4 Months on a Beauty No Buy: Some Thoughts and Tips

August arrived in a blink of an eye and it made me realize that I haven't bought any beauty products for over four months now besides essentials like body wash and a replacement face mask. No other skincare or bodycare, no haircare or nailcare, and absolutely no make-up, which has always been my biggest struggle. I talked more about my limited shopping allowances in my June quaterly progress report (here), but I feel like I have more to share about my experience and since a lot of you seem interested in this topic, here it goes.

Right now, I find a complete no buy much easier to stick to than a low buy. In 2014 and 2015, I (more or less) successfully followed a limited allowance of 2 make-up products per month, and I've kept that goal at the beginning of 2016, buying a few things here and there. However, since my last purchase in March, I haven't been seriously tempted by anything. When that first month of not buying was over, my reaction was 'Cool! Now I can roll over my 'unused' purchases to April!' but then in April, there wasn't really anything I wanted either. Neither there was in May, June and now, July. The longer I keep not buying make-up, the less I want to buy any new make-up. Distinguishing between needs versus wants and shopping my own stash instead became second nature, and new releases would never get more of a reaction from me than 'It sure is pretty to look at, but I already have something similar/ wouldn't use it/ it's nothing special'.

It's definitely very true that the longer you follow a low buy or a no buy, the less tempted and more rational you become in your purchasing habits. But for me, I think a no buy is much less challenging than a low buy because I don't have that (limited - but still!) allowance to look at new things and agonize over which two I would like to buy that month. When I decide not to buy anything without exception, I can't/ don't/ won't occupy myself with researching products and putting them on and off of my shopping list. Since I'm not buying now or in the nearest future, spending mental resources on beauty buys isn't worth it, and instead I'm able to focus my energy on other beauty-related pursuits or even altogether different hobbies. This vastly reduces any lemmings, folks.

Deciding to do a no buy also completely eliminates impulse purchases, or even those purchases that you've been wanting for a while, but ultimately know are not right for you. You're not buying any beauty products, so why even go look at the beauty aisle in your local drugstore or grocery store? You know you won't buy that tempting new palette that just came out, so instead you put it on your wishlist and go experiment with what you own. In my personal experience, 9 times out of 10 I won't even be interested in it anymore in a few months; I either have a comparable product already, find something I'd potentially like better, research more reviews after the hype dies down and realize it's not that amazing after all, or realize it doesn't suit my needs and preferences.

And since this shopping freeze made me focus on my existing stash instead of new purchases when I was feeling inspired by a new to me color combination or technique, I wouldn't recommend doing a Project Pan or Pan That Palette while being on a no buy. If you see a beautiful coppery smokey eye featuring a just released eyeshadow palette but at the same time, you're not allowing yourself to go and play with all the warm shades you already have to recreate it, you'll be feeling like you need that new product right now. But it's so easy to burst the lemming bubble if you sit down at your vanity, admire what you own, and do that eye look - or something very similar - right away. It makes you feel smart, accomplished and excited about make-up all over again, all the more for not having to spend a penny to experience it.

Being on a no buy broke my vicious cycle of playing with a new product for a few weeks only to put it back and not see it again for months, or even years. In the past, I would buy a new product, test it out for the blog and play with it for a little bit, and then either have another new item to try out or feel so guilty about abandoning the rest of my stash - especially older products - that I would make myself put it back and use something else instead. This is a terrible habit of mine for various reasons: a) it shortens my attention span so that I always feel the need for new stimuli, b) it deprives me of experiencing full joy from what I just bought, c) it doesn't give me enough time to truly familiarize myself with the new product, so in case it turns out to be less than ideal in the long run, I can't return it anymore, d) it forces me to use 'just alright' products from my stash instead of what I truly want and what inspires me right now - which in turn usually makes me feel unmotivated and unhappy with what I own, and increases the need to shop for more.

At the moment, I'm not concerned about rebound or going off the deep end once I allow myself to buy. I have a much better grasp now of what make-up I like and what I already have that I really like, and I would rather play with that than run out to get new stuff that may leave me feeling disappointed. Sure, I have a few things on my wishlist - none of which I really need but would be fun to incorporate into my make-up game - but I'm in no rush to purchase them. I have unused gift cards to both Ulta and Sephora, my birthday is coming up in a month, and my husband just left for London - and none of these 'shopping opportunities' make me particularly eager to get new beauty stuff right now. So who knows, maybe this will extend into a 5-month beauty no buy? Or even half of the year? ;) I'll let you know what I decide.

Another reason I would rather wait with purchasing my wishlist items is that I prefer to use up or at least make a final decision to declutter some of my current staples before replacing them. Downsizing my stash, be it by project panning or purging to friends and family, made me visualize my ideal 'inventory' in more detail - the perfect (for me!) balance of having creative variety while being reasonable and not letting products go to waste. When (and if) I finally pull a trigger on a purchase, I want to use and enjoy it right away. No more back-ups, ever - and I'm talking about not just back-ups of the exact same item, but even functional (an unopened under eye concealer) or shade (another mauve lipstick) back-ups of items I already own and use in my make-up routine.

Not buying make-up has also made me more critical towards purchasing things from other categories: clothing, accessories, home and (yes!) baby stuff. I'm happy to say that not allowing myself new beauty products didn't turn me into a fashion victim, even though I had more money in my budget to indulge in those things. With clothes and accessories, since I'm currently pregnant and have finished shopping for my maternity wardrobe a few months ago, I again don't want to buy anything I wouldn't be able to wear right now - or anything I'd only for the next two months. I'm also feeling a little bit... cheap these days. Maybe it's because I started researching things we'll soon need for our baby boy (and even when trying to stay quite minimal it's quite a lot - and it will cost a lot), but buying just about anything right now that isn't absolutely necessary seems superfluous and frivolous. However, I have no qualms over spending that money on good food (be it organic veggies to cook with at home or a nice meal out) or experiences. It's not like I've become some sort of anticonsumerist hermit - I just really question the value of goods we bring into our life.

I think that about sums up my deep thoughts on not buying beauty products these past few months. I will add that while I haven't personally purchased anything, I'm lucky to have received generous PR samples (some make-up, skincare and haircare) that have helped to keep product boredom at bay. Before you all jump at me and scream bloody murder, allow me to say that I have been quite successful in either using those products right away - as I am also working on using up a lot of older back-up products and thus have started to need replacements - or passing them on if they don't suit me - or keeping them by incorporating a 'one in, one out' policy (mostly for make-up products that I can't hope to use up in a reasonable amount of time). Maybe that is cheating; but you get to see some new products on the blog and I get to stick to my non-hoarding goals all the same. So there.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Have you ever been on a no-buy? What was your experience and thought process like? Please share in the comments!

My Ultimate Lazy Girl Haircare Routine

I have said it before and I'll say it again: I have no f*cks to give when it comes to my hair. I'm the anti-thesis of a 'hair person': I have little interest in how my hair looks, and no interest in taking care of it. A couple years back, when I worked in a salon, I tried to make more of an effort, and I thought my hair looked quite nice, but I quickly grew bored of my elaborate routine and now I'm aiming for what I'd call 'minimal intervention'. Wanna see?

