It's no secret La Roche-Posay is my number one bae when it comes to skincare. Their dry skin targeted products are my life saviours during the colder months of the year, and I have yet to find a product of theirs that doesn't agree with me. Effeclar Duo(+) Unifiant is their newest invention. A hybrid between the oh-so popular spot treatment Effeclar Duo and a BB cream promises instant coverage for your face while battling imperfections in the depths of your skin. 

It's especially suitable for problematic skin types. It's supposed to reduce spots, redness and discoloration, as well as clear pores and improve the texture of the skin. I've always had problems with redness on my cheeks, and as of right now, I can't say I've noticed any improvements after using this product, but I did notice it helped massively with the breakouts I've been getting on my chin for the past six months. A lot less of them developed into proper, visible spots during THAT time of the month, and the ones that did come through dried up and healed way faster.  

The application couldn't be easier. I apply it with my hands and find that it sinks in very quickly. The texture is light, doesn't feel like anything on your skin, but provides some coverage. It's not a replacement for foundation, as it doesn't cover bigger imperfections, but it evens out the skin tone and is the perfect 'no makeup makeup' solution for the lazy days. Now that it's cold outside, my skin went super dry, so I can't comment on the supposed oil controling properties, but it's said to have a mattifying effect and function well even as a primer. 

The tube contains 40 ml of product and comes in two shades - light and medium. Not the tube, the actual product, obviously. I was sent 'medium', which is a bit too dark for me, so unless you're tanned, I would recommend you to stick to the lighter version. Right... I think that's it from me today. I feel like I forgot to mention a whole bunch of things, because I haven't written a skincare review in a hot minute, but I hope I covered all the basics. If you have any additional questions, though, feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I'll make sure to answer them, as always. 

It's almost July and I'm still white as a ghost. And you know what? I'm actually fine with it. When I was younger, I got tanned very easily. So much so, I sometimes looked like a person of colour. Partially because I didn't yet live in England, where summer doesn't necessarily equal lots of sun, as I have learned, and partially because applying sunscreen on a daily basis wasn't my thing. When you're 13 years old, skin damage is the last thing on your mind, unfortunately, but now I know better. 

I don't remember the last time I got a proper tan and it's not something I even wish for anymore. I am white and I embrace it. But the problem is that most pale-skinned women don't. Bronzed skin has been considered a summer must-have since before I was born, and I can't not notice that the media is constantly persuading women into getting a tan under any circumstances, just to get 'beach body ready'. By the way, that phrase alone makes me want to vomit.

Last year, I witnessed a craze going on back in my home country about this product called Marmelada. It's a product you're supposed to apply before you go sunbathing, and supposedly, it helps you get an intense tan very quickly. It doesn't contain any SPF, and it's not a self-tanning product. The fact that such a product even exists is a bit worrying to me, as it promotes unsafe exposure to the sun, but what is even more worrying is the fact that the product got so popular it was constantly sold out. You can only imagine how many women went for it and sacrificed their health for a summer tan!

It's very obvious to me that a great deal of Slovenian women are not informed enough about the dangers of sun exposure or simply ignore the scary facts, which is even sadder. There's another summer ahead of us, and if you've recognized yourself in the sentences I wrote above, I truly hope you'll reconsider your actions and protect your skin this year. Please do wear SPF. Sunscreens these days are not what they used to be. You know, those white, thick, almost impossible to spread consistencies that never quite sinked in? These days they are actually quite lovely. If you need some guidance, I personally use SPF30 Anthelios XL Comfort Nutritive Oil for my body and Anthelios SPF50+ XL Fluid for my face. Both are from La Roche-Posay, my favourite skincare brand.

Please ignore everyone who says that you NEED to be tanned to look 'healthy'. It's bullshit. Do you want to know what's truly healthy? Cancer-free skin. That's what's healthy. And besides, who decided pale skin can't be beautiful? It is, just like any other, so embrace it or at least use one of those fabulous products that help you fake the tan while still keeping you safe. There's plenty out there, from self-tanners and bronzers to dry oils with golden shimmer. Use them all if you want to, but do apply sunscreen before you go out in any case, okay? And please don't use that stupid marmelade. 

