Sky finds beauty

2020! What a year! Didn't expect my beginning of twenties to get off to a start like this, but there are still many things and experiences I'm grateful for. Beauty wise I feel like this year I didn't find that many new favourites, so the last few year lists still stand. But a few new additions came along that changed my life and supported me through 2020. SKINCARE Lumene Valo Nordic-C Midsummer Glow Self-Tan Drops I love to call this product sun drops as it adds a nice sun-kissed glow to my pale reflection in addition to the vitamin C. It's very easy to use by mixing a few drops with your nighttime moisturizer. Simple Micellar Facial Gel Wash This face wash is so gentle and effective when it comes to cleaning my face of any dirt and impurities. Also it is non-drying and probiotic, so what more can you really ask for from a face wash. Berrichi Eye Brightening Age Defence This eye cream made me love the idea of eye creams and now there won't be any wrinkles around my ...

It's quite rare to meet someone who thinks that they are beautiful. Like fully believe that they are hot, attractive and beautiful. And it's truly sad, but nowadays with social media it's so easy to compare yourself to others. The illusion and standards of beauty that have been created are so unrealistic and well a photo is simply a photo that is just one moment, one pose from one angle and usually edited. Yet it's easy to be affected by it all and feel that I'm not enough. I actually saw a few TikToks where girls said that at one point they just decided that "I'm hot now, I'm attractive" and their life changed drastically. They were more confident and happier. All that lead to them having a glow up and yes they were gorgeous because of it. But they were also gorgeous before. One girl said that I don't actually look that much different from when I had low self-esteem, so it's sad that I ever let myself think that I wasn't pretty enough....

I haven't been in the Christmas mood. Maybe it's the no snow and staying at home for me, but I still need it. So why not write a little festive blog post!  At Christmas I quite enjoy making presents. Brainstorming gift ideas, planning out the purchases within the budget and creating something to make someone happy. Also it means I get to do some shopping and it's nice to not buy things for myself all the time.  Whenever someone asks me what I want for Christmas I always come up with a list. Even if I don't need anything. I guess I just don't like it when I say I don't know, I don't have any wishes and then I am unhappy when I get a gift I don't like. So to help myself and others, I always come up with options. This year my Christmas wishlist is quite short, because I did my retail therapy in November. But these are a few things I can expect under the Christmas tree. This could also be used as a gift guide for self-care lovers. Satin pillowcase I'd sa...

Alfaparf Milano is a recognized salon brand and actually using their products I was bleached blonde. When I learned that you can buy their hair care products for a great price and they have great reviews, my expectations were pretty high. The Diamond range is for normal hair. Their products are free from parabens, minerals, oils and sulfates. Price 11,95€ & 13,95€ The Illuminating shampoo and conditioner is supposed to detangle and give hair extreme shine and softness, containing many great ingredients. The scent is quite chemical, just like the scents in a hair salon.  I wash my hair just as instructed, but the results shockingly aren't as great for me as promised. It is surprising since most hair care products work for me pretty well. But these just don't. After my hair dries it's not as soft, maybe even feels more rough and lacks shine. However it makes it easier to work with my hair when it comes to hairstyles. But my hair gets greasy super fast. On the top of my he...

If you've read my blog before you know about my struggles with acne. Throughout the years I've tested many products, but my still skin isn't clear. It still has its better and worse days, but this has been my skincare routine for the past year that has helped me keep it somewhat under control with my almost monthly facial treatments. Currently I mostly have acne scars on my chin and cheek area and on average three bumps that come and go. *The links lead to my product reviews. AM 1. Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water This micellar water is a staple in my skincare routine and I love to use it to remove all the oiliness that has surfaced on my skin by the morning. 2. pHformula A.C. Recovery I put only a little of this on my problem spots if necessary. 3. Babe Sunscreen or pHformula SPOT ON Moisture Balance moisturizer Babe Sunscreen SPF 50 was my must-have during the summer. Now that there's not as much sun and I don't spend so much time outside, I prefer to use the pHfo...

I learned about milk_shake through my cosmetologist from whom I hear so much about all these great products and brands, so since she suggested it, it must be good. Milk_shake is a salon brand and has many shampoo and conditioner ranges. I chose the Sweet Camomile shampoo and conditioner (13–14€ each) to revitalize my bleached blonde hair. This sweet honey-camomile scented shampoo promises to revive highlights, soften, enhance the brilliance and vibrancy of blonde hair. I love that their products are paraben and sls/sles free. The scent of this shampoo is super sweet, but really nice as organic camomile and honey make me think of summer. The shampoo has this yellow see through gel-like formula, which foams nicely and cleans my hair well. The conditioner is the basic cream-like formula, which is super moisturising. After I let my hair air-dry, it always feels really clean and fresh. It starts getting greasy after 2–3 days of washing. My hair is more shiny and feels soft and moisturized. ...

