31 May 2018

Empties

Hello,

I'm  so not ready for the Summer but I'm trying. Every year I try to put more attention to my skin and hair during warmer months but after the season is gone I'm back to the lazy me. Sometimes taking care of myself is just too time consuming but I would like to change that.


I finished up Avon Foot Works Pineapple cooling foot lotion. It was pretty jelly like but very moisturizing also the fresh scent was a bonus. I always get these limited editions with great scents but more so because they are really nice and make my feet look presentable in no time.

This awesome scented Lush Plum Rain body wash was lovely. I loved the fresh plum scent and deep purple color but I think it is a little too expensive for what it is (I personally don't like to spent big bucks on washes but rather indulge in body lotions). It did last me for a long time and I'm in love with the scent but honestly I don't think I will repurchase it.

This mask,  Avon Advance Technique Moroccan Argan oil hair mask, was recommended to me by my sister who is using it for a long time now. The scent is typical for the line and I like it a lot. The mask itself worked really well in such a short time (at the back it says that you can rinse it off after 5 min and I don't have more time than that) and I was still able to see the difference in my hair. They were softer, silkier, smoother and with less frizz. I already repurchased it but now they have this pale gold packaging. I don't mind the outer look of a product as long as it is the same.

Catrice Cool & Matt primer stick was from last years limited edition and I already raved about it and I said that it is such a shame that they don't make it permanent. It is not the best  one out there, I have pretty oily skin and this one doesn't keep me matte all day long but my make-up wears so nicely through the day that I'm not mad. My L'oreal foundation looks great on top and that is what matters. I would repurchase it again if I could.

Catrice All Matt plush shine control powder in Transparent is my ultimate favorite powder. It looks amazing over freshly applied foundation or over greasy face after a couple of hours. It never makes me look cakey or patchy and I love it. This particular baby wasn't finished but I dropped it by accident and it shattered. I cleaned the floor and bought new one in the same day. I don't want to be left without it.

The very last item is Catrice Lip Glow Secret Glowtensify lip pencil which was reviewed on my blog quite recently and my overall impression wasn't good so instead of keeping it and saving it I decided to trash it and make room for better products. This one was pink and it is supposed to work with your warmth and unique chemistry to turn into your perfect pink shade. On me this type of color changing products always turn bright pink and this one was not an exception. At the moment I don't like loud lips but that was not what made me toss it away. It is the weird sticky, waxy texture that doesn't settle and it was driving me insane. I don't want to go full crazy so I'm letting go of this one.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

26 May 2018

Project polish

Hello,

for this month project polish I picked quite randomly actually three pink nail varnishes with different finishes, textures...


First is Essence Bubble Gum clear nail polish with pink dots. They aren't shiny or glittery but on a softer pink base they remind me of strawberry seeds. It is fun and I did wore it a couple of times but not recently. I went through my extensive collection and decided to give it away while it is still good and someone else could enjoy it more than I am.

Next one is another Essence polish in the shade Love and Care. I sort of feel bad for giving it away because it was kindly sent to me. I love the formula but the shade isn't really my piece of cake so I only wore it twice last year and that was it. The other reason for parting with it is the fact that my sister has a similar color and she is nearly done with it and she loves it so I decided to give it to her. I guess it is still better to give it away to someone who will love and wear it non stop, that is the purpose of nail polishes, right?

The very last one is also from Essence and it is named Pop (which says on the front of the bottle) or Just can't get enough (which reads at the back). I remember when this collection was out everyone was wondering why they have two names. Anyways, this is a lovely holographic top coat with warm undertone. I loved painting it over soft pinks or nude colors but now it got so goopey and thick that I have to part with it.

That concludes 13 bottles and still counting.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

23 May 2018

Pure Expression

Hello,

I still have plenty of L.O.V. products to show it to you. This time it's the nail polish. It is my very first and wow, they can make excellent varnishes.


L.O.V. color and care nail polish in Pure Expression was my first pick.
Soft cream color that can be put on in a hurry and it looks great with everything, it seems like a good deal especially because I used up my only cream polish up.


