Review: Kandle - Handmade Scented Candles | Home Sweet Home*

Review: Kandle - Handmade Scented Candles | Home Sweet Home*

Sunday, 23 April 2017

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As you probably already seen, I've already spoken about the brand Kandle - Handmade Scented Candles (which is a local candle brand) in a previous post in which I reviewed a christmas candle. The candle I’ll be talking about today is Home Sweet Home. As you open and light the candle, you can pick up on the hint of spices like cinnamon and cloves whilst also having a hint of firewood scent and oranges. The scent also lingers throughout the house which is something I look for in a candle. It also comes in a nice neutral colour and in a very sturdy glass container which you can reuse after the candle finishes.

It’s more of an autumn/wintery candle but I just love putting it on as the scent just evokes home cosiness!  

You can follow Kandle – Handmade Scented Candles here. They also do personalized candles, candle hampers, candle souvenirs and candle melts. You can contact them either through a Facebook Message or through an email: mykandle@outlook.com.  

Until the next one!

Love, T

Review & Swatches: Rimmel London | The Only 1 Matte Lipsticks*

Review & Swatches: Rimmel London | The Only 1 Matte Lipsticks*

Friday, 14 April 2017

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The lovely people at Rimmel London – Malta never fail to surprise me! Recently they send out these lovely lipsticks which are part of the new Only 1 Matte Lipsticks collection. Now to be honest with you I have never tried the original Only 1 Lipsticks so I can’t tell you how they compare to these however I can tell you that these lipsticks are amazing, especially for those who like me enjoy a truly matte lipstick that is not as drying as liquid lipsticks.

To start off, I really love the packaging of these; I especially love that they have the coloured band around the bottom, so you always know which shade you’re picking up without having to actually open the lipstick.

This range is available in 9 different shades, ranging from nudes to darker berries and browns. I own two shades; 610 – High Flyer which is a really pretty dusty pink shade with great pigmentation and perfect for that girly everyday spring lip look and 810 – The Matte Factor which is gorgeous red with pink undertones, definitely a great pick for those who love a bold lip. 

Although these lipsticks are totally matte, they are super creamy, non-drying and amazingly pigmented – you only need one swipe for full opacity. When it comes to longevity, I can say that it won’t budge unless you’re eating or drinking, and even then it doesn’t get patchy but rather starts fading gradually. They also have (in my opinion) a lovely scent to them however if you’re someone who doesn’t like scented products, I’d skip this one.

Overall I just love these lipsticks! I’ll definitely be wearing High Flyer to death this Spring (and probably Summer too).

Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you ever tried these lipsticks!

Happy Weekend!

Love, T

Review: Eau Thermale Avène | Cleanance Range*

Review: Eau Thermale Avène | Cleanance Range*

Saturday, 18 March 2017

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I’m back lovelies! I must apologize for the longer than expected hiatus however I finally feel that I can get back to blogging!

Today I shall be reviewing some products from Avène Eau Thermale, a French pharmacy brand that incorporates thermal water in all of their products. Today I will be focusing specifically their Cleanance Range. The past January and February I’ve battled with lots of stress due to university exams and assignments and between stress, hormones and the weather, my skin had been suffering from a bout of breakouts. This is not really surprising for me since I have acne-prone skin however I wanted to find some products that would help with this.

That is where the Avène Cleanance Range comes in. This range is directed at oily, blemish-prone skin so after I’ve been generously gifted these products, I thought it was the best time to put them to test.

Cleanance Cleansing Gel (for face and body)

This teal-coloured cleansing gel is a soap-free formula which helps eliminate impurities and excess oil without being harsh and stripping the skin. I usually use a pea-sized amount (a little goes on a long way) on my palms and rub into my face morning and night, and then wash away with lukewarm water. It contains Monolaurin which helps reduce excess oil, Zinc Gluconate which help soothe irritation and redness and their famous Avène Thermal Spring Water which helps soothe, soften and calm the skin. I feel that it deep cleanses my face without making it feel all dry and tight. It actually leaves it so soft and fresh looking!

Cleanance MAT Mattifying Emulsion

This has to be my favourite product out of the 3! This lightweight, oil free moisturizer comes in a tube, which makes it great to squeeze out a dollop without having to put your fingers in. After you apply it to a clean face (as you would a moisturizer) and its absorbed super-fast, you’ll find that it serves as a great base for your foundation. It leaves your face very smooth and somewhat dewy, however once you apply your foundation I found that it becomes more matte, and the foundation sits beautifully on top. Personally, this has to be the best mattifying base I found thus far.  

Cleanance EXPERT

This award-winning moisturiser is specifically for skin that experiences blackheads. It targets blemishes at every stage and controls sebum (the oil that the skin produces) at the same time. The shea butter helps with nourishing the skin whilst an ingredient called X-Pressin has the ability to gently exfoliate the skin while reducing the appearance of blackheads. Another ingredient found in the product is called Diolényl and this helps with the appearance of redness and helps to visibly reduce blemishes. Now, I must admit I have been using this product for very long so I have yet to see an improvement however, I found that it is very moisturising yet does not leave a tacky film behind and definitely nourishes the skin leaving it very fresh looking.

So does #ABlondeontheGo recommend these products? The answer is YES!