First of all, let me explain my hair to you. My hair is straight and fine but there's a reasonable amount of it. Currently, it's all virgin hair (meaning, not chemically-processed: no hair color, no bleach, no perms) and it tends to get quite oily at the roots but dry at the ends, which is why I had most of the length chopped off about a month ago to resemble a 'lob'. To put it simply, naturally my hair requires very little maintenance - sure, I have some issues with lack of volume or split ends occasionally, but I can't really complain; are you guys already hating on me?

That is not to say that I think my hair is fab. Actually, most of the time I think it looks a bit crap - I would have loved to have some beachy waves or voluminous curls, but even an hour long session with a curling iron won't give me any results: my hair simply doesn't hold a style. I used to rebel against that quite a bit and buy a whole arsenal of products and tools in hopes of achieving the perfect do, but to be honest, I really don't care anymore. My hair is what it is. I accept that. My simplistic routine aims to keep it clean, healthy, and as fuss-free as possible. Here it is:

1. I wash my hair every 2-3 days with a sulfate-free shampoo; I'm currently using Maple Holistics Degrease Moisture Control Shampoo* ($16.95 for 10 oz, available on Amazon.com here), and I really like the invigorating herbal scent and how clean it gets my hair without stripping. The reason I opt for a sulfate-free cleanser is that SLS/SLES tend to irritate my scalp and break me out around the hairline. In my opinion, sulfate-free shampoos aren't as damaging for the hair and they keep it more balanced, so it's worth using one even if your hair isn't colored. That being said, not all sulfate-free shampoos are created equal - some formulations just won't lather no matter what you do. My top tip is to lather and rinse twice: first pre-cleanse with a small amount of shampoo just to get things moving (it won't really foam up very well this first time, but that's fine), rinse, and then lather again with slightly more - your sulfate-free shampoo should give you a really nice lather that second time.

2. I condition with just about anything I can find in the shower; right now it's this Nivea Intense Repair Conditioner one of our house guests left behind. Due to my hair type, I don't need to be very particular about the conditioner I'm using, so this one will do; I just need a bit of help to make detangling easier and keep the ends of my hair looking healthy and shiny. In fact, I have some older bottles of hair styling lotions I'd like to try using up as conditioner once the Nivea runs out.

3. Dry shampoo - my absolute favorite is the Batiste ($6-8 for 6.73 fl oz), any scent will do. Because my hair gets oily at the roots quite fast and as a consequence, looks very flat, dry shampoo is a god send. Batiste seems to be the best combination of inexpensive and effective for me - it soaks up the oil, gives a bit of texture, and doesn't leave a white residue in my hair.

Extras, or sometimes I need a bit of something-something:

1. Leave-in spray detangler/ conditioner. When my hair gets drier (usually as it grows out), I need an extra leave-in conditioner to cut down on the detangling time. I've tried a few options, including different oils or lotions/ creams, but I find sprays more suited to my fine hair type. The Enjoy Conditioning Spray ($20.95 for 10.1 oz) is a firm favorite - very effective at detangling but still lightweight, plus one bottle lasts me ages.

2. Texturizing/ sea salt spray. To give my hair a bit more body, especially at the roots, I like to use a sea salt spray - some of the regular volumizing root lift sprays leave my hair feeling a bit sticky. And while these texturizing sprays don't really enhance the natural texture in my hair (well, since I have none), they give it a bit of a grip, so it's not as baby down soft (= plain annoying). The Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Beach Spray ($19.95 for 5.1 oz) is probably my favorite out of the ones I've tried so far.

3. Hair spray. I have lots of baby hair and I detest little strands of hair flying into my face, so hair spray is a must when I'm trying to look a bit more polished. I've tried a lot of salon brands of hairspray, and while I think you can find comparable options to a lot of them at the drugstore, I would splurge again for the MoroccanOil Luminous Hairspray Strong ($24 for 10 oz). It's a dry hairspray that smells great, has just the right amount of hold, and gives my hair a little extra shine. On the rare occasion when I curl my hair, I can also use it as a heat protectant.

As for tools, most of the time I let my hair air dry - I only reach for my basic Conair hair dryer when I'm pressed for time, or when I want to give myself a blow out for a special occasion. For a simple blow out, I style my hair using a round ceramic hair brush from Olivia Garden - it gives my hair more volume and shine, as well as accentuates the cut of my hair a lot better. For after-shower detangling and all other brushing, both me and my husband use the Wet Brush.

Freshly washed and air dried hair set with MorrocanOil Hairspray. This photo also captures the natural color of my hair quite well - not quite brown, not quite red.

Am I alone in not giving two hoots about my hair? I think it's quite amusing that I can spend upwards of half an hour applying a full face of make-up, and then look at my hair, brush it through with my fingers, shrug and get on with my life. What do you guys do with your hair? Are there any indispensable products in your haircare routines that I should look into?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Capsule Wardrobes: Choosing Your Color Palette

Wait, Monika - so you do have a capsule wardrobe?! Uhm, yes and no. I do in the sense of now owning a smaller, curated set of mix and match pieces I love and wear regularly; well, that + around 10% of my wardrobe I keep waffling over. I don't in the sense of only having a set number of pieces, be it 37 items, a 10 Item Wardrobe, or Project 333. I guess I could count all the articles of clothing I have kept and say that it's my spin on any of the above mentioned ideas, but I don't really want or feel the need to - after all, it's just a number. At any rate, I have made great strides in achieving a more edited closet that's fun and easy to wear in my day to day activities, and I've wanted to share what helped me along the way.

One of the things that terrified me early on in my search for my perfect capsule wardrobe was the idea of editing your clothing according to a chosen color palette. I guess you could absolutely skip this step if you're one of those people who only wear monochromatic clothing (white, grey and/ or black) but if you're anything like me and love ALL the colors, limiting yourself to just a few shades can be a bit of a daunting prospect at first. It's worth it, though - I've found that sticking to one color scheme makes dressing in the morning so much quicker and easier.

Some images from my Color Palette Pinterest Board I used for inspiration during my selection process.

Deciding on a color scheme using the clothes you already own is a bit of a weird, backwards experience. I would compare it to choosing a room decor not by browsing furniture catalogs and comparing paint swatches, but by dusting off some old paint cans you've been storing in your garage instead, or going through your house and collecting pieces of furniture from all different rooms to outfit that one particular space. It's one thing to visualize a brand new collection of items you cherry pick from all the fabulous stores, and another thing entirely to work on the fly with what you already have on hand. It's a challenge - and you know me, I love a challenge ;)

Here's a rough sketch of my color scheme thought process that I arrived at more or less organically while decluttering my closet:

L-R: Free People Masquerade Cuff top (from last year), The LOFT Linen Tee (2013), Hollister Henley (crica 2011), ZARA Velvet Black Leggings (crica 2012), H&M open cardigan (2012), River Island leather jacket (2013)

1. Neutral colors - the bare bones of any capsule. They may be boring, but hell, we all need them. I chose white, various shades of grey and black, simply because that's what I already had the most of in my closet, but I don't think that's your only option. You could do ivory, beige and different shades of brown, especially if warmer shades suit you more. Or something like navy (more on that below), or khaki. You just need some colors that are versatile, and will go well with your favorite attention-grabbing shades. Another element you may want to add for more variety in your neutral staples is the actual fabric and its texture; I find it more interesting to have a mix of plain smooth cotton and jersey, slightly knobby/ rough spun linen and interwoven knits.

