Catch-up #54 + Giveaway!

Catchup 54

Although the Mr. and I do not have any special plans this year, I am very excited about the holidays. The awful events that have been happening lately have definitely been influencing my mood and attitude, making me feel more appreciative about the opportunity to relax, enjoy time with my loved ones and celebrate. I hope that you guys are enjoying seeing a few extra posts popping up in your feed lately, together with the weekly videos (I have another one coming soon! so make sure to subscribe here, if you haven’t yet). I wanted to share a few more things with you, so let’s catch up…

Empties. Last week I finished the Yuli M.E. Skin Fuel face serum and it was bliss until the last drop. I just recently wrote a full-review for it (which you can read here), so I don’t have much to add, except that I will repurchase it later this week (I am hanging in there waiting for a sale because I need to repurchase quite a few Yuli products). I will be using it in the daytime, while I have started to use another face serum at night. More about that in the next paragraph.

Vintner’s Daughter Face Serum. I finally got over a skin reaction (you may have noticed spots and scars at the beginning of my latest youtube video). My skin was really out of balance, so I went back to my simple, effective routine: Yuli Halcyon Cleanser, Mun Anarose Toner*, Yuli M.E. Skin Fuel face serum, with a little detox every few days with the Yuli Pure Mask. My skin is doing much better now, so I started to use a new face serum, the Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum*, which so many people emailed me about (mainly asking if it is worth the price). It has received some serious love from the press (Into the Gloss called it “the face oil to end all face oils”), so I was definitely intrigued. However, the price tag is particularly heavy and the ingredients make it suitable for night time-only, so I am definitely going to take my time to see what it does for my skin before sharing my experience. Spoiler: so far, so good.

November’s Petit Vour Box. This month’s Petit Vour box* comes with: One Love Organics Healthy Locks Dry Shampoo Powder (full-size), which is an old favorite of mine; Modern Minerals+Lotus Wei Infused Emotive Lip Gloss (I received the color Violet Rose, which is a shimmery mauve); Organic Bath – Stress Less Organic Body Oil; & Pelle Beauty -Luxe Beauty Balm. I have a full review for the dry shampoo, which I have used for quite a while. It’s a great option for refreshing the roots on second/third day hair. The Modern Minerals lip gloss is a non-tacky, very shimmery, gloss. The shimmer makes the lips appear a bit fuller, however keep in mind that it leaves some shimmer on your lips once the color fades. It smells wonderful, due to the Lotus Wei flower essences, which I find uplifting and enjoyable. The Organic Bath body oil has a strong, Bulgarian Lavender scent that I find a bit stronger than I prefer (but keep in mind I am extra-sensitive to scents). I have not had the chance to try the Pelle Beauty – Beauty Balm as I am currently testing another face product, but I will give it a shot later on. In case you are  not familiar with Petit Vour, it is a 100% cruelty-free subscription box that sends you four products every month (some in a sample size, some full-size) at an affordable price. If interested, check it out here.

Beauty By Britanie Bohemian Collection. Speaking of the Modern Minerals Lip Gloss, I was recently gifted with the BeautybyBritanie makeup collection* created by the lovely Britanie Faith in collaboration with Modern Minerals and Lotus Wei. It’s two products, one shimmery lip gloss called B of Love,  (which you may receive with the Petit Vour box in November I just mentioned above) and a matte, loose-powder blush, called Sweet Thing. The color of the product duo is a bright pink, that gives a youthful, fresh-faced look. It has a very uplifting, light, floral scent that comes from an infusion of flowers and gemstones designed by Lotus Wei specifically for Modern Minerals. The scent is also very girl-y and it reminds me of the lip glosses I used to wear as a little girl (in a good way), and brings up lovely memories. While I don’t wear bright pink often, because of my overwhelmingly yellow/golden undertones, I think that this would make a lovely gift for pink lovers,  as it is a flattering, wearable pink. The lip gloss can be worn sheer or built up for a more bright color and has some pink shimmer in it to give a but more dimension to the lips. The blush is very pigmented and comes in a very generous size. It’s a very pretty, feminine collection and you can shop it at Modern Minerals as well as at Petit Vour.

True Organic of Sweden Balm. If your skin has already started to feel the effects of cold, harsh, dry weather, then you may want to check out this multi-purpose balm, called All You Need Is Me*(self-explanatory, isn’t it?). It’s a simple formula made with organic butters, oils, and beeswax and I like it because it’s unscented, so it can be used on lips, cuticles, dry spots, and around the nose while having a cold. It has a rich consistency that reminds me of the Suvana Paw Paw Balm and the Neutrogena classic hand cream, (just to give you an idea of the texture). It comes in two sizes. The tiny 15ml size is great to keep in your purse during the cold season. You can find it here.

Henne Organics. You guys know that I get disapponted by highly hyped products quite often, but the Henne Organic Lip Balm* was a great find. It has a simple, effective formula, and simple+effective is my favorite word combo when it comes to skincare products. No irritating essential oils. I don’t use lip balm when I don’t need it, but whenever I have needed some lately, I have used this one. It definitely comes with a luxury price tag for a lip balm, but you need the tiniest amount with each application. Only thing I don’t like about lip balms in jars is that you can’t apply on the go. However, you can keep a few travel size cotton buds in your purse, and stick those in the jar instead of your fingers. That is what I do. You can check it out here.

Thanksgiving/Black Friday Sales. If you are waiting for some good sales keep an eye out for a post with offers/coupons later this week; I will put together a list of all the sales I find.

Giveaway. I am currently hosting a Thanksgiving giveaway on my Instagram page. I am giving away the beauty product on top of your wishlist, so make sure to check it out! You can find the Instagram giveaway post by clicking here.

I hope you have a wonderful week. Talk soon, ciao, x.

*media sample

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