :)

Food | Yummy Green Smoothie

This morning I felt the urge to drink something healthy. Smoothies are a great way to accomplish that. Just fill the blender with healthy goods, blend and voilà there is your health shot! I just filled the blender with things I had at home and it turned out pretty tasty! Raw spinach just gives the smoothie such a beautiful, green colour and it is super healthy as well. I bet all the vitamins are having a party in my tummy right now!

Ingredients for 1 glass of healthy goodness:

- 1 banana

- 2 slices of pineapple

- 1 green kiwi

- 2 large handfuls of spinach

- Tablespoon of hempseeds

- Tablespoon of chai seeds

- Tablespoon of flaxseeds

- Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

- Sprinkle of ginger powder

Just simply mix all the ingredients together and there you have an amazing drink that will help you get through the day. I always try to eat a lot of fruit and veggies and smoothies are a great way to do that. What a perfect start on a Sunday!

Let me know what your favourite smoothie is!

Fashion | Haul with Primark and H&M

Yesterday I went on a little trip to Primark. I had not been there in like forever, so I had to pop in and see what new bits they had in store. I could not really find a lot of nice things. I always buy shoes and I couldn't find any pair that I liked. Oke, there was one amazing pair, but they didn't have my size :(. Despite this sad moment, I did find some fashion pieces I absolutely love!

Primark - Sheer Stripe Tee - €6,00

I have always wanted a shirt like this. I have seen it on almost every fashion blog, so I was happy to finally find an affordable option. I love to wear this sheer top with the skirt and short I bought.

Primark - Printed Skirt - €12,00

I am into the whole midi skirt/dress hype. I tried on some dresses and I just don't think they suit me very well. But this skirt on the other hand is amazing! It has a pineapple print and a split on the left. I can't wait to wear it with some heeled sandals and my yellow Zara bag!

Primark - Flower Crown - €4,50

I love flowers, so why not put them in my hair? It is THE summer musthave, so of course I wanted to get my hands on them. This flower crown is pretty and will be one of my statement accessories this summer!

H&M - Printed Shorts - €14,95

After a hunt on these shorts, three H&M stores to be exact, I found them in my size! They just caught my eye and I fell in love with them completely. The yellow, floral print is amazing and they are high waisted, which is always a good thing if you ask me. This Saturday it’s going to be pretty hot here, so it will be the perfect opportunity to wear these lovely shorts!

I should pop into Primark more often. Or maybe not, as it will save me a lot of money in the future.

What are your favourite fashion pieces at the moment?

Skincare | Neoderma Treatment

Source: Tumblr

Six months ago I was fed up with my skin. For the past four years I wished it would get better. I went to the doctor and she advised me to go to a skin therapist. Two days later I had my first appointment with a beautician. I started a Neoderma treatment, which means you get three treatments in ten days. After this treatment I have a monthly appointment where I will get an AHA treatment. My skin still has its ups and downs, but it looks so much better!

Today I want to talk about my experience with Neoderma: What is it? How does it work? Does it hurt? And what are the results?

Neoderma

Neoderma is a combination of the Greek words Neo and Derma which means 'new skin'. The origin of Neoderma lies in Cyprus, where the products, which are based on natural ingredients, are made. These days, they still develop and fabricate there products on this sunny island. Neoderma has ten treatments who improve the skin in a specific way. This can be: reducing acne, hyper pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles. Besides the treatments they have a lot of skincare products to help the peeling and create lasting results.

I went for the Bio-Peeling. This is a Chinese herbal peeling. It is based on a combination of algae, pure natural ingredients and essential oils. This treatment is not aggressive, so you will not experience any peeled skin, red skin or pain. 

This peeling stimulates cell renewal, the production of collagen and elastin. It is suitable for all skin types, for men and women and for face and body.

Source: Neoderma

 My experience

The beautician cleansed my skin, treated my blemishes and then used the Chinese herbal peeling on my skin. It is a green, warm scrub. She applied the warm substance on my face and then made circular motions on my skin. It felt like a rough scrub. She then washed it off, applied a mask and to finish it off she applied some Neoderma skincare products, including a SPF. Because you peeled your skin it is more sensitive for UV radiation. After this treatment my skin was very, very sensitive. I carefully placed a finger on my jaw and it felt like I was touching my face with sandpaper. This feeling stayed for one day and after that the green scrub did its job. My skin didn't look good, especially with foundation on top. This makes loose and dry skin look more noticeable. My skin slowly started to peel a bit.