L-R: The Loft Linen Tee (2014), handmade sweater knit by my mom, The GAP Shrunken Boyfriend shirt (2012), Michael Kors Selma bag (2013)

2. Pop of complimentary colors. I know, I know, but you love ALL the colors. If you truly think so, take a good look at your discard pile, and maybe see if you can pinpoint some colors that are not so much your favorites anymore. For me that was all shades of pink and purple, oranges and warm coral reds, as well as greens and teals. Not that I don't find these colors beautiful - but I just never felt quite right wearing them, you know? Then, I looked at favorites pieces in my wardrobe, and the colors that immediately stood out to me - and I was sure I wanted my color scheme to include pale blue and burgundy. I know these shades suit my coloring well, and they make me feel comfortable and pretty. Together with those two main colors, I've also kept similar hues belonging to the same color family and having the same temperature/ undertone: cool reds and berry shades for the burgundy, cool-toned indigo/ ultramarine and navy for baby blue.

L-R: Steve Madden boots (2013), Urban Outfitters thermal top (2014), Urban Outfitters jersey scarf (2015), The Loft Long Knit Pencil Skirt in Royal Red (2015), gifted wrap sweater (2005, maybe?)

Alternatively, at this point you could also start researching some outfit combos, maybe centered around a basic piece in a neutral shade that you've already established as part of your color scheme (like a black mini skirt, or dark grey jeans for my color palette). Pin them all into one board first, without analyzing, and once you have about 20 to 30 images, take a look at everything you've gathered and see if there are any similarities there as far as the color scheme. You're basically trying to pinpoint exactly which shades appeal to you the most at the moment, without the internal panicking you may be getting just by looking at your cluttered closet.

Outfit inspiration taken from my Color Palette board.

3. Favorite random/ contrasting color. Now, this part is entirely optional, especially if you've picked out more shades in the previous section, but I think it's a fun addition if you like pairing contrasting colors together. While browsing different images online (not just fashion, also photos of nature or still life), I found myself drawn to the same color combination again and again: cool, light shades of grey and/or blue broken up by a warm, orangey brown/ cognac shades. I've actually had a slight obsession with cognac leather for years now, but something about pairing it with cool-toned colors makes me especially happy. If you too are left with an odd color you love but that doesn't really seem to go with the rest of your scheme, just keep it. Same goes for clothes in strange patterns you're always drawn to, be it plaid, florals or polka dots. Life's more interesting when everything isn't so matchy matchy.

L-R: Cole Haan Chukka booties (2014), The Loft Linen Tee (2013, and yes, it's my favorite), Forever21 top (2013), Target scarf (2012), leather crossbody from Italy (2015)

Now, as for the magic proportion between these shades, I do think it's easiest to own the most pieces in your basic neutral shades. By relying on your staples, you're making the whole mix and match thing a piece of cake. Taking that cake analogy to another level, your basics would be the actual layers of dough, your complimentary colors the filling, and your contrasting color the sprinkles on top. Mmm, cake... Okay, maybe I took it a little too far :)

And that's all, folks. I realize I got a bit verbose here (as I'm wont to do) and maybe made the whole thing sound waaay more complicated than it actually is, but you can make it as simple as step one, choosing neutral colors, step two, choosing your favorite pops of color. I was just trying to show that working out your perfect color palette is basically an extension of a very simple color pairing, like black and red, or brown and yellow, or cream and mauve. You could go hardcore minimalist and only work with two shades, discarding everything else in your closet, but for me personally that's a bit too extreme, and, uhm, boring. Now, tell me - have you ever thought about choosing your clothing according to a specific color palette? Or maybe you find the whole concept too limiting and unnecessary? I would love to know!

Capsule Collection: How to Make the Most of Your Make-up Stash

I haven't mentioned this anywhere (mostly to avoid making it official), but I'm on a no buy this month; and similarly, I only bought one puny make-up product last month. I've been really focusing on what I already have instead, and trying to make some progress on my new Project Make A Dent 2015. I've been pretty happy channeling minimalist vibes lately, and experimenting with maximizing some of my favorite products - and so I've come up with some general tips on how to make the most out of your existing make-up stash, also known as 'how to use the same products again and again without getting bored out of your mind'.

I'll be illustrating my ideas with some face shots, in which I'm wearing the lip products from my Project Make A Dent line-up, just to show you different ways I've been using them and to hopefully inspire you to try something new with your products, regardless of whether you're trying to hit pan or just have fun with what you own. I've included some quick swatches of the three products I'm using so you could see how they change depending on the application method:

L-R: Inglot Gel Lipstick no. 58, Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef, Michael Todd Creme Glace Lipgloss in Natural

1. Experiment with using different tools. The easiest example here is foundation, which can look completely different depending on how you  apply it: with your fingers, a brush, a damp Beautyblender. Case in point: Face Atelier Ultra Foundation, the base I'm currently trying to use up, has a lot more coverage and a more matte finish when used with a RealTechniques buffing brush compared to when I use it with my damp sponge, which sheers it out and makes it look more dewy. But you could also apply this principle to products like pencil eyeliner (a neat line against the lashline, smudged out with a pencil brush, winged out using an angled liner brush) or your lip products (a lipstick applied straight from the bullet, or using a lip brush, or just patted on with a finger - like the Inglot no. 58 in the photo below).

2. Try layering your products. I think this one is the most obvious, but I've noticed that I often forget about this simple idea when I get stuck in a rut of wearing a given product one way; for example, I only used to wear Revlon Superlustrous Lipgloss in Coral Reef on its own, but it's actually very pretty on top of pink lipsticks (in the photo, layered over a thin layer of Inglot no. 58).

You can layer your lipsticks not only with glosses but also lip pencils (in the photo below, Inglot no. 58 worn over NYX Lip liner in Deep Purple), sandwich foundations between primers, powders and even setting mists, blend powder eyeshadows over creams, and then top with glitter for more dimension. I find that layering can also be a saving grace for items that start out as fails, like maybe a liquid foundation that just won't last except for when paired with a primer, or a mascara that looks like nothing on but can be used as the first separating coat before a more dramatic formula.

3. In a similar vein, give mixing products a go. Again, mixing foundations is a prime example here: you could combine two different liquids when you're not entirely satisfied with the shade match/ finish/ lasting power, or even try mixing foundation with moisturizer or primer. You could also try to mix eyeshadow pigments, or different lip glosses - sky is the limit.

