July - September haul 2024

As per usual some items keep rolling into my possession, let's not even talk about the stuff you see and grab whilst you are on holiday, or the items you purchase for your upcoming trip. 

Mix of Sephora, Target, Amazon and Denmark purchases

Wrinkles schminkles giftbag

Haul mostly from Helsinki and Greece

Biossance - Squalane + marine algae eye cream (3 ml) and Squalane + omega repair cream (15 ml): This I decided to use some of my Sephora points on, moistly as I forgot my moisturizer on a work trip to the US, and also as I was going on holiday and this was a perfect travel size moisturizer for the trip, and I had previously gotten a sample of the cream, and I really did like it.

Miild - Skin glow tinted beauty balm in 02 Soft coral (7.9 ml): This was a recent launch from Miild, and I simply could not resist. The hardest thing was actually to choose the color as all of their options were super cute.

Numbuzin - 2 Cica repair cream (60 ml): This I ordered on Amazon, as it is supposed to be similar to Dr. Jart ceramidin skin barrier cream.  

Miild - Cleansing cream, mild and light for dry and sensitive skin (100 ml): I decided to pick this up on a short holiday in Copenhagen. As this is a brand I am very interested in.

Derma - 30 Sun lotion high spf (150 ml): I picked this up in Fotex in Copenhagen, I was running low on my spf 30 and this grabbed my attention with the "bedst i test" label and being fragrance free.

Herbal Essences - Rose hips shampoo (100 ml): This I picked up in Target specially for holiday 

Herbal Essences - Rose hips conditioner (100 ml): The same for this as the shampoo, perfect size for travelling 

GIVE Beauty - Eye see in sparkle multidimensional eye pigment in the color Dazzle (5.5 g): So much for not falling for a discount! I had been keeping an eye on this product ever since I saw it featured in one of Erin Nicole's videos and had been wondering if I should pull the trigger on it or not. Then when I saw it was on offer, I did indeed pull the trigger.  

CeraVe - Hydrating facial cleanser for normal to dry skin (87 ml): This I also picked up in Target, as I managed to forget my mini Drunk Elephant deluxe sample size at the pool. So I needed a new facial cleanser to take with me to the gym or to the pool. 

Farmacy - Green clean makeup meltaway cleansing balm (20 ml): This I got as a gift with purchase with the Give eye sparkle. I have wanted to try this makeup cleanser, so now is the perfect time to try a mini one. 

Dior - Diorshow maximizer 4D (10 ml): I had an older version of this product (then called 3D) but I had to change it out as I got an eye infection and had to take out the mascara and the Dior 3D maximizer I was using at the time. I have yet not tried this one out, but if it is any good as the 3D I am sure it will be amazing.

Wrinkles Scminkles giftbag - Wrinkles schminkles morning after glow serum (60 ml), Forehead wrinkle patches (2 patches), Neck wrinkle patch, Chest wrinkle patch, mouth & lip wrinkle patches (2 patches), Eye wrinkle patches (6 patches), Self dissolving microneedle patches (4 patches), Silicone patch cleanser (6 x 1.5 ml), 2 scrunchies and a spa headband: This I won in a online Facebook giveaway, I have been curious about this brand for some time, now I can try these multi use patches.

Lumene - Nordic berry length & volume - mascara with cranberry and lash lengthening complex in brown (8 ml): I easily broke my "no buy" on mascaras as I came across the Lumene brand at Helsinki airport. I used to love their blueberry mascara, but as that type did not come in a brown color, so I decided to pick this one up. And I found out the price difference between this product in the supermarket in Helsinki vs. the HEL airport is 2 Euro cheaper at the airport.

Biafin - Skin emulsion (100 ml): Finally I ran into the OG Biafin cream, it is supposed to be good for sensitive skin, minor burns and rashes. 

Olivolio - Deep hydration foot care cream (150 ml): I have bought this before for my mom, and she absolutely loves it, so as I was recommended to use a foot cream, it made perfect sense to pick this up whilst on holiday in Greece.

