31 December 2017

Empties

Hello,

this is the last empties post for this year. I tried to finish as many products up as possible so I will enter new year with less clutter but I still have a couple almost done products that will just have to get used up next year.


To get the big bottle out of the way lets start with this Got2B dry volume shampoo. I loved the one in a big hot pink can but it is no longer sold so when I saw these colorful bottles I just had to try at least one out. To me it smells like a baby powder with some fake coconut mixed in it, not the biggest fan but still better than Syoss or Aussie ones. It leaves white cast on the hair so I had to shake and massage my hair really well to make it less obvious. It managed to cover my greasy scalp pretty well and I thought that I would repurchase it but I found something better for even less (Batiste Blush scented dry shampoo  ;).

Balea Best Wishes Orange and Grapefruit multipurpose cream is the second one I used up. Last year at the exactly the same time I finished up the Freesia and Violet scent that I loved so very much and mostly used it as a night cream. This orange version was more fresh and citrusy, the texture was the same, very light and fast absorbing but I didn't use it often on my face but mostly on my dry hands. The scent and the fact that it is around two if not three years old made me rethink and just to avoid agitating my face I rather used it on my hands which aren't so sensitive. This scent is gone but a couple of months ago I bought Peach one and I'm so excited to see if I will like it better than the Freesia and Violet which was my favorite.

The little pot is The Body Shop Mango lip butter which was given to me by my big sis when she went abroad (that was before TBS was available is Slo.). This smells divine and I will probably get myself a full pot of body butter but it is expensive so I'm postponing. The lip balm had nice light texture which absorbed way to fast for my liking. I would use it at night to pamper my lips but when I woke up they were dry and thirsty. I noticed that it didn't do much so I won't repurchase it again but I would get some other product with the same scent because that was great.

My third Melvita Lily's oil has come to an end. I love how well it heals my acne scars and hyperpigmentation. It doesn't happen over night but if I use it every second day at night over my night moisturizer my imperfections disappear faster (it takes around two months for the bright red dot to heal as if I don't use the oil I can see it for months and they are really hard to cover up even with the best concealers). I will most definitely repurchase it for as long as I will have acne scars.

The last product on the photo is another beloved product but I lost track at how many I used up. It is Avon Care glycerine hand, nail and cuticle cream (I usually get the limited edition packaging, the ingredients are the same just the outside is a little more fun looking, I actually already saw the packaging for the Spring and I will stock up for sure). The cream is fast absorbing and super nourishing, my dad who has sand paper dry hands don't like it (he prefers much heavier and greasier Afrodita's creams but I can't stand them) but my mom, sister and I swear by it. Like I said this is the 'normal' packaging with barely there cream scent. In the Winter they just repackage them, they do the same in the Spring but often ad some sort of a scent. This Spring it will be Jasmine  ;)


I had way too many products to gather on just one photo so I split them. Here the first item is my beloved Avon SuperShock Max mascara in black. It separates, elongates and hold the curl on my lashes at he same time. It is one of my favorites with a reason and this is my third or forth used up tube.

My lips were on the verge of drying out so I pampered them with a lot of oils. At night I would use Essence prettifying I care for you, Honey! lip oil. The scent is so lovely and soothing, it stayed on all the way till the morning when I would brush my teeth and apply fresh coat of Catrice luxury lips intensive care gloss oil in Rosachella Festival. This had a barely there scent/taste and it didn't last as long but I think it was a little better at moisturizing. They both carry very little product, Essence 4 ml and the Catrice just 3 ml so they were gone super fast but my lips are soft and nourished (I have one more from Catrice and four from Essence left, when they will be gone I will have to find something similar, in the near future Catrice will have a limited edition with two lip oils, I hope they will be any good).

On the top there is Catrice camouflage cream concealer in 010 Ivory. I fell in love with this baby the first time I used it. The shade is perfect for me and the slight yellow undertone matches me to the T. The coverage is fantastic and never too obvious. I already bought myself a backup and I hope they will never discontinue it (they will move out the three colored versions, yellow, pink and green so if you are into color correcting get them before the are gone for good).


This is one of my oldest eye shadows and I still like the two colors but they don't perform as good as they used to so I decided to declutter them. It is Avon duo in Healthy Glow (it is still available under the same name just the pans are now squared). The first shade is that typical champagne gold that I use so very often but now it has a major fallout and is just unusable. Golden shimmer end up everywhere so I just don't want to bother with it anymore plus I have so many other golden colors that I can use. The other one is a beautiful deep chocolate brown with some golden shimmer. I find it to be a bit dark so I started to crumble it and mixing it with another peachy shade to create custom shade that I actually really love to use. I still decided to toss it because I bought two duos at the same time, the other being Nutmeg Shimmer (no longer sold) and it has the exact same dark brown shade in it.


The very last item is Essence long lasting eye pencil in Cool Down. Beautiful bright blue shade but I rarely wore it on its own. I usually applied it over a black because otherwise it is a little too vivid for me. This formula is fantastic and for my hooded lids that tend to smudge almost every pencil this one stood the test of times and stayed put. I would buy some more shades from this line but I just figured it out that this line of pencils is discontinued!!!! They probably replaced them with the wooden Extreme lasting line and I already have one shade from it and it is also great so I guess I shouldn't be so very upset.




Thank you for reading and I wish you a happy new year!!!  :)

30 December 2017

Project Polish

Hello,

I'm back with my last (for this year) project polish post.
I have picked this beautiful berry Avon Color Trend Deluxe shade.


It is cream, no shimmers or glitters but it doesn't need it. If you like rich berry shades then you know that they are beautiful on its own and don't need any distraction.


On the nails it looks a bit brighter than in the bottle but I don't mind. I figure it out that the polishes within CT range have a bit bushier brushes and I have a bit of a trouble applying them nicely. That and the fact that I have a similar shade with better brush made this beauty stand in the corner forgotten so when I tried to use it it was all goopy and stringy. I'm sad to toss it but at least I have another shade in very similar color. Next year I'm gonna focus on it and try to use it up completely so it won't end up half way full like this baby.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

16 December 2017

Empties

Hello,

this is going to be second to last empties post in this ending year. Do you feel nostalgic already or are you one of those people who can't wait till next year?
If I'm honest I'm a bit scared because big decisions and steps are ahead of me and change always manages to freak me out. I can only hope and pray that everything will end up well for me. To cheer myself up a bit I always start taking better care of my skin and hair which will be evident in my next posts.