4. Have fun with different techniques and placements. By placement, I mean different shapes and areas of applying product to your face - I find that tutorials from Japanese beauty mags, like the ones Driveller Kate and Claire used to blog about, are the best source of placement inspiration for me. Like, who knew you could apply blush to your cheeks according to the letters of the alphabet! But if you're not that adventurous, I think eyes are the easiest feature to play up while experimenting with placements: a horizontal smokey eye from the lashline up, a traditional Western smokey eye with the darker outer corner, cut crease, defined inner crease, winged eyeliner in a multiple of shapes, tightlining and lining the waterline, smudging out and or extending the lower lashline, highlighting the inner corners in various ways. Recently, I've also been really into subtle gradient/ ombre lips, like in the photo below, where I used the tiniest dab of Inglot no. 58 in the centre of the lips and blended it out with the Michael Todd Creme Glace Lipgloss in Natural:

5. Learn to multipurpose your products. We've all heard of using lipstick as cream blush, but maybe there are other ways you haven't thought about? I frequently use a cool brown eyeshadow as a brow powder, dab cheek highlighters to brighten up the inner corners of my eyes, define my crease with a bronzer, or use my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer as an eye primer. I've even tried using my Project MAD pencil eyeliners as cream eyeshadow bases but alas, they're not really suited to that task. At any rate, it's fun to see what you can think of just to shake things up!

Do you guys like experimenting with different ways of using the products in your stash, or is it something not really worth the effort in your opinion? I generally enjoy playing around with what I have, but when I'm pressed for time, I usually just take the road most traveled. What are your top tips for maximizing your collection, or best ideas on using things up? I'd love to know!

What I've Learnt About Myself Through Decluttering My Make-up Stash

After my last post in the Capsule Collection series, where I talked about my lifelong habit of saving my favorite things for later and trudging through blahs in the meantime, some of you lovely people suggested that maybe I just shouldn't use (and own) those mediocre products, full stop.

I can't lie, it's a valid point - so it prompted me to do another make-up and nail polish purge. But this time, I thought that instead of just documenting the stuff I'm getting rid of, I'll try to actually learn something about my product preferences in the process, so I may hopefully avoid poor purchasing decisions in the future. Here's what I've found out:

As a sweeping generalisation, I have a hard time getting rid of 'so-so' products - you know, the ones that don't suck really bad, but don't do if for you either - like this Murad Skin Perfecting Primer in the Matte Finish, but pretty much all of the things shown in this post fall in that category. Another important lesson: I don't use loose mineral products for cheeks or eyes (but I do make an exception for loose face powders or foundations). If it's in a messy little pot and I haven't yet been bothered to press it, it needs to go, as exemplified by the miscellaneous Coastal Scents blushes in the photo above - I actually used them a lot when I first got them, but they haven't been touched in 2 years probably!

The next lesson covers my shade selections: I don't look good in pigmented plummy blushes (NYX Powder Blush in Raisin). My skin has enough of a cool almost purpley undertone, so anything leaning plum/ purple makes me look a bit bruised. I also don't use or look good in warm bronze shades, which is why I'll be passing on my untouched sample of the Rouge Bunny Rouge Bronzing Glow Liquid.

Staying on the topic of cheek products, I haven't been able to part with this Bourjois Pastel Joues Blusher in Rouge Corail for years, even though I'm afraid to actually put it on my face. I stole this blush from my mom years ago, who purchased it in Paris even longer ago - I want to say this blush is now 16 years old? I was keeping it for sentimental reasons: it's the first blush I ever owned, and it came from my mom, and it had that delightful old school make-up scent... But I figured that if I wasn't able to wear it (because it was just too old for my tolerance levels, not because the formula changed), I should let it go, and that my photos are enough to convey the memory of this product forever without it taking space in my collection.

Now for the eyes: again with the warm gold and bronze tones (also... red eyeshadow?!), they just don't look right on my cool-toned skin (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Eldorado, Wet n'Wild Khol in Bronze, a shimmery gold eyeshadow from Inglot) and I don't use loose mineral eyeshadows (Fyrinnae Kapir). There's also no sense in keeping eyeshadow dupes in an inferior formula (Annabelle Vanilla Chilla, a purple Wet n'Wild shade from one of the trios) - when am I ever going to reach for them? Certainly not when I finally use up the better eyeshadow these are dupes of, because... I never finish any eyeshadows.

I also need to remember that both cream eyeshadows and eyeliner pencils do dry out - so I shouldn't be stockpiling multiple shades. Ideally, I should only have as many on the go as I am able to use up within a year to two. Older than that, they become hard, stiff and difficult to apply. I'll be working on downsizing my eyeliner and cream eyeshadow collection further this year.

As for lip products - again with the dupable shades in an inferior formula (Wet n'Wild lipstick in Hot Paris Pink is nearly identical to my beloved Maybelline Color Sensational in First Class Fuschia), I'm just not going to get to them before they expire, so may as well let someone else enjoy them. As for lip glosses, my goal is to only keep a few around as I wear them much less often than lipsticks. My gloss preferences are as follows: I don't like lip glosses in pots where you have to dip your fingers in, I generally prefer no shimmer or glitter in my glosses unless it's undetectable on the lips, and I don't wear pigmented glosses in bold shades (NYX Mega Shine in African Queen) - they're just too messy.

Lastly, not too many lessons glimpsed through decluttering my nail polish stash - just again not to keep multiples of the same shade around, and that buying nail polish in little sets is a tricky business, because there's usually a shade or two in there that I don't like. For the same reason, I'm generally against beauty subscription services - you'll always end up with lots of minis that you have no idea what to do with, and they accumulate so fast; I still have my Birchbox samples that I received three years ago! I'd much rather save the money I would be spending on a subscription and just splurge on one full size product of my own choosing that I really want to try.

I've also realized, mostly through using up my make-up primer and perfume samples, that I tend to use very, very little product in one application. A 1 ml primer foil packet lasts me about 2 weeks, meaning that a standard 1 ounce/ 30 ml primer tube would be lasting me over a year of everyday usage, and I don't wear make-up every day; I'm sure the same applies to foundation for me. If I can only finish at most 1 bottle of foundation and primer in a year, I don't think I should be keeping more than two on hand at any given time. I don't know how realistic that is - I love trying new foundations, and I like to have different shade and finish options; but maybe having three would be an achievable middle ground? Either way, I need to keep in mind how slowly I go through my make-up products.

That's about it for now; it's amazing how many things you learn about yourself when you analyze your habits. Looking at my little list of preferences, I'm able to squash some lemmings in the bud: no Colour Pop eyeshadows until I use up some (at least two or three!) of my creams, none of these new liquid lipstick thingies from Anastasia or NYX because they're just too high maintenance! Do you also try to reason with yourself in a similar way when new products are being released? Have you observed that you now know more about your personal tastes than when you first started collecting make-up?

Alternative to UD Naked Basics: My DIY Matte Eyeshadow Palette

Oh, the inner turmoil and third-guessing yourself when deciding whether to pull a trigger on another neutral eyeshadow palette... Remember my hesitation over the Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 palette? In the end, I didn't buy it. In fact, apart from the Limited Edition Rouge Bunny Rouge quint, I haven't bought another eyeshadow palette this year, the main reason being that I really, really want to avoid getting repeat shades I may already have as singles or in other compacts. So, I decided to bypass the whole palette issue by way of my handy dandy small Z Palette, and put together my own perfect matte eyeshadow set. Wanna see what's inside?

