Monthly Favourites | March & April

Since I was too caught up between things and didn't manage to publish last month's favourites post, I am combining them with April's favourites as most of the products are essentially the same. So without further ado, let's get right into it!

March was more geared towards skin care and consequently, I have a lot skin care of products to feature in this post. First up are two Swiss brands which were still new to me at the time I attended the respective events - Juvena and Declare. 

I was given some deluxe samples from both brands to try out and the speaker at the events, with her passionate descriptions of the products, managed to convinced me so much that I tried them as soon as I got home. I have used all of these products several times but have resorted back to using my old skin care products so that once I use them up, I can fully switch to these brands.

So, the products are Juvena Miracle Boost Essence which is literally a skin saviour for dehydrated skins - the boyfriend even loves to use it after he shaves but don't tell him I told you shhh ;) Juvena have a brush which fits inside the cap of this product so that you can pick up the product and distribute it over your face with the super soft brush for an extra pampering experience.

From Declare, I have three products, my favourite of which is the Anti-Irritation Serum which provides a nice treat to my skin after a day's work. In the morning I wake up with very little redness and my skin feels nice and looks much more radiant. Next are the Detox Night Cream and the Cleansing Milk. I intend to purchase both of these products in their full size soon because they are specifically tailored for my skin type and I could see results after just a couple of applications.

With skin care out of the way, let's have a look at the makeup products I have been using more frequently during these last two month. First up is the MAC Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation. I'm in NC15 and I think this is the first time ever that I have found a foundation shade that it exactly the same tone as my skin so that is definitely a plus! What makes me a big fan of this foundation is the light weight texture that doesn't feel like you have anything on your face and still covers up really well. I'm going to stop there as I will be reviewing this foundation soon though. Another light weight product I have been enjoying these past weeks is the Pupa Milano Professionals BB Cream + Primer for Combination to Oily Skin. I like this for days when my skin on its best behaviour and doesn't need a lot of coverage.

Sometimes, however, light coverage foundation doesn't cut it and I need something that offers higher coverage. For such days, I turn to Vichy Dermablend [3D Correction] which has just been launched and I have had the opportunity to try. Dermablend is hands down the best foundation for covering up all sorts of skin conditions yet still look natural and for this reason, this has been a winner with me this month when I experienced a little breakout on my chin.

The last face product I want to talk about is this Clinique Airbrush Concealer in the shade 04 Neutral Fair. It has a brush applicator which really makes it easy to apply the product and it is a great all rounder in the sense that it covers up both under eye circles and blemishes effectively. Definitely a thumbs up!

Next I have the MAC Cosmetics Studio Sculpt Lash Mascara in Sculpted Black. Now this is all you need to get those lashes separated without any clumps. You can use it alone or in combination with your favourite mascara to achieve that perfect look.

Also from MAC is my current favourite lip combination - Soar lipliner and Mehr lipstick which is a matte. The colours complement each other really well and they make up for an ultra long-lasting combination!

For my eyes, I was mostly opting for neutral looks using these three eyeshadows: MAC Fly by Twilight for some sparkle, MAC Mulch for an all over the lid colour and Essence 15 Hazel Me Not as a transitional crease colour.

The last product I want to show you is the mini Victoria's Secret Scandalous perfume. I have been using this quite a lot and always get compliments whenever I wear it. It does have an overpowering scent but I like it so much I even use it during day time sometimes. I think I'll have to get the bigger version soon!

That's all for this post! What products did you enjoy this month?

Pampering Time with Declare & Juvena at Roseberry

Following the Declare and Juvena seminars I attended a while back, the lovely people at Roseberry offered me the chance to try the products out for myself with a tailored facial at their premises in Valletta.

The appointment was fixed for Monday last week and believe me, it couldn't have come at a better time! I made way to Roseberry where I met my therapist for the day - Brenda, who led me to an upstairs treatment room which made me immediately forget the hustle and bustle of the capital city below.

With relaxing music playing softly in the background, we discussed my skin type and its needs (based on the full skin analysis which I had done during the Declare seminar) and we settled on a facial that addressed my skin's requirements.

To cleanse my skin, Declare Cleansing Milk was used followed by Juvena Refining Peeling for a more intense cleanse. Then came the most relaxing part of the facial - Juvena Moisture Plus Mask and while it was on my face, Brenda performed a facial massage with crystal balls. To take care of my eyes, Declare Firming Eye Cream was delicately applied and to finish off, Juvena Moisture Boost Serum, Declare Hydro Boost Duo Care Fluid and Declare BB Cream were used to maintain my skin's moisture levels.