First product is old Catrice Ultimate Shine Gel Colour Lipstick in the Don't fear the Sheer shade. This line of lippies was so very moisturizing and comfortable to wear, when they discontinued them in 2015 I bought a bunch of them, I kept most of them for myself (I have 4 more to go through) but I gave some to my mom and sister and they both loved them as well. If I could get my hands on more of them I definitely would, in fact all three of us would.

Next is Burt's Bees replenishing Pomegranate lip balm, it smells amazingly fruity but the texture was a bit too light for me. I prefer greasier balms that lasts on the lips, this one stayed on for about 15 minutes and then I had to reapply. By the end of the day my lips were dry and thirsty. It looks red but on the lips it was clear. They cost a little more (a little more than 4 €) and for me they are definitely not worth it, I had much better balms for less.


Don't fear the Sheer lipstick, Blush lip shine and Soft Peach lip gloss

Another Burt's Bees product has been 'finished' in the shade Blush. It is evident from the photo that there is still a lot of product left and that is because it went bad. The scent is still very fruity and sweet but it has formed some kind of texture but if I rub my lips together they dissolve. I'm not sure what it is but since I know that it is a bit older I'm tossing it. It was sheer but so very glossy, very 'my' kind of gloss but again not worth the price tag. On the swatch photo it is the one in the middle.

The last lip product in this post is from Avon and it is one of their Ultra Glazewear Absolute gloss in the Soft Peach shade (last swatch). I absolutely adore this line of moisturizing glosses (so sad that they are gone) and the peachy shade was lovely but my favorite remains the Renewing Rose which is muted mauve color.

This is my second Lush fresh face mask (I used up two pots of Cosmetic Catastrophe which I adore) and this time I opted for a different kind called Cosmetic Warrior. It is meant for oily, acne prone skin which I have. It has a lot of garlic and tea tree oil in it and the scent can be a little much sometimes. It felt like a gentle clay mask but I haven't noticed any results. The other mask C.W. actually did something for my skin so next time I will rather pick that one out.

I was pampering my hair a lot and I don't want to brag but my hair haven't look better. I have to thank this oil a lot, it is Avon Advance Technique Smooth as Silk hair oil that makes my hair instantly less frizzy, more smooth, sleek and less dry. One pump is enough to nourish my almost waist length hair. I have tried two more oils from Avon's AT line and this one is my favorite. I already bought myself a backup.

The last item is Afrodita's Cosmetics Hydra Thermal Hyaluronic acid hydra active concentrate which feels almost like a gel and it absorbs really fast into the skin. I figured that if I used it a couple of days in a row it broke me out so I used it sparingly on my face but I slather it on my neck and chest area (not so sensitive and it gave my skin some moisturizing boost). I won't be repurchasing it again but I do have some other Hyaluronic acid serums that I need to go through and I will see how my skin will react to those.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day


13 December 2017

I care for you, Honey, First help Pinky and SOS, my heart

Hello,

this post is long overdue. I bought these products back in August and and I'm almost done with one of them but I haven't talked about them jet.


They are the fabulous Essence prettifying lip oils in I care for you, Honey, First help Pinky and SOS, my heart.



They only carry 4 ml of product but the Catrice ones were even smaller, just 3 ml. They have the regular lip gloss dove foot applicator but it works because oils are a little more liquid than glosses.


As you can see they aren't very pigmented, in fact on the lips they don't even show up. No matter the shade my lips look juicy and shiny without any color. Even after a whole day of wearing them they leave no tint behind. The scent is very fruity and candy like and I'm loving it (the Catrice ones were supposed to be scented but weren't really), they also lasts longer but aren't as moisturizing as the ones from the sister brand.
For me they are very close but for an everyday wear I prefer the Essence prettifying oils but if my lips feel dry and are chapped then I reach for the Catrice ones. I think it is a shame that they discontinued them because they were both so very good but they had them in this everything matte era so I guess a lot of people overlooked them. I can only pray that people and brands will come around and started to enjoy glossy lip again as much as I do.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

10 December 2017

Presents

Hello,

our Cosnova team surprised me again with two lovely products from the latest Essence LE.


The first one is from the Winter dreamin' collection which is just coming out so you should have no issues finding everything you want. I received the 2 in 1 highlighter and blush powder in a lovely peach shade named A December to remember. What you see is the highlighter, it looks very peachy and I'm not so sure if it will work purely as a highlighter but I will try it and let you know. Underneath is the blush which is deeper in tone but also shimmery. I will try to upload the review as soon as possible with more photos.

The product next to it is a lipstick from the Counting Stars collection (you should hurry because this stand is being replaced by the Winter dreamin' line, I was trying to find the eye shadow and highlighter palette but was too late in two stores). There are two available shades, red one and the bright purple. Mine is the later and is named Shine Bright. For me this is a very unusual shade but I gave it a go. I will report back after a couple of days of wearing it.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

03 December 2017

Black Friday Madness

Hello,

Black Friday is already behind us, did you indulge yourself? I know I did. I really needed new boots which I bought with a whooping discount but there was also a drugstore next to it and naturally I went in and didn't walk out empty handed. I actually bought more stuff but some of them are 'boring' necessities or gifts for the upcoming holidays.


I wanted to try the famous EOS sphere balms for so long that I decided to finally snatch them on sale. I wanted to see what is this whole craze over the Pumpkin Space flavour and since it was only available in a set with the Vanilla Bean I picked up the set (I still haven't decided if the Pumpkin Spice scent is okay or I hate it, I will report back after I actually try it).

Labello came out with their version as well and they call them Labellino and since I'm a mint fan I picked the Mint scented one.

