My Summer Beauty Heroes

My Summer Beauty Heroes with Antipodes, Omorovicza, Make Up Forever

I wanted to share my very own "Summer Beauty Essentials" post. These are products that I have been using almost daily and are the things I would gladly recommend to anyone.
They all have some hero qualities and help me in my endless quest of pursuing my girliness to the highest degree. I tried to cover each category, face, body, hair with little bits of color thrown in.
I hope you enjoy my little collection - please let me know if you want to see a review of any product in particular.

I would love to hear about your summer essentials as well!

XOXO

Anja

New Skincare - New Skin Hope Omorovicza Haul

My skin has been behaving really badly this past month. I don't know if its the season change, the weird weather, Calculus stress, the frequent all-night study sessions or just the Skin Gods punishing me but my complexion has gone from semi-normal to semi-crazy almost overnight. My cheeks are red, my chin is sore and my usually dry skin has decided to produce oil in the oddest places...Thus my usual skincare heroes are helpless, no matter what combination I try.

I have been experimenting with Omorovicza products for some time and everything I tried has always surpassed my expectations, plus their customer service never ceases to amaze me. I had been planing on expanding my Omorovicza collection so when faced with my recent skin disaster I figured I might as well take the plunge and buy something that I already know is high quality.


My first stop was Sephora, Canada where I ordered the Omorovicza five-piece travel set ($95) which includes: Cleansing Foam, Queen of Hungary Mist, Balancing Moisturizer, Deep Cleansing Mask and Thermal Cleansing Balm.

Sephora describes the set as: 

A collection of products to increase firmness, revitalize, and deeply hydrate while brightening and smoothing the skin.

I think this set will suit my summer and my travels very well so I can't wait to put the whole system to the test. I am also very excited to try the Cleansing Foam and Balancing Moisturizer since those two products are new to me.

I continued my shopping splurge on the official Omorovitza website (here) where I took advantage of the Summer Detox Set, which includes a full size of the Deep Cleansing Mask and a full size jar if the Thermal Cleansing Balm ($180). Both of these are excellent products that i have used before and quite frankly something I can see myself using for pretty much my entire skincare life. 

After all that damage I decided to really "splurge" and invest in a face cream as well. But not just any cream people - I ordered the Rejuvenating Night Cream ($230), which I hope will fit in nicely into my night time anti-aging routine.
Needles to say I have very-very high hopes for it :-) 

Upon appropriate time testing I will be posting detailed reviews of all Omorovitza products!

Keeping my fingers crossed!

What was your last big splurge? 

Do you consider skincare as an investment? 

XOXO

ANJA

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Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm *The Mud You Should Play In!

I will admit it - I am a skin care fiend! I am always looking for that miracle product, I have a hard time finishing products because I am always sure that "the new thing" I got is somehow going to be so much more amazing than "the old things" already littering my vanity and sink. Well that almost never-ever happens! Until now, that is!

Omorovicza is a luxury skin-care spa company coming to us all the way from Hungary (close to my beloved Yugoslavia) so that alone made my heart beat a little faster. I am very nostalgic and mushy about that kind of stuff. Anyways moving on! Omorovicza is pure luxury in every sense of the word - it uses top-notch ingredients, adds "secret" mud & healing waters that have been used for centuries to treat many different things, the packaging screams expensive & impeccable, the scents is intoxicating and of course the price tag gives you a certain level of high expectation. The girly girl in me got very excited about the tiny spatula that came with the balm too!

Now i know as much as the next girl that having a big price tag doesn't guarantee you that you will get a great product, come to think of it its usually the opposite, contrived mostly by my own unrealistic expectations that somehow paying that much must mean that my face will be transformed after a single use...I know, I need help!

Back to Omorovicza and the magic mud in the beautiful glass jar! Despite the fact that washing my face didn't turn me into a beauty queen I am happily conceding that I am a convert and that I would love to wash my face with its thermal blackness for all time.

Don't get me wrong washing with a mud balm was pretty strange even for someone like me who is very experienced in the world of cleansing balms. However as soon as the soft, dark muddy substance emulsified on my face I got over any hesitations that may have been hovering around - I could feel the detoxifying effect, my face tingled a bit (in a good way!), there was a cooling sensation that indicated that deep cleansing action and the scent was very much like an aromatherapy treatment. The directions instruct that the cleanser needs to be removed with a warm washcloth or their own specially designed cleansing mitt, making the balm a breeze to remove. The best thing about this rich thermal balm is that even though I can feel that my skin is deeply cleansed and even feels less congested, it doesn't feel stripped, dry or thirsty right a way. On the contrary my face feels hydrated, plumped, smooth, supple and oh-so soft!

