My other smashing passion besides all things beauty is travelling. I love exploring dissimilar places. And if everybody else buys souvenirs, I purchase beauty products from all over the world. I love to explore drugstores and dazzler departments in other parts of the world and if I have the fourth dimension, I love to snoop around and buy a product or two. Now, it's quite easy to discover some gems abroad if yous're an avid reader of international dazzler blogs. Kiko in Italy, chemist's brands in French republic, Illamasqua or Charlotte Tillbury in U.k., Inglot in Poland and Physicians Formula or Milani in The states drugstores (oh, and an US Sephora?! Sky on earth for u.s. European girls!) – easy peasy. Just scan some blogs and you're good to go with a shopping list consisting of 'best ofs' in your hand.

Beauty shopping in Iceland

Recently, though, I was in Iceland, and my inquiry didn't came up with a lot of hits. I kinda shrugged it off and decided to have a look around once I was in that location. Republic of iceland is a minor land with a population of 320.000 and at that place aren't a lot of cosmetics brands that are unique to Iceland. Or so I idea. Information technology turned out that at that place're a lot of organic skincare brands that y'all'll notice not in the department store, but in the improve tourist shops in Reykjavik – like Kraum and, astonishingly, the gift shop at the Hilton I was staying at (Hilton Nordica – also has a smashing restaurant). My recommendation, though, would be to browse and take a await at anything that might involvement you and then buy it at Keflavik aerodrome, where prices are much lower than in the city. The four brands you'll encounter again and again are Soley, Dr. Bragi, Bioeffect and products from Blue Lagoon Iceland. Be warned though – all products are rather pricey.

The Blue Lagoon betwixt Keflavik and Reykjavik is the number i tourist attraction in Iceland, and due to a lot of bad luck, I couldn't visit it. I was quite lamentable about that (considering have a wait at some pics on their site! Doesn't it look amazing?!) I decided to treat myself to some of their products. When you lot book i of the pricier packages at the Blue Lagoon, you can sample some of their products like their masks, so I was set to get some for me for a DIY spa experience at domicile. I got my goodies at their footling store in the duty free area of Keflavik aerodrome.

EDIT 2017

I simply came dorsum from a vacation in Reykjavik and thought I'd do a short update on my recommendations above. Of class, Reykjavik has changed a bit over two years, and sadly, I tin can no longer recommend Kraum. What was one time a lovely little unique shop has become now just another one of numerous tourist-y shops with exactly the same offers as every other tourist-y shop. What makes Icelandic products unique are still the Icelandic ingredients and the organic claims, and then a good stop if you want to browse an Icelandic beauty choice a health nutrient store is a good destination. Have a wait at Heilsuhusid that'southward situated at Reykjavik's principal shopping street. I likewise realized that at that place's a major controversy effectually Bioeffect – before you buy the famous and incredibly expensive serum, look into it here and here. (Likewise notation that I didn't observe information technology to be cheaper in Iceland than in the online shops over here.) I browsed through the products on brandish and left empty handed. The reason is the steep price betoken, and I wasn't convinced that the quality and results of the products might justify that. What'southward definitely worth it – get on tours. Experience the awesome nature. Collect memories. While the country is breathtaking, I'm not sure its beauty offerings are worth information technology.

Blueish Lagoon product review

The first particular I got was a sample sachet of the algae mask (10ml, ISK 1520). I also got the Starter Size Treatment (ISK 3825) that comes in a trivial travel Ziploc bag and contains a package of mineral bathroom salts (100mg), a tube of mineral intensive foam (30ml) and a tube of silica mud mask (30ml). (To give you an idea about the prices, 1000 ISK are about 6,60€, so my booty was most 32€.)

A disclaimer about my skin get-go: I've combination skin with a bit of rosacea on my cheeks. Also, those pesky fine lines are starting to announced and have become hard to overlook.