I like the fact that it is a bit sheer even though the camera makes it look more sheer. I like this 'I have no polish' kind of look because it looks effortless and clean, not to mention that it can be applied almost in the dark but it will still look nice.


The formula is very nice, not too liquid but it spreads like butter and it also dries in a reasonable time. I wore it for six days I think and there were no chips just a little bit of tip wear and that is A+. The only 'flaw' is that the look above was made with four coats, I am used to two coaters so this is a bit much but the end result is so nice that I'm not even mad.

I bought two more colors and I think they will be more pigmented and I will report back after I try them.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

21 May 2018

Chestnut and Shirocco

Hello,

I was at the H&M and ventured into their make-up aisle to find some beauties on sale. After checking that they weren't touched I picked up two products (I had my eye one on beautiful shadow but all of them were swatched and ruined so I didn't picked them up).


I grabbed face powder in the shade Chestnut and cream eye shadow in Shirocco.


The face powder in the Chestnut coloring is way too dark for me but I wanted to use it as a bronzer. They had some lighter shades but the sample that I tried showed me that they are somehow powdery and the color appears lighter on the skin than in the palette (later I realized that the brush picks up the powder nicely and the product itself is very pigmented).

Shirocco (also a breed of horses) cream shade is quite warm and a little out of my comfort zone but the one I initially wanted was already tried so I opted for second best.


The texture is pudding like and very different from all of my potted shadows (Maybelline Tattoos and Avon Mark ones are harder). It is very easy to get too much on the fingertips because a little touch is enough to cover both lids.



Chestnut is deep but as mentioned a light swatch with a finger didn't really showed up that much that is why I went for a really deep shade. On the swatch below I did a couple of swipes but my bronzer brush is very good at picking the pigment and I have to be extra careful not to apply too much.



Here the first swatch is cream shadow which shows the rich color (one swipe) and some golden shimmer that adds even more warmth and some extra life to the game.

Second is face powder which I'm using to warm up my cheeks but only with a light hand and some serious brush tapping.


Shirocco cream shadow applies nicely and it is easy to blend out with my fingers. The only 'problem' is heavy pigmentation so I have to be careful not to have too much on my fingers but other than that it is great. It sets nicely and doesn't budge even on my greasy lids but it still gives you enough time to work with it before it completely sets.


And one closeup to see the shimmer, sometimes I add a golden shadow on top to lighten it up or just pat something glittery to get even more sparkles.

All in all the 'bronzer' takes me a little more time to blend but it is matte and I don't think I have a matte bronzer. I still prefer shimmery or sateen finish but sometimes I still want to go all matte and this will be handy.
For the cream shadow I have only great things to say about. The most impressive is the staying power. I like this formula even more that the slightly harder Maybelline tattoos which also have a great staying power (only the matte versions work for me). I'm almost done with one of them, the most neutral and instead of repurchasing it I will check the H&M beauty to see if they have a light neutral, everyday shade and I will rather get that one over the Maybelline one.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

20 May 2018

Glow... like you can't stop laughing

Hello,

another five days have passed but I'm back with the highlighting palette that rocked my world. This was a great way to try some rather unusual shades to see if I can pull them off. This product was kindly provided to me from Essence PR team and I can't thank them enough.


Essence had this beautiful collection called Glow... and in some stores it is still there. I received one out of the two highlighter palettes named ...like you can't stop laughing, which is also embossed onto the product (mine is almost gone). The palette isn't small by no means so I think it will last me a life time.


I feel like this one is overall cooler and lighter. I did look at the other one while in the store but they didn't have any samples to try and it looked dark for my pale complexion so I passed.


Starting from the top shade which looks pretty scary in the packaging as it looks grey but on the skin is that pure white with maybe a hint of silver sheen, great for cooler skin tones or if you just like that super bright highlight.

Second one looks a little warmer in real life and it is cream but as the first one this one too looks very different on the skin, it reflex pink. It looks nice with some pinky blush even though it contains some glitter.


