There are some things in life that never get old.

These are seven beauty tips that I’ve encountered time and time again. They’re classic. And when practiced, they can only lend more beauty and add depth to our lives.

Here they are, in my own words. And in no particular order of importance.

1. Be In Love

With life! With what you do. The moment. Your breath. The sun. And all the free and simple pleasures of life. This kind of love is infectious and when you exude with this kind of love, you become a radiant and irresistible source of energy for others.

2. Be Genuine 

Only say or do things if you really mean it. Smile from the heart. Ask questions if you are sincerely interested in finding out the answers. Act in a way that comes naturally to you. And be open about your vulnerabilities.

3. Above All, Kindness.

It doesn’t have to be as cheesy as it sounds. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can mean so much to others. Even just the simple act of listening shows that you care. Be kind to others. And above all, be kind to yourself.

4. Cultivate Good Health 

Beauty comes from energy and vitality. Nourish your body with fresh, clean and simple foods. Keep your bones and muscles strong by constantly moving and enjoying the outdoors. Sleep well to feel rested and rejuvenated when greeting a new day.

5. Laugh. A Lot.

In the grand scheme of the universe, nothing is all that serious. Don’t be afraid to get silly! They say people who laugh the most laugh the last. There is a real connection between laughter and longevity.

6. Cherish the Imperfect

A crooked smile. Freckles. A scar that tells a story. Imperfect things make life more interesting.

7. Simplicity 

Simplicity is the foundation of elegance. It is the understated. The harmonious. It can apply to the way we dress, what we eat, our everyday activities and what we choose to dedicate our thoughts and energy to. Simplicity is beautiful because it allows us to focus on what truly matters.

Have a happy weekend, my loves!

Normally, I would hide photos like this from the world… (it looks like the sun is bursting out of my nose! haha) 

“Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

I’ve pretty much given up trying to do anything about my dark under eye circles.

A while ago, I wrote a post about the different health issues that can cause them and the measures you can take to reduce their appearance.

And although there are times when the skin under my eyes seem to recover some of their brightness, for the most part, my dark under eye circles are here to stay!

So I’ve resorted to covering them up with make-up. Hooray for make-up and the ability to hide your imperfections!

Here are four concealers that you can find in my beauty cabinet…

1) Fake Up By Benefit

Despite the rather superficial sounding name, Fake Up concealer gives the most natural looking coverage of any concealer I’ve ever tried. Not only does it conceal dark blemishes, it also works to hydrate the delicate skin under the eyes. The resulting look is brightened skin and no cakeyness!

The Positives: Natural, luminescent coverage. Hydrated skin. No creases.

The Negatives: Holy smokes, the price! Also, coverage is not long lasting.

How Much: $24 at Sephora for 3.5 g

2) Collections Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer

I received the Collections Lasting Perfection Concealer from a Beauty Swap. Unfortunately, the medium color is much too pale for my skin tone. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying it out. And yes, it really is as long-lasting as other bloggers have claimed.

The positives: It’s incredibly long-lasting, you need to use only a small amount to get the coverage that you need, and it’s very price-friendly.

The negatives: It tends to settle in the creases.

How Much: £4.19 on Boots for 4.0 g

3) Yves Rocher Flawless Finish Corrector

Technically this isn’t a concealer. It’s a corrector. But I’ve used this alone, as well as in combination with a different concealer. It just depends on how bad my under eye circles look on any given day. I also use this to cover other dark blemishes before applying foundation.

The positives: Good coverage. Lasts long. Goes on lightly and does not settle in creases.  Multi-purpose. Price-friendly.

The negatives: Goes on dry and the tint is a bit dull.

How Much: €7.5 at Yves Rocher for 5g

4) MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

For the longest time, this was the only concealer I used. And I was quite happy with it. So I’m not sure what it was about this concealer that made me start looking for others. Maybe it was because I found it difficult to apply. Or maybe I felt like it made my skin look dry and take on an orange tint. In any case, there are still a lot of redeeming qualities about this concealer.

The positives: Great coverage! Long lasting. Goes on smooth. Does not settle in the creases. A little goes a long way.

The negatives: The pump is tricky. Usually, you will end up taking out a lot more than what you need. Dries out quickly, so it’s hard to apply. And as I already mentioned, it makes my skin look dry and take on an orange tint after a while.

How Much: $18 at MAC for 9ml

Can you guess which concealer is my favorite? 

Naturally, my favorite is Fake Up By Benefit. Because the resulting look is so natural and luminescent. And to top it off, my skin feels comfortably hydrated.

(No Concealer)

(With Concealer)

But, (with the exception of the Collection Concealer because it’s the wrong color), I still find that the other concealers have their occasional use.

And you, do you use concealers to cover up your dark under-eye circles? If so, which products do you use?

I made a GIF! I made a GIF! And not only that, it’s a stop motion GIF!

But first…

I know everyone is dying to know who won the Caudalie + Parisian Tote Bag Giveaway!

So let’s talk about that.

I truly do wish I could make each and every one of my lovely readers the giveaway winner.

But I buy this stuff out of my own pocket, and it don’t come cheap! So this time, only one name could be drawn from the list of participants.

To be absolutely fair, I used RandomPicker.com to pick the winner. Once the name was drawn, I couldn’t go back and change anything. So it was a very final procedure. You can look at the protocol that RandomPicker used.

So, ok ok. On to the winner….

Drum rolls pleeease!!

…………. !!!

And The Winner Is…..!

JULIA!!!! 

Congrats Julia!!!

I’ll be in touch with you shortly to work out the shipping deets.

And if you participated but didn’t get lucky, please don’t hate! I still love you

Now for my beautiful, beautiful GIF!!!!

I’ve added just a couple of things to the Ziba Shop.

Head over there to get your French natural and organic cosmetics shopping on!

And just so you know, I’m open to suggestions…

If there are french/european beauty products that are hard for you to get a hold of where you are, get up with me and we can work something out.

Ok, that’s all for now

Hope everyone has a great Mother’s Day weekend!

And congratulations again Julia!!