I don't normally use the Omorovicza balm for makeup removal since it almost feels wasteful to use it like that. However the few occasions i did use it for that purpose, it preformed beautifully - removing every last trace of makeup, including waterproof mascara without any irritation. I would however warn anyone using any kind of makeup remover to be very careful around the eye area - the key being around the eye NOT in the eye!

So to all my fellow beauty addicts I would like to say - give it a try! I know the price is high and the cleanser might look a little different than what you are used to but for me investing in great quality skincare just makes perfect sense. Instead of buying five sub par low price products I buy one that may cost more initially but actually makes a difference on my face.

If you need even more incentive to give Omorovicza a try then I suggest you check out the current special offer they are running right now for the "Summer Detox Pair", which includes a full size Thermal Cleansing Balm and the equally amazing Deep Cleansing Mask for just $180.  To check it out and get more information just click here.
They even have a great loyalty program, Pengo Points, which are earned through purchases, friend referrals, reviews and more. The points can then be redeemed towards future purchases.

I just placed a huge Omorovicza order through their own website and I can't wait to share it with you all!

Ingredients; 
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Sweet Almond Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Heptanoate, Silt (Hungarian Mud), Jojoba Oil, Squalane, Beeswax, Polysorbate 20, Plum Seed Extract, Apricot Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum (Natural Fragrance), Limonene, Linalool, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acerola Fruit Extract, Vitamin E, Aqua, Zinc Gluconate, Magnesium aspartate, Copper Gluconate.

I hope that was helpful! Have you tried Omorovicza? 

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-) 

Haus of Gloi Glorious Pumpkin Butters

Haus of Gloi for me is an example of how the "little guy" can breakthrough, succeed and trump what a lot of the other "big name" companies have only tried to do!

This wonderful little indie brand makes out of this world good body care, niche-quality oil perfumes, strange & unique scent-combinations, fabulous bath & soap products and a lip balm i am very addicted to. Did i mention all of their stuff is not only handmade but also VEGAN? Haus of Gloi manages to do all that without charging us a ridiculous amount of money and amazingly enough the whole thing is run by 2 very-very cool people. I cant even imagine how their multi-tasking world looks like but i bet i can imagine what it smells like :-) 

The Haus of Gloi world can be found here and they have pumpkin butters, emulsifying & bubbling scrubs, handmade soaps, body emulsions, perfume oils and lip balms. They release a ton of limited edition scent combinations for all their products along with the standard-house selections but heed my warning - their stuff can sell out quickly so order early! Customer service is outstanding as well so if you need more information, they get back to you super quickly. are very friendly and personable. Check out their ultra-cool blog here. 

I am a regular pumpkin butter consumer - my dry skin loves the rich formula and the girly girl in me is a sucker for the lovely scents i can choose! The formula of the butter is very rich, made with Shea butter and unrefined pumpkin seed oil, but i love how it never feels greasy at all, absorbs very quickly and always makes my skin feel comfortable. The texture is that of a heavy cream, almost whipped consistency and there is no trace of oil or wax at all - just smooth goodness that penetrates deeply, leaving the skin very smooth. In the summer I tend to alternate the butter with the lighter body emulsion, which is a lot lighter yet feels just as moisturizing. Both moisturizers leave a slight sheen on my skin that is normally only achieved by oil or a greasier versions of body butter (Body Shop i am looking at you!). 

Despite the fact that I love the feel and performance of these magical little pots, the area where Haus of Gloi really shines is the fragrance of everything that comes from their "kitchens". These scents are not the feeble-nosed individuals - this is oil perfume, meaning that its stronger, more potent than its alcohol counterparts, truer to the description and very-very noticeable. I am warning you - people will notice you are wearing it and will give you their input, its inevitable! If you love it then all of this is a great thing but if you don't be warned...

My three favourite Pumpkin Butters are: Troika, Vice and Twice is Nice 

Here are the scents as described on the Haus of Gloi website 

Troika (2 oz for $4.50 or 6 oz for $10) : A trinity of soft milks, almond, oat and coconut lashed with sweet agave nectar and the ethereal scent of clean white

Vice (2 oz for $4.50 or 6 oz for $10) : Steam billows rolling off a vessel of fresh made Turkish coffee, marshmallow goo tainted by graham cracker crumbs, toasted hazelnuts and blanketed in black chocolate.

Twice is Nice (2 oz for $4.50 or 6 oz for $10) : Sweetest offerings of opulence! Buttery sugar cookie, with shavings of creamy coconut and topped with toasted almond slivers. 

All of the Haus of Gloi come in those mouth-watering fragrances, along with so many other unique combinations that just sound to irresistible not to at least sample. When i am placing an order I always have a hard time choosing the scent because all of their signature descriptions make everything sound like i am missing out! 