Third shade looks very pink in the pan but on the skin it shows up blue and very glittery. This one is my least favorite but as an eye shadow topper it is manageable.

The last one looks peachy and that is exactly how it looks like on the skin at least one doesn't come as a surprise. This one too has a nice sheen like the top shade and it looks nice as a topper over peachy- coral blushes or over bronzers.


Swatches were made in the opposite order so the first swatch is the bottom one in the palette and so on.


All four are shining like crazy, they are buildable but they start pigmented and you can only make them as one of those seen from space kind of highlighters. I don't think they are for shy people. I like my highlighter to be less obvious but when I want that magic these are the ones I reach for (or the single highlighter also from this line).


Here you compare the peachy shade which has beautiful sateen finish and the blue shade next to it which doesn't have a base color just some cool toned blue shimmer/glitter.


Middle two shades have more of a shimmer which isn't what I want but I think pink (the third swatch) is still manageable because I can pair it with the pink blush and the glitter isn't as obvious as it is in the blue one (second swatch) plus I don't want to walk around with blue cheeks.


This photo was done with a shaky hand (when you make gazillion photos and you aren't completely happy with none of them so the sun is already setting and it is getting dark) you get a photo like this but I decided to keep it just to show you the colors and that you will believe me that the second shade from the bottom in the palette or the second swatch actually look blue.


My favorite has to be the white one for really obvious cheek days, second is the peach one, especially now in the warmer weather to spice things up. Pink will get used occasionally and the blue one is way out of my comfort zone but it looks nice on sertan days just in the center of the lid paired with cooler tones. 



Thank you for reading and have a nice day




15 May 2018

Empties

Hello,

holy cow how time flies, don't you agree? It is already the middle of May, Spring is almost gone but to me it feels like Winter was just yesterday, right?


First I have a recurring player which is this Alkmene Tea Tree face wash. My skin responds well to the Tea Tree so it was a no-brainer to get this one but I didn't like the packaging with this texture. The gel is pretty liquid so this short nozzle spills it, you have to pick up the bottle, tilt it and that is the only way to collect the product. I guess I'm lazy but pumps are supposed to be convenient and the packaging on this one sucks (or rather I should said I'm too lazy for it ;) but the face wash is really nice for my oily, acne prone skin. It cleansed it without stripping it out and the scent was weirdly calming and therapeutic to my nose.

Balea always have these fun products for a limited time. This time I picked up a Tropic Fun hand cream which smells like a tropic heaven filled up with pineapples. I kept it at work and my coworkers used it as well. Whenever I saw someone massaging their hands with their eyes closed and with a smile on their face I knew they they were transported to the beach all thanks to this baby. Everyone liked it and it was such a big pick me up kind of cream that I wouldn't mind having another tube of it. The texture was light, almost gel- like and it did absorb fast, it wasn't the most moisturizing one in the world (I still prefer my Avon Care glycerin hand & nail one but when it comes to the scent this one beats them all).

Avon Planet SPA Relaxing Provence Spa with Lavender & Jasmine hand cream was another hand cream that was gone this month. This one was kept in my pocket due to its small size. I expected to have obvious Lavender scent but it was softer and a bit more flowery (Jasmine). It was nice but if you are a die hard Lavender fan than this won't be it. I liked the formula enough that I will try some other scents as well (I already picked up the Olive one, next it will be the Argan).



Avon Perfect Kiss Naturally Nude and Sweetly Peach lip glosses are the last two that I had. These were some of my favorites and I'm sad that they stopped making them. The only reason why they aren't completely used up is that I have been saving them because if I would use them they would be gone, instead I didn't use them and didn't get to enjoy in them and now I have to toss them while they are still full. I know there is no logic, I feel bad enough and I will try to be better in the future.