Donkey milk treasures - Lip balm organic olive oil & beeswax natural spf 15+ (3.2 g): I seem to have managed to loose my spf lip balm, so I grabbed this one in the supermarket in Greece. The packaging is a little bit rinky dink, but the product inside is ok. 

Pharmacy skincare - L300 Normal to combination skin face cream light sensitive (60 ml): The skincare aisle in the supermarket in Helsinki was amazing, so it became the ultimate temptation to buy some skincare there, I was originally going to buy a cream from a Finnish brand that my friend uses, but that turned out to contain parabens, so I opted for this Norwegian brand instead.

Lumene - CC all over concealer in 0.5 light (8.5 ml): This concealer had a massive stand in the supermarket in Helskinki. Did I need a concealer? Definitely not, but somehow it ended in my basket anyway! 

Skinfix - Triple lipid-peptide cream (2 ml): This I got as a sample from Sephora by the entrance when I went in there one day. 

Pff.. now it is seriously time to pull the breaks on this shopping addiction.

June - July haul 2022

Well as I have started to fly again, with stops in the US and Canada on a monthly basis, I have had some opportunity to shop a bit, as well as I have picked up a few items in Iceland ofc.

Soap, sunscreen, deodorant and facial cream

Body cream, hair mask and Tangle Teezer

Makeup, facial spf and cream tester

 

Shea Moisture - African black soap (227 g): This has been a tried and true product for me, as facial soap for my skin issues - I was not in a dire need of a refill, but as I spotted it in Target I grabbed it. 

Eau Thermale Avéne - Mineral lotion spf  (100 ml): This I bought in Canada, as I was planning to travel abroad in July, only with hand luggage, and in need of some sunscreen that I could take on carry on (which has a max of 100 ml bottles). 

Hawaiian Tropic - Silk hydration protective sun lotion (180 ml): This I picked up in the supermarket in Iceland, I had not bought an Hawaiian Tropic in years - as I theoretically had enough spf bottles. But it came in very handy, as I squirted some of this bottle into a small travel bottle to bring with me to Croatia. The other spf bottles I have, come in foam and spray form - and would not be rebottled so easily!

Native Deodorant - Aloe and Green tea, sensitive (75 g): I have been very curious about aluminum free deodorant, and as I am finally seeing to an end of one of my 3 previous bottles, it was time to pick this one up.

La Roche-Posay - Kerium DS creme (39 g): I had picked up a tube of this for my nephew a few years back, as he was struggling with flakey eyebrows. And recently I had started to get flakey spots between my eyebrows and eyelids, I went on a mission to find a tube for me to use. And I really think it works!! 

Sol de Janeiro - Brazilian bum bum cream (75 ml): I smelled this exact product a few years back, and did absolutely not understand the hype around this scent as I really did not like it at first sniff. But now - omg I loved it!! Given the fact I have more than enough of body lotions, I just grabbed the small jar of it. But I might actually be tempted to buy other types, or even the scent spray.

Macadamia oil extract - Hair mask (250 ml): My hair after about 5 days of sun and sea in Croatia went totally haywire, and I managed to find this in one of the little shops on the island I was staying - and it managed to turn my haywire hair around after one treatment. But you do need to be consistent with it. 

Tangle Teezer hairbrush: My friend was so kind to grab this for me while she was on a holiday in UK. This has since moved into my gym bag - so I will never forget to take a hairbrush with me to the gym again

Kosas - Revealer concealer in 01N (6 ml): Did I need a concealer? 100% not, I already have about 4 concealers in different formats. Two in liquid format as a matter of a fact. Have I started to use it yet? No not yet... 

Kosas - Revealer skin improving foundation in Very cool light 120 (30 ml): Who am I? Purchasing two foundations in the same year? And I already have several in my stash (again in a few formats; liquid, mineral powder and pressed powder). I guess I just have to put real effort to in 2022 to doll myself up on an everyday basis.

Urban Decay - All nighter long lasting makeup setting spray (30 ml): This was purchased with the intent to take it with me to Croatia for the wedding to double insure the makeup. Then in the end there was no space in my hand luggage for more liquids. I just got one sprits from my friend who managed to take some with her to the wedding. 