If you are sensitive to fragrance I would still encourage you to give them a try because they do carry Aether which in their words smells like "absolute nothingness" - the formulation, quality, price and ingredients alone are worth it. The scent is just an amazingly fragranced bonus!

Ingredients for Aether (no scent):

water, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, glyceryl stearate, PEG 100 stearate, glycerin, cycopentasiloxane, behenyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, phenoxyethanol (and) caprylyl glycol (paraben and formaldehyde free preservative), hydrolyzed cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed extract, tocopherol, tetrasodium EDTA, xanthan gum, citric acid 

Hope that was helpful to you! What is your favorite indie or Etsy company?

XOXO

ANJA

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The Blushing Wardrobe The Pink Edition

If an "outside" person came to look at and attempt to scrutinize my makeup collection, I already know which issue would be #1 topic of discussion...

Blushes! Glorious Blushes! How many blushes does one girl need? Well apparently according to me - at least 10 of each shade! Unfortunately even though i am aware of this rather uncomfortable fact, I know myself well enough to know that I will once again be powerless at the allure of getting that new flush maker. 

I love bright colors, pink makes me happy, shimmer makes me pretty, cute packaging makes me giddy and even though i don't see the point of all these Limited Edition pieces designed to get us into a frenzy, I will admit that some of my favorites happen to be long discontinued. 

A few months ago I decided to go ahead and clean out my vanity, take inventory and do a bit of a purge of the things that i wasn't using at all and see if there are holes in my collection that may need to be filled. 

Upon realizing that i had 20+ pink blushes and not a lot of variation in the other shades I came up with the concept of Blush Wardrobe. 

I believe that just as there is a red lipstick shade for each girl there is also a blush in each color family that flatters specific skin tones. There is a "correct" pink, a red, a peach, a coral and a neutral blush for everyone's coloring; its all a matter of trial and error, swatching, testing and application technique. Trying and swatching is the only way to make sure that a particular shade works for your own Blush Wardrobe - especially since the color of the blush in the pan can sometimes be extremely different from what it will actually look like on your skin. And don't even bother trying to rely on shade pictures online since more often than not the color shown is nothing like the real thing. Shimmer or glitter in blushes is another reason why a blush needs to be swatched  first - the amount of these "sparkles" is highly subjective since something shimmery to me can translate to chunky glitter on someone else. 

The Blushing Wardrobe will obviously take a long time to complete and since there are constant new brands & new collections to try, the blush wardrobe much like your fashion one is always evolving. 

Here are my picks - blushes i use often and colors that seem to flatter my pale Mediterranean skin tone!

*My Signature Pink Choices: 

Christian Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush: bright, awakening pink blush whose depth depends on the individuals moisture levels. It starts off as pale pastel pink, evolves into a rosy flush and finishes with pinky glow.

NARS Gaiety Powder Blush is simply described as bright candy pink and i really couldn't agree more. What I love about this particular shade is that even though the pigmentation is very strong, the color itself remains true to its nature - pale but prominant barbie pink.

Rock & Republic Contrived Blush in Tease 

Rock & Republic makeup line is now long gone and I for one miss it. The line had amazing quality, packaging to die for, strong pigmentation, trendy shades and was relatively affordable. Why they discontinued it I'll never understand! R&R cool factor was definitively represented by their line up of beautiful blushes, bronzers and highlighters. I am seriously kicking myself for not having them ALL! 

My third pick for my  Blush  Wardrobe is one of their less celebrated shades - Tease! This little gem looks like its a cross between a lilac and baby pink peonies, resulting in a very unique mauve shade that makes my cheeks glow in a very understated way.

By Terry Rose De Rose Sheer Liquid Blush in Fresh Rose (01)

By Terry is one of my favorite brands when it comes to both makeup and skin care and this blush was my introduction to their Rose world! The beautiful pink pigment in this blush comes from actual rose petals, which is confirmed by the true rose scent - there isn't anything artificial about this kind of radiance. I love using this on the weekends with minimal makeup to produce healthy glow with my rose cheeks

I will be adding swatches to this post very shortly so come back if you are interested
The Blushing Wardrobe the Berry Edition coming soon

What are your favorite pink blushes?

XOXO

ANJA

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Summer Time Dew That Doesn't Leave You Eww...

Canadian summers can be pretty hot and sometimes just as intense as our famous winters. Living on the Atlantic coast by the ocean does have its perks of course however in the summer sometimes the humidity can start to wreck havoc on my complexion and general "stickiness"

Having combination skin, bordering on dry my skin requires a lot of fine tuning and that is never more true than when the seasons start changing. It is almost as if my skin does a complete transformation and suddenly overnight all of my secret weapons and big-impact skincare work no longer preform the way they should. My usually combination skin starts to oil up a lot more, the texture becomes rough and my cheeks get flushed almost permanently. 