This Dermaceutic Oil Reducing face mask contains 15% Glycolic Acid, Bentonite and 2% Salicylic Acid, so it's pretty powerful when it comes to ingredients. Depending on the supplier this mask costs around 30–40€ for the 50 ml pot. The description claims this face mask should remove dead skin cells and excess sebum, purify oily and combination skin, which it is recommended for. Introductions say to leave on for 2–4 minutes and use twice a week. This is another product recommended to me by my cosmetologist to help reduce inflamed bumps that still appear on my chin. Looking at the ingredients list it seemed like it should do at least something. I did as I was directed, which was wait two weeks after the facial and then apply on problematic spots for 20 minutes. This has a quite high % of Glycolic Acid and a powerful clay, so my skin was feeling the heat. For the last few minutes I applied the mask all over my face. The next day my inflammation and some pimples were actually reduced. My...

Face masks are my Sunday evening must-haves to prepare for the next week. For my super oily skin clay and mud masks are essential. I haven't used Madara products before, but I've always wanted to try them, so when my Origins charcoal mask ran out, this was the perfect time. Price 24,99€ This Detox mask promises to absorbs excess oils and clarify your skin, eliminate any toxins or heavy metals, reduce inflammation, recharge skin with vitamins for a glowing complexion and retain hydration. Sounds too good to be true. So does it live up to all of that? I can say that I actually noticed a bit of a difference. Since it is a face mask, not a product that stays on your skin overnight, I didn't expect this to have that big of an effect on my skin, but I did notice that my skin seemed clearer and happier. Of course that can be the combination of all of my skincare products, but comparing to the Origins masks, this definitely had an actual effect. For me this mask didn't do wonde...

Suggested by Hyram. I think that's all there is to say hahah. Hyram is a skincare specialist and a Youtuber and he has recommended this product a lot. I've used Simple Skincare's products before and they really are as simple as they claim. Which is why Simple doesn't suit my complicated skin. But a cleanser on the other hand should be fine. They don't sell the Micellar Gel Face Wash in Estonia and there aren't many ways to order it online. Fortunately for me, a friend lives in the UK and she occassionally sends her family some stuff and I finally got to try this cleanser.  Like Hyram has said this gel wash is incredibly gentle, but still effective. It's lathers just enough and washes off easily, not drying out my skin, but still leaving me feeling fresh and clean. I don't think there's really much more to it. It seems to suit every skin type and the price is great, so I'd recommend it to everyone. 

Since I don't tan my face and use SPF 50, I have to play catch up somehow and this Ten Minute Tan for face and body by Vita Liberata seemed like a good solution. I'll be honest though, I don't think I would've bought it, I got it for free.  At first the scent caught me off guard. It's not really pleasant, but luckily it disappears quickly. For body I'd definitely use an applicatior mitt, but for my face I didn't. The texture is pretty sticky and it isn't easy to apply, especially a hefty amount like it says. Also it seems that if using for your whole body, you'd run out of the product pretty fast. I somehow managed so spread this evenly across my face and I left this sticky yellowish/brownish film on for about 12 minutes before rinsing. It says that it takes 6 hours to develop, I saw results the next day. The next day I could also smell the DHA signature scent a bit. A lot of reviews said that this mask didn't work. For me it did, but probably be...

Who doesn’t want to stay pale while still wearing SPF 50 on your face daily? My two hands are in the air, can’t you see? Another product that promises to fix my issues and give me a nice sunkissed tan/glow. These Lumene concentrated drops are meant to be mixed with a night time moisturizer, so you can wake up with a nice little tan on your face. I simply mix 3 drops of this in the palm of my hand with my moisturizer and evenly apply on my face and blend down my neck. At first I was hesitant if the vitamin C would mix well with my anti-acne products, but I haven't had any issues yet. Since I use a minimal amount of moisturizer on my face, I wasn't sure how this would work, but still I woke up with a nice sunkissed glow on my face. I haven't tried building the tan up with this, because of my acne fighting regimen, but this could possibly work as this contains the classic self-tanning ingredient DHA, which left a mild self-tanner scent. I accidentally left a drop of this on my...

