Dior Airflash CC Primer

Dior is my biggest luxury weakness, I mean their packaging truly is luxurious and their products usually have great textures so they are fun to apply. I also love Givenchy makeup but for some reason I just cannot resist a little Dior. Today I have a review of the very unique Dior Airflash CC Primer, an innovative spray-on face primer.

This primer contains Photo-Smart Pigments™ and is supposed to even out the skin, color correct, brighten as well as make your foundation easier to apply and last longer. A pretty tall order if you ask me. Well good news is, on my skin at least, it does fulfil most of its promises. The spray is very fine and I can’t feel it on my face, but results are there. While I don’t see much color correcting it leaves my skin looking more luminous (like it’s lit from within) and that brightness does make my skin a bit more even. The effects are not an in your face glow, it is more subtle while also being slightly blurring. The Airflash CC Primer gives my face a lovely satin finish that makes applying foundation over it a dream. The skin feels very soft and smooth with it on. I also noticed my foundation does last longer when I use the primer even though it does not offer a lot of shine/oil control.

Another reason I really enjoy using this is its scent, it just smells amazing! The one down side of this primer for is that it contains silica, I know most people are fine with it but my skin does not agree with it (at least it’s seems to be a common denominator in product that break me out or make my skin bumpy). Because of this I cannot use it every day but it has not stopped me from spraying it on for special occasions or when I want a subtle boost of radiance.

Now I highly recommend testing it out at a Dior counter before purchasing it, because it is expensive and people seem to be quite divided about it. Is this something you need in your life? Probably not, but it is a fun product and I do enjoy using it, so it is worth having a look at if you are looking for something different from your everyday primer. 

The Dior Airflash CC Primer is available at Dior counters, Sephora and Feelunique.

Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub

For most of us, Sunday is the perfect pamper day to get ourselves ready for the week ahead and while I think it’s nice to do the same during the work week as well, there is something special about Sundays. In order to get my skin super soft and smooth I love using a great scrub, I find it’s a very invigorating treatment and my favorite by far is the incredible Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub.

Caudalie brought out the Crushed Cabernet Scrub after it was developed as part of their spa treatment at the Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa in Bordeaux, allowing us to recreate the spa experience at home. It is made of brown sugar, honey, grape seeds and essential oils that come together in one of the most luxurious and efficient scrubs I have ever used.

I love sugar scrubs in general but sometimes they leave me wanting for a bit more you know? I just need more exfoliation and the sugar melts too quickly. Well with this Crushed Cabernet Scrub you get all the skin softening benefits of brown sugar as it melts, but then you are left with all the grape seeds so you can really buff away any stubborn roughness and dry skin. The combination of ingredients is actually nicely moisturizing so your skin feels supple afterwards but it does not leave any oily residue making perfect to use before applying self-tanner. The unique formula also makes it super long-lasting because you only need a little to get great results!

You can get the Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub from their website, Caudalie stores, Sephora and Feelunique. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Grand Cru T08

My love for red lips is well documented on the blog, nothing can brighten your face and make you look as put together as red lipstick or a beautiful stain. Even with the most basic makeup (or no makeup at all) a red lip does it all, just have a look at Miranda Kerr if you don’t believe me. During the colder seasons, I like to amp it up and go for a darker and richer color and finding the perfect formula is crucial to make this look low-maintenance. For me, the perfect product has come in the form of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Grand Cru T08.

Basically this is a super long-lasting liquid lipstick that sets to a gorgeous velvet matte finish. The lasting-power on this is just amazing! You can eat and drink with it on and it still looks perfect hours later. This is so great especially if you are going for a darker color like Grand Cru which you would normally assume is very high-maintenance, but it’s actually the most low-maintenance red I own.

Now for the finish, the Rouge Edition Velvet has a true velvety finish, it is matte but there is a luminosity to it that prevent it from being flat or making your lips look smaller. I don’t find it drying at all, something quite rare for a matte lip product. The lightweight cream applies like a dream and it is so pigmented you only need a thin layer to get full impact. As for the color, it is gorgeous and super chic! A dark rich burgundy color that instantly makes your skin look brighter and it works well on different skin tones. The swatches really don’t do it justice (the color is a lot richer) because it applies much better on the lips than on your hands. If I can only recommend one lip product for this holiday season, the Grand Cru Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick is it. Bourjois does offer 11 shades in this range if you prefer something more natural or a nice pink. In my opinion this is one of the best and most affordable lip products available on the market. 