The hardest thing for me to figure out while i am building a new skincare routine is the elusive perfect summer appropriate moisturizer. The choices are endless but my warmer weather skin cream needs to check off a lot of boxes before getting a privileged spot in my bathroom and vanity. 

The perfect formula should moisturize deeply, absorb quickly, leave a dewy matte finish, contain great ingredients, be portable and be suitable for sensitive or reactive skin.

Its a tall order for any product - its a lot to ask from a moisturizer but i am happy to report that there are brands that deliver everything i want!

Here are my Top 5 Picks 

1. Avene Hydrance Optimale Legere ($30)  

This is what i would call a bare-bones moisturizer. There is nothing fancy about this formula, no outrageous claims, the price tag is reasonable and sensitive skins can use this comfortably. I love the fact that it can come with or without SPF and that its completely fragrance free 

2. Omorovicza Illuminating Moisturizer ($160)

I am a huge Omorovicza fun so including one of their creams was a no brainer. Its meant for dry and/or sensitive skin with bonus ruby crystals that use light-reflection to blurr and soften facial features. I absolutely love this cream and will continue to repurchase despite the price tag - with Omorovicza you always get        what you pay for and more

3. Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration ($56)

This moisturuzer manages to be rich and silky and at the same time feels light and absorbs very quickly. The Vitamin C in both the creme and the serum heals, brightens, hydrates deeply and boosts collagen production. The combination of serum and cream together is amazing - you wont believe how soft your face will be.

4. Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Mega Moisturizer SPF 15 ($63)

The flawless skin skincare collection has some misses for me but this moisturizer really lives up to its flawless promise. Its a little richer formula compared to my other pics but the velvety feel makes it a winner for me and the fact that it has SPF is always a bonus 

What are your favourite Summer Moisturizers? 

XOXO

ANJA

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The Triple Threat Facial Routine

Being a skincare junkie, always looking for the next "it" treatment and trying promising "miracle potions" left and right - I sometimes get my complexion in trouble :( My bathroom sink is littered with all kinds of cleansers, scrubs, toners and exfoliating treatments...its a disaster area that i am always trying to organize, downsize and arrange in some kind of order...Resistance is futile and i am messy so its always a work in progress!

So when i go overboard with exfoliation, AHA treatments, acne creams or simply get a mysterious rash out own nowhere these masks are my heroes!

No matter how much i mess up the Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Hydrating Mask always soothes any redness, flakes or mini-burns. Its gentle, not greasy, fragrance-free and thanks to the gel-like texture it feels great on the skin so much so that i often forget that i have it on my face. That's no easy feat! Its recommended to leave it on for a minimum of 20 minutes in order to feel the full benefits but I have had it on for hours and even overnight with absolutely no issues.
Aside from the soothing properties i have found that this mask works even better when paired with either a clay or deep cleansing mask.

My current rotation of cleansing masks includes Skinceuticals Clarifying Mask, Sisley Botanical Mask, Malin & Goetz Detox Face Mask, REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask and Ahava Mud Mask. The line up changes constantly and there is only one mask that i have repurchased more than once and of course it just so happens it's the most expensive one too - of course i am talking about the Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask (full review to follow). The purifying effects derived from the cleansing mask as well as the deep pore cleanse; is complimented by the hydration of its  moisture boosting counterpart, which in this case happens to be the Paula's Choice selection.

This "layering effect" seems to restore my skin balance after any treatment, soothing, moisturizing and softening the complexion almost instantly. My favorite and most effective combination happens to be the Omorovicza or Skinceuticals mask followed by Paula's Choice.

When I am feeling particularly ambitious or my skin needs some extra work I add yet another mask to this routine. The formulation of the extra step is chemical exfoliation or resurfacing - my choices being REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel or the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Mask.

I know it sounds like overkill but I cant argue with the results in the mirror - perfection comes to mind (for a day or 2 anyways!).
The triple threat formula is Deep Cleansing-Exfoliating-Hydrating, which is something i strive to find time for about 1-2 times a week. Once the layers have been removed with warm flannel, my skin looks so lively and radiant - instant gratification is great isn't it :-)

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Mask ($15.95) can be purchased here

REN Glycolactic Mask ($55) and other REN skincare is available directjly from their site here

Skinceuticals Clarifying Mask ($49) is sold on their website

My personal choice Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask ($120) is here and is available as part of a Summer Detox Pair ($180) along with the Thermal Cleansing Balm

Do you guys have any Masks to recommend?

All suggestions are very appreciated!

Go ahead enable my next skin care purchase!

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)