What we have here is a mix of drugstore, mid-end brands and one lonely MAC eyeshadow in Embark, a warm dark brown. The two largest rectangular pans are Inglot, which makes one of my all time favorite matte eyeshadow formulas - here's another post with other shades and swatches, but I reach for no. 337 and no. 344 the most. Conversely, my least favorite (and second to most expensive) matte formula in this palette is the MAC eyeshadow - I don't know what happened to my Embark, but it's rock hard, patchy and poorly pigmented. I thought that maybe it formed that hard layer on the surface like some older powders sometimes do (although it's been barely used and always stored in a MAC palette), so I tried to scratch it off, but it's pretty much the same underneath. What gives? I'll experiment with it a bit more but if I can't find a way to work with this texture, it's probably going to go in the trash.

The three smaller rectangular pans come from my new drugstore acquisition, the Physicians Formula Matte Collection Eye Shadow Quad in Canyon Classics - I think I paid about $8 for it on Amazon. I bought it precisely with the thought of depotting it into the Z Palette, and while that process wasn't entirely pleasant (see the damage from a pin in the corners? Yeah, spare yourself the trouble and just melt the plastic underneath straight away), I'm very happy with these shadows.

They may not be as creamy or opaque as Inglot, but they're still very, very good for an inexpensive, widely available option. I'm sorry I forgot to include swatches of these, they do however swatch true to pan, and yes, these two medium warm browns are very, very similar indeed - I wish they included something a bit different. Overall, it's a great neutral medium-depth quad that should suit a variety of skintones, and the ivory shade is even light enough to show up on my fair skin.

You may recognize the other, slightly deeper and more yellow ivory eyeshadow in the round pan from my Project Make A Dent - it's an Annabelle Eyeshadow in Vanilla Chilla. I'm a bit over it and actually, the Physicians Formula is way nicer both texture and shade-wise, but I'm still working on it! The last round pan is another new discovery, a Red Apple Lipstick Mineral Eyeshadow in Clean Slate* ($18.75 for 0.055 oz/ 1.5 g), a medium matte grey leaning purple.

Red Apple Lipstick eyeshadows are gluten-free, paraben-free and vegan, can be used both wet and dry, and already come in a single pan form to save you the trouble of depotting. You can also purchase their two eyeshadow compact called Twosie separately, and they also have small Z-Palettes with their own cute apple pattern available as well. I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from Clean Slate, assuming that lipstick was probably the star of the Red Apple Lipstick product line, but boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

Red Apple Lipstick Mineral Eyeshadow in Clean Slate definitely rivals my favorite Inglot mattes. It's incredibly smooth, buttery and beautifully pigmented, and blends like a dream - but doesn't blend into oblivion like some mattes are wont to do. It does have quite a bit of powder kick-up in the pan, just like the Inglot mattes, but that's probably the only downside to the formula (well, not really. I don't even mind it that much). It looks beautiful on the eyes and wears all day over eyeshadow primer. Yeah, I don't think I'll be buying any more MAC mattes any time in the future; give me Red Apple Lipstick's shadows over MAC any day. You can also catch RAL on their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram if you have any questions or like silent stalking like me.

L-R: Annabelle Vanilla Chilla, MAC Embark, Red Apple Lipstick Clean Slate, Inglot 344, Inglot 337, Too Faced Velvet Revolver

The last tiny pan in there that's super similar to one of the Canyon Classics shades is Too Faced Velvet Revolver, possibly my favorite shade depotted from the Natural Eye palette. I'm very happy with my Do It Yourself (more like Assemble it Yourself) matte eyeshadow palette, and I think it's an incredibly useful thing to keep on hand when you need some basic neutrals to create a complete eye look. A lot of smaller eyeshadow compacts (duos/ trios/ quads/ quints) often lack these basic highlighting and transitioning shades, so a staple little palette like this is indispensable for everyday usage.

What are your favorite neutral matte eyeshadows you reach for over and over again? Do you have a premade palette, keep your depotted shadows in a freeform palette, or do you use singles? I'd love to know!

Disclaimer: The product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from Red Apple Lipstick for review consideration. I purchased all the other eyeshadows myself. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Eczema on Hands and Fingers: Triggers, Tips & Treatments

Eczema - if you know what this word entails, and I mean really know on a deep personal level, I feel you. Eczema is a bitch, there's no other way around it. You may remember that in my Fall Nail Polish post I complained about the state of my fingers and cuticles, which is how this post came about. Now, I don't claim to be an eczema expert or even that I have it particularly bad; I'm aware that for some people it's a lifelong condition that covers most of their body, and mine is only limited to my hands, and oftentimes, I'm even able to completely get rid of any flare-ups. But when I do have it (like now), it's a veritable pain in the ass, and I thought it may be helpful to share how I deal with it, especially if you've just started getting the symptoms.

While it's very common for eczema to first strike in the early childhood, I only started getting sporadic flare-ups as a teenager, and then I got a very bad flare-up a couple winters ago, and since then I've been struggling on and off. My mom also suffers from eczema on her hands, and her flare-ups and their pattern are extremely similar to mine, so I do think there must be a genetic link.

I've considered including photos of my typical eczema patch but honestly, it's pretty gross - even writing about it isn't pretty. Mine takes the form of a reddened, rough area of skin that develops small blisters, which burst after a day or so (sorry!), and then that area starts drying up to the point of cracking and flaking. Other symptoms include ichting, burning, occasionally bleeding from deeper cracks. Told you it wasn't pretty!

Some of the flare-up triggers, established through personal experience, my mom's experience and talking to my dermatologist, include frequent hand washing and soaking in water, low temperatures but also humid climates, as sweat also seems to make things worse, contact with harsh chemicals (for example, in home cleaning products or nail polish remover), contact with established allergens (I'm allergic to cats and petting one makes things more itchy in mere minutes), lack of UV exposure, moisture trapped under rings or other jewelry. My mom believes eczema is at least partly a form of skin allergy and pinpointing your specific allergens should help in recovery, but my dermatologist was skeptical - essentially, it's an autoimmune condition and anything can become a trigger.

Consequently, avoiding the triggers I've listed above generally helps in keeping things under control. What this means in practice is that I always do the dishes and other house chores in rubber gloves (my mom, who worked in a chemical lab all of her career, especially recommends talc-free single-use nitrile gloves), try to keep my hands above water when taking a bath, often don't put on my engagement ring and wedding band, re-apply handcream multiple times a day and always always after washing my hands, always wear gloves in the fall and winter.

As for the treatments, I use a combination of different products, both prescription and over the counter. If you've observed your symptoms gradually getting worse, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a dermatologist, because unfortunately, the single ointment that always stops blisters and itching in its tracks is a topical corticosteroid, which is prescription only. Steroid creams can have different strength but they're generally very effective - the downside being that they have some serious side effects. On top of being very drying, they thin out your skin over time and can even disrupt internal organs' function in large quantities; so they're kind of 'the last resort' type of treatment, and should be used sporadically to help manage the worst flare-ups.

Here's my typical course of treatment: as soon as I notice a new eczema patch, I apply my usual hand creams and then apply a thin layer of the steroid ointment over the patch and leave it overnight. If I really want to make sure I don't rub it off on the sheets, I'll also put on some cotton gloves; as a bonus, they help to trap moisture in the skin as well. My mom recommends to repeat this process every day until the flare-up completely goes away, but I try not to do more than 2 or 3 consecutive nights. The steroid medication helps to dry out the blisters but leaves behind very dry, flaky skin, so I really load up on hand cream the next week or so. Unfortunately, my flare-ups tend to reoccur in the exact same spots, but using the steroid cream seems to prolong the eczema-free stretches of time.

