Review : Effaclar K, by Laroche-Posay

Having oily skin is one of the most annoying things in the world. You just have to check all the time if you're not shining like a disco ball haha. It's even worse during the summer, when the sun is out, because mattifying products don't last for so long. 

I'm trying to improve my skin by testing new products, and for about a month I've been using the Effaclar K by Laroche-Posay.

(Yes, it is Marie Antoinette in the background)

I read a lot of good reviews about it, and as it is a pharmacy product, I knew it would be more efficient than a drugstore brand product.

It is supposed to improve the look of the skin, diminish the spots and keep the face more matte and clear. It is a treatment that can be used in the morning and/or at night before bed.

In the morning, you can apply it under the makeup as a base, but I always apply my moisturising cream afterwards, and my makeup only after. 

After about a week of using it, I noticed a change on my skin. It is a lot clearer, I have fewer spots depending on the days - sometimes I have none at all (which happens very rarely to me !), sometimes I've still got a few, but they disappear quicker than before. 

Concerning the mattifying aspect, I'm not sure if it does help or not. My skin is not at its worse now so I'm quite happy about it, but it still gets oily after a few hours, especially when I'm out under the sun. But there is a product from Laroche-Posay supposed to make your skin matte, and I'm probably going to buy it and pair it with this one to see how it goes. 

But the Effaclar K is a really nice product in itself and does a good job at clearing your skin. There are several Effaclar (the letter after changes depending on the type of skin it is made for), I know there is one for sensitive skin for example.

If you struggle to keep a nice spotless skin, you should really try this product or any of the same range, they all seem very helpful !

Julia xx

Nails of the Week #8 : the Bronze Age

I don't know why I went for this title, but it sounds good to me. Maybe because I'm really into Ancient History at the moment... Anyways, it kinda matches the name of the nail polish I'm wearing so I guess it's okay !

I bought this nail polish a few weeks ago for 2.99€ only. The brand is Monop' Makeup, which is the new makeup brand of the shop Monoprix that we have here in France. It's a shop that sells various things, from food and drinks to homeware and clothes. They also sell a lot of makeup and beauty products, with brands that we can't find anywhere else in France (recently they started selling the Aussie brand which I need to try out, but they also sell Model's Own, Essie, etc.). But they also have their own makeup range, from which I haven't tried anything but two nail polishes. This one is called "Bronze Pailleté", which means Glittery Bronze.

The shade isn't really a bronze colour to me, but more of a silver with pink undertones. Either way, it is a very pretty colour, super shiny. When you are under the sun it sparkles so much !

This nail polish is exactly the same as another one I have from Kiko. I tell you, the colour is perfectly similar ! And I've almost finished it, so I'm glad I bought this one to replace it. It was even cheaper haha :P


Julia xx

My makeup favourites for a nude look ♥

Hello !

Instead of doing a post with my favourite beauty items in general, I've decided to split my favourites into a series of several themes. I'm starting with my favourite products to use to create a nude look !

Most days, I tend to go for natural makeup, without eyeshadow or strong lipstick, just because I can't be bothered to do it all the time. But a nude look doesn't mean a bare face either, and it's always pleasant to have a nice result with only a few products and very little time ! :)

Here are my favourite products I always use to achieve a quick nude look :

For the skin, I only use a bit of concealer (the Full Cover by Makeup Forever) to hide redness, spots and dark circles. After that I apply some powder, the Stay Matte by Rimmel, which is very good to keep a matte look for a while.

Then to add a bit of light, I use a tiny bit of High Beam highlighter by Benefit. It is so pretty, I adore it ! I put it on my browbone and on the top of my cheekbones, it gives a nice glow to the face without being too shimmery, which I really like - I'm not keen on proper glitter anywhere else than on my eyelids !

Of course you could add some blush on the cheeks and that's what I do usually, but I don't have a favourite in this category, I tend to use by Sephora pink blush (which has no name) all the time. Just a bit of pink on the cheeks make you look more alive !

For the eyes, I use my Vibrant Eye pencil by Kiko as an eyeliner. The colour is a dark brown which looks more natural and neutral than black, and which fits a nude look better. This pencil is really smooth and you can blend it easily if needed. The only other thing I wear on my eyes is mascara, and my favourite ever is the They're Real by Benefit - nothing new here, everybody knows how great it is !

(yep the pencil is disgusting and not even sharpened... sorry for that !)

Last but not least, I stick to a very light pink for my lips with the Apocalips by Rimmel (named "Show off" in France, no idea why they changed the name), this is the colour 201 "Solstice" - again the names are different in France, but this one really looks like the "Galaxy" colour you have in anglophone countries. It is not a real nude, more of a pink with a slight shimmer, but it looks natural enough.

I've added what I would use on my nails to complete the look : the is the Maybelline Forever Strong Pro  in the colour "ivory rose". It is a simple beige nail polish, which applied in three coats gives you the best nude nails ever. It is so chic and makes your hands look like delicate princess hands ! The brush is nice and thick also, like the Essie brushes, so you apply it very easily. A must have !

There you have it, my favourite beauty items for a nude look ! Maybe you have and love some of these already :)

These pinks and beiges are the best colours to make you look nice but effortless !

Julia xx

What I watched : Wuthering Heights (2009)

I think I've got a kind of love-hate relationship with Wuthering Heights. I find the story and the characters completely twisted and dark, but at the same time it is so well written and the feelings expressed are so overwhelming that I still find it incredible. 

I remember when I read the book, I was feeling so depressed at times haha, because the story is so sad. And I felt the same when I saw the 2011 film adaptation, by Andrea Arnold. By the way, I wouldn't recommend this version, I really disliked it - way too slow, too many shots of nature and dead animals (I'm not kidding, they show a lot of animal cruelty and it does make you feel bad), too dark but the kind of dark that makes you feel weird. I felt weird when I watched it, anyway. 

So I'm here to talk to you about the 2009 adaptation, which I watched recently and really enjoyed !

It is a TV film in two parts, directed by Coky Giedroyc (who directed several other mini-series, such as The Virgin Queen (2006) or Spies of Warsaw (2013, and on my to-watch list !)).

I stars Tom Hardy as Heathcliff, Charlotte Riley as Catherine Earnshaw/Linton, Andrew Lincoln as Edgar Linton (I must say the period costume suits him well !), Burn Gorman (despicable as Hindley), Sarah Lancashire as Nelly, the pretty Rebecca Night as young Catherine, etc.

Catherine and Heathcliff. Did you know that Hardy and Riley started dating after that ? Cute !

First, the images are stunning. By images, I mean the setting, the costumes, the landscapes, the way the film is shot... It is a real pleasure to watch, compared to the 2011 version I mentioned earlier, in terms of shots and setting. 

The characters are well depicted, the actors did a great job for them all, without falling into a caricature or into too much sentimentality. The film stays close to the novel, which is an important point to me in literature adaptations. 

And of course, the feelings and emotions are expressed beautifully : love, passion, sadness, despair, hate... The film, as the novel, moves you and makes you think about what is good, what is bad, what are the limits to love... Tom Hardy, especially, does a great work and in the end, you don't know if you should appreciate Heathcliff or totally despise him. He's such a mysterious character, and it's probably because of him and my judgment towards him that I'm not sure if I like the story or not. It is so disturbing, we can understand why some people were shocked when the novel was published, back in 1847 !

Anyway, if you're looking for a good adaptation of the novel, I highly suggest this one, you shouldn't be disappointed at all !

Julia xx