It Cosmetics - Your skin but better CC+ color correcting full coverage cream spf 50 in fair (32 ml): I had gotten one or two testers of this particular product in Sephora a while back. And given my previous experience, this product performed exceptionally well, with good staying power, without creasing or looking cakey. And given the fact I was going to a wedding in Croatia, where the temperature would be around 35 degrees Celsius, I would need something long lasting. So I grabbed this during some online discount in Hagkaup Iceland

Revlon - Colorstay brow fiber filler in 303 medium brown (6.8 ml): I am about to run our of my Rimmel colored eyebrow gel, and on a recommendation from Lisa J on Youtube. 

La Roche-Posay - Anthelios mineral fluid 50 spf (50 ml): I got sucked in in a Canadian drugstore to pick this up (even though I have a bottle of Supergoop zink screen). Now I just have to be more active in using these facial sunscreens.

Laura Mercier - Translucent loose setting powder (5 g): This was a part of my Sephora birthday gift for 2022. And boy am I excited to give this a whirl, as this is a product that has been hyped up for years.

Laura Mercier - Caviar stick eye color in strapless (1 g): The other part of the Sephora birthday gift I selected for 2022. Another product from LM that I have heard about for years but never tried. 

Tower 28 - Beach please cheek and lip color in Magic hour (4.5 g): I had been curious about this product and this brand since 2019 or 2020. So I could not resist when I spotted it in Sephora.

It Cosmetics - Confidence in a cream, tester (? g): This came as a bonus with the It Cosmetics CC+ cream. Another leaflet for me to use up for sure... I might even have to go on a "tester use up" mission.

So will I perhaps calm down in my purchases in the months to come? Well I have two orders being shipped as we speak... and several items on my "research list" 

January - October haul 2020

With a year consumed by Covid-19, and only having had one layover in March, working as cabin crew, there indeed have been less shopping for makeup (and only one visit to Sephora). And with government recommendations for people to stay at home as much as possible, fewer flights, and hence less workdays - and fewer occasions to wear makeup. 

Sunscreen, body oil, lash growth serum, facial roller and Sephora's birthday gift for 2020

Handmasks, body butter and bronzer

KKW Beauty Classic eyeshadow palette

Biotherm - Water lover sun mist SPF 30 (200 ml): I needed a sunscreen for the Icelandic summer days, and got tempted to buy this one as there was a tax free, and an extra discount on Biotherm products. The bad thing? I seem to be allergic to something in it, well I can use it without problems if I put it on before I go to the swimming pool. But if I put it on in sunlight, and stay in the sun, I get little bumps on my skin that take up to 2 weeks to disappear. 

Evy - Sunscreen mousse SPF 30 (150 ml): I should have just stuck with tried and true Evy sunscreen. It works, and is hypoallergenic

Moroccanoil Body - Night body serum (100 ml): This I got sucked into buying, after not buying anything for months. The price was $$$ even though I grabbed it on 20% discount. But the smell is divine, have my eye out for a Moroccanoil candle, if it has this scent. 

GrandeLash-MD - Lash enhancing serum (2 ml): Grabbed this in Sephora in March, had the most difficulty to choose between the old packaging and the new, and big or small. After I started using it, I find my eyes to be a bit sensitve, and after hearing Jessica Braun saying the new type makes her eyes sensitive, and the old one does not. Which makes me wish I had bought a smaller one in the old packaging. 

Supergoop - Zinc Screen 100% mineral lotion SPF 40 (50 ml): Glad I was able to snag this one in Sephora in March, as a mineral facial sunscreen had been on my "to buy" list. Love it as it does not flare up my skin. Should use it more often though. 

The body shop - Aloe calming toner (250 ml): As my toner of the same kind is running low I took an advantage of the fact that The body shop was running a 20% discount on all products in their online store. 

The body shop - Oils of life revitalizing facial roller: This product I had been curious about since I saw RachhLoves had praised it in one of her videos. Just purchased it so I have no idea if it works or not.

Sephora Beauty insider birthday gift 2020: This was an easy choice over hair-masks and bad smelling body butters.