In the corner there are my new Real Techniques 2 miracle complexion sponges. The one I'm using right now from Bell cosmetics is great but getting old so I will soon need to replace it and everyone seems to love these orange ones so I hope they will live up to the hype for me as well.


I had my eyes locked on this Essence mosaic compact powder in Sunkissed Beauty for way too long. I'm a sucker for anything multitoned and this bronzer looked light enough for my pale complexion.

The L'occitane Terre de Lumiere radiant balm was an impulse purchase. I went in to only buy some gifts for my loved ones, I didn't want to buy anything for myself but I started talking with the sales lady about the already discontinued Acacia line. She offered me this hand cream to sniff saying that it has similar notes but to her it smells even better. I'm tempted to go back and buy the perfume...(for myself) needles to say that the scent is gorgeous ;).


The last items are new, revamped Catrice Art Couleurs single eye shadows. They feel buttery soft to the touch and I picked four shades, not that I need more. The darkest, bronzey shade is called Mademoiselle Chic, next to it on the top is Like and Subscribe, grey with pink reflex. I think my favorite is softer, bronze shade named Chocolate Cake by the Ocean and the last one at the bottom is the highlighting shade called Metallic Lights.

I'm planing to make individual posts with all of these products after I try them sometimes in the near future.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

30 November 2017

Empties

Hello,

wow, this month really went by too fast. It is already the last day of Autumn and we are entering Mr. Winter tomorrow. I collected a handful amount of make-up, skin care, body care, hair care and even one nail treatment.


I will start with an Avon Clearskin blemish clearing bubble cleanser. I remember having one before in a different packaging but the concept is the same. It is liquid but when you press it down the light foam comes up which cleansed my face nicely, it wasn't too drying but I used it up way too fast. I think it lasted me only one month and I won't repurchase it again.

Next is L'oreal Micellar water which is already a repurchase. I like it a lot, it cleanses my skin and it is cheap. I received the new version of it which is now housed in a round bottle and the size is twice as big. I think it will last me for a long time and probably I will repurchase it again or maybe I will try something new.

In the green bottle is already discontinued Avon naturals Great Burdock and Nettle hair mist. It smells fresh like a forest after rain and it instantly makes my hair less frizzy and smoother, the effect doesn't last for long but it is a nice and quick 'fixer' and because it is not oil based I can use a little more and I'm not afraid of oily hair. This is my third bottle of it and I have one more backup left and after that one is gone it is gone.

In the little red tube is Yves Rocher Cranberry cooling effect face mask. I had it for a couple of years and maybe because it was a bit older I didn't noticed any cooling effect on my skin so I just used it up but I haven't noticed any difference so I won't be repurchasing again.

Now, Holika Holika Petite Essential BB cream was one of my absolute favorites and they don't make it anymore. They first replaced it with Bouncing one which was nothing like this and now they cleared all of them out and have a completely new Lolipop line. This baby was pigmented and so easy to spread, it covered my imperfections, I just had to set it well to stick it onto my face. The color was nice and fair but I sometimes mixed it with something lighter to adapt to my skin color better. I would definitely repurchase it again if it would still be around.

Under orange tube of perfection is pink Avon Anew Vitale BB cream which was a bit of a flop compared with the HH one. It was light but on my face it turned too pink after some minutes plus the coverage was so light that only people with already perfect skin could use it and be happy. I still used it up but on my neck just to connect my face with the rest of my body. I'm glad that it is gone and I have some other BB creams that disappointed me with low coverage that I can use on my neck and will replace this one.

The only one nail product is this old Avon nail experts adhesive base coat. Some time ago I added some golden nail polish to create my custom golden shimmery top coat but I didn't like it at all so I still used it as a base coat under my colored nail polishes and now I finally used it all up.

Melvita Damask Rose floral water was nice. I like the toners in spray bottles to refresh my make-up after I'm done with my cream products. I find that a little spritz of toner helps everything blend better together and absorbe into my skin so the result is more natural. Afterward I powder my skin and apply my mascara and I'm done. I find reaching for this trick more in the cooler months but even in the hot Summer sometimes a little refreshment is crucial. This particular bottle was a gift with purchase and in the past I already went through one of them already but I have to admit that I prefer the Lavender one a little better.

The very last item is the Rituals Touch of Happines ultra rich, whipped body cream. I loved the sweet orange and cedar wood scent which is so very 'me'. It was comforting and relaxing but I went through it way too fast. I don't think I would repurchase it even though this brand would be available to me. In general I adore their product but the price tags are a bit high so I usually get them as gifts from my lovely sister when she travels and brings them back to me as souvenirs.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day




27 November 2017

Multitalent Wonder lip liner

Hello,

I'm not the kind of person who wears lip liner on a daily base but if I do it is usually the clear one. I had one from Essence and it was wooden pencil which won me over. So when they replaced them with the one in the plastic case shown below I had to get it and see if the formula is still the same.


Essence invisible kiss lip liner in the Multitalent Wonder 'shade'. It is a clear liner with a waxy consistency.


It is quite thin and prone to breaking, something I didn't need to worry about when it was available in the wooden form. I also have a feeling that this one is weaker, it works but not as intense as the old one  ;(  I still use it on days when my lips feels and looks dry or even cracked because the pencil with its waxy formula will fill in the wrinkles and seal the flakes so the whatever product I'm applying on top of it will glide smoother. I still think it works but the older one was better. Now even these are discontinued and I got in total three of them and eventually I will use them up, now in cooler months even faster. After I will be done with them I will have to look for an alternative because now Essence don't even have transparent liner in its collection but I think Catrice has one and I know Avon also carry one.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

25 November 2017

Avon True bronzing pearls in Medium Tan and Cool

Hello,

Summer is way gone and I'm so behind with my make-up testing. I bought these two fellas right when they came out and I think it was at the begging of the summery season.


They are the 'new' shades from the Avon True bronzing pearls make-up line. They came out with four shades and I bought two of them. For me they are a mix of highlighters and bronzers well at least on of the shades is a mix, the other one is a straight up highlighter.


