After the gorgeous eye shadows from Yaby Cosmetics caught my attention, I started searching for a webshop offering both the brand and of course international shipping. One of the stores I found was PROMAKEUPSTORE in the Netherlands. It was founded in 2008 by makeup artist Monique Heijboer, a very nice lady who’s also running the store and answering e-mails from customers.

I ended up ordering six eye shadows from PROMAKEUPSTORE at a total of €13.18, or about 105,- NOK with today’s exchange rate. When I went to checkout my order I noticed that €24.10 (about 192,- NOK) had been added for shipping, and I immediately thought it was a bit much to ask for shipping alone. On the other hand I’m used to expensive international shipping from ordering quite frequently from both the US and the UK, even though I tend to refrain from ordering if the shipping cost more than the items themselves. I know that some mail services can be quite expensive – there’s no need to look any further than Posten Norge – so I didn’t blame PROMAKEUPSTORE for the expensive shipping. I decided to leave it like it was and went ahead with my order, which was a grand total of €37.28 (about 296,- NOK).

The next day I received an e-mail from Monique apologizing for the expensive shipping, while telling me that she wanted to offer me a discount for my next order because of it. As stated on the website the shipping quote of €24.10 is for orders up to 2 kilos, and since I ordered such a small quantity it didn’t really weigh much at all. She also told me that she had decided to ship my six shadows a different way than described before checkout, and asked me to e-mail her for a shipping quote next time I wanted to order just a few items – to avoid having to spend so much on shipping. My order arrived after a mere three days, and I was completely speechless! I e-mailed Monique back to thank her for being so sweet, but also to tell her about the amazing speed of my order! She then said she had now arranged for shipping of orders up to 500 grams by registered mail to Norway for €10.45 (about 83,- NOK). Please note that this shipping option does not include any tracking (requires signature upon arrival) as of today, so if you want tracking you’ll have to go with the regular option instead. If you’re planning to order only a few light items, like I did, then feel free to e-mail Monique beforehand to get an even better shipping quote (applies to order which would fit in a mailbox). Amazing customer service!

Each regular eye shadow is €2.25 (about 18,- NOK), while the Pearl Paints cost €2.80 (about 23,- NOK) a piece. In addition the empty 40-well palette made for these refills is €14.01 (about 112,- NOK) – although Yaby has several palettes for you to choose from. PROMAKEUPSTORE also offers a selection of products from other brands like BeautyBlender, Embryolisse Laboratories, FACE atelier Cosmetics, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics and ZPalette.

More information about shipping can be found here.
All orders are shipped by TNT.

The Verdict:
It is with absolutely no doubt I’ve decided to give PROMAKEUPSTORE a full score rating. I also want to “award” Monique Heijboer with an extra gold star for excellent customer service! My order was shipped from the Netherlands the day after it was placed, even though I’m quite sure it would have been shipped the same day if it had been placed during working hours. It arrived only three days later, and it was packed securely and nice. No excess packing material, which I think is great. PROMAKEUPSTORE gets two thumbs up from me, and believe me.. if I could I would gladly have extended a third!

Would I order again?
Without a doubt.

In the middle of April Mr. Postman delivered a package from LoveLula, and one of the items inside was the Apple & Pears Calendula Lip Balm. Since my lips tend to get dry and sore very easily I’m always on the lookout for a good lip balm, and I’m kinda picky about the scent. The first impression of this cute little jar was very good. It’s made of glass as far as I can determine, and it’s got a screw on lid with the imprint of a bee. Why a bee, you might ask? Because the products from Apple & Pears are natural bee remedies, made from only the best honey and beeswax.

I said that I would try to write a review of my Apple & Pears Calendula Lip Balm, and I’ve now been using it almost every day since I received it with good results.

A soothing blend of sweet yellow beeswax, organic calendula infused oil and sea buckthorn oil, to heal and protect dry lips. Essential oils of citrus fruit fight infection and give this balm a zesty flavour.

Ingredients: *Jojoba Oil, *Castor Oil, Yellow Beeswax, *Shea Butter, *Sesame Oil, *Calendula Infused Oil, *Carrot Infused Oil, *Cocoa Butter, Honey, *Sea Buckthorn Oil, *Lecithin, and a healing blend of Citrus Essential Oils.

*certified organic

Ever since I was a little girl I have been taught that bees can do wonders, and that their honey and beeswax can work miracles on a sick body. Bee remedies have a quite distinct scent to them, and personally I’m not very fond of it. I don’t like the taste of honey either, but I use it for medicinal purpose from time to time. And it works.