The little pot is Avon Nutra Effects Ageless Revitalizing eye cream. I bought it right when it came out as I was looking for something new but it didn't convinced me. The texture is a 'regular' cream that takes a little time to absorb (not ideal when I'm in a hurry) but on a long turn I didn't notice any difference. Not only that it claims to fill in the little lines (moisturize the skin so much that the fine lines disappears) but also to help to reduce the dark under eye area where I notice no results. So when I dropped the lid and it rolled under the bed I couldn't be bothered to find it right away, I was late for work. When I came back I forgot so the next morning I figure it out that the lid is still missing but it took me another day to finally move my bed to find the cap. By the time (almost two days the cream was exposed to air and if I would love it I would find the lid right away, wash it and close it tightly) the pot was reunited with its top, some of its moisture evaporated so the cream was thicker. I didn't toss it but I used it at night with a thicker layer and finish it up faster.

The very last item is another Avon Planet Spa item, this time a Caribbean Escape with crushed Pearls and Sea Algae illuminating body butter. I completely forgot to take the photo of the actual product, someone might be interested in the shimmer but for the disclaimer the shimmer is golden and super fine but there is tons of it. On the sun I would sparkle like a secret Vampire ;) What sold me on it was the gorgeous scent. Pearls and Algae? I think Pearl is mentioned because of the shimmer and the Algae? I seriously don't know, it definitely doesn't smell rotten or weird but rather comforting, warm and somehow creamy. I think everyone would like it, it is just so very soothing and perfect to apply it from head to toe and then snuggle in the bed.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

14 May 2018

Lip Glow

Hello,

sometimes I get so excited about a product and I can't even explain why. By all measurements I would dislike it but in that hyped up moment I thought that buying that particular item is the best thing ever. One of those is the lip pencil below.


Catrice makes this Lip Glow Secret Glowtensify lip liner only in one shade and it is supposed to adjust to your personal PH level so everyone can wear their 'perfect pink'.


On the bottom there is also a sharpener if you like super precision but with this one I like the regular round tip and I have never used the plastic sharpener at the bottom.


The product is pink (I was expecting to get a clear one) and it does apply clear, wait a couple of seconds and it will turn bright pink (at least on me but all of the PH/color changing lip products I have ever tried turned hot pink on me).


The texture feels very waxy and it does almost sticks together and moves around when I rub my lips together which is very weird. I thought that it will be absorb into my lips and all stain my lips but it sits there like cold wax. On its own it feels weird and I don't like it but I started putting clear or light pink gloss over it and that isn't so bad. The color after time stains my lips so even when it wears off my pink lip is still showing.

In general I'm not a big lip liner fan and this particular liner didn't changed my mind. The texture is just too 'heavy' and obvious on my lips to be comfortable for me so I will try to use it a bit more or just toss it by the end of the year if I'm not going to finish it up. Now I wonder how other lines of lip liners from Catrice feels like...




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

11 May 2018

Stars & Stories

Hello,

this next product isn't new but it is very bling-y and so very fun that I had to show it to you.


I think Essence came out with this Metal Shock eye shadows last year and they have 7 options. I picked up the rose gold one named Stars & Stories.


 It is packed full with gorgeous silver glitter and on the Sun it is blinding.


It comes in the lip gloss type of packaging with the doe foot applicator. I like to wipe it at the back of my hand and then pat it on the lid to avoid contamination (I use primer and often I place some powder shadows for some base to create a little bit of depth).


Because it is a cream product is can be applied very dense and then it catches the light and shines like a metallic wonder.


Here the base color is seen and a couple of months ago I wasn't even into pink shadows but slowly I'm turning around. Plus all the other shades are ether too dark, even more pink or there is one gold shade but it is too yellow for my taste. This one was the only one that I liked and as it turns out it is perfect.


It looks so nice but I don't really wear it so heavily on my lids. I prefer a thin layer so the base isn't even seen just the sparkles come to life.


This is more up my taste, I like to apply some brown shade all over my lid and just dab the glitter on top to make my eye shadow look a bit more special but still keep it office friendly. What I love about the formula is that there is no fallout and my cheeks stays glitter free all day long.


I don't wear it every single day because then it would loose that special effect but by no means I'm saving it for special occasions. I think it looks great on hectic work Mondays or more relaxed Fridays.