The first one is Medium Tan and it is pretty golden, you will be able to see it on the swatches. In the packaging pearls are in three different shades of beige and brown but the overall look that they give is very shimmery.
The pot next to it is simply called Cool and holds peachy pink tinted pearls. This one is lighter and definitely cooler toned.


I think Medium Tan would be better for medium skin tones, think olive undertone as the golden shift will compliment them the best and the right version in Cool would be better for cooler skin tones but I think it is more versatile because it doesn't have that whole lot of 'base' color. I think fair and medium skin tones could pull it off.


This is how they look on my pale complexion and the Medium Tan pulls very orange on me so I basically only wore it as a bronzer/blush topper because it is too pigmented to be worn on high points of my face.


On the other hand I love the Cool version even though I have a lot of yellow therefore warm undertone. I think this more of a pinky-white sheen complimented my pale complexion well and I was even able to pair it with a lot of different blushes. I wish I would test them sooner and just return the Medium Tan shade but I was too late and I will try to find other uses for it (think eye shadow).

They have two other shades but I have a very strong feeling that they will be way too dark for me so I won't even bother with ordering them.


Than you for reading and have a nice day

15 November 2017

Empties

Hello,

I know it has been a while but I'm back, back with another empties post just to let you know I'm still alive and kicking.


In the past I bought two body washes from Balea but the scents turned out to be very plastic and gross. This one on the other hand changed my mind. Jamaica vibes smelled like fresh pineapples and the scent lasted all the way till the end. If I could still find it in the store I would repurchase it in a heartbeat.

Next bottle is Avon naturals Apricot and Shea body lotion which is one of my favorites from this line. I don't find naturals lotions from Avon to be the most moisturizing but I buy them because of the scent. I can't remember through how many bottles of this scent I already went through (three or four and I still have one full backup left) but if it would still be available I would get more.



Lush makes this amazing fresh mask called Catastrophe cosmetic.  It contains chunks of blueberries and when it dries the texture remind me of clay ones but apparently it doesn't contain any. My skin right afterwards feels soft, smooth and nourished, the next day I can notice my acne being reduced and less swollen. For me this mask does 'miracles' but it doesn't feel too strong or abrasive. Right now I have another one (Cosmetic warrior) in my fridge but I can already tell you that CC will be the one I will buy the next time I visit the store.

For a couple of years I have been loyal to Avon deodorants but just for fun I decided to get something different, something to break the routine. I decided to get Dove Original moisture cream anti-perspirant. First of all the scent is just what I like, it smells fresh like I just got out of the shower and after a long day of sweating my armpits still smell fresh. The creamy consistency absorbs fast and right after applying it I could get dressed and it didn't leave marks on my dark clothes. I seriously don't have any negative things to say about it. I went to the store and wanted to get the same scent only in a roll-on version (just because I always used this type and I started to miss it) but I decided to get different scent which I ended up loving just as much as this one but the cream is definitely more moisturizing and it absorbs faster.

A while ago I purchased this Yves Rocher instant youthful effect foundation in the shade 100 beige.  I have a full review of it here. I like the natural finish, the undertone matched me but the shade itself was a bit dark for me (that was before I got lightening drops). It worked with my skin pretty well in the cooler months when my skin wasn't excessively oily but in the Summer it didn't control my oils enough and I stopped using it and started replacing with with other products. This past week I remembered that this is still around and I wanted to start using it again but it started to separate really badly so I think it is time to let go of it.


The very last item is this Manhattan colour splash liquid lip tint in the shade Hint of Pink. It has  a very strong fruity scent and liquid texture which absorbs fast when you are applying it. The texture doesn't allow you to go over it once the first layer is drying. The color at first looks soft but give it a minute or two and it will turn into a bright fuchsia pink. I think that the formula was pretty long lasting but it was the bright shade that didn't suit my everyday mood so I rarely used it. I think I used it only once or twice this year and I know myself, I know I would rarely use it so I might as well just toss it and rather use lippies that suits me better.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

31 October 2017

Empties

Hello,

this time I feel like my empties post is really big. In total there are 12 products and I have to contain myself otherwise I could write a novel about them.


So first it is Alverde hand cream with Mango and Mandarin scent (it was part of a Summer set which contained besides this cream also a body wash and a lotion packed in a see through cup which you can reuse to keep your drinks). The scent on this cream was great, very fruity and the formula absorbed quickly but I don't think it was the best moisturizer for my dry hands and I won't repurchase it again, if there is still some of the sets left.

Avon used to make these Foot Works all in one pedicure which were awesome (this is my second used up tube and I have one more backup left). Basically it is a light lotion with tons of scrubbing particles. I recommend using it in the shower in the morning when your feet are still clean and dry, you massage it in until the cream is completely absorbed and then just rinse off the particles. My feet always looked so nice and were really soft, I especially loved it in the Summer because the excess of the cream was washed off so my feet weren't sliding in my open toed shoes. They don't make it anymore but the last time I saw a tube that could contain something similar.

Next is another Avon Foot Works product but this one is the Papaya scented scrub. I don't use these on my feet because I can barely feel them but I rather use them on my face. The scent is very pleasant and there is tons of particles that actually do something, I just have to be careful not to rub too vigorously. I always buy these when the scents gets on sale so I get them for even cheaper but I would gladly repurchase this scent if it would still be available.

Avon X-series Recharged body deodorant spray. Well, the name is confusing isn't it? Is it a body spray? A lighter version of a perfume or it will mask my body odor if I use it on my armpits? I liked the perfume (which I still have even though it is a male scent) but something about this heavy masculine scent mixed in with my sweat just didn't do it for me. I have learned my lesson, never buy perfume inspired deodorants because it will make you hate the scent. I still have another one to go through and after that I'm done with heavily fragranced deodorants or antiperspirants.

Le Couvent des Minimes smile lip balm in the mint scent is stationed right in the middle. I purchased it because my sister loves the Pear scent (now they changed them and Mint is no longer available also now they have the Pear & Apple scent). That in front of it is a paper sticker which gets a bit messy if you wash your products from time to time or just hold them in the heat with sweaty hands. I liked the cooling minty sensation but I wish it would be stronger (I'm a big big mint lip product fan). Otherwise the product itself was clear and glossy but not exceptionally moisturizing so I will save 12€ or however it costs and rather spent it on better lip care products.