The jar contains 5 ml of lip balm, and cost £9.25 or about 84,- NOK with today’s exchange rate, and can be ordered from LoveLula.
It comes in three different varieties: Calendula Lip Balm for sore and dry lips, Wild Rose Tint Lip Balm for daily protection and Beeswax Organic Lip Balm for sensitive lips.

The Verdict:
During my constant search for a lip balm that actually does something for my lips, I came across this cute little glass jar. I’m not a big fan of these jars you have to put your finger into to get the product out, but I decided that it couldn’t be left untried. I’m also having a hard time describing its scent, but the best I can do would be something like citrus, Calendula and beeswax – and to me it has absolutely no flavor. It also feels kinda oily on the lips, probably as it melts with your body heat, and gives a nice sheen to your lips. Since I don’t really like the feeling it leaves on my lips, I usually put it on straight before bedtime – that way I wake up with a soft pout.

I’m not giving this lip balm a full score. This is mainly because of the underlying scent of beeswax, but also because I absolutely hate sticking my fingers directly into the product. If you don’t mind these two things, and can get past the somewhat oily feeling this lip balm leaves on your lips, it’s indeed a wonderful product!

For more information, visit Apple & Pears.

I had honestly never heard of a primer before I started exploring the amazing world of makeup a little deeper in the end of 2008. Primer? Why on earth would one need a primer? A primer is something you use when you’re redecorating your home. Somewhere along the path of exploration something convinced me to try out a primer, although I can’t really remember what it was. Now I’ll gladly admit that I’ve become an addict.

I’m sure there are lots of different ways to apply the primer, but this is what I do. I use the applicator wand to dab a small stripe of product down the middle of both my eyelids. I then put the primer away, and use a clean finger to blend the primer all over the lid and up to the brow. I’m careful to use just enough to cover the area I want. Less is absolutely more! Remember the product is not supposed to be visible, it’s just a base for your eyeshadow. The consistency is creamy, and it’s colorless. It’s heaven in a little tube!

Unfortunately it’s not all good. Even though the tube has a very nice look, it’s impossible to get all of the product out of the packaging because of its shape. When you think it’s empty there might still be alot of product left inside the tube. Who would want it all to go to waste? Cut the tube open from top to bottom, scrape what’s left into another container, and voila! – you still have lots of UDPP to enjoy. Since I really love this product, and it really does what it’s supposed to do, I’m not going to let the packaging pull final my verdict down.

Urban Decay Primer Potion comes in three different colors:
Original, Sin and now also Eden.

The Verdict:
If you have oily lids, or if you use glasses, you might have experienced that your eye makeup crease easily, or even tend to slide off your lids after a short while. That’s exactly what a primer is meant to prevent, in addition to making the colors more vivid. And that my friend, is exactly what this primer does. UDPP Original leaves a perfect canvas which makes the eyeshadow easier to blend, and stay put all day. It also dries quickly, without leaving any color on the lid. I have seen some people complaining about the wand, but I don’t really see the problem as I mainly use a clean finger for blending it out. If you ask me, this is an absolute must-have. If you don’t already own one, run out and get it – you won’t regret it!

Say goodbye to creasing, because this stuff is the bomb!

I have not accepted any free products or compensation to write this review.
The views and opinions expressed in this review are purely mine.

Photo © Urban Decay

Sammen med de andre e.l.f.-produktene fikk jeg tilsendt to Mineral Eyeshadow løse øyenskygger i fargene “Wild” og “Glamorous”, og en “Eye Shadow Brush”. Jeg er ikke helt sikker på hvordan jeg skal beskrive disse to øyenskyggene på en korrekt måte, men begge inneholder det jeg vil karakterisere som glitter. Personlig er jeg ingen stor fan av hverken løse øyenskygger eller glitter, men jeg gledet meg likevel til å teste dem ut. “Wild” er en kjempefin brun skygge som umiddelbart falt i smak hos meg, og her hadde faktisk det gullskimrende glitteret en positiv effekt. “Glamorous” ser ved første øyekast ut som en rosa skygge, men på meg var denne tydelig plommefarget. I denne var det gullskimrende glitteret langt mindre tydelig. Siden jeg også hadde fått med en øyenskyggekost fra den vanlige serien bestemte jeg meg for å bruke denne under påføringen, og dermed slå to fluer i en smekk.

Jeg ble ikke imponert, beklager.