It's not always easy to find good and actually working anti-yellow products for cool blondes. A friend suggested this highly pigmented purple shampoo by a Finnish brand Sim. It says to leave on after massaging it into hair for 1–5 minutes depending on your desired results. It is also supposed to moisturize, add shine and volume. This shampoo is perfume free, vegan and dermatologically tested. Price 10,5€ To my surprise this actually worked very efficiently. The purple pigment is pretty strong, so it does stain cuticles/around the nails. Also while rinsing out the shampoo, be thorough. I've left the shower with purple stains on my scalp. It is rinseable though. At times it is even too powerful making my hair gray, so no need to leave it in for long. As a shampoo it also cleaned my hair well and wasn't drying. It doesn't leave purple streaks in my hair, which some other purple shampoos or masks have done. As a result my level 10 blonde hair has always been evenly cool ton...

I had been wearing glasses every day for about 8–9 years and before the operation my eye sight was pretty bad -5(+ cylinder). I had been waiting to do the laser eye surgery ever since I first got glasses and I was just so eager to turn 18, so I could be eligible for that. Unfortunately, at 18 they don’t really recommend or want to let you do the surgery. I was told to wait a couple years, but I was consistent and the surgeon said that okay, come back in a year and we’ll see if anything about my eyes has changed. To be honest I felt there that maybe I’m not mentally ready for the operation, maybe it’s better to wait. But when I turned 19, I knew I can’t wait any longer. When I wake up in the morning I want to be able to see clearly, I want to see in the shower, I want to see while swimming, I want to be out in a warm weather and sun and not sweat with my glasses on, so they start sliding down my nose every 5 seconds. Another big thing for me was working out, glasses really limited me. I...

PHformula came out with this new mattifying moisturizer, which is perfect for the summer. The Spot On moisturizer is for oily, acne-prone skin, hence it being mattifying and containing anti-inflammatory ingredients. I didn’t expect this to be that mattifying, so that surprised me a little. I mostly use the phFormula P.O.S.T. Recovery moisturizer during the night, but during the day, especially now with the warmer weather, the Spot On moisturizer is definitely more fitting with its lightweight and fast-absorbing formula. The consistency reminds me a little bit of PVA glue. Price 28€ I really don’t have much more to say about it. This is a nice lightweight mattifying moisturizer, just like it is supposed to be and does everything it says. My face still does get a bit shiny throughout the day, but a bit less than usual. A moisturizer can’t really do anything about super oily skin. Other than that there really isn't anything more to it, while it's still good, I kind of expe...

Hey, it's me! Pale again this summer. I feel like no matter how long I'm in the sun, I just don't really develop a tan. Or it's possible that I mostly sunbathe for 20 minutes and just can't anymore, cause it's too hot lol and I also have to wear SPF 50 on my face sooo... But I feel that the pale look doesn't really work for me. So after reading many many reviews, I decided to try the Vita Liberata Invisi Tanning Water, which seemed to be the most fool-proof tanning foam. Well, since reading the reviews lots of people said that the light shade didn't give them much of a tan, but more of a glow. But I wanted a tan, so I purchased the light-medium shade. Also don't forget the tanning mitt, which I also bought from Vita Liberata, which I found to be pretty good. The word Invisi is in the product name for a reason, because that means there is no colour guide when applying the foam. So while "tanning" the water doesn't transfer onto...

Rose gold trend is clearly not slowing down any time soon and it really shouldn't, because it's a pretty cute colour. I'm glad that Joico offers people a chance to dye their hair at home with their semi-permanent colours (which means they wash out after some washes). Joico has a wide variety of colors, but I went for blush and rose gold as my friend suggested, beacuse the rose gold tone might be a tad bit too bronze/orange, while mixing it with blush, you can get this more pinkish rose gold.  Also it's a good thing that I bought two colours, because I emptied these two tubes right away. One costs about 15,9€, so I pretty much paid the same amount at home as I might have at hair dressers. Also beware that if you have long thick hair, you might have to purchase at least one tube more. If you have short hair, one tube should be enough. My hair is a level 9–10 blonde, so I was a bit afraid that the colours might be too bright and intense for me, I...