Next is Alkmene tea tree face wash. I don't mind the tea tree scent but this one got a bit weirder when I started approaching the end of the bottle so I make sure I used it up as fast as possible. I had the same packaging issue as I had with the Alp Stories face wash. The product is too liquid for this pump. The pump makes it convenient right? But if you don't hold the bottle in one hand and tilt it to an 45 degree angle the product will spill down the packaging and best of luck to you to scrape it off. I know that isn't that big of a deal but I'm lazy and if a packaging is promising me convenience I expect it to work that way. Other than that I don't have anything bad to say about the product itself. I pretty much always remove majority of my make up with a baby wipe so the face wash that I use afterwards just have to make sure every last bit of make-up is gone. On some lazy days I used it on a face full of make-up and it didn't completely removed my foundation or mascara but that is also not what I'm looking for in a face wash but if you do than this is not for you. I rubbed it all over my eyes and it didn't irritate them, I could even open them up and nothing happened so you have to give it some props for that. My skin felt fresh after using it but not tight, it removed all of my oils but it didn't gave me that unpleasant squeaky clean feeling. I have some others to go through but this could find its way back into my routine.

I'm testing some 'new' dry shampoos and recently I found this guy in my drugstore and two different scents lured me into purchasing these two colorful bottles (the other one is Tropical fragrance and I haven't tried it jet). Colab Unicorn fragrance dry shampoo smells very heavy at first, it remind me of a luxury products that are used in hair saloons. After a couple of minutes the scant settles but I can smell it all day long as I move my hair around and I like that a lot. I don't care that much about the packaging but I wish it would be a bit cheaper (it is more expensive that the Batiste) but I repurchased this scent just last week so I guess it is worth it.

I went through another body moisturizer and this time it is Avon naturals Green Apple Blossom body lotion which isn't available anymore. I think it is a couple of years old and I have that tendency to buy nicely scented stuff and then just leave them sitting in my closet or shelves because they seem too precious to use. The naturals lotions are nicely scented but not very moisturizing if you have dry skin, I just buy them because of the scents and this one was very light, barely there. Maybe that is because I kept it for too long or maybe it was just meant to be light. But in all fairness it did smelled just like the fresh green apples in the Autumn. I have decided to pull the breaks on buying lotions for now and try to use as much as possible because the one and only The Body Shop is coming to Slovenia. At first there will only be an online store but I don't care. I cheek their official page every day to see if the store is already opened and when it will I know I will place an order and buy some body butters that they are so famous for.

The last tube is my favorite Neutrogena oil free face cream. I can't remember if this is my third or second used up tube. It is very lightweight but moisturizing at the same time, great for under the make-up and it didn't cause me any irritations so when I was in the store and I couldn't find it I freaked out a bit. I did bought another tube that looks similar and I hope that they just changed the packaging and didn't touch the formula.

I have used up another pot of the Essence matt translucent face powder. I love this compact, it doesn't keep my face matte all day long but I can apply it on top of my make-up and it doesn't look cakey which is the case with most of other powders that I have tried. I already repurchased it and the 'new' one is already showing some pan.

Second to last is Avon kohl eye pencil in Bronze about which I talked here. I was very disappointed with how hard it was and I'm surprised at how long I kept it. I bought it sometime in May last year, I used it a couple of times, reviewed it and then I have never touched it again. Now I started to clean my make-up storage and I knew it was time for this fella to meet the Mr. Bin.

The very last item is a good one. I felt like it would be nice to finish on a positive note. I know I already used one of these pots before so I was excited to use this one again. It is Avon Anew Hydro advance moisture gel cream, very light and fast absorbing. It made my skin soft and nourished, sometimes I used it under my make-up but I rather used it at night with a drop or two of oil on top. I think it paired really well with oils and I already miss it. I found it in the brochure but I still have a couple of creams to go through but as soon as they are gone I'm getting myself another pot of this goodness.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

29 October 2017

New in

Hello,

a little shopping has been made. I had some discounts and I just take advantage of it, I feel no regrets about it and if you would ask me if I really needed two new highlighters, my answer would be yes, I did.


I have nothing from Sante so I took a look at their stand and saw a beautiful blush but I resisted, instead I swatched two of their beautifying highlighters and decided to get the beige one called Nude (they also have the more pink version of it).

Next is Terra Naturi highlighter. I already have and adore the shade Golden Highlight (everyone's favorite including myself) but when I was googling I saw that there was another, darker shade available and how surprised I was when it suddenly appeared in the store. This oddly looking one is called African dream and I'm so very excited to start playing with it.

Next are the two Catrice Camouflage concealers which are backups already. The liquid one is a different shade though, the one above is Porcelain (the one that I'm using right now is Light Beige and it is a little light for me, I use it under my eyes to brighten them up but I can't use it all over my face) and I hope it will be a little darker so it will match me perfectly and I will be able to use it all over my face. Cream concealer is perfect but a little heavy in the cooler months so I use liquid one under my eyes and cream all over my face and the shade Ivory matches me and since my pot is nearly done I bought myself a backup.

The last item is Neutrogena visibly clear oil free face cream. I used up two or three tubes of it already (you will see the empty one in my empties) and when I went to the store I couldn't find it anywhere instead I saw this one. The tube is slightly different color and all in German but I hope it is the same product inside because that cream really suited me and I will be bummed if they changed the formula.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

15 October 2017

Empties

Hello,

I feel like I'm tossing a lot of products away lately which is good and bad at the same time. I'm talking about items that aren't done completely and I'm getting rid of them because they went bad (I have way too many products) or because I realized that my taste changed and I don't want to wear them anymore.


That being explained I will start with the Himalaya purifying neem face mask. I had another clay mask from the same brand in the past called Clarina and I liked it a lot but it was very intense. It felt like it was burning my skin off while it was on my face but the next day my skin looked much better. I would say that this one is more mild, it didn't burn but at the same time it made my skin more clear and smooth. Maybe it wasn't as efficient after just one use but it was more comfortable so I will repurchase this one in the future. Right now I will try to go through the pure green clay that I have and after that I will get myself another tube of this one.

