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I had a little chat on Instagram just the other day about my Beauty Low Buy Year 2019 rules – When do I count a product against a certain month, the minute I press purchase online or the moment I hold it in my hands?
For me it is when I hold the product in my hands. Or, more precisely: I count all the products against the current month that arrive on my doorstep in time for me to include them into my Low Buy Update Video!
Which means that the new The Inkey List goodies I technically purchased this month will count against my October Low Buy Update, because I ordered them online at Cult Beauty. I just had to have their new eye cream release (I have talked about my love for their Caffeine Eye Cream here before) and then added a few other bits to reach the 40£ needed for free shipping.
But yes, that will be next month – what did I purchase in September?
Well, makeup. We went to France end of August, and while I didn’t wear much makeup there, I wanted to to make some effort when we went out for dinner and realized I had left my liner and my mascara at home.
Now I don’t know about you, but I feel naked without either of them, and after a quick trip to the drugstore, here is what came home with me.
Maybelline Lasting Drama 24h Gel Liner (6,95€)
First of all, the brush it comes with is much better than I expected it to be. Yes, my Real Techniques Fine Liner brush allows for a more precise application, but winged liner or smudged look, both are totally doable with the dual ended brush included.
The liner itself stays put for 12 hours with only minimal fading at the outer corners and resists rubbing and the odd tear here and there. I admit it isn’t as jet black at the end of the day as it is freshly applied, but for that price that is something I am willing to overlook. It might even go the full 24 hours, but I had no desire to try.
(Psst: This is my favorite eyeliner of all times)
L´Oréal Paris Paradise Extatic Waterproof (10,95€)
I usually don’t go for waterproof mascara, but as I was on a beach holiday, I was willing to make an exception. Not that I needed that, I didn’t wear it to the beach anyways, but, you know, I could have!
The reason why I don’t like waterproof mascara is that it is a pain in the behind to remove, and this one is no exception. You really need a dedicated biphasic eye makeup remover to get rid of it at night, otherwise it stays put no matter what you throw at it.
I will try and take dedicated lash pictures for a review, but in short: It is lengthening, adds a little volume and holds the curl, just as I like it, but you need to be careful as too much will quickly lead to clumping.
Langhaarmädchen Shampoo (4,95 €), Conditioner (4,95€) and Dry Shampoo (3,95€)
Then I needed a new shampoo and conditioner as well as a dry shampoo and grabbed all three at DM from the brand „Langhaarmädchen“, which translates to „Long haired girl“. I am not picky when it comes to my hair products and I liked their scent (and yes, they do contain sulphates and silicones), but so far I am very pleased.
essi „Get Vitamin Sea“ nail polish trio (12,90 €)
To end my shopping with something I really did NOT need more of (see my Nail Polish Declutter here), I purchased the „Get Vitamin Sea“ trio with essie nail polish minis. In my defense two of the colors included, the taupey grey color called „In Stitches“ and „Ballet Slippers“ will replace polish that dried up on me, and the third one, well… „Maki me happy“ is red, and red is my weakness.
Essie is my favorite nail polish brand, and the fact that one bottle only contains 5 ml increases the chance that I will actually finish one before it goes off, and… yes, I will stop now.
I didn´t need them, but I wanted them, so I bought them. End of story.
If you add all that up, you get:
Total amount of money spend for beauty in September: 43,80 €
That wasn´t much, so now let´s move on to PR. Which – surprise! – does not include any new pixi skincare. Not that I am complaining, I need some time to catch up with testing all the new things already in my stash.
Instead I wanted to show you some bits by Asambeauty. Asambeauty is available via QVC, through their own website and in some stores in Germany. I have featured them on the blog before several times.
The Asambeauty Vino Rose Hydrating Gel Mask (7,95 €) is the one that I have used most frequently since it arrived. It contains a blend of humectants, caffeine and antioxidants, and while I like it, it isn’t enough if your skin is severely dehydrated. I like to slap it on as a weekly pick me up, but don’t think it is a must have. It does smell very nice though, the rose scent is fresh and not artificial.
The Asambeauty Vino Rose Instant Skin Perfector (11,95 €) is one that I have yet to try in action. It is one of the silicone heavy products that are supposed to smooth out pores, wrinkles and fine lines before makeup application, but this time with an added dose of antioxidants and Vitamins for nourishment. On the back of my hand it is smoothing and blurring – I´ll report back how well it works under makeup. On first notice it reminds me of Benefit POREfessional.
The Asambeauty VINO GOLD Antioxidant Mask (22,75 €) is another one that I only used once so far – enough to tell you that this face mask feels nourishing despite the fact that it contains Kaolin, but not enough to comment on any long term effects on the skin. With the Asambeauty antioxidant complex including Resveratrol and OPC as well as Matcha it is a product that I look forward to testing though, so keep an eye out on the blog or my Instagram for a follow up review.
Last (but not least) is the Asambeauty Lime Vanilla Body Exfoliant (9,75 € ), a sugar based body peeling with a warm citrus scent. The base of the formula is nourishing oil, which makes it rich enough that I can skip the moisturizer afterwards. I usually stick to dry brushing for my body (read more about it here), as it is quicker and doesn’t require extra product, but found myself reaching for this one whenever I wanted to pamper myself.
The sugar is firm enough to provide some real scrub, but dissolves once you rinse it off without leaving a mess in the shower – perfect.
Oh, and if you are into tea, take a look at their homepage: They have quite a selection of tubs called „Chai Latte“ and „Green Tea Bamboo“, most of which are vegan. Wouldn’t Chai Latte be perfect if it is really cold outside?
If I am completely honest though, I would have purchased none of these items myself, so
Money saved because of PR in September: 0 €
And that’s it, a total amount of money spend on Beauty of 43,80 € – I admit I am proud of myself!
What did you purchase last month?