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

15 September 2017

Empties

Hello,

half a month is already around and this time I only managed to use up a couple of products, some went bad (lip products but that seem to be a tradition since I have so many that I can't use them up before they go bad).


First is an Avon Naturals clean slate shampoo with Verbena & Peppermint. It is meant for oily hair and mine were greasy during the warmer months but this shampoo was just okay for me. I loved the scent, it was minty with a hint of flowers but my hair didn't look special the day after. There was nothing wrong with it but there are some others that I like better (Avon Naturals shampoo with Hibiscus & Raspberry is one of my favorite ones which makes my hair silkier and visibly smoother).

For the first time I used make-up removing wipes. I always just buy baby wipes and so far they worked like a charm plus they are much cheaper. So, this time I used up Nivea 3 in 1 care cleansing micellar wipes for eyes, lips and face with lash protect formula. I really didn't notice any lash fallout but I had to rub a little more to get all off and at the end the white part of my eyes was always a bit pink. It didn't hurt or irritate my eyes but they were just pink and since the regular baby wipes don't do that to me I will continue buying them.


The last three lip items aren't completely finished but I'm getting rid of them. First is the Avon Perfect Kiss lipstick in the shade Racy Raspberry which is a gorgeous color, very dear to my hear but I had the same issue with it like with the other two shades. After I apply it I start to feel like I have sand in my mouth and that felling comes from this old lipstick (it has zero shimmer so it isn't that), the only solution is to toss it but I will try to find similar shade.

The other two are L'oreal caresse glosses/stains. First is Romy and more nude one is Lolita. They are very long lasting (8 hours at least), very pigmented (after a couple of  minutes they both turned darker on me) and they stay glossy for at least 7 hours and then you are left with a nice even stain. In theory they are perfect for me but the scent/taste is horrendous. Very plastic and artificial, it makes me sick every time I try to wear it but you can cover it with some gum. All in all, I haven't worn them this year and so I think it is time to get rid of them. The pink one is 4 and the nude one is 3 years old, they are definitely over their prime.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

14 September 2017

& we kissed

Hello,

when I saw the preview of the Essence TE & the lovely little things my heart skipped a beat. I'm usually not drawn to the cute packaging but this one won my heart. I wanted to own everything for the collection, period.
I calmed down a bit when the first swatches stated popping up and I discovered that I already have a lot of similar colors in my collection and buying something just because of the packaging seems worthless to me. I always toss products when they get empty, I just don't save and cherish the empty packaging as some trinkets.


Essence team did send me some products form the collection so that was also the other reason why I didn't purchase anything. I received this & we kissed lip balm with absolutely adorable packaging.


It is mango scented and I would say that mangos really smell like that, it doesn't have any plastic-y undertone to it.


The product itself looks pink and I was expecting that it will turn my lips into soft pink color even though it doesn't specify that. However, it is colorless. It makes my lips slightly shiny and that is it, it also isn't longlasting. After about 30 minutes I have to reapply and I have been using it for a whole day and my lips at midday were dry and started to crack. My conclusion was that this balm isn't moisturizing enough for me to keep it in my bag and reapply through the day. There is also the strawberry scented one but I didn't spent my money on it because I was disappointed by the lack of moisture and nourishment.

I like the scent and the packaging but when it comes to what matters, keeping my lips soft and nourished, it failed and I won't be repurchasing it.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

13 September 2017

Mi Corazon

Hello,

a while ago Essence team surprised me with this highlighter. I'm not someone who is obsessed with highlighters (I'm perfectly fine if I don't coat my cheeks with glowing powder, probably because my skin is already oily and if I'm breaking out then is my cheek area and I don't like to accentuate my acne) but I heard only positive reviews so I gave it a go.


It is Essence Cubanita jumbo highlighter in Mi Corazon shade (it was the only one available) and it really is huge. It covers my entire palm.


The tropical palm leaves embossment is beautiful and even though isn't deep it will take me a while to flatten it because this baby is pigmented.


The tone is very warm and yellow which could be a problem for fair ladies and cool toned gals. I'm fortunately warm but it still looks a smidge too yellow for my liking but I figured it out. If I apply bronzer on my cheeks and then this highlighter on top it looks fine.


This swatch was made with only one swipe and the pigmentation is crazy. I use very fluffy and soft brush to apply and I get somewhat 'natural' effect, I don't like seen from the space cheeks but you can totally do it with this highlighter. It definitely can be worn light or packed on for a full glow effect and that makes is very versatile and loved.


Here my camera made my skin and also the highlighter a bit warmer but in real life the color isn't very far off. Like I said, if you are cool toned this won't be for you but for all the neutral and warm toned women this is great. The size is also huge and it will last me for a really long time even if I will use it every single day.
BTW, it looks amazing as an eye shadow as well  ;)




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

06 September 2017

Ashy Radiance

Hello,

this is one of my lucky finds before it sold out. Everyone who tried it was raving about it and it just stuck in my head that I should have it as well since it got an almost cult tag.


Catrice prime and fine professional contour palette in Ashy Radiance (the lightest option).


The contour part looks a bit warm and it looks more like a bronzer than a shading powder in my opinion at least on my skin tone. It makes me cringe every time I see someone using warm bronzer under their cheekbones to 'sculpt' them. Are you kidding me? Do people really don't see the difference between bronzer and contour colors?


Anyways, on some this works perfectly fine, on my warm toned skin it looks okay as bronzer.
First we have cream colored shimmery highlighter which is a tad too shimmery but manageable it looks more silver toned on the skin than in the pan (I love it in my inner corners or all over the lid as a eye shadow).
The bronze color as I mentioned looks nice on the back of my cheekbones close to my hair line, if that makes sense or I absolutely love it as an eye shadow all over the lid and blended into the crease.
Usually, if I use it  on my cheeks I also use it on my eyes and those little multi taskers are the best, even though I was a bit disappointed from the tone I reach for it quite often and use it all over. I still give it a thumb up.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

01 September 2017

balmy tint

Hello,

I'm so behind reviewing all my new products that some of them aren't even that new. Still, I can find this Essence LE in my local store and I can hope you can too, if there is still something you want to get.


Essence Cubanita Bienvenida a Palm Beach balmy tint in pink.


I was lucky enough to receive this balm. It is bright warm toned pink shade that goes on almost sheer but it starts building up the longer you wear it (I would say that the final color develops after 5 minutes of wearing it). On me it turns really bright but because it is not so cool toned I like it much better than some other ones (Essence My Little Sunshine lipstick from some other collection which I passed down to my mom).


On the swatch it looks quite toned down and glossy like a regular balm. It is moisturizing but I had some others that were better also I can't imagine myself carrying it around and reapplying because the color is already so vivid.


I usually put it on and through the day I reapply clear balm which provides me with enough moisture to prevent chapped lips and to add shine. The Bienvenida a Palm Beach balm leaves a very strong stain behind and if I eat carefully it stays on through my entire work day.
I will quickly mention lovely packaging, in my opinion it is cute and cheerful, it makes me happy when I look at it and the scent is vanilla/caramel but it goes away after you apply it to your lips.
I wish it would be more moisturizing but then again I think that the stain is the main point of this product and the fact that my lips stays pigmented even after a long day at work is impressive, so I really shouldn't complain. I can always top it off with some balm or gloss.

If you are on a hunt for a bright stain then you should definitely get this balmy tint in your hands.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day