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Just three months in and I am already regretting moving my regular New In Updates to quarterly. It is quite hard to keep up with what is actually new if you don’t write it down immediately (which I promised myself I’d do, but the life happened), especially since there were some unexpected parcels last quarter. And then there is the need to have the products look new and pristine in the roundup picture clashing with the urge to try them at once. It isn’t hard if you know it will be just two more weeks, but two more months? A whole different story.

 

 

Which is why one of the things featured here, The Geek and Gorgeous Zero Feel SPF, already has a dedicated review up. I got it right after it was released (lucky me, it has been sold out ever since!) and really didn’t want to wait any longer to give you my thoughts. What else is new? A lot of nail stuff, Geek and Gorgeous replacements, some more Medik8, makeup and a very scary looking skincare device.

 

 

 

New in from Geek and Gorgeous

The most exciting addition here is of course the Geek and Gorgeous Zero Feel SPF 50 (70 ml for 12,90 €, full review here), a long anticipated release from the brand. Is it as good as everyone hoped it would be? I think that depends on your skin type. For me with more mature skin it is more for the warmer months, but oily skins will probably love it year round while dry skins might struggle a little. Another proof that in skincare the „eierlegende Wollmilchsau“ (German word for something that does everything for everyone, translating directly to „egglaying wool and milk giving pig“ – follow me for more interesting facts about the German language!) doesn’t exist.

The lovely PR people also included a new bottle of Geek and Gorgeous C-Glow Serum (30 ml for 12,50 €, full review here), well documented to be my favorite Vitamin C to use in the mornings, and then I purchased a few things myself: Another pot of Geek and Gorgeous Mighty Melt Cleansing Balm (150 ml for 14,90 €, full review here), a bottle of the Geek and Gorgeous Power Peptides (30 ml for 15,80 €, full review here) and lastly a tube of Geek and Gorgeous Happier Barrier (50 ml for 10,80 €, full review here), the latter not for me, but for my son. He has started developing some dry patches through long hot showers paired with quite temperemental weather with cold winds, so I was facing the struggle of finding something that would work AND would bother him in the least way possible – so far it seems to get his approval.

 

 

New in from Medik8

I was contacted by a new PR agency working with Medik8 in Germany earlier, which is very convenient as both the US and the UK are a nightmare to ship from right now. As introduction to the brand they send me their three step system for good skin – Vitamin C, Retinal and sunscreen. I absolutely agree with this approach, it is the backbone of a minimalist skincare routine for me as well (More info: Building a minimalist skincare routine for my husband).

The products they chose for this are the Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe (30 ml for 56 €, full review here), the Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 (30 ml for 86 €, full review here) and the Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect SPF 50+ (50 ml for 79 €, full review coming soon). I have tried all three and while the Crystal Retinal is a favorite from my husband, I am not the biggest fan of their Vitamin C texture wise and much prefer the Medik8 C-Tetra Luxe Advanced (30 ml for 85 €, full review here) for those that don’t tolerate regular Ascorbic Acid. The sunscreen is one I already started testing, put aside for the colder months and then lost it, which is why there is no review yet, something I can work on now. My notes from back then tell me it was quite heavy though, so probably better suited for winter.

Later they also send me their newest release, the Medik8 Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ Youthful Vitality Serum (30 ml for 100 €, full review coming soon), containing both vegan PDRN as well as exosomes alongside some peptides. I have talked about both PDRN as well as exosomes  in topical skincare already and am not convinced by their effectiveness, but obviously will try the serum nonetheless. (More info: The benefits of PDRN in skincare explained and The benefits of Exosomes in skincare explained)

 

 

New in for the nails

As you can tell from the selection I purchased, my nails are still sh*t. Not only are they still prone to breaking, they also have strong vertical lines that lead to uneveneness making it even easier to catch in fabric and split. These vertical lines usually have their origin in „hormonal changes happening with age“, which is reassuring – it isn’t something I’ll die from – but at the same time very annoying because it isn’t something that will go away with lifestyle changes either.

So I do what most of us do: throw product at it. I bought the Essie Hard to resist nail hardener (13,5 ml for 11,95 €, full review coming soon) to make my nails stronger, the Essie Break Fix (7 ml for 12,95 €, full review coming soon) for when they have already split and the Catrice Sheer Beauties Strengthening Nail Polish in Fluffy Cotton Candy (10,5 ml for 3,25 €, full review coming soon) for some sheer pink. With the constant chipping bold colors or wearing them long isn’t an option, but I prefer at least a little color on them for a more polished look.

I also bought a new bottle of Essie Top + Base Coat (13,5 ml for 8,95 €, full review coming soon), but mainly for my daughter that has discovered doing her nails. I don’t really use it if I am not wearing my nails red.