The second treatment was the most painful one. Because of the first treatment all the bad bacteria, that are in your skin, come to the surface in the form of blemishes. Treating them was, and is still, not my favourite thing. It hurts so bad! Because my skin was very sensitive I felt every green, scrub particle on my skin. But I knew that in the end it would get better.

When the third treatment arrived everything started to get better. My skin wasn't as sensitive, my skin became less red, I had less blemishes. Just all over perfect!

After this treatment in December I had a monthly AHA appointment. She treated my blemishes (ouch!!) and used an AHA, alpha hydroxy acid. It removes all the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. This way it stimulates your skin to make new, skin cells. It really tingled on my skin. The scent of it was also not very pleasant. I still get this treatment every month.

Since January I have seen a huge difference when it comes to my skin. I have less redness, my scarring is starting to fade and I get less blemishes. I am not cured, but my skin has never been this good since I was fifteen years old! I am trying to eat healthy, because I know that will improve it as well. I am happy I made this decision six months ago. I feel more confident about my skin and I sometimes just wear concealer and powder as a base. I would normally never go anywhere without my MAC Full Coverage foundation! 

My skin is very sensitive, so I did get slightly red and my skin did start to peel a bit. But to be honest:  it was all worth it. I would do it again if I had to.

I am taking baby steps and I cannot wait to see my skin in a year! The products helped a lot. Next Monday I will give a review on some skincare products from Neoderma.

Have you tried Neoderma before?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Follow me on Twitter | Like me on Facebook

Review | Mac Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NW20

After I finished my well-loved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer I had no idea what I had to do without it. That concealer is amazing and so cheap. Unfortunately it’s only available in the UK, so I had to look for something else. I tried the NYX HD Concealer Wand  but I wasn't fully satisfied, with the Collection one in the back of my mind. This concealer from MAC is a YouTube classic and overall well-loved in the beauty community. It has been on my wishlist forever!

MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in NW20. 7 g / 0.24 US oz. €18,-

According to MAC Cosmetics:

‘‘A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer. Provides a smooth, long-wearing invisible coverage for all skin blemishes. Water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-blemishgenic. This emollient-based, lightweight concealer is so concentrated that a tiny amount can provide opaque coverage of the skin's imperfections and discolourations. It effectively covers dark circles, blemishes, moles, tattoos and birthmarks. Enriched with antioxidants (derivatives of Vitamin A and Vitamin E), it also contains Silica to help adsorb the skin's oils. Concealer has an SPF of 35 and is available in a wide range of colours.’’

I got matched with the colour NW20 which, for me, is the same as number 51 from the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. With the summer coming up, and a tan hopefully, this suits me very well. It has a creamy consistency that blends into the skin perfectly.

Before buying it I heard that it’s exactly the same as the Full Coverage foundation from MAC. I was a big fan of that foundation two years ago and if you ask me, they are exactly the same. The only difference is the price, the amount and the SPF. A thing that you could do, if you love this concealer, is buy the Full Coverage foundation to use at home and the tiny Studio Finish concealer for touch-ups during the day.

The reason why I stopped using the Full Coverage foundation was because it looked cakey on me, from time to time. It also made me very oily during the day, so I switched to something else. This concealer does that as well. Of course you only place it on skin that needs more coverage, but still it’s not a nice look. If I don't powder it during the day I look like a shining disco bal. It lasts well, but after 8-9 hours some skin becomes more visible.

I placed a dot with an eyeliner and covered it with the concealer. If you look close you see a dark dot there.

All blended in. The dot is more visible now, but you can put more layers of concealer on top.

It gives really good coverage. if you have acne or scarring on your face, this will definitely cover it all up. I like to apply it with a concealer brush. For me this is more hygienic than putting your finger in the jar, every single day.

A little bit goes a long way and I think it will take a long time before I ran out. I also like that there is an SPF 35 in this creamy concealer. Blemishes and scars need more protection anyway, so this is a nice addition.

I do really like this concealer. As is said it gives good coverage, but can look a bit cakey and shiny at the end of the day. Bring a good powder and a setting spray and you are good to go!

What is your favourite concealer?