Take women of London as an example. There's a lot of us pale girls over here. Most are even paler than me thanks to their British genes, but from what I've seen, they are pretty aware of the dangers of the sun, being more prone to getting sunburns. I don't really see them baking in the sun. They seem to be happy to either slather on sunscreen and embrace their paleness or reach after self-tanners, which are flying off the shelves here in the UK. Despite not being a fan of them myself (I'm just too lazy to use them), they are without a doubt a much better alternative. 

To continue the debate, I would love to hear what your sunbathing habits are and which products you use to keep your skin protected and/or tanned.

P.S.  This post is a part of the collab I did with my fellow (pale) Slovenian bloggers, so make sure to check out their posts as well. We decided to join forces to help raise awareness of the dangers of the sun and hopefully convince you to start using sun protection if you aren't yet. Here's what they have to say on the topic...

Ana (Šoštanj) from Mad About Red: ''Tanned skin may look healthier to some people, but it actually isn't, it's damaged. The fact that your skin even gets a tan is the reaction of your body's defence mechanism.'' - Read her full post over here.

Karina (Kranj) from Karinartistic: ''You shouldn't have to say things like 'My legs are so pasty. I'm in need of a tan ASAP.' every time summer comes along, and instead embrace your healthy skin as it is.'' - Read her full post over here.

Mateja (Novo Mesto) from Mateja's Beauty Blog: ''Although I cannot speak on behalf of everyone, where I live, in Dolenjska, sun protection is seen as something you wear on the beach or at the pool and not every day, but whether people sun bathe or not, it depends on the person.'' - Read her full post over here.

Nika (Ljubljana) from Beautyfullblog: ''Due to the fine lines and hyperpigmentation I get by the end of the summer, I learned the healthy shade of skin is the shade of skin I was born with. Every tan I get is only a fastpast to premature ageing.'' - Read her full post over here.

Tamara (Koper) from Cherry Colors: ''Growing up at the seaside wasn't always easy. Thanks to my pale skin, I was constantly called names or got told I would look much better with a tan.'' - Read her full post over here.

You can find even more thoughts on sunbathing and product recommendations over here. If you're a blogger youself, I invite you to join in on the discussion, write your own post and link it up. :)

Up until a year ago, I never even held an eye cream in my hand. I thought they were something older ladies used to 'combat' wrinkles and didn't have an intention of buying one anytime soon, but look at me now! I have two, haha. Both of these creams are targeted towards women with tired-looking eyes and fine lines. I personally don't believe in creams reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but they do help to hydrate the skin, which is why I use them.

Vichy Idealia Eyes is thicker in consistency and has a pearly tint, which brightens the under eye area. The tint does help to hide under eye circles as well, but only slightly, so I definitely wouldn't be skipping your concealer unless you're one of those extremely lucky people who don't have to deal with under eye circles at all. It comes with a silicon applicator, which you can use to apply and blend the product. I tend to use my fingers out of habit, but I can see it being practical if you're traveling and don't have the opportunity to wash your hands. I can't think of a scenario, though. Festivals maybe? Anyway, I usually use this cream when I'm not wearing much makep, as it helps to conceal, but doesn't sit as good under a lot of makeup due to its richer, heavier consistency. 

The one that is perfect for under makeup is La Roche-Posay's Hydraphase Intense Eyes. It's more of a clear gel that feels lighter on the skin and has a refreshing, de-puffing effect. If I had to choose between the two, I would go for this one because it sinks in faster and just feels lovely. My eyes definitely feel less tired when I use it in the morning. 

How are you getting along with eye creams? Have you discovered any life changing ones? 

I have some awesome beauty products and other random items to talk about! You know the drill. Also, can we appreciate the fact that my video is less than ten minutes long? That's quite an achievement for me! 