Can’t wait to try out more products from this brand!

Until the next!

Love, T

Review: Aussie Hair Care

Review: Aussie Hair Care

Wednesday, 18 January 2017

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As you all might know, Aussie was launched in Malta by VJ Salomone around the middle of last year. You might’ve read my earlier post, all about the launch event and the brand but if you haven’t you can read it here.

Now to tell you the truth, before the brand reached our shores I had only tried one product from Aussie, their Aussome Volume Shampoo which I had bought for my mum when she was on the hunt for volumising shampoo, and well – she loved it, and so did I. When the brand launched in Malta, I was ecstatic.  Having the brand in our local shops made it so much easier to get my hands on them rather than having to go online, and pay for shipping when the product finishes.

A while after the event, the gorgeous Marija (the brand manager for Aussie at VJ Salomone) surprised me with a bag full of products (as you can see below) to try out and review. So here it goes!

Aussie Miracle Dry Shampoo

This is by far my favourite product that I own from Aussie. As you might have seen, I have already raved about this product on the blog’s Facebook page which you can follow me on here. Well to cut the story short, this dry shampoo is the bomb.com! So far nothing comes to beat its sheerness! I just spray a little bit at the roots and it revives my hair in an instant. And it also smells like bubble-gum! How cool is that?!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Frizz Remedy Deep Treatment

My hair is prone to detangling – always was and forever will be. However, this product makes it so smooth! I apply this product while in the shower and then go through my hair with a wide-tooth comb which makes it easier to brush when I dry it. It works really fast hence the 3 minute name and leaves your hair silky smooth (and in Malta’s humid weather, one definitely needs some Frizz Remedy, am I right?)

Aussie Mega Shampoo

In terms of shampoo, I never stick to one. I have balyage hair so purple shampoo is a must for me however when I need a deep cleanse (like when I use hairsprays and dry shampoo that leave buildup) this is the shampoo I turn to. It leaves the hair squeaky clean and smelling nice which I like in a product.

Aussie Dual Personality Anti Frizz and Conditioning Milk

On the other hand, this is a product I use regularly. My hair is naturally curly so when it comes to brushing, well let’s just say it’s not easy. This leave-in conditioner is enriched with Kelp extract which is a nutrient-rich seaweed, believed to leave hair feeling silky and well-mannered. I tend to use it right after I wash my hair, before I blow dry it. It definitely helps with making it less frizzy and leaves my hair all nice and shiny – and easier to detangle which is the most important aspect for me. Love it!

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and Conditioner

Since these are travel size bottles I decided not to use these and keep them for when I travel. However, like the rest of the products in the Aussie Hair Range, I should assume that they work as great!

Have you ever tried any products from Aussie?

Love, T

Review: The Body Shop | Vitamin E Range*

Review: The Body Shop | Vitamin E Range*

Sunday, 15 January 2017

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These past few weeks, Malta has been facing some unusual cold weather with temperature going down to 4 degrees celsius at night. Now as we all know, cold weather can deprive your complexion of moisture resulting in dry and flaky skin thus wreaking havoc on your skin.

Well, this is where The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Range comes in. The iconic Vitamin E range includes a vast range of products from wipes and cleansers to lotions and eye cream. It promises long lasting hydration and helps protect against environmental damage. From the extensive range of products, I own 3 which I’ll be reviewing below. To give you a background about my skin; I have combination acne-prone skin with an oily t-zone and dry patches.

Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion

Mostly used in Asian beauty regimes, essences are the first step in moisturising. This lightweight lotion to be used right after cleansing and toning preps the skin without leaving a sticky residue. The Vitamin E Aqua Boost Essence Lotion is glycerin-based with a mix of Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract (a Japanese grass), Argan Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera and Biotin. I’ve never used essences before however I’ve used serums and this is a slightly lighter version which I will call a pre-serum; it gives a more fresh, plump and hydrated feel to the skin before continuing your skin care routine. A little bit of this product goes a long way so the bottle will last you quite a while! After I wash and tone my face, I apply a few drops on the palm of my (clean) hands and gently pat it into my skin.

Vitamin E Moisture Cream

My most loved product from the Vitamin E Range! It is one of The Body Shop’s bestselling product for a reason. The product which comes in a decent sized baby pink tub guarantees soft and smooth hydrated skin. The texture of the cream is very light and therefore easily absorbed into the skin. Although the cream has a faint baby pink colour, it melts into the skin beautifully leaving your skin feeling healthy, hydrated and glowing. I use this product as a final step in my routine. I use it mostly in the winter months when my skin feels dry and dehydrated. It also acts as a good base for your makeup, especially if you have flaky skin.

 Vitamin E Moisture-Protect Emulsion

The bottle comes with a pump which makes it super easy for the product to come out and feels pretty hygienic too! It comes out as a sunscreen-like texture; white and quite runny however it is absorbed in the skin without leaving any trace. Having said that, the emulsion also boasts an SPF 30 PA +++, therefore provides decent sun protection (since we should be wearing SPF all year round). It is absorbed quickly into the skin without leaving you looking greasy therefore makeup goes on easily on top of it.

Have you ever tried products from The Body Shop’s Vitamin E collection?

Love, T