Dinner with PIXI & friends

Last week I was at such a beautiful get-together with PIXI by Petra, to have a look at the over 30 (!) new products just launched.

I haven’t really tried PIXI before (first time I had a good go was actually rescently in This tutorial for LYKO), but it is a brand I’ve been curious about so I was really happy when I was invited to this lovely organized dinner at Vau de Ville in Stockholm. I met up with a couple of friends also invited for a glass of wine and a chat before heading over to the restaurant. This was the night instagram was totally down (my oh my, in a room full of bloggers, youtubers and influencers that were hitting refresh like crazy). But frankly, it was nice being disconnected. We were all more present and it was like a huge girls night out! The down-side is I got so disconnected and in the moment I realize now I didn’t take very many pics.. but the ones I did take are all here 🙂

I can’t really say why it’s taken me so long to discover this brand, but I’m so happy I finally had the pleasure of getting to know PIXI and the smart and humble ladies behind the brand. I had a moment to chat with Sofia, who is Petra’s (PIXI by Petra) sister, and I was so happy to hear that, her background is in skintherapy. And when it comes to all the new products there’s not one product of the new launches I’m NOT curious to try!

Obviously, I won’t go through over 30 products at once, but I can assure you that you will be meeting up with PIXI here more than once 🙂

Here are some pictures of all the newness presented at dinner,

Eyeshadow palettes, one warm & one cool

Eyeshadows with glitter OUT OF THIS WORLD!

For radiant, brightness & glowing complexionA line of plumping& collagen-boosting products

New sheet masks above, and there are also two kinds of under eye patches 🙌

Aaaaaand, (drum-roll please) BODY CARE 👏👏👏

I dove right into my goodiebag as soon as I came home and I have started trying out the products – so please keep an eye out and look forward to first impressions and reviews shortly.

Thank you PIXI by Petra & Strand showroom for an amazingly cozy, friendly and fun night out ❤️😘

Giving, and recieving thousandfold in return

In an industry that might seem extremely shallow and superficial at first glance, I would like to adress some more depth.

So I’ve been in the industry of beauty for 18 years. That’s almost half my life. I’m not going to bore you with details of my different roles in the industry as I think that is beside the point. What I would like to show you, is that even though the common perception of working with beauty is that it is a business of superficiality, I am of the direct opposite opinion. Sure, there is that side to the coin, but that’s not why I’m in the beauty industry.

You see, I am a true believer of the saying that beauty lies in the eye of the holder. And feeling beautiful has the power to bring out the best of you. I don’t believe in transforming ones features or looks to look like someone else – I believe in bringing out the best you possible, with some simple tricks of my trade.

I get that this all still sounds fuzzy, but bare with me. I would like to talk about how looking good can make you feel better.

Sound foolish? Well I assure you it is not. See those four words, form the name of an organisation that lies very close to my heart; LOOK GOOD – FEEL BETTER.

Founded in the US kind of by fluke.

Its story began with one patient.

In 1987, a physician asked former Personal Care Products Council President Ed Kavanaugh how he could organize a “makeover” for a woman in cancer treatment who was experiencing dramatic appearance side effects. The woman was so depressed and self-conscious she would not venture outside her hospital room. Kavanaugh made some calls and was able to provide cosmetics and a cosmetologist – and the makeover transformed not only the woman’s look, but also her outlook. She felt happier, less burdened and laughed for the first time in weeks.

With such a profound result, the Personal Care Products Council recognized the opportunity for its industry to help more women maintain their confidence and self-esteem. Kavanaugh presented the idea to the Personal Care Products Council membership – the nation’s cosmetic industry leaders – who immediately offered funding and cosmetics. Finally, the Professional Beauty Association (PBA) signed on as the third collaborator, encouraging its member cosmetologists to volunteer their services. The program – dubbed Look Good Feel Better – launched with two groups workshops at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and Georgetown University’s Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, D.C., in 1989.