After ages of being in a war with the dry patches that love to appear on my face especially during the colder months, I think I finally won the battle. I've tried a ridiculous amount of products over the past few years, and most of them sadly left me unimpressed. Having said that, 2014 seemed to be my lucky year, as I discovered quite a few gems I'm going to talk about today. If you're a fellow dry skin sufferer, look no further!

La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense Riche: I call this cream a game changer. It was the first product that actually made a difference to my dry skin and the product that restored my faith in skincare. I put it on pretty much every night and it always does its magic. When I wake up, my skin feels soft and moisturized with no dry patches in sight. It also doesn't hurt that it smells absolutely lovely! Just to give you a heads up, this is a rather rich and thick cream that doesn't sink in right away, which is why I would only recommend you to use it before going to bed.

La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche: Hydreane Riche is the newest addition to my skincare routine. I would describe it as a lighter version of Nutritic Intense Riche, perfect for every day. It moisturizes your skin, but since it isn't too heavy and sinks in super fast, it works great as a makeup base as well. I actually just did a full review on this one, so if you want to know the details (and possibly win a tube for yourself), make sure to check out this post.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: The best way to describe this multi-purpose dry oil is a miracle in a bottle. A deliciously smelling miracle in a bottle that is. You can use it on your face, body or hair. I mainly use it on my face as a substitute for my beforementioned night creme from time to time, when I feel like pampering myself. I was a bit hesinant to try it at first, because I thought having oil on my face for a longer period of time would clog my pores, but I'm glad I ended up giving it a go. My fears were completely unjustifiable. It's really lovely and not excessively greasy. After it sinks in, you're left with the silkiest skin!

Bioderma Solution Micellaire: Let's say a few words about cleansers/makeup removers. I still can't believe I've been using makeup remover wipes before switching to this holy grail of mine. What a difference! The solution does a great job at removing my makeup without stripping my skin of all moisture and leaving it 'tight'. I always buy a bunch of them when I go to France and currently have about six bottles waiting for me back home. I know, I'm obsessed. I either use the one for sensitive skin (pink cap) or the one for dry/dehydrated skin (blue cap). I don't notice any difference between the two to be honest.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: Once I remove my makeup with Bioderma, I follow up with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish to thoroughly cleanse my skin. I put it all over my face and then wipe it off with a muslin cloth soaked in hot water, which also helps to remove dead skin cells/dry patches. The product is very creamy and makes my skin squeeky clean, soft and bright.

Origins Drink-up Intensive Overnight Mask: I use this mask once a week, usually a night before washing my hair, because I leave it on over night and my hair tends to stick to it while I roll around in my sleep, haha. My skin literally drinks this product up and feels super moisturized once I wake up. Oh, and it smells like Haribo Frogs. I'm not even kidding.

That's it about the outstanding bunch suitable for dry and dehydrated skin that I have in my beauty drawer. I'm pretty content about my skincare routine right now, the only thing I'm still missing is a nice morning cleanser. I don't need any heavy-duty stuff, just something nice and creamy to remove the oily night residue. Any recommendations? And please let me know which product you use and love if you have dry/dehydrated skin yourself. There's always room for more amazing products! :D

I have said it before but I'm saying it again. La Roche-Posay is my favourite skincare brand. My skin loves their products for dry skin, and recently, I got an opportunity to test out another one of their gems - Hydreane Riche Moisturizing Cream for Sensitive Skin. It arrived to my doorstep just in time, as my skin is getting drier again now that the cold weather has started. 

The product comes in a standard 40 ml tube packaging and is, as the name suggests, designed for dry and sensitive skin. It is dermatologically tested, paraben free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and contains La Roche-Posay's Thermal Spring Water with soothing, softening and anti-irritating properties. 

I'm using it in the morning and find it great as a makeup base, which makes me ridiculously happy. If you have dry skin yourself, you'll know how hard it is to find a day cream that tackles the problem but isn't too heavy to use under makeup. Hydreane Riche is amazing in that regard. It sinks in quickly without leaving the heavy layer over your skin, but still makes your skin soft and hydrated. I don't think the product would make a huge difference to very dry skin if you would be using it on its own, but as a day cream following a heavier night moisturizer applied a night before, it works perfectly. 