 

 

New in from ZIIP

I have been using the ZIIP for a long time, first the original one and then the ZIIP Halo when it was released. Other than the difference in design and programs available in the app I admit I didn’t see a difference between the two, at least not in results. Not that I expected that, results with microcurrent devices are subtle at best and usually preventative, so not the kind of thing you immediately notice when you look in the mirror. (More info: The benefits of microcurrent on the skin explained)

This one here, the ZIIP Halo 2.0 (1 device with charger and three different gels for 399 €, full review here), looks identical to the original ZIIP Halo and also draws on the same programs, so I contacted the brand to ask about the difference (the one I own still works perfectly fine). Apparently the waves it delivers is more accurate (not something you’d notice), it has a cap to protect the charging port and a new travel bag – great if you want to take it with you on your summer holiday.

From the user experience there is no real difference, so if you already own one, I wouldn’t rush to upgrade, but if you are thinking about purchasing anyway, theser are the added bonuses you’ll get.

 

 

New in from Maysama

How many LED masks for the face does one person need? The answer is none, of course, but even if you want to use them anyway, you’d probably not need more than one. Which is why I admit it is ridiculous to show you yet another one that has made it into my stash: the Maysama Aura LED Light Therapy Mask (1 face mask for 651,95 €, full review coming soon).

Just upfront: No, I don’t think it will give me drastically different results to other well made masks in my stash. Not even with them using pulsed light technology instead of a constant beam. I have touched on that in my original review, but as short recap: Even if there might be a difference in studies (which I can’t really comment on as that is way outside my expertise), the effect of any LED device for at home use is subtle and lives of regular and consistent use over a long period of time. And in this time frame we are speaking, I don’t think you’d notice the difference between pulsed and constant light on your person. (More info: The benefits of LED light on the skin explained)

I don’t want to belittle the mask though, first impressions is that it is very well made, comfortable to wear, can be adjusted underneath the skin for better fit and, that one a first in my collection, has no cords attached, as the controller sits directly on the mask. I will keep testing it and then report back.

 

 

New in Makeup

I haven’t even reviewed all the foundations in my stash and already bought not one, but two new ones. I think it should count as one though, as they are the same product – the elf Soft Glam Satin Foundation (30 ml for 10 €, full review coming soon). The reason why I bought two is that I am, as it is often the case, between two shades. Or at least between two shades available in store, on the website are a few more listed. I have 13 Fair Neutral, which is way too light, and 25 Light Neutral, which is too dark. Not by much, but I still have vivid memories of running around like an Oompa Loompa back in the 90s, so in doubt I always go lighter.

So far I have only used it a few times, but it is everything it promised to be: forgiving on pores and lines with light to medium coverage and a grown up glow. The longevity doesn’t seem to be perfect, but that is probably the price you have to pay. And with the temperatures being scorching hot here for almost two weeks now, I admit testing was done under extreme conditions. I will keep using it and then report back.

Then I purchased two new things, the L’Oréal Infallible Grip 24h Vinyl Liquid Liner in Black Vinyl (3 ml for 9,95 €, full review coming soon) for my usual winged liner. And as I am not sure I’ll be able to do a proper review anytime soon, here is a quick one: It is easy to handle, you can draw a thin and thick line with it, the tip has the right amount of firmness and the black fades only minimal over a long day. It isn’t however sweat-, water- or tearproof, all of which I had plenty of during the last few weeks (don’t say I am not dedicated to the process!) Still, I am considerin getting it again.

Also from L’Oréal is the Telescopic Lift Mascara in Extra Black (9,9 ml for 14,95 €, full review coming soon). Very black, holds a curl the whole day, doesn’t smudge and gives nice length. On the downside it is hard to remove, leaves the lashes crunchy and sometimes crumbles and gets under my contacts, so I am still debating the pros and cons here.

The other mascara I purchased is the L’Oréal Air Volume Mega Mascara in Black (9 ml for 11,95 €, full review coming soon), one that I have repurchased many times over the last years (and still, no review… I struggle with taking pictures of my lashes is the excuse I will go with today). Now that I have seen the lift the Telescopic Lift one gives me, I am no longer as pleased with it as I used to be, but it still is the one I reach for when I know I can’t be bothered to think about my makeup during the day – no crumbling and contact dramas here.

The last one is interesting. It is the Maybelline The Eraser Concealer in 115 Warm Light (6,8 ml for 8,95 €, full review here) that I have repurchased for no makeup days. I remembered that I had reviewed it back in the days when I started blogging and decided to revisit said review (something I don’t do very often as it can be quite painful to read from my past self). To my surprise my review was quite bad and I said I wouldn’t consider purchasing it again – odd now that I am on my fifth tube. The only explanation I have is that back then it was marketed as undereye concealer, for which I still don’t like it, and that now it is mainly promoted (and used by me) as concealer for the face. I like it when I don’t want to wear foundation, but still cover the redness around nose and chin a little.

What can I say? preferences apparently change.