• Milk Makeup - Lip+Cheek in Werk (6 g): Super excited for this product, as I was tempted to buy this and give the formula a try.
• Milk Makeup - Kush mascara (3 ml): This will go into my mascara stash, as I think I have 4 unopened mascaras in my drawers. 
• Milk Makeup - Hydro grip primer (1,5 ml): When I finish the primer I have in my beauty goals for 2020 I will use this one, as I am also on a mission in 2020 to use up samples and testers I have stashed.

Sephora - Macadamia hand masks (2 pairs): When I went to Sephora early March, the Covid pandemic had just started, and the constant use of hand sanitizer made it an extra good idea to buy hand-masks, have I used them so far? No, but I think there is plenty of time to use them as Covid does not seem to be decreasing any time soon.

The Body Shop - Cool Cucumber softening body butter (196 g): And I who had promised myself not to buy anything this year just because it was on sale, well I am particularly swag for the smell of cucumber - always have the feeling it is extra moisturizing and juicy. 

Flower - Heatwave luminous bronzer in sunrise L1 (6 g): I ordered this off the Flower website, along with a gift for a friend, had it shipped to Washington, and was going to pick it up at the end of March. Well my flight never went for Washington, but a friend picked it up for me who's flight was on schedule. 

KKW Beauty Classic eyeshadow palette (17 g): I had for a long time been contemplating the Classic and the Classic Blossom palettes from KKW, and swung from one to the other between months. Then they came out with Classic II - but there were too many similar colors in that one, and in the end I decided the Classic Blossom pulled too pink, as there are two other pink pulling eyehsadow palettes on my wishlist. 

What is your favorite beauty purchase of 2020?

DK + SE Haul

While I was on an exchange program in Copenhagen, Denmark I of course went shopping, and did some damage, both online (as I did not have to pay import tax from EU countries into Denmark, as I have to do if I order something and have it shipped to Iceland).

Also I went for a day to Malmo Sweden and bought one of the items there.

DK + SE haul

The Body shop Himalayan charcoal purifying glow mask - have used this once on my nose - did not see any miracles, but maybe they will happen if I use this once a week.

Lumene Spring water intense hydration 24h moisturizer - this is my favorite skincare brand, and it is Finnish, and is the one product I picked up in Sweden. And I was so happy to find it - as it is not sold in DK. 

La Roche-Posay toleraine ultra - a cream that is highly recommended in the POD community for perioral dermatitis, as it is a skin cream for ultra-sensetive or allergic skin. Really looking forward to try it, unfortunately it is not sold in Iceland.

Dr. Organic organic manuka honey cream - it is a little bit to rich for me, so I can just get away with it in winter. This is also recommended for POD, but for me it is not working too good. As I have some dry flakyness going on as of late.

Sephora triple action cleansing water face and eyes with calendula extract - Calendula for one is recommended for POD, so I am looking forward to try this one when I run out of the Garnier micellar water.

The body shop aloe calming toner - this one is fragrance-fee, colourant-free, perservative-free and alcohol-free. I am just loving the new look and emphasis of The body shop on cleaner products. And am on the final drops of my Lumene toner, so I it will not be long untill I can crack this open.

Gosh darling lashes extreme volume mascara - you can not live in DK without buying a danish product, right?

Too Faced soul mates blushing bronzer in Carrie & Big - was tempted to order this through Amazon to DK, as this was a limited edition and again unawailable in Iceland.

Garnier BB cream sensetive skin in light - not sure how I will get along with this as it has chemical sunscreen spf. But I just loved the Garnier miracle skin cream, and I really wanted a Garnier tinted cream back into my life.

Lily LoLo mineral foundation in barely buff - have not tested it yet, as I have too many open foundations as of late. Maybe I should have opted to put one foundation into my beauty goals for 2017?

Lily LoLo super kabuki brush - had to buy the matching brush, but if you are interested in Lily LoLo, I would deffinetly recommend to buy around Black Friday - as they had several offers going on around and on that date in 2017 from the Lily LoLo website.

