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 2 ~ Juvena

The day after the Declaré seminar, it was time to discover Juvena, a more luxurious anti-aging brand, also pertaining to Troll Cosmetics GmbH.

Once again, the seminar took place at Fort St. Angelo and Ms. Elke Praemassing was once again our speaker for the day. She introduced Juvena as the brand with 60 years of anti-aging research for the skin. In fact, Juvena was launched in 1954 with their first product being a light yet nourishing anti-aging cream. The name of the brand is derived from the Latin word 'juvenalis' meaning youthfulness. Juvena is also one of the very first brands to promote protection against the sun's  UV rays and in the 1980's, upon explaining the concept of free-radicals, Juvena came up with a Vitamin E cream. The brand's anti-aging expertise continued to grow and in the next decade, they launched a co-enzyme Q10 cream - establishing itself as a pioneer brand in the business.

Ms. Elke Praemassing

Moreover, Juvena has come up with SkinNova Technology which is basically skin care with a medical background, first developed by Jacqueline D'Amour and it is aimed at helping skin cells to regenerate and protect them whilst doing so. This technology has now evolved to SkinNova SC Technology, SC standing for stem cells. SkinNova SC Technology provides the ideal micro-environment to ensure the skin cells' optimal regeneration. This is the basis of all Juvena products. Juvena brand ambassador, Barbara Shett, an Austrian tennis player really embodies the brand's philosophy - she is sophisticated in her simplicity and naturalness.

The seminar focused on the Phyto De-Tox range which is made up of products that provide special detoxifying care by focusing on the skin's own detox systems. In doing so, Phyto De-Tox renews the skin and restores radiance.

To carry on with the detox theme for the day, we had a fun yoga session thanks to Hot Yoga Malta and food throughout the day was prepared by The Grassy Hopper, a vegan/vegetarian eatery. I must say I really enjoyed the banana and almond muffins, avocado sandwiches and energy balls. Unfortunately though, due to other commitments I had to leave prior to lunch time but I still managed to take a few snaps of the healthy food offerings!

photo courtesy of Paloma Cosmetics Ltd.

For more information about Juvena, you can have a look at their website. Juvena and Declaré are imported in Malta by Paloma Cosmetics Ltd.