I’ve been wanting to do an empties post for a while, but I just hate photographing bulk products that are empty and look awful from being in the shower cabin for more than a month. But I really love watching vlogs and blogs on empties, I think it’s a great way to showcase some products that perhaps didn’t make it in a full article, but still deserve a mention. Or maybe you were wondering about something and it’s here in the list.. I’m not really up for the whole vlog thing, so let me just write it down. I added some special effects to the pictures to make it more bearable, whaddyathink? You’ll find a list of emptied products & how I feel about them and if I would repurchase below & in between the pictures. Keep in mind that this is quite a few months worth of products.. I had these piling up in a big shopping bag in my laundry room.. Oops! I won’t wait this long to do another empties post again.. So be ready for a long post!

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I’ve been loving the Christmas collections this year, so after showing off the MAC Holiday palette I had someone get for me in New York & the gorgeous Guerlain piece I bought straight from the stock room; I’ll now let you discover Babor’s pretty Metallic Glam eyeshadow palette I picked out. The colors are very pigmented and contain two blues - one straightforward metallic blue and one grey-ish blue anthracite color. The other two colors are a metallic beige & a gorgeous taupe. I am in love with taupe these days, so extra credits for adding taupe to this one. If you’re not up for a full on blue look, just go for the anthracite color and combine with the taupe. For a deep night look, go for the anthracite all over the moving eyelid & work the deep night blue into the corners of your eye (blend out minimally). The beige is great to add to spots you want to draw light to, so add it near the tear ducts of your eye & just below the brown bone (but don’t use too much there though, that’s way passé). 

The palette itself is really gorgeous - the same golden mirror kind of outer packaging we saw with Estée Lauder’s blushes (although this one is less matte). This adds just that extra touch of luxury to the product and makes it a treat to show off on your vanity table. The pigmentation on these eyeshadows is really good, there’s not even one color that doesn’t deliver. The palette goes for just under €30 and contains a total of 10g of product, which is reasonable when considering some brands ask double the price for eyeshadow palettes containing way less product. Check out the close-up picture and swatches below, which have been made in natural light on a bright day. The colors are quite cold (except for the taupe one), so make sure you’re able to sport that kind of look.

And this is still not all Holiday magic I got this year! Stay tuned for a post on my new favorite nail lacquer I bought just a few weeks ago.. and is already sold out where I shopped it at. 

Let’s talk about beauty routines. Mine changes often as I discover new products, I just can’t stick to the same routine for too long. Let me guide you through my current routines. Note that the morning routine described here does not include make up, so I haven’t included my primer, dark circle aid, foundation and all steps behind foundation. For your reference: my skin is quite dry with an oily t-zone.

The Morning Routine

Step one: I’ll use my Kruidvat (Belgian drugstore) eye make-up remover to remove the last traces of mascara that have rubbed off during the night. This is a very cheap remover in two fases & it does an excellent job. I’ve used more expensive cleansers as well, but for now I haven’t discovered anything that makes such a truly significant difference making me want to pay extra.
Step two: Washing my face with Clinique’s soap bar for oily skin. I forgot to put this one on the picture, but I’m sure you all know which soap I am talking about. I’ve bought the container as well as it keeps the soap fresh & prevents it from drying out.
Step three: For toning my face in the morning I absolutely love Boots’ Organic Face Rosewater Toner. It’s a fragrant Damask Rose water, which works miracles on my skin. It does contain alcohol though, which might not work for your skin.
Step four: I’ll then spritz some Caudalie Beauty Elixir on my whole face. Some of you will now say: “Isabelle! Two toners? What are you thinking!”. Well, this actually really works for me! After using the rose toner my face will be completely clean & ready to soak up Caudalie’s beauty elixir which makes my face extremely radiant. It’ll also help reducing the size of your pores.
Step five: Now I’ll divide my skin into three areas. I’ll use Etat Pur’s Actif Pur A20 (Zinc) on my chin & nose to help tackle blackheads. Then I’ll use the A41 (Bisabolol)  on my whole face except for around the eyes. Around the eyes I’ll use A08 (Apigenin), which is meant to tackle dark circles. I’m in LOVE with A20 as it really does its job so well. If you sometimes struggle with blackheads (a sign of oily skin, by the way): get this as it’ll work miracles!
Step six: Eye cream! Do not skip this step as it is really important to treat your eye area with a cream that has an adapted formula for the area. I use Kruidvat’s eye cream with vitamin E. I really like what this one does for me, but I am open to try other eye creams. If you happen to know of a good eye cream: let me know!