Tromborg eyeshadow in fairy - just a beautiful danish brand, that is all about good ingredients, wanted to buy their mineral foundation, but it did not contain clean enough ingredients for me, so I opted to buy an eyeshadow. And what a selection they have, their eye-grease quads were just beautiful. But as they stated on that packaging it had an expiry date 3 or 6 months after opening, and  I have several cream eye-products today I opted for a powder eyeshadow. And omg it is so finely milled, it is hands down the softest eyeshadow I own. And the colour is gorgeous, either in the crease with a lighter colour on the lid, or on the lid, with a darker colour in the crease!

Holiday Haul

During my holiday in Turkey I picked up a few things, and on the way, in the duty free and in Berlin as I had a few hours in the city in between my connecting flights.

Holiday haul

Mistic perfumum in Z21 and Z20- copies of fragrances from high street brands, I do not consider myself to support the knock-off industry but as these were gifted to me and smell quite nice I use them from time to time.

Sin Kov - the best anti mosquito spray I have ever used, so I bought a back-up to use on holiday next time.

EVY technology sunscreen mousse spf 30 - this is a re-launch of Proderm, and has never failed me before, but I have actually started to think my skin is getting more sensitive, and I might need spf 50 as I managed to get red after sunbathing. 

Golden Rose maxim eyes and city style mascaras. I have bought the city style before and loved it.

Clinique mineral sunscreen fluid for face. I loved this sunscreen, it did not irritate my perioral dermatitis at all, probably as it is not a chemical sunscreen, but a mineral one. 

Kiko stick eyeshadow in 05 rosy brown - this I bought in Berlin, am still testing it out.

Flormar Flashe baked eyeshadow in 04 peachy dazzles. This brand is Turkish and I just had to pick one up, it is pink to me, and higly pigmennted. (So now I have actually broken the low buy by buying 2 eyeshadow products after finishing 5 items from my finish 10 beauty goals for 2016).

Kiko stick eyeshadow in 05 rosy brown and Flormar Flash baked eye shadow in 04 peachy dazzles

Empties July - August 2015

So here are my empties for July and August 2015 - a lot of them are holiday related as I was on a long holiday this summer,

Lavera sunscreen sensitive kids

Sunscreens, mosquito repellent, creams, nail polish and facial wash

Duru perfume shower gel in exotic bamboo

Verdicts:
Lavera sunscreen: will never buy again, it was awful, had to scrubb it off my skin as it made a white layer on top of my skin
Nivea sunscreen spf 30 pocket size: perfect to carry around in your purse when you need to reapply sunscreen on the go - and not too heavy to carry around either.
Off aqua anti mosquito spray: awful, I sprayed it all over my legs and arms and still was bitten many times over by mosquitos - will never buy again
Wet and Wild base coat: a very old one, managed to use a lot of it even though it was thick - perfect as a base coat for toes.
Proderm sunscreen spf 30: a very good moose sunscree (and paraben free)
Body farm pommengranate 24 hour cream: very good - bought a different cream from same company now in Greece.
Summertime anti mosquito spray: not a good one - sprayed all over, still got bitten.
Lumene BB serum
Korres yougurt face mask: an ok facial mask - love the size that it's so small.
Yes to cucumbers after sun shimmering serum; beautiful after sun watery after sun treatment, not too shimmery either.
Clinique facial wash: love it, very gentle and perfect travel size.
Sin Kov anti mosquito spray: the BEST anti mosquito spray I have ever tried, just a few sprits and you get no bites at all - will 100% buy again, when in Turkey (where I bought it)
Duru perfume exotic bamboo shower gel: this was so cheap in the supermarket in Turkey, came in very handy as a hand soap and a shower gel during my travels, and not too strong of a scent either.