The program has been available in Sweden since 2003. (Behind the program in Sweden is KoHF, the Cosmetics and Hygiene companies and leading cosmetics company.) Available at 20 hospitals and with 150 volunteers, Look Good-Feel Better can offer women, who are being treated for cancer, free skin care and makeup courses. Makeup consultants provide professional advice and help prevent or eliminate appearance-related problems that may arise during the treatment of cancer.
I’m going to put that text in bold for you, read it again; help prevent or eliminate appearance-related problems
This applies, not only to women mid-treatment with issues like hairloss etc, it applies to each and every one of us. I mean think about it, it’s simple psychology; when you like your reflection your confidence boosts.
You see, THAT is the power of makeup. THAT is the power of working in my industry. Those moments are the ones that count. I have never felt such Pride in painting the face of a celebrity, as I have felt by bringing a smile to a womans reflection of herself in the mirror – simply by looking like herself.
It’s not always the jobs that pay your bills that are the most rewarding. Sometimes, it’s just giving your knowledge and making a fellow human feeling confident in what she sees when she looks at herself. By helping her look good, you help her feel better. That gives a thousandfold more than money can ever buy ❤️

If you are in the industry in Sweden and would like to learn more about volunteering, please go to this page and sign up. We are in need of more volunteers!

Thank you💕

Do you use a brow-knife?

So you’ve probably seen I write a lot abound Depend? It is a brand I do some work for, but it is first of all a brand I really love. Known to most for their nailpolishes and lashes, but did you know they also carry a wide range of products for brows? From tweezers, to brow-scissors, different pencils and a pomada (in 6 shades) and my ”can’t live without” brow-knife.

I use this both personally and in my professional kit. It’s easy to use for easy clean up on brows, uni-brow, upper lip or even to quickly trim a hair-line or beard-line. On toes if needed i.e. on a photoshoot with bare feet.

The brow-knife is sold in packs of three for instance at LYKO [adlink] for just 69SEK

User-friendly, Quick and effective!

Two days of work with my favorite team

If you followed me on my old blog (it’s deleted now as I wanted a fully fresh start here) you might have seen I work together with DEPEND and style hair on their photoshoots. I did my first job for them in November 2017, and since then, I am so honored to be a part of this incredible team. The team in its whole, with PR-manager Beatrice Gull in the lead of everything, is one of the best teams I have ever worked with and for. I LOVE working with them, and especially since I love their products so much!

The lashes from DEPEND are my favorite lashes. It’s the only brand of lashes I use actually. They come in so many variations, they are easy to apply and the little tube of glue that is included in each pack of lashes can be used several times as the little top can be put back on.

The ”strip” you glue the lashes on with, is soft and easy to work with. They stay in place and they can be used up to ten times. That’s crazy good value as well, considering the price of around 69SEK per set of lashes.

Below are a couple of behind the scenes photos from our two-day session we just did, and I look forward to seeing the end result later on. All makeup is by Linda Fernström, and hair by me.

Which is your favorite?