Next one is Balea hand and nail chamomile cream. It is very small, only 30 ml but I think they sell it in bigger size as well. I bought it only because I used up the hand cream I had at work and I just knew that my hands won't go through 8 hour shift without a moisturizer so I ran to the drugstore which is just around the corner and got myself a mini because I have tons of lotions at home. It had a lovely calming chamomile scent and it did absorb fast but after I washed my hands they were still dry. I think it was just sitting on my skin and did nothing. The scent alone is not enough to repurchase it but I will look what other brands have to offer in that scent.



Next are the two blushes and nether of them is used up. They are the oldest ones and I rarely use them so I just decided to toss them. I don't think I will miss them since I used them so rarely.



The peachy-coral is Skin Food Cheek Chalk in Peach shade. This is a cream blush and it comes with a little sponge which I found useful until I washed it the second time. It started to fall apart so I tossed it but then I had to stick my fingers in it and I didn't use it much. The opening is small and if you have long nails then you know the struggle. I have a lot of similar blushes in powder forms that I prefer to use so I couldn't justify this little pot anymore.

Second one is Tony Moly delight petite blusher in the Petite Peach color. It is a hot cool toned pink color and where I live we don't have peaches in that color, at first I thought that they messed my order but that is the actual color of the product. I have warm undertone and such a cool pink doesn't suit me and I think I never wore it in public, I tried to make it work but with no success. It looks all adorable when you get it because it comes with a large fluffy puff (imagine old fashioned powder boxes, they had this type of 'applicator' or think of a polar bear fluff). I immediately washed it (I don't know who have been toughing it) and it started to shed like crazy so I never used in. It was a bit of a bummer but what really seal the deal was the shade that just didn't match with my skin tone.

On the bottom there is my second tube of Avon true color supreme length nourishing mascara in brown/black (only because I bought two when they came out and before trying it out). For me this was average, it made my lashes a little darker and combed through but still very natural to the point that my co-worker asked me why I don't wear any mascara! Seriously? It does look natural but does it look like nothing? Well, I could see it but it didn't give me the fake lash effect so I was happy that it finally dried up and now I'm using one of my favorites (Avon supershock max) and boy, oh boy I can see a big difference.


For last I saved the two eye pencils.
The little one is Essence Blossoms etc. LE in the shade I like. I would never get a shade like that but I won a giveaway and it was sent to me. It was a cool toned green with silver shimmer which I mostly wore on top of black pencils to give some sparkle and now at the end I wore it all over the lid as a secondary base to make warm shadows a little less warm or yellow. It was nice for cooling down the looks but at the same time I'm super happy to see it gone because it was several years old.

The silver one is Avon Color Trend in Silver and probably my oldest one in my collection. I remember I used to love it but now I hardly ever wear cool toned eye shadows and even when I do I prefer to use the simple black or grey pencil and this one was just left in the back forgotten. I  decided to pick it up but it got very dry and I don't want to hurt my eyes and skin with it so it is going in the bin, I have plenty of other pencils that I love and would rather use.


They are both very reflective but the green Essence one has silver shimmer in it while the Color Trend one is metallic with no visible particles. I remember it was part of the Valentine's Day collection many, many moons ago but they still make great soft pencils under this line. I only wish they would expand the color selection because now it is a bit generic but the formula is still buttery soft.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

14 October 2017

Catrice Sun Glow Mineral Bronzing Powder

Hello,

this bronzer started collecting dust on my shelf. I think I purchased it sometimes in May and only now I kicked myself in the butt to finally write about it.


Catrice Sun Glow Mineral Bronzing Powder is what I will talk about today. I heard a lot of people praising it, they were saying that it is very light and appropriate for fair skin tones and it is not a flat matte but it has some sheen to it, all of these things intrigued me into buying it.


It is slightly marbled and I'm a total sucker for it. It ads some uniqueness to the product and makes me feel like I own a product like no other.


In the pan it looks nice, light but also it pulls a bit orange so I was cautious. I approached it like it would be a wild animal. It has a strong pigmentation and I always make sure to tap the excess off.


On a heavy swatch (on the face I make sure that it is blended in and not as stark as it is on my arm) you can see that orange-y tone that I try to avoid. I feel that it looks even more unnatural on my pretty yellow toned face so I haven't been reaching for it all that much.


But I have to admit that it has lovely sheen, not a full on shimmer but a nice glow. Too bad that the base color is a little too off for my face.

I have this bronzer since May and I only used it a handful times, I think it is time to part with it because there is someone who will really enjoy using it unlike myself. Catrice replaced this particular bronzer with another one which looks darker and more brown toned in the pan, it also has an unique pattern to it so for sure I spent my money on it and soon I will get to using it and review on this blog will follow.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

09 October 2017

Shopping...

Hello,

I'm a weak person. One drugstore is having 30% off of certain make-up items and I felt the need to buy some. I tried to do the minimal damage but when everything is laying in front of me it looks like a lot.


These two Trend it up palettes are the first two items from this brand. I wanted to dip my toes in it and got the two cheek palettes. I remember I already swatched them before and I wasn't too impressed, now I saw them on sale and I picked them up as fast as possible. I'm really weak. I convinced myself that if the colors won't work for my face I can still use the as an eye shadows, right? The top one is no. 010 and all matte the bottom one is named no. 020 and it is more of a highlighter palette because of the all shimmery shades.

Big round pots are Alverde marbled duo bronzer in Soft Bronze which looks very fair even on my pale complexion so I hope it will even show up. I only swatched it in the store so I don't know if it will be an actual bronzer or just an all over the face powder for me.  The blush is one of the two newer ones and it is baked blush in Peachy Bronze. I love everything marbled and baked so this one was a no brainer for me.

