Empties

Hello,

today has been a long day. Even though it is a holiday I had to get up early and go to work, now I'm just chilling before I stuff myself with delicious food.

The first item is/was my oldest eye shadow palette and technically I didn't use it up but dropped it and what I had left felt out. It is super old Avon eye shadow quad from the days when there were making oval instead of squared palettes. I had it in the Smokey Eyes color. First shade was a shimmery white, perfect to accentuate my inner corners, second was a light pink that I never liked so I scraped it out early on. The only shade that you can actually see is the light grey that I used a lot when I started using make-up which was in high school but since then I started to wear warmer shades and this one was left forgotten. The very last shade was a deep grey that I used to fill in my brows and when I dropped it I mourned after that shade the most (the shade that I'm using in my brows now is just not that good).

Next product are shade adjusting drops from The Body Shop. My sister brought them for me from abroad but now TBS is available in Slovenia so I already order it and that tells you just how much I like them. It is a proper white liquid that is mixing well with my foundation and getting my perfect shade has never been more simple. I can on recommend them.

Next bottle is Ebelin nail polish remover. I think I had it before and it removes my nail polish so very well and it is also inexpensive. Right now I'm using another brand that is also cheap and I tend to rotate, it depends which one I can find on sale to spend even less money on them  ;)

I have talked about my favorite face cream before which is Neutrogena oil free moisturizer so I will be short. I like the squeeze tube which comes handy on travels. The cream itself is moisturizing jet matte. I can apply my make-up right away and it doesn't make it look weird. This is my favorite and holy grail daily cream.

This old Melvita Narcissus extraordinary water is something I purchased on sale and I'm always on a hunt for a good skincare but this one sadly broke me out if I used it every day on my face so I mostly used it on my neck and chest area. I definitely won't repurchase it but I have the Rose one that I need to clear out this year.

Underneath is an Avon Skin so Soft body butter with jojoba oil. This smells so nice that I'm glad that I bought backups. It is my second one and I think I have two more. It smells creamy and comforting, nothing too specific but so very nice. The texture is a little bit thicker but moisturizing and it sinks in very fast. My skin is never dry or itchy when I use it so Avon did well when they made it.

Avon Color Trend Lioness eye pencil is upfront and it was part of a limited edition. I got it a couple of years ago and I remember how pretty and unique the shade looked like. It was a mix of antique gold and moss green with a lovely sheen. I used it a couple of times and then I just saved it, maybe for special occasion but it never came. The other day I wanted to try it but it was so dry and it was so stinky that I'm just tossing it away before it gives me a pinky eye.

Avon Color Trend Barefoot Beige lip gloss is another almost brand new item that I wanted to use sometimes in the future but when I applied it on my lips it tingle and I know that that is not something that it should do. I recently discovered two web pages that tells you how old your make up is. Basically I enter the brand name and the short batch code that it is on your make-up and it tells you when it was made. This gloss was made in April 2011!!! I'm getting rid of it.
The two sites are:
http://checkcosmetic.net/
and
http://www.checkfresh.com/.

You're welcome  ;)

Another gloss is from Essence XXXL nude lip gloss line in Taste the Sweets. I almost finished it up completely but that weird tingle happened so I'm willing to take part with it before I poison myself with expired make-up. This shade was great and the formula was one of my favorites, I was upset when they discontinued them but then they came out with the Shine, Shine, Shine line that is even more fantastic. I encourage everyone who likes lip gloss to go and get some, you won't be disappointed.

The very last item in this already way too long post is a face wash that I was eyeing on e-bay and then my sister surprised me with when she was traveling. It is Too Cool for School egg mousse face soap. You don't need to shake it, just press the button and a thick mousse comes out (think of shaving foam), it removes my make-up really nicely while it didn't dry out my skin. It was very nice but since I can't get it so easily I don't think I will repurchase it.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Liquid Silver

Hello,

my nails needed some life and instead of bright colors I decided to get something mirror like and wow, the effect is better than what I expected.

Catrice kindly gifted me with these new nail polishes. First is Lux Chrome in Liquid Silver (so far it is the only color available) and the Lux Chrome 2 in 1 base & top coat.

I used one coat of the 2 in 1 as a base, it dries super fast so almost immediately I applied the Liquid Silver on top. It is quite liquid but very opaque. I did two coats to get that even and smooth layer and after it dries the surface reflect image, almost like a mirror.
I tried the ridge filling base coat the next time (yes, I loved it so much that after I removed it after five days I repainted them with the same color but I used different base coat to see it my nails would get smoother and so the surface would look even more polished but the silver varnish didn't wan't to stick to it so using the 2 in 1 base & top coat is a must!).

I think my pinky looks the best so I wanted to include one photo of it as well.