Amelie Soie – beauty essentials and tools

Amelie Soie, the story

Amelie Soie – Beauty Essentials is developed by authorized skin therapists to simplify your beauty routine so you can become the best version of yourself. Amelie Soie stands for carefully selected materials, high quality and solid knowledge.
After many years as authorized skin therapists, we know how important the daily beauty routines are. A good daily routine is what really makes a difference to your skin. We have therefore developed an exclusive product line that combines the classic salon methods for cleaning, circulation and tightening with innovative home-use tools. For you to get the best skin health possible.
– The inspiration for Amelie Soie comes from my grandfather, grandmother on my mothårs side and my grandmother on my fathers side, says Therése Amelie Wirén Ekehjelm, owner and founder of Amelie Soie, part of Qvi Si – Haute couture de la beauté (Valhallavägen / Stockholm.) QVISI
Therèse’s grandfather was a true entrepreneur. The key words were service and quality. He worked hard, loved his work and never retired. His job satisfaction and commitment in his own company influenced and inspired Therèse.
– Without him I would never have dared to start my own business in the spring of 2007.
Her grandmothers were both feminine and well-groomed. Their beauty routines however, were different.
– Not just the routines themselves, but just as much as they naturally adored their bodies and faces far, far from today’s complex-filled appearance fixation. I had a natural interest already during childhood and had to be involved.
Soie means silk in French and Therése’s grandmothers are the inspiration here too.
– My Grandmother (on my father´s side) went to the USA on one occasion and came home with a pillow-case made of genuine mullberry-silk. She would sleep on it so that her carefully crafted hairstyle would last longer, but also because it improved the appearance of her skin and reduced marks from sleeping on her face. When I was at the age of 20 and was accepted to skin therapist training, I was gifted my grandmother’s silk pillow-case. It was little worn yes, but still soft and lovely to use.
-I used it for almost 15 years, until it completely disintegrated, Therése laughs.
Therése also has fond memories from her grandmother on her mother´s side linked to silk. Her grandmother was a fashion director and artist. She worked with lovely silk fabrics.
– Together with grandmother I got to paint the silk. Grandma sewed, among other things, silk tops. The silk was used both because is was beautiful but also because it was good for sensitive skin, dry skin or if you had eczema.
Amelie Soie combines inspiration and knowledge from an older generation with innovative thinking and insight into what modern women and men need. The products are of high quality with a luxurious feel, deliberately designed to be both be effektive but also too look good in a beautiful bathroom. The products from Amelie Soie facilitate your beauty routines so you can become the best version of yourself.
With two growing collections, basic and premium, we have among the best Beauty Essentials the market has to offer.
xxx / Amelie

The assortment

With care at heart and femininity in mind, Amelie Soie offers a wide range of products such as silk pillowcases, silk scrunchies, silk hairbands, a makeup brush collection, beauty rollers (tools), beauty towels, beauty bandeaus and more.

I am currently using the Diamond beauty roller, a tool used to massage your face and improve circulation, loosen tension and give face an overall relaxed look and feel. The beauty roller minimizes the appearance of fine lines and reduces puffines.
It comes in two sizes, the smaller one more suited for your face and the large one more suited for your body.
The price for the small one that I am using is 895SEK [adlink] wich might sound steep but now that I’ve used it for a while I think it’s worth it. I am the kind of person that is often swollen with puffiness around my eyes, both under and lids. Especially those nights I get up at 2.50 am for early work at television. A couple of minutes of draining massage with the diamond beauty roller helps to minimize puffiness and gives circulation a push.
I also got this gourgeous set of makeup brushes and a handy makeup brush cleaner, small enough to always carry with me in my work-kit.
Amelie Soie also has a range of products made of polyester and a special composition of fibres that allows you to remove your makeup and cleanse your face using only the special cleansing-tools and warm water! There is a large towel (that I am trying out) and a set of two small, round towlettes that are perfect for eyes, in your gymbag or for travelling (these are next on my want-list).

I love tha fact that these beauty tools and extras are created by a professional within skincare and I enjoy them being a part of my skincare routine.

The range of products can be found in their

bareMinerals barePRO longwear lipstick

As you know, I love pretty much everything from bareMinerals. I am excited anytime they launch anything new and am always excited to try the newness.

Latest product is the barePRO longwear lipstick that I had a first peek at at the DAISY BEAUTY expo earlier this year.

The first long-wear, vegan lipstick, rich in nourishing minerals. Fade- and feather-resistant, the weightless gel formula glides effortlessly across lips to nourish and condition. The creamy full colour has a soft matte finish in one swipe, with high-impact shades from neutrals to wearable brights. Powered by Mineral Lock Long-Wear Technology is a blend of mineral pigments with lipids naturally found in skin to lock in colour for smudge, budge, and transfer-proof wear.

Sweat-proof, cocktail-proof, kiss-proof.