I'm planning to put up a rather long post about my favourite face products for dry skin soon, so I'll tell you more about the other products that also help me combat the dryness another time, but today, I'm ending this post with a surprise giveaway! The amazing Slovenian La Roche-Posay PR team sent me a whole bunch of Hydreane Riche creams to give away to you, so you can expect quite a few giveaways popping up on various different social networks of mine very soon. Let's hit it off with a blog giveaway, shall we? The giveaway ends in one month, on December 7th, and there will be two winners. Each will receive the star od today's post - their very own La Roche-Posay Hydreane Riche Moisturizing Cream for Sensitive skin. All you have to do to participate is to fill in your details in the rafflecopter below. And don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel and follow me on facebook/twitter/instagram for a chance to participate in my other upcoming giveaways, where I'll be giving away even more of these creams! :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It seems ages since I last wrote a beauty review, so let's hope I still know how to do it, because today, I'll be introducing you to my loyal beach companion - La Roche-Posay Nutritive Oil. If you haven't figured it out yet, it's a sunblock with SPF 30 in an oil form. The oil is transparent, dries rather quickly, smells divine and gives a nice shine to your arms and legs. It comes out through a pump, not a spray, and is very easy to distribute. I love how my skin feels moisturizied and silky smooth after I use this product. It's just perfect for my dry skin! On the official website, it says that it is for the face and body, but I personally wouldn't put it anywhere near my face, as it's a little bit greasy. I prefer the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Fluid (review here) for that. Who else is obsessed with recent La Roche-Posay additions? I think it's now safe to say that La Roche-Posay is my favourite skincare brand. Not one product of theirs I've tried so far has disappointed me. 

In the light of the Melanoma Awareness Week that is currently going on in my country (more information about it here), I'll be talking about sunscreen today. I have to admit, I didn't always do the best job at protecting my skin from the sun. When I was younger, my skin turned very dark every summer and never got sunburnt, so sunscreen was the least of my worries. As I got older, though, my skin became more prone to burning, and sunscreen and I have taken our relationship to the next level. During the summer, I'm wearing it everywhere, all the time, but during the colder months, when my skin rarely sees daylight, I tend to leave it have its winter rest until our Val Thorens spring break skiing trip. This is when the sunscreen becomes my best friend. If you don't have it by your side 24/7, on the altitude ranging from 2300 to 3200 meters while you're having fun on the snow, you're basically screwed. You wouldn't believe what the combination of sun and snow can do to your face on such a high altitude. I see people walking around with literally burnt faces every single year. And I'm not even talking about the horrendous lobster effect. They look even worse! So, the moral of the story is, wear sunscreen! 

The one that I've been wearing this year is La Roche-Posay's Anthelios XL Ultra-light Fluid sunscreen with SPF50+ that arrived in my mailbox just in time for my trip to France. I can definitely say this is the best face sunscreen I've used so far. Not only did my skin stay free of burns, but the product also felt very comfortable to wear. The cream is very liquidy, so it is very easy to apply, sinks in fast, and the best thing about it is that it doesn't leave a white residue or a tacky feeling, which makes it perfect to wear under makeup. Nobody can tell you're wearing sunscreen! It is also water resistant and suitable for sensitive skin, because it contains soothing thermal water, and is free of perfume and parabens. As it doesn't contain perfume, the scent is quite weird, I have to admit. I don't know how to describe it, but it doesn't smell pleasant to me. Having said that, I wouldn't say it smells particularly bad either, so it's not something I can't live with. And now lastly, the packaging. I love it! It doesn't come in a tube but in a small-ish plastic container with a lid that doesn't leak out any product. It is certainly very handy, about the size of my hand (no pun intended). I could easily fit it into my ski jacket pocket. Bingo! As you can tell, I'm head over heels with this face cream and I would definitely recommend you to get one for yourself. I can certainly see a repurchase on the horizon...

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