It was a dream of mine for the longest time to dye my hair blonde and I finally did it. While I love how cool my new blonde hair looks, maintaining it is not that easy. One thing is constantly bleaching the outgrown roots, the other is preserving a nice tone/shade of blonde hair. I love that with blonde hair you can tone it with different colours and it usually washes out, so you can try out many shades of blonde (including blue, purple, pink etc). At first I was all about the cold blonde. To maintain it I used Estel's Prima Blonde Silver mask, which was supposed help with that, but after using it for sometime,  it gave my hair a light green hue, which I did not enjoy. Because well blue (from the mask) and yellow (from the natural hair) makes green. So after my hairdresser explained the chemistry and introduced the idea of rose gold toned hair (because red tones neutralize green), I was excited to try it and after my hair dresser did her magic, I was completely in love. It actually...

When the darker times began (autumn, not whatever is happening now), my cosmetologist suggested it's the perfect time to start using retinol for my acne-prone skin. Unfortunately for me, my skin is mostly affected by my hormones, so it's almost impossible to control the breakouts and there is constant inflammation on my chin. Getting monthly skin treatments has definitely helped, but that by itself doesn't solve the problem. Retinol has proved to be good for not only aging skin, but also for treating acne, because it contains vitamin A, which helps skin cells regenerate faster, so the dead cells shouldn't build up as much. Retinol's downside is that it's increases skin's sensitvity to sun exposure, so it shouldn't be used during summer and sun protection throughout the year is necessary. Also retinol products are expensive AF. This pHformula cream cost me 85€ and apparently I got a discount. But the good thing with this and overall with pHformula...

A year ago I decided to get help from a professional to deal with my hormonal acne. I've gotten 11 facial treatments from my cosmetologist and spent almost 550€ on them. And now I'll talk about the results. Getting a facial treatment for something as serious as my hormonal acne isn't going to "cure" my skin right away. It's more of a journey unfortunately. And the facials alone won't do the trick, you need a certain skincare routine as well. So how has it worked out for me? The first few times my skin wasn't really sure what was going on, but there actually were improvements. I had less inflamed red bumps on my chin and my cheeks and forehead started clearing up. I thought that this was it, the solution I had been searching for! Well, not exactly. Through the summer my skin wasn't actually that bad, it only started getting better. Then I mostly had to deal with acne scars and we (me and my cosmetologist) were actually looking into trying differ...

English The reason why I'm writing this review in two languages is because I think this eye cream by the Estonian brand Berrichi deserves as much recognition as possible. What I adore about Berrichi is that their products are natural, vegan and cruelty-free. More about Berrichi here . I'm 20 now and people have said that they usually add eye creams to their skincare routines in their 20's to start preventing wrinkles around the eyes. That's not the reason why I use eye creams though, I just like the refreshed awake feeling and look some eye creams leave me with, but avoiding wrinkles is a good bonus. The Berrichi Eye Cream besides anti-aging properties is also supposed to reduce dark under-eye circles and pigmentation and support skin's natural barriers and protect from UV-radiation and environmental stressors. First I tried this eye cream's tester (it's always good to ask for testers at the store to try at home), which is when I knew this product ne...

*Milky Tonic and Collagen Tonic not included. Over some time I have used different Pixi face tonics and thought that why not rate them all together. The only Pixi tonics that I haven't tried are the Milky and the new Collagen tonics, maybe one day. But here are my thoughts on the rest of the Pixi tonics (from best to worst) 1. Vitamin C Tonic - out of all these, this had the most visible effects on my skin, which is why this is my favourite and I would purchase this again. The tonic made my skin feel and look healthy and luminous. Read the full review here . 9/10 2. Glycolic Acid Tonic - this one also had actual visible effects, such as my skin looking healthier and more vibrant, until this became too harsh for my skin, but I still feel like I would like to try this again, because glycolic acid is a really good gentle exfoliant and helps with skin regeneration. Also full review is here . 7.5/10 3.   Rose Tonic - this one didn't have that much of an effect on ...

Wow, what a year! Graduating high school and starting university. That's also the reason I haven't been posting that much anymore, but I hope I can manage to start posting more this year :) But let's get to the beauty favourites that changed my life this year. Skin care pHformula VITA A cream Although my skin is currently not doing so good (damn hormones), this product also changed my skin game this year. Retinol truly does wonders when it comes to acne and skin regeneration. Full review coming soon! pHformula E.X.F.O. cleanse Another great product from my cosmetologist. This is a gentle cleansing exfoliant that I use every night. It's kind of like a cleansing milk, that effectively and gently removes my make-up (even eye make-up) and impurities. The Body Shop Vitamin E Refreshing Eyes Cube Long time favourite of mine. So refreshing in the morning. I love the cooling feel and light hydration under eyes. This is also so small, which makes...