Sunflowerseed-oil to moisturize and raspberryseed-oil to protect against environmental stress factors. Don’t you just love this picture?

There are 20 different shades so you’re bound to find at least one you like! To find your fave, head on over to LYKO (adlink) as they have 20% off right now 😍

I’m going to be trying out the color CRANBERRY that looks absolutely yummy!

More to come..💄

the BUDGIE collective

”Budgie is a collective for hair, style and individuality. We care for brunette, blonde, curly, straight, short, long, dry, dull and frizzy hair and are excited to create innovative, smart and fun things together with you. Come join our hairstyling universe and let´s make budgies!”

Why Budgie?

Budgies come in so many alterations. They come in yellow, blue, white, green, small, big, long feathered and short feathered. Just like us. We come yellow, we come glowing, we come happy, we come smart, we come individual.

Also, budgies come in pairs and love to socialize and interact, just like humans. That is why we think of them as the ideal representation of the community we want to create.

Why yellow?

We chose the most alluring color! Yellow is a symbol of happiness, energy, freshness and inclusiveness. On top, it is the new millennial pink and main color of our budgies!

By connecting and staying in touch with consumers a.k.a budgies the brand shares ideas, information, inspiration and in return gets crucial feedback to keep improving and evolving the assortment and the brand.

The products

Budgie presents hairstyling and hair care products to cater your daily hair routine with caring, cleansing and styling essentials featuring natural oils and sulphate-free shampoos. The products are scented with green, fruity notes blended by a fragrance house in Grasse, France. The products are vegan and made in Sweden.

More about the products I will be trying

the power volume dry shampoo for hair high on life – a dry shampoo that also boosts volume and texture, is resfreshing and oil absorbent

the all-inclusive finishing spray for usual business – a finishing hairspray that amps up the shine and gives weightless hold and frizz-control

the dry shampoo foam for a bouncy restart – a dry shampoo foam for soft volume and body, with a refreshing unique formula

the sea salt mist for breezy beach waves – a saltwater spray with texturizing atlantic sea salt for a tousled and wavy finish

a sparkling shimmer mist for dazzling nights – a shimmer mist with nourishing rice oil that gives hair an ice crystal shimmer

The above products are just a few of the full assortment. The budgie collective also has shampoos, conditioners, curl cream, wax and much much more.

The budgie collective is exclusively sold at KICKS and will be available in every store starting tomorrow 😍

Early morning work & sleepless night

So kiddo was home sick all of last week. Fortunately his dad was able to stay home with him, as I had quite a buzy week with work and the gala a.k.a Daisy Beauty awards.

After a lazy weekend I had set my alarm for 2.45 this morning for early work at Svt (Swedish Television). I think I caught in total 2.5hrs of sleep as kiddo had such a bad cough at night! Yeez-Loise I was sooooo tired today! Got off early and went straight home to try and catch some Z’s and unfortunately woke up with a heavy head and that feeling of something lingering in my body. S**t I really am not up to coming down with anything now 😩 I have a full week and need to prep for next week aswell.

On the UP-side though, I had a mailbox full of goodies that I will show later this week 💄😍🙌

But now this tired momma’s going to gather up some energy to Cook dinner and then hit the sack early tonight.

7 shades of nude – DEPEND

”Like a soft whisper or a stream of glowing morning light.

NUDE is always right, naturally fresh and elegant. And once you’ve found your favorite hue we guarantee it will be your best friend. Keep it simple!”

7 shades of NUDES in the NUDE it is! limited edition from DEPEND. From beige to beige, pink to pink. Hues close in their color-scheme in a palette of soft and MATTE nailpolishes. Matched with a topcoat that is also matte and that can be used on any of your favorite colors to give a matte finish.

Below manicure in no 5087 & 5089

The NUDE collection is one of the celebratory limited editions in celebration of the 25th Birthday of DEPEND’s mini-nailpolish. In store starting next week 💅

Pro-tip; use the matte topcoat on just parts of your nails to give an effectful detail to your manicure.