I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep during my treatment and I really enjoyed the crystal balls massage as it is a natural way of stimulating the skin as opposed to electrical methods which I am not really a fan of.

I couldn't have had a better start to my week and I look forward to booking my next facial at Roseberry!

Roseberry is located on Republic Street in Valletta and are the main stockists of Juvena and Declare. Like their Facebook page to keep up to date with their products and services.

Event | Declaré & Juvena Beauty Seminars | Part 1 ~ Declaré

This week, precisely on Tuesday and Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending two beauty seminars showcasing Swiss skin care brands Declaré and Juvena respectively. I was really looking forward to both seminars and the event description on the official invites got me even more excited!

First off, the seminars took place at Fort St. Angelo in Vittoriosa - a majestic fort that stood the test of time as it's beginnings date back to the 1200's I believe. So, on the first day, we were presented with Declaré - a brand committed to bringing out the beauty of sensitive skin, and it is the brand I shall be talking about in this post. I will then talk about Juvena in a separate post.

The view from Fort St. Angelo with Valletta in the distance

Swiss international trainer Ms. Elke Praemassing presented both brands to us in a very passionate manner - she walked us through all the products and the brands' philosophy in extreme detail so without further ado, let's get right into discovering Declaré!

Ms. Elke Praemassing delivering the presentation (left)

Ms. Elke Praemassing, Maria from All Things Lady and myself 

As I stated earlier, Declaré is specifically targeted towards the needs of sensitive skin; and no matter what stage in life we are in, there is a product range for every age group as well as a range for men and a comprehensive sun protection line. Upon learning that Declaré is aimed towards sensitive skins, my interest sparked so I was really keen to get to know more about it.

Declaré was founded in 1978 and it is consequently the oldest brand on the market with each and every product in the range aimed at treating the needs of sensitive skin. The name Declaré comes from the verb to declare as the brand makes sure to declare all the ingredients found in each product so as to make it easier for the consumer to understand what it is they are putting on their skin. Being a brand with Swiss origins, of course, as one would expect, every product undergoes strict QC tests to ultimately yield the highest level of quality possible. One point that is interesting to note is that all claims have to be thoroughly tested by a panel of individuals with sensitive skin and only if all of them respond to the new products without any reactions, are the final products launched on the market.

The basis of all products by Declaré is the src-complex which stands for sensitivity reducing complex and is unique to Declaré. The src-complex aims to improve the skin's barrier and in doing so, it reduces irritation and actively protects skin cells. As I already said, Declaré has various lines to cater for different degrees of skin sensitivity but the main focus of the seminar was on the Pro Youthing range. We got the chance to try out the majority of the products during the presentation so we could feel their luxurious textures. Declaré products are from allergen-causing fragrances and parabens.

The Declaré Pro Youthing range is meant as an anti-aging prevention line and the scientists behind it have been awarded a Nobel prize for the research they did for this same line and as soon as it was launched, it received a SPA Award in 2013, specifically for the Youth Supreme Concentrate. Declaré market their Pro Youthing range as the dawn of a new skin care era as it is a line revolving around the promotion of healthy skin aging on a molecular level. Thereby, it is committed to protecting the cellular dividing process through preserving the cells when undergoing such a process. More information on the Declaré brand and products can be found on their website.

What made this event unique? First of all, the setting was a stunner in it's own right, then came the food - freshly baked goods for breakfast (I help myself to a fragrant croissant and orange juice), salmon and cream cheese sandwich as a light snack, and then came lunch - a feast of flavours with molecular cuisine from Caviar & Bull. The latter is one of my favourite fine dining spots on the island and they really did a great job at preparing some molecular cocktails and healthy dishes - I opted for some cheeses, a slice of multi-seed bread, some cold pasta salad and a fruit and walnut salad. The molecular foods really tied in well with the molecular skin care theme!

For the last part of the event, we were given a demonstration with the skin analysis machine and the beauticians in attendance were shown how a Declaré cabin treatment is carried out. Unfortunately I couldn't stay till the end of the event but I did manage to get my skin analysed and I am happy to know my skin is aging well :)

I have already started testing out the products given to me and look forward to share my thoughts on them with you all!

Have you ever tried Declaré? What do you think of the brand? Leave your comments in the comments section below!

More pictures from the event can be found on my Facebook page.