Blue Lagoon Impressions (pics courtesy of Blue Lagoon Iceland)
Blue Lagoon Impressions (pics courtesy of Bluish Lagoon Iceland)

The algae mask is faintly light-green with a creamy texture that doesn't baste all over your sink and doesn't smell like algae (what a relief!). Instead, information technology has a slight 'cosmetics' smell to it that I can't draw properly. It says on the sachet to leave information technology on for 5 to 10 minutes, but I slapped it on after my bathroom in the evening and when I remembered to remove it again, maybe 15 minutes were gone with water and a muslin face cloth. The piddling 10ml sachet lasted me for three applications. It mainly consists of water, glycerin, some oils (almond, evening primrose, sunflower and jojoba) and their famed silica and algae excerpt. There's also perfume and artificial colouring in there, which don't carp me, but might bother others for their possible irritant properties. It says that the mask 'nourishes, lifts, enhances radiance' on the front end, and the blurb on the dorsum says that it 'helps the pare rebuild and protect itself'. Direct afterwards removing I could certainly come across its effects. My skin was quite glowy and looked quite plumped. Not 'I had some injections and fillers'-plumped, but good for you and youthful. Sadly, that event was gone by adjacent morn, and maybe it was a bit likewise rich for me or some ingredient didn't agreed with my skin, but every time of the three times I used it, I got ane or two spots a 24-hour interval after I used it. It'southward a adept production for people with dry out and mature peel, and while I enjoyed using it, I wouldn't buy it over again.

INCI list of the algae mask
INCI list of the algae mask

The 2nd mask I got was a totally different animal. The silica mud mask 'deep cleanses, softens and soothes' and is the Blueish Lagoon'southward star seller. It'due south mainly made from the Lagoon's geothermal silica mud with water, some emollients and preservatives thrown into the mix. There're some studies claiming that the silica in conjunction to the algae from the Lagoon accept some benefits on collagen and could help from moisture loss. Please take note that the Blue Lagoon seems to accept reformulated their products, considering if you're looking at older reviews, they remark that there're parabens in this mask, while in that location aren't in mine. I once again used this after my bath in the evening, and it tingled a lot afterward application. It didn't hurt, but it was that feeling y'all go when using a quite stiff chemical peel at home. I left it on my face for about 10 minutes. It dried down like a dirt mask, and yous'll look like Casper the friendly ghost, because information technology dries downwards starkly white as well. My skin was definitely soft, but also quite parched for moisture. The pores on my nose looked like they ever expect (just then, at that place aren't products that volition diminish your pores. At all.). And then, again, not a real striking for me. If you lot accept oily skin, I tin imagine it quite good for you, though.

INCI list of the silica mud mask
INCI list of the silica mud mask

The next one up in my sample pack was the mineral intensive cream for very dry and sensitive skin. I'll say at once that I don't remember it'south suitable for me correct now, but I tin imagine situations when I'd love this. And that would be, for instance, in Iceland in early bound (or winter, or fall). Iceland is windy. And I really wish I'd take tried that cream when I was in that location, because I sometimes thought the icy wind would strip the skin on my face away. This cream is mainly h2o, petrolatum and paraffinum, and I can already hear the cries of outrage at this. And while I sympathise it from a shopper's point of view (very cheap ingredients, high price point), there's something for a formula that locks moisture in and protects peel from drying out which this 1 does. There're mainly emulsifiers and emollients on the INCI listing with some skincare ingredients nearly everybody loves – squalane, tocopherol, and also the obligatory mineral salt from the Blue Lagoon. Right now, this does zero for my peel. It doesn't feel to rich upon awarding – meaning it sinks in immediately on top of my serum. But after a while I felt my rosacea heating upwardly under it, and then I'll give it a shot come winter where information technology'll be able to evidence it's truthful capabilities. Recommended for seriously dry out pare that needs protection from the elements.

INCI list of the mineral cream
INCI list of the mineral cream

The mineral bath salts are said to 'balance and revitalize'. The showtime ingredient here is Sodium chloride, which is your run of the mill table salt. I can't honestly meet what minerals are 'praised for their beneficial activity on the pare', like the blurb on the parcel says. Bath salts are generally said to exist softening and exfoliating, but the price for that is the serious drying activeness this has on the skin. I have to add a super moisturizing torso butter or something similar afterwards using this, and I rather take my bath with a peachy smell and some bubbling.

INCI list of the bath salts
INCI listing of the bath salts

So, this is kind of a mixed bag for me – some products didn't suit me, some I didn't like, and some weren't suitable for me at this point. I experience rather lamentable nearly that only am confident that maybe you'll like them if you find the right product for your skin, are on board with their claim that silica and algae are good ingredients and aren't too concerned on spending coin.