 

 

New in from Viforme

A few weeks ago I was send the Viforme (1 device with electrodes for 1899 $, full review coming soon), a combined radiofrequency and micro current device. Usually I stay away from combined devices, in my experience they just end up doing everything a little bit worse than the individuals do. This one seems to target one – minor – complaint I have about my current RF device: It doesn’t require you to move the probe around your face. Usually you apply gel to the head of a device and then circle it around the area you want to treat, meaning your hands are occupied and you need to concentrate at least a little bit. Here you stick a probe to your face and let it do the work for the allowed duration of time. There are different probes for different areas of the face and they are operated with a futuristic looking touch screen that, I am not going to lie, scares me a little. Not the touchscreen per se, I feel safe around them. No, the fact that this looks so real. Devices for at home use, which is what I use basically daily, look like toys compared to what you see in office. This at least looks like it means business. If the results keep up with that is something I still need to figure out though.

 

 

Everything I have read and watched last quarter

Let’s do watched first, because that is the quicker one: I watched the first part of the second season of Rivals, which I loved just as much as season One. Heartbreaking, yes, especially that last episode, but very, very entertaining. And then we watched Dune 1 and Dune 2 with the kids, part of our dedication to raise them well in terms of Fantasy and Science Fiction movies – you do have a duty as parents, you know?

Now on to what I read, which is a lot mainly because we were on a two week holiday in France where I ate my bodyweight in croissants and managed to read five books in total. It was bliss!

The first one is „Oh, Sister“ by Jodie Chapman. It deals with challenging topics like the end of longterm marriage, losing your child and child abuse embedded in the restraints of a religious group that places strict rules on all their members, but their women in particular. Sometimes a challenging read as the religious restraints are foreign to me, some of the topics though are not. Highly recommend it, but only if you are in an overall good place in your life.

Vastly different is the next one, „The Square of Sevens“ from Laura Shepherd-Robinson. I knew I liked the author (I read Daughters of Night before) and this one did not disappoint. It is a more fantastic/ historical setting, following the story of a little girl that grows up on the road with her father who has taught her to tell the fortune using a special card spread called The Square of Sevens. Very well written and with quite a few surprising plot twists. Again a recommendation, this time no matter which mood you are in.

„If cats disappeared from the world“ by Genki Kawamura is not, as the title might suggest, horror. It is however one of the heavier books again, addressing the question what you’d be willing to sacrifice in order to be able to live just a day longer. Obviously cats play a role too, as does dealing with the loss of loved ones and the question what makes your life worth living. The most depressing thing in the book though is the statement that cats don’t have object permanence in the sense that they don’t remember their keepers if they are gone. I don’t know if that is true, but if it is, I don’t want to know.

„Brothers and ghosts“ by Khuê Pham is another one covering a topic that is alien to me: Growing up in Germany in a family with foreign roots and struggling to determine who you are between the culture you were brought up with and the one you were born into. The book tells two different time lines, covering both the present (around 2020) and the 1960s in Korea with war and the need to flee your homeland and leave parts of your family behind. It is both the story of a young woman, told in the present, as well as the story of two brothers, told mainly back in the 60s. I love books like this because they offer an inside look into parts of history I know about from school, but never went deep enough on to truly understand what this must have meant for people living then and there.

„A killing in November“ by Simon Mason was my first holiday read. Probably not the best pick for the hot temperatures and beach atmosphere of the South of France as it is set in Oxford during, the name gives it away, November. Gripping story, interesting main characters and far from a happy ending, a perfect holiday read. Would be amazing as stand alone book, but the fact that the subtitle is DI Ryan Wilkins #1 makes me hope for a sequel.

„Last house before the mountain“ by Monika Helfer moved the setting from England to Austria and took a much slower speed, but fascinated me nonetheless. Is being beautiful a blessing or a curse, especially if you are a woman during World War I when your husband needs to go to war? The story of a family that sits at the edge of society and survives by sticking up for each other before breaking apart when things get easier. Made me cry, but the good kind of tears.

„The Mercies“ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave again took me to a place vastly different from where I was reading – from beach side café to remote island in Nothern Norway where it is always cold and summer is short. The book follows witch trials set in this period, what it does to a village when you start accusing one another and what happens when the things you needed to do to survive are suddenly used against you. Reading it often felt like being punched in the gut, so only proceed if you know you can stomach some cruelty.

„And the mountains echoed“ by Khaled Hosseini is the third book by the author I have read, and it was just as good as I had expected. Heartbreaking, tear inducing good in the way I love my books to be that my husband will never understand. Is it my favorite? I think that still is „A thousand splendid suns“, but still a recommended read. And finally fitting to the warm weather around me!

„Redhead by the side of the road“ by Anne Tyler is the only book I have finished after we returned from France. I don’t take as much time to read back here with work and everything else, but we also had a close family member in hospital (I won’t go into more detail, but it was a stressful time) and for this period the book was perfect. Very slow, but densly written so you could take your time with every page, yet easy enough to follow if your mind was partially elsewhere.

 

And that is everything I have to share. What is new on your side? Have you tried anything I mentioned and would like to share your experience? Or have you read the same book? If yes, tell me how you liked it.

 

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