We should do this more often. Instead of dwelling on the disheartening things in ours lives, why don't we sit down every once in a while and go over all the things, big or small, that cheer us up and help us stay sane?

As this is first and foremost a beauty blog, I'll try to keep future posts such as this on topic, but I'm sure that venturing into other areas once or twice will only do us good.

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1. ♥ My brand new Bioderma Photoderm Sensitive 50+ sunscreen: I’ve finally found a sunscreen with an impressively high UVA and UVB protection factor that, at the same time, is silicone-free and doesn’t make me break out. What’s more, it’s full of antioxidants and even has an ingredient that is meant to treat acne. Also, it only gives my complexion a very slight, almost unnoticeable, white tint and the shine is easy to keep at bay with Silk Naturals’ Oil Control Primer. I highly suggest that all people whose skin is acne-prone or haven’t been able to tolerate sunscreens up until now to give Bioderma’s Photoderm Sensitive a try. I have a fairly good hunch you won’t be disappointed with this one.
   (I’ll elaborate on this product in a future post.)
   
   
2. ♥ Coastal Scents 'Chisel Detail Mini Brush': As the name suggests, it’s originally an eyeshadow brush, but it’s too flimsy and bendy for me to use it for that purpose. For a while I ignored it and kept using my other CS brushes; recently, however, inspiration struck and I realized that it would serve very nicely as a lip brush. Then I thought it over and remembered that using a brush to apply lip products of any kind has never been (and never will be) a part of my makeup routine. At the same time, I was in search of the HG creamy concealer and thought I would also need to find a handy little brush to apply it with. From here on I suppose you can guess where my thought process led me. It’s the perfect concealer brush: nice and soft, allows for precise application, and it’s no bigger than a slightly oversized toothpick.
   
   
3. ♥ Alverde Anti-Age Lipstick in ‘Primrose’: I was a bit hesitant to buy this one because I already own another Alverde lippie and don’t much use it since it possesses every feature that made me hate lipsticks from the start: it’s thick, drying, accentuates every little line on my lips and is absolutely impossible to wear without some lipbalm underneath or lipgloss on top. Now this one is from a different line and is much creamier and more sheer, not to mention that the color goes wonderfully with my light olive skintone. It might just stop me from ordering yet another Silk Naturals lippie I’ve been craving: ‘Infatuation’. ;-)
   
   
4. ♥ A really cool discovery: according to which if I mix my two least often worn Silk Naturals lippies ‘Nectar’ and ‘Berry Nice’ (the former too brown, the latter too purple, and both too dark), then blot it a bit and apply a smidgen of clear lipbalm, I get a really-really lovely “my-lips-but-better” shade. Because I mixed a warm and a cool toned lippie, I got a go-to neutral shade, something that’s always welcome in my repertoire of makeup items. I will probably try to simplify this tedious process in the near future by actually melting and mixing the glosses used, then adding a drop of peppermint essential oil to the mix and finally pouring it into an empty lipbalm tube. I’ll let you know how it went.
   
   
5. ♥ Silk Naturals Oil Control Primer: Don’t you dare use this is you want shiny complexion that looks like an oil-slick. Otherwise, feel free to indulge in a pot. Just know that there are no miracles when it comes to controlling shine: no product will keep your face silky and matte for an entire day (that’s about 16 hours for me), but there are some that can significantly increase the number of oil-free hours you experience each day. :-D (More on this primer very soon. And by the way, I ordered the refill bag, so what you can see in the picture is the SN primer in an old Everyday Minerals pot. Thought you'd want to know. :)
   
   
6. ♥ Essence Simply Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Gel: It’s nothing special really, but since I’ve been traveling a lot lately, I can really appreciate a quick, hassle-free means to get rid of germs even in the absence of water. I don’t have many classes nowadays and have temporarily set up residence in our summer cottage while I patiently wait for fall to come, and with it lots of new projects and classes. One drawback of this is that because of ridiculous ferry schedules and multiple transfers, it takes almost 3 hours to reach Budapest, and vice versa. Also, the farther we move from the capitol, the less civilized our surroundings become, which in lay-man terms means that washing hands before a quick bite in the bus-stop is pretty much out of the question. No need to worry though: this gel is only 50 ml and easy to carry around in my bag, so I can make bacteria and other germs on my hands give a short little scream of panic and then promptly expire whenever I want.
   On a sidenote: any other such gel will do as they all contain alcohol in massive amounts, an ingredient which almost exclusively accounts for their antibacterial properties.
   
   
7. ♥ Essence Mobile Charm Mirror: It fits the bill and comes in handy when I want to touch up on my makeup and the mirror in the office bathroom is too far away. ;-)