If you have been thinking about getting it my advice wold be an absolute yes, I hope they will come out with even more shades. I'm thinking of a golden one that is not so yellow, more antique. That would be something I would be very interested in.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

10 May 2018

Ivory and Rosewood

Hello,

Terra Naturi products are getting revamped. They are coming out with new packaging design which looks a bit dull and nothing special opposed to the old ones that I'm showing you below. I snatched two more products before they are gone for good.


Square packaging with this unique reddish brown plastic was a real standout and I like how consistent they were with it. I have another eye shadow trio which is housed in the same packaging and size as the blush above.


First I picked face powder in the lightest shade named Ivory. The powder doesn't show up on my complexion so I didn't even bother to swatch it. It makes my skin look matte and flawless after application, through the day I put it over my face and it still looked nice, no cake face. I really like it but when it comes to the longevity it doesn't beat my beloved Catrice all matte powder. None the less this one is nice and worth those couple of Euros that I spent on it.


Next is blush in the Rosewood shade. I don't have a cheek product in such mauve color so I decided to give it a go. It is cool toned mauve that a lot of people love. My skin has yellow undertone and I was hesitant if it will pair nicely and I definitely have to be careful. A little bit under the cheekbones looks nice and maybe a bit of brighter, happier pink tone on the apples looks really good on me but the other day I tried it with a heavier hand all over my cheeks, no draping with different toned blushes (this experiment took place when I was home alone and done with working) and it didn't look good. My skin tone is just too warm to handle this particular color and it looks more berry toned and brighter than I like.


I think this type of shades look better on pale cool toned faces (applied with a light hand because it can look like a bruise) or deeper complexions. I will keep it for now and play some more with it in the future.


Otherwise it has a little sheen and some barely there shimmers. I like this type of finish, flat matte was never my thing.


Here I captured some of the tiny sparkles. The blush itself is pigmented but not too much (like Avon blushes which are packed with pigments, I know I tried three of them) so it is easy to pick it up with the brush and blend into the skin. The formula is really great but I only picked up this shade from the 'old' line, since then I already found the 'new' packaging with the completely new color range (they didn't just swap the packaging, the colors seem to be different and new) and I grabbed one more blush and I will see if they kept the same formula.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

09 May 2018

Sina and Selma

Hello,

if you haven't seen in my previous post, make-up brand L.O.V. is saying goodbye from us Slovenian shoppers. Everything on there is reduced and if you want to get something now is the last chance.


Last year I already picked up one of their lipsticks and at the beginning of this year I received another one so now when I tried two shades I think I can share my opinion on the Lipaffair color & care lipsticks from L.O.V.


Sina's Nude is a peachy nude shade that I picked up myself. I don't wear nude lipsticks often and I thought that this one looked nice enough for me to try on. It has a little bit of shimmer which is barely visible on the lips and it doesn't feel gritty.


The finish is creamy and it feels nice on the lips. Also they are very pigmented, all swatches are made with only two layers.


The other shade is Selma's Courage and it is a part of this years release called Brave Nudes. It is much deeper and reddish brown.


They both are housed in sleek black bullet with magnetic closure (it feels luxurious and expensive). The lipstick feels heavy in my hand and that adds more to that expensive feel.


Here you can see how pigmented and jet glossy they are even though the Sina's Nude looks a little too peachy here. The upper swatch is more true to the color in real life. Selma's Courage has zero shimmer and I think such a bold shade doesn't even need it.


They wear nicely through the day. The lighter one fades evenly and disappears after a couple of hours due to the light pigment while the darker one leaves a stain so even if I just apply clear balm it looks nice and even.

I would just like to address the scent which is barely there but it is plastic-y. I can only detect it when I apply it and then it disappears. Now when I have them for four/five months the scent is almost gone so I don't think that is such a drawback.

I checked the other shades and unfortunately none of them caught my attention so I won't be getting more, they also have matte ones but that is not my preffered finish so I left them for someone else.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day