You can get the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Grand Cru T08 from Feelunique and any stores that sell Bourjois. 

My Little Beauty Mascara Volume et Soin

Let’s talk lashes! Mascara is one of those beauty products I like to wear even on minimal makeup days. It just helps frame your eyes beautifully and finding the perfect one can really pull your entire face together. Today I am bringing you a review on one of my all-time favorite mascaras, the My Little Beauty Mascara Volume et Soin.

My Little Beauty is a sister company to My Little Box, a beauty and lifestyle subscription box service that I adore. I was first introduced to the mascara in one of their boxes and I love it. It is hands down one of the best mascara I have ever used and I would repurchase it in a heartbeat.

The Mascara Volume et Soin is one of those rare ones that actually gives you tons of volume but does not compromise on length. It also really separates your lashes so there are more defined and it looks like you have incredible doe eyes. I was very impressed by the amount of length it gave me and really nice volume that did not look clumpy. I simply cannot explain how great this makes your lashes look! I was actually really sad when I finished my tube up.

As far as I know the My Little Beauty Mascara Volume et Soin can only be purchased the official website (My Little Corner) and I believe they only deliver within France (it is a French company). Now you might want to email them (they have great customer service) and ask where they ship to as they might have expended since I last checked. If you are lucky enough to be able to buy it, do it, it is a truly remarkable product.

Now here’s to hoping this amazing brand will start offering international shipping on both their products and boxes! 

Kérastase Cristalliste Lait Cristal

From past posts on this blog, I think it is quick easy to see that I am a fan of affordable drugstore hair products. I go through conditioner like crazy, something that comes with the territory when you have very long hair, but every once in a while I like to treat myself to a nice luxury conditioner. If you are ever considering investing in a high-end conditioner, the Kérastase Cristalliste Lait Cristal should be at the top of your list.

I had always been intrigued by Kérastase products, everything from the chic packaging to the incredible claims and reviews made me want to try something out. However the higher price and my skepticism over how great a more expensive conditioner could be prevented me from doing so. Well the Cristaliste Lait Cristale has proven me wrong and I don’t think I can ever be without it again.

Now let’s talk about this miraculous formula. If I am not mistaken, this does not contain silicone, instead it relies on aloe vera and eco-friendly polymers to soften and smooth the hair, increasing shine at the same time. Another interesting thing is that while this conditioner is very moisturizing, it does not weight your hair down at all and detangles it easily. Unlike other conditioners, this one has a very runny texture, almost like a lotion, and while it might feel a bit weird at first and like you need to use tons, you only need a little bit (about half of what you normally use) because it melts into your hair and coats it easily. Because it is so thin, the best way to apply it is to make sure you squeeze as much water as possible out of your hair before applying it so it does not run down the hair instead of coating it.

I still cannot believe how amazing my hair looks every time I use it. I am talking silky smooth hair with lots of shine and a lovely fragrance. It is definitely a product worth investing in. You can find the Kérastase Cristalliste Lait Cristal on the Kérastase website, feelunique and hair salons that carry the brand. 

My Little Beauty Micellar Water

Cleansing your skin is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine and it’s the step I most look forward to at the end of the day. However, there are days when one is too tired or simply doesn’t have a lot of time to fuss with different cleanser: this is when micellar waters come into play.

To be honest I’m quite diligent with removing my makeup and I prefer to use a cleansing oil, but when I need to go to the gym or it’s very late, I really enjoy using a micellar water because they don’t strip or irritate my skin and I don’t need wash my face afterwards. To me this is crucial when I go to the gym at the end of the day because I don’t want to do a full skincare routine only to have to wash it off an hour later.

Back in October, I subscribed to My Little Box while I was living in England (more on that later) and I receive a bottle of My Little Beauty Micellar Water. This is a clear water that contains orange extract and aloe vera to gently remove your makeup and sooth the skin. I found that it removed both my face and eye makeup really well and left my skin feeling soft. I quite enjoyed its fresh scent as well, as it made cleansing my face more pleasant when I was in a hurry.

 Sadly whilst it did remove my eye makeup, it irritated my eyes a bit. I’m not sure if it’s because it contains fragrance or something else, but most eye makeup removers cause similar reactions since my eyes are quite sensitive. On my face though, I only had nice results.

At the moment, you can only find the My Little Beauty Micellar Water on the My LittleCorner website for 9 €, but I’m not sure they offer shipping outside of France. You can always email them (their customer service is great) and ask since they do offer their My Little Box to Belgium and the U.K. alongside France.