I was scared that it will be hard to manage or it will dry streaky but I was completely blown away. I honesty would never pick it up myself but now I want Catrice to come up with more shades, I would pick up a garnet red or a deep blue shade in a heartbeat.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Mint and Berry

Hello,

for today I have prepared a simple post. Simple as a simple product that often gets forgotten but it is so essential. I'm talking about lip balm.

This is Alverde Mint and Berry LE lip balm (they have Calendula one that is part of their standard range and my sister loves it).
I went with it because I love Mint lip products. I have to say that it smells more like a toothpaste with some non sweet berries in the mix if that makes sense. I expected to be cooling but it is not.

The stick is soft red but it doesn't give off any color so you are good if you are applying it without the mirror. The texture is light and not greasy, because of that it also looks like nothing on the lips (I personally like the glossy look but this one has just a little shine for the first five minutes after that it looks like your bare lips). It also doesn't last for long, maybe thirty minutes and after that I feel the need to reapply.
It is moisturizing but nothing compared to per say similarly priced Terra Naturi one.

For me this is a very average balm. There is nothing about it that I would hate or dislike but it could be better. I will still use it up (I'm already half way through it) but then I will buy something nicer.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Lashes to kill

Hello,

Catrice send me this waterproof mascara just in time. While it is still cold we are getting glimpses of the real Spring and soon the days will be hot and humid and I will need make-up that lasts. In general I use Avon mascaras but since they send me this one I decided to try it out and I wasn't disappointed...

It is the 'new' Catrice lashes to kill pro instant volume mascara in black waterproof version (the non waterproof version comes in golden packaging).

I like the reflective blue packaging that sets it apart from other products but the most important thing (brush and formula) are hidden inside.

At first I was a bit scared because I am used to use rubber wands and this one has the more traditional bristles and I wasn't sure how it will comb through my lashes (I don't like clumpy and thick lashes).
Actually it manages to separate and elongate them nicely, it holds the volume nicely but not all day. After a couple of hours the curl drops a bit but I'm fine as long as it isn't the straight, I'm gonna poke you in the eye kind of situation.

The brush looks different from different angles so I like to rotate it while brushing it through my lashes so every lash gets covered and separated. I like how natural my lashes look but also 'done' at the same time. This is not your high drama kind of mascara but something you can use every day to get some definition plus you are covered if it starts raining.
The other thing I really like about it is also the formula. I have never had a mascara that I would love from the first use. They are all too wet for my liking for the first month but this isn't the case with this one. For day one this mascara killed it! I has become my go to everyday mascara and I seriously think that I will use it in September when my sister is getting married and I don't think I will be able to hold in the waterfall.
For that occasion I will for sure buy myself a new tube not just because this will be old but also because I will most probably use it up till then.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

camouflage cream concealer

Hello,

I have one more product from this collection that was kindly sent to me by PR company and since I don't think it is too late I would like to show it to you so if you are interested you can still get it.

Here it is, Essence For Boys and Girls camouflage cream concealer. It only comes in one color way with two colors and I think they have something pretty similar in their standard range (the same type of packaging and the colors also look very similar).

So the idea is to mix them to get your perfect match and I like the option but at the same time it is very hard to mix your 'perfect' shade and get it 'right' for all the little areas that I need to cover.
Dipping my finger back and forth just makes a mess in both pans and slowly mixes both color together. I have been using it for quite a while but still I haven't find the right way to mix them.

They are both yellow toned which works for me well and as I thought that only the lighter shade will match me it proved me wrong. I'm using foundation that is a little too deep for me so the first, darker shade matches my face and the lighter shade is great for some under eye highlighting/coverage.

I was impressed by how creamy and pigmented these two are, I can cover up pretty much all of my redness, I just have to make sure that I blend the edges well because if I don't you can clearly see the lines.

I'm a big fan of Catrice camouflage concealers but this one is just as good, I would say that the Essence one has even better coverage but I spent a little more time at blending it in. Catrice one looks  more natural and has more shades to choose from. So there are pros and cons.
Under the line I would say that I discovered another great concealer and if you are on a budget and looking for something with high coverage and you are pretty fair, I would suggest you to try it out.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

refreshing & moisturizing primer stick

Hello,

Essence came out with this TE almost a month ago but some of the stores still haven't got the products so there is still a chance to grab them before they are gone.

Essence For Boys and Girls TE contains 'basic' products and one of them is this refreshing & moisturizing primer stick. It comes in a small but chubby format.

The packaging and the product itself reminded me very much of an Catrice Summer TE Travelight Story from this past Summer about which you can read here.

You have to apply it straight on the face, at first it feels a bit cooling but it instantly makes the skin matte. For super oily gals like me this won't keep the oils at bay for the whole day so I use it on the days when it is not too hot (now is perfect) and the make-up on top wears really nice. I get shiny but foundation doesn't start to break or crack. All in all I really like it and the price is lower that it was on the Catrice one (they will come out with anther collection Active Warrior and it seem like it will include a very similar primer again), I like it a lot and I will try to hunt down a backup before it is gone.