The last two lip products are both from Rimmel and the first is the lipstick, I for sure don't need more but it reminded me so much of my beloved Essence sheer and shine lippies that I had to get at least one to try it out. Funny enough, even the names of the lines are similar. It is Moisture renew sheer and shine in the color Glow-rious Pink and it is a soft glossy pink. I can't wait to start wearing it and compare it to the Essence one. The second one is a Oh my gloss! oil tint in the master Pink shade. I only swatched it at the back of my hand and the idea of a glossy and moisturizing oil combined with a stain seemed interesting enough to proceed to the checkout.

That was day one, on the other day and different store I went on a shadow mayhem.


My first Rimmel shadows. The quad is Smokey Brun (yep, that is the name of it). To the touch these four shadows are like silk, the softest and most buttery shadows that I have ever touched. I think I won't even use brushes with them. The other mono one is super popular and seeing it in person it doesn't really screams I'm special but I can see the appeal. Very neutral with a beautiful shimmer through, easy all over the lid kind of shade that I'm a fan of and even though I haven't tried it yet I think we will get along very well. Oh, I almost forgot it is called Millionaire, for some reason I call it Billionaire   ;)

The rest are all Trend it up shades and the 'regular' ones, the 7 of them weren't even on sale so I didn't 'need' to pick them up right away but I didn't know that before purchasing them. Anyways, I bought (in order of appearance) 010, 060, 067, 080, 110 and 070.

The last three are all Trend it up but from different lines. I thought picking only one from each line will get me a glimpse of the textures and quality without wasting too much money. The first from the bottom is Elastic shadow in 020 shade. I actually wanted the more taupe/grey shade but it was already all swatched up even though there was a sample to get your fingers in. Why do nasty people feel the need to ruin brand new products even if there are opened samples? I will never understand this phenomenal. Next to it is a scarabeo no. 010 line which I think is in the process of getting discontinued if that is so then the metallic line is replacing it, mine is in the no. 030.

I have a lot on my plate to try out but it is the sweetest suffer, don't you think?




Thank you for reading and have a nice day


07 October 2017

Creamy Melon

Hello,

lip products are still one of my favorite make-up items and sometimes I just can't resist buying them. The particular lipstick is already discontinued but sometimes it still pops up and you are able to get some. I already have one shade and the formula suits me very well so I decided to get the shade I was lusting for for a long time.


It is Avon Ultra Color Absolute lipstick in Creamy Melon shade. I'm not crazy about the pink packaging but if the product inside is nice then I don't mind it.


The shade looks like it would be a nice peachy coral number but it swatches differently on my skin and lips. The formula is very creamy and glossy but at the same time it is very pigmented. I don't recommend it in darker or bolder shades but in more neutral tones this formula is very moisturizing and lovely.


On my skin tone this shows up like an orange lipstick and it was not what I expected. I still tried to wear it but orange lips just aren't for me, I don't feel comfortable knowing that this is on my lips. I ended up returning it. I still like the formula on these and I hope that Avon will bring them back and if they do, I hope there will be my kind of coral in the bunch.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

30 September 2017

Empties

Hello,

the end of the month is here and it is time to discard all of the empty packaging that I collected in the past two weeks.


Terra Naturi Pomegranate body lotion. They say it is limited edition but I bought it at least last year if it is not even older and it is still available. I loved the relaxing scent of pomegranate and I can detect some of that typical 'cream' scent which I find very comforting and nice. Was it moisturizing? I think it was, nothing super hydrating but good enough for my skin. At the moment I have loads of lotions that I have to go through first but if it will be available when I will clear out my stash I would repurchase it.

Next to it is the second body moisturizer for the month and it is Avon Planet SPA Moroccan Romance with Rose oil body oil. It had that typical rose scent that I'm crazy about but this line was available for only a short amount of time. I did bought myself a backup and when that will be gone I'm sure I will be able to find something similar in the drugstore.

There in the special packaging is my favorite hand cream which is Avon Care glycerine hand and nail cream. This absorbs fast, doesn't leave greasy residue and helps calm down and moisturize my hands like nothing else plus it is very cheap. I always have this one in stock and this time it is not an exception.

The last tube is Avon Anew Vitale eye cream. It had a thin formula which absorbed fast and it did hydrate my skin. The only issue I had with it was that it irritated my eyes sometimes. It is not that I put it too close to my eyeball but I figure it out that when it absorbed it irritated my eyes from the inside. I know that because the burning feeling happened after a couple of minutes of applying it and even when I was rinsing them it didn't help that much. I learned my lesson and apply very little at the time and that is how I avoided the nasty feeling but it also took me a while to finish it up. Needles to say that I won't repurchase it.

Alerde makes this Rosehip face oil that I love so much. It only comes in 15 ml packaging but it has a nice pump to get just the right amount. I have been a fan of it for years and it really helped to calm down my skin so it is not as red and irritated. I talked about it here  and I still agree with it. The next time I will be at the drugstore I will pick another bottle.

The very last item is Artdeco eye shadow base. It is skin colored (it matches my fair skin) and it has some silver shimmer which doesn't bother me because I usually opt for shimmery look anyways but if I decide to wear matte on the lids my shadows are capable of covering the shimmer up. I tried a couple of primers and nothing worked until I stumbled upon this one. It looks tiny but it also lasted me for more than two years, you simply don't need that much of it. The last time I was in the drugstore and I actually wanted to pick it up they had 30 % off of everything and I got myself a new one which is just as good as this used one (you know, sometimes they change the formula when you're not looking and thankfully they didn't do that with this little pot of magic).




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

29 September 2017

Project polish

Hello,

last month I gave two nail varnishes away and this moth I only used up one and even that one is small 5 ml bottle. I wore it quite a lot lately and even though I was constantly repainting the same color I didn't get too sick of it. I blame the unusual finish. Keep on reading to see what I mean.


I still don't know if these are Volare or Joy nail polishes. Is that the same brand just different name? Anyways, they don't have an individual stand but all of the polishes are tossed in a large see through bowl with a ridiculous low price tag.
I remember seeing these speckled ones on a blog and went into the store to get some for myself but I was only able to found one. They don't have names so I named it Strawberry Yogurt.