Step seven: Day cream! During the day I use Babor’s Skinovage Vita Balance as it hydrates my skin extremely well & contains encapsuled pure oxygen. Also, it is the single best smelling facial cream I have ever come across. Seriously, nothing smells as good as this does.
Step eight: Sun block. I am currently using MAC Cosmetics’ Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF50 which is amazing for my skin as it does not cause any extra pimples. It can be quite hard finding your perfect facial sun block. When this one is finished I will try out Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector SPF50 as it sounds quite promising as well.

The Evening Routine

Step one: I’ll remove most of my make up with facial towlettes (not pictured). Then, I’ll remove all eye make up with Kruidvat’s eye make-up remover. 
Step two: Wash/scrub your face! Twice a week I’ll use Lush’s Angels On Bare Skin, which is an all natural cleanser with a light scrubbing effect. Other days I’ll use Clinique’s soap bar for oily skin.
Step three: Tone! When my face is suffering from pimples I’ll use Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal-Extract toner which is free of alcohol and adapted for oily skin types. It does contain Methylparaben though, so be careful if you’re allergic or strictly anti-paraben. When my skin is clear I’ll use Boots’ Organic Face Rosewater Toner.
Step four: Again, I’ll divide my skin into three areas. I’ll use Etat Pur’s Actif Pur A20 on my chin & nose to reduce blackheads, A08 around my eyes & A31 (Aloe Vera) on my whole face for maximum hydration.
Step five: Again, treat your eye area to a eye cream.
Step six: In the evening I use Etat Pur’s Biomimétique B38 as it is leaves my skin feeling completely hydrated all night long. There is no single other cream that has done that for me apart from Creme De La Mer, which sadly is too expensive for me. Sometimes, instead of a facial cream, I’ll use Weleda’s Facial Almond Oil as a treatment. It’ll soften your face & give it some extra attention.

Phew! 

Last month I received an easter egg full of Babor fluids, which I have now tested completely. I even did it in the right order! So let me provide you with a wrap up about Babor fluids. 

I really liked this intensive treatment. Using fluids just has this luxurious feel to it as they are in ampoules. Every fluid has its own scent & finish, so I was eager to discover all of them. The fluids do contain fragrance, so careful if you’re allergic to fragrance. The ingredients are all very concentrated, meaning that these little tubes contain doses of working ingredients eight times higher than you would find in regular creams.

These fluids were in the egg:
 Hydra Plus Active Fluid
 Algae Active Fluid
 New Skin Fluid
 Collagen Booster Fluid
 3D Lifting Fluid
 Direct Beauty Fluid
 SeaCreation CONCENTRATE

They all have there own purpose. I found none of these fluids to be irritating to my skin. They all smelled lovely as well! The best way to use these fluids is to cleanse your skin properly, pour the fluid into your handpalm & then smoothe it over your face (avoiding eyes!). Then, pat gently so your skin absorbs the fluid quickly & effectively. Afterwards, apply your regular night cream. I especially loved the 3D Lifting Fluid, which smelled like absolute heaven! It contains gentle ingredients that lift your face & treat your wrinkles. I have really enjoyed using these fluids & I have promised my skin that I will re-do this when needed. I did some research and these fluids are also sold seperately! Sometimes you just need to pamper your skin & give it what it deserves, right?

First of all I wish you all a very happy Easter Sunday! I hope you get treated with lots of sweet goodies and some delicious chocolate easter eggs.

A week or so ago I got a lovely early easter treat from Babor. They’ve got this Deluxe Easter Egg that looks kind of like an advent calendar you would find in Sainsbury’s from December on. Only instead of chocolates, there are 14 Babor fluids to be found inside! All together they form a perfect 14-day intensive treatment for your delicate skin. Last night I used number 6 and I must say that I am very impressed. I particularly noticed some major change in redness on my cheeks after the fifth fluid. 

Because I haven’t used the whole egg yet I can’t provide you with a full review, so we’ll keep that one for later. In the meanwhile, if you’re a man and you want to treat your girlfriend to a different kind of easter egg, they’re still in stock on the website!