In the photos, you can see some of the creams and potions I'm using on my hands. The L'Occitane Shea Butter Dry Skin Hand Cream ($28 for 5.2 oz) works nicely and absorbs fast, but most of the time I prefer to stick to less expensive options, like the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Fragrance-Free Hand Cream ($3.50-$4.50 for 2 oz) or CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or Lotion ($10.99 for 12 fl oz). I find that occlusive creams, or the ones that leave a layer on your skin to trap the moisture inside, generally work best, which is why I really like using Neosalus Cream, a $$$ prescription moisturizer than leaves a layer on the skin even through hand washing. A fun thing to try are these nourishing sheet Hand Masks (the ones in the photo are from The Face Shop), although I've found that a thick layer of a hydrating face mask (like the Avene Soothing Moisture Mask) under a pair of cotton gloves works just as well for less.

I think that's all I can think of for now - let me know if you have any more questions, and of course please share your experiences with eczema and your favorite treatments in the comments! Oh, and a little update on my steroid-mangled fingernail: it doesn't look too hot right now but continues to grow out. Thanks for reading!

How To Blog Through A Blogging Crisis

We all know how it usually begins: you're feeling slightly lazy one day and opt for an evening of Sherlock instead of photo editing and writing, then the next day something comes up and you run out of time, then you're suddenly no longer in love with your original post idea... Before you even realize where the time has gone, a week/ a fortnight/ a month has passed and you've completely lost any inspiration and/or motivation to blog. Poufff! Your blogging mojo is gone - just like that.

I've been blogging for six years now and I've experienced major blogging crisises a good number of times. However, as you can see, I'm still here - so there must have been some strategies I've been using to deal with my posting malaise. This post was actually inspired by a Twitter conversation with Charlotte, and while I do not aspire to offer some incredibly innovative advice here, I hope someone somewhere will find my mind tricks at least amusing, if not helpful.

Let's start with an easier case of blogging idleness: you still really love posting, you've just fallen off the wagon and don't know where to start again. You know, I firmly believe there's nothing wrong with typing up some random nonsense to be completely scrapped later on, just to get you back in touch with your writer's voice (or in my case, hitting 'Publish' on it in a strange moment of bravado that I'm going to deeply regret some day). There are two choices you can opt for in terms of subject matter: either safely fall back on an easy feature you've done before, like a monthly favorites round-up, a tag, or an empties post, or if that feels too boring, go the opposite way and post something you've never talked about before: a recipe, a travel journal, maybe a book review. Or experiment with your photography, change up your lighting, angles, background, whatever.  It's YOUR freakin' blog - you can post whatever YOU like. I also find that keeping a notebook with post ideas is immensely helpful when I scrabble around for something to talk about; whadd'ya know, this is exactly where the post you're now reading originally comes from.

Now, for the exponentially more serious MAJOR blogging crisis, by which I mean feelings somewhere along the lines of: 'I hate my blog', 'I hate posting', 'I can't stand social media', and, of course, 'I'm a lousy writer' (no judging: I've definitely been there before, my friends - still occasionally am). This is the stuff that makes people abandon their blogs overnight, to linger in a limbo of half-finished series and interrupted conversations. But how do I go back to loving blogging again?

Don't try to guess the ultimate reason behind the hulking mass of a writer's block - there can be many. It doesn't always help to try to pin it down, despite what psychotherapists may lead you to believe. Writing is not like childhood trauma, or Oedipus complex: it's such a twisting, intertwining nucleus of creativity, emotion and discipline that not only are any efforts at untangling the knot bound to fail in the end, they may actually hurt 'the magic' more than help it along. In the rare case of knowing exactly what's stopping you from blogging, go ahead and get it off your chest: I find that a good rant always feels good. But otherwise, leave the thicket for now. Don't poke at it.

For me, the first step of finding my way back to writing is in fact to disconnect from it entirely. Go, stand up from the blank laptop screen, get out there. Take a trip, go see an art exhibit, talk to new people, or an old friend. I've learnt again and again that ideas strike when you least expect them, especially when you're actually thinking about something else completely - and then when they strike, don't force them, just store them for later, to have just in case. In a more practical sense, disconnect from the elements of the blogging world that frustrate you, like maybe those rapid-fire reviews of just released products on multiple blogs, accounts from press events, instahauls, page view and follower counts. Just don't look at them - stop reading, tweeting and instagramming for a while. And please, please, under no condition try to compare yourself to other bloggers. It NEVER helps.

What fundamentally helps me to enjoy blogging again, is connecting with you, my Dear Reader. No, not readers, the strangely anonymous crowd of blog visitors: a singular Reader. I know you - you've left comments before, and from these, I've gathered glimpses of your personality, and I've kept them close to my heart. I know you're an amazing, critical-thinking, kind, unique human being, and I try to imagine my posts as personal letters to you, snippets of a longer conversation with a wonderful, caring friend somewhere out there, miles and days apart. I imagine we're sitting at a cosy cafe, drinking chai lattes, and I'm spilling my heart out to you, and you listen, you understand, and then you further contribute YOUR thoughts to my story. I'm sorry if this sounds vaguely stalkerish - I didn't mean it that way. This is just to say that I never cease to want to talk to (or with?) you, and yet it boggles my mind that you even exist. Because blogs are very much unlike books or magazines with their 'target audience' and 'ideal readers', because you're a real breathing person who brushes her teeth in the morning, NOT a concept, and definitely not a business venture, or an obligation. Reminding myself that you're there for me is enough to dispel the worst case of a writer's block. I just need to keep reminding myself. We all need to.

My Eyeshadow Palette Collection

... where I show you my slightly outrageous eyeshadow palette collection, as well as share my deepest thoughts on buying make-up palettes and sets in general, especially in perspective of the freshly launched Holiday Limited Edition collections and upcoming beauty sales. So, are you ready for some palette p0rn?

Just to clear some particulars: this is my entire larger eyeshadow palette stash, meaning trios, quads and quints are not included. I've decided to go ahead and share both my freeform/custom eyeshadow palettes as well as premade ones, with the latter reviewed previously on the blog for the most part, so I'll link separate posts with swatches where possible. Also... I like neutral eyeshadows. I make no excuses.

Let's start with the freeform/ personalized palettes. First off, the old school classic in every make-up fanatic's eyeshadow stash: MAC Pro Palette Eye Shadow X15. As you can see, I own the old version of the palette (I had gotten the new but disliked how bulky it was and sold it in a blog sale), and mine features a mix of MAC shadows as well as discontinued INGLOT round pans and an odd Annabelle shade. I do tend to switch things around here and there as I have more round pans in my collection that fit in this palette, but for the most part it looks like in the photo. I do still like my MAC palette and reach for it fairly often; it's my second go-to after the large Z Palette shown below.

