My Cosmetics Essentials

This will be a purely girls' conversation (guys, sorry) - the kind where friends settle in comfortably at the dressing table and start pulling out their cosmetics cases or bags to share their experience of which beauty product is a real find. Well then - after diligently trying out the wide range on offer for several years, I have finally settled on a few beauty products that I find good enough in quality to talk about and even recommend to others.

collage created by iinuu

Hair care

Let's start with hair care. Thanks to frequent bleaching and very fine hair structure, I constantly struggle to achieve a vibrant-looking shine. For that reason I am grateful to my hairdresser Laura from the SLAVA salon, who introduced me to Kérastase products - Kérastase Bain Satin shampoo, which comes in three levels of lighter and stronger action, as well as the Kérastase Masquintense hair mask. I occasionally use the same brand's hair oil too - also quite good.

I searched a long time for a hairspray as well, until - thanks to my friend Dana - I got hold of Biosilk Volumizing Therapy spray, which holds your style extremely firmly and additionally gives the hair a pleasant shine.

The simplest, yet at the same time most important thing for styling hair is a comb. I found a very handy, functional, and visually pleasing one quite by chance in the Avon catalogue - the Advance Techniques styling comb.

Skincare

For facial skincare I have come to love the MATIS RÉPONSE VITALITÉ regenerating cream for everyday use. A very gentle consistency. It is available at the online shop Johaidi.lv. Another favourite from the same shop - Gerard's SKIN DEFENSE 24h gentle cream SPF 8. Equally pleasant.

For the skin around my eyes I use The Body Shop Vitamin E cream. Even though it has a rich consistency, it absorbs into the skin very quickly and refreshes instantly.

From the same shop I also use the SPA WISDOM AFRICA wild plum salt scrub. I like the fact that it is salt- and butter-based. Skin feels pleasantly smooth and soft afterwards, as if coated with an invisible protective layer. There is also no greasy feeling - skin is clean and dry.

Decorative cosmetics

For decorative cosmetics I usually choose Max Factor products. The latest find is the FALSE LASH mascara with a false-lash effect. A thick brush that, when applying the mascara, gives a volume effect.

I came across the Max Factor Colour Adapt foundation entirely by chance, from a sample in a women's magazine. Since then I've started taking samples more seriously - previously I used to throw them all straight in the bin. I liked the cream because the bottle has a pump dispenser, the cream applies evenly and adapts to the skin tone. Which means that after a few sessions of sunbathing there's no need to switch to a different shade of foundation again. It does leave a slight mark on a white collar, but not as dramatically as other foundations.

Perfume

And I round off the list with my favourite fragrance, which is my spring/summer season favourite - Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue. Unobtrusive, fresh, reminiscent of warm earth, sunshine, and the sea.

If anything was useful, take it with my blessing. And if I discover something else new and good, I'll let you know! ;)