Untill next time,
Elin

Turkey Haul - what made it home

Bioderma; I picked up the legendary Bioderma micellar water - and I'm testing it out as we speak - but truth be told I can not spot the difference between this and the Garnier micellar water.
Nivea sun bronze and protect sunscreen spf 30: picked this up in Turkey as I imagined it would be a lot cheaper in Turkey compared to Greece - which turned out to be the case as i paid about 1200 ISK for it in Migros supermarket in Marmaris, compared to INKA supermarket in Greece where it was about 2100 ISK. Like it a lot, only downside: it contains parabens.
Golden rose maxim eyes mascara
Favorite sun - after sun aloe vera gel: the cheapest I could find in Side and was 15 turkish liras. It works fine
Golden rose miracle lash mascara
Elidor shampoo and conditiones (this bottle represents both) - pretty good for the price
Sephora glass file
Sephora pink tweezers

Florida haul February 2015 + 1

Less is more did not apply this time around, I got kind of crazy on Amazon, in Target, Walmart, Sephora, Ulta, Ross, Tj Max and Marshalls and here is the result:

USA haul winter 2015

Batiste dry shampoo - dark and deep brown
Jergens BB body - medium deep
Swoon - gloss scooper
Lumene refreshing cleansing foam
Yes to cucumbers - natural after-sun serum with shimmer
Pantene pro-v ultimate 10 BB cream
Proganix anti-fade argan oil and uv spray for hair
Lumene bright now vitamin c BB serum
Garnier eye makeup remover 2in1 (this is the +1 item - as it is bought in Iceland)
Bleanderclenser (for beauty blender)
Beauty blender
Organics organic wear BB mascara
Burt's bees lip gloss - 203 Autumn haze
Urban decay primer potion
Mederma advanced scar gel
Cover girl - redy sed gorgeous in 115 buff beige
NYC smooth skin bronzing face powder - sunny
YSL Volupté tint in oil no.4 I rose you
Milani baked blush - 05 Luminoso
Wet and wild - Fergie daily
Maybelline colour sensational - 235 warm me up
NYX butter gloss - creme brulee
Sonia Kashuk - sweet pea 04

Thank you for looking by

Empties May - September 2014

So this is what I managed to finish now these last few months:

Empties May - September

The body shop Nutriganics foaming facial wash - a very nice and gentle facial wash, it might not have the best smell in to world, but not too bad either and 98% organic - which I love.

Proderm sunscreen mousse SPF 30 - paraben free and my favorite sun-screen, only downside it is quite expensive and can not be bought everywhere.

Oleosome eye gel for dry skin - this is my first eye cream, my skin is not dry, but it has not irritated my eye area. But don't know if I see a difference, but it has not made my eye area worse.

Nivea Sun protect and bronze SPF 30 - contains parabens, sadly - but it is a great sunscreen - did not burn once - and got a really nice bronze tan :)

Lumene Arctic Aqua 2in1 skin perfecting moisture booster - a very nice gel like serum, gives my skin some extra moisture, though even it might be oily, it's sometimes lacking moisture.

Peter Thomas Roth mega rich body lotion - got this when I was staying in a hotel somewhere - do not like the smell, and the cream is too thin also - but handy while travelling.

Nivea Sun pocket size SPF 30 - this is genius, only 50 ml - so it's not to heavy to carry in your purse while strolling through cities, and you can take care of your skin and re-apply sunscreen without dragging a huge bottle around.

Nivea sun protect and bronze SPF 30 - spray bottle, I like this one better than the cream - as it is more lightweight, and doesn't leave you with white streaks all over your body after you come out of the water. Only downside; it has parabens in it.

Vaseline essential moisture pure oat extract. This has been my favorite brand for many years... they have so good moisturizers - downside: it has parabens, magnesium aluminum sterate (is that bad for you?) and petrolatum - I swore I was not going to use any products with petrolatum and parabens - but sometimes you can not find anything else so you have to compromize.

Aerie Whoa eau de toilette samplers - love the smell of this one, if I had an Aerie store within my reach and not too many toilettes already I would definetly buy this one.

Steam cream in happyness - I absoloutly hate the smell of this - it smells to me like a foot cream. My sister gave it to me with good intentions a few years ago, and now when I went to Turkey I thought I would finish it up as it was lightweight and not to heavy for my skin during summer. What happened when I opnened it after the flight, it had all separated, the cream and oil were now floating around in the jar, and it was super liquidy. If it was the heat change from home to Turkey, the shake during the flight, airpressure or what, I don't know. But I used it for my face in the beginning and then ended up using it on my feet and legs, as suddenly it got more rich than before. Really strange - will not buy again!