I currently have two Large Z Palettes in my collection: an older (and fuller) one that houses my most used eyeshadows, and a second back-up palette which has other, less used eyeshadow pans, as well as some La Femme blushes. I do occasionally rotate shadows between the two palettes or even the MAC palette for added variety. My main Z Palette features a mix of pressed Fyrinnae eyeshadows, Rouge Bunny Rouge refills, some Inglot square pans, depotted Burberry shadows, as well as random Stila, Too Faced (depotted Natural Eyes palette), Shu Uemura, Yaby and Annabelle. I absolutely love my Z Palettes and also have an empty smaller one on hand for travel.

Now, the two lower-end freeform palettes in my collection: a anothersoul Book of Shadows from Etsy, filled with depotted Wet n'Wild trios, and an eBay 12 round pan, filled with pressed NYX and Barry M pigments, extra round Inglot pans, and a stray Elf shadow. Out of all the palettes I'm showing you today, I use the random round pan palette the least: it's mostly storage for eyeshadows that have fallen out of favor. I do however enjoy using the DIY Wet n'Wild palette, even though I haven't reached for it in a while. I should get back to it!

As for the ready-made portion of my eyeshadow palette collection, let's start with the two most hyped-up neutral palettes I own: the Urban Decay Naked 1 (old tutorial using the original Naked here) and theBalm Nude'Tude. From these two, I generally prefer UD Naked, although it has some shades I never reach for (Sidecar, Half-Baked, Gunmetal). However, the undertones of Nude'Tude don't suit me very well, and the palette lacks good matte medium depth blending/transition shades - maybe with the exception of Sultry, which is a touch too warm and dark for my skintone. But all in all, both of these are fantastic buys, especially for make-up beginners.

Here are my two Stila eyeshadow palettes. I don't own any other products by Stila apart from the eyeshadows, and while some shades in these palettes are slightly dry and not as pigmented as I would have liked, overall I do like them and I do still reach for them on occasion. The Stila 'In The Moment' palette occupies an interesting niche in my collection: it has both cool-toned purples as well as warm peach and bronze shades. The E! Live from the Red Carpet neutral palette is another great neutral staple; I'm pretty sure this one has been discontinued, but if you can find it, I think the quality is on point - I just wish they omitted the Convertible Color cream pan from the powder line-up.

Sleek MakeUp i-Divine Mineral Based Eyeshadow Palettes are some of the best powder eyeshadows you can find in a drugstore; unfortunately, not an American one, but I hear that Sleek online ships worldwide and the shipping charges are not too extortionate. I own two: the classic Storm 578 (top of the photo) and Oh So Special 658 (bottom, a spring look featuring Oh So Special here). I've definitely used Storm more but I've also owned it longer, and have fond memories of using it on my honeymoon. I haven't pulled these out in ages, but I like them too much to purge: in fact, I have gotten rid of one in the past - the warm yellow tones in Au Naturel didn't suit me very well at all, even though the quality was stellar.

Last but not least, the newest member of my palette stash, the bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow 8.0 palette in The Finer Things from the 2012 Holiday Collection. Here's a full review, but in short, I absolutely love the texture of bareMinerals READY shadows and the cooler undertones of The Finer Things suit me very well. I used to own The Power Neutrals palette too (swatched and reviewed here) but didn't like the shade selection even half as much, so I've passed it on to my warmer-complected best friend, who continues to use it daily.

And that's it! I like to think that I'm keeping my eyeshadow palette addiction under control by weeding out palettes I don't use very often: like I mentioned above, I purged the Sleek Au Naturel palette, bareMinerals Power Neutrals, and an empty new MAC large custom palette a while back, as well as a whole host of various eyeshadow pans I wasn't using. I'd also wanted to sell my old Too Faced Natural Eye palette, but due to lack of interest, I depotted it in the end and stuck the pans in my Z-Palettes. I'm still in two minds about doing the same to my Stila palettes in hopes of remembering to use them more often.

As for my reflections on expanding my palette collection/ buying make-up sets in general, I'm quite proud to say that I haven't bought a larger eyeshadow palette or a set in over a year. Here's my gripe with ready-made palettes: while I usually really like SOME of the shades, I never like ALL of the shades enough to warrant having the whole palette - same for various value sets and such. So before pulling a trigger on a new one, I think long and hard whether I like and need ALL of it, and 95% of the time, the final answer is NO. Which is precisely the reason I haven't bought Urban Decay Naked 2 &3 in the past, or the Laura Mercier Artist palettes, or the Lorac Pro 1 & 2, and of course the new Mega Pro (also - too big to fit comfortably in my drawer). Not that I wasn't tempted - I really was - but ultimately I'm glad I haven't sprung for either. I'm still tempted by all the value sets Sephora has now been putting out for the Holidays, but probably won't get anything in the end. And coming back to eyeshadow palettes in particular, I now have my eyes on smaller ones, five or six pans maximum, that fill a specific gap in my collection - this way it's a lot more likely I'll use and enjoy all the shades in a palette.

I hope you enjoyed this stash inventory post; of course, let me know if you have any additional questions or maybe would like to see my custom MAC or Z-Palettes in more detail. Do you also collect eyeshadow palettes? What are your criteria for getting a new one? What are your thoughts on make-up value sets?

Birchbox Store BYOB Experience

BYOB, or Build Your Own Birchbox. When Birchbox's first store opened in SoHo back in July, I was instantly interested in coming down to pick out five mini beauty products of my choosing for $15 + tax, because a) I'm a control freak, b) minis are adorbs. Right?

I used to get my monthly boxes from Birchbox, a sample subscription service, back in 2011 - but after less than a year, I cancelled my subscription. While the boxes were fantastic for discovering new brands and products, and overall a good value for money with occasional full sizes thrown in, after a while I started amassing large quantities of deluxe samples I had no use for; some products just plain didn't interest me or weren't a good match for my skintone/ skin type/ hair type/grooming habits, while others I wanted to try, but couldn't keep up with the constant stream of new stuff. And so I cancelled.

But I still love getting minis and travel sizes, because they're a great (and cheaper) way to try new things without committing to the full bottle, on top of actually being useful for travel or carrying around in your purse. So for me, the Build Your Own Birchbox service is the best of both worlds: you're getting five deluxe samples to try out, but you get to choose what goes in your box. Perfect!

The area for making your own Birchboxes is located in the back of the store. There are glass top counters set up, displaying the samples available at the time. You choose one sample in each of the five categories: make-up, hair, fragrance, skincare and nails/ bodycare. In each category, there are three to five choices; I was hoping for even more products, but I'm guessing that the choices are a reflection of what's coming in Birchbox subscription boxes in a given month, and so the selection probably changes frequently. A sales associate helps you pick your samples by explaining the available choices (+ current deals and offers) and packing them all in a Birchbox  for you - you get to choose from a white, pink or brown box.

Here's what I picked for my own Birchbox: a Laura Geller Beauty GlamLASH Dramatic Volumizing Mascara in Black (the other choices were a MAKE Make-up Remover, Smashbox primer or Cynthia Rowley lip stain), Klorane Extra-gente Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (from Amika Blowout Spray, Frederic Fekkai Glossing Conditioner, DevaCurl Flexible Hairspray, and Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle), Juliette Has a Gun Mad Madame perfume sample (from an MCMC sample and something else - sorry, I can't remember), a COOLA Natural BB Cream Unscented Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Matte Tint (from Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel, Marcelle 8 in 1 Power Serum, Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser and Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish), and lastly a pot of Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream (from Ruffian nude nail polish + nail polish remover wipe, or Whish body scrub).