It is cool toned light pink with lots of little black non-reflective dots in it. I find that when it dries on the nails it starts to look more warm. I even paint over one of the nails the other day just to see the slight difference in the undertone.
I think that the dotted finish is unique and I loved wearing it a lot. It dries glossy and it is smooth, the dots which looks like seeds aren't touchable.
The bottles are small so is the price tag, I  didn't have any major problems with it. The wear time was average, it didn't crack on me but the tips started to show after two or three days which is normal if you work with computers all day long.
They probably don't make this shade or finish anymore but if I could find it in another color I would buy it.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

24 September 2017

New in

Hello,

I have genuinely cut my cosmetics shopping habits mostly by completely avoiding drugstores. If I can't see all of the new and discontinued make-up items and skin care products I won't be tempted, right? In this past week I made two quick jumps into the store and came out with some products. I could do better because there is only one item I 'really' needed, the rest are just extras but I still feel okay since 5 isn't such a high number and I could buy way more but I resisted.


First is Natura Siberica vivid vitamins for hair and body and offers instant hydration. This brand intrigued me for a couple of years but I have only tried one of their products before and it broke my skin out. I hope this product will work better for me and I will be able to see some good results.

Next is Alverde Mint and Currant lip balm. I definitely don't need any more lip products but I'm a sucker for anything mint and the label says limited edition so I felt the pressure to get it now even if I'm good for the next two years. Does anybody else feels the same? Missing out on products, even if you deep down know that the next year they will have something similar if not identical and you don't need to stock up?

Balea makes this little scented pots of cream and I already bought two (one was used up  and the other one is still waiting). I liked it so when I saw Peach and Papaya scent I had to get it. They had some other scents as well but I decided to only get one at the time especially since I still have one from last year.

The only product I 'needed' was this Artdeco eye shadow base. I'm just done with my first pot and when I saw 30% off I decided that it was a sigh sent from above. I have tried a couple of eye shadow bases and nothing really worked so I knew that when I will be done with it I will repurchase it so the sale came in on time. I won't loose my words about this product, if you have oily lids you need this little miracle pot in your life.

The very last item is so unexpected and I'm still in shock that I found it. The other day I was in Tuš Drogerije to see if they have the Essence Coast 'n' Chill collection (they didn't) but instead I saw a whole 1 meter stand full of Make-up Revolution London products. Who knew that this brand is available in Slovenia? I sure didn't. I started swatching some products and quickly become overflown with swatches so at the end I decided to get this lovely baked looking bronzer (not that I need any more). They have two Vivid baked bronzers but I got the lightest shade called Ready to go and I was impressed by the slight sheen that it gives. For more information I will have to actually try it on my face and I will report back.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day


19 September 2017

& our secret date at night

Hello,

having so many eye shadows isn't easy. In the morning I'm having a hard time picking among the crowd on my shelf. It gets a little easier with the new stuff because I feel like I have to try them out first so I'm concentrating on one palette at the time and lately it was this beauty below.



Essence & the lovely little things eye shadow palette in the & our secret date at night.
There are two other palettes with more 'me' type of shades which means warm neutrals but at the end I' m happy that they send me this one in particular because I would have never pick it up myself. When I was starting with shadows I wore only greys and silver tones, I don't know exactly when that changed but I wanted to try if there is still a place for cooler tones in my heart.


I think that the colors look beautiful in the palette, there are some warmer tones, light neutrals and also the smokey shades for more dramatic looks.


First cream shade with shimmer is my perfect inner corner highlighting shade. They absolutely nailed it and if you like loud inner corners you will like it too.

The other shade is golden but not yellow, it has more of that antique touch and that is why I love it so much. For me this one is a stand out shade and I find myself reaching for it non stop.



Third shade looks neutral on the pan but it is a nice brown shade and I like to apply it with a fluffy brush and place it in my crease. It is almost matte and in combination with the first two colors I can create my everyday and also favorite look.

Next to it is a very interesting shade, it is grey with red undertone but in the pan it is way more obvious than on the skin and when it is blended it goes away almost completely. On the swatch below you can notice it but on a smaller part and when it is properly blended it looses that uniqueness. I'm not gonna sit here and complain because it is very unlikely for me to use red shadow so at the end I'm happy that on the eyes it mostly just looks grey.


This next glittery shade is hard to miss. It is dark grey with tons of big chunky glitter which tends to fall down onto the cheeks. It is also more concentrated on the surface. After swatching it and trying to wear it the first layer came off and what is underneath is way less glittery, glimmer is still there but in more reasonable amount. The color itself has poorer opacity and is my least favorite from the bunch.

Second to last is grey shade which looks lighter on the skin and I like to use it in my crease when I'm doing cooler looks (otherwise I use the third shade to shade my eyes). Some people would say that it has poor pigmentation and they would treat it as a bad thing, I like my crease shades to be buildable as I find them easier to use.

The last color looks black but it is chalky and less pigmented on the skin. I don't like to use black shadows on myself as it can look too harsh but I like to use them opposed to liners and this one works well for that. I get much more pigment out of it if I use eyeliner brush and line my lids with it.


All colors were made without base and with my own fingers.


Intense shimmer is seen in the first two shades, just the way I like it, while the third one is more toned down and appears almost shimmer free.


Next to my favorite crease shade there is the fourth color which has some red in it but it looses its magic as soon as you press it onto your skin. Here it just looks grey and that is how it also looks on the eyes.


Glittery shade looks dazzling in the pan but all that shine doesn't transfer on the eyes, probably my floor were covered in glitter after these swatches were made.


Second to last is a nice crease shade, more grey and cool toned for different kind of looks. The shade is very buildable but I prefer the light touch.

And the last dramatic shade is black but when you try to go full on it looks patchy and chalky. I don't think it is the best one out there but for precise touches it is fine and it performs great with a fine brush as a liner.


The first three shades could definitely be released in a natural trio and every neutral fan would love them. They are the most safe colors and also my favorite. That has been said but I'm still happy that I got to try some cooler tones and greys, they bring memories back and I can do some decent looks with this palette. Am I converted and will start to buy grey and silver toned shadows again? No, I'm still in the warm browns and golds kind of pool but trying something new every once in a while has never hurt me. 

Thank you for reading and have a nice day