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Empties

Hello,

this time around I'm having a lot of face products. I'm trying a lot of new stuff and some older ones that didn't convinced me have to go.

First and second tubes are two Holika Holika discontinued Petite BB creams. In the yellow packaging is Bouncy with nice coverage but way too dark for me so I barely used it. Second is Aqua and while the shade matches me better it has barely there coverage so I only used it on my neck to connect my face with the rest of my body.

The white tube is my second Avon Anew clinical advanced resurfacing peel with 10% glycolic acid. Inside you get 30 soaked pads which you rub over cleansed face and if you have some dry skin, acne or just sensitive skin it will lightly burn or tingle. It didn't bother me too much but I wasn't using them regularly so I can't tell if they worked for me. As I mentioned this is my second pack but I won't be spending my money on something I'm not even sure if it works for me.

The bottle on top is my beloved Afrodita great burdock hair oil. I swear that this oil is magical as it helps my hair grow faster (even my sister and mom can verify that because they both are using their own bottles of it). I talked about it here.

This lip balm was sent to me but I was so interested in it that I would probably spent my own money on it but at the end I'm glad that I didn't. This was very average balm that did very little for my dry and chapped lips but it smelled so nice, like a true Mango. It is from Essence & the lovely little things LE and was named & we kissed.

The last two tubes are both from Korean brands and are green make-up bases. First is Tony Moly Baby Doll make up mint base and second is The Face Shop air cotton green make up base. I did buy them on two different occasions and were my first make up primers and at the beginning I was excited about them but later I discovered better ones so these two were left forgotten. I know I had them for so long and that they probably already went bad so I'm tossing them before they start to reek.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Iridescent Pink, Opalescent Green and Peach Prism

Hello,

I was so very excited when I saw this palette in the bag. Doesn't it look stunning?

The reflective surface of this L.O.V. holographic highlighter palette is insane. It is made out of sturdy cardboard which is something I'm not to happy about it but it will do. The  magnetic closure is strong and it doesn't feel flimsy, it is just a personal preference (plastic over paper because I can wash it).

Inside you get three shades which looks very similar to one another but after swatching them there is a whole new story.

First shade is Iridescent Pink which swatches lavender, next is Opalescent Green which is 'the bold one' and the more conservative Peach Prism which comes out more pink than peach.

Really, in the palette they look very static and light, not reflective at all.

However, on the skin these come to life.

I didn't even tried to make pigmented swatches, they are all one swipes and the pigmentation is insane.

Iridescent Pink and Opalescent Green are the 'crazy' ones and I can't imagine myself wearing them on my cheeks. I prefer my highlighter to be more natural toned so the last one the Peach Prism is the only one that grazed my cheeks and I paired it pinky blush so it didn't look too out of place.

The first two shades makes a beautiful eye shadows. I paired them with some more toned down colors such as brown or grey and then just a little bit of one of these on the lid and my eye looks always turned out to be so eye catchy.

Peach Prism comes across as less pigmented from the bunch but that is not true. It has duochrome effect that is maybe more visible on the lower photo, in the real life it is more visible.

It has that gorgeous effect that I love so very much. You can see it only where the light hits it directly
otherwise it is almost invisible unlike the first two shades that are screaming out lout with their pigmented base.

I'm a young woman that is still trying and struggling with make-up and I prefer more 'natural' looking cheeks. I know there are women who are bolder and have no problem with adding some green glow onto their cupid's bow but I'm not one of them and that is okay.
I'm happy and grateful that I have been send this palette to review it and test something new out.
I now have pinky highlighter for my cheeks and two more eye shadows  ;)




Thank you for reading and have a nice day

Warm brown

Hello,

I don't think I ever talked about my brows on my blog. I have been using the same dark grey eye shadow and angled brush for years and the powder has a massive pan so I think maybe this year I will be done with it. I'm not fussy about my brows, I tried a couple of pencils and powder but I always go back to that old discontinued Avon palette so this product that was sent to me by L.O.V. was intriguing.

It is L.O.V. staining eyebrow cushion in the shade warm brown from their current forever brows collection. There is another shade available if your brows are cool toned maybe that one will suit you better.

The packaging is simple and sleek, just the way I like it. When you unscrew the lid there is the cushion which is very soft and delicate brush has no issues in pressing it down to get to the product. The brush picks a lot of product so it is easy to fill it in. It feels watery but probably that is only because I'm just so used to use powders.

The color is very warm and light brow and it couldn't be further away from my natural color but I still tried it out (on my off day). It looked weird but if the color would match me I think it would look natural.
They also claim to have staining properties which I haven't noticed. In the evening I washed my face with a regular face wash and all of the color came out, nothing stayed.
I even used it as an eye liner but it is too wet for that and when I went over the same line it just removed the previous layer and didn't want to build up to get that even line.

I will part with this product because I just can't find any use in my make-up for it but maybe someone else would.



Thank you for reading and have a nice day