Som tidligere nevnt har jeg hørt mye bra om sminkekostene fra e.l.f., men etter nærmere undersøkelser konkluderer jeg med at dette for det meste handler om kostene fra Studio-serien, for meningene rundt de andre er svært varierende. Utover kvaliteten kan du skille disse på at de ordinære kostene har hvite håndtak, mens Studio-kostene har svarte. Beskrivelsen på eyeslipsface virker vel og bra, men inneholder ikke et ord om hvorvidt kostene er av ekte eller syntetisk hår, og den kosten jeg fikk tilsendt var vanskelig å jobbe med. Den var ikke spesielt fyldig, og overhodet ikke myk mot øyelokket. Nå kan det tenkes at det finnes mer informasjon om hvilken type hår som er brukt i disse kostene et annet sted på websidene, men dersom det ikke er oppgitt i produktbeskrivelsen velger jeg heller å styre unna enn å lete rundt etter infoen.

Konklusjon:
Det første jeg merker meg er hvordan e.l.f. fremhever at produktene deres er uten parabener, men når jeg tar en kikk på innholdsfortegnelsen på produktene fra Mineral-serien oppdager jeg at samtlige inneholder vismutoxiklorid (Bismuth Oxychloride) som utløser allergiske reaksjoner hos veldig mange. For min del påvirker ikke dette den endelige karakteren siden jeg ikke reagerer på vismutoxiklorid selv, men veldig mange vil nok måtte tenke seg om to ganger før de velger produkter fra Mineral-serien nettopp på grunn av dette.

Øyenskyggene var helt OK, og jeg kommer sikkert til å bruke “Wild” flere ganger. “Glamorous” derimot var ikke helt rett farge for meg, det er ikke veldig sjarmerende å sminke på seg noe som minner om en saftig blåveis. Jeg understreker dog at dette har med hudfargen min å gjøre, ikke selve øyenskyggen – den var bare feil i forhold til mine farger. Glitteret i disse er på ingen måte overveldende, og det gjør at de får et ekstra pluss i margen tross glitter. Videre var de enkle å påføre uten noe særlig dryssing, noe som muligens kommer av at jeg brukte UDPP under, men jeg syns de var noe vanskeligere å blande, og å duse ut enn jeg er vant med. Det kan tenkes at det har sammenheng med at jeg ikke er vant til løse skygger, men for meg var det nesten umulig å duse ned overgangene, selv med min høyt elskede M·A·C 224. Ellers kan de brukes både i sin naturlige form, eller våte for sterkere fargeintensitet.

Kosten var dog elendig til påføring av øyenskygge, og kommer ikke til å bli brukt igjen.

Mineral Eye Shadow i mange forskjellige farger kan du kjøpe her, for 32,70 kroner eks. frakt.

Som allerede nevnt tester jeg altså litt forskjellige produkter fra e.l.f., og første produkt er Complexion Perfection. Produktet kommer i en enkel svart boks, og kan minne litt om NARS’ produkter ved første øyekast. Boksen er av glatt hardplast, imotsetning til NARS’ som er gummiaktige, og har et stort fint speil på innsiden av lokket. Complexion Perfection er et av produktene i den nye Studio-serien.

“Oppnå en balansert og strålende ansiktsfarge som er vakker og sunn. Den lette formelen jevner ut hudtonen og absorberer overskytende olje. Den semi-transparente formelen lysner, matter og nøytraliserer huden.”

Kort fortalt, Complexion Perfection skal gjøre nettopp det navnet tilsier, nemlig perfeksjonere hudfargen din. Ta en stor pudderkost, bland fargene i denne paletten og påfør i hele ansiktet. Dette vil lysne og jevne ut hudfargen din, samt nøytralisere rødheter. Vær dog oppmerksom på at dette produktet overhodet ikke har dekkevne, så det egner seg fint til bruk dersom du ønsker å hoppe over foundation en dag, men likevel gjøre noe med huden din. Selv om fargene kan virke skremmende, hvem vil vel ha grønn hud, så ikke vær redd. Dette produktet farger overhodet ikke huden, bare ta deg tid til å jobbe det inn med en god kost.

Konklusjon:
Jeg har brukt en M·A·C 224 til påføring av dette produktet, rett og slett fordi jeg har valgt å konsentrere meg om de partiene i ansiktet hvor jeg sliter med rødhet. Siden jeg er såpass heldig at jeg ikke har mørke partier eller ringer under øynene kan jeg dessverre ikke si noe om hvorvidt Complexion Perfection hjelper mot akkurat det, men det å blande gult og rosa til oransje, alternativt den rosa alene, skal være effektivt for å nøytralisere blått. Uansett, jeg er utrolig fornøyd med hvordan Complexion Perfection virker, for mine røde partier forsvinner som ved et trylleslag direkte etter påføring! Produktet er veldig greit å påføre, lett å jobbe inn i huden og krever nesten ingenting fra min side. Med tilnærmet full score sikrer Complexion Perfection seg en plass i makeupveska mi. Et godt produkt til en billig penge!

Complexion Perfection kan du kjøpe her, for 38,15 kroner eks. frakt.

Photo © eyeslipsface