I'm actually really excited to try all the samples I picked out: I've wanted to try the COOLA matte sunscreen for ages, and Egyptian Magic always intrigued me. Both the Laura Geller mascara and Klorane dry shampoo are super handy for travel, and I was happy to find two niche choices in the perfume category - I've read lots of reviews on Juliette Has a Gun perfumes on various perfume blogs, but have never seen the brand in person.

As for the rest of the store, the first floor offers full-size 'star products' from brands that make appearances in Birchboxes, divided into make-up products (further categorized into lips, face, eyes etc) and skincare. It can be a bit difficult to find what you're looking for, as the Birchbox doesn't carry a full range of products from a given brand, and then all products from one brand are not shelved together, but divided into subcategories. However, there are many helpful sales associates close by, and you can even test and swatch products before deciding on the samples to go into your own Birchbox, like I did when I was unsure whether the tint in the COOLA sunscreen would match my fair skintone (it was a bit too dark, but so sheer it still blended in, so I went for it).

The lower level houses haircare, bodycare, nails, men's products and services: there are hair styling, make-up application and manicures available, but I haven't really looked into that (here's a link for the list of services and pricing, in case you're curious. You can also book services online).

The benefit of shopping in the Birchbox store is that it carries a lot of niche and not easily available brands, like Marcelle (Birchbox is the exclusive retailer in the US), Liz Earle, Cynthia Rowley Beauty, Jouer, Sunday Riley, Dermablend, Sachajuan, Davines and many, many more, and everything has testers so you can swatch to your heart's content. You can also earn and spend Birchbox points (the members rewards program for subscribing, shopping, reviewing and referring through Birchbox) in the SoHo store.

Overall, I was really happy with my Build Your Own Birchbox experience, and the store had a nice ambiance for browsing hard to find products. I would definitely recommend the BYOB service, and in fact, I'll probably do it again myself with my best friend when she comes to visit New York in October. New Yorkers, have you visited the Birchbox store already? What are your favorite beauty spots in SoHo?

My Summer-Proof Make-up Routine

You know how everyone bitches about their make-up melting, smudging and smearing all over in the summer heat and humidity? I never used to get that; sure, I'd slightly adjust my products for summer, opting for easier, more lightweight formulas and brighter shades, but I wasn't terribly bothered. Yeah... and then I moved to New York - and now I really get it. So here's a quick rundown of make-up bits I've been using recently, with a very simple look at the end, in case you're looking for some everyday summer face inspiration.

First off, base products. I don't think I've ever reviewed Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Make-up ($37 for 1 oz) on the blog (the shade I have is Intensity 1; I would have preferred to have 0.5, but 1 works in the summer), and I had actually neglected it for a long time - which is a shame, because it's a beautiful base for summer. The coverage is definitely on the light side, but can be built up to medium - though I prefer to do a thin layer all over the face and then spot conceal my scars/blemishes. When used over a more emollient moisturizer, it blends out seamlessly with a buffing brush, and retains quite a dewy finish, without pooling in the pores or fine lines. And you guys, this thing lasts - I sure do get a little shiny/sweaty in my T-zone as the day goes on, but Double Wear Light never goes patchy or slides off the face, which I consider a big accomplishment.

Also previously not mentioned on the blog, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly ($29 for 0.22 oz) is my weapon of choice for masking any imperfections. It's seriously pigmented, and long-lasting; it blends out very easily when applied on the skin, but after a moment, sets and doesn't move around, which is especially important for concealing blemishes. My preferred application method is to apply a bit on the back of my hand, and then use a separate brush to pick up product and dot it around the face, which I then blend out with my fingers for a thin, invisible layer - a bit labor-intense process, but I find that applying it on the face straight from the wand globs on way too much product. To be perfectly honest, for my under eye area I still prefer to use the Bobbi Brown Corrector - but the NARS will do in a pinch. In terms of shade selection, Chantilly, the lightest shade in the range, looks very, very fair in the tube - though it does oxidize a bit darker on the skin and matches my skintone quite well in the end.

As you can see, no primers included in the line-up, however I do experiment with face primers here and there, and sometimes even spritz my face with Skindinavia No More Shine Make-up Finish (reviewed here) - but I don't find those added products do anything in making my base last any longer. The only primer I reach for every time I do my make-up is NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - my eyeshadows never crease when I use it, and my eye make-up stays intact for an entire day.

Speaking of eyes, I have less patience for elaborate eyeshadow looks in the summer - and I also like a bit of color. Enter some waterproof eyeliner pencils; my long-standing favorites are NYX  Slide-ons (reviewed and swatched here) as well as Sephora Contour Eye Pencils 12HR Wear (reviewed and swatched here). Most often, I use them to line my upper lashline for a subtle cat eye, but I also enjoy using the darker shades to tightline, or wearing the lighter shades in the bottom waterline. In the face shots below, I attempted a gradient flick with NYX Esmeralda on the inner half and Sephora Surfer Babe on the outer part, with some matte shadows on the lid for more definition - but overall, I keep things very quick and easy.

Now, I've been experiencing more mascara fails recently than I care to admit - one big drawback of having long lashes (and not a lot of lid space) is that my mascara-ed lashes now touch my brow bone, and most mascaras transfer within the first 15 minutes of doing my make-up. Which is why I busted out a deluxe sample tube of Anastasia Lash Genius Clear Waterproof Topcoat ($21 for 0.19 oz)- I didn't really have high hopes for this, but you guys, it's pretty brilliant. The brush on the Lash Genius is a standard wiry type with lots of bristles, which makes distributing the product on top of mascara a breeze, and there's no weird residue or globs visible on the lashes - it looks like it's not even there. Oh, but it works - no browbone transfer, no smudging, no flaking, and at the end of the day, it comes off easily with a cleansing oil. Big thumbs up!

For lips and cheeks, I honestly switch things up a lot, but I thought I'd show you some products I haven't featured in a while. Inglot AMC Cream Blush no. 88 ($12 for 5.5g/ 0.19 oz) is always my go-to in the summer: the neutral rosey brown hue goes well with both warm and cool-toned looks, and the satin/matte finish stays put thoughout the day. And you guys know I love bright shades on the lips: the Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon in Red Sunrise (reviewed here) claims to be waterproof, and I have to admit that it does wear quite well throughout the day, but not as long as Beaute's Liqui-Gel Stain in Flouron (VERY recently reviewed here, lol), or other lip stains in my collection. But in the end, I don't really mind reapplying lip products, so I rotate my choices daily.

Here's what these products look like on the face: I also used the pencil end of Revlon Brow Fantasy through my brows (rant here), and set my T-zone with Make Up For Ever HD Powder. Very simple, but with some fun, brighter colors. If you're interested to see which staple products I was using in my last everyday summer make-up routine, click here.

How do you switch up your make-up routine for the summer? Do you reach for more waterproof and long-lasting formulas, or use different shades?